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Final exams and standardized testing are right around the corner for us. My students have the obligation to sit in a large room and take multiple choice questions that (supposedly) tell us (them?) how much they have learned this year about biology. Naturally, the discussion about study guides comes up more and more frequently from students. Below are my suggestions as you prepare study guides.

• Prepare early. Starting thinking about the guides from day one of school. Work to develop and understanding of what the completed guide will look like in the end. Be ready to change directions.
• Do not focus on content. Our guides do not need more factoids or bullet points. Rather, focus on critical thinking and analytical questions to guide the learning.
• Allow for flexibility. If we want guides that are multi-purpose, do not create them one-size-fits-all. Push for multiple uses and applications with each guide you are working on.
• Encourage mistakes. Some of the best review happens when we realize (or identify) misconceptions and then correct them.
• Allow for collaboration. Do not assign a grade for the guide, but recognize and praise the effort that goes into its production and use. These simple steps helped me prepare over 100 study guides this year. Hopefully, they can help you, too.

I wrote the following essay as a response to the ISTE Community Point/Counterpoint question: “To Flip, or Not to Flip?” You can see the discussion on the ISTE Community Forum.

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The Flipped Classroom has enjoyed a boost in popularity recently. Unfortunately, the focus has been on the distorted idea that students spend all their time listening to web-based lectures and completing worksheets.

A true flipped classroom is centered on the idea that technology can help us deliver quality teaching when and where the students are ready for it. Teaching methodology must be pedagogically sound in order for a flipped classroom to be effective, but that is no different than any other method being explored by teachers.

Having said that, the flipped classroom is an extremely effective way to A) reduce the cognitive load of learning new content (Musallam 2010), B) open up time with students for differentiation and personalized learning, and C) be a powerful tool in a teacher’s arsenal of teaching strategies.

There are multiple articles (Musallam 2010, Overmyer 2011) published that show that a flipped classroom (or even using video as a teaching tool) can help students learn difficult content at an appropriate pace. Not all material can or should be taught using constructivist or inquiry approaches, and it is a well-known fact that people learn at different rates. Rather than forcing pupils to learn on a set timetable, the flipped classroom allows students to learn in a variable, scaled environment. Students that work quickly through content can be pushed to higher levels of reasoning while students that work slower can be nurtured and guided by the teacher. The time I would spend talking to a group of passive listeners is now spent engaging every student every day at a level appropriate for their individual learning needs.

The flipped classroom does not claim to be 100% constructivist, nor is it exclusively based on direct instruction. Rather, it is a blend of tools used when and where they are appropriate. When direct instruction is appropriate, it can be recorded as a video. When inquiry is appropriate, I can use inquiry in class and then offer the opportunity of reinforcement through a short video tutorial. I do not require students to watch my videos, but they are an available resource for learning. Many times, students end up curating and sharing their own discoveries in their learning.

Finally, technology limitations are often a cited reason to avoid a flipped classroom at all costs. Again, there are workarounds to this problem. Many times, students can use a flash drive to share the content with one another. Sometimes, teachers are even taking a portion of their classroom budget to buy the drives for students lacking their own resources. DVD’s can also be burned (although on a limited basis for rare access situations) with the chapter’s videos for students to watch at home. In these cases, parents begin to learn with their students each night at home. With the optimal video length ranging from 8 – 15 minutes, there is usually a significant decrease in “homework” time listening to the material the first time through. Flipping can also be done without assigning homework at all. Particularly for me, there are students that choose to listen to videos in class in small, collaborative work groups (self-assigned groups). The groups then support one another through the material.

All in all, the flipped classroom is not a panacea, nor does it claim to be. It is unfair to relegate it to the section of “completely hopeless” education ideas. There is a growing number of educators, myself included, who are working to remove the time variable in schools by developing and supporting students in flipped classrooms, and that endeavor alone is a step in the right direction.

I have written a couple of posts lately on risk-taking being an essential component of change in a system. Much of this stems from the risks that I have taken this year (and also from of the ones I have not taken). Each time I write or talk about risk taking, I wonder why more teachers do not take the plunge into trying to change a habit.

The answer, I think, is that relationships are required, and that introduces the possibility of failure. When we are isolated from others, the possibility of failure is eliminated.

Allow me to elaborate.

Say you are planning a date for that certain someone. This is not a normal date…you want to surprise them. You have two choices:

1. Do something you have both enjoyed in the past.
2. Try something new.

Option 1 is safe. We have prior experience with the activity and the outcome, and we know that while it may not be as exciting, it is predictable and therefore, comfortable. Option 2, on the other hand, requires significant risk. Your date could be amazing, or it could flop completely and end in total failure. The reason this choice matters is because of the relationship that is involved in the choice.

Conversely, if you were trying to decide what to do alone, there is no risk of failure because there is no relationship associated with your choice. You can do something you have done before, or you can try something new. There is no one to let down if it does not work out the way you imagined.

Schools are exactly the same way. We have done things the same way for so long because they are predictable and “safe.” We continue to carry out routines that have been established since the early 1900’s. Unfortunately, there are so many relationships at stake with risk-taking in schools that we often shrug our idea off for the “If only I could…” file that gathers dust in our imaginations.

While taking a risk is hindered because of relationships, it also works the other way. Risks taken in relationship with others can be extremely rewarding, even in failure. Work with a PLC in your building or collaborate with others across the globe. There are people just like you trying to do the same thing, many of them reaching for support.

As a disclaimer, I do recognize that many people are not in a position to even attempt small, calculated change because of school climate, oversight, or other reasons. I am not advocating that we begin jumping off cliffs in the near future. What I am suggesting is that we begin to identify what relationship we are afraid of damaging to then take preventative steps to make sure it stays strong in success as well as failure. This often requires compromise and collaboration, which takes time to build. Keep the collaboration local if you can and work toward improving your community at the same time. Encourage administrators or parents to join you in your ideas.

If you find yourself as an island in school, look to Twitter for help and community. I want to encourage you to make sure you have a group of people, digital connections or in your school, that you can turn to when things get difficult.

Do not let relationships scare you out of taking a risk that will improve your teaching. Use your relationships as a support network to move forward.

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In an attempt to build community, I would ask that you use #Edrisk to share your stories, successes, and failures. Let’s learn together in this.

I saw a tweet come through the feed this morning from Brad Campbell and Vanessa Alander regarding the practice of “implementing” a flipped classroom without appropriate support for students.

Re: #flippedclassroom is it just teachers expected Ss to self direct w/o providing adequate support? #edcampme

—Vanessa Alander (@vjalander1) March 31, 2012

These are important discussions to have because, and I cannot emphasize this enough, good pedagogy must come before technology use. A flipped classroom is not successful because of the videos being used, but because of the interactions teachers can have with students.

Some things to consider as you plan on flipping your class:

1. Build a support network for yourself – Anything worth doing is always better with companions. Whether it is in your building or online, a support network is imperative as you begin something new. Colleagues will be there to give feedback on your methods as well as support in failure. When working alone, it is too easy to give up when faced with setbacks. Having people to work with will significantly ease the burden of the transition you are making.

2. Do not focus on the videos – This may sound counter-intuitive, considering many flipped classrooms use video to deliver instruction. The best technology use comes when sound pedagogy is maintained. Remember, students may need to be taught how to learn from the internet. I have written before that the internet needs to be a resource, not a destination. Do not introduce videos as the only way to learn the material. The videos are a resource being provided to students. Pigeonholed ideas will rarely be successful.

3. Prepare extensions – Sitting and listening to content is not sufficient in building deep understanding. If you want students to be great at reciting information, then stop at the lecture notes. If you want students to be critical, creative thinkers in the context of the content, then there must be extension and application. Design these before introducing the content. Much like writing assessments before teaching a chapter, have your extensions in place before beginning to help lay the course of the unit.

4. Model and scaffold – Again, remember that students are students. Independent learning may or may not be an intuitive action. They will have a very difficult time navigating content if it is not modeled for them. Take time in class to discuss the power of videos in delivering content. Show them how to access the material. Show them how to use any print materials you are providing with the video. Give a daily list of goals (when first starting) for students to work toward. Assess (formatively) frequently to get an idea of where students are in their learning. Take time to work as a whole class to address common strengths and weaknesses. As you repeat this cycle, students will gradually become more independent in their learning.

5. Reflect – Ownership of learning is a key to improvement. Reflection must be part of the learning cycle for both the teacher and the student. Discussion and cooperation is a powerful catalyst in building a student-centered class. As the teacher, reflect on what went well from a standpoint of implementation. As students, have them reflect on what helped them learn the best. Collaborate on the two and move forward as partners.

Flipped classrooms can accentuate good teaching just as well as it can accentuate bad teaching. The guide laid out can be helpful, but it is by no means comprehensive. Find what works best for you and your students and run with it.

I got to speak with a group of preservice teachers this morning at the University of Evansville. Heading into the class, I was thinking about what things I would share to start them off on the right foot. This is what I came up with:

1. Join Twitter – If you are not involved in some sort of professional learning network, you need to find one. Now. I joined Twitter in my second year of teaching, and the last year of learning has been incredible. I want young teachers to have that network built before they start working in schools. Preparation should be relevant, and Twitter is the best way to stay up-to-date.
2. Start Blogging – Reflection is key to improvement. If there is no reflection in the learning process, growth cannot occur. Unfortunately, reflection usually comes when graded papers are returned. We cannot equate reflection with evaluation. Strong programs are preparing our young teachers to be writing for the sake of writing, rather than for the sake of evaluation. I was fortunate enough to have a cooperating teacher during my student teaching that understood, and instilled, the value of reflection in me and my teaching. I want to be able to do the same.
3. Organize Information – My first year of teaching was a whirlwind of curation. I did not have a good library built up from college (plus, it was all on paper), so I spent a great deal of time hunting for resources. Now, with tools like Diigo, Pinterest, and Scoop.it, students can curate and share information faster than ever. College students should be building this library as they plan lessons and begin practicum placements, not when they begin their first job. Sharing the information they find is also key, and each of those communities can foster that process as well.

I know one student from this morning signed up for a Twitter account. I am looking forward to going back and working with another group next semester.

Last night, I read the science questions for the Indiana Academic Bowl our school hosted. The city schools all sent teams of students to participate in an evening of trivia and brain-power boxing. It was fun and it was great to see some of our own students putting their heads together to answer science questions.

I have a small problem with the name “Academic Bowl.” We all love our little bits of trivia, but labeling a trivia night as “academic” seems a little off to me. Academics should be pushing real-life problem solving and innovative thinking, and no question came close to that. Sure, our students can determine the initial velocity of an object with lightning speed, but what good is that in life? What are they going to do with that object once it is thrown?

Or better yet, why are they throwing that object at all?

I think we are sending a mixed message. We ask for creative and original thought in class, but when it “matters” (i.e. “tests”), we are still only asking for basic, rote-memorization, recall. This must change.

My Academic Bowl would look much more like Science Olympiad (do they still do that?). Teams are given a problem prior to the competition. Instead of drilling physics equations, they spend the time leading up to the event problem solving, planning, testing, and designing a solution. It could be something as simple as:

Design a system to keep an egg from breaking when dropped from a height of 50 feet.”

Or, something more complex:

“Design, sketch, and propose a location for a new power station in your city. Include resources needed, civic impacts, environmental concerns, and other pertinent information.

We need to remember that everything we expose our learners to sends a message and leaves some mark on their life.

Maybe I am feeling a little snarky this morning, but I do not want to let my kids think that “academics” equals “trivia.”

I have learned more this year than ever before and I keep coming back to one inescapable truth: If I want education to change, it is up to me to change it.

I am not arguing that I am the savior of American schools. I am saying if we want local, committed, and relevant change in our schools, we need people – teachers, administrators, board members, and students – to make some tough decisions. In terms of function, school has not changed for almost 100 years. Students come, teachers teach, administrators oversee, wash, rinse, repeat. How long will we continue to wait for someone to come along and change school for us?

One thing I try to teach my students every single day is that they are responsible for the outcome of their learning. I cannot learn for them. I will provide opportunities for growth, but they need to meet me in the middle. Think back over the last week or two of teaching. How many opportunities for positive change did you meet? I know I met some head on and there was a step forward for myself and my students. I am also well aware that I miss some completely when they come. I think this happens for one of two reasons: A) I am not interested in changing a particular aspect of my teaching, or B) I am too afraid to take the risk in front of me.

Positive change in education will not come if we sit around and wait for our neighbor to do it for us.

Change is hard, and people will resist. But that is not an excuse to disregard opportunities for growth. Timeliness is important, but if you are not searching out opportunities to become a better teacher, you are doing a disservice to your students and your school. I have written about taking calculated risks in the past and I want to reiterate my points there: change requires risk. The two are intertwined and you cannot remove one from the other.

Risks can be as small or as large as you are willing to take. Some schools encourage risk-taking, while others might not be so receptive. This is why we are each responsible for positive growth. My risks may not be appropriate in your school, and vice versa. You are responsible for taking that risk and leading change.

Here is another practical example of taking a risk. A colleague of mine was absolutely buried by grading. He was taking up nearly every worksheet, reading, article response, and assignment he used with his kids. He felt that if he graded everything, the students would be more motivated to do the work and they would be successful. I saw how stressed he was, and I encouraged him to not grade so much for a multitude of reasons, but mainly to save his sanity.

Taking a risk is sometimes as small as grading one less assignment per week. But for some people, that is a major risk.

What risk are you still waiting to take? After all, it is up to you.

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This has been the best collaborative year of my life. I joined Twitter almost one year ago (to the day, actually), and as I write, I am thinking back to all the people I have been blessed to meet and of even more that I am hoping to meet some day in the future (ISTE, anyone?). I have learned innumerable lessons through writing, tweeting, and teaching. I am blessed to be able to share these things and I want to thank my entire PLN, new and old, for pushing me forward. I only hope that I have helped do the same for you.

Monday, March 5 was the inaugural #flipclass chat event. We promoted the chat on Twitter, Google+, and various blogs to push a great first session. After crunching some data collected in the archive, it was bigger than I had anticipated. In the hour-long chat, there were:

• 95 individual tweeters
• 888 total tweets, 869 of them being unique
• 77 links shared
• hundreds of connections made

The first topic chosen for the chat was “What are some problems you’ve faced since flipping your class?” I knew there were some common areas that would be discussed, but the collaboration last night went above and beyond my expectations.

Rather than lamenting our problems, proactive and encouraging tweets began to flood my TweetDeck column.

Some of the notable tweets from the chat:

Biggest problem staying ahead of kids & getting everything ready before they are ready to move on. Sts move faster than me #flipclass

—Doug Hinkle (@doughink) March 6, 2012

Allowing my 2nd graders more ownership through flipped lessons has create positive outcomes through application. #flipclass

—Chad Grandon (@CGrandon) March 6, 2012

Biggest realization is that #flipclass is fluid and mst change w/the situation..no rt or wrng if geting desired reslts–meaningful clsstime

—Trista Hennebry (@HennebryDMS) March 6, 2012

The most important part of #flipclass is the time you devote to planning meaningful and engaging activities that expand upon video topics.

—Luke Yaklich (@CoachYak) March 6, 2012

Other favorites included discussion about the role of red Solo cups and alien abductions in a flipped classroom.

In the end, the most encouraging thing was to be able to witness an amazing group of educators find new contacts or encouragement, all through the power of social media. People chatting from across continents and in different countries were able to find common ground to push their own classes to new levels.

The #flipclass chat will continue to be on Monday evenings at 8 PM EST. [STRIKEOUT:Polls and archives are all linked from the] Flipclass Chat [STRIKEOUT:page on this blog.] I want to encourage you to connect with some of the people participating in the chats and we all look forward to having you join us next time!

I had a severe case of the “Mondays” today for some reason. My patience was thin and kids seemed to be a little bit more opinionated about their assignments than normal. Needless to say, it led to some rough edges for me and some of my students. Those days are unavoidable and I really hate it when they come around.

Days like today are when my PLN come to my rescue. I sent this tweet around lunchtime:

[blackbirdpie url=”https://twitter.com/#!/bennettscience/status/176721427557388288″]

Lindsay Cole sent this tweet back:

[blackbirdpie url=”https://twitter.com/#!/lindsaybcole/status/176747447773696002″]

For me, this is always the longest part of the year. We have a big stretch with few breaks and we are working through the heaviest part of the curriculum. Edges are frayed and brains are fried. When the going gets tough, remember, there is a room full of students that need us to make the choice to be present and be at our best, even if we do not feel like it.

Whether they know it or not, your students are reaching out for you. Will you reach back?

I began writing my course audit for AP Biology this week, which is always a fun thing to do. Part of my course description includes a short letter to parents and students at the beginning, so they have glimpse of my philosophy on the class and school. I also looked back at a course audit I had written for AP Chemistry my first year of teaching. The dissonance shocked me. This is from 2009:

Teachers, Students, and Our Roles

You will not succeed in this course if you become merely an observer. Learning does not happen by being a spectator. You, as the student, are expected to take your education seriously and to be responsible for your own learning. Your success will correlate directly to the amount of time and effort you put into your studies of chemistry outside of class.

At this stage in life, you are called to be a student. Time management will be essential in your success not only in this class but also in all your studies. This is not the only class you are taking. If you need help in setting up a “time budget,” you may see me to set up a study schedule to help structure your time and foster good habits.

My job, as the teacher, is to facilitate your learning through instruction in class as well as outside of class if you need extra support. Throughout this year, I will provide you with experiences that are meant to engage you intellectually and that will help you broaden your knowledge of chemistry. One way to maximize your success is to have open communication between one another. As we progress through the course, I need feedback from you as to how the material is being presented so we can maximize class time and ultimately enhance your understanding.

It is also my job as the teacher to design effective assessments of your learning. Exams, quizzes, and labs will help me make evaluations of your success in the class. Quizzes will be given twice in each chapter and a test will be given after every 2 chapters. All tests are cumulative and timed.

All of this is good information and important, but it is very condescending (to me) and really does not portray a very inviting class. Here is my letter for 2012:

Teachers, Students, and School

The world is changing. Simply memorizing facts is no longer appreciable in a digital world, where information is available any time, any where. This fundamentally changes the roles of students, teachers, and schools.

As a teacher, it is my job to help provide a starting point for your learning. I will be available to help answer questions, but it is also my job to ask even more questions. Biology is the study of history and science, but it is also the study of the world around us, which requires questioning and experimentation.

As a student, you are expected to fail. We learn by making mistakes. I will push you to make mistakes, but I will also support your learning as you evaluate those mistakes. You are expected to persevere and continue to make progress. Learning opportunities for multiple styles will be provided, which will allow you to craft your learning experience in AP Biology.

School will be a place of collaboration. While in class, you will be working in small focus groups that will in turn support one another through each unit. These groups will help you develop time-management and collaboration skills that are essential after your formal schooling is over. While in class, you will have the option to structure your learning time based around lab investigations, research, or application projects. We will focus on real-world uses of the information you are collecting and reshaping into something useful. Community outreach will be encouraged as part of the course.

I am already excited about next year.

I have made a few changes in my chemistry class recently that came more out of pragmatic necessity than anything else, but these changes have caused me to revisit grading…again.

Ultimately, what caused my change was the expectation of having three graded assignments put into the grade book each week. That’s three for every student, every week, for every class. With 110 students, that would be 330 graded assignments every seven days. Without visiting the fact that so many assignments dilutes grades to nothingness and that I have more to be worrying about than finding three assignments to grade, I began searching for a way to (somewhat) meet this expectation.

I use modified standards-based grading in chemistry. Students are assessed on their ability to perform a task around a certain concept. So, I do not grade worksheets or menial assignments because again, they are not necessarily true reflections of what the student can actually do with the material. Stemming from that idea, I began asking students to self-assess on a scale of zero to five, with a “zero” meaning they have not visited that concept yet, and a “five” meaning they can teach their peers.

Without making a big deal of it, I would enter that self-assessment into the grade book. The next day I would go back around and ask each student to re-assess their learning. If it went up, that was good. They were making progress and moving in the right direction. If it stayed the same or even went down (after attempting a quiz on worksheet), I would pull them aside and provide direct instruction. I would then enter their second (or third) assessment into the book. The grades are always in flux and (I feel) represent their learning more accurately. Now, the process is done using a Google Document filled out as they learn so I don’t have to run around the room so much. As part of their assessment, they also have to list evidences they can provide to prove their ability.

What does this mean? Aside from meeting an expectation, I have not seen students take advantage of this tool, either in the discussion or in the Google Doc. They are assessing candidly and using concrete evidence to back up their score. What I’ve also noticed is that their scores are what I would have assigned if I were the one doing the scoring.

[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/intrepidteacher/status/174122976936075265″]

How do you show trust and respect to your students? If we are not constantly thinking about our grading policies, we are more and more likely to hurt their innate desire to learn. What can you do differently to involve them in the grading that happens in your class?

Student engagement is proportional to their investment in the class. We can complain that all students and parents seem to care about these days is the number next to their name. Try to work on encouraging investment by letting go of the habit or drive to be in total control of those grades. As students feel more empowered, they will become more engaged in their learning.

I was given a unique opportunity today to join our local NPR host on a show entitled The Trend. The first half of today’s show was about new classroom models popping up around the city and I was invited to represent the flipped classroom. Needless to say, I jumped at the opportunity.

Two other teachers joined me from school. Erinn Jankowski and her co-teacher Heath Harrington run a pilot program called the Center for Community Outreach (CFCO). Their purpose is to have high school seniors working with local non-profit organizations on a wide variety of projects. It really is an amazing class and you can read about it here if you’re interested in learning more about it.

It was a great time talking on the program about the flipped classroom and how we need to adjust our teaching philosophy to allow student choice and autonomy.

I was proud to represent the teachers that are working so hard to provide better education opportunities for students across the country. If you would like to hear more about the flipped class and Erinn’s CFCO, you can listen to the entire show online.

With the discussion about the Flipped Classroom gaining steam globally, I thought it was about time we begin to connect in real time.

I emailed Jon, Aaron, Ramsey, Dan, and Phil and we are excited to announce that the first-ever FlipChat will be held on Monday, March 5 at 8PM EST.

We wanted to do this for a few reasons. First, the Flipped Classroom NING is a great way to connect with others, but it doesn’t facilitate whole-group discussion easily. Also, you need to wait between posting a question and hearing a response. Twitter will help alleviate that waiting period. Initial questions can be answered in real time, and then further discussion can continue on the NING in the following days.

Second, if you are on the fence about flipping, this is a chance to get real-life flipped class teacher advice or thoughts. We all know the process can be daunting, so this is your chance to connect and build a strong PLN centered on flipped classes.

Third, we all know there are common problems that arise in any flipped classroom. A Twitter chat will allow us to collaborate weekly on these issues and attempt to come to a group-informed decision on how to tackle these instructional goals.

Like I said before, we are very excited to get this going. The collaboration has been great on the hashtag, so we’re excited to build on that momentum. Watch for updates on topics and resource links, and mark it on your calendar using the Google button below so you don’t forget!

We have a saying in the science department here: students lack mental stamina. They are faced with problems, and instead of working together to find an answer, they give up entirely. “This is too hard” and “I don’t know, so I’m not going to do it” are frequent responses when I assign something that requires thought. It takes a lot patience to work with repeat offenders, but I have to strike that perfect balance between gentleness and a firm disposition.

That is not an easy task for me.

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A non-negotiable in my class is that students move toward independent learning and thinking. I love to see the struggle on a student’s face as they put their frontal lobe through a workout to solve a problem. The light bulb coming on is one of the most satisfying things that can happen during my day. What really makes me nervous, though, is when the bulb dims and flirts with extinguishing permanently.

I think a flipped class accentuates this problem. I present the class with information, and they are responsible for its consumption. A video to watch, an article to read, maybe some notes to take. To move to deeper thought, I have found (with my students) that building a basis for discussion is preferable to throwing them in headfirst. After that initial stage, we can move into the fun stuff…debates, discussions, videos, writing, creating.

I do not know if there is a term for what I am experiencing now…maybe active reluctance is the best way to put it. Some are choosing not to adequately consume the initial information, and they are having a very hard time making the deeper connections. That turns into frustration and resentment, which has turned out to be a toxic feeling. I found today, right before a quiz, that about half of one of my classes does not feel like I am doing my job, which was a tough blow. Again, a gentle, but firm response was needed.

I still gave the quiz. I understand frustration, and I understand that my class is totally different than every other class they take.

I also understand that our choices have consequences. I did not bring the issue up after the quiz…it would not have helped ebb the frustration. Glancing through the papers, the majority of them looked okay, so I still have to decide how I will address their concerns next week.

*

I want to be someone’s hero. I am completely comfortable saying that I hope to inspire one person over the course of my career. But, I am realizing more and more that we have a significant responsibility to be both a hero and a villain. One cannot exist without the other. The growth of a hero is spurned by the actions of a villain.

I make choices every day that could upset some learners. But, it is also my responsibility to turn around and make it into a positive learning experience, and that is what I am experiencing now. As we run out of days in the school year, I will continue to push their young minds. That means I will have to make some unpopular decisions. I can take solace in the knowledge that there is a bigger goal in place. One quiz will not make or break a school year, even though it feels like it at the time. I just pray I have enough wisdom to show that to my students.

In the spirit of full disclosure, this has been a discouraging week for me. Students are antsy and in need of a break. I am fighting some old battles with kids refusing to think or show interest in anything at all. I am also working with issues professionally I did not expect to have. Education news coming in each day shows glimmers of hope, but is tough to stomach in the current system.

But, despite the bad news and the “I can’t” thoughts earlier this week, I can choose to think differently.

I can…

– work hard every day to make sure I give my students multiple opportunities to learn.

– persevere and do what is right for my students when culture pushes back.

– demonstrate positive redirection when I fail.

– collaborate with students and other teachers to find solutions to problems.

– teach students to think critically about the world and about their beliefs.

– choose to keep my head high and continue to improve rather than wallow in self-pity.

We can choose to work with what we have an do our absolute best for our kids. Or, we can kick the stone on the path with our heads down and give in.

I choose the former.

Ever since the State of the Union address on January 24th, I have seen more blog posts and articles on STEM than I have in a very, very long time. The problem is, they’re all focusing on the wrong thing.

I feel like I’m channeling Michael Doyle and even Dan Meyer today, but it really is getting to the point where the nation’s science, math, technology, and engineering teachers need to speak up more and let policymakers know that they aren’t allowing us to teach anymore.

Science can’t be “taught.” I can tell kids how chromosomes randomly separate into sperm and eggs that eventually might become a living organism, but that takes so much away from the magic of seeing how diverse life is when the two meet. I am required to teach how to find the probability of what the results of a cross will be, but you cannot cage life into a Punnett square. But, by law, that’s what I have to do. I’m evaluated on it. My students are evaluated on it. But, in reality, they aren’t being evaluated on what they know about science.

Science is living. Science is making observations, asking questions, and then finding what seems to be a good explanation for what you saw. Science is communal. They need time to debate, to discuss, and to troubleshoot. Otherwise, we’re just teaching letters and numbers now and that’s our science scores are so low.

Science has become artificial, and just like artificial grass, the burn hurts much more when you fall down.

I read a post from Jeff Utecht just ten minutes ago which got me into this thought. He wrote about helping a teacher flip her history classroom:

I’ve been fielding a lot of questions lately about how to do a flipped classroom. I do my best to guide and show different resources, but when it really comes down to it, you need to do what makes sense for your classes. If it involves video lectures, then we can make lectures. If it involves a research project, then we can design a project. What it comes down to is the fact that students are taking responsibility for their learning. I can help you scaffold and plan for it, but I don’t know your class or your school’s culture.

All this to say: sometimes teachers do the same thing. I have led sessions where people want to what exactly they need to do to have a flipped class. I tell them the same thing I tell my students: there is no one right answer. It depends on your class, purpose, and learning culture.

True learning comes from exploration, risk-taking, assessment, and reflection. Let’s work on stepping out of our old habits and start embracing and emulating that model with our students.

Teachers are planners, in case you didn’t know. We like to plan units weeks ahead of time, plan for technology or behavior issues, and even plan for what our ideal classroom will look like in the future.

Sometimes, we plan so much, that we tend to only see the ideal, which can lead to discouragement and disenfranchisement in teaching.

Personally, I think about re-purposing my classroom. I don’t like tables and chairs. I like couches. I like standing desks. I like varied floor space. Every learner is different, so to teach to different needs, we should have different spaces for learning.

Sometimes I get caught up in the future of teaching and I miss the needs of learners now. Always be reflective and always be working to form a better system. But, be careful not to dream at the expense of your students today.

I’ve had a crazy week. On Tuesday and Thursday I worked with Brett Clark and Brian Bobbitt sharing the Flipped Classroom with almost 100 teachers and administrators across the district. It was an insane couple of days, but everything came together (including a student panel…they were awesome) and I think everyone that participated learned something new.

I got home on Thursday night and spent some time reflecting on my use of video this year in relation to last year and how it has expanded into something much more than delivering instruction. The power of video on the internet is much, much greater than delivery of content.

I use a flipped classroom and a core tenet of what I do is use online video to deliver direct instruction to my students. But, this isn’t good enough. At the end of the day, they’re still consuming more information than they’re putting out on the web.

My goal for the remainder of the semester is to not only use video for instruction, but use video for connections. I want my kids to be responsive to what they watch online. I want them to think critically about what they see and then turn around and respond to it. We have blogs set up, and those will also be a major component of the process.

I feel like this is a major turning point in my teaching. I know that reflection and creation is important, but it has been an ancillary goal rather than the central idea to my teaching. I know I can’t expect this to happen overnight, but I’m excited about the learning ahead.

I think this is my first ever politically-based post. But, I feel so strongly about it, I couldn’t think of a better way to share my thoughts on the subject.

If you are a user of the Internet, you need to know about SOPA and PIPA. The United States Congress is in the process of debating bills that are meant to stop the proliferation of pirated material being distributed on the web. The bills, as written, give power to corporations and even the government to make a claim that a website is sharing copyrighted material. That website then has 5 days to respond by either shutting down or removing the material. If they don’t, then affiliated websites (such as search engines) can be pulled into the mix through litigation that would essentially stop the offending site from showing up in searches.

Why is this a big deal? Because SOPA and PIPA are, in essence, censorship bills. There is no due process once a claim has been made and there is no appeal process. Ultimately, the companies with the most money will be able to shut down competitors at will through legal costs and proceedings.

Multiple sites are blacking out service to demonstrate the possible effects if these bills are passed. Please take a moment today to sign the petition at Google and write a short letter to your state representatives.