Looking to make changes in your classroom? Book rec: Shift This!

By Kim Miklusak

Are you looking for a way to shake up your classroom space or instructional practices?  Are you a mid-career or veteran teacher who is looking for a new way to accomplish your classroom goals?  Are you a new teacher looking for a way to start off your practice in a new way?  Pick up the book Shift This by Joy Kirr!

I first "met" Joy when I attended the ISTE Conference in Atlanta...except Joy wasn't even there that year!  I went to a session on #GeniusHour, another name for a very similar practice of the 20% Time Project that I was hoping to implement for a unit in our American Literature course.  I connected with Joy via Twitter and found out that quite by chance she teaches in a district right near mine.  She was only too happy to meet, share her resources on her Live Binder site, and connect me with others who were doing similar projects.  This one shift in one of my units has influenced my teaching over the past few years as elements of it have seeped into more of my courses.

Image used with permission of the author

But that wasn't the only lesson I picked up from interacting with Joy on Twitter.  She has systematically moved to make her classroom space more student-centered, getting rid of her desk, having student working stations, and even broadcasting student voice and work on Twitter.  I made little steps: I moved my desk to the side, I opened my closet for students to take their own supplies...and eventually I moved to getting rid of my desk.  These little changes over the years have made such a difference.

Most recently I have picked up from Joy the importance of #First5Days.  What we do in the first week of our classroom sets the stage for our year.  Do we review rules?  Or do we jump right into getting to know students or starting our learning.  Every little shift makes the difference.

Book Review

Image used with permission of the author

The best thing about all of this is that Joy then went and put all of her excellent and practical ideas into her book.  Each chapter centers on a different area: classroom environment, homework, grading, student-directed learning, and more.  She shares her stories in her own voice and describes the processes she went through to change.  She acknowledges it isn't always easy but stresses that we don't all have to shift at once or even shift in every area.

But what she does do is start each chapter with questions that we as teachers may have that we hope to consider and resolve.  She then provides very clear examples of how she has done this in her classroom (including some photos!), external resources for more information, and note taking sections for us to reflect on our own practices.

Next Steps

If you're interested in more information, I would begin by following Joy on Twitter.  And if you'd like to do more of a book study with a virtual learning cohort, please reach out to the CollabLab as we will be doing a book study and chat with Joy and peers over three weeks starting in April.

Student Voice: Business Incubation & App Creation

This week the CollabLab welcomes guest bloggers Sean and Wendy, both juniors at Elk Grove HS.

Hi, I’m Sean Duffy and I partnered with my classmate, Wendy Rosenquist, to create our business, Údar. Both Wendy and I attend Elk Grove High School. We are part of the brand new EGHS Business Incubator program, which provides us with the resources and determination to create and pursue our business. In this new class, students, such as ourselves, are placed into a supportive environment where they are allowed to create their very own businesses. In its starting year, Elk Grove's Business Incubator program had 14 unique businesses that competed against each other in front of a panel of judges in order to continue on to compete against Wheeling High School's winning business incubator teams.

Údar won first place in Elk Grove High School's "Shark Tank" competition and went forth to face Wheeling's teams in D214's first ever Start Up Showcase. Once again Údar won the competition in a decisive tie between a rivaling businesses from Wheeling High School. From this experience I can say without a doubt that this new class offers a new and unique experience in learning while also bringing forth an exciting opportunity to gain an excellent foothold as a business in the real world! We can say that we will be taking this class once again without a doubt and we look forward to any competitors that are prepared to enter the EGHS business incubator program!

From Udar's website: "We are a mobile game meant for fun and enjoyment! Everyone has a story to tell, and that's where we come in. Check out our promo video below to learn more!"  Follow them on Twitter @Udar!

In-Service Day Preview: Spark Sessions & EdCamp

This Monday the CollabLab will help facilitate a portion of our school's In-Service Day focusing on instructional technology.

First, we will be offering a 45-minute session of "Spark" Presentations. A Spark Presentation is a 3-5 minute presentation of an educational technology strategy that teachers employ with their students. These are not formal presentations;  think of a "spark presentation" as a kind of "show and tell." For example, Gary Alperin will share how he uses the student-response app Kahoot and Dean Burrier Sanchis will share how he uses his Weebly Website. We are planning to have Spark Presentations by 8-10 staff members. We already have several teachers who have volunteered, but we want to open this opportunity up to everyone. 


After this we will move into a mini-EdCamp.  EdCamps are "un-camps," free professional development for teachers and by teachers.  There are EdCamps hosted in many areas around the world.  Our local one is EdCamp Chicago, and the next meeting will May 9, at Bednarcik Junior High School.  Elk Grove will host its first "mini-camp."

At the start of the event, teachers come up and suggest a session they are interested in.  This does not mean that you are running it or presenting it; it just means that you are heading there to start talking about it.  The idea is you vote with your feet.  If you go to one session, and it is not what you need, or if there is more than one session you want to see, you simply get up in the middle of the session, and go to another one! Another aspect of EdCamps is the sharing of information. There will be an open Google document available for each session to share out ideas with those in and out of the workshop time.

Check out this site next week for reflections from the day!

New Realities in Education: The Internet of Things

Posted by Linda Ashida

Think about what school was like five years ago . . . And think how things have changed! Who could have predicted back then the future of Elk Grove High School? A school where every student would have a mobile device that would transform they way they learn. Five years ago, few people had even seen or used an iPad, and here we are preparing to be a full 1:1 iPad school for the 2015-16 school year!

So what will the future bring?

I think it is exciting to imagine future realities in education.  There will certainly be new and innovative developments that we cannot currently imagine.

I am intrigued to see what will develop with a new trend in technology that is beginning to spark interest with educators:  The Internet of Things (IoT).


If you haven't heard of IoT,  you might want to read "A Beginners Guide to the Internet of Things." In this article, Bonnie Cha explains:

Smart locks, smart thermostats, smart cars — you’ve probably heard some of these terms lately, and you’re going to hear them even more as the year goes on. But what are these things exactly — and what makes them so smart?

These devices are all part of an emerging category called the Internet of Things, or IoT for short. At its very basic level, IoT refers to the connection of everyday objects to the Internet and to one another, with the goal being to provide users with smarter, more efficient experiences.

So what does this have to do with education? How will IoT transform the way we learn and problem solve? Some answers are already coming out of the The University of Wisconsin's Internet of Things Laboratory.  They refer to it as an interdisciplinary "technology sandbox" where students and professors collaborate and design innovative projects to demonstrate the possbilities of IoT.  According to their website, "IoT will "transform the way we live, work, and play."  You can see some examples in the following video: Internet of Things 101: Inside the Latest Trend in Education.  

To see more examples of innovative student projects with IoT, check out the University of Wisconsin Internet of Things Website

Another article, "Can the Internet of Things make education more student-focused?" explores the impact of IoT on traditional school institutions.  According to author Max Meyers, "connected devices have the potential to drive new ways of teaching and transform the experience both for students and educators."

If you want to be even more fascintated by the possiblities of the Internet of Things, check out #IoT on Twitter!

It will be interesting to read this post five years from now to see just what unimagined things in education, including applications of IoT, have become realities.

1:1 Pathways to Success for All Students

Posted by Linda Ashida

Today we learned that our  iPad pilot proposal, "1:1 Pathways to Success for All Students," was approved. After 4 years of implementing iPad pilots at EGHS and reaching 85% 1:1 implementation, we presented this all-school 1:1 iPad proposal for the 2015-16 school year.

Building on the foundation of the existing 19 interdisciplinary pilots, our new all-school 1:1 proposal was written by an interdisciplinary team of staff from our entire counseling department, five different course teams (PE Advanced Strength and Conditioning, AP Biology, AP Environmental Science,  Leadership Through Service, and Personal Finance), with support from English and Chemistry teachers.  Special thanks go out to the staff members who committed countless hours to prepare and present an outstanding proposal to the District 214 Planning Team: Joe Bush, Scott Deutsch, Cindy D'Alessandro, Dawn Ferencz, Anthony Furman, Paul Genovese, Krista Glosson, Andrea Izenstark, Keith Kura, Maria Mroz, Deb Ohler, Ashley Phillips, Mike Radakovitz, Colin Rice, Alex Sanchez and Alex Stavropolous.   

To get an idea of our strong interdisciplinary collaboration and capacity to implement a school-wide 1:1 program at Elk Grove High School, check out this link to their presentation.

Our excitement and anticipation to continue our collaborative efforts to improve learning for our students was well-expressed by our Principal, Paul Kelly. After the district informed us that our proposal had been approved, he sent the following message to our staff:

Dear Staff,

I am extremely excited that Elk Grove High School will be a fully 1:1 iPad school next year!  All the work and energy you have put in to your technology efforts has been extremely impressive to anyone who sees it. In addition, the iPad pilot proposals at EG have been outstanding time after time. The amazing collaboration you engage in every day with your colleagues has made us an exemplary environment for learning, and our students are all stronger because of our shared emphasis on challenge, support, and patience. 

Most importantly, I am so proud of how you keep your eyes on the real LEARNING goals of our school. Your integration of technology in the interest of student mastery (not technology for technology's sake) is a model for any school to follow.  We are all at different levels of comfort and proficiency with iPads,

​but

 that is FINE!! 

​T

here is not a more supportive and collaborative environment than you will find among the staff of EGHS. No matter where you fall on the spectrum of iPad proficiency, you are

​each ​

truly talented at facilitating student learning,

​ which is​

always our primary goal.  

When the time comes for you to give it a go, you have colleagues of every iPad readiness level to help with the transitions.  In addition, we have a tremendous Instructional Technology Team whose goal is to support your efforts.  

​You'll be able to move at your own pace, knowing that there are pros all around to help you!​

I feel

​completely

 calm and confident moving forward

​, which is a testament to our incredible staff.  ​

​

 

​We are absolutely ready for this.  

Have a wonderful day,

Paul ​