Returning to the EduAwesomeAdventure writing

 As you may (or may not) have noticed, I have been on a bit of a hiatus from blogging here. It was unplanned and days turned into weeks which turned into months which ultimately turned into years: three to be exact. My apologies.

Around the time I applied for grad school, I also started working on writing/developing my book idea. My book writing got set aside for awhile in time, but I got into grad school. I have been the last (nearly) three years studying in the MSIS distance education program through the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. This week, I have completed by last ever presentation in my last ever class meeting of my last ever class. I have a couple of papers to finish up, but otherwise, I have completed my Master's of Science in Information Sciences. I have my announcements ready to go out and my class ring ordered. I just need to put the finishing touches on a couple of things and get through this last week.

With that, I plan to send out graduation announcements and Christmas cards over the next couple of weeks while I transition back to doing more of the writing I love dearly and have missed. So, if you are returning to read my writing, I am grateful for you. If you are a new reader, I welcome you. If there are any topics you're specifically looking for, please let me know. I hope to also get back to my book writing as I have a goal of finishing the book I started out working on over three years ago.

If you are interested in some of the writing I completed while taking classes at UT these past few years, please check out eduawesomeadventure.net which is, of course, a sibling page to this site.

I have lots to share. My first post to follow this one will relate to CS Week, so stay tuned! Again, welcome back readers!

Kicking up a little dust for the harvest

As summer winds down, yet temperatures stay up, the harvest begins. For several years, the drive between home and work took me past beautiful open fields, cattle lining fences, and, of course, the vast almond and walnut orchards that make our Valley what it is. Harvest season is on the horizon. This is the time of year that fog is not yet a concern, but one still must drive cautiously and aware of possible visibility issues due to dust. As the shakers and sweepers make their way down rows of almond orchards, to collect this year's harvest, the dust kicks up. As much as many of us wince and complain about the dust, we know it is necessary and we appreciate what it means for our Valley. You gotta kick up a little dust to provide the harvest and we all benefit from it.

I reflected on this part of our Valley as I continued to prepare notes for my last Google Innovator application in 2019. Sometimes, innovative educators are kicking up dust around their school sites as they provide for the learning experiences of their colleagues and the students we all serve. Sometimes, we are kicking up dust in other ways. Anyone who has spent more than about a minute on Twitter can see that no two educators are exactly the same.

There are times when kicking up a little dust ruffles some feathers, but ultimately is accepted and appreciated. There are also times that it does not play out quite as nicely, but it does benefit the students. Teachers across the United States and around the world can relay stories of things they have done with and for their students only to have it underappreciated or even criticized. The end result of student achievement, or more importantly, student learning, though is what teachers strive for with each thing they try.

More and more teachers find themselves exploring new and innovative ideas for learning especially now that the face of education has shifted to primarily distance (or remote) learning formats. Among the educators doing incredible things you will find a few who really have taken the lead. 

Southern California educator Kim Voge has spent the summer sharing out some incredible ideas to help teachers with work flow and instruction. Another great resource is Central Valley educator Ed Campos.  If you need ideas, inspiration, or even just a voice to help you filter best practices, these two educators and many others like them are ones you can and should follow on Twitter. I also recommend the KQED MindShift Twitter page for interesting share-outs and resources. I have used many articles they have shared in recent weeks to feed my brain and my heart. Now is also a great time to register with CUE and become involved with your local affiliate.

Don't be afraid to kick up a little dust. If you try something and it works for you and your students, you know you are doing something right. If you try something, and it doesn't quite work, it's ok to shelve it and move forward. One of my kids' teachers has done just that. She tried something new for the math exit tickets. It did not work as well as she thought, so she scrapped it and went back to the original way that seemed to work better. The kids have followed her lead and have shown their resiliency and ability to "go with the flow." As I wrote recently, we must practice grace with each other: teachers, students, and parents. I think that is precisely what I have seen happening in many of my kids' classes. I can only hope to witness it more broadly throughout education as more schools begin.

Once the dust settles, we will reap the benefits of a bountiful harvest. Our kids will be okay. They are not falling behind, but rather, moving ahead differently. If we can keep a positive attitude as educators and parents, they can and will as well. We have imperfect days, but as I often say, we are perfect in our imperfections. The dust will settle, I assure you. And when it does, we should look back on this time of learning as the opportunity to grow.

What new tools have you selected to use? How are they working so far? Who do you follow on Twitter that you think others should follow as well? What is your best resource right now?

Education here and now: Opportunity is knocking. Will we open the door?

The tunnel may look dark at times, but look closely
and find the light. It is there and we can hop on and go!
(Photo by Rebekah Remkiewicz)

For the past several weeks, my household of educators has talked at great length about education of the past, but more importantly, education of the future.

As districts nationwide look at what learning will look like as the school year begins, there is a bigger picture to consider. Some are equating distance or remote learning with schools being closed; however, we can and should look at things much differently. Classes may not take place within the walls of the classroom, but schools will open.

We have talked for years about breaking down the walls of the classroom to build learning into something more than reading from textbooks and filling in worksheets. We now have the opportunity to do that and so much more.

We first and foremost have to stop looking at the current situation as a problem that needs fixing and start looking at it as an opportunity. We have a golden opportunity to transform education, here and now. We can change education for the better. We can make a difference and create positive change. It is dangerous to threaten schools with the idea of pulling funding. If you think schools being physically closed equates to them being non-operational, you are not paying close enough attention. Teachers across this country and around the world have worked hard, many on their own time, to prepare and learn for the ever-changing challenges ahead and to bring the best to their students. Administrators, teachers, cafeteria workers, and other school employees have worked to invest their time to be a part of this transformation process, and they will continue to do so.

We have an opportunity to shift toward those things we know are right and that we know work. Among those, we should look at later start times. We can meet students where they are and bring them along on an educational journey. California plans to shift to later start times within the next couple of years. Let's start now. Students can begin their asynchronous learning in the late morning and meet for synchronous sessions in the afternoons.  We cannot do remote learning -- which is different than crisis learning (as we experienced in the spring) -- the same way we do in-classroom instruction. We cannot expect students to sit in front of their screens for hours at a time. We should have them DOING learning. Have them plant a fall garden. How will it be different than a garden they planted in the spring? Provide them with canvases and paint pictures that demonstrate something they learned in their history instruction. Promote reading novels and have them create book trailers. Really dive into the writing process. Have them write everything from poetry to short stories to news articles. Is it a challenge? Absolutely. Is it a problem? No. It is a challenging opportunity to create change.

"Students will fall behind," some argue. Fall behind who? Fall behind in what? And, by what measure? If we do learning differently, then outcomes will also look different. Different does not mean bad. Different, quite simply, is just that. Different.

We can be at the forefront. We can be leaders in the changing tide of education. We can protect our teachers, students, and families while seeing this as an opportunity rather than a problem. In addition to growing gardens, students can build things at home, cook, and learn through those processes. We are on the cusp of a shift. Let's make it happen.

From Joe Sanfelippo's LDI Keynote address on Saturday,
July 25, 2020. We must help people see the INVESTMENT
that is education. (Photo by Rebekah Remkiewicz)

I attended a (virtual) conference keynote on Saturday. I found myself nodding in agreement throughout Joe Sanfelippo's keynote. He shared many things that fell right in line with the conversations that I have had at home with my retired educator parents, in forums and phone calls with friends who are educators, and in study with fellow educators. One of the biggest take-aways of his keynote, for me, was that the time has come that we help people stop seeing school as something we pay for and start seeing it as an investment. I have read far too many times where people want to demand their tax dollars back because they don't have school-age children or they see remote learning the same as school closures. What if we did more to help them see that those tax dollars are actually an investment in the future for everyone. Education is the very foundation upon which careers are built. We guide students through so much that ultimately benefits so many. And we can continue to do this and we can make it even better and better.

We can unlock the potential this opportunity offers us as educators.
(Photo by Rebekah Remkiewicz)

Before people start entertaining the idea of cutting funding (which will cut salaries), they need to think about the teachers who have responded to texts and emails even in the middle of the night. Before the pandemic, if I saw a message come through from a parent or had a student reach out for help on an assignment, I did not stop and look at the clock. I did what needed to be done. Since March, many teachers have continued to do this and moreso. They see that assignments are being completed late at night or in the wee hours of the morning. They have a communication roll through from a concerned parent. They see what needs to be done, and they do it. Additionally, many teachers have invested time in training and more to continue to build their skills and add to their toolbox so that they can prepare their instruction for remote learning. They give of their time and of their talent and through a passion for education to provide the best possible learning for students. This is just a part of the educational investment we make.

We can travel this path of opportunity together.
(Photo by Rebekah Remkiewicz)

There exist some very legitimate concerns about access. I know some things are happening behind the scenes in districts everywhere to help with this, but I have a few thoughts as well. One, get Google and/or Microsoft to team up with Acer, HP, and other manufacturers to make sure every school district is one-to-one. Perhaps Apple can help with this as well. iPads for TK-2 and laptops/Chromebooks for grade three and up. Two, districts can team up with AT&T, Charter, Comcast, and other Internet sever providers to make sure all families with school-age children have Internet access. Perhaps treat it similar to free and reduced lunch when discussing pricing. Three, stagger start times and synchronous learning sessions. A family with multiple children may have a lot of difficulty with multiple synchronous learning sessions for hours at a time. This must be considered by every school and district. We want our students to show up. Some may feel left out before they even start. Attendance and accountability are important, but we must give students the reason to want to show up and the ability to stay there once they do. If they know they will be marked absent if their connection fails in the middle of a synchronous session, what motivation do they have to rejoin the session? Five, we absolutely must act with grace across the board. Grace for our students. Grace for our teachers. Grace for our administrators. Grace for our families. We can see this current situation as a problem and institute strict guidelines that will potentially burn out teachers, students, and families; or, we can see this as an opportunity to do something EDUAWESOME.


We may never have another opportunity such as this. Let's be the change. We are the change. Our students and families deserve it.

From a #TeacherMom: Raising good digital citizens

Raising kids in the digital age can present constantly-changing challenges. Just when you think you have everything figured out, something else presents itself and you feel almost as if you have returned to square-one. That may or may not actually be the case, but that feeling is overwhelming. Learning to navigate this and raise good digital citizens becomes a role for both parents and educators and the kids need to have an active roll in it all as well.

Over the last week, social media has exploded with articles, personal accounts, and a large number of opinions on the so-called "Momo Challenge." While the challenge itself, at this point, appears to be a grand hoax (in fact, once that circulated, dissipated, and returned), the challenge of navigating social media of various sorts is very real. The latest developments of the week indicate that we all, adults and kids alike, have a lot of work to do and diligence is a must. This week it was the "Momo Challenge." In the past it has been the "Blue Whale Challenge" and there have been less sinister challenges such as the "Ice Bucket Challenge." A year ago, a group of my students put together a video in an attempt to shine some light on what challenges (real, actual challenges) living in this age present when students get bombarded with "challenges" and social media influences. Peer pressure has reached a new height with all of this.

The seemingly harmless "Kiki Challenge" even posed a danger. Yes, let's jump out of a car while it is rolling and dance next to it. What could possibly go wrong?! (Notice my sarcasm there.)

I have embraced for a long time that I feel perfect in my imperfections. I have had to remember that and I have had to take my experiences and learn from them.  Some are easier to get through than others. My son got his first tablet when he was six or seven. It was a Christmas gift. I made sure to go through and set all settings in an effort to protect him from things I did not want him to find online. A few months later, a non-repairable system issue required me to return the tablet in exchange for a replacement. It arrived, we got him signed back in and off he went, with the whole world once again at his fingertips. I never thought to go back and check settings just to be sure. Lesson learned. I will keep the details out of this post, but I will share that we all learned very valuable lessons. Settings ended up being put back in place and I found additional settings I could manage. I also implemented random history checks and opened up a dialog with him. Additional parameters were placed for where he could use his tablet, as well. Here we are a few years later and I still check in with him about what he watches and otherwise "consumes" in his online activities. The same is true for my daughter. The conversations take place frequently not just between the kids and me, but between them as well. I can learn a lot listening as they talk to each other about what they are watching. What they watch has also influenced the things they want to create.

About two years ago, another issue arose. My kids were huge DanTDM fans. As "dabbing" became more and more popular, DanTDM made a video about starting the "Dab Police." It was, I am sure, innocent enough in his mind, but it became something very upsetting to my family. He was encouraging kids to stop other kids from dabbing. We were at a large function with friends and family, but there were lots of people we did not know. My kids played with all of the other kids in their general age-range. A couple of boys put my son in "jail" for dabbing. It started out kind of funny and fun for everyone, but the boys got rougher about it and essentially manhandled my son. It was very upsetting for him, and for me. After we left, I engaged him in a conversation about the origin of the "Dab Police." I asked him to show me DanTDM's video. And, DanTDM was banned in our house. I did not stop there. I went on to attempt to contact DanTDM. I sent him an email. Had he contacted me back and, perhaps, engaged me in a discussion about digital citizenship and his role in the lives of young children, I may have lifted the ban. To date, I have yet to receive a reply and my kids have not watched another of his videos. I liked the positive influence he had on my son originally. My son was learning from him. When that learning in relation to gaming was tainted by being hurt by two older boys at what was supposed to be a fun, family gathering, our relationship with DanTDM viewing ended.

How we act online, regardless of age, can and will be influenced by those around us, as well as by our viewing and other online habits. What we read, what we watch, who we engage. Additionally, with every post we make, we are adding to our digital footprint, or digital dossier, if you will. I use this in my attempt to teach lessons about acting as good digital citizens not just at home, but in the lessons I do with my eighth grade students. Two years ago, following these lessons, my group of eighth graders created a video on the impact of online behavior titled "Footprint 0." What they do even today could potentially catch up to them as they go on to college and into the professional world. The habits they develop today will certainly be instrumental to their habits later on. I encourage them to read multiple sources and fact check what they read. I also teach them to think before they post.

My top three suggestions to parents and educators:
1. Open and continue conversations with kids.
2. Look at what the kids are watching and use that in the conversation
3. Check settings periodically and look at the search history too

I think it is also important to practice what you preach: fact check, consider sources and use more than one resource, check your settings, talk to others, avoid bullying behavior and tactics.

As soon as we figure out how to navigate Facebook, Instagram comes along, then SnapChat, then WhatsApp, and on and on. Remember, too, that YouTube is technically a social media platform as well. It is not necessarily easy, but it is worth it. Whether the "challenge" of the week is real or a hoax, they do remind us that it is important to engage our children and be their guides through this journey to becoming good digital citizens. The "Momo Challenge" is proof of that. While the "challenge" itself is likely a hoax, as it reemerged, people felt the desire to place the image in videos and make it a thing. What started as hoax became a real concern. No child should be afraid to watch their cartoons anywhere. One thing to consider is this: use trustworthy sources on YouTube and help your children to find them, bookmark them, and use them for their viewing. I try to make sure that we stick with "official" pages on YouTube. I know not all of our viewing happens on those, but much of it does. We are perfect in our imperfections. We are constantly learning. We are constantly navigating this ride through life in the digital age. As difficult and tricky as it is, it is worthwhile.

Want to learn more bout Digital Citizenship and navigating life in the digital age? There is an event coming up in Salinas on May 18. Monterey Bay CUE will host a DigCit Summit for educators, parents, and students. For more information, please check out the website by clicking on this link.

What are some tips and tricks you use at home or in the classroom? Please share them in the comments here, or by responding to where you saw this posted/shared.