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http://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/8-empowering-middle-grade-novels-kids-interested-social-justice.html

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This is a short article that helped frame why we try to teach students to be god people.

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Classroom teacher on a journey of student voice and choice.

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Classroom teacher on a journey of student voice and choice.

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Be the change, being a teacher, books, inspiration

With the days hurriedly passing by, it is hard to believe that in the northern hemisphere school is almost done for many. I am going to miss my students so much. Days of eating ice cream, sitting by the pool, and yes, traveling to speak and learn from others are ahead and my stack of amazing professional development books awaits. I love summer for the renewal and recharge it gives us.

So why not share the love a little? I thought it would be fun to give away a bundle - yes, all four books to one person - of professional development books that can hopefully spark some conversation and help you shape your teaching different. This contest is open to the world and all you have to do is enter on the form. It will close on May 10th.

What are the books?

I am so happy that so many are finding inspiration within the pages of my latest book, Passionate Readers. The lessons from my students in it have truly changed the way I teach and think about reading instruction. Hopefully, it will help you do the same as we discuss independent reading, reading identity, libraries, and how to help students actually like reading.

The very first book I wrote, Passionate Learners, is all about how we change our school system from within. Once again, pushed by my students' lessons and advice, this book is meant to reshape our entire school experience in order to help students find more reason to be engaged in school. From small ideas to big pushes, this book is meant for every teacher, everywhere, that feels school can be better for all of our kids.

If you follow this blog, you know that I am obsessed with Sara K. Ahmed's book, Being the Change. This book is reshaping my classroom and should be a must for any educator, no matter their grade level.

And finally, but not least, Kate Roberts' newest book, A Novel Approach, is the book we all have waited for. A practical inspiration for how to incorporate a whole class novel into reader's workshop. Trust me, the ideas in here are not to be missed.

I hope you are as excited about this bundle as I am, after all, any of these books by themselves should help an educator grow and also feel affirmed in the work they are already doing. But together, that is a powerhouse of change. To enter, please fill out the form, please enter only one. Good luck and happy reading!
If you like what you read here, consider reading my newest book, Passionate Readers - The Art of Reaching and Engaging Every Child. This book focuses on the five keys we can implement into any reading community to strengthen student reading experiences, even within the 45 minute English block. If you are looking for solutions and ideas for how to re-engage all of your students consider reading my very first book Passionate Learners - How to Engage and Empower Your Students. Also, if you are wondering where I will be in the coming year or would like to have me speak, please see this page.

being a teacher

When the Global Read Aloud was founded, I added the word "Global" because I wanted to connect kids around the world. I wanted to make the world smaller. I wanted to bring the world into my 4th-grade classroom in Middleton, Wisconsin, and help my students understand just how many others like them were out in the world.

A few years into the project someone pointed out, in a not so nice way but still, that perhaps the word "Global" should also mean books that weren't always written by American authors. That perhaps global also meant global authors, not just global connections. I stood corrected and have tried as much as possible since then to include authors not from the US. While distribution problems arise at times when a non-US author is chosen, it is an important part of the project. Not every child involved lives here, therefore, not every book should be set here. There is much more to the larger world than just this...

The read aloud is a central part of many classrooms, something that we value for the experience it gives us. In fact, according to The U.S. Department of Education Commision, the most important activity for building the skills and background for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children. And it should be, reading aloud to our students, at all ages, allows us to not only build community but to build knowledge together. To dive deep into a text and have rich discussions. To model what it means to be a reader in thinking and in fluency. Read aloud weaves us together and it is the stories that we remember as we look back on our students and the year we had together.

This is why choosing the right book to read aloud, whether globally or not, is such an important action. No longer can I simply pick a book just because I like it, more thought needs to be given than that. Examining the books you read aloud has to be a central part of your educational grounding, because it is not enough to simply pick a book because it is fun, or because you loved it for many years, or because you have to. There are many different questions to ask before you start the book.
Is it meaningful?
An obvious question to ask, of course, but is the book something that will add value to your experience together? Will you come out changed at the end? Better? More thoughtful? The experience that your chosen read aloud cerates should be one that students are excited about and remember after your year is over.
Is it relatable?
Is there something in the book that the students can connect to? Not that the book has to feature characters like them, but is there some aspect of the story that students can recognize within themselves so that it can be a book that means something to them personally.
Is it pushing our thinking?
Will new conversations arise from this read aloud? Will new experiences be sought after so that we grow past the book? Read alouds work so well for starting deeper conversations because it is safe to start within the pages of a book, rather than just dive into it.
What else have you read aloud?
Is this book just like the others or does it bring a new facet to your year? While it is great to do one tried and true read aloud, there is immense value in experiencing something new together, something different than the norm. Also look at mood, if every book you read aloud is heavy in nature, then what does that do for your community. read alouds can tackle complex topics and still be funny.
What does the main character look like?
If we are only reading books with characters that mirror what the "norm" is projected as in America: cisgender, white identifying, heteronormative families, we are doing our students a disservice. Where are all of the books that show off families and children that are unlike the supposed norm? Where are all the books to further own understanding of what it means to be a person?
What is the gender of the main character?
For a long time, I read books with male protagonists. It wasn't on purpose, I just hadn't thought about it. It wasn't until one of my 5th graders pointed out that she would really enjoy a book with a strong female character lead that I realized what had happened. Study the characters of the books you have chosen and make sure to add variety.

What is the issue of the book?

Is the issue of the book always how someone who is seen as being on the fringes of society is struggling to fit in? Is it that a disabled character is shunned? Is it that an LGBTQ child is struggling with society's acceptance of their identity? While these books are vital they cannot be the only books that we introduce students to. How about a book like The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson which is a mystery that also discusses embedded racism and even has a parent that comes out to their child?
Is the book problematic?
There are so many books that we have clung on to as our read-aloud books that are truly problematic, look no further than Little House on the Prairie. If we are creating inclusive classrooms where every child's identity can be fully accepted then we have to examine the choices we make for read aloud. How do the books handle race? How do the books handle history? What is represented as the norm? Who wrote the book and are they an #ownvoices author, does it matter whether they are? A read aloud can be a seminal experience in a child's life, we want it to be that for the right reasons not because it made them feel marginalized or pushed outdated and even dangerous thinking on them.
Is the book a window, mirror, or door book?
The work of Dr. Rudine Simms Bishop has been seminal within the children's book industry and it should be in our classrooms as well. Are you only reading one type of book where students only see characters like themselves (mirror)? Are they never seeing themselves in books (windows)? Are the books opening up to new conversations, learnings, and connections (doors)? The choices we make as far as the texts we use to tie our community together speaks volumes of what we hope for our readers.
Is it worth it?
Choosing the right book to share with a class is no laughing matter, even if the book itself brings plenty of laughs. Don't be afraid to abandon a read aloud that isn't working, there are some books that are better experienced by yourself than read aloud. Don't be afraid to do nothing but listen, read aloud is about being together, about listening, about going on a journey within the pages of a book. Not just listening to understand or find evidence for comprehension.

The Global Read Aloud started as a small dream of making the world a little bit smaller. To think that an idea thought of on a long summer drive could reach millions of kids around the world is almost inconceivable. But it did, and it does, join us as we do it again starting on October 2nd with some incredible new read alouds. Because the GRA would be nothing if it weren't for the books.
If you like what you read here, consider reading my newest book, Passionate Readers - The Art of Reaching and Engaging Every Child. This book focuses on the five keys we can implement into any reading community to strengthen student reading experiences, even within the 45 minute English block. If you are looking for solutions and ideas for how to re-engage all of your students consider reading my very first book Passionate Learners - How to Engage and Empower Your Students. Also, if you are wondering where I will be in the coming year or would like to have me speak, please see this page.

Be the change, being a teacher, Literacy, Reading

We had visitors in our classroom again today as some fantastic educators had traveled to be with us (shout out to West Dubuque). As always, they had a few moments to speak to the people that prompted their visit in the first place; our students, who with their candor, wisdom, and humor always have great things to share.

They asked, "Why do you think it matters that Mrs. Ripp reads children's books?" I was eager to hear their answers.

I thought they would say that it mattered because I could recommend great books. They did.

I thought they would say that it mattered because there was a lot of great books in here to choose from. They did.

I thought they would say that it mattered because it made it easier for them to find a new book. They did.

But what I hadn't expected was this...

It matters because it shows that she cares about her job.

It matters because it shows that she cares about reading.
It matters because it shows that she cares about us...
Let that sink in. That while we know that reading children's books matters for so many reasons, this was the biggest one of all.

For all of my students, me reading a book and being able to bring it into class shows them that I care about them as people. As kids who read and who have meaningful reading experiences. That I am willing to dedicate my time away from our classroom to something that will hopefully matter to them shows that I mean every word when I say I love my job, I am grateful to be your teacher.

We worry so much about whether or not kids know that they matter. Whether they know that we care about them. We come up with elaborate ideas to show them how much we appreciate them and sometimes forget about the small things. That care comes in small packages. That caring sometimes comes in the shape of a book read and discussed.

So for every book I purchase, for every dollar spent, I will continue to tell our students that I love my job, that I love being a teacher for them, that reading matters and that this very book I read is my way of reminding them that I care.
If you like what you read here, consider reading my newest book, Passionate Readers - The Art of Reaching and Engaging Every Child. This book focuses on the five keys we can implement into any reading community to strengthen student reading experiences, even within the 45 minute English block. If you are looking for solutions and ideas for how to re-engage all of your students consider reading my very first book Passionate Learners - How to Engage and Empower Your Students. Also, if you are wondering where I will be in the coming year or would like to have me speak, please see this page.

Be the change, being a teacher, technology

I have been meaning to write more about our phone free classroom for a while. It's been more than month now. I have been meaning to update, and yet, it keeps slipping my mind.

Not because I am busy. Not because there are so many other things to do, even though there is.

No.

More because quite simply put, there isn't much to say.

The protests and indignation I was worried would build over this rule haven't come.

The anger or the sneakiness I wondered about hasn't happened.

The letters to the principals, the "how dare you" statements never uttered.

Are some kids annoyed? Probably.

Are some kids leaving them in their pockets? Probably.

Are some kids hoping to go back to the old way? Probably.

But are they mad? Outraged? Feeling like their rights as a learner somehow having been violated - nope.

In fact, every day we have our routine down. Most kids leave their phone in their locker. Some in the bin in our classroom. After the bell, I give a final reminder which inevitably leads to a few more phones in the bin and then we are off. Focused as much as we can be in May in 7th grade on the learning that is happening.

Yet, what I have noticed has been small. A few changes here and there; more face to face conversation within our classroom walls. Less tense faces. More presence. Less worry.

It turns out that we didn't need more cloud for more engagement, but needed more presence. More here. More now.

And today I noticed how several kids even forgot to grab their phone, only showing up later in the day to claim it once they realized it was missing. Some of these kids were kids I have had to remind to put their phone away in the past, and here they come several class periods later, glad that their phone is still there waiting but realizing that perhaps it wasn't that big of a deal anyway. Perhaps not having their phone was not the end of the world.

And so we will continue until the very last day. Separated from something that sometimes feels like it contains our entire world. Given a moment to breathe that doesn't involve notifications, likes, or needing to record every moment of our day. A space to take risks, be present, and focus on each other, with just a small change in our days.

I started this experiment worried about the mental health of us all as we become more and more addicted to our phones. But I also worried that it would cause resentment and anger, a sense of distrust in our community, that I was yet another adult who didn't care about my students. It turns out that my fear was unfounded. That asking students to leave their phones out as they bring their hearts in was a step in the right direction. In the end, it turned out that we really didn't need them for much anyway, who knew?
If you like what you read here, consider reading my newest book, Passionate Readers - The Art of Reaching and Engaging Every Child. This book focuses on the five keys we can implement into any reading community to strengthen student reading experiences, even within the 45 minute English block. If you are looking for solutions and ideas for how to re-engage all of your students consider reading my very first book Passionate Learners - How to Engage and Empower Your Students. Also, if you are wondering where I will be in the coming year or would like to have me speak, please see this page.

assessment, being a teacher, Reading

A question I am asked often is how do I know what my readers know when they are all reading their own self-chosen books? How do I keep them accountable for their reading? How do I know what they can do without knowing the book they are reading?

And I get it. How do we adequately assess the readers we have for their growth in comprehension when we don't have them DO stuff all of the time? Because that's the thing, one of the biggest reasons that kids report for hating reading is actually the stuff we have them do after they read, not the actual reading itself. It seems as if we have forgotten a few simple lessons that academics such as Louise Rosenblatt have been trying to remind us of for years. Kids need relevant reading experiences that not only teach them how to be better readers but also help them grow or protect their love of reading. I think I just summarized the goal of my book Passionate Readers here.

Yet, when we constantly attach something to the very act of reading, we diminish the act itself. So how do we assess without harming?

A few things first, our students get ten minutes of protected self-chosen reading every day. It is the very first thing we do. If I had more time to teach (darn you 45 minutes), it would be a longer period of time. During those ten minutes, the only thing our students are working on is reading a great book. There are no post-its, no jots, no turn-and-talk. They are working on their reading relationship, nothing else, because that task is big enough in itself. While they read I check in with them, not to have them do stuff or talk about their book, but to talk about themselves as readers. To help them establish or continue a connection to the act of reading itself.

Then we move into our mini-lesson, whatever that may be. If the day is focused on reading then after we read the students then apply the skills as they read their own books if they can, a central tenet to our teaching always being; be able to use the skill when needed but you don't have to use it all of the time.

We use read aloud, picture books, or short stories to model and discuss what readers need. If students are asked to do a long-term project with their own books such as focusing on character development, symbolism, or analysis in some capacity, then I model what that may look like within a read aloud. I can sort out from their own writing whether they grasped the depth of the skill or if they merely skimmed the surface. I don't need to know the plot of their book to do this. If I have questions I ask or look at the book they used.

If I need to narrow my scope then I will model a skill using a short story or a picture book (aren't they almost the same?!) and then have either another short story or a stack of picture books to hand to them as they try out the skill for themselves. Because I know all of the picture books and short stories I can quickly assess whether they understood it or not and use their work to further my own instruction. Simple and yet it works every time. Students get to balance reading their own self-selected text with the work of the classroom and we have created a balance between teaching skills and establishing the love.

And there you have it, how I assess my students' skills without needing to have them do a reading journal - one of the number one things my students attribute to causing a hatred of reading - and without needing to know every single book they are reading. Sometimes it is the simple things that make the biggest difference.
If you like what you read here, consider reading my newest book, Passionate Readers - The Art of Reaching and Engaging Every Child. This book focuses on the five keys we can implement into any reading community to strengthen student reading experiences, even within the 45 minute English block. If you are looking for solutions and ideas for how to re-engage all of your students consider reading my very first book Passionate Learners - How to Engage and Empower Your Students. Also, if you are wondering where I will be in the coming year or would like to have me speak, please see this page.

administration, being a teacher

I was asked about how to motivate your teachers just the other day. How do you help them stay invested? How do you stave off burn out? An earnest question and also one that deserves a thorough answer. Yet, before I was able to answer in full, another administrator at the table, threw out a quick idea, "Jeans Friday..."

"Tell them if they work hard, they can earn the right to wear jeans that week. It works every time..."

And while this may be true, I still carried the comment with me, not quite sure how to process it. After all, allowing a teacher to wear jeans as a reward seems like the lowest type of compliment there is; you finally get to dress like other adults, congratulations! Perhaps it is because I work in a district that expects us to dress professionally and allow us to wear jeans whenever we want. Because they trust us to dress for success. Because they trust us to dress well. Perhaps it was because of the unbridled enthusiasm shown for the idea as if our burn out would magically appear when such a token was placed on the table. Perhaps I just was tired and could not come up with something good to say, so I sat in silence and quietly buried my thoughts.

So today, I am here to say what I wanted to say in how to motivate your teachers and trust me, it goes beyond allowing them to wear jeans on the last day of the week. Because the thing is, it may seem complicated, but it comes down to just a few things that can be implemented easily. Just a few key ideas that can make all of the difference or at the very least offer us all a place to start.

Trust us to be professional. That includes how we dress. That includes the lessons we create. That includes the everyday decisions we have to make. Tell us you trust us, so often it is assumed as a known fact but I can tell you, many teachers assume they are not trusted because of the lack of curricular decisions or even smaller things they are allowed to make. And yes, when it happens that we make a mistake, because we all do, then help us fix it. Have our back because you trusted us in the first place.

Trust us to try new things. So many administrators say that they want their teachers to take risks but then don't give permission for the things they want to try. So many look to innovators and wish that they were in their district. What if they are and you just don't know it yet? What if the most innovative teacher is already working in your building but because of technology restrictions, scripted curriculum, or teaching to fidelity, they haven't been able to do what they wish to do. Which limitations are being placed on staff that aren't actually needed? And how can those be lifted?

Trust us to invest ourselves. From staff meetings to professional days, the educational field has such few choices when it comes to how we, educators, spend our time learning. Yet so many of us actually burn to learn about specific things, isn't that the mark of a passionate learner, so give us the time to do so. Let us choose our path and plan your staff development as if everyone will take the opportunity to pursue meaningful learning rather than the opposite. For the few who are not motivated, and you may know who they are, help them find a direction that matches them. No more one-size PD for all at all times where few walk away inspired. No more staff meetings that could have been handled via email. No more one thing, no choice, please.

Help us leave it at work. Teaching is a never-ending job. There are always more lessons to plan, more ideas to think of, something more we can do to try to reach every single child. To make this year matter. And yet, we have to leave it at work sometimes. We have to have full lives outside of school so we can truly be the best that we can be in school. So make it a policy that staff is not expected to answer emails after 5 PM, that it is not about getting it all done, but getting enough done. Protect our prep time and our collaboration times. Don't steal away minutes here and there for quick announcements or that extra little thing. Help us achieve a better balance by protecting the precious time we have in building so that we can fully utilize it.

Help us forge connections. Teaching can be incredibly lonely, especially if you are seen as an outlier in some way, so build in opportunities to get to know one another beyond the in-service days at the beginning of the year. Run book clubs and health clubs, yoga and garden clubs. Create events that go beyond the school walls, that go beyond the work. Give us time to praise each other at every meeting. Give us time to see the good that happens in our classrooms so that we can stop with our assumptions and instead see what the experience is like in other classrooms.

Help us see the good. Not just in each other but in ourselves. Check in with your staff to make sure they are okay. That they feel supported. That they know the good they are doing. While admin can be quick about sharing concerns and even complaints with staff, what if a pointed effort is also made to share the good, those small comments from parents, from kids, from the community? Write a card of thanks, find out their favorite candy and leave it for them, do something to share the appreciation so that we, in turn, can share ours.

While warding off teacher burn out starts with the decisions we, educators, make ourselves, there are also so many small things that can be done to help within the school, within the district. Teaching is a hard job but we were never told it would be easy, we were told it would be worth it, sometimes we just need a little bit of a reminder from those that make the decisions. What have you done to help your teachers stay motivated?

PS: Many ask how I get to do what I do; teach, travel, write, speak, be a mom, have a life etc. There are two main reasons I can do what I do - an incredible husband and an incredible district. Both support me in ways I could never have dreamed of when all of this started. I hope you all may find support like what I have.

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Be the change, being a teacher, books, inspiration With the days hurriedly passing by, it is hard to believe that in the northern hemisphere school is almost done for many. I am going to miss my students so much.

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Tech tools to get to know who your students are and where they are in their thinking...

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Tech tools to get to know who your students are and where they are in their thinking...

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A big benefit of doing formative assessment properly is that we get to know our students really well. But why is this important? It has to do with the fact that teachers don't actually create learning, but rather encourage and facilitate it. Only learners create learning, but teachers guide the process by responding to student performance. This is where knowing our students well through assessment comes into play.

Tony Vincent of Learning in Hand provides a list of terrific digital assessment tools in Know Students Better: 17 Tools for Formative Assessment. These are perfect tools for really getting to know students through our assessments.

In his article, Tony also stresses the intrinsic value of knowing students through effective assessment:
"When teachers know their students well, they can build strong connections that lead to better learning. Knowing students' interests, strengths, and weaknesses help teachers tailor learning experiences for their students. Formative assessment involves the teacher collecting information about what students know, don't know, and want to learn."
Today we are living in a world where the one constant is that nothing is constant. It is a world of change and adaptation. As a result, we're facing a different kind of student, one that is more complex and challenging to learn about. Good digital assessment tools like the ones Tony has provided lead the way in helping us do this as teachers. In the process, we provide students with the kind of assessment that benefits them on every level.

17 Digital Assessment Tools to Try

This list of digital assessment tools is below, along with the links that will get you to them. Check out Tony's full article for some more terrific insights and resources for getting to know students with your assessments.

1. Google Forms: Create forms with hyperlinks, images, and videos. Use them for surveying and quizzes.

2. Poll Everywhere: A real-time polling app that works with mobile, Twitter, or in your web browser.

3. Classflow: Classflow lets you build lessons using cards you create using the content of your choice.

4. : Formative lets you create lessons using any Internet-connected device and is optimized for 1:1, BYOD, flipped or blended classrooms. Get results and respond in real time.

5. : Students show their work with photos, videos, drawings, text, PDFs, and links. You can also import directly from most popular apps.

6. : A free app that lets teachers prompt the students to explain their thinking on a question or topic using video.

7. Quizizz: Another great game and quiz-making application.

8. : Lets students learn and improve by studying with flashcards, games and more.

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17 Formative Digital Assessment Tools That Help You Know Students

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A big benefit of doing formative assessment properly is that we get to know our students really well. But why is this important? It has to do with the fact that teachers don't actually create learning, but rather encourage and facilitate it. Only learners create learning, but teachers guide the process by responding to student performance.

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You can skip the self-promotion part of the website. The concept of magic weaving is quite powerful, as explained in his book.
http://sirjohnjones.com/

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Uploaded by Tim Macdonald on 2015-07-31.

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http://blogs.wab.edu/flow21/

This is our documentation of the FLoW21 plan we have begun at WAB. It's an every-changing record of our thinking and movement. The "21 targets" might be of interest particularly.

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This electronic Mastery Transcript will allow college admission officers to dive deep within a transcript to see the specific standards of the sending high school and actual evidence of student work and mastery, thus giving depth and transparency to the student's work record.

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The Future of Education: Sajan George at TEDxUNC

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Used to promote challenge, dialogue and a growth mindset. Created by James Nottingham

The Learning Pit is one way to explain how more challenge leads to enhanced learning. It is a frame of reference to connect the affective domains of learning and is self-differentiating.  The Learning Pit can be used encourage collaboration and build self-efficacy and self esteem in learners.

Nice video about #challenge by @JamesNottinghm This is what being in #TheLearningPit is all about https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXiUyEz-QDg&feature=youtu.be … #P4C #wobble

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A great model for understanding learning. Great way to frame the process and help students understand the different emotions we may experience along the way --

1. Unconsciously unskilled – we don't know that we don't have this skill, or that we need to learn it.

2. Consciously unskilled – we know that we don't have this skill.

3. Consciously skilled– we know that we have this skill.

4. Unconsciously skilled – we don't know that we have this skill (it just seems easy).

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1. Consciously unskilled - we know that we don't have this skill.

2. Consciously skilled- we know that we have this skill.

3. Unconsciously skilled - we don't know that we have this skill, but we don't focus on it because it's so easy.

This "ladder of learning" is shown in figure 1, below.

Figure 1 - The Conscious Competence Ladder

Some people prefer to think of the learning process as a matrix, with incompetence/competence on the horizontal axis and unconscious/conscious on the vertical axis (see figure 2, below). Use the representation that works best for you.

Figure 2 - The Conscious Competence Matrix

Why Is the Conscious Competence Ladder Useful?

The Conscious Competence Ladder is useful in several ways.

For example, during the consciously unskilled phase, you can reassure yourself that, although learning this skill is difficult and frustrating right now, things will improve in the future. And, when you're unconsciously skilled, the model reminds you to value the skills that you've gained, and not to be too impatient with people who have yet to gain them.

It's also useful in coaching and training situations, because it allows you to be in touch with what your people are thinking and feeling. You can then help them to understand their emotions as they learn new skills, and encourage them when they're feeling disillusioned.

How to Use the Conscious Competence Ladder

The following sections look at each level in more detail, and highlight strategies that you can use to move yourself through each stage successfully, as you learn a new skill. They also cover strategies that you can use when you're guiding other people through the learning process.

Level 1 - Unconsciously Unskilled (You Don't Know That You Need This Skill)

To move out of level 1, use tools like Personal SWOT Analysis and a Training Needs Assessment to identify your strengths and weaknesses, and to understand which skills you need to learn. As part of this, ask other people for their input, so that you can uncover weaknesses and skill needs that you might otherwise miss.

If you're coaching other people, be aware that at the beginning of the process, they may not know how unskilled they are. You'll need to make them understand how much they need to learn. You'll also need to explain why they need to learn these skills.

Level 2 - Consciously Unskilled (You Know That You Need This Skill)

By this stage, you've discovered that you need to learn new skills. You realize that others are much more competent than you are, and that they can easily do things that you are struggling with.

Use tools like affirmations and Treasure Maps to combat negative thinking and to refocus your energy on days when you feel down. Remember, learning might be uncomfortable in the short term, but these skills will help you to reach your goals and build a better life.

Level 3 - Consciously Skilled (You Know That You Have This Skill)

At this level, you know that you have acquired the skills and knowledge you need. You put your learning into practice regularly, and you gain even more confidence as you use your new skills.

You still need to concentrate when you perform these activities, but, as you get more practice and experience, these activities become increasingly automatic.

If you're coaching team members, keep them focused on the skills that they need to learn, and give them plenty of opportunities to practice these skills.

For example, you could assign them projects that use their new skills, or set them relevant training exercises.

Level 4 - Unconsciously Skilled (This Skill Is Now Effortless)

Once you master one set of skills, it's important to learn more if you want to continue to grow.

A good way to do this is to teach these new skills to others in your organization. This will keep information fresh in your mind, deepen your understanding of the material, and give you a rewarding way to pass this knowledge on to others.

Also, bear in mind that you may go back down the ladder if you don't use your new skills regularly.

If you're coaching, make sure that people avoid complacency, and that they stay up-to-date with their skills.

You may also need to remind people how difficult it was to reach this level, so that they offer empathy and support to people who are at an earlier stage in the process.

Even when your team members are unconsciously skilled, encourage them to use checklists and formal procedures so that they still need to think about what they're doing at important points.

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The Conscious Competence Ladder - Developing Awareness of Your Skill Levels

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Learn how to manage difficult emotions when learning new skills. This article on the Conscious Competence Ladder is endorsed by its originator, Noel Burch.

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A fascinating book about the individual: "The assumption that metrics comparing us to an average—like GPAs, personality test results, and performance review ratings—reveal something meaningful about our potential is so ingrained in our consciousness that we don’t even question it. That assumption, says Harvard’s Todd Rose, is spectacularly—and scientifically—wrong.
In The End of Average, Rose, a rising star in the new field of the science of the individual shows that no one is average. Not you. Not your kids. Not your employees. This isn’t hollow sloganeering—it’s a mathematical fact with enormous practical consequences. But while we know people learn and develop in distinctive ways, these unique patterns of behaviors are lost in our schools and businesses which have been designed around the mythical “average person.” This average-size-fits-all model ignores our differences and fails at recognizing talent. It’s time to change it."

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Educator and Librarian Resources

Critical Praise

"[S]ubversive and readable. . . . What has been called the new science of the individual." - New York Times

"Fascinating and engaging. Todd Rose dispels the myth that our success can be divined by a simple number or average, whether a grade, a score in a standardized test, or ranking at work. The End of Average will help everyone-and I mean everyone-live up to their potential." - Amy Cuddy, professor at Harvard Business School, and author of Presence

"[Rose's] personal experiences are recounted hearteningly in his book. That alone makes it a worthwhile read for the aspiring nonconformist." - The Guardian

"An intriguing view into the evolution and imperfections of our current system . . ." - Kirkus Reviews

"Todd Rose has achieved a rare feat: he is both provocative and right. He overturns our fundamental assumptions about talent, and offers an empowering way to rethink the world. With exciting stories, fresh data, and bold ideas, this book is far better than average." - Adam Grant, Wharton professor and New York Times bestselling author of Give and Take and Originals

"Consistently mind-blowing!" - Dan Heath, co-author of the New York Times bestsellers Made to Stick, Switch, and Decisive

"Todd Rose shows that everything we think we know about 'average' performance is wrong. In fact, our one-dimensional understanding of achievement-our search for the average score, average grade, average talent-has seriously underestimated human potential. This book is readable, enlightening, and way above average." - Daniel H. Pink, author of To Sell Is Human and Drive

"Todd Rose's thought-provoking book challenges the explanatory power of the everyday term 'average,' opening our minds to new ways of conceptualizing human variation and human potentials." - Howard Gardner, author of Truth, Beauty, and Goodness Reframed

"In the midst of a war for talent, we miss opportunities to find it. This stunning book shows how almost all measures we use reduce complicated individuals to one-dimensional beings...[and] overlook how talent, context, and disposition fold together to create individual uniqueness. I couldn't put this book down." - John Seely Brown, independent co-chair of Deloitte's Center for the Edge and coauthor of The Social Life of Information, The Power of Pull and The New Culture of Learning

"Rose will change the way you see culture, school, work and everyone around you. Taylorism is officially dead. With compelling stories and an engaging style, he transforms our understanding of who we are and what's important." - Seth Godin, author of We Are All Weird and Stop Stealing Dreams

"The future belongs to enterprises that learn how to value individual employees and individual students, and Dr. Rose's eye-opening account of the fascinating new science of the individual shows a practical path to the adoption of individuality." - Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari, Inc., and author of Finding the Next Steve Jobs

"A must read for anyone who serves or creates solutions for other human beings. It serves not only as a guide for how to rethink our systems but in many ways is the best self-help book I've ever read." - Jim Shelton, Chief Impact Officer, 2U, Inc., and former United States Deputy Secretary of Education

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The End of Average - Todd Rose - Hardcover

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Educator and Librarian Resources Critical Praise "[S]ubversive and readable. . . . What has been called the new science of the individual." - New York Times "Fascinating and engaging. Todd Rose dispels the myth that our success can be divined by a simple number or average, whether a grade, a score in a standardized test, or ranking at work.

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/16zToOKFadBU90SPCrvkucbh829ABXU8rozMIEARnjt4/edit

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"Change Education paradigms" by Ken Robinson

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"Change Education paradigms" by Ken Robinson

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This makes me think....
- How creatively group our students to suit their needs, beside their age and experiences in the subject?
- How can we increase intelligent level of students' diversity thinking?

https://youtu.be/zDZFcDGpL4U

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from "Principal of Change"
Blog: http://georgecouros.ca/blog/

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https://youtu.be/MFzDaBzBlL0

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What adults can learn from kids. TedTalk April 2010

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What adults can learn from kids. TedTalk April 2010

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The role of the teacher/student, student aspirations. Trust/control. Student voice. Two way process - emphasising the importance of teachers learning from students. Challenge - Nurture - Encourage - Give opportunities to lead and succeed.

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Adora Svitak: What adults can learn from kids

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Child prodigy Adora Svitak says the world needs "childish" thinking: bold ideas, wild creativity and especially optimism. Kids' big dreams deserve high expectations, she says, starting with grownups' willingness to learn from children as much as to teach.

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Taken from the YouTube description:
"Dr. Derek Cabrera is an internationally recognized expert in metacognition (thinking about thinking), epistemology (the study of knowledge), human and organizational learning, and education... Derek discovered DSRP Theory and in this talk he explains its benefits and the imperative for making it part of every students' life."

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TEDxWilliamsport - Dr. Derek Cabrera - How Thinking Works

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2OD_veMM-c

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Rita Pierson: Every kid needs a champion

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Rita Pierson, a teacher for 40 years, once heard a colleague say, "They don't pay me to like the kids." Her response: "Kids don't learn from people they don't like.'" A rousing call to educators to believe in their students and actually connect with them on a real, human, personal level.

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John Mergendoller is executive director of the Buck Institute for Education (BIE). BIE is dedicated to improving 21st-century teaching and learning throughout the world by creating and disseminating products, practices, and knowledge for effective project-based learning.

Why is PBL worth doing?

"Research has shown that students learn content as well or better using PBL than with traditional instruction. It also shows that students remember what they have learned longer and are better able to use what they have learned. PBL provides the opportunity to learn and practice skills that traditional instruction often ignores -- working in groups, making choices, monitoring progress, thinking deeply about a problem or challenge, and communicating what has been learned. In short, PBL helps students not only learn content but also the 21st-century skills they will need to thrive in a quickly changing, globally connected world."

How does one know if students are ready for PBL?

"I think the key point is that most, if not all students, have to be prepped to do PBL successfully. The teacher should think through what the project requires students to do, both in terms of academic tasks (such as writing an editorial, creating a poster, summarizing an argument) and in terms of the process of completing the project (discussing ideas and making choices in a group, giving constructive feedback on others' work, or making an oral presentation). And then teachers need to ask themselves whether students can do this right now or whether they need some scaffolding, guidance, and practice."

"If they do need practice or preparation -- either academic or process focused -- the teacher needs to provide that. Begin by having kids describe what it means to discuss things and learn from the discussion or talk about what a good presentation looks like (help them make a rubric!). Examine the steps in developing an argument. Sometimes the teacher will need to be direct and didactic: "A good argument is based on reasons that are logical and make sense; it is not based on what we feel or what we like." At other times, the teacher can draw the needed ideas out of the students in a discussion. But in all cases, the result should help students understand what they need to do and give them practice doing it in a supervised, structured situation before we turn them loose on a project."

"The teacher should also check in with students after the project starts: "Let's talk about the discussions you are having in your groups. How many students would say they are learning new things? What is your group doing to make that happen?" Good projects are done with preparation (for both teachers and students) and under supervision. If things are going swell, then the teacher can back off."

How can you make your first project a success?

"Start small. Keep the project short and the learning goals limited. Students need a chance to develop their PBL skills -- working productively in groups, monitoring their progress, making public presentations. This takes practice, teacher and peer feedback, and reflection time for both you and your students. You can tackle more complicated projects once your students have some initial success."

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Article

https://webcontent.ssatuk.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Claxton-and-Lucas-What-kind-of-teaching-chapter-1.pdf

Motivation in learning

https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/motivating-students/

Motivation and learning (slides)

https://www.slideshare.net/rjames01/motivation-and-learrning

Less is more

https://fillingmymap.com/2015/04/15/11-ways-finlands-education-system-shows-us-that-less-is-more/

Learning strategies ( interesting)

https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/learning-strategies/

Emeli

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A great interview with Jo Boaler about how to create a maths mindset and the importance of making mistakes.
And a link to her website Youcubed

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🔊 Listen Now: Jo Boaler, Revolutionizing Math Education at Stanford

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Professor Boaler is challenging the notion of "being gifted" at math. Her most recent book is "Mathematical Mindsets," and she recently f...

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Inside the schools that dare to break with traditional teaching

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Inside the schools that dare to break with traditional teaching

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Looking at how schools are utilizing spaces to make pedagogical shifts.

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n 21 October 2015, we will finally arrive at the point in time that Marty McFly travels to in the 1989 sci-fi sequel, Back to the Future II. But if a teenager today were to drive Doc Brown's DeLorean back to Hill Valley High, the film hero's fictional school, would he or she notice any difference?

Just as we are still waiting for someone to market hoverboards and self-tying shoelaces, we have yet to see a radical shift in teaching models, despite the ebb and flow of education reforms. There are schools, however, that are breaking the mould and daring to free teachers from the shackles of curriculum dictates. They are giving students and educators the power to become masters of their own learning.

The Quest to Learn school in New York was founded in 2009 with a mission to make schools fit for the 21st century, an era when advances in technology have created an increasingly global society. Teachers at the school, which is a collaboration between non-profit organisation the Institute of Play and New York's department of education, believe using games to teach the curriculum increases pupil engagement and better prepares young people to navigate the complexities of the modern world.

But we're not talking Twister or Super Mario. In Quest to Learn lessons, play involves imaginative inquiry by students, ranging from group storytelling activities that explain literary structures in English to an exercise imagining a microscopic doctor journeying through his patient's body to teach biology.

Co-director of the school, Arana Shapiro, says the best games are those that can be used in multiple classrooms at all grade levels. The curriculum is taught using the principles of a game, with the teacher starting a new school year by presenting an initial challenge. They then design lessons and activities that give students the knowledge and tools to meet the challenge.

Shapiro explains that the games played during the year have to be adapted to suit the age of the students. The older they get, the less willing they are to buy into some of the more fantastical and creative activities. Instead, the students are challenged to design solutions to real-world problems, such as bullying.

A school, though, is only as good as its teachers and the vital role they play in education is often forgotten, says Shapiro. She adds: "There is an emphasis on producing curriculums which teachers can just follow. For us it has always been about helping teachers become designers of the curriculum and empowering them to create materials that will engage kids in learning and help them become 21st century citizens."

Providing students with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in the modern world, such as being able to solve problems and work in teams, is also the concern of Rob Riordan. He is president of High Tech High, a school-development organisation based in San Diego, California, that includes a network of charter schools, a teacher certification programme, and a graduate school of education. Key to achieving this is project-based learning, where teachers work with students to design a curriculum that involves solving real world problems relevant to children's lives. The solutions pupils come up with can make a difference in the community, and have academic implications.

Stand-out projects include students making a documentary on gun violence following the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut in 2012. After raising money through crowdfunding platform Kickstarter, students travelled across the country interviewing everyone from children affected by gun crime in Atlanta to social service workers in Chicago. Kindergarten students have been equally creative, launching a project to investigate a caterpillar infestation in the trees around the school and then opening a "caterpillar cafe" to educate their peers about the creepy crawlies.

Riordan says one of the school's biggest ambitions is to move away from grouping children by ability, which he claims can lead to segregation by race and social class. He believes project-based learning offers students the opportunity to shine whatever their academic ability.

The Liger Learning Center in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, is using project-based learning not just as a means to help its students succeed in education and their careers, but to create future leaders who will initiate change in the developing country.

Students at the Liger Learning Center in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Photograph: Liger Learning Center

The English-language boarding school, which offers free scholarships for gifted children from disadvantaged backgrounds, encourages students to explore core subjects such as maths and science through projects that are designed to deepen knowledge and understanding of their own country - whether that's collaborating on a book about Cambodian animals or learning how to become an entrepreneur.

"The aim is that these children will become more Cambodian than if they had stayed in their villages," explains Dominic Sharpe, Liger's country director. "They will have more knowledge of the opportunities and challenges facing their country, as well as more ability to change the situation and take advantage of those opportunities."

The school's learning coordinator, Jeffrey Holte, says the model of teaching is based on the idea of learning about the world through being in the world. He adds: "Entrepreneurship is a big part of the curriculum because a lot of change in Cambodia will be about the economy. Entrepreneurs are really the future of this country and it's important that our students learn these skills."

At Liger, the world is the student's classroom. Unfortunately in many countries, particularly chillier parts of Europe and North America, the weather doesn't always permit the luxury of outdoor learning. But that doesn't mean lessons have to be confined within a classroom.

Ørestad Gymnasium in Copenhagen, Denmark, is famously known as the school without classrooms. The 1,000 plus students, aged 16 to 19, study in the open plan building's numerous "learning zones". According to headteacher, Allan Kjær Andersen, the architects designed the school to fit with the ethos of mixing 50% teacher-led learning with 50% independent student-centred learning.

Ørestad Gymnasium. Photograph: Mathias Eis Schultz

To facilitate this model of education, the school has done away with all analogue teaching materials and claims to be 100% digital. Lessons are taught entirely using computers and iPads with Google apps, and teachers walk around the "learning zones" helping students .

"There are many reasons for the use of ICT," explains Andersen. "When you have an open school like this, you have to develop new models of leading a lesson, because you can't talk to the whole class at once. You can't yell at the students, so you have to guide them in other ways. We structure our lessons in our virtual world, so students log on and everything is described there."

The emphasis on digital learning is also one of the key pedagogical ideas of the school, adds Andersen. Teachers want to nurture tech innovation among students and transform them into "producers of content, not just consumers".

This particular Danish model of learning is not without fault. Andersen admits that it can favour the stronger, more independent students over those who require hands-on teaching. They are therefore looking at ways to better meet the needs of all pupils.

Digital technology has been one of the most powerful agents of change in how societies around the world work and live in the 21st century - from the way we do business and consume information to shopping, entertainment and socialising. The way we learn must therefore adapt to ensure students are equipped with the skills needed to thrive as adults now and in the future. Thankfully, many schools are rising to that challenge. But what impact will their examples of pedagogical innovation have on national and even global levels? Only time will tell.

The schools of the future series is funded by Zurich Municipal. All content is editorially independent except for pieces labelled "brought to you by". Find out more here.

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Inside the schools that dare to break with traditional teaching

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n 21 October 2015, we will finally arrive at the point in time that Marty McFly travels to in the 1989 sci-fi sequel, Back to the Future II. But if a teenager today were to drive Doc Brown's DeLorean back to Hill Valley High, the film hero's fictional school, would he or she notice any difference?

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Paolo Friere's Pedagogy of the Oppressed

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Paolo Friere's Pedagogy of the Oppressed

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http://www.freire.org/paulo-freire/concepts-used-by-paulo-freire
It's amazing to me that this book is 45 years old. Styles of teaching have changed a lot, bit the reasons for learning (and teaching) may have come back around. (One could just type the title into Google, and could click on a link to the whole pdf, but I doubt it's legal.)
-Alice

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Thinking about how to develop the authenticity of learning and assessment

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5 Ways to Give Your Students More Voice and Choice

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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A great edu-documentary that explores High Tech High as a case study of innovative education for better learning:

http://www.mltsfilm.org/

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Most Likely To Succeed is a thought-provoking documentary feature film that reveals the growing shortcomings of conventional education methods in today's innovative world. The film explores compelling new approaches that aim to revolutionize education as we know it, inspiring school communities to reimagine what students and teachers are capable of doing. To date, MLTS has screened for thousands of audiences around the world, igniting conversations and empowering change along the way. Share the film with your community to activate change now.

From Director Greg Whiteley (Last Chance U, Mitt,) and Executive Producer Ted Dintersmith (author, Most Likely to Succeed).

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Most Likely To Succeed - Ted Dintersmith

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Most Likely To Succeed is a thought-provoking documentary feature film that reveals the growing shortcomings of conventional education methods in today's innovative world. The film explores compelling new approaches that aim to revolutionize education as we know it, inspiring school communities to reimagine what students and teachers are capable of doing.

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E.B. White famously quipped, "Humor can be dissected, as a frog can, but the thing dies in the process." At the risk of committing some sort of "humor-cide," a type of scientific dissection must take place if teachers are to consider harnessing the powerful effects of humor, not only to increase joy and enhance the classroom environment, but also to improve learner outcomes.

The Funny Bone Is Connected to the Sense of Wonder

Teachers understand that humor is inherently social. How many times have you heard that same "Orange who?" knock-knock joke spread through your classroom? The contagious nature of humor naturally builds a sense of community (PDF, 731KB) by lowering defenses and bringing individuals together. If the brain is faced with an inconsistency, then laughter is the response when it is resolved in an unexpected way. This sentence, "Memorization is what we resort to when what we are learning makes no sense," may make us smile as our brains resolve its inconsistency.

Essentially, humor activates our sense of wonder, which is where learning begins, so it seems logical that humor could enhance retention. A Pew Research poll showed that viewers of humorous news shows such as The Daily Show and The Colbert Report exhibited higher retention of news facts than those who got their news from newspapers, CNN, Fox News, or network stations. When Stephen Colbert demands, "If we don't cut expensive things like Head Start, child nutrition programs, and teachers, what sort of future are we leaving for our children?", viewers laugh and also retain the knowledge of that specific budget issue.

A substantial body of research explains why we remember things that make us laugh, such as our favorite, hilarious high school moment or the details of that funny movie we saw last weekend. Neuroscience research reveals that humor systematically activates the brain's dopamine reward system, and cognitive studies show that dopamine is important for both goal-oriented motivation and long-term memory, while educational research indicates that correctly-used humor can be an effective intervention to improve retention in students from kindergarten through college.

Foolishness as a Tool

What does "correctly used" mean? Let's take a closer look at some of the classroom research to find out. In one study, researchers asked nearly 400 college students to document their teachers' appropriate or inappropriate use of humor, their effectiveness as teachers, and how students perceived the humor. The results of this study showed that related, appropriate humor resulted in increased retention, while inappropriate, cruel, or unrelated humor did not. The study also discovered that humor can be perceived and appreciated without improving retention -- essentially, the student can think a teacher is "funny" but not show an improvement in retention. So, just being silly may get your students' attention, but may not lead to better retention. These researchers concluded that for improved retention, appropriate, topic-related instructional humor is most effective.

"According to recent surveys, 51 percent of the people are in the majority." Did that statistics joke make you smile? Statistics may not be the first field that comes to mind when you think of content-related humor, but researchers wondered if humor could increase retention even in typically "dry" courses. In this study, college students listened to statistics lectures with and without content-related humor. They were then tested over the material and completed surveys regarding their enjoyment of the lectures. The test and survey results showed that retention was strongest in the lectures with content-related humor, and that students reported more enjoyment in the experience.

Age-Appropriate Humor

What about using humor with adolescents? If the idea of using humor in front of a classroom of judgmental teenagers makes you more nervous than a rookie teacher in his or her first parent-teacher conference, consider the research showing that adolescents tend to release more dopamine and have more dopamine receptors than adults. Because of their hyper-responsive dopamine reward system, adolescents may be uniquely primed to react positively to educational humor. Try telling a funny story or allowing your students to come up with humorous examples in their projects or discussions. Teach Like a Pirate has some great ideas for enhancing the humor in a high school classroom.

The children's TV show Sesame Street has harnessed the power of humor for decades. If you were asked to recall something from watching Sesame Street as a child, could you? Most likely, yes. You may remember Grover's silly antics, Mr. Noodles' constant confusion, or Big Bird struggling to get his friends to believe Mr. Snuffleupagus was real. That's why researchers chose Sesame Street episodes to test the impact of humor on retention and engagement in young children. Kindergarten and first grade students watched either a humorous or non-humorous Sesame Street segment. When content was tested, the children who watched the humorous segments scored higher and showed better engagement than the control group. Their engagement transferred even to the non-humorous portions of the lessons, resulting in improved retention throughout.

Here are some research-supported tips for using humor to increase retention:

Do

Use humor to enhance classroom joy

Use humor to develop a sense of community

Use content-related humor

Use age-appropriate humor

"Sandwich" humor between instruction and repetition

Avoid

Sarcasm

Cruel or inappropriate humor

Forced humor

Off-topic humor

Too much humor

About That Frog. . .

To sum up, we can turn to a meta-analysis of 40 years of educational humor research indicating that humor increases the strength of human connections, and that non-aggressive, relevant, appropriate humor appears to be a helpful learning tool. It seems to be particularly useful to sandwich humor between instruction and repetition. The authors of this meta-analysis caution that not everyone is naturally humorous, so educators shouldn't force it. Watching someone struggle to be funny is a very awkward experience and can defeat the purpose. Developmental differences must also be considered, as younger students may find irony, sarcasm, and exaggeration difficult to understand.

Although we may have slaughtered the proverbial frog in this analysis, these studies indicate that the use of appropriate, content-specific humor to reinforce concepts can be a positive tool to improve retention. Educators can utilize humor's systematic activation of the dopamine reward system to reinforce the brain's pathways to new knowledge.

Have you noticed humor-enhanced retention in your classroom?

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Laughter and Learning: Humor Boosts Retention

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E.B. White famously quipped, "Humor can be dissected, as a frog can, but the thing dies in the process." At the risk of committing some sort of "humor-cide," a type of scientific dissection must take place if teachers are to consider harnessing the powerful effects of humor, not only to increase joy and enhance the classroom environment, but also to improve learner outcomes.

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Educational Technology and Mobile Learning

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January 11, 2015
TED is another wonderful source of educational and inspirational videos to use in your class and for your professional development. A few days ago TED released its annual list of the most popular talks of the year featuring a number of interesting presentations covering different topics (e.g ). However, the list we have curated for you below goes beyond's TED official collection to embed some wonderful talks directly relevant for us in education. We invite you to check it out below and as always share with us your feedback. Enjoy

2- How to Escape Education's Death Valley by Sir Ken Robinson
3- The Key to Success ? Grit by Angela Lee Duckworth
4- How Great Leaders In spire Action by Simon Sinek
5- The Puzzle of Motivation by Dan Pink

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January 11, 2015 TED is another wonderful source of educational and inspirational videos to use in your class and for your professional development. A few days ago TED released its annual list of the most popular talks of the year featuring a number of interesting presentations covering different topics (e.g ).