Author: vpatterson2

A New Culture of Learning

January 29th, 2023

As a little girl, I remember my sister and I lining up our dolls and stuffed animals in rows in front of our art easel. Pretending we were teachers was one of our favorite activities as young girls. Playing make-believe was almost all we would do when we played. We would play store with an old calculator my dad gave us. We would rake the leaves in our front yard in the layout of a “house” with multiple rooms. We imagined them being mansions! Those are memories I cherish. As I read A New Culture of Learning: Cultivating the Imagination for a World of Constant Change, I consider the connection between the imagination and play of a child to the learning that happens beyond childhood. It leads me to wonder also about how I can influence the future generations who will play school, to change the imaginary environment from the “sit and get” to the collaborative experiences of a collective (Thomas & Brown, 2011, pp. 50-54).

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As an educator, I know firsthand that our public education system is fatally flawed. Reform is the word one hears in the media, community discussion forums, and teacher workrooms. However, it is more complex than just a few changes or laws that need to be passed. Education needs a revolution (TED, 2010). Our approach to teaching and learning in a schoolhouse needs to be reconstructed. That transformation has to begin within the walls of the classroom. Thomas & Brown challenge the notion of a traditional classroom by stressing the importance of imagination and play through many different learning approaches, including peer-to-peer learning, questioning, and inquiry (2011). By creating significant learning environments, I will allow my learners to experiment and question.

Book image obtained from amazon.com

At the beginning of the school year, I set out to implement my innovation project. Armed with research from my literature review, my team and I aimed to provide a blended learning approach to the curriculum. We developed a plan that modified a Flipped Classroom model that would be best for our learners. Stations are incorporated for further intervention and enrichment opportunities. Learners are given a layout of the lessons with firm deadlines for assessments. The choice in how they tackle the concepts is theirs to make. Learners are given access to lesson videos in and out of the classroom. Different options are available to practice the concepts, including low and high-tech choices.

The task of igniting passion and inquiry and stimulating imagination within constraints is a task that is more complex for a teacher of a state-tested subject (TEDx Talks, 2012). My biggest obstacle every school year is to guide my learners to find their full potential as a learner. My students enter my classroom with low self-confidence and fixed mindsets. Boaler argues that there is no such thing as a “math person” and that we can all learn math (2022). More simply, everyone learns different things when presented with the same concepts (Thomas & Brown, 2011). As teachers, we believe the notion that we all learn in different ways. Everyone has a learning style. The truth is that we all learn different things from the same lesson. This fact of learning is powerful. Moreover, it supports collective learning (Thomas & Brown, 2011).

Collaboration, i.e., group work, has a bad reputation among learners. Anytime they are tasked with working in a group, they resist. It should never be a forced occurrence. Play is a strategy that can illicit working as a group in a less intimidating way. We look at how many of our learners already collaborate daily during an online game. Using platforms like Discord and Twitch, they come together naturally as a collective. Thomas & Brown defines a collective as “a collection of people, skills, and talent that produces a result greater than the sum of its parts” (2011, p. 52). Those in a collective are so to learn, unlike a community, where people are there to belong (Thomas & Brown, 2011).

Play in a secondary math classroom looks different than the kitchen and dress-up centers that Kindergarten teachers have for their learners. Play is the gamification of practice, using online resources like Blooket, Quizizz, and Kahoot. There low tech approaches to gamify a lesson, too, such as Trash-ket Ball and Whiteboard Races. These activities can foster a culture of a collective. My expectations is for my learners to look to the resources they have to answer questions and find errors in understanding. We use the “Ask three, then me” mantra. By requiring struggle and inquiry, the acquired solutions will result in deepened meaning for the learners. We will nurture them to an appreciation of failure and the opportunity is affords in their knowledge.

Struggle and inquiry require the roles of learners and teachers need to be redefined. Learners need autonomy within constraints drawn by the educator. The role of the teacher is at issue. Teachers should focus on coaching and mentoring rather than delivering the content to the learners (Thomas & Brown, 2011). Learners must also take ownership and control of their education to find their potential (Dwayne Harapnuik, 2015). It is on them to take this responsibility to heart. Accountability to one’s self and the collective being cultivated within a classroom is a large part of the learners’ roles within the learning experience. Educators must relinquish control to the learners. The learners have to do the learning. We can can only guide and encourage them.

The physical layout of the classroom must also be considered. This is likely the most obvious piece of creating significant learning environments. However, it should not be bounded by the walls of any particular classroom (Thomas & Brown, 2011). The learning environment should inspire learners to work together to question and search for the knowledge to master the content. The latest trends in the physical setting are flexible seating. These are tables, couches, bean bags, and rugs with ambient lighting and music to help with focus. This area takes work for a teacher to overcome due to financial obstacles. One must be innovative in using students’ desks to achieve what one might with options like tables with tools and other comfortable furniture. One task I challenged my learners with was continuing discussions from the topics learned in class utilizing Microsoft Teams. This allows for a virtual study group that I can monitor. While I have tried to influence conversation, the learners have the reigns. I encourage them to use it as another resource to go to when they are confused. It is just another resource they have to find solutions and answers.

Apathy has grown almost exponentially amongst our high school populations these last few years. Most are even reluctant to pick up a pencil. The culture of my classroom is my most valuable tool in combatting the hesitation to participate in learning. We must create a space to do that if we want learners to find ownership and voice in the education process. Relationships are imperative to learner success and are established on day one. Knowing more about my learners than how well they have mastered a particular standard is much more potent in ensuring their educational success. I strive for my relationships to impact their learning beyond my classroom. I am not naïve that the apathy goes beyond math class. All educators, even those that teach electives, need help to influence our learners on the importance of their learning. Gamification of the monotonous practice one must do in a math class has helped in this area. Teenagers like competition. A visual scoreboard can have a powerful influence on one’s motivation to participate, another obstacle I must tackle daily (McChesney et al., 2022). It is a simple online game that can trigger a question in a learner, leading to opportunities to deepen their understanding. It can also lead to learners working together to figure out a problem. These are the moments I treasure. It makes all the work I tirelessly do for my students much more rewarding.

Challenges to creating significant learning environments exist beyond the walls of the classroom. Convincing colleagues, administrators, and district specialists of the effectiveness of a new approach to learning can be an uphill battle for some. As for my experiences, my team has met with little to no opposition. Leadership, campus, and district level, have been supportive and encouraging. They share the idea that we must evolve for our learners to grow and learn in this constantly changing digital society. I reflect on some feedback I have received from a few from the community. It is part of our duty as educators to share why we have elected to use this model with the parents of our learners. Their perspectives were not positive, but I politely listened and agreed to disagree, knowing that my intentions were only for the success of my learners. Reflection is crucial in maintaining a learning environment that will foster and grow with my learners. Reflection comes through work within the PLC and campus leaders.  By remaining proactive, we can maintain the flexibility for our learners as the grow and master the content. Flexibility is a superpower of most teachers.

By embracing an innovative approach to learning, we can foster learning environments that will inspire our students to question their learning and lead to inquiry. Like a Flipped Classroom, a blended learning model will stimulate autonomy and choice. Opportunities for peer-to-peer learning will build up learner success and lead to finding one’s voice and ownership. By creating significant learning environments that afford experiences with choice, ownership, and voice through authentic learning (CSLE + COVA), my learners will make meaningful and deep connections in their learning (Harapunik et al., 2018). I wish those connections could lead to a life filled with learning organically. This new culture of learning will also impact future generations and lead to a more significant revolution beyond my high school math classroom. Power is in knowledge, and I want to inspire others to see value in that knowledge even when others have blinded them.

References

A New Culture of Learning Book Cover Image. (2011). amazon.com. https://www.amazon.com/New-Culture-Learning-Cultivating-Imagination/dp/1456458884

Boaler, J. (2022). Mathematical Mindsets: Unleashing Students’ Potential through Creative Mathematics, Inspiring Messages and Innovative Teaching. Wiley.

Dwayne Harapnuik. (2015, August 15). EDLD 5313 Module 1 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTl_WLSe9Ok

Harapnuik, D., Thibodeaux, T., & Cummings, C. (2018). COVA (0.9) [EBook]. Creative Commons License. https://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=7291

McChesney, C., Covey, S., Huling, J., Thele, S., & Walker, B. (2022). The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Revised and Updated: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals. Simon & Schuster.

TED. (2010, May 24). Bring on the learning revolution! | Sir Ken Robinson [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9LelXa3U_I

TEDx Talks. (2012, September 12). A New Culture of Learning, Douglas Thomas at TEDxUFM [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM80GXlyX0U&feature=youtu.be

Thomas, D., & Brown, J. S. (2011). A New Culture of Learning: Cultivating the Imagination for a World of Constant Change. Van Haren Publishing.

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A Dialogue begins as a monolog

December 4th, 2022
Communication within my secondary math classroom has always been an area where improvement is needed. Whether it be my ability to converse with an apathetic learner or my learners’ struggles in verbalizing their understanding of the concepts they are trying to master. A dialogue must be established to convey one’s stance on issues and concerns to other important actors. A Crucial Conversation is a conversation where stakes are high, opinions vary, and emotions run strong (Grenny et al., 2021). These interchanges can happen at any moment and situation in our lives. They happen with our loved ones or with our colleagues at work.

While navigating Crucial Conversations, I discovered a lot of weaknesses on my part when it comes to these important conversations. For instance, I am an emotional person. While this is not always a bad thing, amid an important discussion, it can render finding a solution impossible. We must be able to listen, as well as know what to say for others to understand where we are coming from and where we want to go.

In Crucial Conversations, Grenny et al. gave readers nine principles to work through for successful conversations with others. The beauty of their research is that one can use it with any Crucial Conversation. The nine principles (2021) are:

Figure 1. Crucial Conversations Infographic created in Canva (Grenny et al., 2021)

There are several of the principles presented that stood out to me as areas I struggle with and would find beneficial personally to having a deeper understanding of them.

Choose Your Topic

The dialogue needs to begin as a monolog. We must internalize and reflect on exactly what issue needs to be addressed. The type of issue is also determined in this first principle. To determine which level of conversation is necessary, we must unbundle the issue (Grenny et al., 2021). Use the acronym CPR to recall the three levels of conversation. If this is the first time the action or concern is being addressed, it is a Content issue. If the issue is a Process or Pattern issue, the action or concern has come up again. Grenny et al. refer to it as a pattern due to its repeatedly presented as a topic of concern. If actions and issues remain unaddressed for a prolonged period, the impact on Relationships is inevitable. By deconstructing the actions or issues, we receive clarity on the situation. With this clearness, we can determine what we really want from the others involved in the situation.

Start with Heart

It is not really about what we say, rather how we say it. We need to start with ourselves. Where we come from does play a part. Keeping the needs of others and yourself at the forefront will lead to a solution-based discussion. Our emotions and mindset must be focused. To engage effectively in a Crucial Conversation, we must be open-minded and willing to listen to others. We also must be willing to own our part of the issue(s) at hand. Our truth is just that, ours. We do not know others’ truth until we ask them. Mutual respect should be established, so all parties are validated and heard. To aid in this, find common ground. While we are all different, we do share commonalities. By being authentic, we can remain in the conversation.

Master My Stories

Actions can speak louder than words. With that, we must be cautious in our interpretations of actions made by others. Our stories will likely not align with their motives. This is why open, honest communication is imperative for the success of any relationship. A conflict that started insignificantly could grow consequential if one does not master their stories. These stories are the scenarios we tell ourselves to justify others’ words and actions. Mastering our stories requires inner reflection. We can only control our behaviors and emotions. We must start there. To gain control, the focus should return to the facts in the matter. through understanding the facts, we can regain our emotions and think about issues rationally.

STATE My Path

Once we have established the issue that needs correction, how do we stay on course to that solution? We must remain open to the views of others. We also make sure we are still discussing the right topic. We do this by using the acronym STATE (Grenney et al., 2021):
- Sharing the facts
- Tell our stories
- Ask other person’s story
- Talk tentatively
- Encourage testing
Following the five steps presented, we can find compromise and success becomes more likely in our Crucial Conversations.

Move to Action

Where do we go after the Crucial Conversation is over? Well, it likely is not over, but the direction has shifted. Before discussions, we might have found ourselves in an impossible scenario. After a successful high stake discussion with all participants, those who have mastered dialogue will find that those lines of communication need to remain open. the survival and growth of relationships, professional or personal, depend on honest and open communication. To stay on track, Grenny et al. argue we must decide what the next steps for everyone involved are (2021). Timelines should be determined through the steps that remain in wrapping up any issues or concerns. Accountability can be addressed within the next steps and deadlines.

Although I am a good listener, I realize I do not hear much. I need to work on listening to others’ stories. This is most apparent in the formulation of my stories. My stories are not complete, and this leads to Crucial Conversations revolving around the wrong topics. I find little success in the issues that arise in relationships. Within relationships, there is not one person that bares the sole responsibility in all the areas of concern. We all have to shoulder our part of that burden. It is only until we do that that the right topics can be addressed in those vital discussions. Ultimately, the conflict will remain until we figure out our roles in these Crucial Conversations.

References

Grenny, J., Patterson, K., McMillan, R., Switzler, A., & Gregory, E. (2021). Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High, Third Edition. McGraw-Hill Education.
Contributions to Learning & Learning Community: 5317 & 5304

December 4th, 2022

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My journey through the ADL program at Lamar University continues with Organizational Change (EDLD 5304) and Ed Tech Publication (EDLD 5317). Collaboration continues to be encouraged and expected. My Learning Community continues to grow, and for that, I am all the better. Through rich discussions that I participate in virtually (i.e., discussion boards, Zoom meetings, and GroupMe Chats), I have reached a greater understanding of the course outcomes.

Within my Ed Tech Publication course, I was assigned a group to collaborate with through our discussion board assignments. My group consisted of James Rawls, Adrianne Ortiz, Stacie Perez, and Marcus Owens. When first assigned to the group, I created a GroupMe chat with James, Stacie, and Adrianne. We collaborated in a previous course through the GroupMe app. Ms. Perez did an excellent job of sending reminders to continue to work on commenting on the discussion posts of the group members. Despite not being able to directly reach out to Marcus, my group was able to assist in peer reviewing our publication outlines and rough drafts. Responses to the discussion posts provided guidance for assignment completion. Feedforward for myself was invaluable and much appreciated. I hope that my peers found my suggestions helpful, as well.

Adrianne Ortiz was exceptionally helpful. We worked together on the media pitch. I would hesitate to even call it work, as it was definitely one of the more fun assignments I have completed. I have been bitten by the podcast bug. I am exploring how I can develop a podcast with a coworker. I have found my confidence. This is something I could have never imagined myself doing even 6 months ago.

Through the GroupMe app, we coordinated times for collaboration sessions before assignment deadlines for both courses. These sessions happened through Zoom. During these meetings, we brainstormed ideas, shared drafts, and offered feedforward. Those in attendance were always different. Collaborative sessions were also an opportunity for us to get to know each other. I believe that strengthening these relationships has built strong bonds of trust. This makes receiving and giving feedforward easier. I also appreciate how the GroupMe chat includes various learners throughout the ADL journey. I learned that a few are getting ready to graduate in one more term. It is great to have access to them for clarification and advice as one who has completed a particular course.

I still continue to work on my own time management skills. Juggling my professional responsibilities and assignments has not been as difficult as I believed. Even though I have not missed a deadline, I know that for my peers to provide me timely feedforward, I need to stay on top of getting things started earlier. Procrastination is one of my biggest faults. I will continue to tackle this obstacle.

What is working is my participation in several learning communities. I continue to work with Kelly Skillingberg, Stacey Powell, and Kristin Winzer. We first began collaborating in EDLD 5305 last summer. Dawn Short has proven yet again to be my MVP. Her willingness and availability to help whenever I am lost or just have simple clarification on an assignment or discussion post are unwavering. Needless to say, I could actually say that about several of my peers. Technology allows us to be in constant communication. My peers seem to always be available for whoever is struggling at that moment. I look forward to continuing to collaborate with these individuals. With them in my corner, I cannot lose!

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Inevitable Change

November 27th, 2022
While there has been no change in the physics of time and space, the days and weeks morph into years more rapidly the older we get. Our responsibilities in the classroom are never ending and seem more daunting as each day passes. Thus, our “whirlwind” is ever looming and resistant to be tamed (McChesney et al., 2022). The pandemic set us into a perpetual fast-forward motion within education. We are presented with the opportunity to find and focus on what we, as educators, can control.

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The Four Disciplines of Execution (4DX) approach gives us the blueprint to execute change and move towards a culture of execution to sustain the success of any Wildly Important Goal or WIG (McChesney et al., 2022). What are the four disciplines? They are:
- Focus on the Wildly Important
- Act on the Lead Measures
- Keep a Compelling Scoreboard
- Create a Cadence of Accountability
The five stages of change will help us successfully navigate and implement these four principles (McChesney et al., 2022). Nevertheless, first, we should begin with our goal and find clarity in how we start reaching it.

Focus on the Wildly Important

With an Innovation Plan established, we had to narrow the focus of our intentions. We found focus in the desired results we seek in the Influencer Strategy. Our WIG is as follows: By May 2023, math learners will reflect on and assess their learning 2-3 times per week while participating in the Blended Learning model of a Flipped Classroom. This WIG will create opportunities to focus on the campus expectation of writing across the curriculum while maintaining the implementation of only one WIG for our team, as McChesney et al. (2022) suggested.

Act on the Lead Measures

We will look at two measures to monitor our progress. Lead measures have to meet two criteria. First, it must be predictive. In other words, if we complete a specific action, the results are predictable. Secondly, the measure must be influenceable. As a team, we can make changes that will have a direct effect in our favor. The second measure will be the lag measure. This data will allow us to track where we are in our journey to the destination, the WIG.

Lag Measures:
- We will track the number of times per week each educator has learners reflect and self-assess
- We will use feedback from learner reflections and self-assessment to measure student growth
Lead Measure:
- Teachers will incorporate the reflection and self-assessment opportunities into lessons using a Flipped Classroom model at least two times a week.
Keep a Compelling Scoreboard

When team members can see the score during a game, their level of play rises (McChesney et al., 2022). They can see their contribution to that win. Thus, motivating the team to work harder to ensure they will keep winning. In a table, we can track the opportunities provided for learners to reflect on and assess their learning. We can easily create a line graph from the table that will quickly provide a glimpse of our progress on our WIG.

Created in Google Sheets

We will establish an expectation to review the reflections of our learners. That feedback will be addressed regularly in our WIG meetings.

Create a Cadence of Accountability

The Algebra I team already meets weekly. We will add to the agenda of our PLC time to include a 15-20 minute discussion of our WIG. We will use that time to debrief individually during class to reflect and self-assess. We will each state what one or two items we can focus on for the coming week to make the most impact on our progress toward meeting our WIG (McChesney et al., 2022). During these discussions, we will focus on the right WIG and how to change course if necessary. Accountability is determined and followed through during these meetings. Norms will be established at the beginning to protect time and opinions. We all need to know that everyone is essential for the team to win the game of accomplishing our WIG!

Five Stages of Change

Now that we have established the four disciplines let us address the stages in which change will occur. We will find success as the most likely outcome through these five stages. Is it going to be easy? Of course not! Change human behavior to never easy. However, by utilizing 4DX with fidelity, we will win and find ourselves starting the process again with a new WIG while our accomplishments will return to our whirlwind (McChesney et al., 2022).

Stage 1: Getting Clear

It is in the beginning that we build our four disciplines of execution. We will determine our WIG. We establish the lead and lag measures. We will decide on a scoreboard that will work for the team. Accountability is set in place through developing norms for our WIG meetings that will occur often. These meetings will be structured and brief to respect all the team members. We are ready for launch!

Stage 2: Launch

Commitment and focus on the 4DX process are imperative from day 1. It may prove rough, but the beginning is crucial for any leader to exemplify that commitment. Models (those ready to get work done), Not Yet (those who need some more convincing), and Nevers (those likely to never be a team player) need to be identified to be addressed in the future (McChesney et al., 2022). We should always model positivity in addition to our commitment. Leaders should refrain from allowing the whirlwind to interfere with accomplishing any WIG.

Stage 3: Adoption

As we roll our sleeves up and dig into the hard work, we need to support and counsel those who have yet to commit fully to the WIG. Those identified as Models can provide mentorship to those who have yet to commit to the WIG. Training will be provided to support those who are struggling. We must drive the process before we can address the preliminary results. Maintaining accountability and motivation through our scoreboard and crucial conversations is necessary to push toward a win. Adjusting and pivoting can and will happen based on discussions and results brought forward in weekly WIG meetings. With the adjustments and conversations, we hope to see attitudes change and our lead measures give us positive outcomes.

Stage 4: Optimization

Results should begin to show significant progress toward accomplishing the WIG. Positivity and encouragement should continue to dominate the ongoing regular WIG meetings. Celebrating the successes will also be a regular occurrence. New and innovative ideas should be considered as team members perfect their practices. During this stage, we find that a team has reached a 4DX mindset (McChesney et al., 2022). Habits are being formed, making a path for future wins with future WIGs.

Stage 5: Habits

We did it! We accomplished our first WIG. Hopefully, these practices and processes that started out as uncomfortable and foreign will turn as natural and expected. Our team will be in a position to tackle the next WIG with even greater success. We will be in a place to grow our team and include our math department or even campus.

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4DX and Influencer

With these books to guide us, we can accomplish our goals. The Six Sources of Influence can guide us in narrowing our focus on how to change human behavior (Grenny et al., 2013). Both strategies complement each other. It seems intuitive to utilize both to lead change in an organization. We can take that desired result to find our Wildly Important Goal and implement the Four Disciplines of Execution to bring about that change (McChesney et al., 2022). With a focus on motivation, positivity, and the emotion of change supported by implementing both strategies, we will find our learners’ maximum growth and potential.

References

Grenny, J., Patterson, K., Maxfield, D., McMillan, R., & Switzler, A. (2013). Influencer: The New Science of Leading Change, Second Edition (2nd ed.). McGraw Hill.

McChesney, C., Covey, S., Huling, J., Thele, S., & Walker, B. (2022). The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Revised and Updated: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals (2nd ed.). Simon & Schuster.

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Begin With The End In Mind

October 23rd, 2022

“People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.”
Simon Sinek

One of the most common personal questions I get from my learners is why do I teach? I tell them because I love to learn. The reaction to my response is typically confusion. This was not always how I answered that question. Up until about 6 months ago, it would have been because I love math and the relationships I cultivate with my learners. The change in my reply to that seemingly simple inquiry has resulted from my learning over the first three classes in the ADL program. My search for my why led me to pursue my graduate degree. My why motivates me to get out of bed every weekday morning.

Speaking to the Heart

Changing human behavior is not for the faint of heart. It is challenging and painstaking. Change is a frequent occurrence in public education. Those in a position to make those changes do not see the daily struggle that we face in the classroom. We are forever trying to implement the right interpretation of the mandatory change only to rethink the protocol or program the very next school year. You see, with those mandated policies come very little guidance as far as exactly what it looks like when simply enacted. It often appears that those mandates are not passed with the heart of educators in mind. Thus leading to continued struggle and neverending obstacles.

In his video, The Heart of Change, Kotter argues that you must win over the heart, as well as the minds of people when trying to change behavior (2011). Student success is always at the forefront of any decision-making in a schoolhouse. Educators and administrators are driven by this criterion alone. If it helps our learners, then it is a change worth making. We must seek to engage the heart of everyone involved. This includes learners, as well as the community that every school is in.

Sense of Urgency

There is no secret when it comes to the antiquity of the approach in a traditional public school classroom. We all realize how urgent it is to better prepare our learners for the ever-changing demands of our technologically dependent society. Our learners are ill-prepared to find success beyond the high school classroom. Competition for jobs can be expected in all fields. I witness feelings of apathy in regard to education on a daily basis. Young people do not care to learn because the education they are receiving does not give them authentic learning opportunities. They have not been given choice and the chance to find that they have autonomy in their learning. This is unacceptable. We, the educators and school administrators, have the ability and obligation to do something about it.

By using a Flipped Classroom model in my math classroom, I will create significant learning environments that will afford them opportunities for choice and ownership (Harapnuik et al., 2018). A Blended Learning Model of a Flipped Classroom was an easy choice. My team and administrators have been supportive of my innovation project from day one. My team has planned and implemented a modified Flipped Classroom approach (Horn & Straker, 2015). The instruction is offered as videos that are accessible at home and at school. The practice component is where the choice is offered. I utilize digital resources, like Delta Math, Quizizz, Edia, and Google Forms and Practice Sets. The benefit of the online proactive is for the learners to have immediate feedback and intervention embedded into most of these platforms (i.e. videos and worked examples). I will also have a low-tech option for those students that have limited access to technology outside of the school house.

By exposing my learners to a Flipped Classroom model, I hope to inspire them to look for their own resources to implement in future learning environments. Another possible outcome that I will strive to make happen is the influence of my innovation project on my colleagues to use a Blended Learning model in their own classroom. While making sure my students have the right tools and resources, they can use this approach themselves in any of their other subjects. It would be so awesome to see learners take full control over everything they seek to learn and master. My “teacher heart” would be full to even have one of my students experience this.

By influencing young people to find value in education and learning, their experiences will influence others and they, in turn, will continue this snowball effect of inspiring lifelong learners. I envision this as one strategy to break away from the traditional factory model of education. This change has to start in the classroom, not in a government committee meeting. Our learners can lead this change with their teachers as their mentors and coaches.

References

Harapnuik, D., Thibodeaux, T., & Cummings, C. (2018, January). COVA (0.9) [EBook]. Creative Commons License. https://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=7291

Horn, M. B., Staker, H., & Christensen, C. M. (2015). Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools (1st ed.). Jossey-Bass.

Dr. John Kotter. (2011, March 23). John Kotter – The Heart of Change [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved October 23, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NKti9MyAAw

Dr. John Kotter. (2013, August 15). Leading Change: Establish a Sense of Urgency [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved October 23, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Yfrj2Y9IlI

TEDx Talks. (2009, September 28). Start with why — how great leaders inspire action | Simon Sinek | TEDxPugetSound [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ZoJKF_VuA&feature=youtu.be

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#mathtrend: Leveraging TikTok and other Social Media for Classroom Use

October 12th, 2022

TikTok and learning are two things when put together that leave a sour taste in most educators’ and parents’ mouths. We spent a great deal of time last school keeping learners off their phones in order to plug into the education they were missing. Why would a teacher consider using Social Media as a component of any lesson plan?

My answer is simple. If we can’t beat them, why don’t we join them? I have had TikTok for a couple of years and my FYP has a lot of teacher content, travel tips, cleaning hacks, recipes, and Puppytok. I follow so many educators (and learners) that post content driven to inform and instruct viewers. Librarians are posting about young adult books that cover a variety of topics. Math teachers offer a 60-second lesson on finding the GCF (greatest common factor). I love the math tips for factoring. A micro-lesson sized over a topic that may be a skill that was previously learned in lower grades would be a great use of this platform, Tutt describes in her 2021 article.

We can also use this resource as a way to build relationships with our learners. By taking an intimidating subject like mathematics and presenting it in a way that teens can find value in can lead to endless success in the classroom. The relationship between an educator and her learners is in some regards even more important than the content they are tasked to teach. If we can lead to that discovery of importance and relevance, learner motivation and participation are sure to increase.

A learner has a lot of knowledge at his fingertips if he just searches. With my implementation of a hybrid model of the Flipped Classroom, the technology resources are at my disposal. With access to YouTube on school devices, I could see utilizing YouTube Shorts as a TikTok substitute. This could provide a great opportunity for some creativity from my learners. Under my mentorship, ownership and voice will be found through this authentic learning experience. I see some project-based learning in my future. How exciting!

References

Tutt, P. (2021, March 19). From Headache to Helpful—Teachers on Using TikTok in the Classroom. Edutopia. Retrieved October 12, 2022, from https://www.edutopia.org/article/headache-helpful-teachers-using-tiktok-classroom
Building a Strong Foundation

October 12th, 2022

The skills learned in math are building blocks that lead to future mastery of content. My experiences in the classroom have revolved around the lack of number sense with my learners. Even those brightest (aka gifted and talented) find themselves challenged. In my Honors Geometry classroom, I do not allow the use of calculators on assessments. I have given up trying to keep them off their device when calculating a solution.

My answer to this is to focus on giving opportunities for spiral review. I have implemented the use of Microsoft Teams amongst my learners. I have developed a gamified approach to this to incentivize it. I will not require them to complete the activities, but I will offer prizes in the form of homework passes and bonus points they can apply toward assessment grades. I am still in the planning stage for the prizes and how I will randomly select the students.

Even as I review materials presented in their lessons, I intend to use this method to offer a review of elementary math skills (i.e. operations with fractions and decimals) that we all need a refresh on from time to time. I picture this as a way to influence a growth mindset and give confidence to those who may doubt their mathematical abilities.

Ultimately, the “prize” will be clarification and mastery of some of the topics that learners remain puzzled by. As I develop this strategy, I will look to implement it in my Algebra I classes. This might be just the approach I need for the spring semester when the countdown is on for their mandatory state test. I see my learners and the potential that they themselves have yet to realize. In a perfect world, I will guide them all to that potential. I am not naive as I once was as a new educator. Even the success of one learner should be celebrated!
Virtual Collaboration Opportunites

October 11th, 2022

I began this year looking for better options for open lines of communication outside of the classroom for my Geometry learners. Remind does not offer the features I need to go in the direction I hope to guide my students in. In brainstorming with my campus Instructional Technology Specialist, he suggested Microsoft Teams. All the students in our district have access to Microsoft 365 Suite. It has integrated features to allow a teacher to create and monitor a class group. There are also ways to make assignments, calendars with deadlines, and other options that I utilize in our district LMS of choice.

I was looking for a way to encourage interaction and collaboration between the learners and even myself. I want to foster opportunities for peer support when they find themselves struggling. We can share files, pictures, and links. I am also looking at encouraging video responses, as well as text responses. I am not looking to do any type of formal assessment in this medium. I merely want to open a means of dialogue that will expose the learners to other resources they have when struggling through their learning. I am cautiously optimistic and I look forward to building on these ideas of collaboration that can be meaningful and useful in the future for all of us.

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ePortfolio and Math Education: a Match Made in the Digital Classroom

October 11th, 2022

When I have shared the experiences of creating my ePortfolio with my learners, the comments and reactions are comical. One young man asked me, “Why do you have to have a Blog? Writing about math? Gross!” My response was laughter because this young man was partly kidding. I explained a little bit about what I am trying to accomplish. I spared them the details that I could have provided about CSLE+COVA (Harapnuik et al., 2018). I will admit to getting a little excited when I have the opportunity to talk about the ADL program. If I had the chance, I likely would have not been able to get to the learning target for that day’s lesson. I made my students aware that they are part of my evidence and a direct reflection on my mastery of the concepts I am tasked to master throughout the ADL Program. I saw a few smiles and heard a few sarcastic responses of “Good luck with that, Mrs. Patterson!” All of these are really said in jest. I have great learners that I teach me something on an almost daily basis. I am fortunate to get to help them realize their full potential as learners.

CSLE+COVA: Creating Significant Learning Environments to offer Choice, Ownership, and Voice through Authentic Learning

While my classroom and the learning that occurs there is a piece of my ADL puzzle, one of the other pieces is my ePortfolio. Through my research and development of my Innovation Project and further exploration of the power of one’s Mindset, I have already experienced measurable progress with most of my learners. The response from many learners is the success they find with Flipped Classroom hybrid model I have adopted. Blended learning is defined as the use of online resources, electronic media, and face-to-face instruction for students’ means of learning. Under the umbrella of blended learning, the flipped classroom is a strategy that has the learners watch a curated or instructor-created instructional video at home. This allows for time in the classroom to be utilized for group discussions or activities or the practice that would have been assigned in a traditional classroom (Horn et al., 2015). My team’s approach is a version of this due to the demographic of learners that we have in our classrooms. We have planned for all learning to happen in a class period with teacher support. With this adjustment to the Flipped Classroom model, I am afforded precious time in a class period to help individuals or a small group. This is a teacher’s dream.

During this second term of my coursework, as I focused on creating my ePortfolio, I found the time to continue to ponder and develop some strategies and approaches to try with my learners. With all that I have learned about creating significant learning environments that give my students choice, ownership, and voice through authentic learning, one can only reflect on her practices (Harapnuik et al., 2018). Some ideas have been in the back of my mind for several weeks, but I made some realizations that I posted about in my Blog. Engagement and collaboration, two ongoing challenges, are addressed.

As we enter into the second grading period of the school year and I begin my next course, I will remain vigilant in my reflecting and analyzing the progress in my classroom. It is imperative for all involved to stay focused on the goal and to be flexible in our approach when seeking to attain it. I must also keep lines of communication open with my Learning Communities. It is through these contributions to my learning and that of others that will result in reaching our full potential as learners. My ePortfolio will serve as a manifestation of that journey. We use an ePortfolio because creating something leads us to deeper and more meaningful connections in our learning. Reflection is also an important component of learning (Harapnuik, 2021). I am eager to open more doors in hopes of learning how to be a better educator for my learners.

My classroom door

References

Harapnuik, D. (2021, May). Why Use an ePortfolio. It’s About Learning. Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=6063

Harapnuik, D., Thibodeaux, T., & Cummings, C. (2018, January). COVA (0.9) [EBook]. Creative Commons License. https://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=7291

Horn, M. B., Staker, H., & Christensen, C. M. (2015). Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools (1st ed.). Jossey-Bass.

Blog

Contributions to My Learning and Learning Communities

October 11th, 2022

EDLD 5303 Applying Ed Tech: ePortfolio

As my progress continues within the ADL program, I am afforded the opportunity to reflect on my own learning and contributions to the learning of my peers in this third course of study. Collaboration in this course was through discussion posts, group text messages, and feedforward on our ePortfolios. At the beginning of the term, I found that collaboration was going to be limited due to the purpose of the course. Developing and creating our ePortfolios is very personal. By putting ourselves out there, our vulnerabilities will only allow us to be that much better as a learner (or an educator). We must be unguarded with our own reflections about our learning to develop those connections required for mastery.

While I utilized the help offered by WordPress to problem-solve my way through my revisions, I was able to get help through my GroupMe chat groups. We have two groups established to maintain an open dialogue, ADL 2021-2023 and 5303 w/ Dr. H. Here is a list of the members that I have worked with:

ADL 2021-2023	5303 w/ Dr. H	Individuals that I teamed up with
Adrianne Ortiz, Anna Diemecke, Ashleigh Carter Patrick Rodriguez Chris Hill James Rawls Kelly Skillingberg LaTammie Rawls Melinda Flaugher Stacey Powell Tonya Logan Veronica Goodly	Stacey Powell Adrianne Ortiz Anna Diemecke Chris Hill James Rawls Kelly Skillingberg LaTammie Rawls Tonya Logan	Melinda Flaugher Kelly Skillingberg Catherine Duplisea Rebecca Rodgers My Algebra I team My campus Instructional Technology Specialist (ITS)

The individuals I had the benefit of collaborating with assisted me in troubleshooting issues with my ePortfolio. I was able to get ideas about the layout of the content on my site and issues with navigation and functionality. I was also able to help them with concerns about their own functionality and ease of use with their ePortfolios. My team from my own school community and the campus ITS were able to give me a point of view from my audience.

I had to remind myself that my peers were willing and ready to assist if I was struggling. It was through asking for help that I found clarity as to how I imagined my ePortfolio’s appearance and functionality. I also did find my attendance at the weekly meetings we had with Dr. Harapnuik extremely informative. With his guidance on typical issues found in ePortfolio development that he related to his own experiences, I was able to discover what WordPress truly had to offer to improve my ePortfolio.

Another area of growth that I still see in my own learning is motivation and engagement. This term taking place in the first weeks of the school year did play a part in that for me. This is because of the experiences of last year in the classroom. While the obstacles this year are different from last year, time has become a more precious commodity than in previous years. I have established clear boundaries between my work and school. However, I still must remind myself of WHY I am here and struggling uncomfortably. I am doing this for me. I want to be a better version of my educator persona. I must not be too proud to ask for help. We should not have to struggle in silence. My understanding is only deeper through that collaboration.

There have been many trials and errors with the themes, layout, blocks used on a page, navigational menus, and how to use the Blog feature. Ultimately, I have stuck with my theme and platform for my ePortfolio. I have become more than a novice, but definitely not an expert in WordPress. WordPress is very creator-friendly once you get a handle on a few features. The ability to add content and tweak my ePortfolio in future courses and beyond has made all the tears and words of frustration worth it. I am proud of how far I have come and look forward to adding my work to my ePortfolio.

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Author: vpatterson2

References

Choose Your Topic

Start with Heart

Master My Stories

STATE My Path

Move to Action

Focus on the Wildly Important

Act on the Lead Measures

Lag Measures:

Lead Measure:

Keep a Compelling Scoreboard

Create a Cadence of Accountability

Five Stages of Change

Stage 1: Getting Clear

Stage 2: Launch

Stage 3: Adoption

Stage 4: Optimization

Stage 5: Habits

4DX and Influencer

References

Speaking to the Heart

Sense of Urgency

References

EDLD 5303 Applying Ed Tech: ePortfolio