The Schoenblog

Good educators are reflective practitioners. We reflect, grow, and improve every day and every year. Our students and the world we all live in keep changing, so we can’t afford not to do the same. But meaningful change must be intentional; it’s important for us all to actively plan to make change happen to do better for our students.

Last year, I reflected on these changes in 5 Big Shifts for My Classroom This Year, which turned out the be one of the most popular posts on The SchoenBlog. I focused on 5 C-phrases: Centered on students, connected learning, creation, a community of learners, and communication.

This year I have the opportunity to reflect on my goals as a teacher, coach, and writer. I’ll likely do so in separate posts over the next few weeks. As a teacher, though, there are a few big ideas that have been rolling around in my head. They’re not fully formed yet, but are the seeds of innovation I intend to develop this year.

And I’d love your help. If you have experience with one of these shifts, can share a resource, or connect me with someone to help, please let me know. I’m looking for advice and reading to push me forward.

5 Classroom Shifts

1. Rethinking Grades

Right now, I don’t know what to do about grades. For the past few years, I’ve allowed students to revise anything as long as they are coming to extra help, so that students who work hard will always earn the highest grade they deserve. It was more important that they learn and grow than learning in the moment I dictated. But for students who aren’t as motivated? For those who stumble? It was really hard to come back from.

If you’re missing work and not coming to extra help or revising, I didn’t accept the work. Responsibility, timeliness, and management all mattered, too. But I want students’ work to represent their best, yet I also want to celebrate success without punishing failure. I’m not sure what the answer it but I’ve been doing my own summer homework, reading about throwing out grades and homework. Right now, I’m leaning towards a system with more project-based work, where students set their own goals and deadlines as much as possible. Most importantly, they self-assess and peer-assess their own work. How this will translate into points and grades—or even if it will, is a question for another day and post.

What are your grading and homework policies? Are you ready to throw out grades?

2. Portfolios, Publishing, and Growth

My students, colleagues, and parents always hear me talk about growth. I’m big on data-driven instruction and celebrating small victories, but I want to do better at documenting the growth and progress. This year, I want to truly embrace online portfolios and publishing work.

Last year, we blogged for #GeniusHour and I shared a lot of student work on social media and right here on the blog. Next year, I want students to be documenting their own growth, reflection, and successes. I’m not sure if that will involve individual student blogs, class blogs, or a Google Sites portfolio, but I’m considering a few options.

Since I want to celebrate growth and success, provide authentic publishing opportunities, and encourage real-world connections, collaboration, and feedback, I’m leaning towards student blogs with a monthly or bi-weekly post showcasing their best work of that time period. I don’t want to force student to share the work that’s not ready (or they’re not yet proud of) but do want to real world publishing for audiences beyond the teacher and even the class.

What portfolio or blog systems do you recommend for high school English?

3. Project-Based Learning

I’m done with direct instruction. I’m done being the one to do the talking. And I’m done being in charge and having control. These statements are partially in jest—I’m not a fan of big blanket statements in education and these don’t really represent my classroom. Over the past few years, I’ve moved towards a much more student-centered approach with choice and voice.

Now I want to involve students more directly in that planning and learning, creating an environment where they can actively create and manage the learning experiences. I love many of my lessons and past teaching experiences, but I think it’s time for something more, and to continue to push the focus from the teacher to the student for more meaningful learning opportunities.

Can anyone share some great PBL resources for high school English?

4. From Engagement to Empowerment

I can keep my students engaged—they are using technology, writing, thinking critically, working collaboratively, and so much more. If you look into my classroom or even follow along on Twitter (@SchoenTellOHS), you will almost always see engagement.

But empowerment? That’s another story. I want to foster a classroom culture that empowers students to be active participants and creators in their learning experiences. A classroom where their voices, interests, and ideas really matter in shaping their learning. I want my students to have the power to direct their learning, to want to have that power, and to want to learn. First, I need to clarify my expectations for empowerment, I think, but echoes of The Innovator’s Mindset are definitely still ringing in my mind, and it seems like the next step forward for my learners.

How is engagement different than empowerment for your learners?

5. Failing Forward (no one left behind!)

I'll end with the largest shift: failing forward. It’s become a buzzword of sorts in education, as we consider growth mindset and the #InnovatorsMindset. I want my students to embrace iteration, creation, and growth. Sometimes, that means failure.

But more specifically for me, I don’t want my students to fail. I don’t want to give up on high standards, expectations, or policies, but I want to do more to show empathy, build character, and recognize the whole child. Our teenagers are so much more than just 9th and 10th grade English students, and I don’t want to lose sight of that in our tight 41-minutes each day. I want a classroom culture where failure is never an endpoint, growth and innovation are the norm, and everyone succeeds.

Some of that (a lot?) is out of my control. It’s idealistic for sure. But it feels right on an emotional, personal, and pedagogical level. If I’m going to work hard to push students forward and to raise expectations, I need to do more to help them get there.

How do you deal with failure in your teaching?

More Shifts to Come

I started the list that became these five shifts back in June, during the last few weeks of the school year. I’m sure I could have easily made it 10, or even 20, but I think this is a good start.

Some of it’s abstract. It’s a little idealist. But for me and my classroom, it feels right. I’ll be thinking about these five ideas and my questions throughout this post over the remainder of the summer months. Expect some follow up on the Schoenblog as I process and grow.

What shifts or changes do you plan for your classroom or teaching in the upcoming school year? Can you help me with advice, ideas, or resources for mine? Please share in the comments or on Twitter @MrSchoenbart.

Now I’m eager to continue to reflect on that work and to continue to push myself and my students forward. Last year, I blogged about my journey in a series of posts called 1st Time #20Time. These posts explore my process, inspirations, workflow, assignments, students products, and reflections from beginning to end. Find them all here, or at the following links: #1 My Intro to #20Time Projects, #2 What I’ll Do Better Next Time, #3 Managing Student Workflow, #4 Sharing Student Products, and #5 What My Students Think.

I also have begun to present at local conferences about passion projects to discuss best practices and strategies and share my ideas and resources. Find my presentation, co-presented with my friend Chrissy Romano-Arrabito at September's #NJPAECET2, below.

Genius Hour 2016

Before a new introduction to passion-based learning this year, I reflected on my work and my students’ work from last year. Specifically, I reread my last post in the 1st Time #20Time series, #5 What My Students Think, which shared their reflections. It also shared my own goals for this year, which I now have the opportunity to revisit.

#GeniusHour

This reflection led to a change from #20Time to #GeniusHour. While these two concepts focus on the same big idea, I chose #GeniusHour this year because I didn’t want to imply any limits to the time we would devote to passion-based learning. In my tenth grade English curriculum, I have some freedom in content as long as I can always bring it back to developing essential skills. As I tell my students, we can develop skills, like reading, writing, critical thinking, curation, and creation, through any content, so I want to really embed this learning throughout our work for the entire quarter.

Inspiration & Passions

I really want to help students find their passions. Instead of asking them what they like, I want to push them to consider what they hate, what drives them nuts, and what or who they want to be. This year, I plan to use more multimedia tools to help them discover themselves and rethink their perspectives. TED Talks, other videos, memes, and current events need to be a more regular part of my classroom to help push students forward in thought and reflection.

We started with an inspirational pep talk from Kid President. We discussed his claim and ideas, then examined whether or not the American public school system helps make them possible for students. Students discussed the role of schooling, education, college, and more, setting a great stage for further thought about passion and learning.

Be Awesome

Taking after Kid President, I want to push my students to research, learn, create, and do something AWESOME. I can’t wait to see how it goes and we produce.


Find the start of my Google Slides desk for this year’s #GeniusHour projects below. It’s a work in progress and will be updated live, but I’m very happy with the resources so far.

How do you incorporate passion-based learning, #20Time, or #GeniusHour into your classrooms? Share your ideas, questions, or experiences in the comments or on Twitter.

With your team, use the supplies in your kit to create the largest freestanding structure possible.

• the entire marshmallow must be on top 
• use as much or as little of the kit 
• break up anything as necessary 
• the challenge lasts 18 minutes 

I added an additional layer here by asking the students to document their progress and product through pictures, videos, and Tweets. 

Afterwards, we discussed their efforts, watched Tom Wujek’s TED Talk, and reflected on the work and observations on Google Classroom. It was such a cool activity to watch as the teacher. I’m a huge fan of data--I love forms, sheets, and student information systems. But I know that my students are people, first and foremost, and realized that I can learn so much meaningful information about them through a challenge like this one. 

This fun, team building exercise taught me everything I needed to know about my students: Who worked well in groups? Which students like to play? Where are my creative ones? Who are the leaders? The followers? Who has trouble following? Which students are literal? Abstract thinkers? Problem solvers? In 18 minutes, I saw more than students’ academic and behavioral histories could ever tell me.

And here’s the best part: So did they.

The students’ reflections revealed that they saw it all, too, and that’s what fascinated me most of all. Below, I’ve included a handful of anonymous student responses. They were asked to reflect on their product, process, and group work, and to explain why they think I assigned this project. What was the value of the #MarshmallowChallenge?

• It revealed that some of us have lost the creativity and we all started with making the pasta stand and then in the end put the marshmallow on top. For my peers it revealed the same and my group its the same as i said weve lost creativity. I have learned that i should listen to the instructions.
• It revealed the values of teamwork and creative thinking. Our group worked together, and produced the tallest structure in the class (26in). We used each-other's skills so that whatever needed to be done, the strongest person in that area was doing it. We worked together and we worked well, and it produced a great structure.
• The marshmallow challenge revealed that the members of my group and I am more of visual thinkers. From this challenge we learned that team work and creativity are still very important skills necessary to collaborate and achieve success.
• The Marshmallow Challenge revealed that, thought I don't enjoy working in a group, I can still get good results when group work is required. I also learned that my peers do not enjoy the arts and crafts, although my group proved itself to be fast and efficient. I suppose that what you, Mr. Schoenbart, learned from the Marshmallow Challenge was that group projects can be either very successful or very frustrating.
• Yesterday's challenge reveals to that I am able to work with other people real well. I can communicate real well. My peers can also work and communicate to each other. I think that you should learn how each student is able to work with other people and how they act when they put in a group with other students.
• I think my group over thought the challenge and how to piece things together. It also revealed that things aren't as easy as we think.

Final product of the #marshmallowchallenge @MrSchoenbart pic.twitter.com/1XPNLGXqR3

— kelsey quain (@kquain24) September 8, 2015

•  yesterday's challenge revealed that i need to work on my group work skills, talking to my group and listening to their ideas. my group worked a little great.. i felt seen we don't know each other that well we were all shy. i think my teacher learned who works well with others and who doesn't
• Sometimes when looking for answer you have to find out the long way by trail and error rather than trying to find the answer in one try.
• The skills that we learn from an early age may be the most important skills that we learn.it revealed to us that it seems harder than one thinks. It requires thinking and planning
• I think that it showed that i am not very creative and my peers are not very creative either, my group didn't work well together but we had a good time, i think my teacher learned that we aren't very good at thinking outside the box.
• The marshmallow challenge revealed that my group did not have good communication. We were creative but we couldn't put our words into what we wanted with the pasta. I think our teacher learned who is creative, has good communication, and who works well with who.
• It revealed that i do good in group work. That we work well together. i think you learned it we can work good all together and can tell who works good in groups and who doesn't.
• This assignment revealed that it is hard to communicate with others and that the groups that communicated the best did the best.
• I learned that I can think critically and take command of a project quickly. I also learned that my group failed to break any records due to our lack of skill and motivation. I think that you as our teacher now have a basic idea of how the individual groups around the classroom will act in group projects in general.
• I think that it's harder than it would seem and it takes a lot of thinking out of the box

Period 4 #MarshmallowChallenge winners: Andy, Sarah, Sofia, and Emma at 26" cc: @Bartonkeeler @SFecich pic.twitter.com/AMU6pKTmXN

— Adam Schoenbart (@MrSchoenbart) September 8, 2015

I like activities that surprise, and even better, inspire me. I thought of the #MarshmallowChallenge as a fun introduction to the school year. Something to change things up and set the tone of learning and exploration. But I learned so much more here and found this fun distraction has become one of the most meaningful things I’ve done this year. I encourage you to give it a shot, too. And at the least, you can eat the marshmallows.

Classroom learning should be student-centered from day one. I don't need to be talking at my students on the first day; I need to introduce them to the types of learning opportunities they will build for themselves throughout the school year. I need to facilitate and put my money where my mouth is. I like to think I have a pretty student centered classroom, but this year I want to jump into it on day one, like it's the most normal thing in the world. Students will be working with technology, at different paces, sometimes on different assignments, all towards standards and goals. I also want to introduce not only project-based but problem-based learning to make their growth more authentic and meaningful.

It's not enough for my students to connect with each other; it's time to share our challenges, successes, and learning with the peers, teachers, the community, and world. I want my class to be built on connections and collaborations, incorporating backchannelling, Twitter, Google Hangouts, and other social media on a regular basis. One of my goals is to have students regularly Tweeting about our learning to a class hashtag to share with the world. Technology opens up so many doors and opportunities to connect and learn; I want to embrace them all.

Students must create. I've written about that idea plenty, most recently in a guest post at FreeTech4Teachers.com here. I want my students to always produce something that documents learning. This will often be writing but has ranged from essays to podcasts to videos or other presentations. I want to find more ways for students to demonstrate skill and knowledge, and then to share it. This year, I plan to have students blog more and construct electronic portfolios to show their growth and reflect on new learning. Hopefully these products will help students leave my class and high school with work they are not only proud of, but that documents essential 21st century skills and experiences for their futures. 

We are a community of learners. Collaborating and interacting on Google Communities helps manage this camaraderie, but I want to place a new importance on the community. Students must be able to work together and live together. Jack from Lost said it, and it's a quote I come back to often: "If we can't live together, we're going to die alone." It's a bit dramatic, but I don't want my students to wait around for me to teach them, but to help foster their curiosity, creativity, and independence. "Every man for himself is not going to work," Jack says in the clip below. From asking each other before they ask me to creating a list of online classroom norms to a class hashtag, I want my students to actively collaborate as a community of learners to create the best learning experiences possible. 

I think I build strong relationships with my students. Now I want to do better with other stake holders: parents, guidance counselors, administration, etc. I want complete transparency and clear communication in my classroom. To that end, I am revamping my class webpage, english10.aschoenbart.com, to provide everyone with more information than ever before. I have plans in the works to use forms and add-ons to organize and automate communications based on data about student behavior and performance, so I am more actively involved in communication, more proactive in recognizing success and overcoming challenges, and using data to drive my instruction. Expect a blog post on this topic soon.

There's my 5 C's for 2015. I could list a dozen things I want to do better but I want to stay focused. Wish me luck. What shifts are you planning in your classroom or teaching? 

Yesterday was awesome. A few weeks ago, Chris Aviles, GEG NJ Leader, put out a call to teachers to attend what he called a Lesson Plan Jam at Google HQ in New York City. I had no idea what to expect, but couldn’t turn down a day at Google learning with friends and GAFE teachers. I love any good professional development opportunities but it was especially cool to feel like I was in a room of teachers like me. We all wanted to be there, were eager to collaborate and learn, and everyone brought something to the table besides their devices. 

#gegnj pic.twitter.com/HjPGREkuNj

— Jeffrey Bradbury (@TeacherCast) August 10, 2015

• Jeff Bradbury led us through a Google Apps Iron Chef challenge, which I loved. We were grouped by subject area and then assigned a different subject area and a Google App to use to develop a lesson plan. It was fun, creative, and engaging, and is the kind of activity I want to use with my students and my staff.
• Do you use the goo.gl URL shortener? If not, check out the site and extension. Did you know that if you add .qr at the end of a shortened URL, it brings to you to a QR code image? Neither did I.
• One group shared how you can use Google Forms, Sheets, and Maps together to have students plot locations or track events. You can download a .csv from form results--for example, track number of sculptures in different cities, and import them into maps. Students can then add images and descriptions to the event. I’m considering using idea to track Elie Wiesel’s travels during the Holocaust in Night with my students.

The day took place in Google’s Model Classroom, which was a modern and tech-savy version of most of our classrooms--rows of desks and a projector. What made it so cool, though, was the details. The desks were comfortable, with wheels, and swiveling desk tops. The room had dual projectors and sliding white boards, so there was a lot of space to present, project, and take notes. The doors were a part of a full glass wall, so there was a lot of transparency to the hallway and outside, which I liked. I want one.

Love the learning space at today's #GEGNJ Lesson Plan Jam. Would love a classroom set of these desks. pic.twitter.com/f1chA3RQqc

— Adam Schoenbart (@MrSchoenbart) August 10, 2015

We also had a Q&A with Googler Matt Kam. Matt works for the research team on tools like Classroom, Forms, and Chrome. He told us about his background, job, and 20% Time Projects, and it was really cool to hear from him. He shared some of the perks of working at Google, like bringing pets to work, being awarded perks for doing favors for coworkers, and annual free massages on your anniversary at the company. 

Matt also talked about the development of Google Classroom, sharing that Classroom really came about because of research into Google’s user base. They realized that so many of their users were in education--both students and teachers--and that they spent a lot of time managing document workflow. He wouldn’t go into too much detail--understandably--but he said to expect new features soon, which I’m excited about. Touching on 20% Time Projects, he explained his view on the company’s philosophy: “What are the ways we can continue to add value?” 

The Big Take Aways

I really enjoyed the conversation, the collaboration, and being at Google. Thanks to the GEG NJ organizers; it was a great day of learning. But I also had two big take aways to focus on for the start of the school year.

1. My Classes Need a Homepage. I’ve branded my blogging with the SchoenBlog; I need to brand my teaching as well. In the past, students have navigated Chrome on their own to find Classroom, Communities, and other tools. Instead, I want to create a homepage through Google Sites so there is one location that centralizes online learning. I’ll link to important sites and tools from there, but one home page makes it all easier. I can embed Google Docs there, so it’s easier to maintain and update, but I want all my lesson plans, activities, and assessments to be online and public this year. I love the idea of adding a Google Hangout button to this for instant extra help.


2. My Classes Should Be Student Centered From Day One. I pride myself on my shifts to a student-centered classroom over the past few years, where my students are leading the learning and creating, guided by blended instruction. However, this isn’t how I traditionally start the school year and this needs to change. One idea that came up during the conversations was to treat our innovative technology-based instruction as a normal part of students’ education. My classroom shouldn’t be the one full of technology; it should be an example of what goes on in my school. I want to get started with collaborative online work on day one.
   
   My students don’t need me to read the syllabus to them or tell them about the classroom rules; they need me to set the tone for how they will manage their own learning this year. I’m definitely looking for ideas about how to do this. I’ve seen some recent Twitter conversations about the start of the year and plan to check them out for more inspiration. How do you start the school year?

Right now, I’m considering a few possibilities. I will likely start with a Google Form to collect student information, which provides a link to the first assignment when student submit it. From the very start, students will be able to work at different paces and always move forward. I think I’ll ask them to interpret a quote or respond to a question through Padlet or another backchannel to lead into analysis and discussion. Another idea is BreakoutEDU or another critical thinking or game based activity. Something where students solve a problem through creativity, collaboration, and innovation, like the Marshmallow Challenge.

Whatever I decide, you can be sure I’ll write about it here. And I’d love to hear your ideas and feedback to help me move forward.

Welcome to the end, ladies and gentlemen. Next time you read my writing about #20Time, it will likely be in a more cleverly named series about my second year implementing a genius hour-like project. Next Time #20Time might have a decent ring to it, right? 2nd Time #20Time, not so much. 

After the process was concluded, the products turned in, and presentations were complete came the final part in my students' #20Time work: reflections. All of the advice I read about this work stressed the value of the student reflection and I was surprised at how incredible and important I found this to truly be. I decided to break my students' reflections down into sections:

1. Student Rubrics, where students would grade their own work on process, product, and effort.
2. Reflection, asking students for written responses to a series of questions to better examine their meta-cognition.
3. Blog Post, writing a final blog post highlighting the meaning they did or did not find in their work.

• Most students were fair but challenging graders. They held themselves to high standards.
• Reflection is wonderful when students take it seriously. The most rewarding part, by far, was reading about students' self-identified growth, challenges, successes, and failures.
• My students learned a lot more than I realized.

In fact, as I read these reflections, I found myself taking notes on students' responses and documenting their advice and feedback, specifically to this: What advice would you have for students and for teachers who are doing #20Time projects in the future? What would you tell them that would make the project go more smoothly or be more successful?

Find excerpts about what they had to say below. It's a bit long but I found that their writing was so much more interesting than mine, so I decided to let this post run wild.

"My advice to other students is to do your blog posts, it’s really not that hard, really think about your topic and pick something you're interested in. Also pick a “doable” topic. Dont pick something that professionals don't know." 

"Advice that I have for students doing 20% Time in the future is to also plan ahead. Make a schedule that you will not stray away from, and use the time given to you wisely. Do not fall behind and be assertive in your actions. Have a thorough plan and an idea of what you’re trying to do in advance, so that you do not have to rush or fall behind toward the end. The project will take up more than 20% of your time, meaning that you have to do it at home. Lastly, do everything well and do something that you are interested in." 

"I would tell the student to put a lot of thought into what they would like to create or research. I would also tell them to think outside of the box, but to have a realistic goal for their final project depending on how much time they have to actually create their final project." 

"I would tell students to not look at this project as a forced project, but instead as a place to dedicate your passions in investigating." 

"DO NOT PROCRASTINATE!! Seriously, it won’t be good, you’ll want to have all data collection as soon as possible, so you don’t have to scram to gather information in the last few weeks. Remember that you have other classes, with other assignments to complete, so plan accordingly." 

"The number one piece of advice that I would give to kids next year is to do something they are truly interested in. Once I became interested in the topic that I was pursuing it no longer felt like work but I enjoyed researching. 20 time may seem boring at first, as it did for me, but afterwards I felt more knowledgeable about a topic. If I were to do 20 time over, I would have looked more places for research. The majority of my research consisted on newspaper articles, images and YouTube videos. Had I had more time or started sooner, I found out there were documentaries as well as books on the topic. Reading both would have allowed me to find out even more on the topic and master it well. Overall, I really enjoyed the 20 time experience and I am happy to have done it. " 

"Some advice i would give to students is to really enjoy this project it’s a once in a lifetime project where you can learn about something you’re interested in. So put lots of effort into this to make the outcome in the end a great one. Gain as much knowledge as possible so you can come out of the project saying that was worth it. Most importantly just have fun." 

"I would tell other students that changes will occur and that there will be obstacles from your plan, or throughout your project. If there is an obstacle and you’re truly passionate about your topic, try going around it rather than just completely giving it up. Also, your project most likely will not come out exactly what you had originally planned because things will change. To make your project go smoothly, ask your expert for help whenever possible. Feeling dumb for 5 minutes is so much better than feeling dumb for days and months till the day your project is due. Always stay in touch with the expert and actually put time into thinking what you will be doing. If you’re going to do the project without thinking how, then you most likely shouldn’t go after it. Always have a plan in mind and have multiple plans in case your original plan doesn’t work out. Most importantly, ASK YOUR TEACHER FOR HELP IF YOU ARE STUCK." 

 
"Although you will get assignments to write on your blog, use your blog as a journal don’t be afraid to write down what you’ve done to get closer to your goals, your feelings, etc. Definitely planning ahead and not waiting till last minute will make your project go more smoothly and successfully."

Advice for Teachers:

"I would advise teachers to make sure their students have enough time in class and outside of school to work with their partners. I would also suggest that teachers give the entire outline of the project when students first start working so they know ahead of time what’s going to be happening."

"Teachers who want students to produce something meaningful must give them more than enough time to create something worthwhile. Students can’t have free range in their project, so be sure to set due dates along the way to keep students in check."

"I think the idea of pursuing a project that is purely based on interests was hard for some students to understand because we normally don't do that in a classroom setting. The teacher has to make sure that is clear that there are no set requirements to this project and everyone will develop different ideas and products."

"The advice i would give to the teachers who are doing the 20time projects in the future is that you have to tell your students that it is okay to end up not having a solution because when i wanted to do a 20time project on processors, it is because i was passionate about it and i wanted to learn about them, but i was not able to do it on something i was passionate about because it needed to be something that had a problem and we needed to find a solution. I think the kids should be allowed to do something they are very passionate about so they can learn more about it and not be confined to something that needs a solution, isn’t that the true definition of 20time? The passion to learn something you are interested in."


"My advice would be to reconsider the blog posts. Pesonally I don’t really see how that has anything to do with our projectrs, and it would also make the project go more smoothly, because than we don’t have to worry about how long the blog has to be and about the grade we get on it.We should only have to worry about our project, and at least have the freedom to organize it however we would like."

"I would start the project way earlier in the school year. everything was very cramped and rushed I feel. Also I think you should somewhat narrow the options people can have, when it is so broad I found it so hard on what to choose as my subject."

"The advice I would give teachers who are doing 20time project would be to let the students decide the topic of their interest so they can learn and work more on their topic of interest. The more the student is passionate and fascinated by their topic the more they will do a better job. If you assign a student a project to work on you don’t know if he will enjoy doing it or not. A teacher should let her student know he/she can get help from you as well. I also feel like teachers don’t need to put a date on when something should be done because you don’t know whether you have accomplished your goal or not. A teacher should be supportive of any topic the students chooses to do because it may cause them to not want to do their original topic if a teacher doesn’t support his/her idea. I found that making a blog on my topic made my information more organized which was very useful and helpful."


There's more where that came from. If you're interested in reading it, please let me know.

I like to think this blog has many purposes. I want to develop my voice, share what goes on in my classroom, and build an online presence, but most of all, I like to use this space for reflection. Like any good teacher, I often think about what I would do differently next year. What I rarely do, though, is write that down. I'm really good at organizing my documents so that I can reuse or adapt any resource or lesson anytime; I need to get better about doing the same with my ideas.

My students wrapped up their #20Time presentations today and many were phenomenal. Some students awed and impressed me with the knowledge, presentations, and actions. I plan to share some of these highlights next week. Before then, I want to reflect on my own work in planing, facilitating, and evaluating #20Time projects. Here is what I want to do differently, consider more, or simply do better:

The Process

• I want to be more explicit in purposeful in checking in on student work and progress to keep them on track. I'll probably use a Google Form for this, but I need to act on the results and help every student find success.
• I want to show models of successful projects to motivate, inspire, and guide students' work. Since this was my first time with the projects, I didn't have anything of my own to model with, and I think this would help some students a lot.
• I want every student to blog on a blogging platform. Google Docs served its purpose, but the students' who really used their blogs to document thought, progress, and reflection usually did better work. The tech needs to be authentic, just like the results.
• I need students to start learning to use links like this: Annotated Bibliography instead of like this: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1R0Ta8h5WCvRSpK-D7cTQ-WlIY8FZ9xdMjXXQllR6yK4/edit

The Products

• Many of the products were fantastic but I need to push more students to step away from the easy option. A Google Slides presentation is simply not the most effective way to present knowledge in most cases. I also need to help students better understand how audience, purpose, and format of presentations relate. Maybe I'll introduce the rhetorical triangle here? (audience/speaker/purpose)
• I need to help students become better editors. So many awesome projects lacked clear proofreading and editing. This made me sad.
• I required students to do a lot of research, consult with experts, and write an annotated bibliography. I was less explicit about citations in the final products, and this was a mistake. Many students conducted great research throughout the process but ended up inadvertently plagiarizing in the end--we need to work on this one.