Be a DOer, Not a Dreamer... Or Be Both

As award-winning writer and tv producer Shonda Rimes said to the 2014 graduating class of Dartmouth College, “Be a doer, not a dreamer,” I’m a doer.  I like solutions.  I like decisions.  I like to make decisions and try solutions and if they don’t work, I like to try a new solution.  I like to help other people make decisions and find solutions, and when I found myself “taking a break” from the only career I had ever known (teaching students with mild, moderate, and intensive disabilities), I had to DO something.  I found myself in a job that I found lackluster; something about doing the same reading interventions over and over with little technology integration didn’t thrill me.  While I have found ways to make it more entertaining for students, I still find the process a little dry.  I needed to DO something else.  I needed to DO something else that could integrate all students, all types of learners and DOers into the school community.

What I started DOING with my professional (and personal) learning network blossomed into a movement at Highland Drive Elementary School (grades K-3) in Brecksville, Ohio that I had never planned for or imagined.  Six to ten educators hanging out on the weekend at a community woodworking shop in the city moved to a “club” during lunch and recess time which then transformed into the Highland Drive makerspace (aka “the STEAM room”); an entire classroom space complete with a mini library of “makers” books like Ish by Peter H. Reynolds, The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes by Gary Rubinstein, Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty, and the Smithsonian Maker Lab by Jack Challoner.  

Thanks to donations from parents and staff, a grant from the Brecksville-Broadview Heights Schools Foundation, and an additional grant from a group called the GPD Employee’s Foundation (an organization that provides grant money to Northeast and Central Ohio as well as Atlanta, Indianapolis, Louisville, Phoenix, and Seattle), our makerspace boasts three desktop computers, access to 14 iPads (shared with the Reading Intervention program), 15 LEGO Education WeDo Kits and accompanying software, scrapbook paper, pipe cleaners, scissors, glue, googly eyes, a LEGO wall, and more!  

The makerspace is used for every Thursday and Friday at lunch and recess for “Makers’ Club.”  With help from my reading co-teacher Sharon Wiesler, second and third grade students are invited to the makerspace to work on a “challenge” or “project” each week during their lunch and recess times. They follow the design process and start by identifying a problem.  They then take time to brainstorm and plan, create, and then evaluate what they’ve created.  The room is also open for teachers to sign up to bring their Kindergarten, first, second, or third grade classes in to complete science experiments or complete the “Project of the Week” on a daily basis.  With every project, we try to make sure that students are engaging in the design process while also learning how to share, collaborate, and solve problems with other students.

Projects have varied so far, in length and intensity, but have been largely successful. Problems we have worked to solve and projects we’ve done this year have included:

• Using marshmallows and toothpicks, design and build a phone stand for the teacher’s cell phone that is at least 6 inches tall and will hold it up off the table for at least 10 seconds.
• The weather is changing (discussion on seasons).  What happens to the animals when the weather gets colder in Northeast Ohio?  What can we do to help? (Bird feeders and houses were created and placed in our “Highland Island,” an animal and plant sanctuary at our school.)
• Plan for and create LEGO “robots” using the WeDo kits and software
• Using the available materials (cups, cotton balls, straws, pipe cleaners, string, tape, glue, and a few other items), create a carrier for a ping pong ball that will carry it down the zip line (fishing line) in 4 seconds or less.
• Learn to use hammers and screwdrivers along with other basic tools.
• Create “Sticky Slime” that hardens quickly, but softens again based on heat from your hands.
• Using ten straws and ten inches of plastic wrap, can you build a boat that can hold 25 pennies without sinking for X number of seconds?

In the fall, the makerspace teamed with the Kindergarten teachers at our school to plan “pumpkin investigations” that were then modified for each grade level to complete during the week before Halloween.  Students were able to describe the pumpkins, use synonyms, measure the pumpkins using standard and nonstandard measures, determine if the pumpkins would sink or float, estimate the weight and then weigh the pumpkins, touch the insides of the pumpkins and count seeds, sketch different kinds of pumpkins, smell the pumpkins AND even taste the roasted seeds of the pumpkins.  There were lots of sensory opportunities built in and even the students with moderate-intensive special needs took a trip to the makerspace for this adventure; exactly the purpose of this “multi-purpose” space.  Just as Lisha Kraft states in her article “The Way We Talk About Education Today Reflects Growth of the Maker Mindset” in Make Magazine on Oct. 17th, 2016, “As more and more educators see the limitations often set by a typical worksheet, and they utilize such strategies as, project-based learning, differentiated instruction, inquiry-based instruction, collaborative learning, and student-centered instruction, educational barriers will continue to crumble and disappear.”

While I continue to take a break from teaching students with mild, moderate, and intensive special needs, Mrs. Wiesler and I encourage ALL students to both read and DO something every day.  Using the mindset “Create more than you consume,” we encourage students to use simple and recyclable materials to create while finding their own passions for learning.

Week 75- What IS this thing?

A six week Saturday morning class.  Is that what I agreed to?

It's now week... I don't know what number... and I am still going back.

Soulcraft Woodshop.

How has this journey changed me?

Well, it's hard to say.

In September of 2014, I was working a job at school that I didn't want.  I was told I needed "a break" and basically put into time out.  I was searching for life outside of my career.  I was going home at a normal hour each day and truly only working the 8 hour day.  That was brand new to me after 11 years of working 11-12 hour days.  I was unhappy.  I missed my team.  I missed my students.  I was getting to know new students, but it wasn't enough.  I was searching for something.

Fast forward to March 2015.  I am begging for spring break to get here.  I am still not totally happy in my job, mostly because it just doesn't feel like enough.  I could do more.  I give a lot of assessments.  I follow intervention scripts.  But, I do feel like I am making a difference.  The kids are growing and changing and that's success.  It feels good.  But I am not defined by my career anymore.  I am not defined by my school district.

Being part of Soulcraft has given me some courage.  It's given me even more voice than I had before.  It's helped me hone some of those communication skills that were still less than "diplomatic."  I've met great people, formed some incredible relationships, grown professionally and personally.  I found the thing I was searching for, though I'm still not really sure what that is.

Conversations with Pete, Jim, and Sean are sometimes above me.  I shake my head and hear their words and most days I go back to my car and Google something they were talking about.  I don't always understand their political references or even their references to literature that I have not yet read yet.  The cool thing is, if they know that I am clueless (sometimes), they don't show it.  OR, if I'm particularly brave that day, I ask or say "I don't know what that means."  And they explain it to me.  Hopefully without judgement.  Or it seems like without judgement...

Conversations with Julie and Karen... Ahhhhh... I wish we could all work in the same building.  Strong women.  Empowered women who know who they are and what they stand for.  They don't let others get in the way, and if they do, they reflect and go back.  They put kids first.  They vent. And then they move forward.  WE move forward.  They help me to move forward.

And there's Tom.  Tom and I see eye to eye. And it's just comfortable to be there with Tom.  With all the men who don't appear to be judging my skills as a woodworker or furniture designer or artist at all.  They are there learning too.  "Who knows how to use this machine thingy over here?"  Yeah, I might, and I can show you.

One realization that I have almost weekly is that I don't like to do stuff that I am not good at.  And for my first few projects, I was great.  Realizing now that Pete and Jim had a LOT to do with that skill, I am a little humbled at the fact that in the past three weeks, I have screwed up at least 100 times.  I really messed up those dados.  And I typically would trash them, never speak of them again, start over, and excel at it the next time.  But WOW, I REALLY screwed up those dados.  And I can talk about it. And even laugh.

I'm not good at the measuring.  I'm not good when something needs to be perfectly measured or perfectly symmetrical.  I stand in awe when Jim says something like "well, it's just about 7/16ths."  Again, I was great at math, but in regards to the tape measure, I have no idea what this means.  I smile and nod.  And I don't think he judges the fact that I have no idea what this means.  He probably does realize it though. I'm not so good at the hiding of facial expressions.

So, I've had some time now to really get to know what I'm good at and what I'm not.  And for some reason, I keep coming back to this thing that I am not particularly great at.  I wonder why.

I told someone yesterday, "I'm not sure if I actually like making things out of wood, or if I just like the people here enough to keep coming back, or both."

Courage to be honest.

So this adventure has also given me courage in my own school building.  Last year, I couldn't say or do the right thing to save my life.  This year, I decided that I needed to still stay true to myself and maybe it would work out.  It has.  I had the courage to ask if I could start a Makers' Club.

Makers' Club has taken off like I never knew it would.  As I felt like my job as a reading interventionist was lacking creativity, and I knew that what I was doing on Saturday mornings was meaningful, I wanted to incorporate the two.  On Thursdays, second graders (any who want to on any week) come to my room and make stuff.  Usually I give them a challenge.  Sometimes I give them prizes for fulfilling the challenge.  Second graders are really working on how to share, how to ask for someone to share, how to put their ideas together.  On Fridays, third graders come.  They get a slightly more detailed challenge, and typically blow my mind with what they create.  They are better at sharing, better at working together, and need little assistance in their "design thinking."

After 4 weeks of Makers' Club and close to 75 kids a week going through our room, I've only seen 3 kids cry.  Two cried because their project did not work and they did not have time, before going back to their homeroom class, to fix it.  One cried because no one would share.  I've gotten to use my powers of conversation and behavior skills (ha!) to talk through situations with these 7 and 8 year olds and somehow all three came back the next week.

The principal and other teachers are on board with the Makers' Club AND the PSO even sends volunteers and gave me a budget.

So, how has Soulcraft changed me?

It's given me more courage.

It's broken down on typical gender biases (or barriers) for me.

It's given me a group of friends that I can't wait to see on Saturday mornings.

It's helped my communication skills.

It's opened my eyes to learning again.  To starting over.  To failing.  To doing stuff you aren't good at.

It's.... well.... stay tuned. Because I am sure there will be more.

P.S. I am purposely not proofreading this and just pressing publish.  I want this to be honest and open and not rethink everything I just typed.  Please forgive any typos.  Yikes... Here goes... 

Soulcraft Woodshop Cohort and my Fixed Mindset

In light of the interesting years I've been having (couldn't we all say that about every year??), I've been searching for something.

Yesterday, I may have found it.

But I could hear this come out of my mouth, "I'm a special ed teacher. Wait, I'm a special ed teacher who is currently being disguised by my district as a reading specialist."  And I may or may not have started to tear up a little. (Please, please self, do not cry in this wood shop.)

So, I joined this thing.  And as we all sat around, we pondered what to call this thing...

I think we settled on the Soulcraft Woodshop Cohort.

I joined a wood shop class?  Wood?  Shop?  Me?

In an attempt to push myself outside of my comfort zone, I have joined a wood shop class.

The great part is, it's a wood shop class, with a twist.  I'm hanging with other educators who believe that the education system is screwed up and want to find a way to fix it. And the first step is to join up and collaborate, right?  So, while we're building stuff and learning new skills, we're going to talk education.

Now, the people in this room appeared to be slightly more "meta" than me.  But I could see it. Everything in this wood shop was a metaphor for education.  Everything we are going to do resembles building, molding, shaping young minds.  And at the same time, our instructors, the Soulcraft guys (Peter and Jim) will be modeling how to work with 10 different people with 10 different ideas in a setting that resembles a Maker Space.  10 totally different people... A superintendent, some principals and assistant principals, a PhD candidate, a math teacher, a high school intervention specialist... and me?

Whew. By the time I got home yesterday, I was exhausted. That's a lot of thinking. That's a lot of thinking about thinking. This is not what I do in my free time with my friends...

... but maybe I will now.

We talked a little about fixed vs. growth mindset and I realized, oh crap, I'm working with a fixed mindset. Sometimes.  When it came to this wood shop, I was surely in a fixed mindset thinking "there is no way I am going to be able to do this."  I even admitted "I really usually only do things I know I am going to be good at." I really just told strangers that?

Lastly, Peter was telling us about the cuts and grades of wood. He was talking about joinery and wow, I was getting a little overwhelmed until he started talking about the natural "defects" of the wood and how we can use the defects to make beautiful design elements. 

Done. I'm sold.  I take my students who have these atypicalities and help them grow into something beautiful.

Metaphors complete.

What will the next six weeks bring?

Here's my first sketch. Guess what it is!

P.S. First round of thanks to Sean Wheeler,  Peter D., and all the people who got this thing going!

Our Experience with the Global Read Aloud!

So, 4 weeks ago, we started the Global Read Aloud Project for 2011.

Rewind.

During the summer months, I sent the parents of my students a lengthy "Summer Newsletter" to describe some things that would be going on in our classroom ("Room 5," a resource room for students with moderate-intensive special needs) this year.  The newsletter contained information on the Global Read Aloud Project aka "The Flat Stanley Project."

I was unsure about participating in this project, but wanted to continue to find ways to teach my students some 21st Century Skills like collaboration, making global connections, and increased communication.  I saw this project on twitter, created by Pernille Ripp (@pernilleripp) and thought, "we could give that a try."

In the weeks leading up to the project, I checked the participant list and map repeatedly.  Would there be other special education classes participating?  Who would we "make connections" with?  Would our projects look small, less, or not up to par with those learning in a general education classroom?  Would we be able to create these projects, and how would I modify all these things to meet the individual needs of my students?

I'm not sure why I felt these uncertainties.  I should know by now that my kids ALWAYS stretch AND reach all expectations placed on them.  Why not raise the bar to have them stretch and even leap to meet it?

So, we dove in with Flat Stanley.  I wasn't sure, originally, about the book choice.  Would we understand this book seeing as though my students are so "literal" and do not relate well to "fantasy" stories?  But instead, I collected all the "Stanley" books around the elementaries in the district that I could find to show that Stanley is really quite a popular guy.  Then, I decided that we would do what we could in the interest of making this a fun and interesting project.  If the kids didn't like it, we would stop.  No harm, no foul.

On day 1, I introduced Flat Stanley and the "Flat Stanley Bag."   The "Flat Stanley Bag" contained a hard laminated "Stanley," Flat Stanley the chapter book, directions for parents, a digital camera (I bought at Target for only $40 for fear of losing/breaking it), and "Stanley's Adventure Notebook."  On Stanley's first day with us, we took lots of photos around the classroom and wrote our piece in the Adventure Notebook as an example of what the kids would do at home with Stanley.  Also on day 1, we looked through Stanley's original picture book and the chapter book.  We made some predictions and did some talking about real vs. make believe books.

On day 2, we gave the "Flat Stanley Bag" to our first of seven "Room 5 Friends" to take home for the week.  We also began to read chapter 1. 

As the days passed on, we read and reread chapters to make sure that we understood the main events.  Vocabulary in the story was changed so that I could ensure my students would understand the story (example, I changed the word "parcel" to "package.").  We spent the entire first week on chapter one and made the class book "Flat Stanley is as Flat as..."  Some students needed visual choices for this activity and others needed verbal choices.  Some students were able to generate an idea on their own and some needed to see examples of other students' work.  By the end of that week, Flat Stanley was as flat as a pancake, a hamburger, a mirror, an iPad, and an envelope.

Third graders with e-portfolios were blogging every other day about Stanley and his adventures.  They made predictions based on pictures and chapter titles and posted them on their Weebly sites.

By week 2, we were ready to see what would happen to Stanley next!  We read chapters 2 and 3, modified ideas we found online, and came up with a few original ideas.  We made some "life-size" paintings of Stanley, each child able to make color choices and paint choices on his/her own.  One third grader made his own "Flat Jaguar Stanley" and laughed and laughed at his own idea.  We also worked on another class book, "If I was Flat like Flat Stanley, I would..."  We had students helping others, being flat like an iPad, hiding in the gym with Flat Martin (our principal has his own flat life sized cut out), taking care of roosters, and riding on the school bus. 

At the end of week 2, we planned to Skype with two different classes.  I was fearful about "skyping" with general education kids for fear that they would not understand... Another silly uncertainty!

Our two first graders and two kindergarten students "skyped" to Ms. Wilson's class in Atlanta, Georgia.  They shared our two class books and our life sized paintings.  Then, Ms. Wilson's small group of first graders asked some questions about our town and our weather.  We found out that it was "getting cold in Georiga.  It was almost 70 degrees!"  We laughed and shared that it would get to 38* that night in the Cleveland area!

Our 3 third grade students "skyped" to Mrs. Bond's third graders in Michigan!  Our third graders again shared the two class books and life sized paintings.  We also got to experience the joys of technology and practice our "waiting skills" while our Skype connection was a little shaky.

The last activity we did during week 2 was coloring our paper Stanley's and getting them ready to be mailed to our family and friends.  Some students mailed Stanley to siblings, aunts and uncles, and grandparents.  One student mailed his to our special education aide's son in the Marines is Missouri.  Another went to the home of our speech therapist, Miss K, and still another went to our friends in Ms. Dunsinger's Room in Cananda!

During week 3, we read a very long and detailed chapter 4.  We read this chapter up to 3 times depending on grade level to make sure we understood the main events.  We posted on blogs and created flat characters of ourselves!  Check out the flat versions of my students!

During week 4, we finished reading chapter 5 and our third grade friends created a Photo Story of the work we had completed.

Wait, the project was supposed to be over after week 4... But we didn't share our Flat Stanley Bag and Adventure Notebook yet!  And we didn't get our Flat Stanley's back from our family and friends yet!  And we didn't get to check out Ms. Dunsinger's kiddos blogs about our very own Flat Stanley!

Now, as I sit at home on this cold and windy Saturday night, I'm thinking, can we even finish this up in FIVE weeks?  Will we push it to SIX?  SEVEN?

And I thought this might not go well????  We LOVE Flat Stanley!!!

Another cool thing about this project is that I managed to convince another teacher in our school to participate.  I was hoping to convince more than one, but even getting one is such an accomplishment!  Mrs. Pagel and her second graders also participated in the Global Read Aloud project, posted projects on the Global Read Aloud wiki, created Photo Stories, created a Voice Thread, AND Skyped!!!  Oh, AND made a Wall Wisher, AND made life sized "flat" characters of some teachers around the building AND came to Buddy Read with us during week 3!  Thanks Mrs. Pagel!

WOW!

So, in essence, the point I am trying to get to with this blog- OUR KIDS CAN DO ANYTHING!

And, I'm still not sure if any other special education classes participated, but, next year, I am going to be sure to encourage them to!

We cannot wait until next year's GRA and look forward to making even more connections throughout the year!

(Note to skeptics: This project included reading comprehension, listening comprehension, reading fluency, problem solving, story elements, written expression, literary genres, making global connections, practicing social skills, addressing an envelope, writing a letter, blogging, fine motor skills, and communication!!!!)

On the 8th Day of the School Year, My Principal Gave to Me...

We've had 8 days of school in the 2010-2011 school year, and I have not had the slightest of ideas for a blog post in at least 8 days.

The thing I've been thinking about most... buh, buh, bummmmmm.... sleep.

That's right ladies and gentleman, sleep.

I miss it.

But thankfully, my boss provided me with some material today... Sing along to the tune of the 12 Days of Christmas, if you must.



On the first day of this school year, my principal gave to me... 


A very very very late bus.


On the second day of this school year, my principal gave to me...


Two students crying because of...

a very very very late bus.

On the third day of this school year, my principal gave to me...


Three new Kindergarteners, 


Two students crying, because of... 


a very, very, very late bus.

On the fourth day of this school year, my principal gave to me...


Four minutes for lunch, 


Three new Kindergarteners, 


Two students crying, because of... 


A very, very, very late bus.

On the fifth day of this school year, my principal gave to me...


Fiiiiiiiiive Huuuuuundred E-mails.


Four minutes for lunch, 


Three new Kindergarteners, 


Two students crying, because of... 


A very, very, very late bus.

On the sixth day of this school year, my principal gave to me, 


Six parent complaints, 


Fiiiiiiiiive Huuuuuundred E-mails.


Four minutes for lunch, 


Three new Kindergarteners, 


Two students crying, because of...


A very, very, very late bus.

On the seventh day of this school year, my principal gave to me


Seven scheduled meetings, 


Six parent complaints, 


Fiiiiiiiiive Huuuunnnndred E-mails.


Four minutes for lunch, 


Three new Kindergarteners, 


Two students crying, because of...


A very, very, very late bus.

On the 8th day of this school year, my principal gave to me...

Now, this is where the song has to stop, because, in all seriousness, and all joking aside, tonight, I appreciate my principal.

Not that I don't always appreciate my principal...

But, on the 8th day of the school year, a Friday, at 6pm, I drove back to school to talk to my principal about something regarding a student that was sorta none of my business, just because I cared about the student.

And my principal?  He listened.  He sat.  And he listened.  And he maybe didn't agree with every word I said.  And he maybe even thought I was overstepping my boundaries a little.  But he knew I was coming from a good place. And he listened.

And I know he had someplace he needed to be.

But, in the best interest of a student, he listened.

And he told me, "You have a great mind for special ed."

I should've told him that the fact he said that made my week.  I don't need the awards or the announcements or the articles.  I need the students and the simple statements like that.  Those things keep me going.

On the 8th day of this school year, my principal gave to me... 


Time to share my opinion, dialogue to refine my opinion, thoughts on how to solve a problem, a sense of collaboration, and a feeling of value.

It's been a good 8 days.  I think I'll stick around.

(And the bus is coming on time now.)

How Do You Answer the Haters? Like This...

Today I was alerted to the fact that on Cleveland.com our community has its own page.  The Brecksville page is actually pretty cool and boasts the happenings and goings on in Brecksville.

Towards the bottom of the page is a section called "The Brecksville Forum."  In this Forum, there are many postings from members of the community about our school district, school levy, and teachers.

The following is my response to all of the banter (even though I was asked to keep it short, factual, and calm).

"After reading much of this banter back and forth about school levies and teacher salaries, I'm sad. I'm a teacher, and I can't believe this is the conversation that is being had about our school district.



First, of all the people that I've heard against the school levy and in favor of cutting teacher salaries, do you know how many of those people have observed in our building? Zero. How many have observed in my classroom? None.


Do you know what school is like now?


It's surely not the same as when I was in gradeschool just 20 short years ago. How long has it been since you attended 3rd grade? I can assure you, it's different.


But you wouldn't know. Because you don't visit. You don't observe. You don't even speak to the teachers whom you denegrate on a regular basis in open forums such as these.


You make claims that we "only work 6 hours a day." We can be compared to "babysitters" and "day care workers." We do the job of "janitorial staff" and should get paid closer to "$15 an hour" than the salary that we make.


I can assure you, my B.A., M.A. and continuing education credits can support the fact that I am more than a babysitter. And if I made $15 and hour for the actual hours I worked, I might even make more than my actual salary.


6 hours a day? I'm laughing.


I teach kids with special needs. I need to know about each and every one of their needs, their allergies, their physical needs, their cognitive capabilities, their home lives, their social skills, their fine motor and gross motor capabilities, their speech and language abilities, and their interests and disinterests. I also need to know their behaviors, triggers, and motivators. I plan each day for 8 little bodies, 4 of whom are nonverbal. Two have augmentative assistive communication devices. Two are still eating pureed foods and are not toilet trained yet. All 8 of my students know how to use computers, can spell and are well on the road to becoming readers. 2 of my students also come from bi-lingual homes.

Every single one of my students is included in the school day. Though, I wouldn't expect our adversaries to know the difference between mainstreaming and inclusion.


Every single student gets math, reading, speaking, spelling, writing, math, fine motor, gross motor, speech and language, science, social studies, and social skills standards built into his/her day. That's 12 subjects for 8 different students.


We also work on feeding, manners, toileting, hand washing, and other functional skills AND whatever else the parents ask for.


We write individualized education plans (IEPs) and complete multi-factored evaluations (MFEs). We write Evaulation Team Reports (ETRs) and collaborate as Response to Intervention (RtI) teams.


I maintain two blogs, one for parents, and one professional, and a twitter account JUST to stay on top of the special education world and on top of my "game" professionally. I train myself on assistive technologies and spend the summer doing my own professional development, often working 6-7 hours daily on this time we supposedly all have "off" to be vacationing and sunning.


In the meantime, I also manage 6 special education aides in our building. I also lead our special education team of professionals. I also lead our school philanthropy team.


I make schedules, maintain technology, clean desks, wipe little behinds, plan snack time, integrate technology like SMARTboards, computers, e-portfolios, assistive tech. devices, give hugs, teach reading, teach 21st Century Skills like problem solving and critical thinking, count coins, celebrate birthdays, create learning materials, collaborate with other professionals (i.e. teachers and therapists), plan in occupational therapy, physical therapy, music therapy, and therapeutic horseback riding for my students, AND communicate with parents, community members, and home program coordinators.


And believe me. I am NOT complaining. I LOVE this job. I couldn't LOVE it more. I love these kids, I love their hugs, I love feeling their successes and celebrating with their parents.


And you measure our district's success by our National Merit Finalists?


But my students will never be National Merit Finalists.


And my worth can never be determined by how many honor students there are at the high school.


Maybe, just maybe, the next time you think about undervaluing a teacher, you'll think about a teacher who spends 14 hours in the building or at home, for the good of his/her students. You'll think about a teacher that wants nothing more than to see her students walk independently, read independently, speak OUT LOUD. You'll think about a teacher who is doing the best he can...


You'll think about a teacher who is not complaining about her salary.

So maybe you shouldn't be either."

Can You Help Me With a PLN?

So I'm really getting into this whole notion of having a PLN (Personal Learning Network).  Having a PLN almost seems like a necessity now that I am truly understanding and learning and reading about it.  I was already using Twitter, Facebook, Glogster, Wordpress (http://staff.bbhcsd.org/kolism), this blog, and other tools, so why not reach out to some people and offer suggestions while taking some advice in the process?

I am pretty sure I was already doing this by following larger organizations like Autism Speaks (@autismspeaks), Mayer-Johnson (@MayerJohnson) and the Upside of Downs of Greater Cleveland (@USODNEO) on Twitter and Facebook and then reading the articles that were posted.  I was doing all the learning, but not contributing much.

What I learned is that, I can follow regular people who tweet and retweet their own blogs.  I can tweet my blog too, and hope that someone will find my messages worthy of retweeting as well.  I can keep learning about the digital tools that we can use and ask for advice and it's okay.

You see, in our district, asking other teachers for help is a weakness.  You never show this weakness.  Collaboration is almost nonexistent.  Sure, we are united for common causes.  We always pull together for charity and philanthropy.  We are friends outside of school.  We are cheerleaders for each other when something great happens.  But when it comes to your class or your students, we are closed door.  They are MY kids or YOUR kids.  It is MY room and YOUR room.  It is MY program and YOUR program.  There is certainly a minority of people who TRY to collaborate, but it is not commonly accepted.

And so, this notion of networking to become better is what I crave.  I crave this network of "strangers" to help me with ideas, to nurture what I can share with them, to understand that I can offer something without trying to boast or be any better than them.  I am so passionate about this work and want to know people who truly feel the same and want to share it.

So, here is my search for a PLN.  I'm on Twitter (@Room5Friends AND @morgank18).  I'm trying to friend lots of people and organizations.  I'm trying to stalk others' "followers" to see who I can follow with similar interests.  I joined The Educator's PLN Ning.  I invited teachers from my school and district to do the same.  And... now what?

So what are my interests?  I LOVE teaching special ed., I love kids with autism, with Down syndrome, with genetic disorders, and all kinds of special needs.  I love trying to integrate technology into the classroom.  I love trying to figure out how to integrate web 2.0 tools with special needs kids.  I love attacking 21st Century Skills for kids with special needs.  How can we get them to problem solve?  How can we get them to critical think?  (while still working on functional living skills and basic reading skills and math skills...)  I LOVE this work. (Oh yeah, and I like long walks on the beach, candle light dinners, etc., etc.)...

And again... now what?

Teaching (and Differentiating) with Technology 2010

Last week I taught a technology class for teachers in our district called "Teaching (and Differentiating) with Technology 2010."  While I was discouraged by the low attendance of these FREEEEEEEEEE classes, I was also encouraged that maybe the few people that attended might begin playing with and using the technologies that we worked on.  Also, one administrator came, so I was really encouraged by that!

Seems to me that, in a district where we boast about our high test scores and student successes, more teachers, administrators, and staff members would be interested in learning about tools that would help them become more efficient, effective teachers.

Regardless, here's a run down of the classes that we offered:

1. Blogging and Homepages (Setting up your own blog through WordPress or your own Homepage using Protopage).  What are the benefits of using a blog or homepage?  What are the differences?  Step by step set up.

2. A Re-Introduction to the SMARTboard (After 3 years of having SMARTboards in our classrooms, you'd think we've have the Basics down by now.  This was the most highly attended class.)

3.  Social Media for Education (By far, I was most excited about teaching this class.  6 people came.)

4.  Beyond the Basics: SMARTboard Tips and Tricks

5.  Flip Cameras (Even teaching this class seems silly because they are so easy and self explanatory, right?)

6.  Digital Storytelling

7.  Google Apps (Oh how I wish more people had attended this!)

8.  Where do you find this stuff?  Web Exploration time (I showed the 5 people that came how to use Wordle, then spent the next hour re-teaching Twitter and explaining our new email.)

9.  BoardMaker Plus v.6 (Mostly for Special Ed. teachers/ Intervention Specialists, but some reg. ed. folks showed too, thank goodness!)

10.  Grant Writing for your Technology Needs

Shake What the District Gave You

On Friday I was charged with the task of "telling others about what you do in your classroom, and then telling them about the ways you've gotten extra money for your classroom." 

Hmph.  And I'm supposed to turn that into a presentation and give it to a group of my peers?  Awesome.

The presentation was Friday morning and my presentation turned into something named "Shake What the District Gave You."  The title was supposed to be funny.  Before the presentation, other teachers actually asked me what the title meant.  Crap.  Couple that with a question asked by one of our teachers, "So, how did you get picked to give this presentation?"

Then the keynote speaker was all motivating and awesome, so I wasn't quite sure how I would follow that.

I'd given presentations before but not to a group of teachers from my own district...

So, here's what I talked about.  Plain and simple.  Look at all the stuff the district gives us for free and here are my favorite of all the technology "tools" we have-

(And all the links are on my other blog page- Miss Kolis' Room 5 Blog- http://staff.bbhcsd.org/kolism- you can go there, find March 5th Tech Inservice Waiver Day in the right hand column, and get all the links...)

1. http://www.delicious.com/-  Delicious is a social networking tool that the district suggests we use.  If we all used it, we could all be connected through websites and "share our toys."  Delicious takes all your "favorites" or your "bookmarks" and puts them in one place on the web.  Delicious also allows you to tag your websites so you can sort them for yourself.  You can also share them with other users.  I learned how to use this over the summer of '09, and I think it was a little behind the times then... When I asked if I had "sold" anyone on Delicious, I saw 3 heads nod.

2. http://www.twitter.com/-  Twitter in education is still pretty new, especially in our district.  And sure, we all hear it, "who wants to share what they are doing in 140 characters or less anyways?"  And, "I don't need anyone to know that much about my life..."  But what if you can connect to organizations that you do care about, read 140 characters, and see if you want to read the article they are pushing.  That's the part I like about Twitter in the classroom.  I can read updates from Autism Speaks and from ModelMeKids and from the EDPressSec. And, I can tell the parents of my students what we did that day in 140 characters.  And some of them do care.  Cool.  I might've sold 1 person on this.

3.  Blogging.  As you can read, blogging is my favorite new hobby.  And the parents love it.  And other educators can use it.  And it gives me a written record of what I did in my classroom that week.  Before my blog, I was mediocre at Parent Communication.  Before that, I was horrible at Parent Communication. Blogging has single handedly changed my world of communication.  And to think that, when I started college in 1999, teacher websites were just coming on the scene.  And the majority of teachers in our district DO NOT have a blog or webpage.  Btw, we use Word Press for Blogging through the school... and I obviously use Blogger.  These seem the most simple to me.  And simple is good for teachers who need more hours in the day.

4.  Last, I talked about BoardMaker Plus and the whole family of BoardMaker software.  I think the company of Mayer-Johnson could hire me.  I dream about working for them because I already promote their products.  I showed the high tech (inserting BoardMaker software into SMART Notebook software and making interactive boards and books) uses of BoardMaker, but I also showed the low tech side (file folder games, visual schedules, mini-schedules).  Plus I found the best site to pair with BoardMaker called AdaptedLearning.com.  I'm not sure how I survived without it.  (I heard about it by following Mayer-Johnson on twitter!)

5.  I, then, concluded my presentation with discussion about HOW to get the things you want IF the district doesn't provide them.  My first suggestion- Ask someone.  My second suggestion- Ask someone else.  My third suggestion- Write a grant.  It't not as hard as you think.  I shared easy grants to write and offered myself and my former work to all of the members of the audience.

All in all, I'm not sure that I sold anyone on anything.  But, I succeeded in the fact that I made it through the presentations without embarrassing myself terribly.

I also did that with the help of the keynote speaker.  He was 100% himself in his presentation to over 300 teachers.  And so I thought, I can be myself.  And be comfortable in myself.  And say what I say.  And do what I do.

So I did.

Now, go Shake What the District Gave You.