Tinkering, playing around, experimenting: that’s learning. So when Kevin Hodgson [@dogtrax] read my “On Starting: A Poem for Three Voices,” he suggested recording those three voices in a podcast.
Kevin invited Melvina Kurashige [@mkurashige] and me to an online, collaborative sound recording tool called SoundTrap [there’s an app too.] With just a few tests and his great Google doc tutorial, we each recorded the voices for the poem. Melvina created the illustration [above] and Kevin added music and transferred the recording to SoundCloud.
I wanted to create an animation, but I did manage to create an illustrated version of our poem by drawing illustrations in SketchBook and importing them into iMovie. I downloaded the SoundCloud version and matched the timing of the recording to the images. I added in Melvina’s illustration and, of course, the credits.
I was impressed with how easy SoundTrap is use; a collaboration with students would work with a light learning curve. Imagine students creating their own poems for two voices, or creating a podcast for the school. See the SoundTrap Edublogs for more about an education edition. To get a feel for how to use it, check out their Tutorials at Vimeo.
I’d like to thank Kevin for making it happen — he wrote about it here: “Tinkering with Voices/Playing with Poems” — and to Melvina for accepting the invitation and taking the initiative to create the SketchNote of the poem.
Now, go tryout SoundTrap [there’s an app too.] in the free version to see its versatility, and then… share what you do with it! Really, you’ll have a blast.
I spend time each day to learn from others by reading their ideas linked to in tweets on Twitter. Before November 8th, this daily activity inspired me and my work; the twitter feed offered the opportunity to share, learn, grow, reciprocate, and remix to make the world a better place.
After November 8th, I took some time off. I found the world had shifted off the humane course of a world seeking peace– seeking liberty and justice for all. It careened of a cliff and away from but a call to:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
~Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson
I don’t know if you felt it, that tremble under your feet that knocks you off balance; a feeling of dread that the world beneath your feet is crumbling away. Before November 8th, our country opened up that joyous word: freedom — it acknowledged and upheld differences; it celebrated a world that includes everyone. Yes, places in the world were still horrific, and the world was trying to help that. Yes, sometimes the opportunities were not available as easily for some than others. Yet, we were as a country working on those. We were not perfect, but we were open; we had avenues to take to promote freedom and justice for all.
Then we elected oligarchs, white supremacists, anarchists, illiterates whose sole purpose is to disrupt and control.
I thought that the Republicans were American patriots — that they would see the evil in the actions and the power negating freedoms, but now they are complicit.
I am a fool; I thought our government of the people, by the people, and for the people through our elected representatives would govern for all the people.
I am a fool.
Today, I looked at the blogs of people I follow on Twitter. One post, My Un-Representative, by Alan Levine [@cogdog] really hit my heart- the ideas touched exactly how I’m feeling.
There are, indeed, more Republicans [red] than Democrats and others [blue].
Yes, we elected them, but how did we elect them? In fact, the Republicans selected us, the voters by rigging the voting districts. It’s called gerrymandering, and this January, 2016 Washington Post article explains this concept and this fact [bold, mine]:
The GOP scored 33 more seats in the House this election even though Democrats earned a million more votes in House races. Professor Jeremy Mayer says gerrymandering distorts democracy. (The Fold/The Washington Post)
I knew gerrymandering existed, but did not think it was that bad, and in fact, I thought my state [Washington] was fair with a bi-partisan system. It turns out I’m wrong: Read the DailyKos article on why this doesn’t work either.
Some resources to correct the effects of gerrymandering:
Still, despite knowing about gerrymandering, I’m still a fool. Because although there are more red than blue representatives and senators, I believed they represented ALL the people, not just their party.
Yes, I thought the people elected still had to be Americans and consider all Americans in their elected responsibility as my representative in the House or Senate.
Yes, I believe in our freedoms, our rights, and the freedom to live one’s life in one’s own way.
That means that our representatives need to consider all the people, to hold up those rights for all Americans. In the past, we have expected our rights to extend to anyone in our country. But that was then, now we have the inhumane, unAmerican travel ban.
Since we all live with others, freedom comes with responsibilities. One of those is to respect the freedoms and ideas of others, which I certainly expect my congresspersons to do.
Respect means listening to and accepting other ideas, tolerating that which is different, and acknowledging ways to allow those differing ideas a voice and a life in our complex and dynamic communities. I expect this of our elected officials in Congress.
In my classroom, it means we have a talking stick, a Native American way to hand off a time to share and give one’s voice [and everyone has a voice to solve an issue].
Another responsibility key to our democracy is compromise. We find common ground so that our country of diverse ideas and cultures can live together in peace and respect. I expect that elected officials work together to compromise so all people are represented, not just the elected person’s party.
And in my classroom, sometimes we compromise on how we spend our time– some students want more time with the teacher and others want to work in their own small groups. I shorten up my part, and then students set their goals and work in the areas and ways that best help them succeed in their projects.
In order to compromise, listening and understanding respectfully is a must and so is cooperation. I expect that when a law is created, that bi-partisan cooperation takes precedence over party political manipulation.
In my classroom, students and I cooperate– giving each other ideas and feedback on our writing or videos or blogposts. We help each other be successful.
Sometimes issues are so complicated, that we need to collaborate to get things done — the people we elect need to research and present different ideas to each other in order to analyze what would work best to solve the issue in cooperation and compromise.
In the classroom, sometimes students have different jobs [researcher, interviewer, composer] and sometimes they have parts of topics for which they are responsible for so when their team meets, everyone has part of the information needed to complete a project. That’s collaboration, which then requires cooperation and compromise respectfully to consider and solve the big picture issue.
I know these concepts: freedom, respect, compromise, cooperation, and collaboration work together — and I know that they work because that’s how things happen in the real world.
So I’m expecting the elected officials, Democrat, Republican, Independents, work together for all Americans, and not just for their party.
How about you?
Look for and support those officials who seek each other out and begin the listening process to uphold the Constitution and our American values which are now under siege by the current and very lost administration. Help them find the way back to the great America, the one that fought for and created laws — not for order — but for liberty and justice for all.
The answer is blowing’ in the wind — and we must listen in freedom for all to find the answers together.
Leaders empower their organization’s members; they do not dictate to or manage them. How do leaders empower their people? With a shared vision, a leader finds within each member a strength which promotes that vision. A leader lets the person know, and encourages that person in that area, building on that talent. That first step to knowing one’s team members is the first step towards building the trust that allows each member to speak up, knowing their leader supports their work.
Teachers will grow professionally when their administrators take a personal interest in their careers. When teachers feel cared for, just like students, it goes a long way toward creating a great school culture.
Carolyn Jensen, principal for Parkland School Division
In many schools both students and teachers find themselves in a data swamp where the focus on remediation, interventions, and weaknesses under the guise of “school improvement” mean only negative conversations, expectations, and program implementations to improve text scores. Any recognition of what teachers have done well is undermined by mandates and requirements and meetings that tear at their professionalism. And leaders find themselves stuck in the muck of those mandates and struggle to clear the path for a focus on students as whole persons, not failures.
People who do have the opportunity to focus on their strengths every day are six times as likely to be engaged in their jobs and more than three times as likely to report having an excellent quality of life in general.” Tim Rath
Clearly we need to make sure our educators and students have ample opportunity to explore and practice in areas which they thrive. George Couros
So, What about mentoring members for improvement? Think about this from Tom Rath and George Couros:
If we want our team members to be actively engaged rather than disengaged and compliant, we, as peers, and leaders must focus on strengths. But how does that help us lead to mentoring?
Great leaders practice balancing trust and autonomy while providing strong mentorship…pushing others’ thinking and abilities by asking questions and challenging perceptions without micro-managing.
Chapter eight provided a great example of how to push thinking. Mandates are often categories of requirements, so why not form teams around those requirements — let members choose according to their interests. Remind them of their strengths, and give each team autonomy as they apply each one’s strengths to work together from their professional knowledge to innovate the solutions that would best fit the students’ strengths as well. What would happen?
While we supported and learned from one another, we also pushed each other to be better. The teachers and staff started to see each other as experts and valued their contribution and expertise.
Each individual is recognized for his or her own unique qualities and how those strengths support the overall vision of learning for our school
Grow the solutions locally. Build that community of professionals. Within that community, members see each other’s strengths, and merge their unique ideas into a focused solution based on that school’s students’ needs. Only then, when all members feel supported, does trust and collaboration move the organization forward. Without the input from professionals themselves, the culture is built only on compliance, not engagement, not empowerment, and teachers do not see or feel their value. With professionals who believe in themselves, are supported for their strengths, and participate with those strengths towards the school vision, then a culture of learning forms, and teachers and students begin to ask, “What else could I do to support our vision?” And that’s where teachers begin to mentor each other.
Learning is messy, and we have to be comfortable with risk, failure, growth, and revision.
What is the balance? Find and trust in the strengths of the people in your organization; bring the ideas from those strengths into the process of deciding solutions to issues. Model risk-taking with one’s own strengths and begin the journey of trust-building so that the members begin to question how to improve themselves.
Key to this issue of strengths-based leadership is taking the time to talk with your people, to never stop encouraging, recognizing, and supporting their leadership to make the school great for students. It’s specific, it’s modeling the expectation of celebration, it’s providing that celebration individually and for teams. It’s not a reward or announcement: it’s recognition and letting them know the value of their work to the school. The emphasis is on the doing and succeeding in small steps, and that their work and ideas make it happen and let it continue. It’s an ongoing conversation of the collaboration and commitment that teachers accept to get our job done.
Two questions suggested for this journey:
Describe your dream position next year, what would it be? George Couros
Where do you see your career in the next three to five years? Carolyn Jensen
Now, how do the answers help build the organization by letting the members shine through those answers?
The Innovator’s Mindset . Empower Learning, Unleash Talent, and Lead a Culture of Creativity. Dave Burgess Consulting 2015.
Tom Rath, Strengths Based Leadership: Great Leaders, Teams, and Why People Follow (New York: Gallup Press, 2008).
As a final note: Take this to the student level. Read Debbie Donsky’s The Truth of Who We Are — Let’s change the focus to strengths and talents and passions rather then remediation of weaknesses.
Have you ever received pushback when sharing, “I did…” It’s common. Eyes rolling. Arms folding. It’s a problem.
In conversation about this with others, it was easy to accept the ideas they suggested to not use the word “I.” Those sharing the solution used the word “I.” They used the word “I” because it’s their way to solve the problem of pushback and that’s how the issue needed to be framed and could be framed in our trusted conversations. They found a problem, and they solved it, and they shared it, using “I.”
To dig into this idea further, perhaps in some schools, the trust among teachers is too low and the willingness to share to further improve student learning is also not developed.
Teachers are professionals, yet coaches and others continuously, not purposefully, intrude on that professionalism.
The sad thing is, that we want people to share, so to not be able to use the word “I” to put oneself out there, take a risk, and share “your” classroom strategies, without “eye-rolling” and pushback. — that is a problem.
So, yes, a strategy suggested is to use the word “we,” as in the above paragraph.. Asking inviting questions [ “Has anyone tried…”], another suggestion, also works.
Still, people need to feel safe to share; teachers need to share their ideas and experiences so the school knows, teams know, and peers know the ins and outs of what instruction and learning is occurring.
So, what else could be done so everyone is actively listening and willing to share?
How can this negative mindset be flipped for active, interested engagement by all staff?
This is a problem for many innovative leaders.
One strategy making the rounds again is establishing “norms” of behavior everyone will agree to, such as:
Honest and forthcoming with communication
Speak up and ask clarifying questions.
Respect others’ ideas positively; listen and engage respectfully.
Be interested
Be professional, on time, prepared.
However norms like this can also receive pushback since norms– well, don’t they seem obvious?
Perhaps a reminder of the school mission and purpose statement at the beginning of the sharing meeting would be helpful. Again, this keeps the vision on “ours” and “we” in mind: our goals are the same; we can learn together.
Perhaps the sharing could be framed as a possibility with the listeners sharing afterwards what could work in their classrooms, so that everyone is using the “I” word.
Perhaps sharing the Two Rules of Improv used in Pixar as explained by Randy Nelson for Edutopia would help develop a more accepting mindset (video at end of post).
The two rules are:
1. Accept all offers
2. Make your partner look good.
How could “the offer,” the sharing, be more acceptable?
Share reflectively. Reflection includes what one would do next time to improve. As Randy Nelson says, it’s “error recovery, not failure avoidance.” Frame the sharing as a problem solved. People share “I tried this…, and next time I would…” which shows a willingness to recover, improve, and master.
How does the listener make their partner, the sharer, look good?
Listeners are interested when they know there’s a dilemma, and so accept the offer. And listeners must not judge or make suggestions for the sharer; instead they accept the share as a starting point and build or adapt a possible version for their own work. According to Randy Nelson, this is collaboration: amplification of ideas. “Possible” means they don’t have to actually do it, but they are interested and have given the person sharing an acknowledgement. This is where technology helps; perhaps open a Padlet for sharing these possible amplifications. Again, this is a mindset shift: be interested in what others have to offer, not just share what is interesting, and collaborate: each listener accepts an offer of ideas and amplifies a small idea which opens up possibilities for everyone.
And sharing of something actually done shows a “proof of a portfolio, rather than the promise of a resume,” as Randy Nelson says. These conversations framed as collaborative amplification to build ideas for everyone could build trust, gather ideas for everyone to improve, gather input for portfolios, and perhaps become an entry point for blogging to share further. The word “I” shows risk, reflection, problem-solving, and trust, whether as original sharer or as amplifier.
Somehow, sharing with an “I” needs to be acceptable. Reviewing vision statements, using “we,” asking “I wonder if..” or other questions, establishing norms, and framing conversations as collaborative amplification could help develop trust and focus. Still, sharing needs to be acceptable.
What other ways could the mindset of “I” to build “we” be developed into acceptability?
How about amplifying the idea with yours in this Padlet or in the comments below?
Kevin challenged us to begin thinking of innovation, and to think of our ideas of innovation as an image.
That simple request forces us to step outside of our thinking, to see things in a new light. It reminded me of my mom’s old book of puzzles. I loved it. My favorite puzzles consisted of simple sketches that suggested something. What do you think the above image is?
Unflattening the world has been part of my life – my mom could see beyond the obvious, and helped me look at the bigger picture. As a young mother rushed in front of us in the grocery line, mom would say, “She needs to get her back home for baby’s nap.” That might not have been true, but mom always took a step back to see a bigger idea and a step into the shoes of others.
Is the image a bear climbing a tree? A giraffe walking by your window? A snake slithering across your beach towel?
We need to step around to see. Turn things around, and get a different view. Try to think from another’s perspective. Believe in your own! And as Kevin asks of us, see things from another perspective.
I think that is part of innovation, especially with technology, because technology removes boundaries and barriers, bringing the possibility for all ideas to be shared, remixed, and repurposed, building on what worked, and often in collaboration with others, to find a better way towards an issue, strategy, or communication. Innovation builds on the ideas that went before and tweaks them, changes them, steps apart from them to better the world in which we live and work together.
I tried to create that concept in my image as a response to Kevin’s challenge. I opened an iPhone app [NetSketch] and started drawing lines and shapes to represent ideas, the lighter colors the earlier ideas later connected and stretched in new ways, with the bolder colors leading the developed change, a forward flowing change kept as it bettered my [our] world with continued innovative developments.
Imagine this in schools — it’s not an overnight occurrence, although some of the choices may be simple and easy to quickly innovate; it’s more than one thing — it’s something that becomes part of what you do daily . It’s part of a system of thinking, doing, and creating that is better than before.
To see an example of this, read Kevin’s post, “#IMMOOC Go and Find Out.” He shares the process of change in a project for middle school students, whose creations developed from paper to powerpoint to games over a period of years, as technology provided the possibilities for the innovation. Most impressive, as I found on the project website, is that the project focussed on all learners. Listen to the collaborating teachers explain how the gaming project helped struggling writers.
I think key to this innovation is the collaborative inquiry approach by these teachers. Had Kevin worked on this alone, fewer students would have been impacted, and the project would have probably stayed in his repertoire, rather than become a part of a larger change in the school or district. Innovation cannot exist in isolation. Without a school culture of shared leadership and collaboration, I wonder if innovation can occur? Part of innovation is the building of ideas, sharing of ideas, and remixing of ideas, in collaboration with others to make a difference that’s better than before.
In Innovator’s Mindset on LOC 439 of 3535, Kindle Edition, I found a great chart. I searched and found it on Twitter:
It was part of #cpchat [Connected Principals chat] and #suptchat [Superintendents chat] and co-created by George and Bill Ferriter [@plugusin ]
Technology is a tool, not a leadership outcome. ~George Couros
Principals and superintendents in these chats are leading change with technology as a tool to do so. Collaboration, reflection, and openness are key, and I think must be part of a goal of innovation. I hope our book study, blogs, and conversations help those of us in classrooms and in the community learn how to extend that leadership.
If you’re part of a school and are joining in this mindset journey, let your leaders know — your tech coordinators, principals, and superintendents. Share your ideas. Share your blog. Ask to share in staff meetings and to provide professional development. Get others involved. Help others make that mindset perspective leap. It’s a key aspect of innovative change.
Teachers and students are in a moment now between worlds, between the summer of exploration on our own and autumn of investigation in school. And I am in the moment between active and retired. Yet, I still ponder how I would [and did] start the year.
Those first days set the tone and community for the rest of the year. I want students to know we’ll be serious thinkers in dialogue with one another to tease out our understandings. I want them to know we’re in this learning journey together, and we need to set goals and provide feedback to each other, supporting or letting go when needed in a learning community that extends beyond the classroom.
Building the learning community is of utmost importance — building my credibility and accepting the students as credible learners! To accomplish this, the first few days need to:
Determine and practice expectations of a learning community
Discuss and learn protocols for entering, leaving, independent work, group work, discussions, turning in work, computer use, agreements, disagreements
Accomplish and celebrate learning / work together
What do we do the first day?
Here’s an outline. Notice the flow of activity from individual to group to class. Notice students are doing the work, and teacher is supporting, scaffolding as needed. Each activity should be quick to capture the ideas and prevent dead time; more ideas can be added over the next few days as we continue the collaborative seating activity and a reading/writing activity. I don’t worry about accomplishing all of this in one day, but we don’t dwell either; that’s part of the teacher’s management and understanding the pulse of student interest. We will continue to refer to the charts on Works / Or not and Student / Teacher actions this first day and the first few days so we see that all of us are participating together to grow in our learning.
Students collaborate on seating from the directions
I observe, waiting until absolutely necessary to intervene
I may ask a question about the prompt to a student
I may encourage a student to speak up, or others to listen
Celebrate in class discussion
Refer to the goal: form groups
Acknowledge and accept the events of participation – confusion, perseverance, and success
Note: We discuss who was a leader that day in helping to organize, who asked questions to clarify, who helped, who added an idea, etc. Each succeeding day students will improve in their openness and appropriate requests and conversations. Each day another student will take the lead, each day they will learn better ways to interact with and involve their peers, and each day they will learn positive ways to encourage each other. Most importantly, the students are collaborating not just with their usual friends, but with whomever is in their group that day. If students can speak up, lead, discuss with each of their classmates, including those they may not have chosen, then we are well on our way to becoming connected learners with peers around the world.
Give students a scrap of paper —
ask each to think of one event that started the success or ended a confusion
Ask them to write what worked and what didn’t
Ask them to share in their groups and to create lists on poster paper of What Worked to Succeed and What Did Not Work
Pull the class together and ask for a few quick responses from each list, without repeating
Listen for the key point and ask a clarifying question each time, to get at a specific example from their perspective; it’s my chance to be truly interested in their ideas
Ask students to go back and revise their lists to be more specific
Hang up the posters and give students dots to place by the most important “What Worked” strategies
Paper Version Learning Community
Paper Version
Ask students to get or go to a computer to the class home page to link to a document “Learning Community Guidelines” with a table for “Our Guidelines” Ask students to add things that we all should do based on the posters and experience to be successful at projects [students choose a row to add as many guidelines as they can]
If using paper, students each write their own but by discussing in groups to create their paper versions in their own notebook.
If guidelines are on the computer, randomly pick one group to edit to take out the duplicates; If guidelines are on paper, ask one student to type up each group’s list, editing for duplicates. The rest move on to the next task. For this task, choose a fast typer 🙂
Ask each student to make two lists of what we’ve done in the classroom so far:
A list of what the students did
A list of what the teacher did
Ask student groups to share make a list on poster paper of what we’ve done so far in the classroom
A list of what students did
A list of what teacher did
Put the edited learning community guidelines up and ask students if they are complete [teacher may add too]
Are they agreeable? Ask the students to type their name below the guidelines
Hang up the “What We Did” posters
Review the Community Guidelines with students but in the context of expectations for classroom protocol, which may include [we’ll review this over the week, so it doesn’t need to take long this day]:
Enter the room [tomorrow students will have their own copy of the Guidelines and a notebook to store in the room — which they need daily as part of entry]
Student
Be prepared — pens, pencils, papers, class notebooks, library books, all ready to go
Look for and complete entry task
If no entry task, read or write [on projects]
Teacher
Entry task ready
Reading / Writing ready
Greets students / reviews work
Individual Work [student and teacher]
Quiet
On own
In own area
Distraction free
Teacher conferences
Group Work
Student
All participate
Listen
Discuss
Positive voices
Agree to disagree
Support with evidence
Invite all to participate
Roles [to be expanded on later [leader, timekeeper, statistician, recorder, morale officer]
Teacher
Monitors groups
Confers with groups
Feedback
Closing
Ask students what we will probably need to do to close our class:
Exit Thoughts
Clean areas
Computer protocol
Turn in
Class work away in own area
My rule: Stand by desks for dismissal
Last class: Stacks chairs and stands by desk
Exit Thoughts: What confuses you? What’s the most important thing you learned about being successful in this class? This can be on paper or in a Share Out document. Students practice closing protocol.
Over the next few days, we review the protocols, guidelines, and interactions, adding or revising as needed while still doing our work, debriefing before, during, and after to celebrate what we did well according to our living guidelines. Our work includes activities that will be similar to those we will do all year. We’ll do more seating collaboration and reading and discussing Tween Tribune articles with partners [ Activity here ], which includes individual and partner work. I can discover what interests they have, listen to them reading, and encourage the types of collaborative behavior we continuously discuss as part of our Learning Community guidelines. Some will read the articles individually and some together. The students can also listen [highlight option esc on a Mac] to the story together. I’ve not had a problem with kids listening together on the computer. This activity brings in student choice in how to fulfill expectations in reading and writing by organizing this partner work.
None of these activities require students to login; we’ll introduce logging in and computer expectations and guidelines as we work through the week and use computers. Our netiquette guidelines are reviewed continuously and extend online and offline.
Other activities are added as time allows, such as slowly introducing Power Writing, which gives me a sense of their writing, is engaging to the students, and develops writing fluency.
We will begin our course Essential Questions:
How do researchers investigate successfully?
What strategies and processes do collaborators need for success?
How do readers and writers determine and develop relevant, accurate, and complete topics?
How do publishers design and organize content for their audience and purpose?
Why and how do editors and speakers use and edit with the rules for standard English grammar and language ?
Determine and practice expectations of a learning community — individual, group, class, and even different tasks completed with positive actions
Discuss and learn protocols for entering, leaving, independent work, group work, discussions, turning in work, computer use, agreements, disagreements
Accomplish and celebrate learning / work together — charts and documents, shared documents, a living Learning Community Guidelines
And:
Common Core State Standards
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text
SL.1.b – Comprehension and Collaboration: Follow rules for collegial discussions, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.
SL.1.c – Comprehension and Collaboration: Pose questions that elicit elaboration and respond to others’ questions and comments with relevant observations and ideas that bring the discussion back on topic as needed.
SL.1.d – Comprehension and Collaboration: Acknowledge new information expressed by others and, when warranted, modify their own views.
SL.4 – Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with pertinent descriptions, facts, details, and examples; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.
When we begin the reading / writing activities:
W 9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. [Includes RI 1, 2]
W 7 Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions for further research and investigation.
RI.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone. [ See also Language 5]
RI.6 Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author distinguishes his or her position from that of others.
Read [Investigate, Content]
RI 2 – Determine two or more central ideas in a text and analyze their development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
1 – Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Write [Content}
6-8.WHST.8 – Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
6-8.WHST.2.b – Text Types and Purposes: Develop the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.
6-8.WHST.2.d – Text Types and Purposes: Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
W.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and link to and cite sources as well as to interact and collaborate with others, including linking to and citing sources.
Every moment is filled with purpose towards our relationship and our focus; a teacher makes instant decisions on the fly based on student input, confusion, prior knowledge, attitude, skills, interactions. It’s a delicate dance moving forward, checking the beat of the moment with the steps towards the future.
Inspiring as always, Educational Technology Massive Open Online Course Community gathered together for the Third Anniversary of ETMOOC [ #etmooc ] ! More than twenty etmooc-ers met in Zoom to honor Alec Couros who started the waves rippling across the universe of connected conversations on the Internet.
Yes, the course ended three years ago, but the communities that formed from that online course still ebb and flow in connections, conversations, collaborations. We learned to be open, to connect, to start conversations and take the chance to start something new — to try something new. Although we worked with technology, the essence of success was the openness in choice, the acceptance of where each was, and the support from all to try, fail, try again — together. It was the reciprocal relationships and conversations encouraged by the facilitators and developed further by the participants that kept the course inviting and inspiring, allowing each to “choose their own adventure,” as Alec expects and reminds us.
So, yes, we are still a community, now building our own communities that resonate with our learning from #etmooc. We learned to be learners again — and felt the struggle and the wonder of change. Change in mindset, change in possibilities, and change in our outlook of the world of education.
The bigger question for me is always, “So I’ve developed a digital identity, and I’m connected to a powerful network of individuals from across the planet – what can I do with this to change the world in a meaningful way?”
We knew we wanted to honor Alec — how could we do so and change the world?
The Mario Couros Memorial Bursary will help newcomers to Canada in reaching their dream of being one of tomorrow’s educators by providing financial assistance to pursue their Education Degree at the University of Regina. Mario came to Canada from Greece on December 14th 1957. He lived, worked and raised his family in Saskatchewan. He wanted to make a life and a difference for his family. Mario was a volunteer, a caring supportive father, grandfather, a loving husband and an extremely hard working man. He was a great role model for his children and others as he continued to be a lifelong learner with a fabulous work ethic until his passing. This award is dedicated in his memory.
It is also a tribute to his son Dr. Alec Couros who continues his father’ s legacy by inspiring and encouraging others to pursue their educational aspirations and follow a path to life-long learning.
The bursary will make a meaningful impact by breaking down the financial barriers to higher education and encouraging outstanding academic achievement. By contributing to this bursary you will enable Education students to focus on what matters most : their education.
The goal is to raise $ 25.000 to create an endowment that will allow for a permanent bursary at the University of Regina ‘s Faculty of Education. Your contribution to the Mario Couros memorial Bursary will live on in perpetuity in memory and honour of Mario’s legacy.
So, we continue to learn and grow together and help others. Isn’t that why we’re here?
Thank you Alec Couros for dropping a pebble into a puddle that grew into an ocean connecting a world of passionate educators and that continues to ripple in learning and sharing in so many ways that we will never know. Thank you to your family, including George and mom Mary for your thoughtful and encouraging ways.
@courosa#etmooc‘s secret: “I guess my mom always told me to respond to those that ask questions and to see the awesomeness in everyone!”
Yes, I believe in our freedoms, our rights, and the freedom to live one’s life in one’s own way.
I know these concepts: freedom, respect, compromise, cooperation, and collaboration work together — and I know that they work because that’s how things happen in the real world.
