Classrooms

The Problem with Exemplars

Posted by Dean Shareski on in 365, Blogs, Classrooms, RSS 3 Comments
https://www.flickr.com/photos/shareski/4902924091

Years ago while working on new curriculum, I spent a great deal of time with colleagues collecting and identifying exemplary work. Usually attached to rubric, these artifacts were intended to showcase the highest quality of work and present students with something to aim for. We often would reference these with students to the point where these became more than guides but the ultimate goal. It’s one the problems with rubrics. But it’s not just within curriculum where exemplars can be an issue, it happens all the time.

There’s no question that exemplars can be useful and even motivating. But often they are unattainable or perhaps not even desirable.

Let me share a few examples.

In Curriculum:

While I believe showing examples of quality work can be useful, many students immediately shut down when they perceive too great a gap between their current ability and what is deemed exemplary. I’m certainly not against the use of high quality exemplars but caution against too few examples as well as a lack of scaffolding to see where incremental success can be found. In addition, the power comes when the student decides what they want their work to be.

In my pre-service courses I have my students set up blogs. They want to know what a good blog post should look like. While I tried using rubrics in the past, I switched to using guidelines or considerations.  As well I ask my students to seek out their own examples of what they wanted their blogs to look like and become. After collecting these, we’re better able to see the range of what constitutes quality and meaning and expand our definitions of exemplary.

 In Teachers:

The term “rock star educator” is often a playful, affectionate term applied to teachers doing interesting and sometimes extraordinary things in the classroom. Yet as someone who worked in a district with many who fit this moniker, they can be very intimidating and off putting to others either not interested or willing to adopt their colleagues enthusiasm and passion. I realized that while for some, they were inspiring, for others it was best they found their passion independently. Constant reminders of how great teacher x was often created more barriers.

While I’m all for leaders acknowledging and highlighting the work of teachers, they need to pay close attention to who and what they are highlighting. Diversity, in this case is more than a political consideration, it serves to welcome and applaud the range of greatness that exists in every school and district. It takes someone actively seeking out things they may not always notice or value but understand that so many teachers are doing great things big and small.  The goal is is to create a culture of gratitude but also one of innovation.

In Students

While we all want what’s best for students, there’s a strong trend of late that “best” = changing the world. “You can change the world” “Be the change” “Make a difference” All these sentiments and mantras are pretty prevalent in education today. I don’t recall ever getting this message in my own K-12 days. I think they are powerful and important messages of hope and empowerment. But like any good idea, there is a danger that I don’t think some are considering.

Not every kid needs to change the world. Not every kid will invent something that changes lives. For some of our students, simply finding some peace and confidence to survive another day is enough. For others, building a life and a family is a worthy goal. I worry about kids uninterested in these sentiments. I don’t think it’s always because their apathetic or immature I think for some this is not how they see their lives unfolding.  Asking and expecting them to change the world can be overwhelming and perhaps even deflating.

The hope of digital and access means that everyone can have a voice and the potential for empowering anyone to make a difference exists. That said, nothing is for everyone and while we might get excited over We Day events and TED talks, not everyone can and should. We need to be careful not to unintentionally send a message out that alienates the very people we are charged with teaching.

If indeed we believe in differentiation, we need to differentiate our expectations and goals and realize that they may have different aspirations. Exposing them to all the possibilities is the exciting and rewarding work of a K-12 education. Allowing them to choose their path is the promise of a democratic society. It’s our job to ask the question, “How do you want to live?” but it’s their job to answer it.

So I’ll continue to seek exemplars and when the time is right, share them and seek feedback. At the same time I’m looking for others examples of “great” and as an educator, work to make sense and meaning of these and apply it as broadly and to as many as possible without my own bias of what is great becoming an impediment. I’m happy to start a conversation about what is great but I can’t be the only voice.

Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/techstud/6357019011

Put the Laptops Away

Posted by Dean Shareski on in change, Classrooms, One-to-One 1 Comment

Part of what makes me pay attention to an article like this is that it’s written by someone whom I respect. Clay Shirky, head of a small business IT support London company, talks about something fairly radical for a person who is generally seen as an advocate for social media and technology.  He admits a complete change in mindset on the use of laptops of his class.

I have been teaching classes about the internet since 1998, and I’ve generally had a laissez-faire attitude towards technology use in the classroom. This was partly because the subject of my classes made technology use feel organic, and when device use went well, it was great. Then there was the competitive aspect — it’s my job to be more interesting than the possible distractions, so a ban felt like cheating. And finally, there’s not wanting to infantilize my students, who are adults, even if young ones — time management is their job, not mine.

I’ve been guilty of using the same arguments to challenge those who didn’t want to use devices in class. I would still use the same argument for many people but this thoughtful realization speaks to doing what’s best for students as opposed to what’s easiest for teachers.

But it’s also important not to be thinking about a carte blanche ban but rather consider the class, the task, and the student.

I have known, for years, that the basic research on multi-tasking was adding up, and that for anyone trying to do hard thinking (our spécialité de la maison, here at college), device use in class tends to be a net negative.

The notion of “hard thinking” suggests the importance of a more focused environment. Not all learning is of this nature or intensity. Indeed, if you’re needing to seek out ideas from strangers or are in the midst of creation, having access to the plethora of people and resources online may be necessary. But more and more schools need to recognize the unique resources they have in their building — each other. This may mean making efforts to take full advantage of this by implementing a ban as Shirky suggests. In the same way, a basketball coach wouldn’t want his players on their phones during a practice, we may not want our students on them during a class discussion. A math class might require the use of computing to effectively understand and appreciate many concepts. This is about recognizing what types of learning you are doing in class and when technology makes it richer and when it dilutes. Having spent some time last week with Clay Burell, a wonderful Chinese History teacher working in Singapore, he would have a similar response to Shirky. While Clay has always advocated for the use of technology, he sees his class time as precious and sacred in that it’s the only time they get to spend together. You walk into his room, have a cup of tea and engage in that “hard thinking”. Laptops would seem slightly out of place. Paying attention to one another is the best use of time. The laptops then provide a wonderful supplement for alone time and thinking. The course needs the technology to do a great deal of the work and sharing but the time in class is better without it.

While teachers remain largely in control of their own space, this shift or model works best when we see this as a joint, community effort to honor each other.

This is, for me, the biggest change — not a switch in rules, but a switch in how I see my role. Professors are at least as bad at estimating how interesting we are as the students are at estimating their ability to focus. Against oppositional models of teaching and learning, both negative—Concentrate, or lose out!—and positive—Let me attract your attention!—I’m coming to see student focus as a collaborative process. It’s me and them working to create a classroom where the students who want to focus have the best shot at it, in a world increasingly hostile to that goal.

Schools no longer have information and knowledge as their greatest asset but rather community and relationships. This should shift how we use technology in our classrooms.

creative commons licensed ( BY-NC-SA ) flickr photo shared by Shift Bristol

Encouraging Ownership

Posted by Dean Shareski on in assessment, change, Classrooms, Conferences, professional learning 2 Comments

After every course I teach I receive an evaluation from my students. Typically 80% or higher provide with highly positive feedback. 10% are indifferent and 10% are less than satisfied. Most of the dissatisfaction revolves around lack of structure and and timelines. This is partly my personal flaws and partly student preference and partly a communication failure. I take these evaluations seriously and don’t dismiss these critiques but really do try to improve. I need to get better. But….

As I try and create more ownership and agency for students, my efforts to empower them is the thing I need to really work on. How do I get my students to “own their learning”? Consider what ownership means and check this home for sale near me. When purchasing a property, it’s crucial to understand the role of conveyancing solicitors like these conveyancing solicitors in Essex, who ensure that all legal aspects of the transaction are handled smoothly, providing buyers with peace of mind and a sense of true ownership. When considering home ownership in Utah, it’s essential to factor in various aspects, including the logistics of relocating. Engaging with Utah moving services can streamline the transition process, ensuring a smooth journey into your new home.

A Renowned Developer is launching Family-Sized Home North Gaia EC at Yishun Avenue 9 EC. When you own your house, you can complain about the manufacturers for its flaws, but ultimately, you’ll need to consider and act upon things that aren’t working. Sometimes you handle it yourself, sometimes you seek help. For instance, if you need repairs, you might hire professionals like the premier gutter company in NC to ensure the job is done right. As an owner, taking action and ensuring quality work, whether DIY or through professionals, is essential. Even if you ask for help, you are still responsible for ensuring the work is performed well.

Today I saw this tweet:

Change the word “conference” to class or event. I agree. I don’t want people to feel that way. But…

One question to ask your students or yourself is “Do you feel empowered?” As much as I want to design spaces that make are conducive to great learning but ultimately I don’t own the learning. I do take responsibility for creating the space but I quickly invite my students to own it as well. It becomes a co-op. Some students quickly move in and start to move the furniture around. Others sit quietly and are either afraid or not interested in taking charge. As host, I want them to feel welcome, I want them to feel comfortable enough to ask a question or suggest a change. When they don’t feel this, that’s my failure.

Filter Failure

I go back to a quote from Clay Shirky:

I’ve used this example before but when you enter a library you don’t say, “How will I ever read all these books?” We come to a library either with a specific purpose or the knowledge of how to find things or find someone who can help us. The library sits as a resource that inherently empowers the user and acts as a facilitator of learning. In some respects this is what our classroom/events should be like. We all understand how a library works and what the roles and responsibilities they hold. As classrooms and events shift, these roles are blurring.

With regard to conferences, formats like edcamp reflect this blur. These events are explicitly about empowering learners. That’s why the event resonates with teachers. It represents a shift from directed professional learning.  You design your learning and take advantage of all the resources. The first time you attend it’s weird. People are encouraged to leave sessions they aren’t interested in. They are asked to contribute. It’s about community and collaboration. Those two ideas have not been valued or necessary in traditional classrooms or conferences when the locus of control is with the teacher or speaker.

I need my students to ask questions and say things like:

“This makes no sense”
“Can you tell me how I can make this better?”
“I don’t think this assignment is very helpful, can I do something else”?

I need to do a better job empowering my students. Some of my students do feel this way and ask these questions. Others do not. I use to think it’s a learning style issue and that some students need and require more structure. I’m not so sure now. It may be a mindset and perception and expectation of what education should be. Some think of it as a contract. They see themselves as consumers and teachers are selling a product. They either buy it or they don’t.  I’m trying to create a community where everyone has a stake and responsibility. The ultimate goal is empowerment. Sometimes structure and scaffolding can lead to that, but that scaffolding still requires student input. The more you are the sole creator of this structure, the less ownership the learner has. You perpetuate the idea of expert and novice. Yes, there are some types of learning and situations where the learner is without any background knowledge but this is rare. Most of us come to new learning with some background, some familiarity and this is what a great host/teacher does. They help them see those connections and use background knowledge to build upon.

When you hear words like “overwhelmed” I wonder about who is responsible for this feeling.  Feeling overwhelmed usually comes from not understanding or too many choices. When I speak or teach a class, I’ll take some of that responsibility. Like a library, I need to give people multiple entry points and explicit ways for my audience and students to take the reigns of learning and make meaning.  What usually solves this problem is conversations.  I need to have more and better conversations with my students. If you’re at a conference, you need to seek out people to help you work out ideas. The word “engagement” is often used passively. We expect engagement to happen because of something that’s done to us and not so much something we do.

education we create

This is what I’m going for.

PS. Let’s say you read this post and you think “this makes no sense” or “there’s something missing here” or “he’s wrong” and you don’t leave a comment, you kind of prove my point. I want my blog to be a community space where we learn together. If you have a complaint or suggestion but offer no comment, either I didn’t make it clear I want you to contribute or you see yourself solely as a consumer of this post. Or you’re just lazy. 😉

Mapping the Internet

Posted by Dean Shareski on in Classrooms, ecmp 10 Comments

If you’ve not aware of the work of David White and his Visitor vs. Resident idea, you should. It began as a response to Marc Prensky’s Digital Native/Digital Immigrant concept. I actually first discovered this back in 2008 but White has updated his thoughts to reflect the increase in social media the last 6 years. Here, just watch this.

Beyond this basic idea, which, if you didn’t watch the video can be summarized as:

When in Visitor mode, individuals have a defined goal or task and select an appropriate online tool to meet their needs. There is very little in terms of social visibility or trace when online in Visitor mode.

When in Resident mode the individual is going online to connect to, or to be with, other people. This mode is about social presence.

I’ve asked my undergrads to map their version of the internet but I did mine in front of them and talked through the various spaces and tools I use.


 Screenshot_5_12_14,_10_45_PM

Let me walk through each of theses spaces and the way I use them. Keep in mind that for me “Institutional” can be swapped with “Professional”. Also keep in mind that spaces will change often and it’s worthwhile revisiting this exercise at least year after year.

Twitter: Likely the space I use most I may it likely should be lowered a bit as it’s pretty equal between personal and professional. The reason I placed it more in the personal grid is likely because I use it more personally than most educators but if you looked at all my tweets, at least half are educational.

Blog: While I do blog mostly from a personal perspective, it is still professional. On occasion I’ll post very personal things but only if I can tie them to  learning.

Instagram: Very much personal use and enjoy seeing the posts of those I follow

Youtube: It’s pretty functional for me. I look for videos for both personal and professional but don’t really reside their. I rarely leave a comment or engage in conversation.

Flickr: This has moved from resident to visitor in that I interact less here than I used to, mostly because of instagram. It’s a storage space for personal photos.

Google Plus: Mostly for professional and institutional, I do check and interact but it’s more out of duty as opposed to seeking interaction and serendipitous learning.

Google Docs: Rarely do I use this for personal use and while it’s largely functional, I do collaborate and use it to interact.

SlideShare: Just a repository for presentations. I usually find out by chance that someone has commented on my blog. I don’t really look at other presentations either.

LinkedIn: I have an account, it has some content but have rarely used it for more than accepting invitations to connect.

Email: Not used to chit chat or connect with people. Emails are generally as short as possible.

Searching: Not sure if there’s anyway this can move to a resident, especially if we’re just talking about basic googling.

I realize asking people if they use a particular tool or service isn’t particularly informative until you understand how they use it. David has done a nice job of providing a process to do this with others as well as a collection of a few examples. It’s an interesting activity that can lead to some interesting conversations. I’d encourage you to try this with your students or faculty.

Why Teachers Aren’t Making “The Shifts”

Posted by Dean Shareski on in change, Classrooms, rants 3 Comments
Image via http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonbecker/4625331304
Image via http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonbecker/4625331304

I’ve began a few talks with this slide and I think it serves to spark the conversation about change. It’s been a little while since Will has pushed my thinking as he did this week with his post called “My Summer of Confusion“. While he shares many concerns and questions it was this  paragraph that prompted a response from me:

I’m also wondering to what extent is it a professional educator’s responsibility to keep abreast of the latest research, technologies, and news that impact learning? At one presentation to about 800 people, only about 25 raised their hands when I asked if they’d visited Khan Academy. In general, throughout the summer, I’d estimate less than 10% had heard of MOOCs, the Maker Movement, or 3-D printing. On many occasions, I wondered aloud if we would accept a similar lack of currency for our physicians or our accountants. Bottom line: as a profession, we’re not keeping up with the changes that are occurring.

After a few back and forths on his blog, I figured it required an expanded response.

The physician example gets used a lot but I think it’s problematic. First and foremost physicians work independently. They have pretty much full autonomy over what they learn. It’s solely based on patient needs. They have no one to report to expect their patients. The other problem I have with this analogy is that a patient’s health and doctor’s success is based almost exclusively on numerical data. I suppose that’s why many like it. Patients come in with very specific, targeted needs: “Here’s the problem, solve it”. I think what schools are tasked with is much more complex and nuanced. Finally, for any complex change or new approach, I presume physicians find and receive adequate training before they implement.

I will fully admit I’m pro teacher almost too a fault. It comes from the fact that I am a teacher and that my belief is that most teachers are in the profession to do great work. They put in endless hours and are continually asked to do more with less and in turn have lost much of what it means to be a professional. Having worked in a role where I’ve been supporting classroom teachers, the number of initiatives from state/provincial and district/school levels can be overwhelming. While the rhetoric is always, “this isn’t an add on but should be part of your classroom” it never plays out that way. In addition, the increasing gap between student ability, experience and well-being is making most “regular classrooms” obsolete. It’s forcing teachers to rethink everything. No one denies the need for differentiated instruction but few teachers have adequate training to understand and help all students be successful. It’s mentally taxing and emotionally draining.

Besides the issue of time, I think the reason teachers aren’t keeping up, as Will suggests, is that they are told they are. Most districts have staff in place to do the research for them. That was my role for 10 years. I essentially researched and studied all the ways technology was changing learning and was tasked with making those changes. During one of my deep dives into educational technology, I came across the concept of 씨벳, which opened my eyes to new approaches in digital learning platforms. The same was true for literacy, maths, assessment, and any other number of big ideas. We tried to share that research, tell teachers why they should change and how it would help kids, and then provide minimal time to figure it out, expecting them to make these changes in their classrooms. We sent them on their way and were frustrated when they weren’t doing all the things we told them to do. I made lots of mistakes in that role, and my biggest was not understanding how much time it takes and how difficult it was to make these changes. My frustration was in knowing the vast majority of teachers would never be able to make these changes under the current system.

In the comments Will wonders about those teachers who have and are making the shifts he and I talk about

Finally, what do we say, then, about the tens of thousands of teachers who have already engaged in the type of changed thinking and practice that both of us advocate? Are they just “special” in some way? A-listers? Are they all privileged in some way and immune from the pressures of “regular” teachers? I doubt it.

I don’t know exactly how to respond to this but would suggest that yes, in some ways these folks are special. When I think of some of the teachers who are changing their practice, they are often what I describe as “positive deviants“.  I’m always interested in their stories as to how they began to make the shifts they’ve made. Often there’s a bit of luck. They happen to go to a conference and hear a Will Richardson speak and are awaken to ideas they’ve never heard before. Sometimes they take a class and have a professor that introduces them to a new approach to learning. Sometimes they hear about a thing called blogging and head down a rabbit hole. While lots of people might have these same experiences and do nothing, there’s a greater number of teachers who’ve never even had a chance like these. Again, I don’t know exactly what it is but knowing we have such a small number of teachers really making these big shifts isn’t because teachers are uncaring, dumb or lack conviction.

Instead of the physician analogy, I might offer another one. Telling teachers it’s their responsibility to make the changes is like telling people living in poverty to get out of it. There are many examples of people who have come out of poverty, worked their butts off and made a new life for their family and future generations. Why can’t everyone in poverty do that? I admit, it’s not a perfect analogy but I think has as much validity as the physician one.

I’ve been privileged in my role with Discovery to work with a few districts that I think are doing the right work. They have leadership at every level who are on this journey. They struggle with how to help teachers make these shifts with the current constraints. It’s really hard to continue to focus on the “why” and also provide time and resources to work on the “how”.  There are very few districts out there who have made digital a focus. Even within those, we all know it’s not exactly about digital but without an emphasis on digital, it’s very difficult, if not impossible to fully realize the potential modern learning has to offer. Since the current system is still hierarchical, since teachers continue to lose autonomy over their own learning, the blame, if there is any, is on leadership who makes the decisions about what matters.

Okay, what I really need is for you to all chime in on this because it’s possible I could be entirely wrong, I’m just a little sensitive to any hints of teacher bashing. (Yes, I know Will you weren’t teacher bashing)