This is a the fourth year of our 1:1 teaching and learning initiative in Salisbury for grades 6-12, TL2020.org. During the 2014-15 school year, 1:1 access was added with iPads for K-1 students and MacBooks for students in grades 3-5. You can learn more about our first three years at TL2014.org.  On the site, you will see goals, the evaluation, policies, etc.

Recently, we were invited to participate in a research cohort with Apple.  We will join approximately 17 other school districts in Chicago, IL next week to learn more about how to collect data to answer our research question.

As part of the preparation for the workshop, we needed to complete a survey which inquired about our current data collection practices, resources, and a potential research problem.  On this snow day, after much conversation, we were excited to unearth our research question.  My colleague, Randy Ziegenfuss, shared his thoughts on increasing transformative learning experiences. You can read his post here.  His post explains our past work, the upcoming research opportunity we have been afforded, and our research question.

After three years, we are still seeing pockets of learning activities which would qualify as above the line (transformative) according to  Puentadura’s SAMR framework.  Learn more about SAMR by reviewing our Learnist Board.  For the teachers who are designing and implementing transformative learning experiences, what factors are critical to their success?

How do we increase the number of teachers who develop and implement these above the line activities?  Is our vision clear? What is working for these teachers who continually proffer these opportunities?  Do they have different professional learning experiences? Are their building PLCs structured differently? Are these educators connected through PLNs? Are their content area/grades relevant?  Do the administrators in the building play a role in regard to support and/or expectations?  Are these teachers risk-takers?  How can we create a risk-taking environment? What can we learn from these teachers, and how can we promote more of these opportunities?  What do we need to do to support them? I have so many questions about these teachers and their practices.

How do you support your teachers to learn and share with each other?

 

Today, like much of eastern PA, NJ, and NY, we had a snow day!  After I reviewed my email, worked on my doctoral coursework, and even hung out with my family, I decided I was going to post!  So, what to post about?  My colleague shared someone else’s advice to new bloggers.  I do not remember the exact post, but the message was clear! Basically, just start writing about something that matters to you.

I scanned Twitter multiple times today and kept coming back to information on active listening.  Listening is so important in our daily personal and professional lives. We have to listen with our whole minds and body and avoid distractions.  With cell phones and instant access that is becoming increasingly difficult for some of us.  We have to listen to what is said and what is not said!

You can read a great blog post about active listening here.  What I really liked about this post is the chart  (from Storytelling and User Experience) which identifies 10 specific skills, behaviors associated with them, and what to avoid when having a conversation.

For example, the chart includes reflecting and summarizing.  These require the listener to actively engage in both sides of the conversation (as opposed to planning a response while the other person is still talking.)  I also really appreciated the tip about not filling the silences and allowing the speaker to set the pace.

I also found this post on different types of listening. Which do we use in our professional and personal lives?

I have already shared this chart with a critical friend.  I know we will talk about our strengths and weaknesses as related to this chart over lunch sometime soon!  This sharing and honest conversation helps us both grow as leaders!

In this blog, which I entitled “Share to Learn,” I am hoping to learn from my readers too! Each post will have a couple questions to consider in the hopes of engaging you in the conversation.

Questions to Consider:

• What other suggestions do you have to make us all more effective listeners?
• How do you avoid listening to respond instead of listening to learn?

 

Today was opening day in my school district.  Like many other opening days, we had an inspiring welcome from our superintendent, followed by connected remarks from union leadership, and the usual introductions of new staff and transfers.  Beyond that, today was very different for us.  Our administrators led a 90 minute professional development session for mixed groups of teachers on Webb’s Depth of Knowledge.  I am really proud all of our building and central office administrators led the workshops, thus demonstrating strong instructional leadership.

Several of us worked on developing a clear lesson plan with multiple resources including a slide show and several hands-on, engaging activities.  We shared the lesson via GoogleDocs so presenters had notes and participants had a guide and electronic resources.

Two administrators co-facilited each group.  My group consisted of about 25 elementary and secondary educators.  Multiple content areas and specialists were represented.  I genuinely enjoyed talking with these teachers about increasing complexity of content and task. It was interesting to hear the conversations within the mixed groups emerge as teachers worked with teachers from other content areas, grade levels, and buildings.  The teachers were genuinely engaged as they sorted tasks by level, reflected on current tasks they use through the DOK framework, made connections between DOK and the SAMR framework, and created a DOK ladder.  (We spend significant time last year learning about  SAMR.  Learn more at my learni.st.)

My Assistant Superintendent and I created a feedback form where district employees could share their opinions related to the morning.  The questions included:What did you like about the morning?  What would you change about the morning?  How did the morning INSPIRE you to THINK, LEARN and/or GROW personally or professionally? (This is our mission.)  What suggestions can you offer as we plan for Opening Day 2015?  Soliciting this feedback helps us reflect on our work.  The data will also be used to inform our planning for next year.

What does your District do for opening day.  I would love to get some ideas for next year!

How committed are you to your learning and the learning of others?  As educators, we may experience a slightly slower pace at times.  How did you use this time to learn something new, explore something you already learned, or share your learning with others?

Summer is a great time to recharge for the new school year.  September will be here before we know it! While recharging, join some colleagues and learn something new!  It’s not too late!  Here are 5 ideas to get you started!  Can you share any others?

1.  Grab some colleagues and read a new book… Choose something which transcends age levels and content to increase interest.  I recently read Core Six by Harvey Silver, R. Thomas Dewing, and Matthew J. Perini.  I really enjoyed discussing the content with teachers.  We brainstormed how they could “amp up” existing lessons and activities to promote these six core skills.  Learn more about the book!

2. Attend Discovery’s Summer School http://blog.discoveryeducation.com/blog/2014/07/02/den-summer-school-august-2014/.  There are a lot of great resources!

3. Develop a PLN!  It is amazing how many learners we can connect to virtually.  This is something I am currently doing as well.  I am currently following 118 people, and about 100 people are following me.  I am setting a goal for myself to tweet at least 10 times per month and find several new people to follow each week.

4. Participate in a Twitter Chat! View the official schedule developed by @thomascmurray @cevans5095 at http://cybraryman.com/chats.html.  I have to admit, I have only tried this twice.  Many of my colleagues are using the Twitter Chats for quick conversations and ideas.

5. Check out the live and archived Apple Seminars!

What are some other ways you are learning this summer?

Add the end of every day, whether it was exceptional, mediocre, or completely exhausting, I think about what I learned.  Sometimes, I learn something new by reading a blog post, a newspaper article, en email from PDE, etc.  The more I read, the more I learn. Most of the time, I learn from others and what they are sharing!  I learn more about myself as a leader, a co-worker, a teacher, a wife, or a mother.  Through day-to-day interactions, I learn more about the people in both my personal and professional lives.  Understanding my colleagues, friends, and family members helps me develop stronger relationships and connections.  These connections enable me to be more productive and more successful.

I have been thinking about blogging for two years, maybe even longer.  I recently read the book – The Core Six: Essential Strategies for Achieving Excellence with the Common Core by Harvey F. Silver, R. Thomas Dewing, & Matthew J. Perini.   The book highlights six strategies teachers can use to help students reach the PA Core Standards.  One of the strategies is Write to Learn.  If we want our teachers and our students to write more for authentic audiences, as leaders, we need to model the way.  This was an important factor in me finally making this blog a reality.

With this blog, I intend to share my learning, and I hope I will engage my readers so I can also learn from them.  At the end of every day, we have challenges and successes to share.  These experiences help us grow.  I hope you will share your experiences with me so we can together.