Simple tools, deep impact

Mental "ruts" are tough to escape!

Some ruts can be tough to escape!

Sometimes we get into a rut (a pattern of thinking/behavior that has become dull, unproductive, and difficult to change), and it takes a little push to help us get out.

When it comes to thinking about how to use technology in our classrooms, we can get into some common ruts as well.  Here are some common ones.

• We may get in the rut of always searching for a new app to do something we could easily do with other apps we already have. 
• We may get stuck thinking about only using technology as a culminating, end-of-unit, large project.
• We may get stuck in the rut of making student demonstrations of learning more complicated than they need to be.

If you are stuck in any of these ruts, here are some tips to help nudge you out. 

Stop looking for new tools and apps. Use what you already know and have available.

As an example here, we will just use the camera that is already built into the iPad.

The "Time Lapse" mode on the iPad camera is a powerful way of seeing change over long periods of time. Any kind of change that can be viewed.  Have the students turn on their time lapse feature on the camera, hit record and start seeing the world in a very different way (a way we often do not get to see).

• Brainstorming and mind mapping
  • Want to see the thinking process? A whiteboard, markers, an iPad camera in time lapse mode will give you a full (and quick) run down of the thinking a student or group does.

Using the photo mode on the iPad camera is a great way to capture snapshots that students can later reflect upon.

• Capturing and annotating over printed materials and written work
  • We do not advocate a paperless work environment. Paper is a tool in our learning process. But using the camera to snap photos of our work gives us the ability to "archive" teachable moments. And with the newest updates to photos, students can now "annotate" or draw right over the top of these photos. Using the Markup tool in iPad's photos app (learn how to markup photos), students can synthesize their thinking around that photo today, or in the future!

Using the slow motion mode on the iPad camera allows us to slow down time (the opposite of time lapse). If you are something that happens very quickly, using slow motion will give your students a chance to see what happens when we can slow things WAY down. And you will definitely get a laugh at it!

• Inquiry, anybody? 
  • Instead of a list of ideas, I'll let your imagination run wild on this one. Just watch the inspiration video of everyday slow motion films, think about your students, and know that they can create videos of this type with their iPad. What questions would they ask? What answers would they find if they created these kinds of videos in slow motion?

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Do not wait until the end of a unit to find ways to utilize technology. Use technology throughout the process of learning.

iPads are great for culminating projects. But they can be great for daily use, for capturing the process of learning, and to prepare for a culminating project as well.

Using the iPad to record and then later review thinking can be  a powerful way to help students get ideas flowing. Using the video camera on the iPad (even if the student's face isn't in the shot) is one way to just get kids talking about their thinking or ideas while maintaining a record for their later review.

• Pre-writing: Just hit record
  • Flip to your camera app and select the Video mode. In this case, what is on the screen isn't important. It's the audio we are using here. Have students talk to a partner about their research, their ideas, their questions for an upcoming non-fiction topic they are just beginning to explore. What is the storyline of their fiction piece? Be sure to have an iPad nearby, listening intently, recording their every thought.  And when we get to the next phase of the writing process, have them go back and listen. Now they can synthesize their initial thoughts. We know that this metacognitive task of thinking about our thinking is at the core of meaningful learning. We are just employing our iPad's camera and microphone to record, hold, and replay those thoughts for our students.

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Aim for simplicity. Too many expectations, too many rules/details, and too many limits will only allow students to give you what you asked for, but not what they are capable of doing.

 This one does not tie to a specific tool or idea. In fact, just the opposite. Often we spend so much time outlining the "must do" and "must use" of anything we ask students to do that we actually end up limiting our students' potential. Instead, let them know what they must show us they know or are able to do, and then make them choose HOW they will show us.

Sometimes you will be underwhelmed. Sometimes you will be amazed. And in both scenarios there is something to be learned by our students!

How outdated are your paradigms for how work gets done today?

About a month ago I had an opportunity to attend one of the most wonderful, most student centered days I have witnessed in a long time. My friend, Nancy Roncke, organized a Young Author's Conference for our district. It was inspiring and energizing to see an auditorium full of sixth grade students who have identified as writers. I had the distinct privilege of serving as a writing coach for a wonderful team of students. 

In preparation for the day, I did some up front planning. We would need paper. Lots of paper. And highlighters. And post-its. Pens. Definitely pens.  I let my English teacher brain really process through the way I taught writing. The way I write. The way my students have written. By the time I loaded my car to leave for the conference, I had a bin of supplies full of the necessities writers would need to be successful.

On the way I thought some more. We are a 1:1 iPad district, and I know some of the kids will far prefer to draft on their iPad. Being thoughtful and empathetic to their needs, I made an unplanned stop at the tech office to pick up physical keyboards for the writers. They would certainly appreciate my efforts, as we all know that writing on a glass surface is inferior to typing on snappy keyboard.

I truly enjoyed my day with the students. They did a lot of writing. More than I expected they would. They were successful, productive, active, and focused. We truly achieved our goal of just being a community of writers.

Yet, things didn't go exactly as I had planned. By the end of the day, I was left with two things: 1) a trunk full of unopened writing supplies and untouched keyboards, and 2) the realization that I was still thinking about and planning for writers as they used to work, not as the presently work.

It left me wondering how often we do this as educators. How often do we mistakenly plan for things as they once were, instead of reflecting on how they truly are? Are we holding on tightly to practices, topics, and ideas that are grounded in the way we used to do things? Perhaps we cling to the way we feel most comfortable working?

My team of writers gently nudged me to question my own paradigm for how work gets done. Without saying a word, they reminded me that they have been typing on glass screens since they first started typing. They reminded me that a Google Doc, an Internet connection, and an iPad are the tools of writers; these are the tools the students have self-selected, and these tools do everything that is necessary for the intended outcome. They reminded me that printed copies for revision and editing are inefficient and can slow down the process. Sharing a doc with another person, allowing them to comment, and then meeting to discuss their feedback is the way that they most commonly receive critique from others.

It made me wonder how many other paradigms I naturally embrace that are outdated. It is unnerving to think that even in our best efforts to prepare students for the life they have yet to live, that we can all fall victim to the assumptions of what life is really like. I am taking this as my reminder to always ask the question: "So, how do people really do this today?" And when I stop to ask the question and really think about it, I am reminded that the last time I had somebody critique my writing with highlighters and post-its was back in graduate school. Apparently some habits and experiences truly do stick with us far after they are useful.

Twitter Tag

Just started playing a fun new game on Twitter to promote our district day of professional learning focused on technology integration.  I am calling it #TwitterTag!

Twitter Tag has taken off for our event. We are seeing all sorts of people playing and it is generating a huge conversation around the event. 

So basically, here is how you play.

I started the game with this tweet:

#Sdwone 🤚🏾Twitter Tag✋🏼 At The Once Conference I hope 👀educators and staff members feel appreciated and celebrated for the work they do with kids! 👀 You’re it @llbusch @K8TMiller @DanKeyser3118 Change the text between the 👀 and pass on to three new SDW Staff.

— brianyearling (@brianyearling) January 12, 2018

Here are the key pieces you will need to start your own Twitter Tag fun.

• hashtag for your event or chat (ex. #sdwone)
• Twitter Tag title (I think the hands emojis help separate this out from "tags" on Twitter)
• Sentence stem -- "At the One Conference I hope..."
• And then "You're it!" and you name three people that are now to complete the sentence stem and pass the game along

I'm sure there are folks out there who might have better ideas for doing this. If so, feel free to share them with me.  However, it is key that you limit the number of people that can be tagged at once. Too many and you defeat the point of the game, which is encouraging people to engage in a conversation on Twitter.

Enjoy #TwitterTag everybody!