Point of No Return Reached!

The past month has been crazy in terms of changes in the classroom as a result of the netbooks. I was talking to Sara Russo about the improvement of my students' behavior (6th period in particular), interest in learning activities, and the retention of the "TAKS facts". I told her "I can't go back" , and that I fear not having a 1-1 netbook/laptop classroom.

What I have been doing?

My personal philosophy of teaching is that whole group instruction is usually a waste of time.  It seems that whole group instruction is most, if not only, necessary/beneficial to every different kind of learner when a skill is being taught. Almost every professional development class that I have attended proposes differentiation/flexible learning/individualized learning (wisely so), but, this is very difficult to do without technology (especially in large academic classes). For the past 1 1/2 years I have participated in Lynette. Breedlove's, Ph.D. GT book studies via blog and these have been priceless in terms of learning strategies on providing differentiated instruction and learning (through experience) the value of participating in discussions via blog. This experience gave be the confidence and know how to implement blogging in my classroom.

That being said, my original goals for PTL have changed a bit. Initially, especially immediately after the acquisition of the technologies, I was determined to use as many Web2.O tools and other web resources as possible to "update or 21st Century-ize" my lessons from previous years. My students were quick to show me that I was doing nothing more than putting a new coat of paint on a junked car. No matter how good it looks on the outside the car still does not work. These students are way more perceptive than I give them credit for....WAIT...what did I just realize? Yeah, that last statement was the moment in November that I realized I was the problem. I was the rock....hmmm...boulder in road between my students and them actually learning. I needed to get of the way in the classroom or...wait...let's get techy and say..I had to minimize myself on the desktop. Technically, I am still there, working, accessible in a click (or a "Hey, Miss"), but not blocking the view (learning) of the user (student).

So, the past 2 weeks I experimented a bit with minimizing myself on the desktop, and sadly, my suspicions seem to be correct. Most of my students don't need me to talk (lecture) or explain everything. Ouch...you did not hear that? My heart just cracked a bit and my ego shattered.

So what was the experiment you wonder?

I forced myself to not lecture. I uploaded all the notes for the chapter on to a Ning® site, and allowed the students access all the notes, videos, assignments, resources that I would normally present to the whole group on their own using the netbooks. If they needed me to explain or preferred traditional style teaching the option was available to them. So while I worked with students who did not want to use the netbooks, the rest of the students controlled their own learning (pace, order, and style) by using the netbooks. Every day of this was torture for me because I truly felt a tremendous amount of guilt and fear. Fear that we were going to lose all this time experimenting, and that none of my students were learning anything because I was not overtly teaching. However, on review day, most of my students, regardless of ability level knew most of the facts. I know knowing the facts is the base level of Bloom's, but let me tell you...this is huge in my experience at my school with my students this early in the year. Even my 2nd language learners, who typically struggle with learning history in a foreign language had managed to acquire the facts without me talking/explaining/overtly teaching.

What about the research?
The research I used to support my decision to take the plunge and minimize myself on the desktop in the academic inclusion classroom, and allow students to "self-pace", "freedom to choose" how/what they learn, and accelerate when the ability/interest level call for it:


From the book A Love for Learning: Motivation and the Gifted Child by Carol Strip Whitney, Ph.D., with Gretchen Hirsch

"As the world becomes more wired, technology skills will be required in every aspect of adult lives. For gifted girls, self-paced computer programs allow them to move quickly through material they understand and repeat lessons that may be more abstract and difficult for them. Computers allow them considerable control over their learning and invite them to become more technologically competent." (Page 192-193)

"In many classrooms, technology had revolutionized instruction." (Page 98)

"Educational fit means that classroom instruction challenges students in their 'zone of proximal development'--that is, just far enough above their comfort level to ensure that they are neither bored nor inordinately frustrated. Finding the best match between the child and the learning challenge is essential if the student is to be motivated to learn and achieve in school." (Page 99)


"Asking such children [gifted] to spend an entire school year learning what they already know puts them on a treadmill to nowhere, and equally important, it requires them to underachieve." (Page 100) It seems that this is particularly true for the most able students who have failed/opted out of Pre AP/AP classes and are (choosing to hide) in the academic classroom.

"In a differentiated classroom, a teacher must take care to ensure that each student's work is interesting and appealing. No student should perceive his work as dull and humdrum while others are involved in tasks that he believes to be more exciting and fun." (Page 102) This is TOUGH to do without technology. Especially 1 to 1 computers/laptops/netbooks. The 1 to 1 ratio makes differentiation less challenging to implement. Why? One, the student has something with which to interact with that is multi dimensional (not so true with pen/paper/textbook). Two, the Internet is literally an endless source of info/learning tools. So regardless of the students "zone of proximal development" their learning task can be made appealing and appears to be as technologically advanced as everyone else's in the classroom. Three, our professional/educational culture is fast/real time/NOW, and the 1 to 1 netbooks in the classroom cause the classroom to mirror the real world. The students do not have to "power down" when in the classroom (quote from Superintendent’s Convocation speech in 2008.)

"In the differentiated classroom, teachers are not simple reciters of facts ("sage on the stage"); they are facilitators who work with individual students on various aspects of their learning ("guide on the side"). They ask questions; listen to the students' answers; provide immediate, relevant, and understandable feedback; and measure progress toward stated goals." (Page 104)  Multiple times this semester, I have been asked about my vision in regards to the PTL grant. And, each time I have had to respond to that, I thank my lucky stars that I am answering that question online because I was not sure what my vision was exactly and, if asked in person, my answer would have definitely seemed wishy washy. However, I know that the description in the quote above is 85% of my vision. My vision/goal is to successfully manage a constructivist classroom. I know that there are numerous risks involved especially in terms of TAKS and end of course exams, but, in my short career, I have come to believe that there are far more risks involved in not doing so, i.e., our most able students never being challenged, losing their abilities, and becoming disinterested in school/learning.---thought from the book Intelligent Life in the Classroom: Smart Kids and Their Teacher by Karen Isaacson.


Personal Reflection and Next Step:

I have to accept that if my classroom is going to become the classroom of my vision, I am going to change my behavior and accept that I am going to be more of a diagnostician than instructor. This is going to require that I make myself let go and relinquish my constant need to be in control and overtly direct classroom activities.
It seems that boys are benefiting significantly more than girls from the use of the netbooks. 3 boys received perfect scores on the last unit exam (this was the first unit in which I only lectured one time). Rarely, does anyone get a perfect score on a unit exam without the aid of bonus points/questions. Score for the netbooks/loss for Mrs. Acevedo's lecture :/. Support for this hypothesis: "With boys, show, don't tell. Keep instruction short and to the point." (Page 193 in A Love for Learning Motivation and the Gifted Child).

My next step in to implement the use of menus to allow the students to choose how they show what they have learned. I anticipate that, initially, there will be a significant amount of guidance necessary for some of my students, but there are quite a few that I suspect will be willing to take complete control of their learning and use me when they need me.

On to the next step.

Blogs, Movie Guides, and the Election

It has been a little while since I have been able to sit down and post since I have now jumped into the technology with both feet. With everything else going on, I was a little behind the curve on fully incorporating the technology until the middle of October. However, the netbooks have made everything in my classroom go much smoother. This is my synopsis of my 2 different classes and their exposure to the grant.

US History: After setting up the Ning network, my US History students began working on blogging full time. They first would go to the Ning to get a pdf of their notes for the day and where able to fill in their notes on their pace. With some of my classes being almost 30% Special Ed. this was an AMAZING transformation. The information was in a condensed version right in front of them, and they did not have to tell me to slow down so they could get all the notes. They were able to do it and ask in depth questions. Once they were finished with the notes, they had to answer questions on the blog that asked them to analyze the notes and what they had learned. They were then able to use their netbooks and notes to create sensory characters of the Jazz Age where they drew a person from the Jazz Age depending on who they drew from the cup (i.e Charles Lindbergh, Clarence Darrow) and show what that person would see, hear, or feel. I feel like in this lesson we incorporated both the tecnology and the tactile learning that students enjoy so much. I had several students tell me it was the best class they had ever had. I also had a student that can be a trouble maker in general, that never asks questions, ask pointed questions about the lesson and was able to make inferences, asking "What effect does illegal money (i.e. bootleggers) have on everyone else?" It honestly took me a moment to answer because I was so surprised :)

AP Government: My AP students have also done their notes on the Ning, but my favorite activity with them has been a twist on the traditional movie guide. I only show one movie in my AP class, so they were all ready to watch. When they came in to class, they got the netbooks and logged onto the Ning. As they watched, during key moments, I would post a question on the blog that they had to answer. It was an interesting experience to get real-time feedback on the pressing issues of the movie. In one class I had over 150 responses.
*The other activity that we did, was internet based. When studying the election process, students participated in an election simulation from http://broadband.ciconline.org/elections/ where they had to choose which party they were running from, where to campaign, how much money to spend, etc. After winning or losing the election, they had to blog about their decisions and how it affected the outcome. It was interesting to see the students get active information that they could then incorporate to their learning style.

The best thing about the grant aside from seeing the students constantly being actively engaged, is the ease of differentiation. We try to differentiate as much as possible but there are certain things that it becomes difficult to do without separating the students. With this, there is an ease and every student is able to do and learn the best way for them.

Next up for me is learning how to work the Wii games for the classroom, as we start World War II in January so with both me and the students being excited about the prospect, it should be a great Spring semester.