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I saw this commercial over the weekend:

I think this commercial shows two classrooms. One class uses computers as worksheets. The second uses computers for what they were meant to do…create content to share with other people.

Which computer would fit better in your classes?

It is a new year and a new semester for us and I’ve been thinking a lot about the Flipped Classroom and what role it plays in my teaching. While I don’t necessarily share that it is a fundamental shift in teaching methods (yes, I know the videos are direct instruction), I do think the Flipped Classroom shifts education paradigms.

American education policy (testing) focuses on the teacher being a fact-dispensing robot and students as empty vessels that need to be filled. The whole idea of a Flipped Classroom is that the students and teachers are switching responsibilities. I am no longer a disseminator of knowledge and students are no longer receptacles of information. Learning is active and collaborative rather than passive and directive.

The paradigm shift isn’t the fact that I’m recording lectures. It is the shift in thinking that students need to have opportunities to drive their own learning. They need opportunities to work with their peers and struggle together. I am also now “allowed” to make mistakes with the students. The role of teaching in a Flipped Classroom has shifted entirely. I still provide direction in terms of the curriculum, but the methods to get from A to B are now in the hands of the students.

The paradigm shift needs to be driven by teachers, not politicians or bankbooks. We need to be willing to give up old habits and adapt each of our classrooms and schools to meet the current needs of our learners. The Flipped Classroom is how I’ve done that for my kids…how will you meet your student’s needs?

The year ends today and I’ve spent some of this Christmas break looking at old pictures. I came across this picture from our trip to Vietnam in 2010:

It got me thinking about a couple of different things regarding teaching and growing as a learner.

The first thing that strikes me is no matter how much I try, I cannot work alone. This home is isolated yes, but they can still connect with others by hopping into the boat and sailing off.

Unfortunately, education is turning into a more and more isolated profession for a myriad of reasons, one of those being technology integration. Doors are staying closed, poor practice is continuing, and collaboration is waning in many schools. Professional development is losing value and relevance in many schools, which is driving people to web resources like Twitter.

(Keep in mind, this is simply my observation. I know not all schools are in this situation, but I think we can agree that it isn’t difficult to find at least one colleague that feels that way about teaching.)

Since this is a year-end post, I might as well throw in a new year prediction. The last few years have seen incredible advances in technology and connectivity. The connections I made in 2011 are invaluable to me and I am still returning to Twitter for inspiration and collaboration. I don’t think the value of those connections is waning at all. I’ve found some amazing people that formed the foundation of my PLN, and I feel fortunate that others feel the same way about me as I’m added to theirs. Connections are continuing, but my network for change is still limited.

I think 2012 will be the year of local collaboration. I know collaboration happens frequently in schools, but I think 2012 will show an explosion of local, “grassroots” growth and development. Rather than working as individuals to connect with others digitally, I think schools will begin connecting different groups across the world and then bring that group’s expertise to bear in their locale.

However, local collaboration isn’t going to take place of its own accord. There need to be local leaders willing to step out and take risks. Stephen Harris, principal of Sydney Centre for Innovation in Learning said it well in a recent Connected Principals blog post: “Do then think.” Don’t take blind risks, but plan for intentional, meaningful change in schools and then work together with the people around you to make it happen. I can discuss change in my school with friends across the world on Twitter, but when it comes down to it, change won’t happen without the help of colleagues across the hall.

2011 was fantastic, and I’m excited about beginning 2012. Take a risk and connect with someone in you building to find ways to make progress in your buildings. If we all work hard at home, we might see the broad change we’ve been talking about for so long.

As the year winds down, I find myself thinking frequently about all the change I’ve gone through. This post doesn’t have a particular theme or any real deep insights…more of a year-in-review.

— This time last year, I was in Thailand riding an elephant. It was probably one of the best experiences I’ve ever had and I think about it frequently. If anyone ever asks you to go to Thailand, stop what you are doing, and get on the airplane. You won’t regret it.

— I feel very blessed to have a home in the United States, but some days (many days) I do wish I lived a simpler life. Having the opportunity to travel within Asia really gave me perspective on how much I take for granted. I’m much more aware of the luxuries I have access to and I try and share that with my students, but it is very hard to communicate that feeling to others.

— Moving back to the US from abroad had more culture shock involved than moving abroad from the US.

— The power of connections through social media cannot be ignored. I searched for work for six months before connecting with Brett Clark in Evansville, IN. He contacted me to Skype into a learning session on the Flipped Classroom and it ended up being an interview for my current position. For that, I am extremely thankful.

— American public schools are in need of innovators and our students need people that care about more than standardized test scores. Learning has been killed by testing and I refuse to let the status quo proliferate in my classroom.

— Sometimes the best thing we can do for our schools is be present. We don’t always need to be vocal about making changes. Change happens naturally from practice, not from always being “that guy.” Cause more ripples in the pond…don’t drop bombs all the time.

— I need to celebrate failure as much as (more than?) successes. That is including student failure alongside my own. I have been extremely aware of learning through mistakes lately.

— Learning is important to me, but I need to take times to step back and let my brain rest.

— When I let my brain rest, it usually means my body is working hard. I helped build a garage last weekend and it was great to be outside working with my hands, even though I know nothing about building anything more substantial than a pillow fort.

— My wife and I did homemade Christmas gifts this year and I am thinking about making that the norm rather than a one-time deal. We still bought small gifts for one another, but the bulk of our gift-giving was DIY. I feel much more excited about giving this year than I have in the past.

— Driving between our families’ homes is tiring, but it is so nice to be able to actually drive between homes during the break.

— I have a lot of work coming up once break is over, but that is a full week away. Right now, I am home, with my family, and that is where I need to be.

Take time this year to be present. Don’t just exist in the room, but invest in your parents, your spouse, your kids, or whoever you’re with. Be intentional about looking people in the eye and connecting this year. Focus on the same with your students when we go back to school. But above all: continue to learn, continue to grow.

I recently overheard a conversation in which two teachers were discussing a particular student that came to school and simply “existed.” He didn’t engage, didn’t turn work in, and didn’t seem to have any interest in learning. The conversation ended with: “Why does he even come to school?”

It is easy to jump into teacher mode to answer that question. We see the value in life-long learning and the intrinsic value of education. We know that sometimes, the stuff we learn in school does come back to haunt us. But, many times, much of what we’re teaching kids (the curriculum) won’t come back around, especially in the sciences.

So, my question is, who is at fault? Is it the student’s fault for not caring, or is it my fault for poor teaching?

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Why are the mitochondria important? What does it matter to me if plant cells use sunlight to smash carbon dioxide and water into sugars? What is so special about DNA?

These are questions kids ask every day in their heads, and they’re questions we tend to gloss over.

I believe part of the answer to this problem lies in choice. When content is dictated and isolated, we’re taking away opportunities for deeper questions. But, part of changing that paradigm is giving up some control. We have to be okay with kids asking hard questions…even questions we don’t know the answer to. Push learning by taking seemingly unrelated concepts and asking the kids to synthesize and theorize the connections. Celebrate mistakes and failure; encourage collaboration and debate.

We are partially responsible for the disengagement of many kids in our schools. The plow through finals week has been bringing me back to that truth. I keep asking myself why we put kids through a multiple choice test to see what they know. Even essay questions are limited in scope as they still rely on recall of facts.

I would much rather see what they can do. But, that transition is difficult…and scary.

I don’t know the student from the story at the top of the page, but I do have students that are in similar places. Disconnected, irrelevant information isn’t interesting to them…why is that such a surprise? The times I’ve given choice and freedom are when I’ve gotten some great response. I’m still responsible for dragging a few through the mud, but at least they’re more open to letting me drag them.

…or, “The Difference Between a Fad and a Usable, Meaningful Tool is the Teacher.”

I missed #EdChat…again. It’s one of the downsides of living just inside the Central Time Zone border. The 12PM EdChat is during a class, before my lunch hour. The evening EdChat is during the dinner hour, before my work block at home. It’s a no win situation.

It does provide me a chance, though, to scan through the feeds and see some of the comments made during the hour. I can also always go back and read the archive maintained by the amazing Jerry Swiatek. I noticed a couple of tweets immediately this evening when I was catching up concerning the Flipped Classroom, which prompted this post.

I think the flipped classroom is here to stay for a variety of reasons, but I’ll narrow it down to the top three or four I end up discussing most frequently.

1) The Flipped Classroom is more than watching Khan Academy videos at home every night.

This is probably the biggest argument I get against the Flipped Classroom…all we’re doing is moving class time into homework time (I’m not going to get in the homework argument right now). The short answer is yes, we do move instruction to time outside of class, but it is so much more than simply throwing video into the mix. I’m sure that most of the time I’m preaching to the choir on this blog, but we all know that “technology integration” is a much bigger challenge than putting a YouTube video on your class website for kids to watch.

The use of video-as-instruction was best described by my friend, Ramsey Musallam. He says that the purpose of the video is to offset the cognitive load that comes along with learning new material.

There are times where direct instruction (or lecture…you choose) is appropriate for the task you are trying to accomplish (see paragraph 4, about linear regression). We are simply using video to remove that portion of direct instruction. We can then maximize collaboration, interaction, and synthesis of new material or content during class because we aren’t spending 30-40 minutes lecturing at the front.

I teach in an urban district where biology isn’t really important to many of my kids. The flipped classroom helps me increase engagement and interest because they can choose when to do their work. They’ve never been given this choice…they’ve never had the opportunity to set their own schedule (within reason…there is much more than what I’m speaking to at the moment) and because I am trusting them, they are learning about things that matter to them. I truly don’t believe my classes would look the way they do if I were the one driving instruction all day, every day.

2) The Flipped Classroom promotes bad pedagogy.

I agree totally with this statement. I would also argue that traditional classrooms can promote bad pedagogy, but we don’t make a big fuss over those because they’re “tried and tested teachers.” We should always be trying to improve our pedagogy, regardless of what we call our method. The Flipped Classroom does not make you a magical and inspiring teacher…your kids might resent your more for it because you’re pushing them to go beyond the give-and-take education they’ve had up until now.

Looking at the class time we’re opening up by time-shifting content delivery, good teachers will fill it with learning experiences, labs, discussions, problem-solving, assimilation work, and creative work that expands upon and enhances the content. Regardless of the methods, we should be providing those opportunities for learners in our schools. But, we either A) waste time with lecture in class, or B) have the time, but choose to fill it with worksheets because they’re easier.

I can be a bad teacher regardless of what methods I choose to use. Pedagogy must come first, and the flipped classroom is not excused from that expectation.

3) The Flipped Classroom can’t work for English and Social Studies, so it won’t ever become a major tool.

While I do agree that the flipped class is mostly centered in science and math right now, I do know of many other classes in the humanities (English, history, reading or writing workshop classes, economics) that are using flipped classroom ideas.

Remember, the flipped classroom isn’t a prescribed methodology…it is an ideology that uses technology to expand the classroom and allow more time for inquiry, discussion, debate…fill in the rest for your particular class. It is a choice to offset as much direct instruction in a medium that is appropriate for your learners. That may be videos, it may be articles, it might be a project. It doesn’t matter how it is being done, but rather that it is being done at all.

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Now, back to my title. Notice that the constant in each section above is a teacher that is working hard for their students. We are not replacing the teacher with the soft glow of a computer screen. We are not relegating kids to computer labs and cubicles. The teacher is present and active…a member of the learning community. Rather than being a dispenser of information, the teacher is an active learner with the group. We are there for support and guidance, not as sages or simply another reference. Our questioning and probing should drive deeper understanding and ownership if the content.

Fads come and go because while they’re fun and work to help engagement in the moment, they don’t do much to push learning in the long run. Meaningful change happens when teachers, students, parents, administrators, and other community members come together to support student growth in any form.

The Flipped Classroom isn’t a passing phase…I think it is a middle-ground from 100% lecture-driving instruction to a mix of direct instruction, creative thinking, collaborative learning, and application of content. I am only in my third year of teaching, so I feel extremely fortunate to have found this so early. This is all I know, and it makes sense to me. For those of you that have been teaching for 10, 20, or even 30 years, the Flipped Classroom is a great bridge to more student-led classes.

There is a continually growing network of people from around the world and across all content that are looking for your expertise. Check the Flipped Class Network out and see what is really going on behind the scenes.

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For a longer, more in-depth look at the Flipped Classroom, you can read The Flipped Class Manifest written by myself and others that address the issues above and more.

I co-wrote an article on the flipped classroom with several other outspoken flipped class advocates. It is posted on thedailyriff.com, but I can point you to the original document if you would rather read it there. The authors were:

Myself

Aaron Sams – Twitter

Jon Bergmann – Twitter

Karl Fisch – Twitter

Dan Spencer – Twitter

Troy Cockrum – Twitter

Ramsey Musallam – Twitter

Jerry Overmyer – Twitter

You can read the article here on The Daily Riff.

Before Thanksgiving break, I gave my classes a short evaluation. It was totally anonymous and they were asked about things they liked, things they disliked, and things they would change. To be totally honest, reading the responses was both easy and difficult. Some were good and gave constructive criticism on how to address issues I knew existed. On the other hand, some made (personal?) attacks on my classes and my style of teaching. I know the flipped class is different than any other class, so I didn’t expect glowing evaluations from the kids because it has been a hard year for many of them.

Anyways, I’m not one to commiserate an evaluation, so I addressed issues today in class and apologized for my shortcomings and promised to try to do better for the end of the semester. I found this note from a learner on my desk after school:

Don’t blame yourself for our mistakes. You are making tasks as simple as possible. You are a really good teacher and a lot of students take advantage, I know becuz even I do it. I’m sorry.

*Take Pride*

The person that wrote this is not the one I would have picked to offer an encouraging note to their hardest teacher. Notes like this remind me not to take for granted the impact, positive or negative, I have in a child’s life.

I don’t find my meaning in affirming notes, but they sure do help me remember not to miss the bigger lessons.

I’m trying to capture the small moments each day with short posts. I feel like I glaze over these moments too quickly and I lose out on one of the joys of teaching.

Today, I had a chance to work with a couple of girls really struggling with a concept. I rephrased, remediated, and gave new examples. The frustration was tangible and you could tell they were thinking harder than they’d been asked to in a while.

Then, it broke. The light bulbs went on and the got it. And I mean they got it.

Meaning gets lost in quick answers. I could have easily just told them what to do step-by-step, but at what cost? It is painful to watch and our instincts as teachers tell us to swoop in and save the day. Let the kids struggle sometimes. It’s worth the pain.

I had an interesting conversation with our pre-service teacher this morning concerning a make up quiz she had given to her chemistry class. In short, the learner used “ammonia” for her answer to the prompt “NH₃.” In chemistry, this is perfectly acceptable as “ammonia” is used regularly, even though it is a common term for a substance. It is widely recognized and the learner demonstrated her knowledge.

The teacher was not planning on giving credit for the answer because it “was a lucky guess.” I asked this teacher if she gave instructions not to use common names or other synonyms, and she said no. This, of course, led to a discussion about what we’re really trying to assess in classes.

Are we asking kids to take in and repeat a specific response? Or are we asking kids to demonstrate their knowledge? If we are pushing for freedom in learning, there should there be freedom in demonstration. Changes in a system cannot be isolated from one another. We cannot expect kids to think freely and creatively when learning the content and then try to stifle the creativity or independent thinking when it comes to assessment.

I don’t know if she’ll take my advice or even think about what I was trying to get across. Everything we do sends a message to learners, parents, and other teachers. Think about the message you are sending in everything you do and continue to work hard for a better system.

I’m a glass-half-full kind of guy. I think to be a teacher, you have to be. If I didn’t have the ability to look on the bright side, I wouldn’t want to go back the next day. Part of that is because of the stories I see and hear each day. Some of my kids go through heartbreak and deal with bigger issues than I’ve ever had to. I do my best each day to give wisdom and good advice and I try to encourage and build as much as I can. Another reason to be optimistic is to combat the fear of failure. And I fail. A lot. But, I recognize that I fail a lot because I try new things. A lot.

I’m always looking for new ways to do things in my classes. I’m never satisfied with what we were able to do…I want something to go more smoothly, to wrap up nice and neat. But, whenever you’re working with other people, especially young people, perfection rarely happens. In fact, I’m not sure I think it should ever happen. There should always be a loose end that drives learners to want to know more than what you gave a taste of. We are, after all, trying to spark curiosity and a desire to learn more.

When we hear about new ways to do things, we tend to look at barriers. It’s in our nature. What can go wrong? How can we avoid failure? How can we prevent x or y from happening? That’s good planning and it is good to exercise prudence. But, when you’re at the front of any group, physically or metaphorically, there is risk involved. We may be planners, but we’re not prophets…we cannot see the outcomes of our risks. We can only effect change as much as we’re willing to put into taking a risk.

Is risk inherent in the changes we’re trying to make? For example, is a change in methodology or practice risky because of the pedagogical change? In some cases, yes. I am not going to start letting my chemistry learners play with flame and gas to learn about the rapid expansion of hot gases. There is inherent risk in that change because of burns, property damage, etc.

What kinds of changes are we afraid to make because of the change in school culture that would be required? It is risky enough to change a small piece and the risk factor increases as it begins to challenge the culture more directly. You will be an outlier, but that is the risk that is appropriate when trying to change an established system.

Schools are cultural hubs and to change education, we need to change the culture of schools. Every day, we bring in millions of young people that will be changing the world before we know it. Are we teaching and demonstrating willingness to take risks? Are we embracing and learning from those risks? Far too often, we are discouraging and even punishing risky learning behavior.

I am not a master of risk-taking. I probably won’t ever go skydiving or learn to wrangle alligators. But, I am willing to dive in and try new things. Sometimes, the experiments and changes are a spectacular failure. Other times, they are spectacular successes. Either way, we learn together from the outcomes. But it takes a willingness to accept either outcome.

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This post stems partially from meeting Stephen Harris, principal of the Sydney Center for Innovation in Learning in Sydney, Australia. Also, from following the Anastasis Academy in Lone Tree, CO, outside of Denver. Both of these schools pushed for change in the face of great failure and have become two of the best examples of learning done right. Thank you.

A few weeks ago, I came to Twitter lamenting the abysmal grades from a quiz I had given. You’d think I had learned my lesson at that point…well, I didn’t. I gave another quiz today and I didn’t even finish grading the stack of papers. That got me thinking about what I’m really running into problems with.

Having spent significant time overseas, I feel like I have a better appreciation of culture now that I’m back in the United States. I also see the American school culture through a new lens. I am convinced American schools have not only trained kids not to think, but also to resist thinking as much as they can by the time they graduate. I would even go so far as to label it as one of the greatest failures of this nation. Our schools are not set up [allowed] to foster true independent thought. I am having such a hard time teaching this year because I am asking every one of my learners to un-learn the previous eight to ten years of their lives. That’s a lot of un-learning that needs to happen.

* * *

I had a discussion with my Honors Biology classes today. Many of them are frustrated because they continue to struggle in the course. To be fair, I do ask a lot of my honors classes. But, these are also highly-motivated learners that need to be pushed. Many of my learners feel that my quizzes are unfair because they don’t look like what we studied or the worksheet we did in class to start learning the content.

This is question two from the quiz I gave today:

There are several organelles that are involved in the packaging and movement of proteins through the cell. Name two or three and defend your choices.

Again, my ultimate goal is to turn these learners into independent thinkers.

* * *

I read a post during lunch today by Becky Bair called Baby Steps: Growing Self-Directed Learners, and I am very grateful for whoever tweeted it out. It spoke to my problems and frustration and I was reminded that I am not the only one facing this fight right now.

Culture is partially defined by the “scholarly ambitions” of a group of people. Right now, the American culture of education is not in a good place. There is a cultural battle over a variety of changes and interests. We must remember that amidst all of the debates and policies, we spend every day with the most important part of a school: the learners.

Our responsibility is not to the test. It isn’t to the principal, the superintendent, or even Congress. Our responsibility is to the learners that come through our doors and to the communities we work in. Our responsibility is to change the culture from one of making the grade to one that centers on creativity, innovation, and novelty.

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This is my 75th post and I want to sincerely thank each member of my PLN for the encouragement and advice you have shared with me. I can truly say that if I wasn’t connected to such an amazing group of educators and advocates of education, I wouldn’t be the teacher I am. I feel blessed to be a part of a culture of change in the schools.

Last weekend I had the privilege of attending EdCamp: Grand Rapids hosted by the extraordinary Ron Houtman. About 100 educators from all over Michigan (and a couple from Indiana) came together to talk about current education practice, major shifts in policy, and pretty much anything else under the sun.

At the conference I had the chance to listen to Ira Socol lead a discussion on his views of technology in schools today. While Ira and I don’t agree very much on some ideas about technology, we both agree that technology should not be implemented in blanket fashion across the board.

I tweeted this during the session:

[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/#!/bennettscience/status/132804061748662273″]

I rarely include my own tweets in my blog posts, but I’ve really been thinking about this a lot since Saturday.

Ira is 100% correct in the fact that schools should not be spending thousands of dollars on blanket technology integration plans if there is no meaningful technology training plan that comes with it. School leaders are investing in technology to save their schools rather than investing in a competent, professional, highly-supported and highly-trained staff to implement the use technology effectively. I think the most egregious example of this is the rise [and fall] of interactive white boards. With tablet availability and handheld power in each of our learner’s hands, what is happening with these boards that are supposed to revolutionize our teaching? Nothing. They hang on the wall as the world’s most expensive piece of whitespace.

The problem isn’t with the technology. Technology is a thing…it can’t help or save a school. For that matter, it can’t make a school fail. What it can do is give teachers a chance to do something better than they used to. But, in order for that to happen, the leaders in our school systems have to recognize that meaningful and innovative use of technology only comes with the proper professional development and investment in staff learning resources.

I am not the first person to write about this, nor will I be the last. But, as we move into a more technological society and a more polarized society over education, we as teachers and administrators must recognize that an investment in technology only has supplemental value. The innovation that technology is so often heralded for for is already in the building, waiting for its investment.

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You can read more of Ira’s thoughts and research on his blog, SpeEd Change

I spent some time this afternoon updating my grade book. Like most of us, grading is my least favorite part of teaching and I have a nasty habit of putting it off for longer than I should. I end up having marathon grading stints after school and it usually seems to coincide with other things I would rather be doing.

Anyways, I was putting grades into the book and I began thinking about what I’m going to call “count down” grading and “count up” grading. Very technical.

Currently, my grading is quasi-standards based, where learners are rated on a one to four scale for each learning objective based on an evaluation of some sort. Each person starts with a zero, for no experience, and can progress at any time to a four, which is a class expert. If they are at a level four, they know that they can be called upon to tutor small groups and teach others. It works really well and I have reliable people to help foster collaboration in the class. Learners have told me that it is encouraging to work this way because they can see their learning increasing through the chapter (or quarter, etc) as they gain new skills. This is “count up.”

That all sounds great, but the grade book can cause some concerns for people that aren’t familiar with the system. Until the learner attempts the concept, they are a zero. As a zero, they are not being punished for incompletion or missing work. It is simply a place holder until something is put in there. It helps them keep track of where they are and what they need to be working on. At times, though, there are mild panic attacks because of the number that is associated with their names.

I began thinking about some other books I’ve seen, where learners all begin with full credit (the proverbial “clean sheet”) and are then whittled down over time through testing, homework, or whatever other assignments are put in. I haven’t used a system like this, but I have known teachers that make sure everyone starts at 100% and then works down by artificially setting the grades at the start of each new quarter. This is “count down” grading.

I know this narrative is painfully biased, but I think it is an important questions for practicing teachers to ask themselves (constant evaluation and adaptation) as well as for teachers in training to ponder before they hit the class. Are you using grades to show the learning process? Or are grades simply an average of scores through the year?

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On a side note, I would abolish grades if I could, but that’s not the system we live in. Until that day comes, I’ll do the best I can.

I went to Kentucky this weekend to visit my parents. It was a great weekend and I’m glad I was able to spend some time away from thinking about teaching or grading. We all need refreshers…make sure you take them periodically.

When I returned home Sunday afternoon, I had a stack of exams waiting to be graded. We have just finished a chapter on biomolecules (proteins, carbs, lipids, etc) and I gave a test to check their understanding. Typically, I give a few multiple choice as a quick check over some basic content, but the rest of the test is written, applied knowledge that asks for reasoning and defense. The questions are open-ended and allow for varied responses based on their interests and personal growth.

These tests had more blanks in responses that I have ever seen. Needless to say, I was pretty frustrated with the results. I finished the grading, threw the number at the top of the page, and put them away. Where had I gone wrong? They got it in class when we played games or discussed…why the disconnect?

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Fast forward to Monday morning. I saw this tweet from Stacy Roshan when I got to school:

"Education system is not designed to cultivate our natural talents" via @SirKenRobinson keynote

—Stacey Roshan (@buddyxo) October 31, 2011

I love the RSA Animate video of Sir Ken Robinson’s talk. I watched it earlier this year, but I went back and watched it again. My problem is that I’m continuing to teach and assess in linear fashions. I have missed the inherent genetics of learning.

Learning is not linear. Learning is not prescribed. Learning cannot be pigeonholed into separate chunks of discrete knowledge that are measured by tests alone.

Learning is dirty. Learning is exciting. Learning should be personalized, varied, and integrated.

The greatest struggle I have is changing my own teaching paradigm, not getting kids to write on a test. I try to challenge myself to think outside of my box of training, but I still struggle to actually work outside the box. We are doing a disservice to learners by continuing to test and use those scores as gauges of their learning. My kids didn’t fill out my test because it was boring…it didn’t ask for relevance and it certainly didn’t give any chance for creativity.

Do they get a free pass on this one? No. I need to correct my mistakes, but learners also need to recognize the fact that leaving a blank does not help the situation. We’ll spend some time remediating and then move forward.

So, how do we reconcile the dichotomy? I have no idea. I am still responsible for preparing them for the state exam in May…but, I am not going to worry so much about the single exams. It is a struggle and it is the reality of education today. But if we give up and give in, then we’re not helping anybody in the long run.

I wasn’t planning on writing this afternoon, but I saw a post on Twitter from Steven Anderson,

and it really got me thinking. What is innovation? I can see what Steven is getting at. What happens when everyone is innovating…is that not innovation anymore?

I thought for a minute and sent back this reply,

As I teach longer, I keep finding that I think the best practices in the classroom are not necessarily putting the class agenda on the whiteboard or using a word wall to help teach vocabulary or literacy. Those are things…they aren’t at the root of doing what I do. When it comes down to it, I think best practices are really a combination of how we think about teaching and what that thinking causes us to do.

I can dream all day long about how I can innovate in my room…I do that every day. I think that is part of the Achilles heel of technology. There is always something new that we want to try, but we have to have the tech to make it happen. Would I turn down a class set of iPads? No way. But is not having them going to stop me from trying new things? Absolutely not.

Innovation isn’t always thinking about new ways to do things. We aren’t in the business of thinking…we’re in the business of doing. And that includes failure. I am an innovator because I am willing to try those crazy ideas. I may never use them again and I may not change the world with it, but that doesn’t make me any less of an innovator. It’s all in your mind.

The flipped class has been coming up more and more in discussions and blog posts recently. My guess is that it has something to do with Salman Khan’s lucrative relationship with Bill Gates and the media’s attention on their speaking tours. I feel like a broken record with this post, but it is something that needs to be written again.

The flipped class is not about the videos.

Popular media sees the flipped classroom as video being used in the classroom to teach children. I would like to state again that video can be used in the classroom to help differentiate for all learners. The flipped classroom started this way, but it has evolved into so much more than using videos in the class when implemented effectively.

Video itself will not help kids achieve more in your class. The flipped classroom is about making connections with learners and differentiating your instruction. If videos are a part of that multi-faceted plan, great. If they are not, still great. The flipped class is an ideology, not a methodology.

Personally, I use video because it is a tool that helps me meet remediation needs for learners that have missed class or for learners that just need more time with material. For chemistry, I am in my second year using a flipped class, and the video has taken a huge jump to the backseat as I have more time to work on engaging class activities and labs. Again, video is for remediation and review rather than content delivery.

There has been more positive news coming around about the flipped class being used in great ways across the country. For instance, Troy Cockrum was featured in an NPR article that looked at YouTube being used in the classroom. I’m glad Troy brought it around to the connections made with learners, because that is the true power of the model. Another talks about everything except the videos, again, because they are the least important part of the model. Earlier this month, Aaron Sams wrote a fantastic piece of theimplementation styles of a flipped class. Again, none of these methods rely solely on video or even use video at all. It is an idea, not a method.

The video isn’t important. The relationships, the discussions, and the experiences matter. We know that already. Regardless of what methods or ideas you use in your room, let’s continue to focus on what helps learners learn best.

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This is mainly in response to the #edchat discussion on October 11, 2011 and David Wees’ blog post about using Khan Academy as content delivery in his class. Both the chat and David are great and I appreciate the challenges and direction they’ve both contributed to my growth.

First quarter drew to a close this past Friday. I, along with the rest of the school, have been frantically working to find missing assignments, compile grades, and try to provide meaningful feedback with the pre-determined statements given to us. Such fun.

I’ve been reflecting a lot over how the quarter has gone and I must admit, I have mixed feelings. I feel like there have been some successes to celebrate, but there are still some glaring holes (glaring to me, at least) that need to be filled in.

Foremost, I am not happy with my grading policy. It worked well for me last year, but this year it is far from adequate. As I looked through my grade book, I was not happy with the number of routine assignments that found there way in as the quarter progressed. To be quite honest, I’m disappointed with my lack of diligence in grading only the meaningful assignments. This has led to inflated grades for the learners playing the school game, and deflated grades for the kids that are trying hard (in many cases) but falling short of the “standard.” I need to redefine the standard. To rectify and move forward, I’m going to:

1. Focus on assessing skill-based, multi-faceted work that truly displays their understanding.
2. Using varied assessments to check learner growth.
3. Providing meaningful feedback on everything and anything that affects their grade.

As I was walking back to my classroom this afternoon, I passed a couple of learners in the hall talking about their grades. I don’t have either of these individuals in my class, nor do I know what class they were discussing, but that is beside the point.

What stuck in my head is when the girl said, “I’m afraid to look at my grade…I don’t even want to know.”

I began to wonder if kids talk about my class that way. How am I using grades? Are they punitive and discouraging, or is it a report of current progress in the class? I would hope that it is the latter, but I’m not sure.

Something to chew on.

As some of my followers noticed near the end of last week, I had a moment of weakness after my toughest class. I’ve been very frustrated with having to micromanage their learning using a flipped model, and it really has made me think hard. Long story short, I’m not giving up on a flipped class or a standards-based model, but I do need to make some major adjustments.

Scott MacClintic was great enough to take some of his afternoon to talk with me directly, and he strongly suggested that I read Daniel Pink’s Drive as it has to do with motivation in a variety of settings.

I bought the book that night.

I’m only about 1/3 of the way through right now, but I’ve learned some very important lessons already.

1. I use too many “carrots and sticks” with my learners. I ask for creative, insightful work, but then I slap a grade on it, taking away all meaning of the work they’re doing. I’m trying to use bits and pieces from two conflicting worlds. No wonder I’ve been having problems.
2. Grades and extra credit cannot be used to push learners forward. I find myself defaulting to the “you’re being graded on this” line to “motivate” my kids to do the work they’re supposed to be doing at the moment. Again, external pushing does not lead to higher thinking from learners. If they don’t see the value in it, why am I pushing it?
3. Resist the urge to tighten my grip. I need to stop micromanaging the class and learn to co-manage with the learners. I want them to be self-directed, but I’m giving fewer and fewer opportunities rather than more and more. Learning from mistakes is important, but I need to give them chances to make mistakes in the first place.

I’m sure this will be sparking more posts in the future.