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I agree that literacy educators have much work to do in developing curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment measures shaped around 21st-century practices. Currently, most all assessments are traditional. Read the excerpt from a story, answer the multiple-choice questions, and give the “right” answer. My district requires us to keep portfolios for students to show their growth. However, no one ever really looks at them. The data from the portfolios are online. The writing pieces are predetermined by the district and the writing genres from which they come are taught from a Writing textbook. Nothing from the portfolio is authentically from the student.

The text discussed the idea of having e-portfolios where students self-selected assignments and artifacts that show proficiency in reading, writing, listening and speaking. I can see having my students set up a google site for themselves as an e-portfolio. I thought it was a great idea that students could provide assignments or artifacts that show their proficiency in different areas of literacy. Some ideas were students providing YouTube videos (links to Flipgrids or Screencastify can be used also), as well as power points (google slide also), and digital images.

In previous years I have afforded students the opportunity to show their learning in different ways. We have completed research posters where certain information, images, and design are evaluated. These were completed instead of a standard research report. Also, students have completed google slide presentations. One of my favorite activities is a One-Pager. Students share their responses to reading a book on just one page. The page is a mixture of words and images that show the key takeaways of the text. Another activity we had to show learning was a "Read Box"  board. On it students redesigned the cover of a book, recorded a Screencastify with a book review and we attached the QR code to the cover so classmates and friends could view the videos. As a way to assess these types of multimodal work rubrics can be developed around the elements of design, readability, symbolism, etc.

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Sponsored by Chill Expeditions and Kiddom

Have you heard the whispers about one-pagers in the online teacher hallways? The concept of a one-pager, in which students share their most important takeaways on a single piece of blank paper, has really taken off recently.

The one-pagers I see on Instagram draw me in like a slice of double chocolate mousse cake. The artistry students bring to representing their texts on a single piece of paper, blending images and ideas in creative color, is almost hypnotizing for me. Perhaps you've had the same experience.

But it's the very beauty of the models that get posted that can drive students and teachers away from the one-pager activity. Sure, it's great for super artistic students, we tend to think, but what about everyone else?

Turns out it CAN be great for everyone. As long as you know how to structure it.

What Is a One-Pager?

Let's backtrack a bit and talk more about what a one-pager is. It's pretty simple, really. Students take what they've learned-from a history textbook, a novel, a poem, a podcast, a Ted Talk, a guest speaker, a film-and put the highlights onto a single piece of paper. AVID first developed this strategy, but now it's widely used in and out of AVID classrooms.

But why is this seemingly simple assignment so powerful?

As students create one-pagers, the information they put down becomes more memorable to them as they mix images and information. According to Allan Paivio's dual coding theory, the brain has two ways of processing: the visual and the verbal. The combination of the two leads to the most powerful results. Students will remember more when they've mixed language and imagery.

Plus, one-pagers provide variety, a way for them to share what they've learned that goes beyond the usual written options. Students tend to surprise themselves with what they come up with, and their work makes for powerful displays of learning. Plus, they're fun to make. Let's not pretend that doesn't matter.

So, assuming you're sold on trying this out, you're probably wondering what exactly goes into a one-pager?

Students might include quotations, ideas, images, analysis, key names and dates, and more. They might use their one-pagers to make connections to their own lives, to art or films, to pop culture, to what they're learning in their other classes. They might even do it all. You'd be amazed at how much can fit on a single piece of paper.

Many teachers create lists of what students should put inside their one-pagers. Knowing they need two quotations, several symbolic images, one key theme, etc., helps guide students in their work.

The Art Problem

When creating one-pagers, artistic students tend to feature more sketches, doodles, icons and lettering. Students wary of art tend to feature more text, and can be reluctant to engage with the visual part of the assignment at all.

It was this issue-the issue of the art-haters-that first drew me into one-pagers two years ago. I had seen some stunning one-pagers posted in my Facebook group, Creative High School English. But the comments that followed were always the same. "That's amazing work! But so many of my students don't like art...."

Those comments struck a chord with me. For years I had dealt with comments from some of my own students about their distaste for artistic materials when I would introduce creative projects. No matter how much I explained that it was the intention behind their choices that mattered, I always got some pushback if there were any artistic elements involved in a project.

Was there a way to tweak the one-pager assignment so every student would feel confident in their success?

Another problem was one of overall design: Though they knew they needed to hit all the requirements their teachers listed, students still seemed to be overwhelmed by that huge blank page. What should go where? Did colored pencils really have to be involved?

A Simple Solution: Templates

As I thought about the problem, I wondered if students would feel less overwhelmed if they knew what needed to go where. If the quotations had to be in the middle, the themes in the upper left, the images across the bottom, etc. I began to play around with the shapes tool in PowerPoint, creating different one-pager templates.

Then I began shaping my requirements, correlating each element with a space on the paper. Maybe the border could be the key quotations. The center would feature an important symbol. The themes could go in circles around the center. I developed a bunch of different templates for varied ways to respond to novels. Then I tried podcasts. Films. Poetry.

As I shared these templates with other teachers, I kept getting the same feedback: "It's working!"

That little bit of creative constraint actually frees students to use their imagination to represent what they have learned on the page without fear. They know what they need to put down, and where, but they are also free to expand and add to the template. To choose their own colors. To bring out what is most important to them through their creativity and artistry. And those super artistic students? They can just flip the template over and use the blank page on the back.

Beyond Novels

There are so many ways to integrate this creative strategy into your classroom. While one-pagers lend themselves beautifully to final assessments after reading independent novels, literature circle selections, or whole class novels, that's really just the beginning.

You can use them to get to know students better, as with a name tent or "about me" one-pager at the beginning of the year. One school used templates to have every student create a one-pager about their own lives, collecting them all into hallway displays as part of a project they called "Tell your Story."

You can also use them to help students focus in on the most important information in nonfiction articles and books. One EFL teacher in Croatia used the templates to have students share key takeaways from articles they read about social media. Not only did students have to analyze the text deeply to figure out what was most important, but the dual-coding theory suggests the process of creating the one-pagers will help them remember the information better.

Another great use for one-pagers is to keep students focused while absorbing media. When students are watching a film, listening to a podcast, or even attending an assembly with a guest speaker, they can be creating one-pagers as they listen, a kind of formalized version of sketchnotes.

Simple Steps for One-Pager Success

Whenever you're considering your options for assessment, throw one-pagers into the mix. The steps below should help you in creating an assignment for which every student has a roadmap to success.

1. Choose the elements you want your students to put onto their one-pagers. For example, quotations, key themes, literary elements, discussion of style, important characters or dates, connections to other disciplines, connections to their lives, connections to modern culture.

2. Create a layout using the shapes tool in PowerPoint or something similar (or grab a free set of templates here or here).

3. Connect your instructions to your layout. Make it clear which elements should go in which area of your template.

4. Create a simple rubric with the key categories you want your students to succeed with. With literary one-pagers, I use "Textual Analysis," "Required Elements," and "Thoroughness."

5. As you introduce the assignment, show students some examples of one-pagers to give them a sense for how they might proceed.

6. Give students time to work on their one-pagers in class so they can ask you questions. Consider providing some artistic materials if you can, or inviting students to bring them in. You can always let them complete the work at home if necessary.

7. Do a gallery walk of the one-pagers before you collect them, or have them present to each other in small groups. The students will learn a lot from seeing each other's representations.

8. Create a display after you grade the one-pagers with your rubric.

You can find more of Betsy's great ideas on her website, Spark Creativity.

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A Simple Trick for Success with One-Pagers

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These visual tools allow students to synthesize learning, but some kids don't think they're talented enough to make them. A bit of creative constraint helps.

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I think that the statement is true. A lot of students are more comfortable with doing things online, than they are in the classroom. The world is so technology based, that it would not be fair if we only use regular pen and paper to quiz students. As teachers, we need to give students access to learning in different ways. We should also give students access to show their learning in different ways. When we give students more ways to show their learning, we are giving them ways to succeed. We cannot allow teaching to be only one way, and therefore, we cannot expect that each student can take a test only one way. This course has taught us multimodal teaching practice is important and necessary, so multimodal assessments is something we need to work on.

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Remote Learning and Teacher_Student Impact

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The findings of this study clearly show that Reading Assistant is a well liked program that both the teacher and the students find value in. Students view this program as one that helps them practice their reading skills and allows them to demonstrate their mastery of concepts with the appropriate supports. Students face some challenges, however many solutions could be created to combat the troubles that this group has ran into. This program is one that other teachers in the district could utilize to support students who are in need of fluency and comprehension interventions. This program, when modeled and demonstrated for students, would be one that students complete independently because of the unique scaffolding and supports that are infused in the program.

The questions that were asked are below with the corresponding response.

1

Do you think the Reading Assistant program has helped you with your reading?

yes - 7

Unsure- 4

no - 1

2

Do you feel that your reading fluency has improved?

Yes- 11

Unsure- 1

No- 1

3

Do you like it when your teacher assigns Reading Assistant?

Yes - 8

Neutral - 3

No - 2

4

If you could, would you use it more often in class?

Yes- 10

No- 3

5

How would you describe your attention while using the program?

Focused- 10

Bored- 3

6

What are some challenges that you face when using the program?

No challenges- 3

Specific challenges- 10

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The findings of this study clearly show that Reading Assistant is a well liked program that both the teacher and the students find value in. Students view this program as one that helps them practice their reading skills and allows them to demonstrate their mastery of concepts with the appropriate supports.

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After taking this course, exploring new literacies and multimodality, I understand why the authors wrote this statement about developing an assessment framework as “a big challenge” in the context of digital and multimodal (Pahl & Rowsell, 2012). I reflect on my recent years in my classroom. In the traditional classroom, new literacies were utilized in the anticipatory set or during the actual learning task. As a first and second grade teacher it was not often that I used new literacies in my classroom as an assessment tool. However, there have been a few times it was used and the students were given a lot of support but were engaged and excited about the assignment. If new literacies were fostered more and on a regular basis, there would have been value in developing new literacies in my classroom in assessments.

In contrast, in the 2020/2021 school year I was a virtual teacher. This experience lended itself to new literacies and multimodality. Student’s primary mode of learning was through the computer. Everything was typically infused with at least more than one digital component. If they were to read a passage, there would be a read to me option for them to listen to the auditory. There may have been a video to connect to the information that they were learning about. Many assessments were built with a variety of ways for them to respond. Whether it was typing, voice to text, drag and drop, copy and paste. I was certainly challenged to infuse new literacies without even knowing it!

If we are developing skills of the 21st century learner, it only makes sense to infuse these new literacy skills into our lessons as well. Teaching and assessing through modes that are most relevant to today’s world would be much more meaningful and students would find more value in it. Students having the opportunity to respond, express themselves, and relate to the assessment allows them to show their own identity in their work. As displayed many times in the chapter, when student identity is a portion of the assessment, students are more engaged and more invested in the lesson. On page 137, an example of fostering their identity makes for a more meaningful reading experience. The students were able to connect to the text because they were able to experience it outside of the classroom by reading with their family.

Our assessments need to reflect the 21 century skills that students work hard daily to master. Every moment is a teachable/ learning experience, even an assessment. Students are used to dragging and dropping in computer games. They then are already experienced in manipulating parts of the game to demonstrate understanding. Gone are the days of “playing on the computer” at school. Teacher’s must make digital and multimodality a major component of their lessons and assessments allowing students to not only respond, participate, and collaborate in ways that they are comfortable and familiar with. So many jobs have a digital component to their description, teachers need to prepare students especially with standards that are to prepare them for college and career.

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Article attached in PDF form here! I tried uploading as a Google Doc, but it wouldn't have been accessible (would have to request access).

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This article focuses on the new challenges teachers face with learning loss and my thoughts of how they can be supported.

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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I agree it is a challenge to develop assessments that assess digital, multimodal and design based skills. It is very familiar and comfortable to want to use traditional assessment forms that we as educators have continuously used in the past. However, with the direction education has been moving in recent years in regards to twenty-first century practices, it only makes sense to develop new assessments to reflect multimodal learning as well. Therefore, I do believe we should be developing assessment frameworks to assess multimodality. These assessments should have support and scaffolding, as well as choice and flexibility. Students should also be provided with clear goals, criteria and standards/expectations when assessing multimodality.

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I completely agree with the statement made on Chapter 6. I believe that since our world, specifically the field of education, is shifting toward more multimodal and digital teaching & learning, there needs to be a greater emphasis on developing specific assessments for that type of content. The statement makes a valid point when it says that we have developed adequate assessments, curricula, and pedagogy for so much, that developing some for multimodality can be accomplished. I think that having specific rubrics, activities, and assessments created and tiered to specific units can help in streamlining more assessment for multimodality. The use of multimodality will continue to increase on classrooms so this statement is certainly correct.

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In my first grade group that I have been working with we have been learning to identify rhyming words. Students love this book, "There Was an Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow!" There are many other out there that follow the season and holiday theme. These books have great rhymes. It is also very repetitive so students tend to join along with the reading because it is a predictable text once they figure out the rhythm and pattern. I liked exploring Edpuzzle because it allows me to take a text and embed my questions to ask. I think this makes for a seamless presentation because I am prepared and can have the questions pop in when I want them to. This would have been a great tool to have last year!

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Easily create beautiful interactive video lessons for your students you can integrate right into your LMS. Track students' progress with hassle-free analytics as you flip your classroom!

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This seems like it would have been a great PD to attend! This presentation had a good mix of things I knew (to reflect on and see how else to use it) and new opportunities to share out with my teachers. Last year, I was a virtual second grade teacher. I used Flipgrid often to connect locally students in my class. I liked the ease and user friendliness of the platform. Students really enjoyed the selfie, the additions they could add to their response, and of course they liked to comment. I have also used Skype in the classroom. One way we globally connected was with a teacher who traveled to Israel. The students connected with the location more because their kindergarten teacher was there, showing us around , and talking about her experience.

A new platform that I learned about was Empatico. At my school we have a good amount of teachers that use Skype in the classroom. They had done many interesting things with all different types of people and places. I think using Empatico would one up the global experience. One thing that I really liked that was covered in the pro’s and con’s was that video and messaging was built in the site. I think this is incredibly helpful and nice that it would be all in one place. I do like the idea of one class connecting to another. This enables the class to connect and learn from each other, without having to focus on additional classes/locations.

One huge take away from this presentation is the reminder to review expectations. This is typically gone over quickly or it could even be taken for granted that students would know not to give their full name or personal information. But this may be a unique experience for them and they may be unaware because they are in their school environment. I think all of the handouts and visuals are key to getting started right. It allows students to know what is expected of them for the lesson because it is different from what they may be used to doing. Do you share these expectations with the parents? I think that it is a great way for parents to be empowered to have social media talk with their children about digital citizenship and safety.

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For my PD initiative, I chose to focus on multimodality and the use of the app Seesaw. One of my goals in becoming a Reading Specialist is to empower teachers with best practices in Literacy. This PD helped teachers understand multimodality, recognize what they are already doing that is multimodality, and provide them with a tool that they can take away and use immediately with their class.

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For the Professional Development Initiative, I chose to sharesome insights into multimodality and a way to infuse it into the classroom through the app Seesaw. Seesaw is a multimodal app with tools that allow students to create, share, and demonstrate what they know through their portfolio. Teachers can monitor and watch the thinking process unfold through the app. Parents are able to connect to the activities their child is participating in. Seesaw can be used in any grade and any subject matter. The tools available to students are open-ended and students are empowered to use the tools that work best for them.

At our most recent inservice, I met with 6 of our English Language Arts teachers. During our time together I spoke about multimodal learning, the home-school connection, and student identity. We talked about multimodal things they already do in their classroom or have done in the past. Many teachers either have themselves or with their coteach utilized multimodality through Flipgrid and Padlet.

Then, I introduced the staff to Seesaw. I explained what it was, how they could use it, and the success I saw in my own class when utilizing it. I showed them the platform through the web browser on the classroom Promethean board. Teachers were able to view the teacher side and the student journal, activities, and progress monitoring. We took a look at the Activity Library that provides other resources for lessons. Together also created a new activity together and signed everyone up into their own account.

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For the Professional Development Initiative, I chose to sharesome insights into multimodality and a way to infuse it into the classroom through the app Seesaw. Seesaw is a multimodal app with tools that allow students to create, share, and demonstrate what they know through their portfolio.

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One way I have integrated identity into practice is through the use of Seesaw. I used it for my first graders very successfully and then the following year in second grade. I think this platform was user friendly for the students and it gave them a digital footprint within our classroom community. Students were able to upload the work that they were proud of and they were encouraged to “like” or comment positively on their classmates' work. There was also the home-school connection through the app as well. Parents were invited and were able to like or comment on their child’s work as well. This was very meaningful for the students. They were able to showcase their work and have an opportunity to express themselves digitally about other classmates' assignments. I really liked it because it also gave the students a voice. They had input, they had opportunities to assist each other and create their own digit portfolio that they were proud of. They were able to be social in a private and protected space because I was able to monitor their work, comments, and behavior using the app. All of these areas are addressed in the text on page 114. Now that my position has changed and what I am doing is different, it would be to my benefit to see how I could apply tools I have used in the past in a different setting/way. In working with our tier 3/ struggling reader population, something like Seesaw might be a good way to add identity into the small group/ one on one sessions I teach. This would give students an opportunity to connect with their peers and their families out of school showcasing the great things they are working on in our room. After reading this chapter, it became clear while reflecting on this school year, that purposefully infusing identity into what we do or how we do it could be beneficial to the students I see. One real benefit to having something social and digital is that my ELL and Spanish students' parents are able to interact with it because many have a Spanish component or digitally can be translated. This is another way to not only reach them but validate their identity by utilizing apps or programs that can fit their needs as well. Whatever program or app I use, I learned in this chapter that fostering a student’s identity is extremely valuable and it aids greatly in their literacy development.  

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One way I have integrated identity into practice is through the use of Seesaw. I used it for my first graders very successfully and then the following year in second grade. I think this platform was user friendly for the students and it gave them a digital footprint within our classroom community. Students were able to upload the work that they were proud of and they were encouraged to “like” or comment positively on their classmates' work. There was also the home-school connection through the app as well. Parents were invited and were able to like or comment on their child’s work as well. This was very meaningful for the students. They were able to showcase their work and have an opportunity to express themselves digitally about other classmates' assignments. I really liked it because it also gave the students a voice. They had input, they had opportunities to assist each other and create their own digit portfolio that they were proud of. They were able to be social in a private and protected space because I was able to monitor their work, comments, and behavior using the app. All of these areas are addressed in the text on page 114. Now that my position has changed and what I am doing is different, it would be to my benefit to see how I could apply tools I have used in the past in a different setting/way. In working with our tier 3/ struggling reader population, something like Seesaw might be a good way to add identity into the small group/ one on one sessions I teach. This would give students an opportunity to connect with their peers and their families out of school showcasing the great things they are working on in our room. After reading this chapter, it became clear while reflecting on this school year, that purposefully infusing identity into what we do or how we do it could be beneficial to the students I see. One real benefit to having something social and digital is that my ELL and Spanish students' parents are able to interact with it because many have a Spanish component or digitally can be translated. This is another way to not only reach them but validate their identity by utilizing apps or programs that can fit their needs as well. Whatever program or app I use, I learned in this chapter that fostering a student’s identity is extremely valuable and it aids greatly in their literacy development.  

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This chapter begins with linking community and literacy. As I had mentioned in a previous blog, the town that my school is located in is a small town on the shore that is full of rich history. Because of this there are many ways that iI can pinpoint the literacy connections in the community. One way is the library hosts the whole school for a walking field trip every spring. The librarians take the students on a tour of the original on room library building.The students find it very interesting because the room has been investigated to see if there was paranormal activity. A cool fact  that students learn is that the building that they are in was moved by truck from one side of town to another, going past our school! Students are able to see that picture and are amazed. Students in our community also are afforded the opportunity to go to the Tuckerton Seaport to check out, participate in, and even collaborate with the different events and exhibits. Students in various grade levels go over to engage in the history of Tuckerton through exhibits, displays, and presentations. Students learn about the history but the local, regional, and global impact they can have throughout the Jacques Cousteau  center. This particular exhibit connects literacy through the storytelling of the presentation, the visual print in the displays, and the speaking and listening opportunities. At the old town Grist Mill, there are a few community boards. On these boards the students have added decorated terrapins to enhance the boards that hold community news and flyers. Terrapins are our school mascot and an important animal in our community. All of these examples are ones that fit with page 93, when the authors note taking a walk around the children’s community, there are artifacts everywhere. It is exciting, interesting , and just cool learning how things were “back in the day”. This small community was once such  an important port in the United States and a huge vacation destination in the early 1900s.Students really connect with the artifacts because they can see them. There are home movies that have been restored and many old pictures published on Youtube and Facebook that enhance lessons of the history of our community. I connect with this chapter through the Neighborhood Hubs diagram. A big take away quote is on page 93, “ Their experience of early literacy is situated by their experience of neighborhood” (Pahl & Rowsell). I think this is one example of how our school and community work together to foster literacy. Of course, we can and do strive to do better. 

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This chapter begins with linking community and literacy. As I had mentioned in a previous blog, the town that my school is located in is a small town on the shore that is full of rich history. Because of this there are many ways that iI can pinpoint the literacy connections in the community. One way is the library hosts the whole school for a walking field trip every spring. The librarians take the students on a tour of the original on room library building.The students find it very interesting because the room has been investigated to see if there was paranormal activity. A cool fact  that students learn is that the building that they are in was moved by truck from one side of town to another, going past our school! Students are able to see that picture and are amazed. Students in our community also are afforded the opportunity to go to the Tuckerton Seaport to check out, participate in, and even collaborate with the different events and exhibits. Students in various grade levels go over to engage in the history of Tuckerton through exhibits, displays, and presentations. Students learn about the history but the local, regional, and global impact they can have throughout the Jacques Cousteau  center. This particular exhibit connects literacy through the storytelling of the presentation, the visual print in the displays, and the speaking and listening opportunities. At the old town Grist Mill, there are a few community boards. On these boards the students have added decorated terrapins to enhance the boards that hold community news and flyers. Terrapins are our school mascot and an important animal in our community. All of these examples are ones that fit with page 93, when the authors note taking a walk around the children’s community, there are artifacts everywhere. It is exciting, interesting , and just cool learning how things were “back in the day”. This small community was once such  an important port in the United States and a huge vacation destination in the early 1900s.Students really connect with the artifacts because they can see them. There are home movies that have been restored and many old pictures published on Youtube and Facebook that enhance lessons of the history of our community. I connect with this chapter through the Neighborhood Hubs diagram. A big take away quote is on page 93, “ Their experience of early literacy is situated by their experience of neighborhood” (Pahl & Rowsell). I think this is one example of how our school and community work together to foster literacy. Of course, we can and do strive to do better. 

# data[].attributes.headline
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf0-Ps_4I64IaXz4aqTCxne6Zezl1UXj-N86zoc7bun-jZe9w/viewform?usp=sf_linkThrough this journey of becoming a Reading Specialist, it has opened my eyes to the research behind how critical the home-school connection is especially in literacy. One of my favorite lessons was around the topic of communities. Our town, Tuckerton, is a small town with a rich history. Many students come from a long line of Tuckertonians. It has been my pleasure to bring in family members into this lesson to discuss and share their background. Students are often able to share about their experiences or stories passed down from generation to generation about this town. One year, we had students and families pick a place in town that meant something to them and they did a report on it. It was great to have students share their family experiences. One activity the book mentions (page 67) is Artifacts of Identity, this made me reflect on this project. On page 82, it talks about affirming families’ cultural identity. This is important and it is critical for students to see themselves in the stories and literature. This is helpful for the school to foster an inclusive environment within the curriculum. This page was really informative of things to keep in mind and be sure to have in the school. 

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https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf0-Ps_4I64IaXz4aqTCxne6Zezl1UXj-N86zoc7bun-jZe9w/viewform?usp=sf_linkThrough this journey of becoming a Reading Specialist, it has opened my eyes to the research behind how critical the home-school connection is especially in literacy. One of my favorite lessons was around the topic of communities. Our town, Tuckerton, is a small town with a rich history. Many students come from a long line of Tuckertonians. It has been my pleasure to bring in family members into this lesson to discuss and share their background. Students are often able to share about their experiences or stories passed down from generation to generation about this town. One year, we had students and families pick a place in town that meant something to them and they did a report on it. It was great to have students share their family experiences. One activity the book mentions (page 67) is Artifacts of Identity, this made me reflect on this project. On page 82, it talks about affirming families’ cultural identity. This is important and it is critical for students to see themselves in the stories and literature. This is helpful for the school to foster an inclusive environment within the curriculum. This page was really informative of things to keep in mind and be sure to have in the school. 

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Google Forms - create and analyze surveys, for free.

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I enhanced this Google Slide that I used last year (virtually) with Nearpod. This lesson would have been more successful if I had used this add on for a few reasons. I like there is an option for student paced. Adding Nearpod to this slides made it interactive. Students were able to complete activities to support their understanding. Another thing that I found valuable is the ability to embed Flipgrid into this slide show. This is actually something I did, but students would have to click on this link and open a new browser, this makes it seamless. This is especially helpful with teaching the younger grades since they may not be as tech savvy.

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No mobile devices in your classroom? No worries! You can enjoy Nearpod from any web browser :) Create, engage, and assess your students in every lesson!

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I have taught a lesson around artifacts before.  My artifact was a recipe. We read the story “Hedgehog Bakes a Cake” by Maryann McDonald. The lesson included reading the story and modeling/ guiding students through the processes of taking the basic ingredients to Hedgehog’s yellow cake and creating the batter. Most years, I was able to have the cafeteria staff bake the cake in the school oven. Students were then able to try a piece of the cake we made together. This has been one of my most favorite lessons to teach because it incorporates many other subject areas, as well as life skills. This is a high interest lesson because of the artifacts. There is a real take away of seeing the ingredients that we read about lined up and being used in front of them. Students in my classes did not all have the opportunity to bake a cake with their family so it was an exciting experience for them. Having the real mixing bowl, utensils, and measuring cup (artifacts) also helped students make a connection to what they may see at home. I also felt that students were able to connect to the story after seeing how we follow the directions step by step (recognizing the trouble Hedgehog’s friends make for him by not following the directions correctly). An example of this is when we would crack the egg. In the story Hedgehog’s friends just throw it in. I think students understood why we can’t do that and how important it is to be careful when cracking an egg from it being modeled and explained. I love to teach with artifacts. I think whenever possible, teachers should have that “bonus” element to their lessons to enhance the real world connections students can make with the topic. I have seen where this helps with teaching topics students may be unfamiliar with or have limited knowledge of. This also helps students generate ideas because they have something to look, listen, or touch that may help them connect with their schema. 

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I have taught a lesson around artifacts before.  My artifact was a recipe. We read the story “Hedgehog Bakes a Cake” by Maryann McDonald. The lesson included reading the story and modeling/ guiding students through the processes of taking the basic ingredients to Hedgehog’s yellow cake and creating the batter. Most years, I was able to have the cafeteria staff bake the cake in the school oven. Students were then able to try a piece of the cake we made together. This has been one of my most favorite lessons to teach because it incorporates many other subject areas, as well as life skills. This is a high interest lesson because of the artifacts. There is a real take away of seeing the ingredients that we read about lined up and being used in front of them. Students in my classes did not all have the opportunity to bake a cake with their family so it was an exciting experience for them. Having the real mixing bowl, utensils, and measuring cup (artifacts) also helped students make a connection to what they may see at home. I also felt that students were able to connect to the story after seeing how we follow the directions step by step (recognizing the trouble Hedgehog’s friends make for him by not following the directions correctly). An example of this is when we would crack the egg. In the story Hedgehog’s friends just throw it in. I think students understood why we can’t do that and how important it is to be careful when cracking an egg from it being modeled and explained. I love to teach with artifacts. I think whenever possible, teachers should have that “bonus” element to their lessons to enhance the real world connections students can make with the topic. I have seen where this helps with teaching topics students may be unfamiliar with or have limited knowledge of. This also helps students generate ideas because they have something to look, listen, or touch that may help them connect with their schema. 

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I teach in a district where a majority of my students are from an Asian culture. I know that I have to make sure that my curriculum is tailored to where my students are able to relate, see themselves, and make connections. Therefore, I have to breathe identity in my practice often. My district told us that it is our job for our curriculum to fit the needs and identities of our students. I could not agree more. Where 80% of my students are from Asian culture, I have about 5% hispanic student as well. A way that I breathe identity is through my classroom website. I have class photos that show our students. I include what the students have learned recently, this way parents are able to see what their children learn and they can try to ask them about it. I have a lot of parents who do not speak english as their first language, and having the website allows for them to translate into their native language. I make sure that my classroom library contains characters of all races as well. I want my students to see themselves, but also others, in the books. I also send home a parent survey that asks parents about their reading and studying routine at home. I think it is important for me to know if my students have access to an abundance of materials, or if not, I need to send some home so they can succeed.

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https://edpuzzle.com/media/61a3f523fa4b5241567bb36f

My students are learning Nonfiction text structures. This is a flocabulary video and questions to follow. I will definitely use this in the classroom to help! I will include this on my choiceboard for students to watch and use! I like that it requires students to actively pay attention as it asks questions during the video. This is a way to make sure that students are learning and that they are able to understand.

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Easily create beautiful interactive video lessons for your students you can integrate right into your LMS. Track students' progress with hassle-free analytics as you flip your classroom!

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https://www.smore.com/rwe9k

Link- for better access!

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PD Opportunity- Multimodal Teaching
Meeting students’ needs in ALL ways

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For my PD initiative, I chose to share some of the digital tools we have discussed throughout our course. My goal was to help give awareness of ways we can promote multimodality learning while using technology within the classroom.

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Digital Tools in the Classroom

Examples of Digital Tools

Topic

The topic I chose for my PD initiative was how to use digital tools to promote multimodality learning within the classroom.

The definition of multimodality is the application of multiple literacies within one medium. Promoting multimodality learning within the classroom helps students engage with multiple modes and reach the learning styles that bests fits their needs. For teachers, this means displaying/applying content within a variety of ways. I feel the use of digital tools within the classroom is one great example of how to promote multimodality within the classroom.

Some benefits of using digital tools within the classroom:

student engagement

quality of learning improvement

real word interactions

enhances creativity

21st century learning

PD Implementation

Our school schedules weekly PLC meetings to be held among our grade level partners. These meetings are used to plan together, discuss lessons/curriculum, and share ideas or new knowledge. This was the perfect opportunity to carry out my PD Initiative.

During our 1 hour PLC meeting, I shared the different digital tools we have discussed during this course to promote multimodality within the classroom. The tools I chose to share are displayed above. This PD session was held in my classroom and I was able to use my smartboard to give my colleagues a large and clear view of each website. I spent about 10 minutes per tool. During the 10 minute intervals I modeled to my fellow teachers how to access each website, how to create an account, and how to navigate the websites to see what they have to offer. I also briefly shared some ideas on how to use these tools from what we have discussed during this course.

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Digital Tools in the Classroom Examples of Digital Tools The topic I chose for my PD initiative was how to use digital tools to promote multimodality learning within the classroom. The definition of multimodality is the application of multiple literacies within one medium.

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I integrated an existing PD that was on my calendar to do with what I have been learning in class. I plan on continuing with this focus throughout the school year.

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MaryAnn Alomar, December 2, 2021

What are funds of knowledge?

Funds of Knowledge are collections of knowledge based in cultural practices that are a part of families' inner culture, work experience, or their daily routine. It is the knowledge and expertise that students and their family members have because of their roles in their families, communities, and culture.

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MaryAnn Alomar, December 2, 2021 What are funds of knowledge? Funds of Knowledge are collections of knowledge based in cultural practices that are a part of families' inner culture, work experience, or their daily routine. It is the knowledge and expertise that students and their family members have because of their roles in their families, communities, and culture.

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This school year has been feeling a bit like last year (COVID Year), as if I was a new teacher again, starting from scratch. Sometimes, when I look at these questions, I have to ask myself - Yeah - How am I breathing identity into practice because it feels like I haven’t taught in like a million years, and I’m looking in on my class from afar.

This year I have mentioned in previous Blogs a few instances where I have made connections between students’ identities and brought them into the classroom. At the start of the year, we wrote letters of introduction -  I introduced myself to the students in a letter form, and students wrote back. We shared these at the beginning of the year. Other activities where the students pull in their identities were telling stories of how they got their names, how their families came to Cherry Hill, creating a Totem Pole that focused on each student’s family history, and having the students participate in Book Clubs providing for choice, and interest. We make time during Morning meetings to share activities from outside of school. During the day, we stop and write for 5 or 10 minutes about anything on our minds and share those. Also, we sent out videos on FlipGrid to a sick classmate that has been in the hospital for a couple of weeks.

After reading this chapter, I looked at a STEM activity we were doing in class and thought about making it more about the students. I took pictures of the students’ progress as they attempted the “Card Tower” activity and incorporated them into the next day’s Google Slide. We looked at the pictures and examined strategies that helped students be successful, and we planned again for a second attempt.

Moving forward, I’m going to encourage students to have parents tweet out and link to the class Twitter to view these tweets on Monday morning. The school librarian does something similar every Friday where she puts together a short slide show of the “Twitter finds of the week” from the whole school. Unfortunately, I’m always negligent of tweeting out pictures of class activities during the week, so I have to get better at that.

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Simon Cruz- PD Initiative Interactive Flyer

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Simon Cruz- PD Initiative Interactive Flyer

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Hi everyone! Here is my interactive flyer detailing my PD Initiative on the digital resource GoGuardian. Please let me know if you have any questions. Looking forward to seeing everyone's flyers!

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PD- GoGuardian - GoGuardian- Monitoring Student Activity & New Interactions by Simon Cruz | This newsletter was created with Smore, an online tool for creating beautiful newsletters for educators, nonprofits, businesses and more

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I really enjoyed this Edpuzzle that detailed the stages of writing a 5 paragraph essay. This is a process that we really focus on during 10th grade English. My classes and I are ac tally about to begin this process this upcoming week, and I do plan to share this video with my classes as a resource for them to refer back to. An aspect of the Edpuzzle that I really like are the interactive checkpoint questions. This ensures that students are actually engaging with the video while also assessing their knowledge.

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Edpuzzle video lesson. Make any video your lesson. Take a video and crop it, add your voice or embed questions at any point.

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There are many ways I breathe identity into my practice. With English class, so much of it lends itself to practices of self-discovery and finding one's identity. For me, I think it all starts with the novels I purposefully select for our course. With English II, I select novels that touch on themes such as self-identity, family, and ambition/dreams. Novels like Looking for Alaska, The Great Gatsby, and The Glass Castle all tackle these themes in different ways. I find that students do take a lot away from these novels and they each help them reflect on who they are, and who they want to be in the future. By examining the choices of characters' and the outcomes, I always aim to relate it back to the students, their own lives, and the world they live in. I do this through discussion, reflective writing/journaling, essay writing, and the projects we complete together in class. I aim to make all of the content as personal and relevant as possible. In the beginning of the school year I always start with different icebreakers that help me get to know the students while also helping them to get to know themselves and their fellow classmates. A specific series of questions I ask them is "Who were you last year? How have you grown since then? Where would you like to keep growing this year?" This question at the beginning of the year always garners some introspective and reflective responses form students. I would actually like to do more questions like that throughout the year to serve as a check-in on their own personal growth/progress. So this is something I will aim to incorporate more often throughout the course of the year.

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In addition - please make sure you have your SMORE interactive flyer and one-pager linked in our Padlet and ready to share for Wed's class 6pm. See syllabus for details and text with questions!

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When I think of ways I breathe identity into practice, a few different things come to mind. One way especially is through morning meetings in my classroom. In order to promote social and emotional learning, I hold a morning meeting with my students before we start our academic day. During this time, students are able to share their feelings, thoughts, traditions, ext. It is a time where students may discuss their cultural identities while also building trust and relationships with each other. During morning meeting students also complete journal prompts where they are able to share their personal responses. Another way I breathe identity into practice is by displaying student work within the classroom and hallways. This gives students the opportunity to show their creativity as well as be proud of their work. To breathe identity even more into my practice I would like to promote more student driven discussions and explanations during my lessons. This gives students the opportunity to learn about each other while also learning from one another. Lastly, a specific example of an activity I have carried out that related to identity was a writing assignment where students were asked to compare and contrast a character’s identities and how they are similar/different to their own. Students were also able to share their writing pieces with the rest of the class.

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I found this Edpuzzle video and used it with my class today. We are starting a new reading unit and one of the skills we will be focusing on over the next few weeks will be comparing and contrasting. I never used this tool before but I really enjoyed implementing it. I especially liked the checkpoint questions throughout the video to assess students. My students enjoyed it as well. I could easily tell they found it interactive and engaging. I felt this specific video was great to use as a brief review/introduction to a reading skill they have seen in previous years.

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Edpuzzle video lesson. Make any video your lesson. Take a video and crop it, add your voice or embed questions at any point.

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After reviewing the slideshow, I was so excited. I have, for years, wanted to connect with another class in the world to be "penpals". I have done research over and over again but the only website I was able to find, never really worked out. I cannot wait to try Empatico. I could see this causing some issue in that not all of my students have video clearance, but a nice parent letter describing the benefits, could change it. I think that studnets learn the best from other students and learning about others cultures creates an acceptance of differences and an excitment of differences. I cannot wait to use!

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While reading, I thought about the connection of Multilingual literacies. I work in a district that has a variety of students, who speak many different languages. I Also took a course last year about read-alouds in the classroom. We had to create a website on classroom library books that should be in a classroom. I picked the idea to create a diverse library. I know the importance of students seeing themselves in their curriculum and also in books. We cannot always have books where white characters are the majority. I made sure that when I started my classroom library this year, it would be diverse. I always try and learn more about my students and their culture. For example, we were reading a chapter book that had a main character who was from India. A majority of my students are from Indian culture. As I would read, I would come across words that were new to me. Rather than sounding them out and continuing, I stopped reading, wrote the word on the board, they would tell me how to say the word and also would explain to me what it means. They loved this. I had never had a class so interested in our reading book.

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This is a video that I used earlier in the year. It was an end of lesson review and the students enjoyed showing what they learned and found it a great alternative to an Exit Ticket. I have also used EdPuzzle for assignments when I am absent - for example I have used it with recorded parts of my read aloud and the students listened and stopped to answer questions at key parts of the text. It's nice to see all students responses and not just the few that like to share and answer questions. It's also great to have multiple choice as well as opened ended questions. It is also integrated into Goole Classroom so once I import my classroom I can easily assign and it updates the grade if I set it up that way.

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Powers of 10 and Exponents Song | a 5th Grade Math Video

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Easily create beautiful interactive video lessons for your students you can integrate right into your LMS. Track students' progress with hassle-free analytics as you flip your classroom!

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Mostly I’d say that I connect to the ideas of the text regarding multilingual literacies. It’s essential to know about students’ literacies at home and connect that with what we see in the classroom. A while back, a student moved up to my fifth grade designated as a student in need of support. We shared in class, listened to his stories, learned about his summers and his culture. It became clear to me that this student had a wealth of multiple literacies. Besides attending regular school, he also participated in Greek school and one other language school (I don’t recall). He spent his summers split between Greece and the other country. At one point, he was behind in Greek school and asked if he could complete our class assignment in Greek so he could hand it in in both classes. I made a copy for him and had him translate the story for me orally. The most important part of our class is to connect to each other and who we are outside and inside of the classroom and bring those identities together, maximizing these identities to the benefit of the student and the classroom community.

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An example of a multilingual experience would be the several ELL students I have had in my class over the last few years. I have completed several online training sessions in order for these students to be a part of my class. During my writing blocks, there have been many times where students have to verbally dictate to me their writing since they struggle with putting it on paper at times. I have also worked closely with the ELL teacher in order to communicate with the parents about important classroom notices, as well as other strategies within the classroom. I have also learned a little bit about the specifications of when a student legally qualifies for ELL services. My example of a multilingual experience certainly connects to the section of chapter 4 that talks about multilingual literacy practices. Specifically, page 105 definitely puts into perspective the different practices my ELL students may also be participating in outside of school. They make be communicating in one language at home, writing in a different language at a religious school, all while communicating, reading and learning in English at school.

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After reading Chapter 4, an example of a parent to community connection that I have incorporated into my class comes in the form of "Journal/Reflective Writing" for our unit on the novel Looking for Alaska. Within this unit students complete a series of Journal entries in which they respond to a specific prompt. The goal of the prompts is to have students connect concepts and/or themes form the novel to their own lives and their world. The very first journal prompt they had to respond to asked them "How are teenagers portrayed in the media? How do your parents/guardians view your age group? What does society think of teenagers? In your opinion, are these beliefs true or false?" I like to layer the prompts with connections to their community/world along with more personal connections. The students always do a great job expressing their opinions while also drawing those connections to their community, families, and personal lives. With this specific prompt, I had students dive deep into telling me about their parents/guardians views on teenagers, their experiences with all types media, and the ways in which they perceive themselves. This connects to the specific passage form chapter 4 that details the "Garden as Text" story in which a 3rd grade student named Sabil, and his classmates began studying the topic of urban and rural communities. This lesson provided the class with ample opportunities to connect with one another and each students' "social realities." The students discussed their respective communities, backgrounds, and families. I believe that these types of lessons, activities, and opportunities are so helpful in allowing students to see the relevancy of the topics covered in school. If they can relate the topics to their own lives, the more connected they feel, and the more relevant the content becomes for them.

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Posting super early, but take your time!

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One way I try to connect literacy with home and school is by assigning a weekly reading log for my third graders. All students are expected to read for at least 20 minutes a night and record the title of their book, the amount of time they read for, and how many pages. I also ask for an adult to initial the reading log each night. This holds students and parents accountable for reading at home. Students also have the opportunity to share what they read the night before each morning during morning meeting. If students do not have books at home to read, (which I have noticed is quite often this year), students have the opportunity to borrow books from our classroom library to bring home. At back to school night I also provide parents with flyers containing information about the importance of reading at home on a daily basis. One idea I really enjoyed in regards to connecting literacy with home and school was a “Reading Night” hosted at a school I had previously worked at. Families had the opportunity to come back to school after hours for an event where they would receive pizza for dinner, but also participate in a rotation of reading centers throughout different classrooms. Students and families would play games practicing reading skills, listen to read alouds, and be introduced to literacy websites they could use in the future. It was a great way to connect literacy with families.

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Access Google Forms with a personal Google account or Google Workspace account (for business use).

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As the focus at schools has shifted increasingly towards standards-based teaching, covering the curriculum, and teaching to the “test,” we as teachers have lost focus on the value of home and the home school connection. I feel that it has become them versus us scenario - them being the parents and us being the teachers that have “stuff” to cover and our “jobs” to do. Often when we discuss students’ homes, that is, by school standards underachieving, the finger is pointed at the home. The parent is not doing enough, not reading enough, not valuing the school literacy enough, which begs the question:  how we value home literacy and try to find that “third space” where we can bring together the home and school literacies. I can say that I make attempts at this but could still do more. Some basic ways are that at the beginning of the year, to start our Writer’s NB I have students begin with the story of their name - which they usually do not know and have to go home and discuss with their parents. They come back with much to tell and are so happy to share these stories. Another way that I start the year in social studies is to take on the study through the five themes of geography. All five easily lend themselves to making those home school connections, but my favorite is under the lens of movement - How did your family come to be here in Cherry Hill? I start with my story, and they go home and find their stories and bring them back to the classroom. It’s a great start to the year, and I feel it links school and home together and that we depend on each other to learn. After that, we fizzle out a bit but moving forward; I’m going to incorporate more artifacts from home and bring in more new literacies. Talking about video games is always a hard one for me but I need to find a space for that in our classroom along with other forms of media and multimodal learning. I have already had to figure out how to incorporate online drawing programs into our learning and the students new found love of origami.

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Access Google Forms with a personal Google account or Google Workspace account (for business use).

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Slide Deck Here - Let me know your thougths

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Slide Deck Here - Let me know your thougths

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When it comes to bringing literacy home to families, I believe that one of the most effective ways this can be accomplished is through bi-weekly or monthly newsletters. In the newsletter teachers can include class specific updates, events occurring both in class and the school, as well as resources related to literacy. These specific resources can include articles, specific strategies, and practices. I think that even creating a Padlet like this for families to refer back to for multiple literacy resources, strategies, and practices can be beneficial. The teacher can update the Padlet on a basis that best fits for them. Even conducting a literacy survey like we had to create for this Blog Post can be one way of bringing literacy homes to families. Being an English teacher lends itself to frequently discussing literacy and reading with families and students. Therefore, I created a Parent Survey that is sort of tailored toward that perspective.

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Google Forms - create and analyze surveys, for free.

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https://nearpod.com/t/science/4th/physical-chemical-weathering-46-L107776939

This Nearpod covers chemical and physical weathering in a fun way! It actually allows for students to see landforms and try and figure out how they formed. I will use this in science

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Here is a link to a math lesson I completed using Nearpod. It isn't recent but I used it with my students. It was completed during hybrid learning and was well received and students said it was fun. Downside - since it was hybrid some of my virtual learners couldn't figure out how to access the lesson. I feel I should give it another opportunity since we are now 1:1 Chromebook and in person. It seems like it would be easier to guide the lesson, create interaction where every student has an opportunity to actively participate, and leaves evidence behind for a teacher to guide further instruction.

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No mobile devices in your classroom? No worries! You can enjoy Nearpod from any web browser :) Create, engage, and assess your students in every lesson!

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I am currently teaching multiplication to my 3rd graders so I searched for a lesson I could use during class last week. I found this Nearpod lesson that introduced and explained how to use the associative property of multiplication and it went really well! It gave students the opportunity to make a real world connection, and also gave me assessment data to use. The students really enjoyed the collaborate board! The slides thoroughly explained the concept and my students followed along well due to the concept be broken down into slides.

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No mobile devices in your classroom? No worries! You can enjoy Nearpod from any web browser :) Create, engage, and assess your students in every lesson!

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I really liked this NEarPod that I found on their explore page! I did omit some of the slides, but I feel like I can definitely use this in my Publications course as we begin the year talking about the news, media, and media bias.

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I have had a, I feel, unique relationship with social media. When I was working on my undergrad, it was the start of people getting into trouble because of their social media: employers were using social media to learn more about their job candidates, and it was a time when people were getting fired for things they posted.  So, it was advised to delete social media so that there were no negative traces that could influence your job search. I obliged and I signed off Facebook forever. Ever since I have been extremely cautious about social media. I now have a few different social media accounts, each for a different purpose. Instagram is social and research/ educational uses. Facebook is used for community, news, and town information, Snapchat was used for the short videos with filters to post for my virtual class last year. I created an account for Twitter for this class. I have played around with it, followed a ton of people. I know colleagues who use Twitter regularly as a staple in learning and gaining new information. For me, Instagram has been my go to for educational information through social media. As for students in middle school and under, I do not see how students could effectively sort through the information that comes up when a search is conducted. A high school student, who is supported, may be able to use Twitter as a research tool. I think students may be unaware/naive to take what anyone says on social media as factual. I like to believe that adults have more background and look for resources, reputable people or organizations, and do know how to perform a fact check. Something that I have been researching and heavily interested in is bringing literacy into the home. I love following all of these different teachers and reading specialists who have creative ways to infuse literacy into their students' home life. It is so important to get books into kids hands and it is also important to have parents feel comfortable and confident in what they are doing at home with their children. I am hoping to find more ways on Twitter in the coming weeks to gather more ways to help connect literacy and home. 

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I have had a, I feel, unique relationship with social media. When I was working on my undergrad, it was the start of people getting into trouble because of their social media: employers were using social media to learn more about their job candidates, and it was a time when people were getting fired for things they posted.  So, it was advised to delete social media so that there were no negative traces that could influence your job search. I obliged and I signed off Facebook forever. Ever since I have been extremely cautious about social media. I now have a few different social media accounts, each for a different purpose. Instagram is social and research/ educational uses. Facebook is used for community, news, and town information, Snapchat was used for the short videos with filters to post for my virtual class last year. I created an account for Twitter for this class. I have played around with it, followed a ton of people. I know colleagues who use Twitter regularly as a staple in learning and gaining new information. For me, Instagram has been my go to for educational information through social media. As for students in middle school and under, I do not see how students could effectively sort through the information that comes up when a search is conducted. A high school student, who is supported, may be able to use Twitter as a research tool. I think students may be unaware/naive to take what anyone says on social media as factual. I like to believe that adults have more background and look for resources, reputable people or organizations, and do know how to perform a fact check. Something that I have been researching and heavily interested in is bringing literacy into the home. I love following all of these different teachers and reading specialists who have creative ways to infuse literacy into their students' home life. It is so important to get books into kids hands and it is also important to have parents feel comfortable and confident in what they are doing at home with their children. I am hoping to find more ways on Twitter in the coming weeks to gather more ways to help connect literacy and home. 

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In Brad Paisley’s song “Welcome to the Future”, the lyrics focus on areas in the past and how they evolved into the technology of today. He wrote a hundred letters to my grandma Mailed them from his base in the Philippines I wish they could see this  now The world they saved has changed, you know 'Cause I was on a video chat this morning With a company in Tokyo This song clearly identifies the main mode of long distance communication. Years ago, for people to communicate, express ideas, or engage with others they wrote letters and sent them through the mail. It could take weeks for the other person to to receive the mail and there would be an extensive delay in feedback. Today, we connect with people throughout the world in real time, face-to-face, via video chat. We can see, hear, and move with people hundreds of miles away from us. Due to the pandemic, the utilization of this technology has become more mainstream. I believe that it has been normalized and expected as the first option, as opposed to in-person. This is the way that my second grade class learned for the entire school year. 13 of us logged in everyday, at predetermined times to actively participate in lessons together. We were miles apart. In all different areas of town, yet still connected together as if we were in the same room. The Engage Me video was powerful. It was interesting to see the children, silently, holding signs, yet their expression was neutral. I imagine that is how students may feel when they feel uninterested, unengaged, and not inspired by activities, assignments, or lessons that do not meet their 21st century life. There is so much available for students to use to express themselves and it is underutilized by teachers. But why? These new technologies are often not introduced, demonstrated, or taught to teachers. Many teachers are reluctant to utilize “new” technology when they are unfamiliar with it and have little to no support of how to use it in their classrooms. So how can we meet the demands of an ever evolving world? Support teachers. We can demonstrate uses for technology, give examples of how it can be used, and be there as a resource to assist with the implementation of technology. If we can’t, then appropriately use resources to bring in support, professional development, and opportunities for teachers to learn and grow. How does these items relate to chapter 1 in “Literacy and Education”? They both highlight the importance of change. They show examples of what Kate Pahl and Jennifer Rowsell speak about in chapter 1 these new literacies. Many people may view the Engage Me video and see the PSD, the iPod and not connect to how these technologies could be used in the classroom. However, on page 7, Pahl and Rowsell give examples of literacy practices through using Facebook. They point out events that although are typically used for pleasure, recreation, or out of school, are the same events “...often most easily spotted in the classroom.” I take this as an eye opener, for teachers to find ways to connect students with the technologies that they are familiar with. This also puts responsibility on the teachers to meet the needs of 21st century learners and use technology to support the skills and standards being taught with modern modes to express their thoughts, understanding, and mastery of a topic. For a song that is related to multimodality, I immediately thought of nursery rhyme songs, like “The Wheels on the Bus”. Today, in classrooms teachers are not taking out the cassette and boombox to play a song. We are going on our computers, using Youtube to search for a song, displaying the video. In the video it may have the words with a tracking feature (teaching left to right correspondence of reading) and displaying correct capitalization and punctuation. It may have characters or people dancing with gestures, like the wheels on the bus go round and round (with hand movements) connecting the meaning of round and round. Students in preschool would be utilizing new literacies and multimodality by hearing the song, seeing the video/ lyrics, and  creating the song lyrics through movements. For younger students, introducing them to technologies like the smart board or laptop by modeling how to search and how to engage with the technology appropriately is key for teachers. Everything is a teachable moment when modeling and using technology based terminology. 

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In Brad Paisley’s song “Welcome to the Future”, the lyrics focus on areas in the past and how they evolved into the technology of today. He wrote a hundred letters to my grandma Mailed them from his base in the Philippines I wish they could see this  now The world they saved has changed, you know 'Cause I was on a video chat this morning With a company in Tokyo This song clearly identifies the main mode of long distance communication. Years ago, for people to communicate, express ideas, or engage with others they wrote letters and sent them through the mail. It could take weeks for the other person to to receive the mail and there would be an extensive delay in feedback. Today, we connect with people throughout the world in real time, face-to-face, via video chat. We can see, hear, and move with people hundreds of miles away from us. Due to the pandemic, the utilization of this technology has become more mainstream. I believe that it has been normalized and expected as the first option, as opposed to in-person. This is the way that my second grade class learned for the entire school year. 13 of us logged in everyday, at predetermined times to actively participate in lessons together. We were miles apart. In all different areas of town, yet still connected together as if we were in the same room. The Engage Me video was powerful. It was interesting to see the children, silently, holding signs, yet their expression was neutral. I imagine that is how students may feel when they feel uninterested, unengaged, and not inspired by activities, assignments, or lessons that do not meet their 21st century life. There is so much available for students to use to express themselves and it is underutilized by teachers. But why? These new technologies are often not introduced, demonstrated, or taught to teachers. Many teachers are reluctant to utilize “new” technology when they are unfamiliar with it and have little to no support of how to use it in their classrooms. So how can we meet the demands of an ever evolving world? Support teachers. We can demonstrate uses for technology, give examples of how it can be used, and be there as a resource to assist with the implementation of technology. If we can’t, then appropriately use resources to bring in support, professional development, and opportunities for teachers to learn and grow. How does these items relate to chapter 1 in “Literacy and Education”? They both highlight the importance of change. They show examples of what Kate Pahl and Jennifer Rowsell speak about in chapter 1 these new literacies. Many people may view the Engage Me video and see the PSD, the iPod and not connect to how these technologies could be used in the classroom. However, on page 7, Pahl and Rowsell give examples of literacy practices through using Facebook. They point out events that although are typically used for pleasure, recreation, or out of school, are the same events “...often most easily spotted in the classroom.” I take this as an eye opener, for teachers to find ways to connect students with the technologies that they are familiar with. This also puts responsibility on the teachers to meet the needs of 21st century learners and use technology to support the skills and standards being taught with modern modes to express their thoughts, understanding, and mastery of a topic. For a song that is related to multimodality, I immediately thought of nursery rhyme songs, like “The Wheels on the Bus”. Today, in classrooms teachers are not taking out the cassette and boombox to play a song. We are going on our computers, using Youtube to search for a song, displaying the video. In the video it may have the words with a tracking feature (teaching left to right correspondence of reading) and displaying correct capitalization and punctuation. It may have characters or people dancing with gestures, like the wheels on the bus go round and round (with hand movements) connecting the meaning of round and round. Students in preschool would be utilizing new literacies and multimodality by hearing the song, seeing the video/ lyrics, and  creating the song lyrics through movements. For younger students, introducing them to technologies like the smart board or laptop by modeling how to search and how to engage with the technology appropriately is key for teachers. Everything is a teachable moment when modeling and using technology based terminology. 

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Artifactual Literacies is discussed in chapter two. Although I have not had a lesson where students bring things into school I have taught a lesson this year about representing one’s culture through the use of totem poles. At first, I was concerned about this approach because we did complete these as the last activity in a study of Native American culture, to make a connection. We did discuss cultural appropriation and how we could not copy or dishonor what we had learned but that we’d be recreating the spirit of the pole by representing a set of interests, values, or beliefs of our own. I was worried. However, what I got from the students was original and heartfelt. One student represented Diwali and the different aspects of the celebration. Another student represented the Chinese zodiac symbols of his family members, what they represented and how they tied to that family member. Another student represented food, care packages, family members, Camden, candles, and a drawing of a picture of her dead uncle. She explained that this represented her family honoring her uncle every year on November 21 when they go to Camden and give out care packages. First, they designed a paper totem pole, then they took a picture of it, inserted it in a google slide, and wrote an explanation, finally they presented it to the class. They all understood the assignment.

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A few years ago, during a faculty meeting, we were all asked to take out our phones and were walked through the process of setting up a Twitter account tied to our school/classroom. Then we were encouraged to “Tweet out” the happenings in our classroom throughout the school year. I’m not a big Tweeter. However, I do use it to follow a few educators/authors, technology bloggers related to educational tech, etc. So when I was thinking about whether I would use this as a tool for research, I decided to ask one of my daughters, a senior in high school, if she used Twitter for research - Her response was, “What? Why would I do that? Anyone can put any old thing up there. We talked about that in class.” I laughed to myself as I knew she thought I was naive in my question.  Since I teach 5th grade, Twitter is not a research tool consideration - however, I incorporate curated YouTube videos for the students to watch for research purposes. I also use videos from https://whyy.pbslearningmedia.org/ and guide them to other online sites. The most important thing I feel is teaching the students how to research, find valid research, and use the information without plagiarism. As a side note, I did conduct a quick search about how Twitter is used for research and found that Twitter is used to conduct Polls and Surveys, carry out interviews; you can search using hashtags for your topic, and a few other things I didn’t know about https://www.makeuseof.com/how-to-use-twitter-as-a-research-tool/

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I was fascinated by the concept of New Literacy Studies. In the way back, when I attended my first teacher preparation programs, this concept was not an area of study that was in our coursework. Over the years, as a classroom teacher, I’ve evolved into the idea that we should value what students bring to the classroom and that no student is an empty slate. Overall, in schools (at least my school), literacy is still seen as something that occurs in school, and our biggest drive is delivering the curriculum. So I’m placed in a position to ponder how I will be stretching myself to embrace the practice of New Literacy Studies and how I can engage that methodology into my practice. I particular held on to this “continue to make us aware of our learners in relation to their identities, cultures, and ruling passions.” Switching over to the videos, the “Engage Me” video just continues to reinforce the reality that our students are global and making far connections beyond the classroom - and as teachers, how are we keeping up with that? A few weeks ago, I felt out of date as I pulled out my bulletin board about “What are we reading?” Something I thought was innovative and different, and after I finished explaining it, one of my students raised her hand and said, “Oh, it’s like a Yelp for books!” and I quickly realized I had missed the boat on that completely.

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I have one experience with remixing. When I taught 3rd grade, before remote learning, I had the students read two books. The Three Little Pigs and The True Story of The Three Little Pigs. After comparing and contrasting the two, I had students come up with scenes and create a readers theater to act out scenes from either story. The students were very active in their role during this lesson. It was student centered and student controlled. It made me think about how I could implement this remixing in other lessons. I feel that remote learning has really expanded my resources and ways in which I can remix lessons. I would like to explore with flipgrid, but I have experience in Nearpod and Jamboard. These resources allow for teachers to remix lessons and for students to actively participate in any setting. Nearpod can allow for students to answer questions, play a game, write or draw their thinking etc. Jamboard allows for students to use many tools to explain their thinking. If I assign a remixed lesson, I would defintely use one of these resources.

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Alexandra Tralie- Chapter 2 Blog Discussion

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Alexandra Tralie- Chapter 2 Blog Discussion

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I have not had too much experience remixing lessons in the past, but I am excited to start thinking of some ideas for this year. After learning about new platforms over the last year and a half due to virtual learning, I think Flipgrid would be a great tool to use for a remixed lesson within the classroom. When using Flipgrid, students are able to record themselves via video, which then posts to a platform for the rest of the class to see. Students are also able to comment on each other’s videos. One writing assignment students complete several times throughout our ELA curriculum is to rewrite a new short scene (from the story we are reading at that time) based on a given prompt/scenario. This is always completed as an independent assignment. My idea to remix this lesson is for students to work in partners or small groups to write the new scene together and to then act out the scene and record themselves using Flipgrid. This gives students the opportunity to think as the character’s they are reading about. After all students create their videos, each student will have the opportunity to watch all videos and comment what they liked about them. This gives students an opportunity to provide feedback to their peers and create discussions through an online forum.

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When it comes to remixing, I have developed a potential project-based assessment that I hope to implement at some point this year (most likely when I get to the Gatsby unit). At the end of this unit, students typically write an essay in response to a prompt of their choosing. I do still plan to have students write the essay, but after that, I really want students to get more exposure to new multimodal resources and to build upon their written work. After they have written the essay, I want to pair students up and have them record a podcast conversation in which they discuss their respective essays and the points/arguments they make in their essays. Once all of the pairs have recorded their podcasts, everyone will be responsible for listening to the other podcast "episodes" that their classmates recorded. This helps students gain experience working with new resources and tools, while also showing them how written work and ideas can be transferred into a new media. Perhaps even more importantly, they gain insight into their classmates' thoughts, ideas, and perspectives. In turn, this could spark new ideas, and help students see the many different ways they can address specific prompts.

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Personally, I only made a twitter for this class but have yet to use it. I never thought of it as a way to conduct research. I do, however, have other platforms that I use to learn from other teachers. I never thought that Twitter could be another way, but it definitely is. The only thing that kind of turned me away from using it, is that users are limited to a certain character amount. To me, literacy is interpreted differently from person to person, and limiting someone from writing all of their thoughts is not fair, and can lead to miscommunication. In the classroom, I definitely feel as though I could allow for twitter research with my students. My students already use blogs, and youtube, so why not try another outlet? I do believe that plagiarism would still exist if we use these platforms because it is very hard for students to support their thoughts with evidence, and citing it would be difficult.

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While watching Engage Me, the students talked about what they want in their learning. One said that their teacher reads their story in a notebook to their class, but if they posted the story online 2,000 people would read it. This relates to our schools now because there is a lot more choice than there was when we were children. In my room, the students have “choice boards” that allow them to choose their own path in learning during center time. This choice board has a mix of multimodal access. This relates to chapter 1 of Literacy and Education when they discussed "literacy is an embodied practice that requires movement and action" (pg4). In Engage Me, they were talking about wanting to learn differently. This book also talks about the idea that "literacy was something associated with books and writing and with language schema in our minds" (pg.7). This is the opposite of Multimodal literacy and Pahl and Rosewell are pushing against that old way of literacy towards a new one.

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Alexandra Tralie- Chapter 1 Blog Discussion

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Alexandra Tralie- Chapter 1 Blog Discussion

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I definitely enjoyed watching both videos from an educational and multimodality standpoint. Since I am a country music fan, I have seen Brad Paisley’s music video before, but never reflected on it in these terms. He most definitely portrayed the advances we have had in regards to technology over the years, and that these advances have been positive to our world. This connects to our schools today in the same way. As I sit and reflect on my time as a student in the classroom, it is certainly different than my time in the classroom today as an educator. Today, there is a substantial amount of devices available to use within the classroom such as chromebooks, tablets, smartboards ext. With these devices comes the use of the internet and all the different resources available through it. These advances have benefited our education system to help meet the needs of students. The “Engage Me” video from the students of Robin Hood Primary School was also very powerful. I feel it also portrayed the benefits of multimodality and how technology advances within the classroom can help students. It can help students express themselves in different ways that they may feel stronger or more comfortable with. It can also help students reach a higher platform. I especially thought it was interesting when two students shared they posted a story online for 2000 people to view as well as the student who sent his podcast to a global conference. These are both benefits of technology advancements within the classroom. I think both of these videos connect to chapter 1 as well. In chapter 1 there is a section that discusses domains of literacy. Different domains have different literacy practices and in my opinion, both videos explored that as well. Lastly, just as this chapter explores and discusses new literacies, both videos also portray this as well.

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Twitter To Conduct Research- Alexandra Tralie

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Twitter To Conduct Research- Alexandra Tralie

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I have used Twitter in the past, but not from an educational or research standpoint. I do not think educators need to necessarily change the way students conduct research. However, I do believe giving students the option to also use Twitter, YouTube and other social media platforms would be beneficial for their research practices. Student would have many more options to find information. I think it also may lead to students becoming more engaged in their research because they would be using platforms they are very familiar with. Using these types of platforms though would require educators to instruct their students on how to make sure the sources they are finding are reputable to use for their research. I think this would especially apply to information found on YouTube. I think the issue of plagiarism could still present itself at times while using these platforms, but not as often as you may see when using books or articles. I think it is still important to discuss the issue of plagiarism with students no matter what research platforms or sources are being used.

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Simon Cruz- Thoughts on using Twitter to conduct research

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Simon Cruz- Thoughts on using Twitter to conduct research

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I personally don't have a Twitter account. However, I do use YouTube and other social media accounts. I do believe that YouTube can be a great source for research for students to use. I think that many classrooms are incorporating YouTube into their course work along with activities based around social media and their respective formats. I don't think that educators need to change the way students conduct research, I just think that we need to continue to provide students with different resources for conducting research and showing them HOW to conduct said research.

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Read this blog post!  What resonates with you?

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Read this blog post!  What resonates with you?

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Listen to this post as a podcast:
Sponsored by CommonLit and Brain Power Academy

Update: Since the publication of this post, it has been brought to my attention that I missed some topics, specifically one issue that is creating an incredible amount of stress, fear, and heartbreak for so many teachers: the pushback from parents, community members, and the media on Critical Race Theory, SEL, culturally responsive teaching, and other teaching and curricular approaches that fall under this umbrella. This is a serious topic that will be addressed in a future post. Thank you to those who held me accountable for this omission.

The 2021-22 school year is off and running, and what I've been hearing from teachers over and over, from every corner, is that this is the worst school year ever. So much worse than 2020, which should have easily held the title for "worst year ever" in every category, for a long, long time.

But for so many teachers the worst year is turning out to be this year, and that really grinds my gears, because it shouldn't be.

Every day I see a new post on social media from a different educator shouting at the top of their lungs on this topic, so what I'm going to say here is nothing new, but I'm hoping that if I add my voice to the very large chorus, maybe it will reach some new ears.

My thoughts are not well-organized right now, but I want to get them out, so I'm going to break them into eight loosely linked parts.

Part 1: A Confession

I am not a teacher anymore because I know I couldn't handle it if I tried.

At one time, I was able to. Sort of. When I was a lot younger, with no children of my own, I managed to pull off teaching middle school language arts well enough. Granted, I brought home at least two hours of work every afternoon, got about 5 hours of sleep a night, and was accused on the regular of being a workaholic, but I managed.

Once I had kids, things changed. Gone were the after-school hours to plan lessons and grade papers. Gone was the ability to tolerate a staff meeting that ran over an extra fifteen minutes. Gone was the ability to go into my classroom on a Sunday to catch up. After giving it a try for a semester with a newborn and a lot of support from home, I decided to step away from the classroom for a few years, knowing there was no way I could be a great teacher and a great mother at the same time.

That was 2005, before all the nonsense really got going. No Child Left Behind had started infiltrating schools, but back then we had no idea how bad it was going to get.

I had a few more kids, but I always planned to go back. I was going to stay at home with them until they were in school, then I'd return to the classroom. Ultimately, other opportunities presented themselves, then I launched my own website, so I never ended up following the original blueprint. Still, the question comes up often, from curious friends who ask if I've ever thought about going back, to people who actually offer me teaching jobs, to readers who dislike something I've written and suggest that my voice has no merit since I'm no longer in the classroom.

My most compelling reason for not taking on a full-time teaching job is that it would require me to stop doing what I do now, researching and sharing good teaching practices through blog posts and podcast episodes. There simply wouldn't be enough time left. But equally important is the fact that I really don't want to invite back into my life the stress and horrible imbalance that comes with a teaching job. It stressed me out in 2005; I can't even imagine what it would do to me in 2021.

And that's a real shame, because I know I would be an incredible teacher. I wasn't half bad back in the day, but knowing what I know now? Forget about it. I'd be frickin' brilliant. And yet I wouldn't do it, because I know how much non-teaching is required of teachers, how much unnecessary and unmitigated crap is being piled onto teachers' backs right now, and I feel 100 percent certain that I wouldn't be able to handle it.

So if you're still hanging in there, but you're about at the end of your rope, hear this: The problem is not you.

It's not you.

Part 2: The Problem, Briefly

So what's going on? Why is this the worst school year ever? I put the question out on Twitter and got hundreds of responses. The root of the problem seems to fall into one of three categories: time, trust, and safety.

TIME

Historically, teachers have never had enough time to do their jobs well. This has been a problem for generations, but it's gotten worse in recent years as standardized testing has become the end-all-be-all for measuring success. Pre-COVID, there was already no margin for error, no extra space or time for most teachers to thoughtfully plan, collaborate, and assess student work.

I'll say that again: Before COVID, teachers already didn't have enough time to do their jobs well.

Now that schools are transitioning from fully remote back to in-person classes, the problem of teacher time has reached epic proportions.

This has happened despite all the lessons we should have learned from the pandemic. The worldwide shutdown prompted lots of people to reflect on how busy life used to be. Many of us were determined to never go back to that frantic pace once things started opening up again. Unfortunately, it appears that not everyone felt that way.

Especially those in charge of schools.

Instead of trying to approach things differently, many school leaders have gone full speed ahead, putting their reopening focus on recovering as much "learning loss" as possible, as if everyone could just do the teaching and learning more quickly and get caught up at twice the speed. This is playing out in far too many districts in the form of a renewed focus on data and testing, with more frequent assessments and screenings, more documentation, and more data analysis. The message is that we are behind and we now need to work extra hard to make up for it.

On top of that, they are adding new stuff: new technology, new curricula, new programs. This stuff might be good, it might be outstanding, but it's still new, and it comes with a learning curve, which means more time.

Meanwhile, extra work has been added in order to comply with COVID-related requirements, help students make up work missed due to quarantining, and cover classes that have no responsible adult in charge due to an accelerating shortage in teachers and substitutes.

All of this combined has created an absolute dumpster fire of mental distress for teachers. Being short on time puts us in a terrible state as human beings. When I'm running late and I hit a patch of traffic or get stuck behind a slow driver, I am so far from my best self it's embarrassing: my heart rate goes up, I yell at every single thing that goes wrong, I hate everyone else on the road, and the profanity is off the charts. Literally nothing can go wrong without turning me into a raving lunatic. At some point, if the traffic never eases up and it becomes clear that I'm not going to get to my destination on time, I might eventually settle into a catatonic state, where I've accepted my situation and just go numb. It's a terrible way to feel. It's something I'm working on, believe me. But at least it's temporary.

That's the mental state so many teachers are in every day. It's turned down to a slightly lower vibration-they may not be running down the halls shouting profanities at everyone who gets in their way-but the chronic lack of time in their lives means there's zero margin for error. They don't have the luxury of thinking deeply about their classroom practices or studying student work in order to adjust their instruction. People whose cortisol levels are regularly elevated don't have the mental capacity to have tough, vulnerable conversations about bias or take in constructive feedback about their disciplinary practices. The clock is ticking and they have a mile-long to-do list so all that good, deep stuff will have to wait.

And these are smart, thoughtful people. These are people who care about their students, who are passionate about their content, and who have formal training in pedagogy and on-the-ground experience in what works best for kids. But when they are put into a constant state of stress and anxiety, the best of their knowledge, experience, and intuition is wasted.

TRUST

While the impossible race to make up for lost time is the biggest culprit here, another problem makes things even worse: A lack of trust. Teachers are being required to hand in detailed lesson plans, document interventions on a daily basis, and complete all of their professional development in a setting where their participation can be observed. The message is this: We don't think you will do your job if we are not constantly checking behind you.

No doubt, these additional duties still fall under the time problem, but they get an added asterisk because they are also demoralizing. For most teachers, this level of micromanagement is completely unnecessary; whether their work is documented or not, they'll still do good work. Ironically, the time it takes to document their work is more likely to weaken its quality than improve it. The time lost in writing full, formal lesson plans every day is time that could be used to conference with a student, watch a video about an innovative technique, or restructure an activity that isn't quite working.

In every school, there are probably a few teachers who need more accountability for one reason or another. But applying that to all teachers, regardless of their performance, in an environment where lack of time is already creating so much stress, just adds insult to injury.

SAFETY

When a teacher does not feel physically safe, they are incapable of concentrating on anything that will improve their teaching. Prior to 2020, teachers already had enough to worry about when it came to safety. In the U.S., for example, gun violence in schools is a very real concern and has been for a long time.

Now we have a virus to contend with, and we're still not done with it. So schools that are willfully going against CDC recommendations-or not really enforcing them -are putting teachers at risk. We could go round and round about whether or not our current levels of protection from vaccinations are enough; the fact remains that we are still learning about this virus, everyone's situation is different, and if a teacher feels that their life is at risk by coming to work every day, that's going to eventually send them looking for a safer job.

Part 3: Not All School Leaders

I just want to pause briefly to add a disclaimer: I am not talking about all school administrators. Some teachers have reported to me that their admins are doing an incredible job and have set reasonable expectations. I have met many administrators who I know are handling this school year as thoughtfully as they possibly can.

So if you're hearing all this and thinking, Hey, I'm not doing that stuff, then know that I'm not talking to you.

With that in mind, though...

The truly outstanding school leaders I have known are outstanding because they are reflective. Because they think they always have room for improvement. Because they seek authentic, honest feedback and use it to get better.

If that sounds like you, then what you're likely to do is find one or two things I say here that could make things more sustainable for your teachers, apply it, and end up with a faculty that is even more grateful that they work for you.

Part 4: Things That Are Not the Solution

Before we talk about the things that will really make conditions better for teachers, here's a list of things that won't:

Jeans day or other clothing-related "rewards." For the love of Pete, we are pulling out of a global pandemic. Just let your teachers wear jeans whenever they want.

Donuts, bagels, pizzas, etc. Food is always appreciated and enjoyed, so there's no need to stop offering it; just know that it does nothing to fix the bigger problem.

Surface talk about self-care without any structural changes. Encouraging teachers to meditate, do yoga, practice mindfulness, take bubble baths, get mani-pedis-none of that addresses the real problem. In fact, more than one teacher has pointed out how insulting it is to have leaders give lip service to self-care while upholding conditions that chip away at mental health.

Surface-level invitations for teacher input. If a teacher is invited to participate in a focus group, complete a survey, or otherwise give input into school decisions, their input should actually carry weight. If a decision has already been made for all intents and purposes, or the teacher input has no impact on the outcome, then the teacher's time has been wasted.

Unpredictable or short bursts of free time. When it comes to doing challenging cognitive work, "free time" is not the sum of its parts. Five minutes here, another seven there and another 20 there is not the same as knowing you have a full hour of protected, uninterrupted time. Although it's nice to randomly end a meeting 10 minutes early or show up in a teacher's class to give them a surprise bathroom break, teachers can't really make the most of this kind of free time. What they need is longer blocks that they know about in advance so they can plan for them and make good use of the time.

Pep talks. Telling a room full of teachers that they are doing a great job will likely go in one ear and out the other of those who are worn out and demoralized.

Part 5: Solutions

Here are some things that will actually make a difference. Again, I'll break these into the categories of time, trust, and safety.

TIME

Most of these ideas came from replies to a tweet I sent out asking teachers what could be taken off their plates. The specific changes needed to give your teachers more time will be unique to your school, so the best approach would be to talk directly to your teachers about it, but it's pretty likely that something on this list is a culprit.

Cut WAAAAAY back on testing and data analysis. You may not have the authority to get rid of all of it, but you can do two things: (a) reduce or eliminate all the in-house testing and data analysis that is not required from above you, and (b) push back harder on what's required from above. It never did anyone any good before COVID, and it's definitely not helping anything now.

Fewer, shorter meetings. There are so many ways to reduce meeting time. Just a few are: Reduce the number of meetings, make them shorter, find other delivery methods for the information (a.k.a. "This could have been an email"), only require attendance for certain meetings from those who need the information presented there, and during meetings, fiercely guard against conversations that derail the agenda. The phrase "Let's talk about that after the meeting" should be used frequently.

No new initiatives. This is not the year for a new curriculum, room changes, new programs. The focus should be on stability, quality over quantity, building relationships, and everyone's health and safety. Accept that you'll have to let go of some good ideas for now. If the change is already underway and you'd waste more time going back to the old way, then find a way to cut back on how thoroughly teachers need to implement. Brainstorm ways you could put things on pause for now. It can wait a year. It can wait two. There's no rush.

Hire help for administrative, clerical, and supervisory work. There's no reason teachers should be doing data entry, organizing fundraising, or managing permission slips or forms of any kind. Bus duty and lunch supervision could be handled by a few part-time people hired just for that purpose. Errands could be run by temps. Teachers are trained professionals who are being paid for their expertise in instruction. Draining their energy and time with tasks that any college intern could do is terrible management of resources.

Compensation for extra work. If extra tasks absolutely must be assigned to teachers, compensate them for it. If you can't get a sub and a teacher is covering another teacher's class, you have the money for that time. Pay them.

Treat classroom time as precious. Look for ways to limit the number of times teachers are interrupted in class. Respect and protect that time. Ask your teachers if this is currently a problem and if it is, what they'd suggest to reduce the interruptions.

Reduce teaching hours. This may not be something that can be implemented right away, but a number of teachers pointed out that their school worked well last year on a 4-day schedule. Could that be continued this year? If not, could you add in more teacher PD days to the current schedule?

Take over a class. If every single administrator took over the teaching of one class for a month, or even better, a full grading period, things would definitely change. If this is impossible, then do the next best thing by shadowing a teacher for a full day, then repeating that with another teacher on a different day. Just like with childbirth and parenting very young children, our memories tend to trick us into thinking it's easier than it really is, because we forget how hard it was. Until administrators have to actually walk in the shoes of a teacher, they will continue to heap too much onto their plates.

TRUST

Like any workplace, most schools will have a few employees who do less than they're supposed to, but most teachers work hard and want to do a good job. Treating everyone as if they need constant babysitting chips away at morale until it's nonexistent. Here are some ways you can make teachers feel like trusted professionals:

Talk to them. Your teachers know exactly what needs to change, and they probably have some very good ideas for how to go about it. Ask them questions, listen carefully to the answers, and then seriously consider how you might implement some of their ideas.

Stop micromanaging. If you require teachers to submit lesson plans, stop. You may have a handful of teachers who could benefit from the structure and accountability of submitting lesson plans. But making everyone do it is a waste of time, and I'd bet money that most of these plans are never even read. This article from the Principal Center offers a thoughtful discussion of lesson plan submission and some good suggestions for what to do instead of requiring it. Along those same lines, if you're requiring all kinds of other documentation for the sake of accountability, stop that, too.

Stop broad-brushing your staff. I've said it before, but it bears repeating: When individual teachers are doing something wrong, deal directly with them instead of reprimanding your entire faculty. Those who are doing what they're supposed to do will be confused by the scolding and will likely waste time and energy wondering what they've done wrong.

Allow for virtual meetings and virtual PD. If teachers are requesting the option to attend meetings or professional development virtually, let them. This allows them to take off their masks, relax a little bit, and have a snack. They don't all have to be in the same room.

Look for other things to drop. Is there a safety video teachers are required to watch every year, or something else along those same lines? This may be the time to revisit the requirement and ask what's reasonable. Could it be an "every three years" thing instead?

Some of these requirements may be official policy in your district or state. But that doesn't mean they can't be changed. Every policy was created by humans and it can be dismantled by humans as well.

SAFETY

So much has already been said on this topic for the past year and a half; I don't think I can add anything new. Just know that no job is worth losing your life over. So if you're currently making teachers choose between personal safety and job security, you're going to lose.

Part 6: Something to Ponder About Gender

I want to point something out: The teaching profession is still overwhelmingly female, right? And what we're talking about is a system in which a whole bunch of people are basically getting exploited for unpaid labor. That exploitation seems to be fueled primarily through gaslighting, examples of which can be found here, here, and here, for starters.

If this profession were made up mostly of men-cisgender, heterosexual, white men, anyway-would this be happening? Many of the men I have taught alongside (who fit the above description) found ways to sidestep these unrealistic expectations and didn't seem to be working themselves to the bone. And yes, we have loads of women in positions of leadership who perpetuate these norms. And yes, there are certainly women who push back on this. Still, the culture of education was built on a tradition of women doing a lot of work for very little money, and as long as everyone keeps cooperating with it, it's not going to change.

Just something to think about.

Part 7: An Apology

A few weeks ago, I had an eye-opening conversation with my sister, who has been a high school science teacher for the better part of two decades. I'm paraphrasing her here, but basically she said this: You put out really good stuff, Jenn. I mean, the ideas are great. It's stuff I really want to try. But most of the time I'm thinking "That'll never happen." Because there's no time. So I end up feeling like a crap teacher because there's this ideal out there that I'm clearly falling short of and I know I'll never get there. You just don't understand what it's like.

For the past eight years, I have been putting out content on my platform to help teachers do their jobs better. And I really hope that it has been helpful, that you've been able to use it to improve. But I am deeply sorry if I have ever implied that doing it should be a piece of cake, that you should happily ignore all the jacked-up expectations that make it nearly impossible to do this job well, or that being a good teacher means running yourself ragged for the sake of the kids.

Part 8: A Call to Inaction

In most of this post, I've been addressing leadership, but now I want to speak directly to the teachers: In the event that your administrators at all levels don't do what needs to be done to make things better, I want to suggest to you that quitting, as appealing and cathartic as it might seem, is not your only option.

The alternative is simply saying no. It's subversion. Conscientious objection. Passive resistance. It's looking at the massive pile of time-consuming, micromanaging, misguided nonsense you're being told to do and simply not doing it. You don't even need to say no. Just don't do it. You're at the end of your rope anyway.

Yes, you could lose your job. That's a definite risk. But haven't you been thinking about leaving anyway? And if the ten best teachers in your school decided to simply refuse to perform some of the duties being asked of them, do you really think you'd all be fired?

You might be. It could happen. And yes, a lot of kids might be left without teachers. As a parent, I don't relish this thought. But I also don't want my kids' teachers hating their jobs. At this point, if the people in charge refuse to make the necessary changes, it might be time for the system to completely collapse.

This might actually be a hill worth dying on.

Come back for more.
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Teachers Are Barely Hanging On. Here's What They Need.

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Hint: It's not meditation and jeans passes.

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I really enjoyed both of the videos we had to watch! I never knew Brad Paisley made that song, and in it he spoke volumes about the way our world has changed. The "Engage Me" video also spoke volumes as these young students, in 2009, were well aware of how much their world and education had changed, and could still continue to change. What I took away most from Paisley's video is that he did truly put a positive spin on new technology, multimodality, and other new advancements. I think about our current world, and often times these very tools are met with positive, negative and/or mixed reactions. We know that technology has advanced significantly since 2009 and with that evolution, has come both positives and negatives. If anything, all of these new advancements allow us, as people and learners, to be more connected and have our voices amplified (which in itself is a double-edged sword). The students in the "Educate Me" video express their desire to see the classroom transform to best fit the new advancements in multimodality and technologies. Both videos connect to schools because education is continuously looking for ways to further incorporate the aforementioned advancements into the classrooms. Majority of students have some type of device that they use throughout their school day. Whether it be a tablet, Chromebook, etc. we have seen this become a norm. Using those tools along with another tools and resources like Padlet, Google Classroom, FlipGrid, and even social media, have become parts of school's and their classrooms. I recently just had a discussion with my classes about how they feel "teenagers" are viewed by adults. Majority of my classes stated that they feel as if adults juts view them as "kids addicted to devices," but there is much more to them. They also expressed that if these resources and tools were around when the current adults were growing up, they would use them too. And the final point they made that I thought was really interesting is that they stressed the importance of individuality, and that just because one teenager is addicted, not all of them are. It was an interesting conversation, and one that I feel really opened my eyes to how current students view some multimodal tools.

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This was an interesting chapter to read, as I did not have much experience with the term new literacies. This chapter made me think a lot about how teachers can infuse different modes of reading and writing through the use of technology into their classrooms and how important it is to consider. New literacies would be utilizing school and age appropriate sites to have students blog, respond, and read others opinions about various topics.

A participatory culture is one where people are actively engaged in sharing and receiving information through creative ways.  There is easier access to express feelings, beliefs, and knowledge. Students are able to collaborate with others from different communities all over the world.

After reading this chapter, I thought that often on a social media platform there is some type of image, caption, emojis and hashtags all used by a user to express opinions and share knowledge. This gives the user many different ways to express themselves. There may be a picture, a drawing, or a digital diagram with pictures and words to communicate the user's thoughts. As for the reader, they are taking in many forms of information and gathering it through their strongest form.

What stood out to me was how important infusing lessons of these technologies is. The chapter mentions how students who are behind in this area don’t get an opportunity to learn how to successfully utilize technology. There are really so many ways you could introduce and use it in discussions about literature. I really found it interesting how the teachers were remixing literature. It sounds that it would resonate with students much more and they would have a clearer understanding of the purpose of the novel and could make much easier connections to the remixed version and then draw conclusions from how it is similar to the original version.

I work in a school that goes up to 6th grade. Students at the school have a 1 to 1 device. I think it would be great to research appropriate platforms for teachers to use and encourage them to use it to facilitate class discussions about the novel they are reading. This would give students an opportunity to practice using this type of technology with the oversight of the teacher and be able to access a new space to be creative. Students would also be able to connect with each other and express their ideas in a way they felt comfortable and confident.

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New literacies, to me, are new forms of literacy in digital ways. These new forms give opportunity to extend our communication capabilities using 21st century skills. A participatory culture is when people are able to communicate and share their ideas or creations, while believing their contributions matter to others. This relates to multimodality because there are a variety of modes students can use to learn or express themselves in the classroom. This is important to promote within the classroom because it allows students to really dive into their creativity. An idea that stood out to me during this reading is the belief that all writers are also readers and that every reader has the potential to become a writer. I think this is a great educational belief to instill in students within the classroom. It gives them an understanding that reading and writing are linked to one another, especially when responding to texts in different ways. This particularly resonates with me when practicing reader’s response questions with my third graders.

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"New" literacies to me means that our culture/society is evolving and expanding into new forms of communication. These new forms of communication have taken on so many forms that it is hard to keep current. As this chapter discusses, new literacies and a participatory culture allow for new opportunities for literacy enhancement. More voices can be heard,. Opportunities for students to have their voices heard "creating and sharing what they know and how they see the world beyond..." This relates to multimodality as new venues for expression and communication are open for students to learn through and show their learning. It relates to multimodality in that new tools like blogs, online journals, video reflections, social networking, and microblogging platforms (p. 8) are incorporated as forms of communication of learning.

What stood out to me was that our teaching should now consider and incorporate how we will teach our students to acquire the “habits of mind” that they will need to interact with these new medias in a healthy and productive manner. Another concept that stood out to me was the idea of “remixing” the old with the new - then and now. As we update our libraries and search for more diversity and representation, it is a novel idea to hold on to those classics and connect to the now.

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What new literacies means to me is that there are a wide range of new media platforms for literacy to be accessed and used through. These new literacies are coming in the form of digital platforms, tools, and resources. The digital era has allowed us to create, share, and explore so many new ways to practice and strengthen literacies. The new literacies also allow for there to be a stronger participatory culture.
Participatory culture allows individuals to let their ideas, thoughts, and works shine. Multimodality relates to a participatory culture as the use of multimodal tools and resources can create multiple opportunities for people to let their ideas be recognized, shared, and valued. There are specific locations and environments that can help promote a participatory culture. As the chapter points out, libraries and classrooms play a vital role in creating opportunities for multimodality to flourish, thus further promoting a participatory culture.
The fact that the chapter highlighted specific locations for participatory cultures to be established really stood out to me. As an educator, I really want to continue working on using multimodal resources in my classroom with specific class activities. I think that this offers students new ways to develop literacy which is so beneficial for them to see the many ways in which they can learn.

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New literacies, to me, is the idea that literacy can be accessed in a bunch of different ways, mostly digitally. It can give more opportunities for connection and expression. It allows for people to access text and connect to it on another level. I also think it can be a way where text is revisited and rewritten as "new" but the old text must still be acknowledged. It is a way that students can access the traditional texts but than also a “new-level” text.

A participatory culture, is the ability for people to circulate their ideas, where members believe their contributions matter. It is a new type of culture that still acknowledges traditional culture but does not focus on that. Clinton and Jenkins say “well designed curriculum will help students to develop both the literacy practices, but refusing to engage in new media out of a misplaced fear of change would be equally tragic” (2013).

What I find interesting is that the article talks about a disadvantage, that some people are fluent in this new culture, while others are not. Those who are not, struggle to participate in the participatory culture. Another interesting thing is that in school, children are taught one way to do things sometimes. It should not be like that. Students should be given many ways to comprehend something. This is what the new culture allows.

This relates to multimodality because it offers different ways to access reading and resources.

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Here is the survey I created for my parents! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeKR3IK_6cUsuuYDMsA5Sf_D_9k-nbMG-FwALNGEQ-wWYpaUg/viewform?usp=sf_link

In my classroom, I believe that parent-teacher communication is always the most important factor to a successful year. I have a class website that is updated every week that allows to parents to see: 1. what their child learned this week 2. upcoming tests/assignments/homework 3. Online resources 4. class pictures 5. contact info for me. By using this website, parents are able to see what their children are learning in all subject. In literacy, I always specify which skills/strategies we are working on. I also include ways to ask your children questions while reading. This allows for parents to email me with questions, ask their children questions, and really get a glimpse of what happens during reading. I also inform parents of our "library" day. This is when my students get to go to library and get new books. I encourage my students to pick a variety of books (fiction/nonfiction). I also tell parents the importance of not sticking to one type, but having their children read both at home!

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Google Forms - create and analyze surveys, for free.