Day 26 - 3 favorite go-to sites for help/tips/resources in your teaching?

Does twitter count?????

3 favourite go to sites for me are:-

TeachThought

Edutopia

Actually both of these come to me via an rss feed

The third site currently would be TKI www.tki.org.nz pzrticularly focusing on the technology curriculum and design. 

A short but sweet end of term 3 post. 

Vietam......here we come. Lots of reading for the plane "#Edjourney" by Grant Lichtman and "Creating Innovators" by Tony Wagner to start.......

Day 25 - The ideal student collaboration would look like......

.......my Y11 DVC class once the new class website has gone live (currently in template stage) and they have had feedback from people outside of school - starting with friends and family and ultimately with other graphics students across the globe, even skype conversations and/or GHO's.........  

This would expand the collaboration that has already been taking place in class. 

Individual students have been researching parts of a range of skills within a particular unit of work which they have then had to teach their peers. Their task included finding at least 2 reliable online sources to support their mini-lesson, delivering an exercise and/or practical demonstration and also some sort of digital presentation. These ranged from powerpoints through to a blog and stop motion animation - all of which will be uploaded to the site sometime soon!

Day 24 - Which learning trend captures my imagination most? Why?

" the best laid plans o' mice an'  men, Gang aft agley"  ......and those of teachers too!

The words of the Rabbie Burns are so apt for describing the last couple of weeks and my great plans for blogging daily!

What has got in the way of my blogging? 

Sickness: A nasty bug that has lingered for over 2 weeks and put paid to accomplishing anything other than what  was absolutely necessary

Study: I'm currently completing a Post Graduate Certificate in Applied Practice (as part of the first ever intake) through the Mindlab and Unitec. I love the course; so inspiring and expanding my practice no end. This too, has usurped my blogging attempts.......

and most importantly

My Students: Isn't that what I am here for? The students in the learning environment are what MUST always come first and will always be the number one priority.  Of course all PD that occurs formally and informally,  through our digital networks, is undertaken to better help our students learn but it mustn't come at the price of arriving to a session ill-prepared. 

Given the above, something had to give and it was the 30 day challenge.

Oh yes! The Day 24 question.....

A learning trend that has captured my imagination is "design thinking". I have been fortunate enough to attend two sessions, one through Mindlab and the second led by Di Cavello at HPSS. This has led me to exploring the work of IDEO and d.school and I can't wait to implement it into my learning environment.  It is going to be a fantastic process to use with my product design students, particularly when they are defining issues and identifying the needs of their key stakeholder. I can see it being invaluable to students as they embark on their Impact Projects. But it doesn't only have to be the students that reap the benefits as design thinking could  also be used to generate ideas and problem solve within the department or even within the school. 

I've just learnt today that I will be running some staff PD sessions on design thinking next term so l had better stop blogging and start researching..........

Challenge Day 9: One of my biggest accomplishments in teaching....

One of my biggest accomplishments in teaching that no one knows about (or even cares) is not crying out of frustration (or sheer confusion or utter despair) in front of my students in my first year of teaching. 

In terms of "real" or rather, making a difference in a student's life my first accomplishment was playing a part in helping  "Student A" reach his school goal. I met him in my first year of teaching. He was a young, unmotivated year 12 student who just liked to muck around at school and play soccer with his mates. His teachers and parents were frustrated with him because everyone knew he had "what it takes to succeed" but he just wasn't into school work. Through gradually working with him, being a warm demander, constantly encouraging him and slipping him some "maturity pills" every now and again. 

It must have been the Easter egg laced with maturity pills or a massive realignment of the planets that caused some switching on of "Student A's" brain. Perhaps it was a lightning bolt but whatever it was at the beginning of term 2 of year 13, with little over 20 teaching weeks of school ever, this young man came to me and told me his goal was to get into "Med School" at the end of the year. Woah! Did I really hear him? "Very ambitious" thought I, but I going to say nothing, unless it was words of encouragement; encouraging him to reach for the stars. His contemporaries couldn't believe what they were seeing.

Together Student A & I worked out a plan on how to gain maximum credits. This involved:-

• rearranging his timetable ( a big risk to take one-third of the way through his final year)
• dropping "creative cooking" and picking up biology in Year 13 (fortunately our school has no pre-requisites)
• completing a science based Impact Project to ensure he was deepening his content knowledge and hopefully gaining some extra credits. 

Boy did he own his learning for the rest of the year. He had a goal and set himself extremely high expectations. Outside school he cut down his socialising, was the sober driver for his partying friends at the weekends and, if not working at his weekend job was studying. 

I didn't see him over the summer. 

Just after the exam results came out at the end of the summer I ran into this young man's mother. I "had" to ask how he'd got on (my fingers were crossed behind my back). He was going to "Med School". I was elated for him and his very proud mum and.......I shed a tear! Not out of frustration, utter confusion or despair but out of sheer delight that this young man had set himself high goals, totally took control of his learning and gained the SUCCESS he wanted in a very short space of time.

Challenge Day 7: Who was, or is, your most "inspirational" colleague?

Do I have to pick one? Hopefully not and anyway who says that I "must" obey the rules!!!

Different colleagues have inspired me in different ways, at different times in my professional life and have subsequently influenced different aspects of what makes me "me" as a teacher, or leader of learning. Starting out in the workplace I recall observing people at work and parts of what they did or how they operated really resonated with me so I tried to emulate them in my own way. One colourful example would have to be the zany American guy who wore Vivienne Westwood bondage trousers in the 1990's and drew the most phenomenal freehand working drawings (or flats) of garments. I still try and emulate this today. 

Another "inspirational" colleague would have to be my immediate "boss" when I had my first managerial role many years ago. I really responded well to his management style. He trusted me to follow my instincts but I could ALWAYS approach him if ever uncertain about how to deal a particular challenge or needed advice and he always listed to ideas for new initiatives. Looking back I realise that I really valued the level of trust he had in me, his willingness to be the guide on the side and his open door policy. Additionally, he was easy to talk to and get along with.

There are colleagues that currently inspire me on a day-to day-basis. Do I have to name them?
They would have to be (in no particular order):-
Sheree, my DP. She inspires me with her leadership style and helps me move forward, reminding me to stick to my core values and beliefs in my role as "Team Leader"
Rashida, "Team Leader" of my sister "Learning Community". I just love the way she can soooo succinctly verbalise what needs to be done and why by looking at the facts. She's the scientist whilst I have the creative brain that, if photographed would look like a scribble. She inspires me to be more succinct.
Kimberly aka @MissesArtech at Taupaki School. What she accomplishes with her intermediate students (and younger) with e-textiles, makering and tinkering is truly awesome. If only I had that freedom in my space.......I'm working on it!
Stephen aka @GeoMouldey. His blogs, his teaching approach and his enthusiasm is awe inspiring. One day I hope a smidgen of his greatness will rub off on me
Kelly, my mad scientist, dog lady or mad dog lady, scientist colleague. Talk about embracing new technology. Wow! Someone show's her a new app and it's in her lesson first the next morning!


To sum up.......I'm blessed to be working with so many inspiring people - some I see everyday others I have to stalk on twitter!!!!!

PS: Can anyone help? I wanted to hyperlink(?) the twitter handles mentioned. Is this possible? Am I missing something basic?

Challenge Day 6: What does a good "mentor" do?

What does a good "mentor" do?

A good mentor inspires you, encourages you, at times challenges you and helps you grow........

Inspires you: You observe a mentor if you work with or near them, follow on twitter, read their blogs and then think "I want to do that, try that, incorporate an activity into your practice......" because it resonates with you yet sits perhaps on the edge of your comfort zone: that zone where learning happens.

Encourages you: A good mentor encourages and supports you to try something new, that might perhaps be a little scary, or try something you do already but in a different way. You are given positive feedback and feedforward. For this to happen there needs to be a level of trust and mutual respect in the relationship between mentor and mentee. 

Challenges you: This too requires a respectful relationship and really links in with the above points particularly feedforward but also with pushing ourselves into that zone, just past comfort, where learning happens. 

Helps you grow:Sometimes it can be hard for us to see your own personal growth. However, if I was to ask myself "What do I do now that I didn't 6 months ago?" that has come about through being mentored (formally and informally) I can list:-

• twitter
• attempting a GHO (had to revert to Skype!)
• starting to blog
• running a session at #Ingition14 unconference
• focussing on questioning for deeper learning

As I've been typing I realised that the qualities of a good mentor very much align with our school motto....

Nurture. Inspire. Empower  

Note: A skimpy post today because I have a deadline for an assignment.

Challenge Day 5: My classroom - what I see........

My classroom; What I see.....and don't see that I'd like to!

It's a little ironic that today's reflection encourages us to photograph our teaching space and share what we see on a daily basis when all I can see today is the four walls of my bedroom. However, I have enlisted the help of a student who has shared a couple of photos from her smart phone. Thank you Tatum

I actually teach in 2 spaces; a product design room, originally set up for soft materials but gradually transforming into a maker space that will encompass electronics and, as of yesterday, a 3D printer. The second space is a totally open plan space. The open space is part of a large open teaching space where at any one time there will be up to 3 other classes taking place.

Product Design room

What I generally see in the product design room

• A room full of engaged students (well, most of the time!)
• A busy, colourful space
• Floor to ceiling windows that let the outside in (including native bush, school plaza and generally sunshine)
• Untidy cupboards and storage spaces which I really MUST find time to re-organise. Next holidays? Exam week? Find some willing students (have been trying this one but no success - perhaps I should employ some design thinking strategies to make the task more appealing to students)?
• Fabulous equipment and resources - great sewing machines, overlockers and even a cover seamer and embroidery machine. Plus tape measures, fabric scissors, pattern squares (my favourite tool of all time), old magazines, glue etc.etc. As I never, ever say no to any offers of fabric donations we have to find storage space for this too. You never know when it will come in handy!
• Scraps of paper, thread and fabric all over the floor - a true sign of productivity. 

What I'd like to see in the product design room:-

• A laser cutter and a 3D scanner. On the wish list.........
• More electronics equipment and resources particularly for e-textiles (this is building slowly)
• More boys......This is starting to happen as we are moving towards a broader product design approach. We introduced this approach this year and it brings a really vibrant dynamic to the learning environment. Students' product developments must incorporate soft and hard materials and at level 2 electronics too. It is great to see the gender distinctions in subject choice breaking down. The boys are intrigued by the sewing machines and really interested in learning more about materials(fabrics) and conversely I have some year 13's soft materials who are now dab hands at brazing
• Tidy, organised cupboards, shelves and storage. We have the space we just need some reorganizing.....and the time to do it!
• More students in the room during morning tea and lunch time because they are sooooo focussed on what they are doing

The open plan space -

This is a great space.....

• We have the same outlook as the product design room (described above), only a level up.
• We have the furniture and equipment required, though some additional software would be of benefit
• We have a happy buzz of activity - even on a Friday afternoon

and the only thing I'd really like to see here is a better setup for the projector with a permanent ceiling projector rather than one that is precariously balanced on a plinth that needs to come out of the store room every lesson but this is a small price to pay!

On a final note....whilst teaching in an MLE does encourage collaboration, active learning and those other "21st Century" (I do dislike this term as we have been in the 21st century for over 14 years....) skills and pedagogies all that is really required, for us as teachers, is "switching on that part between the ears and embracing these changes". It can happen anywhere with whatever resources that are available.......

Challenge Day 4: What do I love most about teaching?

What I love most about teaching is that warm, fuzzy feeling I get when I see a student totally absorbed in what they are doing; so absorbed that they don't realise that their mates have wandered off for morning tea, or up to the field to play touch rugby without them. 

I love it when the students are engaged, owning their learning and finding purpose in what they are doing. And....it inspires me to explore ways to foster learning environments where this happens regularly. Reflections on "design thinking" will surely surface in a future blog........ 

The most recent occurrence of these warm,fuzzies for me was yesterday (and actually it lingered until the end of school today) and the fortunate student was Sam.

I think I may have mentioned Sam in an earlier post......His Impact Project this semester started with him coming to me wanting to use a 3D printer and ended up with him being involved in selecting which printer the school would buy and then building it. Impact Projects are a full day a week of non-timetabled school where students are responsible for their own learning which must follow 4 pillars:- 

• student ownership
• learning above and beyond the classroom
• a quality product
• participation and/or contribution to/in the community

Sam and Tim - happy at work!

So......yesterday was build day of said printer and Sam was at school at 7.55am (school doesn't start until 8.50) and Tim @mindkits wasn't arriving until 10.00am. The build started and Sam co-opted some mates into helping, whilst demonstrating great leadership along the way. (Students collaborating; the warm fuzzies are starting....)

Morning tea came and went and the whole crew stayed on task without stopping. At lunchtime they were pretty much forced to stop and get some air and sustenance. This is when I ran into Sam and I asked on scale of 1-10 (10 being awesome) how was today shaping up. He paused for a second and said "11 no actually 12". He refused to get the school bus home and had his mum collect him at 5.00pm so he could "just get one more part built". Where was the teacher I hear you ask? I popped in and out to check on things, offered to assist but was politely told I wasn't needed. Was I needed to keep them on task? Not on your life. Tim, the supplier, said that Sam and his team, just got on with it, didn't need assistance, knew how to follow instructions and only needed him for a few technical issues.

The posse at work

So what was it? Sam & co were totally engaged, even absorbed in their work, they owned their learning 100% and their sense of purpose is huge. It was above and beyond their needs and was meeting the needs (or solving a problem) for their school community. They have not only built the school's first 3D printer but Sam and his posse are now the school experts. Note: Student is the expert and my role throughout has been that of facilitator. So liberating! I LOVE it. Active learning at the fore!

PS. As I was leaving school this afternoon Sam was peering through an internal window as his first 3D printed prototype was being printed.

Challenge Day 3: One "observation" are I'd like to improve on for evaluation is.......

When I pondered this the first thing that sprang to mind is "improving the art of questioning". I need to be conscious of the kinds of questions I'm asking and when I'm asking them. The digging deeper questions or the shallower and wider questions. The open  "what if......." questions and the "I'm not so sure that......what about.........?" when exploring ideas. Add to that the 5 "what if's......?" to dig deeper.

The other side of this is encouraging students to ask multiple questions, deeper questions and emotionally loaded questions such as "tell me about your favourite outfit when you were growing up?" to help deepen their thinking and understanding. part of this will require me to be modelling expected behaviours but also it rewarding the questions students ask. To help me do this I need to read more (The Falconer was a great start), observe teachers that practice this in class (any offers locally?) and be mindful of my practice in each class and practice, practice, practice.......

Challenge Day 2: One piece of technology I'd like to use this year.......

The response to this is an absolute "no brainer" because (as mentioned in yesterday's post) we will be taking delivery of our very own Ultimaker 3D printer courtesy of Tim Carr at Mindkits at 10.00 am tomorrow morning. This is one piece of technology I can't wait to get my hands on. Will I REALLY have to share it with the students??????? The arrival of our 3D printer has come about through a student Impact Project (more on ASHS Impact Projects in a future post) led by Sam, a Year 11 student. He came to me at the beginning of this Impact Project semester saying he'd like to use a 3D printer for his project. I told his that this was a great idea but........we didn't have one at school. So...how about he research 3D printers, costs, availability, compatibility with our school systems, on-going support and so on. His project will come into fruition tomorrow and I'm anticipating that there will be at least one very excited student (and teacher) at school tomorrow..........

As the Ultimaker is arriving at the very end of the year when our Product Design students are already well into prototyping their outcomes they may not gain maximum benefit from it this year. However, I am already envisaging a number of last minute changes or additions to their prototypes given that they will have access to a 3D printer. I'm picturing Banksy inspired graffiti buttons for Ella's bag, An oriental head-dress to go with Maddi's repurposed Cheong Sam, an elephant necklace to compliment Tina's dress,  a 60's-inspired daisy corsage.......and that's just me. What will the students dream up?

So what does this mean for the students?
Engagement? owning their learning? coding? creativity? risk-taking? intelligent failure? problem-solving? collaborating with each other and the global "Ultimaker" community - all necessary skills needed to lead a successful life in the rapidly changing world our students will be immersed in when they leave school.

For 2015....where will this take us? Only our imagination will limit us - Will it fit in with NCEA criteria? You bet your life it will...........

30 Day Challenge:Day 1 - My goals for the year...........

Day 1: My goals for the year......being as specific or abstract as I wish!

Here in NZ we are almost at the end of the school year with just over 6 weeks of teaching left before our senior students go on exam leave so my goals in no particular order are to:-

• stay sane for a little over 6 weeks knowing that each day will not be quite long enough to complete everything necessary
• teach with intent to ensure that every conversation with every student is helping, or deepening, their learning so they can experience their best success. 
• doing the above and keeping it authentic whilst working within the specific assessment criteria of Achievement Standards.
• positively encourage students to complete their external assessment reports by ensuring the content is engaging (writing about own experiences and practice where possible). By this time of year students seem to be calculating how many credits they need for their own particular success which for some might be to just scrape through their year level with minimal input and for others it will be excellence endorsement across every subject. Which raises the question 'what are we actually assessing?' Learning or the ability to remember content?
• get the Level 1 product design graphics website up and running (currently in template form). Inventing a time making machine may help with this one. Alternatively, I'll enlist a willing student once exams are over.......
• tidy up and re-organise the store cupboards. Another task for after the students are on study leave
• get to grips with the new 3D printer which mindkits will deliver and help build on Wednesday. One of the students I mentor on Impact Project day is overseeing this. I'm happy for him to be the expert but I do need some knowledge.....
• tidy up all my files on my laptop. A mammoth task!
• remember to wear waterproof mascara on the day I farewell my Year 13 students and my tutor group students that are leaving school. Meeting with them for 100 minutes twice a week over 3 years means that really strong relationships are formed. It's great to know they are about to embark on a new exciting chapter of their life but it's also sad to see them go.
• collaborate, collaborate, collaborate........teacher to teacher (here, there, anywhere), student to teacher, student to student
• ensure learning is active. There is ALWAYS a way to make learning more active.
• use digital media as much as possible to record what is taking place (learning hopefully) in the learning space
• read the pile of awesome educational books (bit of a geek this way) that have appeared in my mailbox via the book depository
• get plenty of sleep where possible

and finally........remember that 4.30pm on Friday is wine o'clock!!!