What we're up to in #phs117

#phs117 is on a roll and I could not be more proud of the progress my students are making.   We are presently reading Nothing But the Truth by Avi and the students are super invested in this text.   It's amazing to hear them speak of the connections they are making with this particular book.   Their insight and perspectives are shared daily and even though it is becoming less foreign to me, having them lead the way and have the conversations is really neat.   

I must say I am surprised about their desire to draw and illustrate.   I've pulled a few students aside and they tell me that when they have time to draw or sketch after a read, it helps them answer their comprehension questions more accurately.   In the picture above, students are processing what they have read after taking an assessment.    They are then illustrating a key element of the plot in the novel thus far.    

Have I ever mentioned that my students are amazing?  

Failing vs. Failure

As I've noted in several posts, I've been reading Empower.   A chapter that REALLY hit home for me was chapter nine.   In Chapter nine, the authors discuss the concept of failing.   It's noted (as evidenced by Kindle Screen Shots above) that FAILURE is permanent but FAILING is temporary.

"Our learning stories must include failing, not failure.  And there is a big difference between the two."

My students especially need to see these graphics.   Far too often they have shared with me about their "failures" and I gotta say, it messes with them.    For them, failing and failure are identical.   It is my hope that as we continue to grow and learn together, they see the difference and that they know that in my eyes, they never could be or will be a failure.  

#sixtybooks update

I just finished TWO books this weekend!   Empower!   Innovators Mindset!   Highly recommend!

Find me on Good Reads!  

March Idea Flood is taking off like crazy this time around!   

Seriously, my kids are awesome.    Thank you to Carrie (find her on Twitter... for realz) for making us a part of this ADVENTURE.   (See what I did there?   hahaha)

My "Amens"

I'm really enjoying Empower!  

Here are my "Amens" from chapters 4-6

"It's a shift from REQUIRE to DESIRE."

"Student choice is the heartbeat of ownership and empowerment."

"Your legacy as an educator is always determined by what your students do.   You change the world by empowering your students to do the same."

"Self-managers are able to take a larger task and break it down into sub-tasks and eventually deadlines.   They can think realistically about what is needed in terms of time, resources, and concrete actions."

"Self-management begins with a sense of awareness regarding what you are doing, where you are going, and what you plan to do next.  Students with this sense of awareness understand not only what they are doing but why they are doing it."

"Point out when you see students taking charge and self-starting their own learning."

"Students will take initiative when something matters to them.  This sounds simple, but it is actually a challenge.   It requires teachers to tap into students' interests and passions."

"I was afraid that students would be lazy.   Instead, they worked harder because they cared about their work.   I was afraid they would get confused and give up.   Instead, they took more creative risks."

"Choice, whether completely free or with limitations, is what will drive our students to dive deeper into learning."

"Yet the problem is that we often fail to encourage students to try new things and instead DEMAND that they try new things."

"Whether or not you discover your talents and passions is partly a matter of opportunity.   If you've never been sailing or picked up an instrument, or tried to teach or write fiction, how would you know you had a talent for these things?"

"They rarely have a chance to choose their learning path in school and routinely treat school like a job instead of the most valuable learning experience they will ever have."

I am presently reading The Innovator's Mindset as well as Empower at the same time while taking part in the #IMMOOC online study as best as I can.

George Couros explains the eight characteristics of the Innovator's Mind.    In the sections below I am going to put HIS words in italics and my reflection under.  In some spaces, you may see no reflection and that's mainly because I don't need to be redundant.   This author is SO SPOT ON.   Our philosophies definitely seem to mesh at this point.

#1 Empathetic
Empathetic teachers think about the classroom environment and learning opportunities from the point of view of the student, not the teacher.   

...Because of Lisa's willingness to develop relationships with her students, she understood them

I especially enjoyed George's words on this not because I agreed, but because I felt he was speaking to me at the same time.   My students are always (and yes, I mean ALWAYS) important to me.  I feel as if you can NOT have a successful learning outcome without an emotional investment in your students.

#2 Problem Finders/Solvers
...Sometimes it takes several attempts and iterations to solve real-life problems, and, sometimes, there are several correct answers.

Teaching students by examples to be self-starters and to continuously evaluate how THEY might improve THEIR education helps them learn how to effectively learn.

Finding the problem is an essential part of learning - one that students miss out on when we pose the problem to them first.  

My students... we need those attempts... it's rarely done the first time.

#3 Risk Takers
Innovative teaching and learning involve taking risks!

Risk is necessary to ensure that we are meeting the needs of each unique student.  Some respond well to one way of learning, while others need a different method or format.  

^^^^ Hello!    The life of a special education teacher!    At least, my life! ^^^^

#4 Networked & #5 Observant
...Every opportunity to share with others on a global scale makes you think more deeply about what it is that you are sharing in the first place.  

Innovation (and enjoyment) flourishes when teachers collaborate to learn and practice new strategies. Isolation is often the enemy of innovation.

Let's put some emphasis on that last point, shall we?!?!
ISOLATION IS OFTEN THE ENEMY OF INNOVATION!

WOW!   YES!   I spent a significant amount of time during my research project for my M.Ed. reading about teacher isolation.   It's real ya'll, it's real.   I never imagined that I could grow as much as I have just through networking online.   The wealth of knowledge I find in my colleagues near and far is a professional blessing.    How fortunate am I to be able to talk with these amazing individuals at any time.

"Inspiration is everywhere and often in unexpected places; 

you just have to keep your eyes open."

#6 Creators 

Creating something helped them make a personal connection to the information - an important key for deeper learning.

Creation is crucial.

Absolutely!   Personal connections are ridiculously important.   My students are enjoying connecting right now through Sketchnoting.   However, when it comes down to other tasks such as writing, it's important for me to choose something for my students to respond to that has meaning to them.   I've said it so many times and I'll say it again, you simply MUST meet them where they are and then build from there.  

#7 Resilient

...If you do not believe in your idea, why would anyone else?

Anything new and different can seem threatening.

...Resilience is a necessary trait for innovators, but it is also a skill that all humans need to develop.  Life is full of ups and downs.   How you recover from failure and move forward is important to how you learn and how you live.   

#8 Reflective

...necessary...

What we model is what we get.  --Jimmy Casas