Snow Day?

As I am sitting at home doing work on this snowy day, I am beginning to wonder with all the technology that is around are snow days obsolete?  With all the technology that is around I think that they can become a thing of the past.  Flipped classrooms, blended learning, learning management systems, and so much more to keep students and teachers in touch and learning on days such as this.

Let me state this before all of you start to put me on blast for the last paragraph.  There are still many access issues for students at home.  Just because you have the technology, doesn’t necessarily mean that you can use it on days like this.  Some students still don’t have access to those online materials and would be at a great disadvantage to those that do.  However, learning beyond the classroom can still take place on days like this.  If students are wanting to look ahead, get help on past assignments, get caught up from being gone.  They can still have access to their teachers.

I know that it is a shift in teacher thinking.  They want the snow day sometimes just as much as the kids do.  But as we try to move to a more blended approach to learning, we need to meet the students where they are.  It becomes a 24/7, anytime/anywhere learning situation.  Not only can this be used for snow days, but for students that must stay home because of sickness, doctors releases, or family reasons.

Some snow day, just have a twitter chat, a Google Hangout for virtual office hours, or a discussion online.  It might surprise you when more students show that they want to learn that way.

Are they still "21st Century Skills"?

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the phrase “21st Century Skills”?  I will bet it was technology skills.  If so, read on and you will find out they are so much more!

While at the ACTE VISION13 conference in Las Vegas this past week, I heard a lot about 21st Century Skills.  I posed the question on Twitter, “Why do we still call them 21st Century Skills?”  I got one response, but it made total sense.

I like the way that Mickie put it.  We are 13 years into the 21st Century, they are just skills that every student must have.  Not only for school and their career, but to be successful in life. I go back to the question at the beginning of this post and I will answer it myself in a different way.  To me the connotation of “21st Century Skills” is technology based.  But the skills that students need to be successful are more than technology skills.  Don’t get me wrong, technology skills are important, but so are many other skills that students need to be successful.  Collaboration, communication (verbal and non-verbal), critical thinking, and creativity don’t need technology.  Technology helps, but it isn’t necessary.

If you haven’t had a chance to look at the P21 organizations Framework for 21st Century Learning, you need to at least glance at it.  You can find it here.  This give you a good idea of the Skills that students need.

As for me, I am no longer going to refer to them as 21st Century Skills, they are now and forever more SKILLS.  If I happen to use this term, call me out and remind me of this post.  Take me to task, I am sure that I will deserve it.  

The Common Core

I attended a workshop last week in Omaha about the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) from the Marzano Research Lab perspective.  I was confused about how the standards were organized, what they were saying and why they are the way they are.  In finding out the What and Why of the the CCSS helped me make more sense of them.  The standards may seem large and overwhelming, there are three parts, but only two of them are actually standards.  The third part is clarifying what can be done to achieve the standard.

The first part of the CCSS is the Anchor Standard.  Another term for this is the Culmination standard.  It is a K-12 Global Statement.  It is what all students in all grades should be aiming to achieve.  In English/Language Arts (ELA) there are 32 of these standards.  Ten each for reading and writing and six each for Speaking/Listening and Language.  In Math they vary per grade level and some carry over grade levels.  They are written differently than the ELA standards.  Overall in math there are eight standards for mathematical practice.

The next level of the standards in the ELA is Grade Level Standards(GLS).  These are the Benchmark standards.  What should students be able to do in each grade.  The final level in ELA is Clarifying Indicators.  These ARE NOT STANDARDS.  They are the details of how to better understand what is being asked in the Grade Level Standard.  The nuts and bolts of the GLS.

Prioritization is the key.  States and schools will need to decide what they want their students to learn to be college and career ready.    

I will be the first to admit that before this workshop, I was completely against having the CCSS in Nebraska. (Note: I was a part of the last revision of the Math Standards, so I have a “dog in the fight”.)  After two days of hearing about how the CCSS are organized, and all the resources that are out there I feel a little different.  Notice how I said “a little”, I am not completely sure that the entire CCSS is what Nebraska needs at this time or ever.  I do feel that in the next revisions, especially with the mathematics standards, that we need to look VERY closely at what the CCSS say in the math standards.  If we are expecting our Nebraska High School graduates to be college and career ready and able to compete with graduates from other states that have adopted the CCSS, we need to consider them in the revision of our Nebraska standards as well.  I still feel very passionate about Nebraska standards and state tests being written by Nebraska teachers.  Who better knows the students of Nebraska better than Nebraska teachers.

These are just my opinions and are open for discussion and debate. But I do feel, as stated earlier, that we at least need to consider some parts of the CCSS for Nebraska standards.  Maybe with some Nebraska “tweaks” to fit what we want to have our graduates College and Career Ready.

EdCamp Central Nebraska

Another wonderful day of FREE PD and networking has taken place.  EdCamp Central Nebraska took place at Grand Island High School this past Saturday.  About 50 people were in attendance for this very informative and fun day.  The Huskers game was followed on twitter using #Huskers.  It was nice to see a couple of other ESU7 teachers and even a student in attendance.  Craig Badura (@mrbadura) and Heather Callihan (@callihan) did a wonderful job planning this event.

The first part of the morning was spent planning the sessions.   If you wanted to present, you could, if not, you could participate.  One of the best parts of an EdCamp is the sessions are planned that morning.  Another one of the best parts, if you don’t like the session that you are in, get up and go to another one.  

I feel that the best sessions to attend are the ones that discussions happen in.  For example,  I led a session on “Being a Connected Educator”.  I started the session by saying what I though a connected educator was and then opened the floor up for more discussion.  As it turns out, there was one person in that session that wasn’t on Twitter.  He wasn’t sure it was for him, but from the discussion and asking questions he signed up later in the day.  The sharing of how, why and all the benefits we see from it convinced him to give it a try.  I don’t know that would have happened in a “sit-and-get” session.

Another great part of the day was being able to connect with other EdCamps going on the same day.  EdCamp Colorado, EdCamp Minneapolis-St. Paul, and EdCamp Dallas were all joined at some point with a Google Hangout.  (Side note: another great way to be a connected educator.)  

The networking before sessions started, during the sessions, during breaks, at lunch, and after session had finished is almost as good, if not better than the sessions themselves. (Another side note: Don’t do sit-down on a Husker game day at BW3’s or get lost on the way back to the EdCamp. Sorry those that were riding with me and @edcampcrane.)

I will keep going to as many EdCamps as I can (and my wife will let me) because it is such a valuable learning day.  Not just for the content, but as I have stated before, the networking.  So, if I am going to an EdCamp and you are going through Columbus or on the way: I will drive!

Being a Connected Educator

October is “Connected Educator Month”, so I have decided to reflect on how I am a “Connected Educator”.  What does it means to be a connected educator?  To me a connected educator is someone who is part of a BROAD PLN.  By broad, I mean more than their own district or school building.  Just because you have a group of colleagues that you can talk with in your district or school when you want doesn’t mean you are connected.  Broad to me means having connections across the state, country, even world.  Also, you need to be connecting more than a monthly staff meeting when the entire building or district gets together.  Being connected is not just a one shot; I did it, and move on.  It needs to be consistent over time.  For me that is every day (several times a day).   One way or another, I make sure to stay connected in some form or fashion.

What tools should one use to be a connected educator?  There are many tools that one can use.  I am an avid user of Twitter, a source that I use on a daily, if not hourly, basis.  I have been told that I have a Twitter problem and need help.  (As Uncle Si would say, “Na”.)  There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t get at least five ideas, articles, useful tidbits, or stories off of Twitter.

I also use Google+ as another source of information and a way to stay “connected”.  I like to call it Skype, Twitter, and Facebook on steroids.  Between the news feed, communities, and Hangouts you can stay connected with many people at once.  I use Hangouts to stay connected with colleagues from around the state and country.  I have learned so much from them and appreciate being included in an awesome 3^rd Thursday PLN hangout.  I have also used Hangouts to plan a proposal for conference sessions.  It makes it more “personal” to be able to talk to someone “face-to-face” while working.

As teachers and administrators, we need to be connected to those that will help us grow.  If you aren’t a “Connected Educator” I highly suggest that you become one.  Start small and work your way up.  Following several people on Twitter, or “lurk” on a few hashtags is a great start.  One way or another, GET CONNECTED!!!!

Hashtags to follow (“lurk”):

#nebedu

#nebedchat

#nebadmin

#ce13 – For Connected Educators

#cem12 – For Connected Educators Month

From these hashtags, you will find MANY wonderful educators to follow (and most will follow you back).