Since we just took our own trip to Mars we spent some time Friday learning about the Mars Phoenix Lander mission. It’s such a perfect example of “messy learning”. We noted all the steps and thinking that go into a mission like this. We talked about how only 5 out of 11 attempts to land spacecraft on Mars have been successful (part of the “messy” aspect) and they learn from each failure and try again. Our experience building our own systems to survive on Mars gave my students some schema to understand the process at least somewhat.

NASA has a great collection of video explaining how it all works, so we had a fun and enlightening time watching and discussing the various  parts of the mission. They’re homework this weekend was to come back on Tuesday ready to talk about the success or failure of the landing, so tomorrow  I’m ready for a great  discussion.

Learning is messy!

I was planning on writing this kind of a post after school got out and I actually had time to reflect … although looking at the list of summer “to dos” that has already accumulated I’m not sure “reflection time” is in the cards.

Several things I’ve read recently, along with a few conversations and some meetings at school about how we are going to carve out another 45 minutes per day for “intervention time” (along with the 90 minutes for literacy and 75 minutes for math) – this is required by the school district btw – found me making some notes about where we have been so far with our 1:1 laptop pilot and the next thing I knew …

First off it’s hard … doing this mostly on your own is actually easier in that you don’t have to wait to get others’ opinions or permission or listen to others’ ideas or wait for them to “be ready” … but is that better? … NO!
I think I’m OK to pretty good at this kind of stuff … but think of a job, task, whatever, that when there is collaboration doesn’t improve geometrically … you don’t double the speed you work at or the ideas and methods you produce, or the problem solving that ensues, you triple it and more.

We’ve done some transformative things, some on purpose and some that have just happened, but that’s not good enough … I know we can do better. I still buck up against schedules and curriculum pieces I have little to no control over … and it’s scary to constantly fight that because when you make waves and get even some of your way then things almost HAVE to go right or you are yet just another example of education gone wrong, tech gone wrong because it didn’t work or raise test scores or whatever, and that’s extra pressure that’s not all that productive.

You need the “reminding voices” – those that remind you where you were going that help bring you back on course, on focus, that are there when you work with a group that is truly collaborative.

You just know it’s fun in many ways to be an innovator, or at least someone that is seen that way. You do things that are new to others (even when they’re not always actually “new” – my kids used email on a project last month and several people referred to that as “What a great new idea!”), you get attention … mainly positive, you are involved in exciting endeavors – often with interesting people, and there is an extra bounce to your step many days because of that.

The problem with being the innovator is that you are usually doing only the things you feel you can “get away with,” and that still seems REALLY radical to others. But in reality what you REALLY want to be doing, the ways you really want to be innovating are too radical for others to imagine or understand, and that becomes a sticking point … especially when you are pretty much alone in what you are trying.

Being different is scary, and sets you up for ridicule … just ask my students.

This year we have done a lot of “connecting” with others via Skype, blogging, Google Docs, sharing videos and more. We were getting so many requests from classrooms to video-conference with them that I was worried we were at that point of conferencing “just to do it” – which is exactly where we don’t want to be going. Fortunately, every experience we had was worthwhile, and with my students’ weak English skills, anything that forces them, prods them to articulate themselves in English is valuable.

Laptops are intriguing. Intriguing to me, my students, others … especially at first. And I think that is why we have so many poor examples of tech integration and 1:1 laptop initiatives. The tech, the laptops become the change because the intrigue they generate can be at first enabling and engaging and seemingly transformative. But once the newness and shine wears off, if nothing has changed besides the tech, things go downhill and pick-up speed as they go. It’s seemingly easy at the beginning and I think that gets people sitting back on their haunches watching all this engagement and motivation happening instead of thinking about “now what?” (which should have been done BEFORE the tech arrived of course) and the next thing you know things aren’t going well.

I think I at least get that, and hope it will drive me this summer to do the best I can to design a way around the roadblocks of curriculum, programs and schedules to make what we do truly a different approach to learning … as different an approach to “doing school” as possible that truly is transformative and valuable.

Up until now my students have been easy to monitor as far as being on task and not clandestinely doing things and going places when they are supposed to be doing a specific task or looking for information on a specific topic. Lately however, they have reached the point where others’ students must be, at least from what I hear and read. I have students looking for cool images to wallpaper their laptops with, or playing a game when they are supposed to be writing,  (fortunately games they find on FunBrain or I Know That). Interestingly enough this has happened the most with my 2 newer students (here less than six weeks) that haven’t been here for ALL our discussions about the ethics and responsibility involved with using these tools. They have both been talked to by STUDENTS about that since by-the-way, and they have wised up (not that it ever happened much, but if I’m starting to notice it I figure it is happening more than I realize).

Next year when we reach sixth grade together, we will of course revisit ethics and our responsibilities as digital learners. After almost 2 years of 1:1 my students are finally ready to jump into the next phase of being digital learners, and I am so ready to try things differently, but I know that is going to be very hard.

Why? because there are no roadmaps to that reality. It’s different. Again, that is why I wish I had a staff going there with me. What I’m trying to do IS NOT a shared goal (mostly) of those around me – realize they’re not against it, are supportive in a “you go!” kind of a way, but they are not going there with me helping carry the load and responsibility.

Having said that I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else right now.

Learning is messy!

We just got done Skyping with a class of fourth and fifth graders in Louisiana. Their teacher contacted me a few weeks back about making a Skype connection because she had read about us somewhere. The class had never Skyped and they couldn’t think of a way to find other classrooms that did to try it out with so we were their choice.

We showed them a few of the systems we designed and built to live on Mars, and they shared about the State of Louisiana. They told us about alligators, hurricanes and craw fish. They had a live craw fish which they held up to the camera so we could see. One of her students told a personal story of Hurricane Rita, and we shared about the earthquake swarm we have been experiencing the last month (a 3.2 last night BTW). We reveled in hearing their southern accents and “ya’lls”. They were impressed by how many of my students speak 2 languages.

Five minutes before we were supposed to connect, it was announced that technicians had just taken down the network at my school for maintenance. Never fear! My Verizon wireless card was quickly put to use and made the connection until we had the network back about halfway through our meet-up.

It was very low key … just a conversation between 2 groups of students 1,500 miles apart.

I could do this every day, … well or maybe once a week or something just to learn about other places and people. Maybe we should set up a network like that. A wiki where schools could make contact to share about where they live … customs, animals, plants, places, etc. Hmmmm.

Learning is messy!

Parents of a student in my wife’s class took us out to dinner tonight. Dad is an anesthesiologist born in Korea, but his parents moved the family here when he was 5 years old. We had a great talk about education and where this country needs to go ….

But I thought it was especially interesting when he mentioned that after the Korean War, South Korea had to start over again with their education system and they redesigned it … changed it from what it had been.

He agreed with me that maybe we are due to follow suit in this country. Much of America’s infrastructure is in need of modernization and overhaul … especially our school system. A Marshall Plan for our country so to speak.

Learning is messy!

I’ve felt for a long time that teachers are their own worst enemies when it comes to fighting for what they believe should and shouldn’t be happening in our schools. I’m not alone in this “feeling” and definitely not the most radical about it, but many feel it’s because people that tend towards education are often idealistic, and were “good little girls and boys” in school that were compliant and adverse to “making waves,” or bringing undo attention to themselves. You know – don’t be controversial.

In Nevada teachers are not allowed by law to strike, so the best we get is binding arbitration.

The other night my wife (also a teacher) and I were bemoaning how many education issues seem to have taken on the “no win” mantra of, “Well, it’s not going away so we’re just going to have to deal with it.”

My question is why do we just have to deal with it!!??

NCLB – “Yes, I know it has major problems, but it’s not going anywhere so you’ll just have to deal with it.”

TESTING – ” Yes, its done too much, and done poorly, and too often for the wrong reason, and too often generates unusable or poor information, but it’s not going away so you better just deal with it.

Funding  – “ Yes, schools are not funded properly and the wrongheaded perception is that they get more money than they need is prevalent, but legislatures and the public aren’t going to support more funding anytime soon so you better just get used to it.

Teacher empowerment / being in on decisions about how and what we teach  –“ Yes too often the wrong people are involved in making decisions about what happens in our schools, but that’s not going to change anytime soon so you better learn to deal with it.

Access to 21st century learning tools and new ways to approach and monitor learning  “”Yes, we need to move out of the nineteenth century in our schools, but change is hard and funding is difficult, so just be happy with any new tools you have and any new methods you can clandestinely incorporate into lessons, because these old methods and tools are not going away anytime soon, so just deal with it.

What else is not going away that we should not be “dealing with?”

Who is pushing this idea that we just have to deal with it? And why do so many of us seem to buy that thinking?

Learning is messy!

I’ve mentioned before here that I would be doing a better job overall if instead of being somewhat the “Lone Ranger” in my school district doing project-based learning with access to laptops for every student and many others pieces of technology, there were others involved to network with and plan with and mainly get feedback from.

I get great support from the teachers and others I network with around the country and world, but that’s not the same as having others taking the journey with you that deal with the same parameters and policies you do.

I love what I am doing and we have been getting lots of attention and kudos for what we are doing, but with that comes a sense of responsibility that on the one hand helps motivate you and pump you up, but on the other hand makes it hard to say NO to trying things and taking on everything that comes your way.

Lisa Parisi ranted and unloaded about her recent frustration under the weight of trying to make the case for changing how schools work and being a change agent in her school district.

I’ve had several conversations recently about this very subject including one with Lisa, Kim Cofino, Kevin Honeycutt, and Ginger Lewman on Lisa’s “Teachers are Talking” online show on EdTech Talk. The gist of those conversations is this:

Education needs to change! Schools and teachers need to see the value of trying new ways and incorporating new tools in their classrooms.

 

You! Yes you! have some experience with doing that … and you are excited and maybe passionate about it and at least somewhat articulate … you’ve had some great successes doing that in fact, so we need you to keep on doing new things and using new tools and innovating in new and innovative ways because so few teachers have access and knowledge and experience with these new ways and tools that you will be a beacon that helps guide them!

BUT! … Don’t screw up! Or you will cause others that don’t even know what tools are out there yet to lose access to those tools because of YOUR one bad experience …

BUT keep using these tools and methods yourself in “cutting edge” ways so that people take note and others will see the value in using them and maybe even try or think about trying themselves …

BUT if you screw up that will be a message to them not to try or someone might get in trouble … 

BUT making these tools available is very valuable to students who will be left behind if they don’t have access and that will be on your neck for not using them and showing others “the way” …

BUT if even one student does something inappropriate that might mean you’re out of a job and other teachers will be blocked from using these powerful tools … 

BUT it will also be on your neck if you have the knowledge, and the tools, and the ability to use them so that your students can be all they can be, and have a chance to make it in this evermore networked world where not having a network is probably going to be a problem, and you choose not to because you are afraid or don’t want to sacrifice the time …

BUT you need to be the example of how to do these things as safely as possible …

BUT remember bad things can happen out there if your kids network with the wrong people … even by accident … and that will be on your back …

BUT you also need to make yourself available to present to other teachers, and administrators, and parents, and media, and the school board, and state administration, and politicians, on your time, usually for free, to give the examples and make the case so others can follow your lead …

BUT you take the chance of alienating people on your own staff and in your own district and called a glory-hog for getting all this attention and creating a stir …
 
BUT if you don’t bring attention to what you are doing then… You get the idea.

Learning is messy!

Wednesday, May 7, 2008, my class, along with 500 other students will be traveling to Mars. We will actually be traveling to a large hall that will accommodate that many people to travel to Mars as best you can without actually leaving the town you live in.

Students will be sharing the systems they have built (water, food, air, communication, recreation, transportation, waste management and temperature control) to survive two years on Mars. In addition they will eat a lunch they each designed for the trip, share spaceships they designed to make the journey and creatures they designed to live on Mars that take the conditions on Mars into account, among other activities.

I am going to make every attempt to Ustream for a half hour or so while students are constructing their habitats. I tried out my wireless card while we were there setting up today to make sure I would get a good signal and it seemed to work well.

Students show up with large pieces of plastic cut to specific sizes and then meet for the first time F2F with 12 other students they know only through email contacts, to build the habitat they will “live” in during the day. Teachers and parents are instructed to walk around and monitor WITH THEIR HANDS IN THEIR POCKETS AND THEIR ADVICE TO THEMSELVES THANK YOU!!! and allow the students to figure out how it all goes together.

Much “messy” learning ensues, and with few exceptions, all have a good time and much is learned.

Here is the link: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/marsopolis-2008-reno,-nevada

Ustreaming will commence about 10:45 or so Pacific Daylight Time … I’ll start when there is something to see. I plan to walk around with my laptop and narrate what is going on and ask students questions and to give feedback on how things are going and what they are learning.

Learning is messy!

    This past fall my fifth graders video-conferenced with Mr. Mayo’s eighth graders in Maryland. He wanted an authentic audience to give his students feed back on some “moral stories” his students had written and produced into 3 minute videos.

    My students, most of whom are second language learners, watched and critiqued them and did their best to articulate what they liked about them and what the message or “moral of the story” was. I jumped at the opportunity to put my students in an uncomfortable position of using English correctly and as articulately as possible. They don’t come across those opportunities very often outside of their comfort zone with their teachers … and these kids were not only strangers, but eighth graders … “big kids.”  

    But why my students almost 3,000 miles away in Nevada? There is an elementary school next door to Mr. Mayo’s school. Why not just make a connection with those students?

    I bet you can figure it out. … That’s right … It’s the coolness factor. Why talk to students next door when you can use cool technology tools to share with students as far away as possible … the further the better … that makes it cooler. As Matthew Tabor noted recently:

   
    Except the coolness factor wasn’t really the reason we were asked to participate. Mr. Mayo was new to this Skype thing and he knew we had experience with it … and at the time he didn’t know of too many other classrooms that did, so he contacted us.

    But the telling part came towards the end of our conference when he shared that they had tried to set up a time with the elementary school next door, but because of their schedules they hadn’t been able to find a time they could coordinate. It was easier to meet with us BECAUSE of the time difference and our flexibility than it was with the students next door …  and both classrooms’ students learned from the experience.

    Lisa Parisi’s 5th graders on Long Island are deep into a writing project with us right now. Lisa’s students also have better English grammar skills than my students and come from not only another area of the country, but a different culture too. Because my students had to truly collaborate with hers in writing their stories they had to learn vocabulary and usage that really stretched them (and Lisa’s kids often had to find the right words to explain the meaning to mine).

     Now because this is THEIR story too, they WANT to understand the vocabulary and subtle and not so subtle meanings behind the words and phrases. Since they will be reading these stories orally to their classmates and practice proper pronunciation and fluency in speaking, they will have had experiences with reading, vocabulary, comprehension, oral expression, all aspects of writing and more … and were (and are) highly motivated to do so.

    To be fair I could easily have linked up here locally and paid $80 for a field trip bus and visited my wife’s school and done the same thing live with students there face to face … but we met numerous times … and it was free … doing the same locally to meet face to face would have cost hundreds of dollars … Hmmm.

    Lisa and I, and I ‘m sure at least a few of the other 12 teachers involved with this project, have written about our experiences and made other teachers aware of the whys and wherefores of our project. I wonder if other teachers smarter than us will see a much different, even more valuable use of video-conferencing and online applications such as Google Docs?

    I just finished teaching a class here in the Reno area to teachers about using technology and field trips to augment writing instruction. They even had the privilege of having Lisa “Skype” into class to help explain our project and demonstrate video-conferencing. Each piece I showed them and had them dabble in … Flickr, wikis, blogs and so on dazzled them and piqued their interest.

    But something was different about this group’s reaction to the technology. They loved it, but they saw something else more important. The tools they saw were the easy part. The tools have been made easy to use, ubiquitous. The questions they started asking were about how do you make the connections with all the different people your students work with? “How do you do THAT!?” They saw the value of making connections all over the world without having to charter a bus or a plane (although I would rather do that … “Buddy Can You Spare A Dime?”).

    I guess it has become “The Network” that is important.

Learning is messy!

Tags: Ed-tech, Skype, Lisa Parisi, Matthew Tabor, Mr. Mayo

Another ASCD gem. In the Article Build Schools Not Prisons! a study by The Brookings Institute is cited. Some of the findings:

– When you invest in highly effective educational programs, the benefits to society (in increased tax revenues and decreases in public medical services and incarceration) far exceed the costs of such programs.

They include interventions that are “Highly Effective” in reducing the dropout rate:

– Early childhood education programs, serving children from preschool to 3rd grade.

– Increase teacher salaries.

– A high school program called First Things First–a comprehensive program that includes small learning communities, personalized learning, more counselors, and less teacher turnover.

What a surprise!

Learning is messy!

 

NOTE: Cross posted over at “In Practice”

So begins the article on the ASCD web site:
Whose Problem Is Poverty?
Richard Rothstein

This might be a “must read” for teachers in Title 1 schools. Mr. Rothstein explains why students from low socio-economic groups have lower average acheivement:

One quote I especially liked was this one:

And this one:

There is much more … follow the link.

Learning is messy!

Tags: Title1, poverty, In Practice