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Good morning! My name is Jose Gutierrez. I am a teacher of diverse learners at Seward Academy. Seward is located in the Back of the Yards neighborhood. I work with students from fifth, sixth and seventh grade. My focus is literacy and math interventions. I am looking forward to learn how to collaborate with my colleagues and create interdisciplinary units. I want to provide my students with the best IB differentiated instruction I can design and implement for them. 

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Good morning! My name is Jose Gutierrez. I am a teacher of diverse learners at Seward Academy. Seward is located in the Back of the Yards neighborhood. I work with students from fifth, sixth and seventh grade. My focus is literacy and math interventions. I am looking forward to learn how to collaborate with my colleagues and create interdisciplinary units. I want to provide my students with the best IB differentiated instruction I can design and implement for them. 

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L. Little Hoffman Nest!!!. 22 Yrs. S LC Para. Wow.. I really enjoyed the presentation.. You got my attention.. Your work always shows, love it and you. Looking forward to 2016-2017 of what you have to share to gear us up... High Five!!!

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L. Little Hoffman Nest!!!. 22 Yrs. S LC Para. Wow.. I really enjoyed the presentation.. You got my attention.. Your work always shows, love it and you. Looking forward to 2016-2017 of what you have to share to gear us up... High Five!!!

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Fantastic presentation, enjoyed every minute of it.
Chez                       Hoffman MS                       18yrs as a Proud Hornet

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1.)  The key concepts are all important concepts and vary according to your perspective.

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1.)  The key concepts are all important concepts and vary according to your perspective.

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Thanks for the inspiration. We still have the fire within. Jon Presillas

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Thanks for the inspiration. We still have the fire within. Jon Presillas

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Mindset the top priority! Make them experience ownership. Melody from Shotwell

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Mindset the top priority! Make them experience ownership. Melody from Shotwell

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I believe the visual art TEKS are decent but could be updated. Right now they are very similar to the AIMS listed in the IB Arts guide though.

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I believe the visual art TEKS are decent but could be updated. Right now they are very similar to the AIMS listed in the IB Arts guide though.

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Are the TEKS and Benchmarks we teach 21st century relevant?

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Who created the pen and why?

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Want them to connect? Start by dropping that term "elective". Every time I hear it, it reminds me that all the rules, policies, programs, and laws (look up the last; arts were added to the core curriculum a decade ago) cannot change a person's mindset. If all learning is relevant, then all subjects should be treated as such. And STEAM is a far better model of holistic learning!

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I belive this will be the next big change here as we use so much tech in the class and don't see a learning improvement. Gotta try it first though.

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The teachers unions work closely and collaboratively with government. | Caitlin Emma/POLITICO

HELSINKI - At the start of morning assembly in the state-of-the-art Viikki School here, students' smartphones disappear. In math class, the teacher shuts off the Smartboard and begins drafting perfect circles on a chalkboard. The students - some of the highest-achieving in the world - cut up graphing paper while solving equations using their clunky plastic calculators.

Finnish students and teachers didn't need laptops and iPads to get to the top of international education rankings, said Krista Kiuru, minister of education and science at the Finnish Parliament. And officials say they aren't interested in using them to stay there.

Story Continued Below

That's in stark contrast to what reformers in the U.S. say. From President Barack Obama on down, they have called education technology critical to improving schools. By shifting around $2 billion in existing funds and soliciting $2 billion in contributions from private companies, the Obama administration is pressing to expand schools' access to broadband and the devices that thrive on it.

( VIDEO: POLITICO Pro in Finland)

School districts nationwide have loaded up students with billions of dollars' worth of tablets, laptops, iPods and more on the theory that, as Obama said last year, preparing American kids to compete with students around the globe will require interactive, individualized learning experiences driven by new technology.

But with little education technology in the classroom, Finnish students have repeatedly outperformed American students on international tests. In 2001, Finland's students were the highest-achieving in the world, according to the Programme for International Student Assessment test administered by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

The Nordic country uses innovative teaching strategies in the classroom, just generally without incorporating technology. Private schools and charter schools aren't part of the mix, and all education is essentially free. Powerful teachers unions work hand in hand with the government, which went to great lengths to revamp teacher training. The profession is revered and respected, and government has no bearing on assessing a teacher's performance in the classroom.

( VIDEO: Teacher training in Finland)

With a population roughly the size of Minnesota, Finland doesn't have a very competitive spirit. Officials and educators said they were shocked to learn that their education system was one of the best in the world. And officials say Finnish culture is about bettering oneself instead of besting other nations, such as the Asian countries that recently pulled ahead of Finland in global rankings.

Kiuru said an education system modeled after the top-performing Asian countries isn't right for Finland.

"Education isn't a competition," said Kristiina Volmari, counselor of education and head of statistics and international affairs at the Finnish National Board of Education. "This is a quality assurance mechanism, and it's quality assurance for ourselves."

Since being labeled the highest-achieving country in the world, Finland has fallen in the rankings, to fifth in reading, 12th in math and fifth in science. But it's still one of the top countries out of the 14 that belong to the OECD. In the latest PISA rankings, 18 education systems - including Finland's - outperformed the United States in reading, math and science.

Good Old-Fashioned Pencil-and-Paper Note-Taking

Finnish students, even those in the most modern schools, aren't playing the latest learning games in the classroom. Even the upper secondary students at Viikki, who received laptops from the school two years ago, leave their computers at home unless instructed otherwise - which doesn't happen often. The school, located on the University of Helsinki's campus, is one of 12 teacher training schools in Finland and far more modern than schools elsewhere, such as the rural northern region of Lapland.

"I think it's really too bad," said senior Emmi Halmesvirta, shifting a purse full of heavy books on her shoulder. "Teachers will tell us to bring them in on certain days, but they tend to stick more to traditional methods."

According to the latest PISA results and a study conducted by the European Commission, there's roughly one computer per five Finnish students in schools. In the U.S., that ratio is almost one to one (but the breakdown across individual rural, urban and suburban districts might look different, depending on a district's financial resources).

At the International School of Vantaa, just outside Helsinki's major airport, students are ushered to a computer lab with about two dozen desktop computers after a teacher reserves the space. The lab accommodates roughly two classrooms at once. Laia Saló i Nevado, a student guidance counselor, home room and health teacher, said she brings her students to the lab about once a week for special projects, quizzes and sometimes Internet research - but that's about it.

Finnish teachers and students use education technology significantly less than those in other European countries. At grade eight, Finnish students' reported use of school computers is the lowest in the European Union, with only 27 percent saying they use computers at least once a week.

The average percentage of teachers using education technology for at least 25 percent of lessons in the EU is higher than in Finland for fourth and eighth grades. In grade four, overall EU usage is at 29 percent, while Finland falls at 20 percent. In grade eight, EU usage is at 32 percent while Finland is at 29 percent. For teachers using education technology in more than 25 percent of lessons, Finland ranks at the bottom in a group of countries for grade eight, at 29 percent.

Pasi Sahlberg - an educator, author and unofficial ambassador of the Finnish education system - writes that many visitors hoping to see Finland's high-performing schools firsthand expect to see state-of-the-art technology in classrooms.

"Instead, they see teachers teaching and pupils learning as they would in any typical good school in the United States," he writes in his blog. "The irony of Finnish educational success is that it derives heavily from classroom innovation and school improvement research in the United States."

Just without all the computers.

What Makes Finland Different?

Where to begin?

At 5.4 million people, Finland's population is equivalent to 1.7 percent of the total U.S. population. And the Nordic country is extremely homogenous. The number of people living in Finland but born outside the country is the lowest in Europe at nearly 250,000 in 2010, or 4.6 percent of the total population. About 40 million people residing in the U.S. were born outside the country, comprising 12.9 percent of the total population.

The teachers unions work closely and collaboratively with government. Children attend the school closest to home unless they're looking for something extra, like a school that teaches German. There are no standardized tests until upper secondary students have to demonstrate their knowledge on the country's matriculation exam. Passing the exam allows a student to go on to university studies.

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HELSINKI - At the start of morning assembly in the state-of-the-art Viikki School here, students' smartphones disappear. In math class, the teacher shuts off the Smartboard and begins drafting perfect circles on a chalkboard. The students - some of the highest-achieving in the world - cut up graphing paper while solving equations using their clunky plastic calculators.

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It is our job to make each kid feel relevant in our classroom and understand they can learn
Worrell

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Our subjects naturally are relevant and global.

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The Teens I see have wearable Tech instead of wrist watch...

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Huh. Looks like we're the ones stuck in the mud. This is where we're going. And if we're not, why not? Oh, and if you don't know why what you're doing is relevant, neither do they!

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If it doesn't have a direct application, why are you doing it? FYI, this is the same question in the students head.

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Our mindset. Our mindset isn't in the right place.

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The flowers were beautiful and we'll deserved!!!!

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The flowers were beautiful and we'll deserved!!!!

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Awesome job Mrs. Hall

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Still don't know  what we are doing wrong???

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Still don't know  what we are doing wrong???

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She just described one of my favorite students last year! -dh

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She just described one of my favorite students last year! -dh

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Mitch.

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In the center

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I know, I know! :-D C'mon, people, don't be scared!

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Thank you for not using the mic.

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December! That's good information!

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If we use padlet, are we pushing out our students who are very low income and don't have a device? Accommodations?

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Hello, Felicia Johnson 4 years on two different IB campuses

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Hello, Felicia Johnson 4 years on two different IB campuses

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It doesn't matter where you are, they (The kids)can and will learn whatever we teach them!

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Everyone having a great time today? Rock the Global Contexts!

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Hello, my name is Carol!  I represent Ike 9!  6 Years Ike 9!

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Hello, my name is Carol!  I represent Ike 9!  6 Years Ike 9!

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10 years from Shotwell

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Hello, my name is Amber Lister, and I am at Hoffman Middle School. This will be my 2nd year in the hornets nest!!!

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Hello, my name is Amber Lister, and I am at Hoffman Middle School. This will be my 2nd year in the hornets nest!!!

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Hoffman 1yr

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Wilson Academy 6 years IB Campus

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Shotwell , 5 years

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Danielle Harding  says heeey from Ike 9. I've been IB for 2 years. 

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Danielle Harding  says heeey from Ike 9. I've been IB for 2 years. 

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Hoffman 10 yrs

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1st year teaching at an IB campus and it's my first year with Aldine

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Hello I am Angela Starks. I have been at Wilson for 2 year

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Hello I am Angela Starks. I have been at Wilson for 2 year

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Wilson Intermediate SLC Aide 2 weeks

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Ike 9, 10 years

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Chick

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Hoffman middle
10 years

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Mr.Adamson, 10 years, Ike 9!

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Hello * Crystal Robinson * Shotwell * 10 Years

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Hello * Crystal Robinson * Shotwell * 10 Years

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Chick ike9 1 year

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Shotwell
Band
10 years

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Ike 9 -4 years

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Adam Brandner in Hall's 104 Training Shotwell 6 years in MYP

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Adam Brandner in Hall's 104 Training Shotwell 6 years in MYP

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Wilson
10 years

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7 years

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Hello, Brian Worrell
Wilson Academy 9yrs

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Shotwell/0 years

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Ana María Ramírez my 4 yearat Shotwell.  

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Ana María Ramírez my 4 yearat Shotwell.  

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It's almost over everyone!!! :) Hang in there!

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It's almost over everyone!!! :) Hang in there!

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Be open to change!

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If our students don't see the connections and we don't show them connections then they can't feel connected to all the various people in the world. Feeling connected allows them to value life, theirs and others.
B. Allen
Wilson

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Our students deserve to be in an environment that fosters a global mindset.

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Relationship building is key, once our students trust us we must expose them!!  Noble Taylor

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Relationship building is key, once our students trust us we must expose them!!  Noble Taylor

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Make learning relevant to real world by teaching through the lens of global contexts, Shotwell

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Make learning relevant to real world by teaching through the lens of global contexts, Shotwell

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Put the power back into the students hands!!

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Go from relevance to relationship by going the extra mile for your students.Keep in mind that its not always what you say but sometimes how you say it always be open minded. 

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Go from relevance to relationship by going the extra mile for your students.Keep in mind that its not always what you say but sometimes how you say it always be open minded. 

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J.Loughridge (Ike 9)

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In order to reach this generation of students, I need to change my mindset 

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In order to reach this generation of students, I need to change my mindset 

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Alma Pisco......Shotwell Middle School

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We as educators should be driven to give our best.