Online vs Paper

     Online vs Paper the great debate!

Working with math teachers there is often the debate about how we should assess students' understanding.  Do we use paper only?  Online assessments only?  Or a combination of both? The problem arises that in math it is important that teachers are able to see students work and their process for solving problems.  Thus paper assessments are helping in this and allow teachers to provide feedback to students on not just their answers, but on their process and what misunderstandings they might have.  But all of our high stake assessments are online (Iowa State Test are online currently, and starting in the Spring of 2024 the full Suite of SAT tests will be digital).  

In my current district there are a couple different approaches:

The 6th currently does everything online for assessments.  They do have students do homework assignments in their consumable math books (paper), but assessments are all done online.  It provides students the practice on online assessments, but there is very little feedback from them.  They have all quizzes and tests done online, so students just know whether they got the answer right or wrong, and not necessarily where their mistake was.

The 7th & 8th grade math department is a combo.  They typically will have one or two quizzes on paper, but then the Unit Assessment is online.  I feel this combination works well as it provides students with the feedback during the unit.  Teachers can focus on the student work and their problem solving and provide feedback to students before reaching the end of unit assessment.  Then with the end of unit tests, it is more summative and being online and not having as much feedback for students is not needed as much.  This method also provides practice for students with how to take online assessments.

The 9th grade math department does only paper assessments.  Students do all their homework online, but then all assessments are done by paper.  This provides lots of feedback for the students with their learning, but doesn’t prepare them for taking online assessments.  The other down side to this is that the 9th grade team does not have data for their assessments.  

Now the real challenge comes next year as we realign the district and move 6th & 7th grade together and then 8th & 9th grade will be together.  I personally am a big fan of the combo, having the mid unit quizzes being on paper and providing feedback to the students along the way, but then having the unit test done online.  The online assessment prepares students for taking online tests and provides the team with itemized data to look at how students are doing by question and by standard.  What does your district do?  What do you think is best, paper or computer?

Taking Risk

I have always enjoyed being active and try to exercise regularly.  It's important to keep my body fit and health.  Recently I have also discovered how important it is to get my brain some exercise too.  Here's what i mean.

I am involved in a book study on Mindset by Carol S. Dweck.  It is early in my learning, but it is becoming clear to me that I have to work on building a growth mindset.  I have to make a shift in the way I think and react to things.  And that all means that my brain is going to have to start working out if I want to reach a growth mindset and the best way to workout my brain is to take some risk!
Growth mindset is about changing the way I look at failure.  It's about taking the risk of writing a blog post that is out there on the line for the whole wide world to read.  It's about stretching both my body and mind to reach for more. To brush myself off and try again when I get knocked down.  It's not that I can't do it, it is that I can't do it yet!

Recently, I have been challenged even more to develop a growth mindset.  As I further my own learning by taking additional classes, I have been challenged in my current class to develop a personal learning network with the help of social media.  This is hard for me as I have always been a very private person, and to put myself out there on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest has been hard for me.  But I am learning and trying to take risks.  It is all about working my brain to become a better educator and coach.

Coaching Analysis

 In this Blog post, I will be providing an analysis of how Albemarle County Public Schools meet the five Phases of Coaching.  Here is the video clip that I used in my review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0IrZ5jrvCo

Step 1: Establishing the Need.  It is always about getting the teacher to tell you what they need.

Step 2: Creating Partnerships.  In their plan for coaching they have coaches work together in teams at different buildings so that the learning at one building can be shared across other buildings around the district.  Each coach will serve 3 school buildings.  

Step 3: Target Differentiated Projects.  The process is about looking for what the teacher needs.  Those needs could be the coach modeling a lesson or maybe observing and providing feedback.

Step 4: Assess the Progress & Step 5: Reflect on the Integration.  Teachers can be observed working with the coach to implement strategies, and then reflecting with them about how the students engaged with the lesson.  The work with the coach can then spread across the district.

Final thoughts and Summary

I am intrigued by the idea of a coach working at multiple buildings to help support the growth of ideas across the district.  Currently in my district we have a math coach at the 6th grade building, I am at the 7-8 building, and then there is one at the high school.  We do meet periodically throughout the year to discuss ideas, but it would be powerful to rotate buildings and experience the teaching at each level.

My other thought was that at least in this video clip the coaching was very teacher-centered.  It was about meeting the needs of the teacher.  Hopefully they also have some student-centered coaching as well mixed in. 

Cellphones in Schools

Do you allow cellphones at your school? This question has been debated more and more lately.  On one side you have those that are for banning cellphones at school to help with bullying, social isolation, and to keep students focused on academics. The other side encourages teachers to utensil the cellphone as a resource tool for students.   But how do we balance the two?  It seems as if you can’t have one without the other.  At Southeast Polk Junior High we have a cellphone policy, in which students are not allowed to be on their phones during the school day.  We also have chromebooks for all students.  The most common issues with cellphones isn’t during classroom learning, but rather students on their phones during passing time and also at lunch.  So is this something we should consider allowing students to have access too during those times?  It is not distracting them from learning, but it does seem to cause issues with bullying and social interactions.  What does your school do?  Do you ban cellphones or do you allow it for part of the day? All day?

Technology Integration

How do we best integrate technology into our curriculum?  There are two popular frameworks for integrating technology; TPACK and SAMR models.  These two frameworks have different approaches to how educators integrate technology into their classrooms, but both have the common goal of getting students engaged with the digital world.  

TPACK: Technology, Pedagogy, and Content Knowledge

TPACK is a model that looks at the overlap of the three types of knowledge teachers have.  Their knowledge with technology, their knowledge of pedagogy, and their knowledge of their content.   It is then about finding ways to tie all this together.  This model is a holistic approach to the integration of technology.  It can allow teachers to really dig deep with their content and teaching styles to fully integrate their classrooms.  However, it can also be very time consuming and complicated to fully wrap all three parts together to implement.

SAMR: Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition

SAMR is a model that can be used to identify current levels of technology integration and look at ways of increasing its effectiveness.  It can be implemented at different levels, which makes it an easy way of quickly getting more technology into the classroom.  The goal then is to build up to higher levels of integration as a teacher uses technology more and more.  

In my district we have been trained using the SAMR Model.  The training for SAMR was pretty straightforward and powerful.  We had an interactive session in which we got to see a comparison of each level of the SAMR model in action.  For example, for the substitution level we were shown a paper copy of a worksheet to complete and then in comparison, shown how to make that same worksheet digital.  I also think it is important not to overwhelm teachers when teaching new strategies.  If I was training staff on the SAMR model, I would do four mini lessons over the course of four weeks.  This would also staff to see how they could use each level of the SAMR model and then have a week to implement it before moving on to the next level.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both frameworks, but I believe that the SAMR model is more acceptable, and more importantly more feasible for teachers to implement.   It doesn’t require as much of an overall to a teacher’s curriculum and can be integrated at different levels at different places and pace.  

No matter which framework you choose, the end goal is to make learning more student-centered and more engaging.  Teachers need to continue to find ways to prepare students to be 21st century learners and that includes working, creating, and using technology.

Dream Conference

A conference that I have always wanted to attend is the NCTM National Conference.  As a former math teacher, and now the instructional coach for our junior high math department this conference has always been something I dreamed about attending.  It would be amazing to get to attend a conference completely focused on building math knowledge, skills, and implementation.  It should be a goal for every math teacher to try to attend one of these conferences.  

This conference provides an opportunity to learn about the latest topics and trends in mathematics.  It provides attendees with actionable strategies to bring back to their own school and classroom.  It also helps to expand your professional network by connecting with speakers and session leaders.  And finally, it will inspire you as your gain fresh ideas from speakers that have a passion for teaching mathematics.

Here are the details of this years conference:

Name: NCTM Annual Meeting & Exposition: https://www.nctm.org/annualmeeting/

Costs: 

Registration Fees	Early-Bird by Aug 30,2023	Regular by  Oct 25,2023	On Site Registration
Premium Member	$359	$401	$441
Essential & Intro Member	$417	$459	$505
Emeritus & Life Member	$261	$287	$315
Student Member	$261	$287	$315
Group (5+)	$439	$474	$513
Non-member	$516	$558	$598
Non-member student	$310	$336	$346

Location:  Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington D.C.

Dates: October 25-28, 2023

Target Audience: K-12 Math Teachers, Math Coaches, College Math Professors, and Administrators

ISTE Student Standards

Technology advances more and more each day, as we teach and educate students we have to make sure that we are finding ways to meet ISTE Standards.  We need to make sure that we are finding ways to bring the ISTE Standards into our classrooms. “The ISTE Student Standards aim to empower student voice and ensure that learning is a student-driven process.  Regardless of your role in education, student-driven experiences are essential for authentic learning.  The ISTE Student Standards act as a road map to elevate student learning and assessment” (Thompson, 2021). 

At Southeast Polk we are committed to engaging all students in learning a challenging curriculum which includes learning and implementing technology.  In the last several years we have added PLTW courses to our curriculum.  Next year all 6th grade students will take Design and Modeling, all 7th grade students will take Automation and Robotics, and then all 8th grade students will take Medical Detectives.  These PLTW courses are specifically aligned to hit several of the ISTE Student Standards.  An example of a PLTW task that students will complete in Automation and Robotics is building and programming a car to drive 20 feet as fast as possible, stop, and back up as close as possible to a line.  This task hits on ISTE 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, and 1.7.  

Standard 1.3 Knowledge Constructor: Students engage in real-world tasks and challenges that require a group collaboration to solve.  The car build is just one example of this.

Standard 1.4 Innovative Designer: Test and retest multiple attempts at trying to get the best outcome.  Students use problem solving skills to test theories on the best type of car to build and on timing and speed in the computer program.  

Standard 1.5 Computational Thinker: The car build requires students to break the problem down into components, the programming, the gear ratio, and the design of the car. Students have to be able to work with each component and develop descriptive models to meet each part.

Standard 1.7 Global Collaborator: All the PLTW courses are big on students working collaboratively as a team on projects.  This is just another example as each task requires students to assume roles and responsibilities within the team to work toward a common goal.

The PLTW courses are great opportunities for students to engage in the ISTE Student Standards.  I would encourage other schools to also consider looking into how they can offer these courses at their buildings.  A big key for us at SEP is that all students get the chance to experience these courses in 6th-8th grade.  This gives students the chance to experience PLTW courses and ISTE, and then as they go into high school they can elect to explore other PLTW courses.  

As far as the remaining standards, 1.1 and 1.6 are standards that are evident in most classes.   As SEP has transitioned to standards referenced grading, having students show their understanding in multiple ways has been a key part of that transition.  This idea fits into these standards.

Standard 1.1 Empowered Learner: Is about allowing and helping students choose tools and technology that will help them achieve their goals.  At the Junior High we have students set personal learning goals, track their progress, and reflect on their learning goals at the end of each quarter.

Standard 1.6 Creative Communicator: Students are always working in their classes on creating original works with digital resources such as visualizations, models, or simulations.  

Finally, Standard 1.2 Digital Citizen is the last standard to mention.  At the Junior High we feel this is important enough to set time aside to ensure all students are learning about Digital Citizenship.  During our Flex Time (similar to a home room) students engage in lessons that focus on positive, safe, legal, & ethical behavior when using technology.  We have created lessons that all teachers share with their flex class during the first couple weeks of the school year, and then also later in the year review.  We also spend several lessons around social media and online interactions, and what it means to be a digital citizen when using social media.  

These are some of the ways that Southeast Polk Junior High has worked to implement ISTE Student Standards.  It is something that we will continue to focus on and I can envision it as something we implement more and more as technology continues to grow and expand.  Hopefully these ideas will provide you some ideas on how to engage students with ISTE Standards. 

Reference

Thompson, V. (2021, July 27). Creating Meaningful Learning Experiences Using the ISTE 

Standards. ISTE Blog. 

https://www.iste.org/explore/iste-standards/create-meaningful-learning-experiences-using-iste-standards