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His butt is thic like mine

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This could be done by collaboration and creativity. Planning and management are important to pull this off.

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We're not as bad off as it may seem. We have a "Personalized Digital Learning Initiative" in HCS -- definitely revolutionary considering the emphasis on standardized testing. The state has recently adopted an office for "Personalized Learning." I'd like to think that we, at HCS, influenced that move. #HCSPDL for the win! Check out the hashtag the state department started. #PersonalizeSC

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How do we get the 'powers to be' to buy-in to this innovative way of education?

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Be creative, find a way to sneak it in, squeeze it in, produce something worthwhile under the radar that will show it can be done ......

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If our students are NOT filling the jobs that we currently have..... No chance they will be ready for the ones that haven't been created yet.....

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What are our first steps to moving away from the industrial model and move towards a new model that emphasizes blended learning, project-based learning, the retention of content, the integration of the 5Cs, etc.?

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How do we measure the "soft skill" growth? How do we prove the value to a system that values traditional "growth"?

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Do we change the way we teach in middle/high school levels to encourage these "soft skills" or do we encourage colleges to change the opportunities they provide? How do we bridge the high school & college?

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#Teacherlivesmatter

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F-A-I-L = First Attempt In Learning

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That self-reflection on failure! Whoa! Can you imagine if we could find time for these conversations in our classrooms?!

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I think there's something to the public exhibition -- the real-life audience and authentic purpose to an activity. SJMS has done an amazing job with building student portfolios. I think this is where we can make some incremental changes within our system -- giving students authentic tasks.

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We avoid risk and reward instant gratification......

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High tech high statistics !

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PALM Charter, right here on 501, is an awesome, hands on, smaller classes, and PBL school.  It was such a great decision to send my son there.  He graduated a year early, learned a trade, and was Salutatorian <3

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This connects to our video yesterday where  Tony Wagner states, "our society is becoming more focused on consumer spending". We need to re-prioritize our "sense of purpose."

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We're in a traditional system, so I'm left wondering, how can we incorporate elements of teaching these soft skills with our current curriculum and systematic constraints? We all still have standardized tests that hold us accountable. The question I keep coming back to is how do I marry the two: traditional content inclusion + innovative, project-based learning strategies. I think our work this week with integrating computational thinking, and say, the writing process is how we start. Creating task cards and bridges for teachers will help them to realize that it's okay to integrate "soft skills" in the classroom -- it's imperative!

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Alexandra Deremer, The Ron Clark Academy is "similar".

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How do you measure someone's ability to collaborate or persevere? The BIE Project Based Learning Institute has rubrics for some of these skills. We used the collaboration rubric at St. James Intermediate to begin measuring the use of their collaboration spaces in their new building.

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At SJMS our guidance department met with each 7th and 8th grade parent and had a student led meeting. The students showed their digital portfolios to their parents.  Parents were in awe of all they had accomplished!

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If teachers in traditional schools did not feel the extreme pressure and feeling of "being under a microscope", we would all feel more comfortable trying to incorporate things like this into our classrooms.

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How do all the fine arts areas come into play?

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Bring back the soft skills!!! Our students' future depends upon on.

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If standardized tests are not the answer, then what is?

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What if we change the SAT and ACT? What if you had to complete a project on what you want to go to college for with a group of people showing those 5 C's?

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Automated jobs are going to be gone -- unless they require human creativity and critical thinking --> how does this knowledge motivate us to change what we can within our own classrooms and within our sphere of influence?

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I wonder if these students have a say  in choosing a particular academic area to focus on or PBL project?

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Content retention?! We all know that this information is accurate. How do we leverage those "soft skills" to help students retain what we're teaching them?

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Do we have any other examples of this type of format in a school at the middle or elementary level? High school students are more mature and independent than their middle school counterparts.

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Is there any research that correlates this type of learning and results on state tests? I would imagine that the results may be close if not far better than the test prep model?

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I think HCS is trying to move to the product phase in some ways.  For example, Student Led Conferences.  Having that student accountability is key.  I'm hoping the portfolios make their way down to middle school this year for ELA.  I think it is a great way to show mastery or improvement even.  #YET #GrowthMindset (Helms)

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That’s sad to ace the test

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Ace the test or learn the skills? I'm wondering if this is a false dichotomy? Why can't we teach the standards/content AND teach the skills? How do we teach the "soft skills," the 5Cs (creativity, critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and computational thinking), WHILE we teach the content?

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Most colleges want community involvement too. This is another life skill that is left out of the elementary curriculum. How are you addressing this at your school?

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There are students from various backgrounds, genders, etc  working together which I think is wonderful!! However, what about discipline? What happens when things do not go as smoothly? Is there a particular discipline policy?

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The Ron Clarke Academy was AMAZING!!! Our 5th grade team had the opportunity to go this year!

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"How can we expect students to make decisions if we never ask them to make decisions?" How can we integrate more decision-making in our classrooms?

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Code.org #Unplugged ---- A lot of these unplugged activities require these "soft skills" and remind me of some of things we are watching here!

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I would be interested to see how the lower income students (from this school) perform at the college-level. Not many universities have changed their mindset or approach to education. Is the mindset at colleges changing? Taking graduate courses, I can reaffirm at CCU, a lot of the standard practices are still being used. This is great for preparing students for the real-world, but what about the college level?

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What are students who are failing in our current model learning?  If they are disconnected and not rising to the "challenge" of the traditional classroom, what is the risk of providing them a new experience where their is a chance at learning what success could look and feel like?

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How can we redirect students to care more for the learning instead of the test/grade?

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Soft skills... look familiar? I think our state is moving in the right direction!

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To put my feelings in student friendly language:

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How can we convince administrators/powers that be that scripted curriculum programs are hurting and not helping? How to not keep subjects separate? How to allow for project and problem based learning?

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Are any of the curriculum specialists aware of the movement DIS's are undertaking towards project-based learning and computational thinking? Will there be flexibility within our curriculum and district benchmarks?

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Maybe tests are the problem. In the real world you don’t need to have things memorized. You need to know how can I get the information and what to do with it. Give them a real world problem and see what they come up with to solve it while working with others.

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How is creation and collaboration making the learning more relevant to students at High Tech High? How can we incorporate these lessons in our classrooms?

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I wonder if they have grades (report cards/interims)? How do the parents respond to this type of learning/curricula??

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How can we create a challenge with our curriculum that the students will want to accept, persist through, and create a final piece that shows their struggle and output.

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Are the students still required to take state standardized assessments? This school is amazing, and I think all students could benefit from this type of instruction. However, the mindset at the state level needs to change. Will a video like this be presented to principals/coaches/board members?

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Do we want students to memorize, or do we want them to learn? What is the difference, and how do we adapt to that difference?

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Maybe the people involved at the district level need to sit in these professional developments?  Otherwise, how do we change?

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Is it just an image they show? Sounds great but our pacing doesn’t allow implementation of these things. We can’t spend weeks on a Reconstruction indicator to let them do these great projects. Usually we get 2-3 days per indicator. What would be accomplished in this time constraint?

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This video and the 5c's would work well and engage students if we continued to have classes wood shop, metal shop, and home economics in middle school (not sure if they are in other schools around the district). The removal of these types of classes have resulted in schools focusing more on the core four content areas. Do you any schools have these type of classes anymore?

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What will happen when robots take over the small jobs that people do on an everyday basis?  How long until teachers get replaced by robots who know subject matter?

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This reminds me of this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY2mRM4i6tY

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If we aren't excited about what we are teaching, how are students supposed to be excited about it?

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I would LOVE to visit High Tech High! Check some of the student projects HERE! WOW!

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How do we get around the strict curriculum/pacing guides required by the state/district?

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WHAT?!? Teachers teach what they want? How can you incorporate that passion into your class?

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When will robots learn to be creative? Or is there job security there?

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Why do we still follow the "Committee of Ten" model of teaching where we teach in silos: Math, English, Social Studies, Science, etc.? How do we change the system within the confines we have now?

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I think many teachers in HCS want to have the freedom that is offered at High Tech High, but with State & District leaders mandating what and when curriculum is to be taught inhibits the innovating teaching and learning.  I do think that HCS is touching the surface and trying to implement some opportunities, but there is much work still to be done.  Government funding and test scores are still the lead factors in how, when and what is taught in our classroom, despite our innovative efforts.

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With all the changes to IT, how long before subjects like Science and Social Studies become obsolete? Will History repeat itself and our current model of education be reverted to only the following subject matters: Math, ELA, Computer Science???? I mean technically, even a robot, can pass a standardized test.

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Being able to teach 7th grade science this year and not being required to take a standardized test at the end of the year was AHHHHmazing! I had the opportunity to stray from the plan most days, it also allowed me to get to know my students on a whole new level!

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Students seem to learn from exploring . How could we do this more often in all subject areas?

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Since Kagan, we don't do much Socratic Seminar.  I enjoyed the One Stray this morning though and being able to share ideas that way allows for greater PIES.

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Maybe the next shift, has to look at teaching learners differently depending on the child. Education says differentiate but in the end we still move our students through the same curriculum and take the same tests. Maybe the "college framework" needs to be applied to the public school framework.

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With current technology and the ability to look up anything at anytime...the idea of students memorizing material is obsolete. Do students need to memorize the periodic table? Do students need to have all of their geometry formulas memorized? There is a far greater need to simply know how to use them and be familiar with them rather than cramming and memorizing them just for a test. It all comes down to can they use the material in a real life situation.

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Socratic Seminars are extremely beneficial, but they are definitely something that you need to teach students how to participate in. It may take a few tries to get that meaningful discussion, but when you do it's so powerful. How can we, as teachers, get students to take it and allow it to "run itself", especially when they have been trained for years to "raise your hand to speak"?

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All makes complete sense that we need to change our schooling as a whole; but it’s a daunting task and    It makes our little ripples feel insignificant and overwhelming.

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These exercises take time. How can we convince our administrators that standards are embedded and may not be apparent in a 5 minute walk through?

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How do we create that balance between set curriculum/standards and helping students become computational thinkers and collaborators?

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Is there any current evidence that shows students from schools like HIgh Tech do better in college and finding occupations? If so, where is the data so that we can share it with administration to show the validity of these types of schools and curriculum choices?

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We need administrators and board members that support this change. Parents are going to struggle with this......not the students!

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How do we get the district, state, and federal levels to buy into this to allow more freedom in ALL schools?

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How to we get high achievers and their parents to care more about the understanding of the information than just getting the "A"?

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@RebeccaMyers - this is a nice article that talks about the connection between innovative teachers with Code.Org and test scores

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Could time spent learning to code also help students improve at reading, math, and science? Throughout the growth of Code.org, this has been a question we've been asked. There's no doubt that computer science exercises students' analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills. These skills can be helpful beyond just coding and computer science, throughout life. And in education, critical thinking skills are useful in all subjects.

Meanwhile, educators struggle with too many priorities. "If we teach computer science, what should we cut?" is a regular question. A related concern is "Our students already struggle enough with basic reading and math." But what if learning coding and computer science helped students improve at other subjects? This is an important research question. There is no definitive answer yet, but the early signs are positive. A few years ago, a study by the College Board determined that learning computer science in high school may be linked to improved learning in math.

And today, there is new evidence to support this idea.

Research conducted with 3rd - 5th-grade students in Broward County found that students who did extra Code.org CS Fundamentals activities, in classrooms of teachers who reported high levels of resourcefulness, had significantly higher scores on the Achieve3000 reading comprehension exam. But that's not all. They scored significantly higher on Florida State Math, Science, and English Language Arts Exams too!

This is great news for the hundreds of thousands of teachers who are teaching CS Fundamentals, and we hope more teachers join them. It's also one of the first studies showing an association between studying computer science and higher student achievement on standardized tests, which is important for advocates of computer science everywhere.

Making time for computer science in Broward County Public Schools

Time4CS is an NSF-funded project conducted in Broward County Public Schools that seeks to bring more computer science to 3rd-5th-grade students by integrating CS activities into problem-based learning modules. Research conducted by Outlier Research & Evaluation at the University of Chicago investigated effects of these modules on students' attitudes toward computer science and their academic achievement.

The full research report about the Time4CS project has not yet been published and will contain a complete analysis of the whole project. Code.org activities were one part of the implementation analysis, and Outlier was kind enough to make a preliminary findings report that summarized these particular findings.

Students of teachers who reported being resourceful and innovative performed better

As part of the study, Outlier measured characteristics of the teachers who participated in the study including resourcefulness (e.g., "When planning for my work, I prepare for potential challenges") and innovativeness (e.g., "I experiment with new practices all the time"). It turns out that teacher innovativeness was directly related to student outcomes, and teacher resourcefulness, while not directly related, still played a role.

Doing extra Code.org CS Fundamentals activities matters

Code.org CS Fundamentals courses were a major component of the modules the teachers used. Each grade was assigned one CS Fundamentals course that was grade-level appropriate, but some teachers did extra Code.org CS Fundamentals activities with their students - this meant having students complete lessons from one of the other CS Fundamentals courses. It turns out that doing these extra coding activities was one of the key ingredients for improved student performance.

Extra Code.org activities + resourceful teachers = higher student achievement!

Outlier examined relationships between completing extra Code.org activities and student outcomes, also looking at whether certain classroom conditions (e.g., resourceful teachers) made a difference. Outlier found associations between extra Code.org activities and higher student outcomes on all of the standardized tests they examined when teachers reported higher levels of resourcefulness!

Broadly speaking, more was better - completing more extra Code.org activities combined with more teacher resourcefulness was associated with higher scores on Florida State math, science, and English Language Arts standardized tests. Interestingly, just doing extra Code.org activities or just being a resourceful teacher didn't show the same association. Carry them out in the same classroom and see the difference - how cool!

To read more about the study and how these analyses were done check out the Preliminary Findings Report provided by Outlier.

What next?

Results like this raise a number of new and exciting questions to investigate. At this point, we know that completing extra Code.org activities in classrooms where the teachers are resourceful is linked to higher student scores on state exams (e.g., literacy). But, we don't yet know exactly why. For example, what are the true factors of "resourceful" teachers that contribute to improved literacy scores? Why does it have to be extra Code.org activities, and not just the assigned ones? Would any coding activities work, or is there something about the Code.org CS Fundamentals progressions that work particularly well for improving literacy?

Hadi Partovi, Code.org

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Code.org + resourceful teachers = higher student achievement!

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Could time spent learning to code also help students improve at reading, math, and science? Throughout the growth of Code.org, this has been a question we've been asked. There's no doubt that computer science exercises students' analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills. These skills can be helpful beyond just coding and computer science, throughout life.

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We have ALL had our "This is BULL" moment...... When did it happen for you? Your students? Your children? How can we make our classrooms interesting enough to make kids WANT to LEARN?

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Login to your Padlet (so your posts will attribute to you). Post questions for discussion here. No need to answer the questions yet. We will do that in our follow up Socratic Seminar. :D