Reflecting on PLNs and EDU 6714

Photo courtesy of geox.

I am only one man. This seems like an obvious statement to make, but I think that many times I forget that statement and take on more than I should. I think most educators do. That is why developing a personal learning network (PLN) is so important these days. With so many resources out there, it is important to think about how to leverage our professional relationships in order to develop networks of resources. That is one of my takeaways from EDUC 6714.

Throughout the course my fellow students and I brought together our combined efforts in a “differentiation station”, a library of resources on differentiation in the classroom. We tackled a major topic in education and the combined effort led to a much broader range of resources than any of us would have been able to develop independently. This differentiation station has provided me with a number of high-quality, practical resources to explore and share with my colleagues.

Photo courtesy of mzacha.

Each of these resources helps provide a window into how to make Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Differentiated Instruction (DI) a cornerstone of tier one instruction in the classroom instead of an unmanageable mandate from a power on high. With access to resources like those found in our differentiation station, each of us is a more formidable force in the classroom, assuming that we use the resources. This kind of instruction is research based (CAST, nd) and is what is best for all students (Laureate, 2009), but often times feels overwhelming to the classroom teacher. Resources that make the process easier by providing tools, by providing research, or by providing examples all make this an easier process to engage in on behalf of our students.

I was already engaged with many tools in the classroom that provided students with a variety of choice, so this has only helped to clarify some of the additional options and expand on the research for allowing variety in my classroom. The biggest take away for me was the power of creating and maintaining a network of professionals that are committed to bolstering each other’s professional practice. As we move forward I plan to continue developing my PLN through resources like Twitter, Google Groups, Facebook, LinkedIn, Diigo, Blogs, Wikis, and Nings so that I can stay involved with resource sharing and the exploration of new frontiers. Even though I am only one man, I can be an integral part of a group and can benefit by giving and receiving the gift of knowledge.

References

CAST: Center for Applied Special Technology. (n.d.). CAST: Center for Applied Special Technology. Retrieved October 3, 2010, from http://www.cast.org/

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Reaching and engaging all learners through technology. Baltimore: Author. 

Designing for Learning

Photo courtesy of danzo08.

           LEGOS were my favorite toy growing up because there were a million different ways that the pieces could be put together and instruction booklets that came with each set allowed for multiple construction projects. Each time the new plastic smell drifted out of the box, my mind was filled with a multitude of ways to engage in creation. I could break down a castle and make a spaceship with the same pieces. No matter what I wanted to construct though, there were the same building blocks for each project, and what made the variety was the planning process and intent of each of the projects I embarked on. My varied interests, the pieces that I had at hand, and my prior knowledge all had an impact on the types of constructions I was able to form.  This is the same kind of process that EDUC 6714 taught me to go through when planning for a differentiated learning environment.

            Each student will approach the class in a variety of ways based on their unique backgrounds, their interests, and their abilities (Rose & Meyer, 2002).  My job as an instructor is to help them to access the content of my class. This is only possible if I know my students, and gathering information from students is something that is far easier today than at any previous time in human history. Technology has provided teachers with all sorts of tools to gather information about our students. Tools like interest inventories, learning style surveys, multiple intelligence tests, learner profiles, state assessments, and a host of different data tracking systems like EASy all make getting to know the abilities, interests, and preferences of our students easier than ever.

            Once we have all of this information, we have the ability to select from a variety of different tools and a variety of different resources in order to provide those students with the learning experiences that they desire and deserve. If we think about all of the different ways that we could differentiate from the beginning of our planning, like Universal Design for Learning says (CAST, n.d.), then we can truly begin to talk about how to differentiate our instruction. Using technology can help us to create learning environments that are inclusive of all learners and offer a variety of challenge and engagement (Laureate, 2009). This technology can be used to provide all students ways to access the content, show their understanding of the content, and choose what aspects of the content appeal to them. By allowing these kinds of choices, students’ different learning networks are engaged (Rose & Meyer, 2002).

            Of course, this kind of learning environment requires that teachers know that a variety of tools exist that learners can use and that teachers are comfortable with allowing students to address their unique learning needs. This environment also requires that teachers actively plan for differentiation using some sort of method like the Cast Lesson Builder guides teachers through (Howard, 2004). By planning for a variety of different kinds of assessments (blogs, wikis, Prezis, podcasts, videos, etc.) from the beginning, each student has the ability to contribute to the learning environment. Teachers can make this an easier task by creating rubrics for the different types of activities ahead of time.

            This type of classroom looks and operates very differently than a traditional classroom though. Teachers must engage administrators, parents, colleagues, and the community in creating a supportive learning environment where all students are provided with the access and tools that they need to be successful. A variety of communication platforms should be engaged (Twitter, Facebook, email, shared calendars, transparent online classrooms, online grading programs, etc.) so that parents have a variety of ways to access information about their children’s learning experiences.  As their children begin to expand their educational awareness, enjoyment, and experiences, parents and students can begin to explore education as a vital and meaningful part of these young people’s lives. As individual learning experiences address individual learning gaps, parents, students, and the community will find classrooms and schools to rally around.

            This can only become possible with a plan of action that values students as individuals. It can also only become possible with a plan of action that addresses current available technologies and emerging technologies. It is the responsibility of the teacher to stay informed on new trends in technology and new tools/capabilities that would meet the needs of the diverse learners in the classrooms of today. Conducting research on new technologies, using Personal Learning Networks, and joining professional communities like the International Society for Technology in Education are all ways to ensure that teachers are staying current as new technologies emerge. Taking this information and combining it with research on how the brain learns can provide a teacher with the credibility to weigh in on school and district committees regarding technology plans.

            Each piece is vital, but each piece can be viewed multiple ways. As we try to address the specific and diverse needs of our students in the 21^st century, it is extremely important that we plan to use a variety of tools that satisfy a wide range of students and allow for different platforms of communication with the entire spectrum of people served by our efforts. If we do this well, we can create a learning experience for our students that is appropriate, inclusive, engaging, and rigorous. This is a lot like opening that tub of LEGOS and looking at all the possibilities. A standardized approach to the complex task of learning does not allow for the range of experiences available in the real world of the 21^st century. A complex, varied, multimodal learning environment invites our students into a complex, varied, multimodal world and this is the world that our students already live in. 

References:

CAST: Center for Applied Special Technology. (n.d.). CAST: Center for Applied Special Technology. Retrieved October 3, 2010, from http://www.cast.org/

Howard, K. L. (2004). Universal design for learning: Meeting the needs of all students. International Society for Technology in Education, 31(5), 26–29. Retrieved from the ERIC database.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Reaching and engaging all learners through technology. Baltimore: Author.

Rose, D., & Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching Every Student: Information & Ideas. CAST: Center for 
            Applied Special Technology. Retrieved October 3, 2010, from
            http://www.cast.org/teachingeve

Duty, Power, and Responsibility

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It is elusive now. That moment when I knew I wanted to teach children has blended into the very marrow of my life. It has become a part of the essence that makes me complete, but I know that there must have been a specific moment. Perhaps it was the time my 6th grade teacher, Mr. Hawkins, took me into the hall to give me a lesson about what it meant to grow into a man someday. Maybe it was the moment that Mr. Lamphear made me believe that I had I needed to use my potential because I had a duty to my fellow human beings. Maybe it was the first time I heard Uncle Ben whisper to Peter, "With great power comes great responsibility." Or maybe it was the host of teachers who were Silvertounges and made the fantasy worlds in books come to life through the power of their words. They made the truth spring out of the thin air and they taught me to look for the commonalities that bring us all together. Each of those was a moment that could have been the one that made me want to recreate that experience for a new generation.

I am not sure though that it can be that neatly defined; perhaps that is the reason the specific moment I decided to enter the classroom eludes me. There are some moments like the first time I really met my wife, the birth of my children, the passing of my father, that were burned into my soul in an instant and changed my life with their vibrance and power, but the commitment to my profession has been built upon a lifetime of experiences that have brought me to where I am now...and that is part of why I am writing today...

The commitment that I made to become a teacher was not undertaken lightly. I weighed very heavily what I had to offer before going down this path. The consequences of having a poor teacher in the classroom are too heavy to play with. I thought long and hard about whether or not I would be setting students up for success better than the other people around me. I wanted to make sure that I would not be harming children by entering the classroom. I wanted to make learning come alive. I wanted to read the characters out of the book, like SilverTongue, and engage students in the world that they are living in, a world that has so much to offer. 

So, here I am writing a post about educational reform and have spent half the time talking about my past...but, you see, the past is important. You, just like my students, need to know who I am and why I am here before I tell you what I see in the future. You need to know that I am a passionate man with a family, children of my own, a lifetime's worth of experiences, and a die-hard commitment to my profession. In a time where teachers are seen as others, it is important to see the people beneath the titles, because we are all human. In a time of political ads that focus on the negatives and what the other side isn't doing, it is important to stand up and explain who you are instead of who the other guy isn't. I am a teacher, I am a parent, I am a student, I am a hero to some, and on midterm day I can be a very scary individual. I am also an idealist. 

In my graduate program we talked a lot about Universal Design for Learning (UDL). The basic premise is that our students are all individual learners. If we can accept that fact and drink in the unique strengths and weaknesses of our students, we can imbue our instruction with opportunities for all to succeed. We also talked a lot about Differentiated Instruction (DI) which is the practical application of UDL. DI is creating opportunities for students to access and demonstrate content knowledge in a multitude of ways. Technology is what allows this to happen easily within a classroom because technology can help a teacher modify an assignment for 33 students in a single classroom. 

Okay, this has been around for a while though right? The idea that learners are different, that they have different needs, and that technology can help us meet those needs, those ideas have been around for decades. So if it has been around for decades, how can we call it reform? 

Photo courtesy of edududas.

Re-form to me means to take something that has been around for decades and to make it better by adjusting the way you approach it. To some people right now, reform means going towards a standardization model...for others it means to allow for complete control by small groups...to others it means allowing corporate interests into the schools...  I think that we need something else. I think that we need a new understanding of what an educated individual looks like. We need to look at more than the content someone knows. We need to look at more than what the curriculum is. We need to look at more than what we have done in the past. We need to take education and look at what could be and stop complaining about why our dreams can't become realities. We need to re-form our schemas to allow for an optimistic future.

In that vein...here is my vision:

Imagine for a moment a classroom of students debating the nature of literacy in the 21st century. They are asking to sit in circles and talk in small groups about a novel that deals with access to information. They are debating the benefits and obstacles of school filtering systems and are discussing whether or not their blogs should be public. They are looking at what Montag stands for in Fahrenheit 451 and whether or not they can find a Creative Commons image that truly captures the essence of who he is. They are relating the struggles of this character and the conflicts of this book to the real world topics of censorship and Google and questions being raised by real people about the power and purpose of information...they are posting quotes that symbolize characters on a common wiki and then they are updating their online concept maps so that they can arrange their information in visual ways that show the connections between these various topics...They pull out computers to independently search for information that supports their opinions and they ask each other for support instead of asking me for answers...they reach across the aisle and point to each other's screens and explain how to give real world credit to a source in addition to using correct MLA citation (because this is what is on the test)...

Oh wait...I said I was going to be visionary. What I have described above is my classroom on Wednesday of last week. That isn't really reform...that is reality. So we need to move past the reality I strive for on a daily basis...the ins and outs of creating multifaceted and multileveled activities for my students...the daily balance of individual work to collaborative work to group discussion to individual reflection...the balance of real world versus the standardized testing minimums...the constant struggle between the need for and the lack of resources in my building...and we need to move into a realm where the vision I see in my head can become the future for my students. You see, what I am doing is okay...but it isn't enough...

So...let's try this again...

Education is what our students live and breathe every day. Reforming education would mean that we were making content, presentation, and production of information relevant and meaningful. Our students would be moving past the "Why do we have to learn this?" to the much more powerful, "What kinds of practical applications of this information would make my world/society/school a better place to be and can I try to address those issues for my final exam?" They advocate for themselves and seek out pathsin which to apply this information/knowledge we present to help others locally and on a global scale. They ask for guidance but more often they propose solutions in a variety of ways. The students are asked to help write the tests that measure progress so that they have a voice in making the tests meaningful and relevant to future student populations. Or better yet, the students propose that their worth as students is judged based on their ability to solve issues in the real world with their skills and knowledge.

In a world like this, the students would be held to a much higher standard and they would be making the world a better place while showing that they understand the information they are being presented with. They would synthesize the information from their various classes into a cohesive product/production that would be aimed at providing the world with model citizen scholars. The students would have something substantial that they could continue to contribute to...

And when you come down to it, isn't that what we want? Don't we want our students to contribute more than a simple bubbled in form? Don't we want them to invest in their world and give back? According to centuries worth of observation and current brain research, each student has something to offer that is unique and special, and if we took the time to really let each student give that little piece of themselves, wouldn't we all be better off? There is nothing standard in the amazing and awesome. That is part of what makes amazing and awesome such powerful concepts. Isn't that what we want our students to be?

Photo courtesy of enimal.

So...re-form...Perhaps the place it has to start is with us, the educators and parents and coaches and models...Maybe we need to remember that bucking the system is how the system got started in the first place. It is time for a revolution. It is time for action. It is time for commitment. We have a duty to our students. "With great power comes great responsibility." We need to invent the ideas to put on the page and play SilverTounges to bring them out into the real world. We need to stand up and say that accountability that loses humanity is not enough for educational reform. Our students are students with valuable contributions to make...true educational reform would imply that we were willing to give them the opportunity to help create the world that they are going to be living in. True educational reform would allow students to contribute in meaningful ways with each other to solve the real issues that they are going to be faced with. As Chris Lehman said at ISTE 2010, "What if we stopped telling kids that high school is preparation for the real world and conviced them that it is the real world?"

True edcuation reform would give students the motivation, the freedom, and the support they need to become active participants in their world. True educational reform would focus on bringing the laughter back into the classroom...because learning should be exciting, challenging, and fun.

You see, what made me want to be a teacher wasn't my test scores and accountability for my actions as a student. What made me want to be a teacher was truly believing that I could make a difference and that I could pull those ideas and characters from the pages of the books they lived in. What made me want to be a teacher was having the opportunity to apply my knowledge to the world as a student. What made me want to be a teacher was realizing that education was about people and connections, not the number that signified my knowledge base.

Last Wednesday, my students made a small impact on each other. They interacted with one another and the rest of the world with the intention of coming to a clearer grasp of the importance of words and ideas. They reformed their understanding of what a literate citizen looks like and they enjoyed the deep thinking that they were asked to do. They felt that their individual needs were being met and they felt like they were more than simply sophomores with a score on their backs. They felt involved...they felt engaged...and they felt that that day was a beginning...perhaps it was a moment that will be part of their core...and they will look back and realize that they can't define the moment they felt that they needed to be involved with scholarly conversations about real world issues...

Photo courtesy of hhsara.

Educational reform begins with the belief that we can make difference in the world. It begins with a conversation that focuses on what is possible. There is a moment that is difficult to define, but that sinks into the very core of who we are as we stand up and say that change must happen. That moment becomes one of a number of moments that changes the very course of our lives and the lives of those who must coexist in the world with us. Our students deserve a better education than the established system provides and they deserve to be participants in their own futures. Chris Lehman said it best, "Students should never be the implied object of their own education." We have a duty to our students. They deserve to be the driving force in educational reform and we have the responsibility of creating educational experiences that meet their individual needs. To do that, we need to be able to openly discuss, with complete honesty, the possibilities of educational reform with a positive, optimistic, student-centered focus. To accept the status quo would be to break the promise we made to students when we took up the mantle of educator scholars.

Stealing Fire






Picture from hadler at
http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1279067

 It wasn’t until I became a father that I truly understood the sacrifices that Prometheus was willing to make for humanity. To steal fire from the gods was a sacrilegious act that he knew he would have to pay for; at the same time, he understood that what he was doing was right. In a time of educational reform that has seemed to move further and further away from educating the whole child at a level that is appropriate to him/her, looking at the relationship and research behind Universal Design for Learning (UDL), Differentiated Instruction (DI), and technology is a welcome change. While the role of these different approaches to education are symbiotic in many ways, they are not necessarily aligned to a one-size fits all approach to education that our standardized testing culture seems to value. In this way, I feel like a modern Prometheus, in the non-Frankensteinean sense, bringing light and knowledge to my colleagues and students.

Of course, in order to bring knowledge to the masses, resources must be found and referenced. Tools must be gathered. Information must be presented. That is what Smith and Throne (2007) do; they provide information and ideas that prepare a teacher to look for the resources and tools to provide students with learning experiences tailored to their preferences, needs, and unique abilities. The purpose of DI is to allow students from a variety of backgrounds to access information and become successful learners (Smith & Throne, 2007). UDL provides the framework for a teacher to plan DI activities within a single classroom(Rose & Meyer (2002). Technology may be the best way for teachers to effectively create a DI environment that provides resources for each student’s optimal learning experience (Smith & Throne, 2007).

So, understanding that this is a valuable practice to bring into the classroom is only one step in the process. Teachers need to have tools that they can reach out to in order to apply UDL principals to their instruction. One of the best ways to find these kinds of tools is to look at a site like Tech 4 D.I. This is a resource that provides teachers with a number of different resources. The site has links to tools, links to research, links to definitions, and links to presentations on the relationship between technology and DI. Because this site is comprehensive in scope and reaches out to so many outside resources, it is a great site for teachers to learn more about these concepts. It does allow a teacher to address the needs of students by linking teachers to a variety of tools and explaining how these tools can be used for different purposes depending on the specific learning experience desired. One could argue that this resource could support the readiness, interests, and learning profiles of students by providing the teacher with the research, resources, and tools to make those experiences a reality.

Another reason that I appreciate Tech 4 DI is that it is run on Wikispaces.com. A wiki can be a great way to vary an assessment based on the readiness, interests of students, and learner profiles. By allowing the students to use this kind of multimedia platform, all students can interact with information that they find meaningful and valid, show that learning through the presentation of information in a variety of mediums, and operate at an appropriate level for their abilities. By having teachers access Tech 4 DI they are accessing a resource that can be used as a model for the kinds of products students could use.

Of course, as a teacher it is nice to see a list of tools that can be used for a variety of purposes. One of the most thorough and yet most concise list of tools I have seen is the Box of Tricks blog. On this site each tool has a description of its main function and why it might be useful in a classroom. One could find a tool for just about every learner profile, interest, and ability level. Some of the tools referenced on this site that could be used for addressing different learner profiles include Aviary (a multimodal suite of cloud based applications), Ning (an online social networking site with multimodal capabilities), and PBWorks (another site that supports a variety of learning preferences). Some of the tools that could support student interest are YouTube EDU (an educational video host) and WordPress.com (a blogging service with a multitude of content). Tools referenced that could allow for differences in readiness are Alice (a multimodal platform with easy controls specifically designed to allow a wide range of students to interact with information) and Save Skelly (an interactive flash game generator). Each of these different tools, as well as the others listed on this site, could be used to allow teachers a variety of ways to differentiate their instruction.

Technology allows for each teacher to play the modern Prometheus by bringing in tools and resources that make it possible for each student to access content at his or her level and in a way appropriate to his or her specific learning profile. Resources like those listed above are the kinds of resources that teachers can use to affect their classroom instruction in positive ways by learning how to differentiate instruction though careful planning for the inclusion of technology. By looking at the research on sites like Tech 4 DI, using tools like Wikispaces to differentiate assessments/content delivery, and using a variety of other tools with intentionality like those listed on the Box of Tricks blog, teachers can light the metaphorical fire of learning in each student.

References

International Society for Technology in Education. (2007). National education standards for students (NETS-S). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/content/navigationmenu/NETS/forstudents/2007standards/nets_for_students_2007.htm

Rose, D., & Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching every student in the digital age: Universal design for learning. Retrieved from http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/

Smith, G., & Throne, S. (2007). Differentiating instruction with technology in K-5 classrooms. Belmont, CA: International Society for Technology in Education. 
Retrieved from Education Research Complete database.