Sleeping on the Job... I'm NOT!

Today we began the Lesson Study Facilitator's training. I'm excited to take this next step to grow in my profession. Why would I not? It allows me to learn with others and grow. And... we do it all in and effort to extend and maximize student learning! The Lesson Study Kit gives us structures, protocals, and tools for working together, expanding our thinking and examining our practice. The resources provided are like a bible for good teaching! Succinctly stated and well organized. Not sleeping on the job supports this notion of moving your practice forward.... thanks to Hollins for sharing this article with us. It wraps up the day and my thoughts so that I will sleep tonight. I am not alone in my profession.

Changing Education Paradigms

The Pursuit of Technology Integration Happiness: 10 Tips for Getting Teachers to Integrate Technolo...

The Pursuit of Technology Integration Happiness: 10 Tips for Getting Teachers to Integrate Technolo...: "A year and half as a technology integration specialist does not qualify me as an expert in field of educational technology. But in this sho..."

Inquiry leads to...

I wonder Why don't we model curiousity more?

I believe it is important to demonstrate and model how to observe, ask questions, create hypotheses, and test those hypotheses. I also like to use "think alouds" in the classroom... well actually anywhere! In fact, I process out loud and so think alouds are a natural way for me to learn... so imagine if I was a student in a classroom that requires silence and no collaboration!!! Inquiry is the basis of science, math, and technological activity, not to mention historical analysis and powerful writing. And... what about the kid that is a poor reader but all of a sudden can read really hard material because of high interest? When one is interested in how something works or why something is the way it is or simply curious... and acts upon these inquires and makes discoveries, then the desire to learn more ignites!

Curiosity leading to inquiry provides the best foundation for perpetual self-improvement through study and experimentation.

Radical Learners

to read and respond...

It's All about the Culture...

responding to Matt's post...

It really is all about building culture! It is exciting so see you connect Responsive Classroom and EL as effective ways to move your learning community. Our work at Darden this week examining The Coaching Model (as the initial purpose) brings us to the real focus where we landed on “culture” as well. “Create a culture of collaborating, reflecting and public practicing professionals” (paraphrased) is our goal. We examined this week, how culture is a human system, and that we often use analysis too much… I love how you mention the lesson plan for meetings.. as we also have committed to observing and taking on personal actions in all of the meetings we attend… as we have recognized that meetings are public learning environments where cultures of collaboration and reflection can thrive. Thank you for your insights… your post has really helped me connect to the past week’s work and commitments. More thoughts on this to come... weekend life is calling.

Abandoning Superman

Love this post... examines that when we become experts, we are no longer innovative. Too many great quotes to remember! Come learn with me.... bottomline.

Parallel Lives with Google

So having used google tools for a couple of years and really not totally understanding that I had so many tool options is one thing... but then to totally "get it" and really dive in...google groups, gmail, google sites, my very own search engine, blogger, igoogle, google calendar... I grew to love it all... only to have a parallel world come upon my work life (googleapps)... WELL... it's nuts! It can be confusing to say the least! And then... try explaining it to someone who only thinks google is just a search engine and has no concept of what one login with Google can really get you, well...you have total confusion and you sound crazy even explaining it. So... Google Apps vs. (regular) Google...hmmm??? Partial rollout of GoogleApps adds in the school district even adds to the confusion. In ACPS, some schools have GoogleApps, others are unaware. Some teachers have accounts and are not aware of the tools they have at their fingertips, while others have the desire to try something, but confused as to what and with whom. Other folks, including ME, can not clearly grasp which side to use for sites, blogs, and other tools, especially when your personal and professional life often overlaps. Seperate web browsers has been one of my strategies, that's for sure! I'm hoping this link will provide some clarity.

Ordinary People

4 minutes of inspiration...

I would love to be considered an ordinary person doing extraordinary things. However, please note... many teachers are just that! I know, I see them at work.

Professional Development for Discovery Streaming

My colleague and friend, Erica, has created a fabulous Glog for reviewing how to use Discovery Streaming for teachers. Please check this out!

Responsive Classroom Newsletter - November 2009 - The Power of Teacher Language

I love this newsletter's message. It helps me remember the things I learned this summer, as well as it encourages me to reflect on my own teacher language for this coming year. I need to practice... and as a coach, I need to be able to recognize it when I'm in classrooms.

I'm feeling stronger with my teacher language after the Responsive Classroom Level 1 training and I'm thinking I should re-read The Power of Words again. I only read it last fall... but, I have new schema and the re-read will really solidify how I need to retrain and practice the way I speak to children. Responsive classroom makes so much sense, it's so logical and practical... and the teacher language is so effective for the majority of our children. When it doesn't work, it is usually because we have not taught specific behaviors/ skills or practiced them or modeled them enough! Assume nothing ... if you expect it, you teach it and you model it interactively with the students! Interactive modeling works well because it requires us to think through exactly how we want things to look and sound like before we model for students. So often we just assume that students know what we mean, but we aren't really clear about our expectations: If we really teach expected behaviors, think about that... what powerful environments we are creating for our classrooms and schools!

It is discouraging when teachers appear not interested in giving Responsive Classroom an honest try... or that they judge the morning meeting on the silly stuff only. It's also disappointing when schedules do not allow enough time to really practice the morning meeting correctly. I'm hoping that I can see some honest efforts, positive attitudes and some professional growth in the area of Responsive Classroom in our classrooms across the county. I'm excited with my knowledge. I think these newsletters will be very helpful to keep me learning and thinking about teacher language.

Reflection keeps the monsters away?

my comment to The Professional Development Monsters Strikes Again blog post...

The ugly monsters arising during PD!!! oh no...
I believe that teachers can be the worst audience and the hardest critics of their peers, especially when it comes to PD... which always amazes me and scares me! You would think educators would always be open to new ideas!! Not so. New ideas represent change. Change causes stress for most people but, can and should bring new energy, too. So... we must address the stressors and make sure that scaffolding and support are always available to allow change to take place in a non-threatening manner. Then, new energies and professional efficacies will arise!
Reflection is the other component that allows change and better practices to take place. Teachers need to feel free to experiment with new ideas... and reflect on how this fits into their values and professional dreams. I believe that the lens we bring to a PD session, can allow us to learn something in the worst of situations. We must bring a REFLECTIVE lens. If NOT, then we negatively impact those around us as well as create minds for growth! I think reflection is the key component for real professional growth. Some folks are not very reflective... which therefore makes a negative setting for others or if not negative... then just a blah blah blah.. I'll ignore this and it will go away attitude. Then there's ones that do not like to appear reflective, as they think this makes them appear weak and needy. (We must change environments if that is the case) Asking good questions and being curious leads up to being reflective. So... someone needs to do this during PD training as a model, it it's not happening naturally. I believe that when we are exposed to PD, good or bad, timely or untimely... the reflection of what we are doing as professionals compared to what we need, our curiosities and seeking of what we want should lead us to new growth and deeper thinking about our practices. What areas can I improve upon in my own professional life? Am I satisfied with my results and my day to day experiences? Bringing this reflective lens will allow us to see that there is always something to learn and allow us to be OPEN to new ideas... (even if one believes they have the very best ideas...) As a reflective professional, I'm never satisfied with what I know, how to do things, not to mention the never-ending quest for what possibilities are out there! So again... I guess the question for me is how can we get people to reflect on their own practice and make meaning and connections to new ideas based within their own practice... if they are not being reflective (and maybe even monsters at PD events) Here are a few of my answers... real Professional Learning Communities that have the students' best interest in mind, teacher leaders spread throughout systems that truly lead by example, educators who feel empowered and worthy and are recognized privately, safe environments, admin encouragement for peer collaboration, instructional coaches available as reflective partners, structures that support student success such as schedules and TIME, available mentors, effective technology tools/training and on-going support... and I'm sure there's more!

bad blogging... purpose?

Wow... I'm so aware of what a bad blogger I am!! That's because I really don't know who my audience really is... except ME! And I'm thinking that is best. Notice the tenses confusion that I often use in my writing??? So... what is the purpose of my blog? (I ask myself) I use this blog to record ideas and to remember things that come through my head and in front of my eyes. (I answer myself) It's sort of a backup memory... in a way. It's clearly ramblings, too. The funny thing is that I'm often too tired or too busy to hit the blog when I really need to and then when I do... I can't remember everything that was in my head...thus snippets and ramblings and pieces of what was a really deep reflection in the quiet of my car...especially on the lovely drive home from work.

Or... I find something that I want to come back to, a specific topic, so I use the blog to record a few snippets, save a link, a video, etc. until I can come back for deeper reflection. And often I never come back except to read in dismay! My mind races and I want to freeze something in a moment of time, so that's an example of a very quick post ... and my life will not slow down in front of the keyboard to get it down in coherent well-written pieces. (I'm clearly not PWhite...who writes amazing thoughts in record speed as she's fired up and thinking deeply!!) I'm an ADD google brain for sure! Pinging! and then off to cook for relaxation... or out of hunger... or walk the dog that's barking in my ear... with paw on the space bar! oops... gotta go! If you read my blogs, then all I can say is WOW. (and don't tell me, as I'll be embarrassed probably)

Responsive Classroom

I attended Responsive Classroom training (level 1) this summer as one of my professional learning goals. I'm now reflecting on the entire summer as I wait for the upcoming week of going back to school! Many more teachers will start the year with a focus on their language. Many more days will have a morning message awaiting the bright eyed students as they bound through the door. I'm excited to visit classrooms this year and be able to recognize and understand when a teacher is using the thoughtful strategies and practices. I was always able to tell, but now the level of understanding is so much more! Understanding the 3 R's of language... reinforcing, reminding and redirecting and when we use them and why. A teacher's language is a powerful teaching tool as our language and tone can build children up or tear them down. It can model respectful and caring social interactions or just the opposite. I'm sitting here thinking about the power of our words and how the morning meetings set the stage for the day. I wish I had my book today so I could revisit and review what I learned... my brain cannot remember the details which is so frustrating. (I've loaned my notebook/resource book from this summer to a teacher who was not able to make the week-long professional development). So... as we often do, I've turned to the Responsive Classroom web resources and found the newsletters. I think these newsletters can help me remember some ideas as I ponder... so I'm just using my blog to document some on-going learning and resources. I also have some photos of our morning messages that I will review as a reminder of my learning. Thank goodness I capture images... I think I need to change my blog title to What I'm Trying to Remember Today. Ha! Images

rambling thoughts on FACES

A new school year is upon us. Preschool days have started. New Teacher Academy, Coaches Kick-Off, first Staff Meetings are coming up. New and familiar faces are all around us. All kinds of faces. Scared, excited, anxious, unsure, confident, seasoned, bright, calculating, thoughtful, questioning ... I could fill the post with adjectives! (actually would like to do that as I like to list things when I'm procrastinating!!) Faces... The diversity is bountiful! Faces with their eyes are sure to be the windows to the depth below... windows to the heart and to the soul and to the wonderings... and the questions. But as I ponder and work through the next two weeks ... I must focus on the mouth of these faces. I need to especially focus on my OWN mouth. The mouth can dim the bright eyes and disappoint the faces, OR the mouth can cheer, encourage and guide... OR create confusion, misunderstandings and hurt!... as I so so know. As I prepare myself to be an Instructional Coach - Year 2, I think about how I must listen deeply, observe carefully, and implore from the eyes as to what's behind them. And ask the right questions. What are the thoughts, desires, questions and interests of these faces. Year 1 - the relationships were built... at least some! There's always work to do with relationships... they need nurturing and continued support and care to grow. Year 2 as an instructional coach is thefocus on WITH, not FOR. What can I do with you??? How can our work grow deeper with each other's collaborative support? What is your face telling me? Watching faces...that's what I will be doing. And focusing on our relationships and our collaborative partnerships that can benefit all of our professional lives as well as our students' learning? This is a goal for me. We must bring joy and deep understanding to the faces and minds of each student. And we should have FUN doing it!! Ahhh... the bright eyes of students. Nothing like 'em. Let's keep them bright. Let's make sure that they never go dim. I am so looking forward to all of the faces. So...Ears, work hard! Brain... stay focused...Mouth... behave! Slow down... watch, listen, think. Promoting bright eyes, deep thinking, asking the right questions... and always learning. Join me. What can I do with you? Let's learn together.

SummerTime

Summer time is the time to really reflect on where you are and where you're going, and all the things that you are going to do... Or NOT! We typically start the summer with many plans for all of the things we are going to accomplish. The gardens we are going to weed or plant, the rooms we are going to paint, the closets that we are going to organize, the clutter we're going to thin... the books we're going to read and the new recipes that we are going to try! Not to mention the trips and family times that we anticipate will be full of joy and laughter. (to be continued... the puppy is demanding something from me!)

WARNING - We Filter Websites At School!

wow... now this is something to think about! A succinct poster that could be found (and not necessarily satirical in some schools). Luckily here in ACPS, we have minimum filters. I hate the head in the sand notion of protecting kids! So... what are YOU doing to prepare our kids for the future that doesn't even exist yet? Can't we at least try to live in the current world and guide them (and ourselves as educators) to be responsible citizens that are information literate and critical thinkers?

WARNING - We Filter Websites At School!, originally uploaded by datruss.

Reading the Job Description in June 2010

So... a year has gone by and I'm faced thinking about how much I've grown in this past year. But I'm so aware of where I need to grow as well. The job is so much harder than I ever expected. The job is so much more than it appears from your busy door of your classroom. I find it especially interesting to take a look at the job title as it is presented to all of my colleagues as they search for new coaches. Can you/we look at this job description with new eyes and reflect on what we did and didn't do together this year? Can we look at this job description and understand things more clearly NOW? More later on this... but just for the blog record... here is the June 2010 job description that I've now read 11 times.

ROLE OF THE INSTRUCTIONALCOACH:

Instructional Coaching is part of the professional development system in Albemarle County Public Schools. Overall, the job of the instructional coach is to work within a team of instructional coaches to build the capacity of school staffs to meet the needs of all students through implementation of the Division's three levers:

(1.) Framework for Quality Learning;

(2.) Professional Learning Community; and

(3.) Teacher Performance Appraisal.

The effective coach is seen as an equal partner with both novice and experienced teachers, spending the majority of the time collaborating around teaching practices (i.e., co-planning, modeling, observing, co-teaching, debriefing). Coaches facilitate job-embedded professional development and guidance for teachers to enhance their understanding of curriculum, assessment, and instruction as informed by the Framework for Quality Learning. Coaches provide support to principals as they plan formative professional development and to teacher leaders as they work with the Professional Learning Community model to analyze student work and data. The coach's support of a team's student learning data informs ongoing school-based professional development, meeting individual teachers' unique needs over time.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Engaging in reflective conversations in which coach and teacher think collaboratively;

• Building and maintaining meaningful and confidential relationships with teachers;

• Collaborating with teachers by listening and questioning to formulate next steps and solutions;

• Collaborating across school staffs to identify student learning needs and barriers as schools organize and implement

problem-solving actions;

• Facilitating school-based, high-quality job-embedded professional development, working with teachers (in teams or

individually) to enhance their knowledge and skills (Contexts for professional development may include thought provoking in-class coaching, inquiry-based observing, modeling of instructional strategies, guiding teachers as they

analyze student work, developing lesson plans with teachers based on student needs, supporting data analysis,

supporting the systemic integration of technology, etc.); and,

• Participating in required professional development (The coach is charged with acquiring contemporary global

learning knowledge and skills necessary to effectively impact the instructional practices of teachers. Research-based

knowledge will inform the coaching role.). The instructional coach is non-supervisory and non-evaluative. The coach advocates for, facilitates, and co-constructs formative feedback exchanges among teachers, but never supervises. The instructional coach is assigned to a team that supports a cluster of schools and is evaluated and supervised by a centrally-based Lead Coach.

70 Tools 70 Minutes

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

70 Tools 70 Minutes

View more presentations from Silvia Tolisano.

It's not about the TOOLS!

this was a topic... that I was SOOO going to write about, but I didn't. (I found it in my drafts!!... and just the title!)

It's sort of like the other titles that I have written down that struck chords with me ... What's so interactive about the Interactive Notebook and few other passing ideas. Oh... I so wish my thoughts on the drive home could go instantly into a blog... then... well... you'd know ME and I'd have down my rapid firing thoughts as they come into my head.

I will eventually come back to this topic of It's Not About the Tools! Because as you should know... it really isn't about the tools.

Top 50 Blogs for e-Learning Tools and Tips

Top 50 Blogs for e-Learning Tools and Tips

There's always so much to read and learn and sometimes I can just hyperventilate sitting at my computer. So... that's why I also cook, drink wine, garden and knit. This is another one of those great resources that captures many greats. It is often too overwhelming when you get the mentality that you want to get "ALL" of something. Or find "ALL" of the great resources. Infinity is a very hard concept... whether we are talking resources, books, things to learn, friends to find, etc. This is one of the reasons I have this blog. So I can talk to myself about these concepts... capture things in one place and try to live a balanced life as well. I remind myself of my 3 words for 2010: REFLECT, APPRECIATE, BALANCE now...Back to knitting.

the Fun Theory or thefuntheory

So what behaviors can we change or affect with a little fun? As I read Debbie Miller's books, Reading with Meaning and Reading with Intention... tell me that she and her students are not having fun! Fun can be so easy to do in the classrooms with children. Kids seek out fun! Adults also seek out fun. Why do we sometimes make the classrooms the last place to have some fun... it should be the first. Afterall, learning is fun and that is the message we want our kids to live life knowing. (More later...)

Twenty-Ten, MidYear Again... So What? or NOW WHAT?

We're back at school and boy what a week it was. Some highs and some lows... and some interesting twists! My big high is the opportunity of teaching electricity unit to 4th graders... on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The focus is to model a unit that I have for the science teachers and that we will together, collaborate to update, re-vise and upload into SchoolNet as a FQL Unit. Day one is always so exciting... as the kids get their materials (the aluminum wires they made from tape and foil, the bulb, and the dry cell) and they are asked to light the bulb. Oh... they so think they know what to do, but yet it shows very quickly that they don't. The discovery, exploring and open structure is such a fun 30 minutes... students are talking, questioning, helping each other... and the scream of delight (often from someone that is rarely the typical successful one). when the bulb is lit. I have a month of these exciting lessons...

Another high moment was sitting with a great friend and colleague at dinner and chatting about different schools' perceptions and perspectives at the midyear point. Where are we? What's working, what's not working? So what... or NOW What? Both of us have new roles this year and we have new perspectives within these roles. We have the advantage that often a classroom teacher does not have due to their hyper-focus on their students and their curriculum planning, assessment and instruction work. And... we understand this... we want to HELP. This week brought opportunities of working on Schoolnet to create groups, to look at lag data, to drill down to some specific analyses... and the opportunity to create a relevant midyear test draft for another team. For them to preview this coming week... looking at what they taught... making the test more relevant for their students. Twenty-ten is bringing some tighter circles and some common purposes. I see movement towards NOW what?!

Another big moment this week was the attendance of a leadership meeting at a school where the topic was midyear reviews and assessments. The waters were murky and potentially unpleasant at the start of this topic ... but alas it evolved, cleared and purpose emerged. Energy soared at the end as a pot about to bubble over! But... it is apparent that assessment literacy is weak for all of us. As a system, we still get mixed messages from leaders and colleagues that confuse us. The questions that must be guide us are these: What is the purpose of the assessment? Is the assessment relevant to... A) what we taught? or B) what we were suppose to have taught? or C) not relevant at all. Once we figure out that answer... I would just stop and not assess if the answer is C... why bother? Do we want the data to predict, to pre-assess, to reflect on our instructional practices, or to compare to the school across the highway? hmmm... important questions lead to important answers. Data should be relevant... it should be owned by the teachers. Shouldn't it? It should be relevant to the students and the teachers, I'm thinking. It should give us pause for reflection. What worked? What didn't? Who needs what? Who is exceeding... NOW what? Assessment DRIVES instruction. We say it... but sometimes it's apparent that we don't believe it. When someone tells you what assessment to give, does that make it not relevant? Are assessments final and not living documents? Can assessments sometimes simply be "kid-watching" and knowing what you see as a professional? Are assessments not indicators of what we need to teach, if we haven't? And what about AUTHENTIC Assessments? They matter most of ALL, I think. Watching the students close the circuit and explain the touchpoints this week... now that's real to me. We will continue with this as we move to series and parallel circuits. The kids will have many chances to deepen their understandings in a fun hands-on way. I appreciate that information coming straight from the student as I watch and listen and learn (about them and the topic)! Not to mention the excitement of collaborating and their demonstration of knowledge or misunderstanding... or problem-solving what works and what doesn't. Isn't that really thinking? Don't we ultimately want the child to think and problem-solve and collaborate? How exciting does it feel for the students when they read about it only in a text book or see a picture of a circuit and have to answer whether the bulb will light? Oh yes... I have some of those diagrams on the SchoolNet test I created this week... the lovely and dreaded multiple choice assessment, but won't the students smile and remember their experiences when they see that question... as they confidently choose their answer? If not... I (the teacher) has more work to do. Also... don't forget I have other evidence of learning...videoclips of the students showing and talking and explaining... that's documentation, too! Assessments... wow. Why is it such an ugly word to many teachers? "Takes too much time... not relevant... the kids know more than they show on this type of test". So... I say, "prove it! Document it! Show it!" and yes... it all takes time. No argument there. All things worth doing, takes time. But, if it's relevant and you have a real purpose, then it is time well spent. Now what?