I’ve oft thought that it would be cool to have a live feed into my classroom, a live video stream into 219, where parents and public could tune in and watch at least one episode, among thousands, of public education–live, in the moment.  On one hand, it would provide authentic accountability for me, letting those I serve observe if I am making good on their investment.  Yes, pressure, taking my always-open-door policy to a new level, but welcome pressure–at least for me.  I believe teachers, just as kids, perform better when they are held to “somebody-truly-cares,” high expectations, a combination that I believe leads to genuine motivation.  High expectations must reflect a  high standard of care.  I know that high expectations matter little to kids if they don’t believe we care.  I think teachers are no different.  And because I think there are times that we doubt that our public really cares, we don’t always rise to the occasion, and we often dwell in mediocrity.  Please don’t mistake what I am saying.  Most teachers work really hard, going above and beyond, and much of the public does care, but because of some barriers that exist, I think there are times when this gets lost in translation, and we feel forgotten.  A look inside–the live feed–could possibly break down some of those barriers.

Additionally, on the other hand, it would provide greater visibility for those we serve.  They could see–right now–what is going on in public education.  They could see both the successes and challenges that students and teachers alike experience on a minute-to-minute basis in America’s classrooms, which I believe would then lead to two key ingredients to communicating the care necessary to propel us to consistently meet higher expectations in the classroom, a recipe for authentic accountability.  The first ingredient is interest.  Teachers, as with anyone, feel like others care when they take genuine interest in what we’re doing, when they see our dreams, our struggles, and our successes.  Sadly, and it’s not really anyone’s fault, there is no practical way for this to happen, and that’s too bad, for a teacher’s journey can be lonely; we need support.  And that is the second key ingredient, but it can only be added to the batch if the first ingredient is already there.  So how do we secure the first ingredient?  How do we get all to take a genuine interest in the journey of public education?  How do we change the narrative from the majority of concern being focused on standardized-test scores and grades to more concern being focused on the need for public education to finally evolve and better meet the demands of a changed and changing world?  No simple answer I’m afraid.  But I am willing to do different.  I am willing to wire my classroom, to let the public in, let them follow my journey–an opportunity for interest, an opportunity for support. Truly.  If someone knows of a way that I can secure the means to make this a reality, please contact me, and we will get to work.  Maybe I need to write Bill Gates a letter.  Maybe.  Until then, the best I can do is open my door even more and offer a standing invitation to any and all to visit room 219.  Join my journey.

Wow.  Didn’t intend to go there this morning.  Sorry.  All I really wanted to do was send a “wish-you-were-here” message out to all, for the students’ projects and presentations have been remarkable this week.  Truly magical moments, and though I am sharing another link of another awesome movie, it’s not the same if you aren’t in 219.  Door’s open.  Always.

A note on the link.  It’s about bullying and there are some offensive terms, so watch with caution.  Kasia had my permission to include  the terms; they are not gratuitous; they are necessary for they reflect a reality…well, part of a reality. Sadly, the full reality is far worse.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPa_kz6QJKM

Have a great Wednesday, all.

Yesterday in 219 kids began presenting their projects for round 2 of the independent learning projects.  Each month my kids are challenged to pursue an independent path of learning, following very simple criteria:

1. Choose a topic of genuine interest.
2. Pose a question.
3. Search for an answer.
4. Create a product that demonstrates learning.
5. Share learning with the class.

Below are a few examples of some of my students’ pursuits.  I am so proud of their work, work that i had nothing to do with.  Last week,  after a sneak, preview peak of some of the products that my students created (one of them Meghan’s movie below), a parent contacted me, applauding my efforts, commenting that she was pleased to see that I was “still working [my] magic and moving kids to do great things!”  I thanked her for the kind words, but informed her that the only thing I had done was give students the opportunity to discover their own magic.  Yesterday, they shared their magic.  I cannot wait to see what tricks they perform today.

Have a great Tuesday, all.  If you didn’t see it last night, here’s a link to a post outlining some changes to the blog  http://www.letschangeeducation.com/?p=327 .

Parting Questions

1. For all, when you reflect on your experiences in school, what was a project you loved or hated? Why?
2. For teachers, when you reflect on the projects that your students have done in the past, what do you consider the marks of a successful project?  An unsuccessful project?

Thank you for joining the conversation.  Your words matter.

Well, this marks a month of officially being in the blogosphere, and while I feel like I’ve made some  progress towards some unknown end in this crazy, let’s-change-education journey I’ve embarked on, I have literally years to go, and as such, I will not always know what new paths I will encounter or where they will take me.  As I started out a month ago, I assumed I had mapped out a route that would be full of others joining me in conversation, but my assumptions were misguided, as few have actually joined the conversation. And I don’t know why.  I think I thought that if I posed a question others would simply jump at the chance to share their views on education, and together we would speed along to our destination of bringing about significant change. Silly Syrie. Obviously, now a month in, I’ve realized that perhaps I set off in the wrong direction.  So, time for a change of course, a new direction.

To date, the site has had 8,485 views, which I hope is a good sign, but I have no frame of reference in this regard.  There have been 176 comments, but half of them were from my students, so I don’t know what that really means.  Regardless, I am pleased overall, and I am very thankful for the support that folks have shown in these first few steps of my journey, but I am a little concerned about sustainability as I trek forth, so I am going to try something new.

For starters, I’ve decided to abandon the “Monthly Topic,” where I pose both a general question for all and then a specific question for each of the stakeholders: teachers, students, parents and public.  This first month out, I chose motivation as the topic for discussion, but little happened with it, and many of the comments (student comments) may have simply been what any of us would have anticipated anyway.  So maybe, then, I asked the wrong question, and folks were neither inspired nor motivated to chime in.  Not sure. Maybe, too, asking the question at the beginning of the month and just leaving it sitting there was not the best choice, creating an outta-sight, outta-mind effect. Whatever, the reasons behind the limited participation, I have decided to change to the “Weekly Wonder” in hope that this may be a better approach, keeping the topics fresher.  As many know, I have actually already headed in that direction, and I will follow that path for a while, seeing where it leads.  The “Weekly Wonder” will resume next week.  To be honest, with the new semester starting this week, it will be struggle enough just to get the “Morning Minutes” done.  Feeling a little less than Super at the moment, even with the shirt on.

One other change that is already in place (see this morning’s post http://www.letschangeeducation.com/?p=325) is the addition of “Today’s Parting Questions” posed at the end of the “Morning Minutes.”  My hope here is that these questions will not only be relevant to the day’s post but also not require too much time or thought for folks to spend their two cents and post a comment.  We’ll see how it goes.  My “Do-Learn-Do Better” mantra seems appropriate here as I seek to make this shared journey better for all. Other changes to come, but for now, a hearty thanks to those who have joined me along the way.  I hope I can find ways to keep you interested.  I kinda need ya.  Can’t do this alone.  

What if I’m wrong? This is a recurring thought for me during the grading process, a thought that worries and haunts me, sometimes for days and weeks after the process is over.  For those who are not teachers, this may seem a strange admission, but for those of us who are teachers, teachers who are reflective about our practice, we know all too well the worry of our judgment on student work. You see, grading is not exactly an objective process; in fact, much of it is subjective, left to the professional judgment of the teacher, especially in my area–language arts.  And while we try to make it less subjective through the use of criteria-based rubrics and scoring guides, we never really arrive at a place where we can make the process purely objective.  Consequently, in the end, it is what it is, and we simply strive to make it if not objective, then at least clear.  Even so, subjectivity still persists, allowing for error, creating some doubt.  

Granted, there are some subjects where less subjectivity is more easily achieved, such as math, but even math is not entirely immune to the subjective judgment of the teacher, for any time partial points or credit is given, the possibility of error exists, and teachers may inadvertently punish kids on the basis of their interpretation.  Now to be fair, in many cases our interpretation may have a positive impact on students’ grades, but then this, too, calls into question whether we follow the same standard for all kids in all situations.  If I like Jimmy a little more than I like Susie, might I not award more points to Jimmy?  Is it possible that I might do it and not even know it? The truth is, I don’t know.  I am certainly not above human shortcomings and failings, and in the end, I may be human and unconsciously award or punish kids unwittingly, unfairly.  And this is what worries me.  And though it may end up being a wash in the end, the odds eventually evening out, I find it unsettling.  So, this is what I’ve done about it.

Every semester, at the end, I add a grade to the grade book that I’ve come to call “the fairness factor.”  Essentially, I give each kid five points. That may not sound like much, but for many it makes the difference between a B- and a B, which could impact their getting accepted to college, their getting a scholarship, or their getting a discount on their auto insurance.  Five points can make, for some, a huge difference.  In fact, I am still surprised as I watch each score go up every time I input the five points.  I witness the difference.  Of course, each semester, I communicate the purpose of the fairness-factor grade to the kids, and they just think I am being nice, but I quickly correct them and tell them it’s not about being nice; it’s about being fair.  I think it’s about taking an honest look at one’s grading practices and recognizing the possibility of a margin of error and then erring on the side of the students’ best interests.  Could the margin be greater than five?  Maybe.  But as I reflect on my practice, my professional judgment, I have to be fair to myself, too, for who knows I might be right.

Today’s Parting Questions

1. Teachers, how do you account for the subjectivity in your grading?
2. Students and parents, have you inquired about how your teachers account for subjectivity in their grading practices?

Happy Monday, all.  Hard to believe a month has already gone by since I launched on January 1.  Thank you for the support.  Look for some changes.  I will send a post this evening, highlighting some course corrections as we enter month two of our journey.