A new year means time to try new things. One of the things I love about working in education is that we actually have two different "new years" to celebrate. We start with the newness of a new school year starting in August. We begin with new students and sometimes new classes to teach. Let the adventures begin! Then, we get the new calendar year starting in January. Returning to school following a break of two weeks or so, gives educators another chance at starting something new and trying new things. I enjoy using the breaks to find renewal and fresh inspiration.
A real world math lesson with "G Suite"
Returning to school following the two week break, I wanted to bring in something to really hook my math students in particular. It makes the students work and helps them learn, while easing them back into the routine and offering them some fun in their learning. I developed a project for the Pre-Algebra class to help them work on some real-life skills, develop some skills using Google Apps, and work on their math skills. I presented them with a task: "you are part of a team designing a marketing plan for a business."
The students got into groups of four and each group first had to come up with a business name and a product or service. They then had to develop a marketing plan with a budget of $25,000. The marketing plan needed to include one print advertisement which they would design in Google Drawings. The marketing budget was to be written and organized in Google Sheets. They will present their marketing plans in class next week showing their budgets, explaining how they reached the numbers they did, and justifying their marketing decisions. After each group presents, students will complete a Google Form and I will review the responses. Each student will independently complete a form, rank the marketing budget presentations, explain what they would do differently in their own plans, and share with me why they felt they had a solid marketing plan that would be successful within the $25,000 spending limit.
Cross-curricular lesson designing for "Hidden Figures"
As I started discussing "Hidden Figures" with other educators, I knew it was something that I wanted to see with my students and I knew there would be a great deal of educational value to it. I teach eighth grade history and language arts, as well as a pre-algebra to a group of primarily seventh graders. Obviously, we can't just go to a movie for the sake of going to a movie. It becomes a foundation for some lessons. The wonderful thing about this particular film is the ability to reach across curricula. Both seventh and eighth grade students will gain from seeing the movie, but it is how I use it as a "launching point" (pun intended) for learning that will make a significant difference.
A series of lessons will reach across Language Arts and History. Students will have the opportunity to read a biography on an influential person from the 1960s (of their choosing). They will also write an essay on how STEAM has changed the world over the course of the last 50 years and how they see STEAM changing the world over the course of the next 50 years. Before we see the film, we will do some reading of biographical literary criticism and will write a biographical narrative. The film will help tie our biographical lessons together.
In the meantime, math students will apply their math skills to rocket launching. First, I will model rocket launches with air and/or water rockets and students will make observations and analyze data. Then, they will work to design and create their own rockets. We will launch the rockets and collect data that they will then discuss and analyze. They will apply their math skills both in designing the rockets and in their data collection and analysis.
I sought out various resources particularly for the rocket lesson and project. What I found especially wonderful was the amount of resources NASA has available for educators and students. Additionally, there are fantastic biographical pieces on the people featured in "Hidden Figures," including John Glenn and Katherine Johnson.
The goal: students will have multiple educational experiences that will teach them language arts, history, and math. It will, of course, also incorporate science. Once upon a time, I taught eighth grade science. It provided such a rewarding experience for me and the students. Teaching middle school when students change classes makes things a little trickier when planning cross-curricula lessons, however, it can and should be done. Just as I incorporated ELA into my science lessons, I can incorporate science into my ELA and history lessons. Later this year, I will rework my science-based Sci-Fi unit into a language arts unit. One more reason to love STEAM! That "A" that transforms STEM to STEAM can make some serious magic happen.
I once had a student declare that "learning isn't supposed to be fun" and it baffled me. In fact, it admittedly saddened me to some degree. My experiences both as a student and as an educator tell a different story and I hope that lessons like these will show students that having EduAwesome Adventures help them learn more and differently.
How are you using "Hidden Figures" to support learning with your students?
What new lessons have you tried to start 2017?
Share your EduAwesome Adventures here or on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook with the hashtags #EduAwesome #Adventure
2017 is off to a great start for us and I hope it is for you too! This weekend includes snow plans and an MLK Day mini-hike. Stay tuned for more on those and for a report on the outcomes of the lessons highlighted here.
Friday, January 13, 2017
Monday, January 2, 2017
Bring on 2017
As I reflect on 2016, I see highs and lows. I was excited to present at CUE affiliate conferences such as ETC! 2016 and CVCUE's EDventure. I also had the honor of being a presenter at Fall CUE. That provided both a high and a low. I met great people and gained so much more than I can express here, but I also had only six people attend my presentation which threw me. However, I gained from the experience and I gained from their feedback. Later I would learn that I had been selected to present at the CUE National Conference and that was HUGE for me! Wahoo!I learn from both my accomplishments and my failings at presentations. I learn how to make them better and I learn hat works. It makes me a better presenter, but also a better educator and for all of that I am grateful.
Going into 2017, there is much #EduAwesome #Adventure to look forward to, but at the top of the list is that which I am developing with my young son: If You Give A Kid a Camera. It will be presented at a CUE Rockstar in the late spring with him by my side, but we are first developing it for me to present at the ETC! 2017 conference. We, in fact, worked on some additions last week as we hiked together at our family Ranch. Let me tell you, if you give a kid a camera...magic happens. Hikes happen from a completely different perspective, learning happens, adventure happens. And, you learn to relinquish come control and allow all of that to happen magically.
In 2016, I created my own #EdTechRoadtrip and traveled to Southern Alabama where I learned from other educators. I documented what I could with photographs in a Shutterfly book after documenting here on this blog. It was amazing! I also experienced a different part of the United States in the process. For that, I am grateful and yearning to return. Later in the year, I I extended the #EdTechRoadtrip and visited a Google campus in Seattle. I explored, I learned, I shared, I took in as much as a could. Then I brought it home.I started out 2016 as an EdTech Coach and Technology Teacher at a small private school. I closed out the year, returning tot he classroom at a small country/charter school. It was the most amazing transition! I found myself. I have reach students. I have extended the teaching I know works and I have seen it work more extensively. I have built rapport with students, colleagues, and administration. I am right where I am supposed to be and there is no doubt in my mind about that.
I closed out 2016 with my brother who is an officer in the Navy, my cousin who works in the Turf Library at Michigan State, and my younger cousin who is a sixth grader. We shared great stories, accomplishments, and things we look forward to in the months ahead.
I've mentioned before that I come from a family of educators, but I also come from a family of learners.Goals for 2017 include starting my master's degree, presenting at the CUE National Conference, continuing my PD experiences, learning, sharing, and doing my best to be the best facilitator of learning I can be. I support my own kids' educational experiences and there are many ahead. (Science fair anyone?)
I turn 40 this year which means a great deal to me. I have goals to reach and things to accomplish, but that means more than just me doing things. That means great things for my students, and my colleagues. I hope they see the benefits of my efforts to be the best I can be. And I hope my students learn from my example and strive not only to do their best but to be the best. Because they can be the best and I will do everything I can to help them realize that.
Happy 2017 everyone!
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Providing a safe place
What exactly does that mean? A safe place? Safe? Who defines what is safe? And what does it really mean?
For teenager Anne Frank and her family, it meant hiding from the Nazis and relying on assistance from co-workers and friends who could be trusted. We just finished reading the play version of The Diary of Anne Frank last week. We also saw the play as a class the day before Election Day.
Following Election Day, the news filled with words like divisiveness, fear, divided, safety. And then we went into a long weekend. That long weekend came to an end with a horrific tragedy that rocked our community. A well-known sheriff's deputy was shot and killed. This impacted our county, but more than that, it brought great pain to our community and even more specifically, to some of our school's families. This provided a teachable moment. We had gone into the weekend hearing how divided our country was and we emerged from it united as a community in the face of tragedy. We came together in part because we were already a close-knit community.
As I walked into my classroom on Monday morning, I knew that our recent learning, our nation, and our community all offered something very important: an opportunity. What I did with this opportunity was up to me. I chose words such as safe, respect, and feelings. As class started, I invited students to find places to sit around the classroom, to emerge from behind desks and sit where they are comfortable. This is not unusual when they are going their own ways to work, but I wanted something slightly different. I wanted them to sit where they wanted, but remain as a group. I wanted to encourage them without insistence.
I explained to them what I just wrote: the difference between how we went into the weekend versus how we came out of it. Our class was not divided, but a reminder that we are a community was worthwhile. I told them that I wanted our classroom to offer them a safe place. A place where they can share their thoughts, ideas, and feelings. We have spent months discussing the election and it has always happened in a respectful manner. Encouraging them to continue their respectful dialog and allowing them an opportunity to share how they were feeling proved to be exactly what we needed to start this week.
We talked about everything from the election to international matters, but it was our local tragedy that remained at the forefront of many of their thoughts.
Our students need to know that they have a safe place to think and share ideas. We as teachers can do this, offer this, encourage this, and live this.
The following day a student asked why I kept wearing a safety pin. I replied, "it's a reminder." She asked, "that you're safe?" I responded, "yes, and you are too."
Not everyone will agree all of the time, and that's ok. As long as we maintain a safe and respectful forum, our students will know they are valued as are their thoughts.
If I am going to encourage students to think bigger, dig deeper, and ask questions, then I need to give them the right place to do that. Think, dig, ask, share, respect. The best part is seeing my students accomplish all of these.
Whitney Houston once sang, "I believe the children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way. Show them all the beauty they possess inside. Give them a sense of pride to make it easier..." We, as educators, can and should remember this. Always.
For teenager Anne Frank and her family, it meant hiding from the Nazis and relying on assistance from co-workers and friends who could be trusted. We just finished reading the play version of The Diary of Anne Frank last week. We also saw the play as a class the day before Election Day.
Following Election Day, the news filled with words like divisiveness, fear, divided, safety. And then we went into a long weekend. That long weekend came to an end with a horrific tragedy that rocked our community. A well-known sheriff's deputy was shot and killed. This impacted our county, but more than that, it brought great pain to our community and even more specifically, to some of our school's families. This provided a teachable moment. We had gone into the weekend hearing how divided our country was and we emerged from it united as a community in the face of tragedy. We came together in part because we were already a close-knit community.
As I walked into my classroom on Monday morning, I knew that our recent learning, our nation, and our community all offered something very important: an opportunity. What I did with this opportunity was up to me. I chose words such as safe, respect, and feelings. As class started, I invited students to find places to sit around the classroom, to emerge from behind desks and sit where they are comfortable. This is not unusual when they are going their own ways to work, but I wanted something slightly different. I wanted them to sit where they wanted, but remain as a group. I wanted to encourage them without insistence.
I explained to them what I just wrote: the difference between how we went into the weekend versus how we came out of it. Our class was not divided, but a reminder that we are a community was worthwhile. I told them that I wanted our classroom to offer them a safe place. A place where they can share their thoughts, ideas, and feelings. We have spent months discussing the election and it has always happened in a respectful manner. Encouraging them to continue their respectful dialog and allowing them an opportunity to share how they were feeling proved to be exactly what we needed to start this week.
We talked about everything from the election to international matters, but it was our local tragedy that remained at the forefront of many of their thoughts.
Our students need to know that they have a safe place to think and share ideas. We as teachers can do this, offer this, encourage this, and live this.
The following day a student asked why I kept wearing a safety pin. I replied, "it's a reminder." She asked, "that you're safe?" I responded, "yes, and you are too."
Not everyone will agree all of the time, and that's ok. As long as we maintain a safe and respectful forum, our students will know they are valued as are their thoughts.
If I am going to encourage students to think bigger, dig deeper, and ask questions, then I need to give them the right place to do that. Think, dig, ask, share, respect. The best part is seeing my students accomplish all of these.
Whitney Houston once sang, "I believe the children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way. Show them all the beauty they possess inside. Give them a sense of pride to make it easier..." We, as educators, can and should remember this. Always.
Sunday, November 13, 2016
Dear Student, From your guide
Dear Student,
I am your teacher. I will push you to dig deeper. I will implore you to ask more questions. I will encourage you to think, watch, observe, listen, hope, work, and do. I am also your guide on this journey, if even for only a brief moment. Additionally, I am your champion, your leader, your supporter, your cheerleader. If it is important to you, it is important to me. I may miss some of the important moments, but if given even half the chance, I will be there. I will be there in class to instruct and guide you. I will be there, after school to help you through the difficult math problems. I will be there to cheer you on as you work toward your own personal goals. This evening, I cheered for two of my students as they played in their All-Star football game. Previously, I cheered as two of my (former) students participated in a water polo tournament. I have led hikes. I have spent lunches with students. I have asked questions.
Sometimes, I get it right, Sometimes I'm not quite where you need me. But, believe me, I support you.
I hope for the best for you. I am a cheerleader. Perhaps I am not the biggest or the loudest, but I am your cheerleader. Dear student, you are why I do what I do. Even my own children know it. I hope you know it as well.
Dear student, your success is important to me because it is important to and for you.
Sincerely,
You teacher, your guide, your facilitator of learning,
Ms. Remkiewicz
Ms. R
Ms. Rem
p.s.
Be awesome. Be you.
I am your teacher. I will push you to dig deeper. I will implore you to ask more questions. I will encourage you to think, watch, observe, listen, hope, work, and do. I am also your guide on this journey, if even for only a brief moment. Additionally, I am your champion, your leader, your supporter, your cheerleader. If it is important to you, it is important to me. I may miss some of the important moments, but if given even half the chance, I will be there. I will be there in class to instruct and guide you. I will be there, after school to help you through the difficult math problems. I will be there to cheer you on as you work toward your own personal goals. This evening, I cheered for two of my students as they played in their All-Star football game. Previously, I cheered as two of my (former) students participated in a water polo tournament. I have led hikes. I have spent lunches with students. I have asked questions.
Sometimes, I get it right, Sometimes I'm not quite where you need me. But, believe me, I support you.
I hope for the best for you. I am a cheerleader. Perhaps I am not the biggest or the loudest, but I am your cheerleader. Dear student, you are why I do what I do. Even my own children know it. I hope you know it as well.
Dear student, your success is important to me because it is important to and for you.
Sincerely,
You teacher, your guide, your facilitator of learning,
Ms. Remkiewicz
Ms. R
Ms. Rem
p.s.
Be awesome. Be you.
Sunday, October 30, 2016
I'm not an entertainment lawyer, I'm an educator
I will remember the day always and forever. It is embedded in my brain.When I was 14, my granddad looked at me and told me, "you're going to be a teacher."
"No I'm not," I replied. "I'm going to be an entertainment lawyer."
I went on to spend two years at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts studying theatre. (1992-94)
I love acting. I love being on stage. I love costumes. Sometimes, I love make-up. Most of all, I love a candid audience. I never had any big aspirations for acting. I love it. I do. But, I knew that I was made for something different. I knew I was supposed to help people. I think, that's why I was thinking "lawyer."
Flash-forward a few years. I sat in the office of a newspaper publisher, interviewing for a job as a young reporter. As the publisher and I talked about my lead up to this moment, I shared some things about who I was and what I had done. He looked at me and called me "a frustrated actress."
I will never forget that day as well.
I went on to become a newspaper reporter at another newspaper, then an editor, then a publisher. Yes, this "frustrated actress" who wanted to be an "entertainment lawyer" became a newspaper owner and publisher. I wrote and edited articles. I sold advertisements. I worked with people. I helped people. And then, my world changed. A shift occurred. A change happened. As I continued to run my newspaper business, I found myself back in school working toward my teaching credential. I also worked as an adult school teacher. I found a path for myself far different than I ever would have anticipated. And, each step of the way, I knew granddad was watching. I wanted him to see what I was doing. We wrote letters back and forth. He remained one of my greatest fans.And then, one day, I walked away from journalism.
Another day, I stepped into the traditional classroom.
Another day, I became a full-fledged teacher.
Another day, I looked back on it all and saw that my granddad was right.
I am a teacher.I was born to be a teacher.
It is in my blood.
My grandparents were educators.
My parents are retired educators.
I am now an educator.
I grew up with an administrator at one end of the dinner table and a teacher at the other.
I can tell you quickly who my most influential teachers were in the classroom and I can tell you that my family also includes influences on my life.
My grandfather is someone people remember. So is my nana. My mom has students with whom she (and I) remain in contact with and my dad is amazing. My aunt is in the top of her field.
I was born and made to be an educator and our dinner conversations are part of my PLN.
I am a teacher.
I am not an entertainment lawyer.
My granddad was right.
And I am ok with that.
I am an educator.
And I will work with m colleagues, near and far to be the best educator I can be. Always.
I am a lifelong learner.
I am a facilitator of learning.
It's in my blood.
Oh...and that actress stuff? I do it. Every. Single, Day. Sometimes I put on a costume. Sometimes I wear make-up. Sometimes I write and follow a script. But always, yes always...I put my students first. Always. And forever. I am an educator.
A glimpse at Fall CUE 2016
I was one of many attending Fall CUE this weekend. Today I will offer you a glimpse, an overview of my experiences.
I arrived on a dark, rainy Thursday night in an unfamiliar area. I found parking easily and made my way to the badge pick-up. I found it easily and everyone I encountered treated me with kindness. We were off to a good start. Then I followed directions to the cafeteria to grab a bag, a badge holder, and best of all...ribbons to add to my badge. A saw a familiar face, John Eick, and said hello. I made it just in time to get my badge. As I made my way back to my car, others heard words I feared I would hear, "Sorry, we just shut everything down for the night."
I selected a hotel about 15 or 20 minutes from American Canyon High School and the drive worked out pretty well on Friday and Saturday.
Friday started with the opening keynote delivered by Dave Burgess, author of "Teach Like a Pirate." The theatre packed full quickly and easily thus leaving some of us out in the rain. But only for a moment. Organizers worked to get people settled in overflow rooms quickly and efficiently. I ended up in the comforts of the cafeteria with coffee, a cheese danish, and a decent view of the screen broadcasting the keynote. I read "Teach Like a Pirate" over a year ago and it inspired me to keep doing things I was already doing, as well as to bring out my costumes and really take some of the things I did to the next level. I looked forward to this keynote so much so that I dressed in my full pirate costume for the day. (I received great, positive feedback and that made it even more fun, of course.) Standing in the cafeteria, listening to Burgess speak, I had one thought above all others.
"Wow! He talks really fast!"
He does. And you have to try to keep up. Sometimes you do, and sometimes you're still making a note about the I in PIRATE while he starts his big set up for A. (I exaggerate only slightly.) Here are a couple of my big take-aways from the opening keynote Friday:
"You don't have to have permission to learn."
* I try to instill in my students the idea that they can and should always dig deeper, ask questions, seek answers, and look beyond the face value of questions they are asked. If I ask them to tell me what they know about current events, they will give me headlines and I want them to go beyond the headlines. That is a goal we have for the year. When I give them a math problem, I don't want them to show their work just for the sake of me seeing it, but I want them to be able to go back and find where they made a mistake or discover different ways to solve the same problem. Sometimes we will do this on paper, sometimes I will have them create a model of the problem in Google Draw. Right now, I am guiding them through these processes to some degree but my hope is that eventually they will come to do it naturally. I only have them in these classes for this school year, but they need to continue learning and they need to remember that they do not need permission to learn. They need to feel free to discover and learn on their own as well.
"We are in the life changing business."
* Yes. See my notes above. If I can make the difference in the lives of my students and if I can get them to ask and answer difficult questions and if I can get them to pursue greatness in all they do, then I have done my job. I may not do this for every single one of them, but if I can do it for at least one of them, then I have succeeded. It's like the story of the starfish. (More on this in a moment.)
"Bring more of myself to work everyday."
* Precisely! As I noted above, reading "Teach Like a Pirate" inspired me to dig into my closet and begin incorporating my costumes into my teaching, but I have more I can and will do. I can wear hiking boots and take them on virtual hikes that I find on websites or that I create myself. Why? Because I enjoy hiking and there are valuable lessons to learn: math, science, literature, observation skills, and so much more. Let's go for a hike! That inspired my #EduAwesome #Adventure seeking in my lesson planning. I love adventure and can bring that into the classroom. Back to the costumes, I wear my Steampunk costume for STEAM events and teach Pirate speak on Talk Like a Pirate Day. But now, I see more. We will read "A Christmas Carol" coming up soon and it will all come together just before Christmas break when we celebrate with a party in the spirit of Charles Dickens' writing, costumes fully encouraged.
"What is unique about you makes you powerful and effective."
What is unique about you? I have found some of my uniqueness and I strive to live it, be it, and teach through it daily. Sometimes I succeed and sometimes I fall on my face. The key here is I pick myself back up and try again. Sometimes a lesson may not work with one class but will with another. Sometimes a lesson just needs to be reworked and strengthened. I started this school year asking my eighth graders what their super powers are. What makes them unique? I will ask them
again toward the end of the year and we will compare this. I look forward to seeing how they change and how they stay the same. I look forward to seeing the greatness in them grow. It starts with us. We must fi
rst show them that we embrace ourselves, our strengths, our unique approaches to life and to teaching. We must demonstrate what it means to be a lifelong learner and encourage them to become lifelong learners themselves. Be powerful. Be effective. Be you.
Earlier in the week leading up to the Fall CUE Conference, I talked with my parents about wanting to take and wear my pirate costume in the spirit of the opening keynote. They both encouraged me. My mom said, "Be you." So, I did. I am almost 40-years-old and hearing my mom encourage me still to be myself can make all the difference. I am a little silly, a little fun, a little adventurous. I have a background in writing and theatre. I love bringing that to the classroom and continue to expand on it. So, why shouldn't I do the same when spending time among other educators. One of my presentations begins with showing "We're Going on a Bear Hunt." It asks, "Are you afraid?" "I'm not a afraid," declares a sea of children's voices. As adults, we must do the same. We must declare that we are not afraid and take our students on the bear hunt of education.
I earned all possible badges to earn in the Fall CUE Game and that was pretty cool. Initially I wasn't sure I would even try. Then, I realized how easy it was to do one. Then another. All I had to do was document things I was doing anyway. I greatly enjoyed time in the STEAMpunk Playground and I wanted that badge. So, I took more pictures. I have a dream of bringing drones into my classroom, so I spent more time with the drones than anything else. Now, I am curious about more, especially the VR experience that was available there. I am hopeful to have a chance to experience some of these things at CUE Annual in March.
Another highlight for me at Fall CUE was the Breakout EDU session with Ari Flewelling and Ben Cogswell. I keep glansing at Breakout EDU and "thinking about it." Their session helped me see how I can use it in different ways. I have ideas for my math, history, and language arts classes. Now, I just need to work on getting set up for them. My goal is to do three Breakout EDU lessons (one at each grade level) by the end of the year.
Now, back to the starfish reference.
I shoved a small strip of paper in my pocket at the Breakout EDU session. On it is a single question.
What can you learn about failure from playing?
This is a wonderful, beautiful question.
My answer includes this: if we quit because we hit a roadblock only then have we actually failed. However, if we continue and are persistent, then we have blown failure out of the way and eventually meet with success. The only failure is in not trying or in giving up and quitting rather than trying to do things differently. As teachers, we know this. We know we have not failed unless or until we quit trying. That is precisely what we need our students to learn. We can model it for them, but with tools such as Breakout EDU, they can actually experience it. So, what tools can and will we bring into the classroom to allow our students experience missteps only to look failure in the eye and say, "Not this time. I got this," and then find their own way to success?
As teachers, we have to remember that we may not reach our ultimate destination or predetermination of success with every single student on every single day. But, we can and we will do our best. If we help one student, we have made a difference and we have succeeded. Just as the boy threw starfish after starfish back into the ocean hoping to make a difference, we must go in and take our unique skills and interests to our students through our lessons and strive to make a difference. We can and we will make a difference.
Fall CUE is a very different experience from the CUE Annual Conference. After attending Palm Springs three times, this was my first trip to Fall CUE. I knew it would be smaller and different, but I still had to experience it to get it. The networking is more personal. The idea-sharing is different. Relationships are strengthened and lessons taught, lessons learned. Just before i left for the conference, someone asked me, "Why do you do it?"
1. I can grow as an educator.
2. I can help other educators.
3. And the biggest reason of all, the true "payout" from experiences like this: the benefit to students. My students, my colleagues' students, students in other places throughout the state, across the country, and around the world. Students benefit from teachers who strive to do more, be more, share more, learn more, explore more...We are lifelong learners now in hopes that our students will become lifelong learners themselves.
Why do I do it? Because my students deserve the best me I can offer and this helps me on that journey.
Why do I do it? Because I can and I will make a difference, one starfish (err...student) at a time.
Why do I do it? Because it is what I am called to do. It is my passion and in being true to myself, I must follow my passion.
I am a lifelong learner, a passionate educator, and my students are going to journey their way through potential failures on the road to success and they will have a guide along the way.
I arrived on a dark, rainy Thursday night in an unfamiliar area. I found parking easily and made my way to the badge pick-up. I found it easily and everyone I encountered treated me with kindness. We were off to a good start. Then I followed directions to the cafeteria to grab a bag, a badge holder, and best of all...ribbons to add to my badge. A saw a familiar face, John Eick, and said hello. I made it just in time to get my badge. As I made my way back to my car, others heard words I feared I would hear, "Sorry, we just shut everything down for the night."
I selected a hotel about 15 or 20 minutes from American Canyon High School and the drive worked out pretty well on Friday and Saturday.
Friday started with the opening keynote delivered by Dave Burgess, author of "Teach Like a Pirate." The theatre packed full quickly and easily thus leaving some of us out in the rain. But only for a moment. Organizers worked to get people settled in overflow rooms quickly and efficiently. I ended up in the comforts of the cafeteria with coffee, a cheese danish, and a decent view of the screen broadcasting the keynote. I read "Teach Like a Pirate" over a year ago and it inspired me to keep doing things I was already doing, as well as to bring out my costumes and really take some of the things I did to the next level. I looked forward to this keynote so much so that I dressed in my full pirate costume for the day. (I received great, positive feedback and that made it even more fun, of course.) Standing in the cafeteria, listening to Burgess speak, I had one thought above all others.
"Wow! He talks really fast!"
He does. And you have to try to keep up. Sometimes you do, and sometimes you're still making a note about the I in PIRATE while he starts his big set up for A. (I exaggerate only slightly.) Here are a couple of my big take-aways from the opening keynote Friday: |
| Student Powered Showcase |
* I try to instill in my students the idea that they can and should always dig deeper, ask questions, seek answers, and look beyond the face value of questions they are asked. If I ask them to tell me what they know about current events, they will give me headlines and I want them to go beyond the headlines. That is a goal we have for the year. When I give them a math problem, I don't want them to show their work just for the sake of me seeing it, but I want them to be able to go back and find where they made a mistake or discover different ways to solve the same problem. Sometimes we will do this on paper, sometimes I will have them create a model of the problem in Google Draw. Right now, I am guiding them through these processes to some degree but my hope is that eventually they will come to do it naturally. I only have them in these classes for this school year, but they need to continue learning and they need to remember that they do not need permission to learn. They need to feel free to discover and learn on their own as well.
"We are in the life changing business."
* Yes. See my notes above. If I can make the difference in the lives of my students and if I can get them to ask and answer difficult questions and if I can get them to pursue greatness in all they do, then I have done my job. I may not do this for every single one of them, but if I can do it for at least one of them, then I have succeeded. It's like the story of the starfish. (More on this in a moment.)
"Bring more of myself to work everyday."
* Precisely! As I noted above, reading "Teach Like a Pirate" inspired me to dig into my closet and begin incorporating my costumes into my teaching, but I have more I can and will do. I can wear hiking boots and take them on virtual hikes that I find on websites or that I create myself. Why? Because I enjoy hiking and there are valuable lessons to learn: math, science, literature, observation skills, and so much more. Let's go for a hike! That inspired my #EduAwesome #Adventure seeking in my lesson planning. I love adventure and can bring that into the classroom. Back to the costumes, I wear my Steampunk costume for STEAM events and teach Pirate speak on Talk Like a Pirate Day. But now, I see more. We will read "A Christmas Carol" coming up soon and it will all come together just before Christmas break when we celebrate with a party in the spirit of Charles Dickens' writing, costumes fully encouraged.
"What is unique about you makes you powerful and effective."
What is unique about you? I have found some of my uniqueness and I strive to live it, be it, and teach through it daily. Sometimes I succeed and sometimes I fall on my face. The key here is I pick myself back up and try again. Sometimes a lesson may not work with one class but will with another. Sometimes a lesson just needs to be reworked and strengthened. I started this school year asking my eighth graders what their super powers are. What makes them unique? I will ask them
 |
| Closing Keynote Saturday, October 29 |
again toward the end of the year and we will compare this. I look forward to seeing how they change and how they stay the same. I look forward to seeing the greatness in them grow. It starts with us. We must fi
rst show them that we embrace ourselves, our strengths, our unique approaches to life and to teaching. We must demonstrate what it means to be a lifelong learner and encourage them to become lifelong learners themselves. Be powerful. Be effective. Be you.
Earlier in the week leading up to the Fall CUE Conference, I talked with my parents about wanting to take and wear my pirate costume in the spirit of the opening keynote. They both encouraged me. My mom said, "Be you." So, I did. I am almost 40-years-old and hearing my mom encourage me still to be myself can make all the difference. I am a little silly, a little fun, a little adventurous. I have a background in writing and theatre. I love bringing that to the classroom and continue to expand on it. So, why shouldn't I do the same when spending time among other educators. One of my presentations begins with showing "We're Going on a Bear Hunt." It asks, "Are you afraid?" "I'm not a afraid," declares a sea of children's voices. As adults, we must do the same. We must declare that we are not afraid and take our students on the bear hunt of education.
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| BADGES! |
I earned all possible badges to earn in the Fall CUE Game and that was pretty cool. Initially I wasn't sure I would even try. Then, I realized how easy it was to do one. Then another. All I had to do was document things I was doing anyway. I greatly enjoyed time in the STEAMpunk Playground and I wanted that badge. So, I took more pictures. I have a dream of bringing drones into my classroom, so I spent more time with the drones than anything else. Now, I am curious about more, especially the VR experience that was available there. I am hopeful to have a chance to experience some of these things at CUE Annual in March.Another highlight for me at Fall CUE was the Breakout EDU session with Ari Flewelling and Ben Cogswell. I keep glansing at Breakout EDU and "thinking about it." Their session helped me see how I can use it in different ways. I have ideas for my math, history, and language arts classes. Now, I just need to work on getting set up for them. My goal is to do three Breakout EDU lessons (one at each grade level) by the end of the year.
Now, back to the starfish reference.
I shoved a small strip of paper in my pocket at the Breakout EDU session. On it is a single question.
What can you learn about failure from playing?
This is a wonderful, beautiful question.
 |
| Two of my favorite educators: Doug Robertson and Jon Corippo |
As teachers, we have to remember that we may not reach our ultimate destination or predetermination of success with every single student on every single day. But, we can and we will do our best. If we help one student, we have made a difference and we have succeeded. Just as the boy threw starfish after starfish back into the ocean hoping to make a difference, we must go in and take our unique skills and interests to our students through our lessons and strive to make a difference. We can and we will make a difference.
Fall CUE is a very different experience from the CUE Annual Conference. After attending Palm Springs three times, this was my first trip to Fall CUE. I knew it would be smaller and different, but I still had to experience it to get it. The networking is more personal. The idea-sharing is different. Relationships are strengthened and lessons taught, lessons learned. Just before i left for the conference, someone asked me, "Why do you do it?"
1. I can grow as an educator.
2. I can help other educators.
3. And the biggest reason of all, the true "payout" from experiences like this: the benefit to students. My students, my colleagues' students, students in other places throughout the state, across the country, and around the world. Students benefit from teachers who strive to do more, be more, share more, learn more, explore more...We are lifelong learners now in hopes that our students will become lifelong learners themselves.
Why do I do it? Because my students deserve the best me I can offer and this helps me on that journey.
Why do I do it? Because I can and I will make a difference, one starfish (err...student) at a time.
Why do I do it? Because it is what I am called to do. It is my passion and in being true to myself, I must follow my passion.
I am a lifelong learner, a passionate educator, and my students are going to journey their way through potential failures on the road to success and they will have a guide along the way.
Thursday, October 27, 2016
A whole new world: Of GHO and beyond
As I sat, a wee bit frustrated at times, eating my reheated homemade fettuccine with two coffee stirrers as chopsticks (because while I carefully planned what to eat, I somehow forgot to plan how to eat it in my hotel room), I spent almost two hours on a Google Hangout, with my children.
This is my life.
And, I love it.
My son had math homework he wanted to have my help with while my daughter sought my help with spelling homework. My son is slightly better versed in the Google-verse than my daughter. Hence, the periodic frustration. I had to teach her a few things from this end of my computer. She had to pick them up as quickly as she can so we could move forward with homework. She's six. Her class uses iPads. At home, she has a Chromebook. She wanted to type her spelling while keeping the video feed from our GHO in plain view. This was no simply task with me here, her there, and other distractions along the way. My son stepped in and did what he could on the other end to help. And, help, he did. Afterall, remember, we are an EdTech Family. From us is born the "If you give a kid a camera..." (stay tuned, it's coming. I promise.)
We accomplished our goals. My son completed six math problems with my help and my daughter performed her "Type It" task (typing her spelling words as prescribed and chosen from a spelling menu offered to her by her first grade teacher). At the end, my son helped share the typed spelling words with me so that I could be sure they would end up emailed to my daughter's teacher. Following that fairly easy task, my daughter read a story. I listened, saw the pictures, and helped with words as she held the book up for me to see.
This may be my most favorite Google Hangout of all time, even though I cried (as only an adult woman can and will) for a break during one point. The best part of it was seeing the joy in my children's eyes and feeling a sense of accomplishment at the end of it all.
Last spring, I used Google Hangouts to connect a class with podcasters. It was incredibly fulfilling to see my students ask questions and get answers in real time then apply what the learned.
Before Google Hangouts On-Air became a thing of the past, my son and I did our first EdTech Family broadcast and will turn to YouTube Live for future installments.
This real-time video and audio interaction is beyond anything I ever could have imagined 30, 20, or even ten years ago. And seeing its classroom benefit outweighs all frustrations.
It helps students in the classroom. It helps students at home. I do indeed like it here and there, I love GHO everywhere!
And, you will too!
Give it a try. Find its usefulness in your arena and go for it. Connect with parents. Connect with educators. Create a classroom without walls. And help a kid accomplish homework tasks. This is what it's all about! Let's do this!
Reporting live from Fall CUE 2016 Night One. @RemScience
What's ahead:
Tomorrow is the day Fall CUE really, actually gets started.
Dave Burgess will provide the opening keynote address.
Many sessions ahead, but I will attend one paid session featuring Dave Burgess.
I forgot my copy of Teach Like a Pirate.
And, that's ok.
Learn how to transform lessons into EduAwesome Adventures using video (and yes, that includes Google Hangouts!) in my session on Saturday at 2 p.m. Hope to see you there. But, if you're interested in something a little different, check out Karly Moura and Kelly Martin's session on using Padlet! (Great tool! I'd be there if I were't presenting.)
What sessions are you most looking forward to attending at Fall CUE?
Have you picked up your badge yet?
Remember badge bling!
Make it EduAwesome!
This is my life.
And, I love it.
We accomplished our goals. My son completed six math problems with my help and my daughter performed her "Type It" task (typing her spelling words as prescribed and chosen from a spelling menu offered to her by her first grade teacher). At the end, my son helped share the typed spelling words with me so that I could be sure they would end up emailed to my daughter's teacher. Following that fairly easy task, my daughter read a story. I listened, saw the pictures, and helped with words as she held the book up for me to see.
This may be my most favorite Google Hangout of all time, even though I cried (as only an adult woman can and will) for a break during one point. The best part of it was seeing the joy in my children's eyes and feeling a sense of accomplishment at the end of it all.
Last spring, I used Google Hangouts to connect a class with podcasters. It was incredibly fulfilling to see my students ask questions and get answers in real time then apply what the learned.Before Google Hangouts On-Air became a thing of the past, my son and I did our first EdTech Family broadcast and will turn to YouTube Live for future installments.
This real-time video and audio interaction is beyond anything I ever could have imagined 30, 20, or even ten years ago. And seeing its classroom benefit outweighs all frustrations.
It helps students in the classroom. It helps students at home. I do indeed like it here and there, I love GHO everywhere!
And, you will too!
Give it a try. Find its usefulness in your arena and go for it. Connect with parents. Connect with educators. Create a classroom without walls. And help a kid accomplish homework tasks. This is what it's all about! Let's do this!
Reporting live from Fall CUE 2016 Night One. @RemScience
What's ahead:
Tomorrow is the day Fall CUE really, actually gets started.
Dave Burgess will provide the opening keynote address.
Many sessions ahead, but I will attend one paid session featuring Dave Burgess.
I forgot my copy of Teach Like a Pirate.
And, that's ok.
Learn how to transform lessons into EduAwesome Adventures using video (and yes, that includes Google Hangouts!) in my session on Saturday at 2 p.m. Hope to see you there. But, if you're interested in something a little different, check out Karly Moura and Kelly Martin's session on using Padlet! (Great tool! I'd be there if I were't presenting.)
What sessions are you most looking forward to attending at Fall CUE?
Have you picked up your badge yet?
Remember badge bling!
Make it EduAwesome!
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