Connecting in the Classroom

As a classroom teacher, one of the best instructional strategies I ever implemented was true collaboration using technology. My students each created their own blog, and I formed a partnership with other teachers that were interested in doing the same thing. The teachers and I worked together to plan lessons and pair students using ability grouping.  Through this partnership, our students commented on each others' blogs, created video study guides for each other, and participated in virtual competitions using Skype. It was a great experience, and breaking down the classroom walls was hands down the best thing I ever did as a teacher.

But breaking down the classroom walls doesn't have to just be about connecting classrooms. It can be about connecting students with experts in a field of study, also. I know of great teachers who have found experts for students to interview using Skype, FaceTime, and Google Hangout. I've outlined those lessons below:

• A group of 6th graders studying water conservation interview a professional working from Cairo, Egypt to teach methods of conservation.
• Students in a social studies class hold discussions with their state's governor regarding topics relevant to their area. They use Today's Meet to further the conversation.
• An English teacher assigns a research paper on which college is best for each student. During research, former students use FaceTime to connect with the class and discuss their perspective of college life.

With a move towards project based learning,  which includes an authentic audience, teachers are looking for opportunities such as the ones described above to connect classrooms with experts. These experts serve to validate design and presentations that students develop, contribute to research, and serve as a partner in classrooms. 

Although guest speakers and community partners that provide resources to students and classrooms are still important, the methodologies used in classrooms today are and should be those that replicate the 21st century. Information is differentiated, personal for each team of students, and doesn't simply follow the experiences that we as adults had in the classroom, but rather, the experiences that we as adults have in the real world.

Everyone has something to offer the classroom. Everyone has a passion, and that is the part that makes a difference in education. My passion is assisting teachers in finding these experts, professionals, and partners in education. Most teachers will state that finding collaborators is their number one stumbling block. In response to this, I am developing a database of professionals willing and able to contribute in classrooms.

If you can contribute, please add to the database through this form. 

If you are a teacher that needs to find partners in education, please complete this form.

When my students used technology to collaborate with others, we found that our students were making greater strides in their learning goals, realized the importance of digital citizenship, and developed skills that are necessary for teamwork. Let's give all kids that chance. Help our database grow!

eSourcing - The How

In a recent post, I gave the why of eSourcing your curriculum. In case you are not familiar with the idea, it is developing a project based curriculum using multiple resources, including videos, websites, books, and other applications.

The first step in creating a classroom focused on eSources is to identify a unit to begin with. From looking at the standards you need to meet with that unit, consider the learning activities students will be involved in. You need to ask the question, "How does a ____________ (scientist, mathematician, journalist, writer, etc.) use this skill in real life?" Not only will looking through that lens help you identify what resources you need, but it also will help you to create a unit that engages students in critical thinking and project based learning. Write the answer to that question on a Post It note, and stick it somewhere you will see constantly while you're preparing the unit. Maybe it's to the side of your monitor or on your desk; it doesn't matter. It will provide you with focus so that you don't start chasing rabbit holes during development.

Keep in mind that this needs to be a true project based experience for students, and I recommend following the 8 Essential Elements of PBL. The Buck Institute announced earlier this year their quest to bring together PBL units for a Gold Standard PBL, which would be vetted by BIE and would provide great examples. Keep your eyes on this.

The next thing you'll do is a Google search. It depends on what grade level you teach, but regardless, there's information out there. Here's a list of sites that I think are beneficial when you're trying to provide students with a list of vetted resources.

Expert Space
BBC Bitesize
Scholastic Storia
PBS
National Geographic (Kids - Elementary) (Secondary)
Time For Kids

I could go on. And on. And on. So instead, here's a link to my eSourcing bookmarks. The content found on these sites will represent the in depth research your students will participate in. In depth research is going to take the place of the teacher delivering information to the students, and instead, students will research and find the information to apply to the concept of the unit of study.

You will have to scaffold the research so the students aren't out there in the wild west. Think about what information they need to bring back after their research. Maybe as a class (or individually), students will brainstorm questions they need answers to that will drive their research. Another good idea is for students to research from the role of a real life profession or responsibility that goes along with the unit of study. For example, if students are researching the water cycle and water conservation, have them research from varying roles of farmers, parks and recreation directors, and water purification engineers.

Next, you'll need a content repository. Think about where you can house the information you're finding. Depending on how scaled the initiative is, you might need anything from a bookmarking site to a purchased curriculum manager. I would recommend iCyte to all, regardless of how large your initiative is. To give you a quick summary, iCyte takes a picture of a website and stores it in your account. No longer will you visit a site today and find it's gone tomorrow if you cyte it.

Now, for an individual unit, you will go back to the planning stage and think again about how professionals use this information in the real world. From there, develop the PBL unit according to the article listed above.

If you are looking at full scale, whole site change with an eSourced curriculum, there are other things to keep in mind.

1. Communicate, communicate, communicate. You have to share this information with parents, teachers, administrators, and the community. It's different. Most of us didn't learn this way, therefore, most of us will only know school as it existed for us. Be prepared - moving to a curriculum that focuses on PBL will be different for kids, and some (namely the kids that are good at school) will balk. Remember, school doesn't work for some kids. That's one big reason to use PBL. 
2. Check your network. Every time you find a resource you want to use, you need to check it on network from both the teacher and student side. If you find information that is blocked by filters and you feel it is important to open it, be sure to follow your district's procedure for doing so. Most network administrators are very open to unblocking sites upon request.
3. Be prepared that some resources might need to be purchased. Expert Space, for example (linked above), is a great tool for science and social studies classes. It has a small annual fee and students will have to be given accounts. Gizmos from Explore Learning are also a great tool purchased through subscription.
4. As with anything in education, tweak, change, and repeat. Most teachers don't teach the exact same lesson year after year without making adjustments to it. Because with eSources, you're using the most up to date resources available, you'll definitely need to be prepared to follow suit in this area.

The most important thing to remember about eSourcing is that it truly has to occur in a project based environment to make a difference. Often, we change resources, we change tools, but we fail to change the delivery of our instruction. If you are interested in learning how to develop a project based curriculum, check out these online courses that will take you start to finish to develop a unit you can use in your classroom this semester. From there, you can continue to build your curriculum over time.

A quote I love is from Robert Marzano - "Teachers must move beyond 'teaching content,' to teaching students how to learn - that is, find and evaluate content, connect with prior knowledge, and use that knowledge to solve authentic problems."  Using eSources with project based learning can help us achieve just that.

Innovation Academy

Throughout my experience as an educator, I have been very fortunate to work for a district that encouraged professional development and also to have the opportunity to attend many workshops and conferences both in my regional area and around the country.

I think you'd find few educators that would disagree about the importance of professional development. However, time, travel, and the expenses involved are sometimes inhibitors. Additionally, one-size-fits-all PD can sometimes be counterproductive. Therefore, in response to these struggles, I am very happy to announce the launch of 21 Vision's Innovation Academy.

The Innovation Academy is a series of online professional development offerings designed to engage professional learners in skills for today's students, such as Project Based Learning, the Flipped Classroom, Visual Literacy, and Google Apps just to name a few. All courses are designed to support a classroom that provides not just relevant, but real world learning experiences.

All courses take about a month to complete, and participants will directly collaborate with other teachers in the course and the instructor throughout the month. Courses are offered at a very affordable $125. Check out the link above for course descriptions.

Additional courses will be available very soon, and will always be launched the first date of the month.