Classroom Design: Change the Learning Environment

I have been wondering lately what should a classroom today look like?  Should we still have desks and tables in rows with the teacher in the front of the room?  

At ISTE this year I spent some time in the exhibit hall talking to furniture companies looking at different types of tables, desks, chairs, and more.  I am trying to reimagine the classroom in a technology rich environment.  What would that actually look like?  What could a blended/flipped classroom look like?  Do we still have desks and chairs in rows?

I have many ideas floating through my head of what a blended classroom looks like.  The only problem that I see of fulfilling some of my visions is money.  That is the really big issue with every district.  My vision is to have a classroom that has a variety of learning environments in one classroom.  A classroom that is not set up a traditional way.  A classroom that is arranged for student learning!  This type of classroom may look different to you than it does to me.  However, it will accomplish the same goals.  The classroom can be arranged differently from day-to-day, unit-to-unit, quarter-to-quarter or minute-to-minute.  The possibilities are as endless as your imagination.  

Why should we keep our learning environments the same as they were 100 years ago.  Learning is done in different ways now, why should we not encourage that type learning?  This not only goes for students, but for us as adult learners as well!  I want to have the ability to make the learning environment the best for the learner.  Why don’t we do that in our classrooms? Why do we have to have desks in neat rows?  Why not beanbags, couches, tall tables, moveable tables that are white boards, movable partitions, and more.  

What would you do to redesign your classroom if money was not limited?

ISTE 2014 Reflection

I have now had a couple of days to reflect on ISTE2014 in Atlanta.  One thing that ISTE makes me do is think about new ideas and rethink old ideas.  This is a good thing for me, as it should be for everyone from time to time.  If you don’t reflect on what you are doing, how are you going to get any better at what you do!

Most of the information that I gleaned from ISTE came from poster sessions.  This gives a person an opportunity to see over 40 different presentations in the same amount of time that you could see just two lecture sessions.  It also allows you to see students presenting what they are doing in their own schools with technology in a variety of ways.  Don’t get me wrong, there are some good lecture sessions, but for the time poster sessions are the way to go!

Another great part of ISTE is the networking.  Connecting with those that you already know and meeting new people to add to a PLN.  This was the case for me.  I connected once again with those that I already knew, those I only knew through twitter, and met MANY new people.  Part of the reason I met so many new people was having the opportunity to present a poster session with Beth Kabes from ESU7 and Kristina Peters from NDE.  We saw over 70 people in two hours!  We shared what we are doing at ESU7 and in Nebraska with BlendEd and Blended PD.  We talked with people from five countries outside the US!  This is truly an International conference!  All three of us are now hooked on presenting poster sessions at ISTE!

If you ever have the opportunity to attend ISTE, you should!  If you are in Nebraska and don’t want to travel to Philadelphia for ISTE2015 all you have to do is wait until 2016 in Denver.  I don’t have enough time or space to tell you all about the trip.  However, you may be seeing some posts come up in the future about my new ideas or rethink of old ideas.  It is great blogpost fodder!

ASOT and Technology

Just last week, I spent two days in the final days of Marzano Academy 13-14.  It was a wonderful six days of learning about “The Art and Science of Teaching”.  Tammy Heflebower and Phil Warrick do a wonderful job of conveying the information for everyone involved.  

I have also just recently finished reading “Enhancing the Art and Science of Teaching with Technology” by Sonny Magaña and Robert Marzano.  Which took ASOT and talked about how technology could be used to make implementing the nine design questions easier in the classroom.

Stacy Behmer and I will be presenting a session at NETA 14 in a couple of weeks called “Google Apps Meets Marzano”.  We will be talking how GAFE can be used with each of the nine design questions(Don’t want to give too much away).  There are many more ways that technology can be “hung” (thanks to Phil Warrick for that term) within the ASOT.  

There are two examples that I will share with you that Rick Williams from ESU2 and I talked to the Academy participants about this last week.  The first is Kahoot (getkahoot.com) which is a web-base, FREE, game.  Teachers or students can create their own quizzes.  They can set a time limit and then give points for speed and accuracy.  Those that are taking the quiz go to kahoot.it and put in a pin number for the quiz/game.  After each question, it gives the correct answer and then the top 5 in the standings.  Each participant will know where they stand on their device as well.  This activity works well for formative assessments as you are able to correct misunderstandings after each question.

The second app we talked about was Class Dojo (www.classdojo.com).  See my previous post on Class Dojo. As it turned out, the week before the Academy, Class Dojo came out with an update.  In the update, on the app only, you are able to message parents.  Teachers can either do a group message to all parents or to each individually.  If parents reply, to either type of message, it is only between the parent and the teacher.  This is a great way of communicating with the parents on the behavior of their child in the classroom.  Phone numbers and emails are kept confidential.  Class Dojo is a great way to keep students accountable for their actions in the classroom, setting and maintaining high expectations, and keeping students on task.

I am now looking forward the the 14-15 Marzano Academy which will be starting this June.  I know that it is already full with teams from schools around Nebraska.  I am sure I will gain more information that I even learned in this Academy.

Clarity Reflection

ESU7 is just about done with the first cohort of the Clarity survey from BrightBytes, and a second cohort has just started.  As I have been looking at the data from an ESU-wide level, and at the district level there are some things that concern me a little.  I am finding some changes that need to be made in the trainings and workshops that I offer to the teachers and administrators of ESU7.

I really like the data that I am getting from these surveys.  I am realizing that from the classroom standpoint that teachers and students are needing some help in the 4C’s area (communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity).  These are the skills that students are needing to succeed in the world today.  I at least have an idea of how I can change my trainings to model the 4C’s so they can take that back to their schools and improve in this area.

Another area for needing improvement is Student Digital Citizenship.  I think that this area is always going to be needing improvement.  There is so little time in the day to teach this to students that it gets left behind.  I am helping a school out with a technology bootcamp and discussing digital citizenship with their students.   I am sharing the digital citizenship results with those students from their Clarity survey.  Of the four questions that were asked, I am covering three of them in my presentation.  Maybe students just need to hear about this from someone other than teachers that they see every day for it to make an impact.

The last area that I am going to talk about is Professional Learning.  Why would I be talking about this?  Teachers are saying they get technology PD from their district during the year.  It is the willingness of teachers to go to workshops, trainings, edcamps, twitter, etc on their own time that isn't sponsored by their school or when they are off contract time.  If we don’t do this, how are we modeling what we are preaching about being lifelong learners to our students.  I like to promote those gatherings that fit the “off contract” time PD.  Edcamps, summer workshops, summer conferences, twitter chats and more.  I will keep doing this as long as I can because it is a valuable experience for teachers to connect with others outside their district.  I have even said in the past and will continue to say: if I am going to an EdCamp (Omaha or Central Nebraska) I will drive from Columbus if anyone wants to meet me here!  The offer is open when I go to EdCamp Omaha on March 22nd, and I still have PLENTY of room! Also, if you are on my way, I will stop and pick you up!

Finally, a huge thanks to BrightBytes for Clarity.  They are very easy to work with and willing to help you in any way that they can.  If you haven’t heard of them until now, you need to check them out. Also see this Hanging with ESU7 episode talking about Clarity.

Digital Citizenship

I have had the privilege of talking to some students at a school in ESU7 about digital citizenship for a bootcamp they are having before they roll out their own 1:1 computer initiative for the fourth quarter. I have seen four of the six classes that will be getting the computers on Tuesday night.  I have gone into the session telling them that my goal is to scare the daylights out of them.  I may accomplish this goal with some of them, and with some I may not.  But if I make them rethink what they are doing, then I have accomplished something.

I am talking very matter of factly with them in regards to sexting, online predators, cyberbullying, and creating that digital footprint they would be proud of.  It is a serious topic and there may be some topics that they don’t want to talk or hear about.  But it needs to be done.  (Side note: this is one of the schools in ESU7 that took the Clarity survey and student digital citizenship was a category that was low.)  I am sharing information with them that I will also be sharing with their parents at a Tuesday night parents meeting.  I am letting them know that I will be telling their parents to be asking questions about their online habits.

I know I have reached some students already.  I have had them tell me themselves in front of their classmates that they are doing some of the things that I am talking about and they need to change.  To me that is a #eduwin already, and I am not even done.  

These talks need to be had with students.  If teachers in the district are talking about it, some kids may just tune out.  That means it is time to bring someone else in.  I am being VERY honest with these students.  I will also be very honest with the parents.  I have shared some experiences of my own.  Let them connect to me a little as well.  I also try to add a little humor to a serious topic.  

Get to your point Otis!  That is probably what you might be thinking right now.  I think that I have several points in this post.  First, teaching of digital citizenship is important.  We all know that. But the teaching of the topics that students may not want to hear about and the facts associated with those topics will open their eyes to what they are doing.  Second, I am enjoying teaching students again.  I never lost that when I moved into this job two years ago.  But there are time I need a “kid fix”/”classroom fix” and this is filling that.  To know that I have reached someone and will be changing the way they act online makes me feel good!

Here is to creating good digital citizens with a positive digital footprint!