Group Project, Individual Grades

Collaboration is a 21st Century skill, and despite the social nature of today's youth, it doesn't come easy.   Leaders need to learn how to delegate work and direct people in an effective way.  Shy students need to learn to speak up.  Socialites need to learn to stay focused on the task at hand.  Group projects are a great opportunity to learn collaboration skills, but they can also be disastrous, especially when it comes to grading.  Its inevitable--someone doesn't pull their weight in the group, the group gets a low grade, and suddenly its 'not fair'.  While the old adage is true, life is not fair--group grading should be.

Last year I experimented with a grading style that helps to avoid this.  Rather than grading the entire group at the end of a project, I grade the students individually based on their contribution.  I formatively assess throughout the project, and by the end of the project I usually have a pretty good idea of who has done their work.

In addition, I like to design my projects so that each group member is responsible for an independent part of the whole final product.  In the end, the group must find a way to put all of their work together into one presentation.  Its important to make each independent part so that the other group members don't rely on the completion of another student's work.  For example in my recent project Exploring the World Project, students had to research the most amazing physical features in the Eastern Hemisphere.  They each had to make several presentation slides, create a map, and create a written explanation of how each physical feature formed.  The group had to combine their work into one presentation, map, and written paper.  Of course Google makes this very easy.  When the group presented, each group member presented their independent parts.  When they were finished, we graded out individually.  Life was finally fair.

K-12 Alignment

Districts have made attempts to align their curriculum from kindergarten to grade 12 for years.  Common Core standards and state content standards before them furthered this idea.  I reflected on this idea recently with a colleague and we had an epiphany. It shouldn't be K-12 alignment, it should be H-12 alignment.  The "H" stands for home.  The inclusion of parents has been the missing link in curricular alignment.  It has been pointed out recently by a great video produced by NBC that students who come to school behind their classmates fall further behind every year especially during the summer.  Why have we never seriously addressed this?

There are no easy solutions, but schools must make a revolutionary effort to bring parents into the schools, not just in elementary, but through student's senior year.  It seems parent involvement wanes as students work their way through school.  Parent-teacher conferences twice a year is a paltry attempt to involve parents in their student's education.  Parents need to be in the school, have knowledge of and participate in learning activities, and also be held accountable to their student's education.  Teachers are held to the highest order of accountability for a student they have for an hour each day.  Isn't there some kind of incentive we could offer parents?  Clearly the incentive of a better education is not enough.  What about free textbook rental?  What about a tax credit?  If we want to revolutionize American education and compete in a global world, education must begin and be sustained at home.

The End of Homework

I emancipated my students from the shackles of homework nearly two years ago. I began to realize that the burden of homework fell heavy on students and teachers. I had been reading and listening to abolitionists such as Alfie Kohn, Joe Bower, and Mark Barnes for a few years. I began to realize that students had lives outside of school, they learned outside of school, and homework was alienating them from an education they already saw as obsolete and meaningless.  

Homework is not worth it.  Its not worth enforcement measures, disciplining noncompliance, increasing hatred of "learning" and school, or the TIME.   Students come to school for 8 hours.  How can we realistically expect them to do 2-3 hours of homework after 8 hours of school work.  Sports?  Job?  What about family time or hobbies?  In our culture?  Sure, we can fight it, but where does it get us?  On the other side of the coin, how many students succeed BECAUSE of homework?  How many would not learn without homework?  It can be argued that repetition assists memorization.  While that is sometimes true, I have very little interest in memorization.  Besides, this type of learning is temporary.


I haven't regretted my decision for one second. Students do my work in class. If they waste their class time, they may have to make it up at home. My students are learning at least as much, probably more, as they ever have. I don't believe that assigning students additional work away from the person that can facilitate the learning behind that work is a good way to increase learning. Thanks to Joe Bower, I have a great new saying, "homework should be inspired, not assigned". Many of my students now voluntarily work on their project at home. Others look up related information and we discuss it in class.

Creative vs. Mechanical Intelligence

Last week my students were learning how to read charts and graphs.  We were identifying the parts of a  graph and learning how to approach complicated charts before we created our own infographics next week.  I prepared a few graphs for the students.  I cropped the title and X and Y axis labels off of one line graph.  I asked the students to suggest what the title SHOULD be based on the available information on the graph.  Obviously, there wasn't a specifically right or wrong answer, and most students chose something related to the key words still on the graph.

To my surprise, there were a few students who struggled with this.  There were several more that left it blank because they couldn't "find" the answer.  One student in particular really blew my mind and opened my eyes to different types of intelligences.  This student was a straight "A" student last year.  The conversation went something like this:

student-"I don't get the question"
me-"Based on what you can see, what SHOULD the title be?"
student-"I don't know because you cut it off"
me-"I know, I want you to use what you do know and create a new title that is appropriate."
student-(frustrated)"How can I get the right title if I can't see it?"
me-"I don't want you to guess the original title, I want you to be creative and write a totally new title that explains what is going on in the graph"
student-(looking away from her computer, sitting in silence, visibly frustrated now)
me-"Don't worry, there are lots of right answers"
student-(no response, bell rings and she leaves)

The next day, I sat down with her to "grade out" as we call it.  She had left the question blank.  I told her that I expect every question to be answered.  I tried to explain that there won't always be a clear answer this year, that she will need to be creative.  She seemed to accept it, but I could tell it bothered her.  This is a fantastic student, clearly very smart, but befuddled when a clear answer is not presented in the text.  I think this situation is a symptom of traditional education.  For too long we have told students there is only 1 answer.  This has created students that are mechanically intelligent, but lack creativity when given more open ended questions.  The world demands creative thinkers, and this student is not being served by an education that tells her there in only 1 answer to every question.

Balancing Fun and Rigor in Education

I understand the argument that meaningful content and student choice can facilitate both rigor and engagement (fun), but lets be real, not theoretical.  I teach middle school and the main way I get students engaged is when activities are fun, but not everything can be fun.  Fun doesn't always work with some of the rigorous skills and difficult content of my curriculum.  However, too much rigor will burnout the kids and they won't buy-in to the class or the content.  On the other hand, too much fun won't accomplish enough and will set a bad precedent when I try to introduce rigorous material.

So, what is the right balance of fun and rigor?  10/90 (Fun/Rigor)?  40/60?  90/10?  To be honest, there probably isn't a magic number.  Besides, things are not necessarily fun OR rigorous.  I can attempt humor during a rigorous activity, and we can take a difficult topic and try to have fun with it.  There isn't a golden ratio of fun and rigor in learning--it has to be a careful blend at all times, and one of the most difficult jobs of a teacher is knowing how to read your students to see when they have had enough, especially in middle school.

Rigidity and rigor only go so far, especially with underprivileged students who have very little to lose.  If there is no one at home checking grades, fielding calls from the school, and enforcing punishment at home, stern efforts are only going to push these student farther from an education they already undervalue.  Besides, my students will forget 90% of the content they learn in my class--its much more important that they enjoy learning and coming to school.  Therefore, I think we need to error on the side of fun learning.

Writing in Google Doc's

This year I have really embraced the fact that literacy is the foundation of everything we do in school.  I  am trying to inject more non-fiction reading and formal writing into my social studies class.  As students write, they need formative feedback.  Assigning a paper and waiting a week before we cover it in red ink is assigning students to failure.  Ideally, I would like to sit down with every student, everyday while they write.  With classes as large as 28 this year, I would need to budget 1.7 minutes for each student as I guide them toward better grammar, punctuation, spelling, sentence structure, vocabulary, summarizing, etc. 

Luckily, our school has Google Apps for Education.  Every student has a Google account, so when they write, they do it in Google Docs.  They share their paper with me and I have 24 hour access to their work.  I sit down face-to-face with as many students as I can during class, but I look at every paper, everyday.  For the students I don't sit down with, I insert comments into their paper.  Comments are great ways to have a discussion without marking up their paper.  Students can respond and you can easily have a conversation about their work.  I keep track of who I talk to in person and who I comment on to keep balanced and keep track of formative progress.  By the time the paper is due, I rarely need to do any "grading" and there is no need to turn anything in.   Another major benefit is the "dog" can't eat it, they can't forget it at home, and since it's saved in the cloud any online device can access it.  Revision history is another tool that allows you or students to recover their work in case of a problem.  You can also do research without leaving your doc. 

Managing all of the paper is an issue for many teachers.  If you have several hundred students it can be difficult to manage that many docs.  Its important to use collections/folders and be proactive in managing your files.  I would also recommend teaching student about email notifications.  Every time someone shares a document with you, they can send an email to notify you.  If you are expecting their work, you don't want to clear several hundred email from you inbox. 

The way I manage my student work is by having 2 Google accounts.  I have my school account and my personal account.  When I'm online, I usually operate out of my personal account and forward all my school mail to my personal account.  I have students share their work to my school account, so 90% of the documents in my school's Google Docs account and my personal account isn't cluttered up by other people's work.  I really don't know why every school doesn't take advantage of Google Apps for Education.  Docs and formative assessment is just the tip of the iceberg.  

1 to 1 Experiment: Year Two

On August 14, we began the second year of our 1 to 1 initiative at Wabash Middle School.  This year we expanded from grades 6-8 to grades 4-12!  Our K-3 rooms are nearly 1 to 1 with iPads.  As you may recall, I'm not one to rely on quantifiable data, however it's the most reliable evidence to some people, so let me throw some hard data at you.  Our enrollment is up over 2% for the 2nd straight year--in a town with a declining population.  Our middle school had the highest standardized test scores we've had in our history.  Our math scores alone went up over 3%.  Our middle school enrollment increased over 10%, and not from students moving in from far away areas.  Most of our new students came from neighboring districts--districts that are ALSO 1 to 1.  There is much more, but we know real learning can't be quantified.  However, these numbers have created quite a buzz in our community.

We held an open house for students and parents the night before school started.  We distributed computers, setup computers, signed papers, gave basic instructions, and communicated classroom information.  Over 90% of our parents and students came (for the second year in a row)--in a district with historically low turnout for open house and parent/teacher conferences. 

We are a fully integrated Google Apps for Education school now, so every student has a secure CIPA friendly email address and access to Google's amazing apps.  My 7th grade team began a digital portfolio this year we are calling a Museum of Learning.  I would like to see our museum extended in both directions, and eventually be K-12.  This type of authentic assessment could actually be useful to students in future endeavors, be it college or career.

We have discussed including students in our technology team.  What a great opportunity for a students to leave high school with 4-7 years of experience in Apple repair, support, and troubleshooting.  Our teachers are assembling authentic content and initiating exciting creative projects.  Of course, this is not true of every teacher or every building.  Each building is at their own phase of implementing a 21st Century class.  Hopefully, time and professional development will help foster a break from traditional education--creation rather than consumption, publishing rather than "turning in", presenting rather that submitting, conversation rather than quizzing, authentic rather than canned, and inspiration rather than obligation.  So, here's to a poverty stricken small midwestern town of 11,000+ breaking a 100 year old mold of public education with our feet dangling off the cutting edge of education and technology!

Failure and Success in Learning

Failure is bad.  Failure is rejection.  Failure is the end.  These are the messages we sometimes receive from society.  This is how we often feel when we "fail".  Carol Dweck recently wrote a book called Mindset.  In her book she explores two divergent mindsets that often define learners: fixed and growth mindsets.  Obviously, there is enough detailed theory and data behind this concept for an entire book, but one major theme she touches on is our response to failure.

A person with a fixed mindset sees failure as I describe it above--a final judgement of inadequacy.  A growth mindset takes failure in stride--a bump in the road on the way to their destination.  For a growth mindset, failure is not an end but a minor learning experience that guides them in a different direction. Edison is a perfect example of a growth mindset. 

I found this information to be so powerful that I wanted to share it with my kids.  I made a How We Learn activity to start our year off.  I want my kids to embrace "failure" as a guidepost to redirect their learning.  Today, I gained the final piece of the puzzle. 

About a month ago, I applied to the Google Teacher Academy.  I wanted in.  I really wanted in.  I love Google--their technology runs my classroom and they inspire me.  Me applying to Google is like Rudy applying to Notre Dame.  I really, really wanted to be a part of the team.  I filled out the lengthy application including a 1 minute video that I made about motivation.  I learned today that I failed.  I didn't get in. 

Initially, I was pretty disappointed--I really thought I would be chosen.  My family was quick to console me.  As I reflected on my feelings, I was reminded of my How We Learn activity.  I took a shot and failed, but this is not the end, and I certainly wouldn't want my students to be devastated and give up.  I'm going to share this experience with my students.  I'm going to tell them how I plan on learning more and applying the next time the Google Teacher Academy is geographically near where I live.  I will be a Google Certified Teacher.

Flexbooks as a Transition to Authentic Content

In my home state, it seems like nearly every school is in some phase of moving to a one-to-one learning environment where every student has some type of computing device.  While this is certainly a giant leap forward for education, the leap has left many teachers feeling uneasy.  The wealth of information online clearly makes the textbook obsolete, but how can teachers harness Internet resources in a manageable way?

A new website call ck-12 has developed a nice transition step for teachers.  In 2008 ck-12 introduced "flexbooks".  Open source textbooks that teachers can mix and match.  Basically, these are digital textbooks that are divided into modules.  Teachers can mix the order of chapters and content from different books.  Flexbooks are a educational content buffet and teachers can create a plate that fits their needs.

I want to be clear.  I only advocate the use of flexbooks as a step for teachers to transition to more authentic content.  Free and fair use licenses teachers a great deal of freedom to use nearly any resource on the web.  We should be discovering content, editing it for our needs, and collecting it as a chunk of content.  Our curriculum end up being a collection of chunks that are easy to edit, update, or change compared to the static textbook. 

Textbooks are a multi-billion dollar industry.  They won't go quietly into the night.  They will continue to sell us things we don't need and are free online.  This is an undertaking that is necessary for education as an institution and teaching as a profession. 

Are You Ready For Some Football?

Are you Ready for some Football??????

I know I am, and last year I found out how much my kids loved it.  Last year our schools went one to one. Every Monday and Tuesday during our passing periods a handful of students checked their fantasy football stats.  They loved it and couldn’t get enough.  There was even the occasional, shall we say “debate” about whose team was best.  Sometimes their checking of scores would spill into class.  I would have to ask them to wait until later on to check them.  Why?  If they are motivated to do it, let’s run with it.

Here is an examplethat I copied from teacher (Mr. Hagen).  My kids are going to create their own, but this will show you how it could be used.

1/8(T) + 1/24(V) +1/48(P + R + C) - 1/12(I) - 1/16(F) = W              Copyright NFL Image

T = number of touchdowns scored by passing, rushing, or receiving

V = number of two-point conversions scored by passing, rushing, or receiving

P = number of passing yards divided by 25, then rounded down to the nearest whole number

R = number of rushing yards divided by 10, then rounded down to the nearest whole number

C = number of receiving yards divided by 10, then rounded down to the nearest whole number

I = number of interceptions thrown

F = number of fumbles lost

W = total points scored for one week for one individual player

This will be an optional activity in my class. My class is layered so the ones who don’t care for it will have other options.  First we are going to look at different leagues and their scoring systems.  Then we will create our own equation to find each team’s score. Every class will probably create a different equation to use. I am thinking about making the equation change from week to week between fractions, decimals, and percentages.  Surprisingly, I don’t play or even like fantasy football so as a group we will have to figure this out together.......problem solving, teamwork, cooperation. 

The great thing is this activity could cover a ton of math.  Think about the possibilities.  You could graph the different weeks scores and cover slope, rate, central tendencies, fraction, decimal, and percentages.  Not to mention the algebra of creating an equation, substituting, variables, coefficients....wherever you want it go or where the students take it. 

Hopefully I can find pockets of students who will want to do this for different

sports. I have even heard of fantasy NASCAR. The possibilities are only limited

by the number of sporting activities and the imaginations of my students.

If you have a question about this activity or if you have something to add, just join

in the conversation in the comments below, or you can also email me at tilljapache@gmail.com.

What's Bad About Education Technology

I want to start by saying that I am a huge advocate of technology in education.  I work in a one-to-one school and infuse technology into every activity and project in my class.  That being said, all great power can be wielded positively or negatively There are definitely some negative outcomes that can occur as technology floods into education.  Here are a few that a can lead educators and districts down a bad path.

Sorry Apple, but tablets that don't have full computer capabilities are are mistake as a one-to-one device.  You can try to make this square peg fit into the round hole of education, but you will have to jam it in to make it work.  I love my iPad, but I find it increasingly difficult to use compared to my Macbook when I do school work.  Problems with typing, moving from app to app, file management, compadibility, etc. can doom a one-to-one initiative if it becomes more cumbersome than paper and pencil.  I understand the cost prohibitive of a Macbook, but by the time you buy an iPad, accessories, apps, and other required equipment, you can nearly afford Macbooks, considering Apply will knock down the price on a large education purchase.  Don't go one-to-one because all the cool kids are doing it--with some device that "is good enough"--it will end up costing you more in the long run.

While we are talking about technology devices.  I have to get in a few shots at SMART Boards (SINO--smart in name only).  Spending valuable tech-dollars on SMART Boards is not a good investment of money or pedagogy.  These are a gargantuan waste of money for most classroom applications.  I can see the usefulness in a small elementary or special needs classroom, but in a classroom of 20+ students from middle school up--the only real purpose SMART Boards serve is a $8,000 projection screen.  Technology needs to be used for creation--student creation--not content delivery.  This leads me to my next point.

Using technology to replace or support traditional methods of direct instruction is a misuse of technology.  Computers are tools of creativity.  Schools are not going one-to-one to save paper.  Running worksheets through the Xerox machine to turn them into PDF's and digitizing multiple choice quizzes, based on a boring lecture are tech-crimes that should be met with corporal punishment at the very least.  This is bad and students will know it right away.  This stale method is not engaging to say the least, and it will lead to cheating and other discipline issues.   

Webinars are the absolute worst form of professional development and should be avoided at all costs.  If the video and audio feeds actually work, which is rare in my experience, a webinar is one of the most disengaging forms of learning I have experienced.  Short tutorials are useful, but a 5-person, conference-call-styled presentation is awkward and borderline absurd as a learning methods.  I understand if it is the last possible option, but it too closely resembles traditional direct instruction, only you're not in the same room--a method most effective teachers would laugh at.

One-to-One Allows More One-on-One

Before my school went one-to-one I remember many teachers voicing a concern that we would lose the personal contact dynamic between teacher and student.  As many of us championed the benefits of email, distance learning, differentiation, digital resources, etc. others succumbed to fears of teacher obsolescence and digital barriers to human contact.

Unfortunately, computer-based classrooms can take a bad direction that gives legitimacy to some of the teachers' initial fears.  If the teacher assigns work to students and he or she simply sits at their desk, those fears may be realized.  This "method" works completely against the opportunities allowed by one-to-one computing.

I've realized after having a year of one-to-one under my belt that there are two major benefits of one-to-one.  Obviously, the wealth of resources and creative possibilities are probably the main benefit.  The second main benefit is less obvious, but potentially more powerful.  I spend WAY more one-on-one time with my students when everyone has a computer.  It is a resourceful, interactive, creative, and fun tool that keeps students engaged, giving you more time to freely move around the room.   I consciously spent less time using direct instruction, which is one factor that allowed more one-on-one, but I also learned to layer my activities and projects.  I would provide an additional challenge, educational game, or fun application related to the activity.  Another way to layer is to have a few weekly activities that students do on their own time, a learning journal, or a digital portfolio.  Layering can be very difficult without a computer, but with one it is effortless.

The added one-on-one time allowed me to formatively assess my students in a authentic and meaningful way. I was also able to efficiently address major gaps in understanding.  I tried to touch base with each student at least every other day.  To help me keep track I carried a clipboard with my roster for each class.  The roster also listed the content questions and/or skills I was looking for in that particular activity.

I think my teaching method would work without computers, but it would be very hard to keep 25-30 kids engaged if they only had paper and pencils.  I couldn't have the focused, genuine one-on-one time I now enjoy.  The only discipline issues I had last year were kids who didn't finish their work (probably too engaged in other things!).  I truly believe one-to-one is the first domino in a series of changes that will shift education to a new paradigm.

Flipped Class: A Second Look

Last year I did a Flipped Class experiment.  The Flipped Class model seems to penetrate every corner of my PLN (professional learning network).  I had to have a taste of the model that I was admittedly skeptical of.  The main question I tried to answer was, "Would students actually do their homework if it was engaging instructional material rather than practice work?".  The clear answer was no.  Using anonymous surveys to encourage honesty, I never had more than 70% of students who had watched the instructional video before coming to class.  Some commenters on my blog suggested activities (worksheets/quizzes) in tandem with the videos, which I saw as traditional homework and an eventual enforcement issue.

Ok, full disclosure--I was very skeptical of this model to begin with because I have completely divorced my class from traditional homework.  My homework now follows one simple rule, inspired by a quote from Joe Bower: "homework should be inspired, not assigned".  Eight hours at school is enough, homework has little to no effect on comprehension, and it's not worth the enforcement and grade damage that often follows.  I want my class to be so engaging that kids want to go home and learn more or work on their project because they are invested in it--not because I make them.

Photo--http://www.republican-eagle.com/ 

However, I continue to read about the Flipped Class, and I have a new perspective.  I still won't use this model in my class, but now I understand the draw.  The popularity/effectiveness is less about the instructional homework as it is about the change in classroom dynamic.  As a class moves from a traditional model to Flipped, the teacher spends class time working one-on-one with students as they work through class activities.  The teacher tutors and formatively assesses all at the same time.  Teachers become more of a facilitator than the sage on the stage.

I think this one-on-one environment is the major draw for the Flipped Class and its the primary reason for any success it enjoys.  This is how my class works too, but without the homework instruction.  I mainly use the project-based model or a simpler version I call PBL-Light.  I remain very skeptical of any homework, especially instruction without facilitation.  In my opinion, the Flipped Class model could work if you ignited a fire of interest before class ended and provided an engaging video for students to find out more at home if they are so inclined.  All that being said, to each their own--we all need to find the method, combination, or mutation of methods that works with our own philosophy and personality.  I just had this epiphany about the real power behind the Flipped Class and thought it was worth a second mention.

Cognitive Dissonance

If you read this blog, you know I love technology and the possibilities it has to offer a 21st Century Education.  Over the last year, I have participated in a sustained series of professional development workshops to introduce project-based learning in my school.  We have been trained by the BUCK Institute, and I deeply believe in many (not all) of the essentials of PBL.  In addition, the name of this blog clearly proclaims my adventurous spirit in the classroom.  I have an eye for the future and usually on enjoy traditional education when it's in the rearview mirror.  I think that sets the scene.  

A few weeks ago, I attended a talk by Mike Schmoker about his book Focus.  For a more comprehensive book review you can read here.  I sat next to my superintendent, who I have the utmost respect for, who brought me to the talk, who seems to be buying into much of what Schmoker is saying.  Basically, Dr. Schmoker calls for a return to the basics.  His main contention is that education has tried too many new things before we mastered the basics of literacy--reading, writing, speaking, and critical thinking.  To say he has an ill view of technology would be an understatement.  He cites well respected education researchers such as Robert Marzano and frankly makes a solid case for turning back the clock.   


So, I walked away with some serious cognitive dissonance--probably more than I have ever suffered.  It isn't often someone makes me deeply question my core educational beliefs.  It stung a little, but after CONSTANT reflection... I feel like that is all I do, I have come to some important conclusions.   

1. I think Dr. Schmoker is right about the basics--there is value to carefully analyzing a common text with the entire class, picking it apart, taking notes, and writing more papers about what we read.  I used to do more of this, and I need to bring that back more often, but NOT all the time.  I think his favored activity will work nice of outlier standards that I can't efficiently wrap into a PBL.  
2. To promote literacy and deny technology is to promote walking as exercise and deny going to the gym.  Technology reaches and engages so many learners and differentiates (which Schmoker is also against) literacy in ways beyond a teachers ability.  
3. PBL is a fantastic method to engage students and make learning relevant, but basic literacy often stands in the way when students don't have skills to engage the content.  So, I want to use Schmoker activities to build the skill sets to make PBL more effective.  
4. Schmoker's methods are designed for the 20th Century and don't promote creativity.  We live in a different age in a different economy where test scores and text literacy are not completely sufficient.  

I could go on because I did learn a great deal from this experience.  I think its good to challenge your views, even those we hold closest to our core identity.  Last year I swung my pedagogy pendulum to far out and it needed to swing back a bit.  If we remain too locked into one mindset we ignore the natural evolution of ideas, and no one want to win the Darwin award.  

Reflections on my PBL

Yesterday, my class finished a project that followed the strict guidelines of project based learning (PBL). It was called "Can YOU Stop the Mongols?".  I used projects as my main learning activity through the entire year, but I haven't always followed some of the PBL essentials such as having an authentic audience.  Sometimes I prefer a low-key project that uses some of the essentials--I call this PBL-light.  However, I think the Mongols PBL went really well, but I have a secret to reveal.

I didn't have to work very hard.  Sorry. PBL is supposed to require a great deal of planning and work.  PBL instructors will tell you; its a great deal of work on the front end.  Now, I want to be clear...  I worked by butt every day in class, but I didn't have to do a lot of planning and preparation.  I started with a fun idea--something that the kids would be interested in and something that would challenge them.  Then I went over my standards.  I knew there were several that applied.  I tossed around the driving question for a while and settled on something simple and catchy.  I put together the document we used to layout the project.  All of that didn't take more than a few evenings.

The part that took the longest was making the entry event video.  I wanted a video that would really grab their attention and get them excited.  It took about about a week's worth of evenings, but now its made forever.  I finished the group member evaluation rubric and the final evaluation rubric after about a week of the kids working.  I made them both in one night.  I showed the kids this information after they finished their research and before they designed their plan. 

During class, I spent my time bouncing from one group to another--suggesting keyword searches for research, helping with technology, and asking them content questions to assess them.  For the actual grade, the kids made an individual project about some part of the plan to stop the Mongols.  Their grade came from my frequent questioning about Mongol basics, the group member evaluation rubric, and the completion of their project--we will have our final conversation on Monday about their grade.  I will go over my observation and ask them what grade they earned--I guarantee they will be right on.  After 180 days of self-assessment my kids are really good at it.  

As a group they had to take their individual project and integrate it into one presentation that displayed their plan.  Like threads into fabric, they brought all of their project into a PowerPoint, Prezi, mind-map,  iMovie, website, and a few other formats--their choice of course.  I was pretty impressed with their savvy presentations, though some groups struggled to pull the best from their individual work into a integrated project.  And I can't mislead--a few of the presentations were straight-up disasters.  

I learned that PBL doesn't need to be a stressful, meticulous, and difficult process.  You can put in a little work, make things as you need them, and improvise when you have to.  I think some people try to "over-structure" their PBL.  When the final project was presented, we had a whole-group discussion about the project.  The kids suggested things like making their own groups, giving them more structure, but probably the best suggestion was having a presentation before the final presentation.  Nearly every class agreed they would like a chance to edit their project after getting assessed and questioned by the panel.  1:1 computing and project based learning have made this a great year.  I'm not really looking forward to ending this year so much as I'm looking forward to starting all over again in August.  

Content Delivery is Not Learning

I saw a tweet this week from Katrina Stevens that was sort of a 'ah ha' moment for me.  Now that I have had time reflect, I can't believe I never reached the same conclusion.  Many people assume content delivery equals learning.  We make this assumption about learning when we assign 2 chapters of reading for homework, but we think its different when we turn the reading into a video.

The recent influx of technology has spurred a whirlwind of content delivery ideas and teaching methods.  Prezi, the Khan Academy and the Flipped Class are a few popular examples.  The 1:1 movement has movivated teachers and adminstrators to make assumptions about learning:

'If our worksheets are on the computer, kids will like them and learn more'.
'If my lecture is recorded on video students can re-watch it and they will learn more.'
'Delivering content with technology makes students learn more.'
'If students watch a snappy video they will learn the content.' 

Some of these imaginary quotes are obviously hyperbole, but I've said or assumed maybe a few of those.  Have you at one time?  Obviously content needs to reach students in some fashion, but I think that is the pedagogical problem many teachers are facing.  They are trying to reach the kids with content.  What we need to do is motivate our kids to want to reach for the content themselves.  Learning is authentic, its chaotic, and it happens to each student in a unique way.

Some people defend content delivery by saying they have done this for years and it works--they have the test scores to prove it.  I think they may have found a clever way to encourage or enforce memorization, but I don't equate that to real learning.  I think it would do more for our culture and community to have a room full of curious kids who have more questions than answers.

Flipped Classroom Report 2 and Homework

I really regret this experiment.  I was ready to trash this idea on Tuesday.  I can already see the problems with a Flipped Classroom, but in the name of science I want to give it a fair shake.  Our school is 1:1 with Macbooks in grades 6-8, but next year grades 4-12 will all have their own Mac.  Teachers will be thrust into the wide-open space of a Digital Classroom.  The popular buzz of the Flipped Classroom will tempt our teachers, so I want to gain some solid experience, so I can offer better advice to anyone who wants it.  Obviously this is not a conclusive study.  Other teachers may have more success depending on the students, subject, and organization of their Flipped Class.

On Wednesday, I conducted my second student survey.  The results were very similar to the first survey (click here to see the full data summary).  Most of the kids didn't watch the video on Islamic Architecture, despite my encouragement and reminders of how important it was to the next day's project.  Again, the students that didn't watch the video said they "just forgot".  The only real change was in the increase in the number of students who said they learn "worse" in a Flipped Classroom.

Survey One (1-5 range)

The only difference between the two questions is that Survey One was a range of 1-5, Survey Two was a range of 1-4.  The reason for this change is too many people pick the middle option with an odd number of choices.  An even number (4) forces them to make a clearer choice--research 101.  Most of those that chose the middle option trended toward "worse".

In Survey Two, I added a few new questions.  In one question a majority of students admitted to being distracted when they watched the video.  I feel many more were likely distracted, but they

Survey Two (1-4 range)

might not understand how distracted they actually were.

As I have said before, data doesn't tell the true story.  Even students who told me they watched the video couldn't name basic types of Islamic architecture.

This experiment has taught me one major lesson. Homework is not worth it.  Its not worth risking instruction, enforcement measures, disciplining noncompliance, increasing hatred of "learning" and school, or the TIME.   Students come to school for 8 hours.  How can we realistically expect them to do 2-3 hours of homework after 8 hours of school work.  Sports?  Job?  What about family time or hobbies?  In our culture?  Sure, we can fight it, but where does it get us?  On the other side of the coin, how many students succeed BECAUSE of homework?  How many would not learn without homework?  A Flipped video is just a different version of homework.  We might think, "all you have to do is watch a video".  Homework is homework to most kids.  Thanks to Joe Bower, I have a great new saying, "homework should be inspired, not assigned".   This is my new mission.

Some Class Components Written in Stone

My experiment is taking a slight turn, but I see big possibilities on the horizon (more to come later).  My student-teacher has made her way to Scotland to finish her placement, so I have added a 'Movie Day' to my weekly agenda.  I wanted to create a break in the constant stream of 'work days' and take advantage of this generation's propensity toward video learning.  The first Movie Day was a hit; nearly all students were engaged in Hinduism videos and actively asking questions or making comments.  My education experiment will continue to evolve as I learn new things, see a need, and have conversations with my students.  However, there are some components to my class that will always remain:

No Textbooks or Static Resources--I hate to even use the T-word, in a 1:1 school it goes without saying that I won't be using the textbook.  I try to create or assemble digital, interactive resources.  
Authentic Activities--no worksheets or canned items.  Students need to feel authenticity; isn't this what we ask of them?  As teachers, we can collaborate and share materials, but we should modify things to fit our kids and teaching style. 
Intrigue--if we get our kids interested in learning, they can teach themselves anything.  Our job becomes infinitely easier when kids want to learn.
Relationship-based Classroom Management--if you build relationships with kids based on mutual respect, they will respond. Kids won't respond to long lists or rules, yelling, and impersonal sarcasm.  Its all about relationships. 
Progressive Assessment--turning in assignments and grading after-the-fact won't due anymore.  We need constant checking and conversations to evaluate our kids to guide them to higher levels.  One-on-one conversations are the ideal way to assess students and their progress. 

Creative Activities

Every educator is familiar with Benjamin Bloom's 1956 Taxonomy.  Ben can't take all the credit, the Taxonomy of Learning Objectives was the result of several conferences and committees designed to help educators understand the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor dimensions of learning. Something many people don't know is that it has been revised.

http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/images/1/1e/Bloom_1.jpg

In the 1990's professionals from several fields of study came together to address 21st Century adaptations to the famous taxonomy.

The most important change is the highest level of thinking--creating.  Creating is define as "putting elements together to form a coherent or functional whole; reorganizing elements into a new pattern or structure through generating, planning, or producing". 

Its true that students must have the prerequisite levels to effectively create, but educators should make the creative level their focus for classroom activities.  When students create, they authentically demonstrate content knowledge.  In addition, creation develops more permanent memory anchors, which means students will internalize the content and remember it longer.  Creative projects also mean students must be authentic, so cheating isn't really a concern.  Creation also lends itself to collaboration--a 21st Century skill. Plus, students love to create. 

Obviously, technology lends itself to creation.  In fact, this is probably the main reason I am now an Apple computer advocate.  Garageband, iPhoto, and especially iMovie have unparallelled creative potential.  Similar web-based programs can be found such Prezi and SlideRocket. Regardless of the program, creation is the future.

The Next New Thing in Education

It seems like every time a new thing is introduced in education you hear one of the following:  "No. not another new thing to learn... its always something".  "We just learned (insert thing), now we have to learn this"?  "TTSP--this too shall pass".  We have all heard it.  I have said these things myself in the past.  I understand the feeling, but we have to change our attitude as educators in the Digital Age.  From the time of John Dewey until the Digital Age, changes in education were relatively small and incremental.  The Digital Age has caused an explosion of exponential change that is rippling chaotically through all facets of education--often from the bottom up.  Progressive educators now have a voice and an ability to assemble---digitally.

Content, pedagogy, assessment, professional development, classroom management, communication, administration--everything is rapidly changing.  The tremors of change have not shaken public education uniformly, but its only a matter of time.  The question is, are you going to do the shaking, or will you be shook?  I would rather do the shaking.  With an expectation of change on the horizon, I want to be a part of the changing, not sit idle and wait for someone to change me.

Our school has used Moodle in the past, then Google sites was introduced this year along with a few other web hosts, now Edmodo is becoming popular.  Some people are just now getting really comfortable with Moodle, and we are off to a new thing.  Fear not; this is a good thing, and its something that will never go away--change.  Do we need to radically shift our class with every new shake in education--of course not.  We should all maintain a general style, but we can never stop.

In fact, education is very similar to our wardrobe.  We all have a general style.  New fads are always springing up--we don't buy everything, but we must buy something.  We can't be afraid to change out of what is comfortable.  We risk the metaphorical style of cousin Eddie.  Is this how you want your teaching to look?

It never stops.  We are never "there".  We ask our kids to keep learning more, push themselves, go farther, sharping their skills--shouldn't we?  Our classrooms are learning laboratories, and we must be educational scientists, lest we find ourselves in a leisure suit.