Reflections on BLC12

Alan November’s (@globalearner) annual Building Learning Communities Conference (BLC12) in Boston continues to foster pedagogical design that transforms education and spreads the seeds for student-driven learning across the globe.  With Keynote Speakers such as Chris Anderson (@TEDChris), Geetha Narayanan, Eli Praiser (@elipraiser), and Greg Whitby (@gregwhitby); the combined acumen for teaching and learning was inspiring and fueled the educational passion of all educators in attendance.

Alan November's vision for globally connected and collaborative learning for students in which their work matters, provides a sense of ownership, and makes a contribution to the global community was pervasive throughout the conference.  Educators from around the world were engaged in break-out sessions that will have a tremendous impact on student engagement in our schools.  In addition, through pedagogy such as project-based learning, students will not only be passionate about their work, but the world will be a better place due to their positive impact far beyond the classroom.

In the 'Creating Your Window on the World: Students Leaving a Legacy' session, Garth Holman (@GarthHolman) and Michael Pennington (@ProfessorMike1) shared their students’ work in a glowing example of 21st century learning.  Their pedagogical design has cultivated an environment of passion-driven learning within their classrooms.  As Alan November would say, their students 'own the learning'. Garth and Michael’s students do not complete work simply because of course requirements or a grade, they engage in in-depth cross curricular learning endeavors with a vigor and self-driven tenacity that many educators could only dream of for their students.  Garth and Michael have made this dream a reality by giving their students a global voice via blogs, wikis and a multitude of digital platforms for publishing their work.  Their vision has created a learning environment driven by purpose and a global voice.  The students’ ongoing global contribution is evident through their digital history book (dgh.wikispaces.com).

Educators who attended the BLC12 Conference must continue to share the  powerful pedagogical concepts conveyed throughout the conference.  In the words of Geetha Narayanan, ‘we should approach our charge as an oceanic theme with our ideas and efforts rippling out in concentric circles, ever expanding the impact’.

As an educator, I am honored and humbled to be part of the Building Learning Communities Network.  Further, I feel a tremendous sense of responsibility to contribute to education’s global professional learning community and remain focused on educational practices that provide students with a learning environment in which their work matters, they have a sense of ownership, and their work makes a contribution far beyond the classroom.

Transformative Learning: 3 Examples of Students Engaged in Work that Makes a Difference

How do you motivate students within the classroom?  As 21^st century educators, we are well aware of the necessity to provide our students with rigorous and engaging learning experiences.  In addition, we know that our students expect to use digital tools in order to access the world and enhance their learning. 

After attending a January 2012 talk by Alan November (@globalearner), I began to reflect on my beliefs related to student engagement and the factors that motivate students to learn.  Alan November suggested that students are motivated when their work makes a difference, they have a sense of ownership, and their work transforms the learning of others.  Daniel Pink (@DanielPink) provides additional clarity to the issue of student engagement and motivation by arguing that student work must have a purpose. 

The following examples showcase transformative learning experiences in which the students were highly motivated due to the design of the work.  In each example, the students’ work made a difference, created a sense of ownership, and added information that aided in the learning of others.  In addition to these critical attributes, the use of digital tools in order to share the students' work beyond the classroom is a common characteristic of each learning activity.

Video of Classroom Procedures

Each fall, teachers begin the year by establishing clear classroom procedures with the students.  The procedures are then reviewed and practiced until the students have a strong understanding of the routines and the classroom is functioning like a well-oiled machine.  In Mrs. Caruso's(@CarusoM1) classroom, this process became a transformative learning experience for her students.  The students created videos for each of the established classroom procedures using Movie Maker.  Within each video, the students enacted the procedure, providing powerful demonstrations of the desired routine.  Creating the videos was a tremendous strategy for reinforcing the procedures for her current students.  However, the learning experience became transformative due to the fact that next year's students will view the videos in order to learn the classroom procedures.  They will of course be charged with creating new videos for the students who will be in Mrs. Caruso's class the following year. 



Long Division Claymation

The long division algorithm provides a daunting challenge to teachers in regards to student engagement and understanding.  Rather than simply practicing the steps involved in the process via rote learning, students in this example created Claymation videos.  Prior to developing the Claymation videos, cooperative groups of students created stories to represent their division problems and bolster understanding of the mathematical concept.  Then, using digital cameras and video editing software, the students created the Claymation products by taking photographs of their clay representations of division problems.  Through the Claymation process, they were able to convert the still photographs into a sequential video and gain a greater understanding of the long division algorithm.  Finally, once their Claymation videos were complete, they were uploaded to the school’s network and YouTube.  In doing so, the products added to the body of information and allowed others to learn from their work. 

Scientific Method Music Video

Utilizing the scientific method is a powerful process for students, providing them with a systematic means of exploring their world and drawing conclusions based on their investigations.  For Mrs. Hodges’ (@Hodgesvj)fourth grade students, the motivation for mastering the scientific method was evident from the moment she proclaimed that the class would be responsible for creating a music video regarding the topic.  The students were immediately able to take ownership of the work as they began planning the video.  Through the production of their music video, the students were able to emphasize critical components of the scientific method such as; making observations, predicting, identifying variables, and drawing conclusions based on data.  In this transformative learning experience, the students realized the profound purpose of the work since the product would be posted on YouTube so that others could learn from their scientific method music video. 

In the aforementioned examples, Alan November and Daniel Pink’s concept of motivation and transformative learning was clearly evident.  In each case, the students were motivated due to the work having purpose beyond a grade or assigned requirement.  The students took great pride in their work, knowing that it would be accessed by others far beyond the classroom.  In addition, the learning activities were transformative by design.  The students' work made a difference, created a sense of ownership, and added information that aided in the learning of others.  In our unwavering efforts to provide students with a world-class education, it is vital to create transformative learning experiences in which our students are motivated, engaged, and able to see the value of their work. 

Promoting 21st Century Learning for Students and Teachers: 5 Powerful Examples

1.    Group Professional Development via Social Media:

Social Media such as Ning has given schools the ability to provide virtual professional development opportunities for staff.  No longer do professional development endeavors need to be restricted by the traditional mass standardization or brick and mortar approaches.  By offering professional development through a Ning, staff members are able to engage in a school-wide PLN, which provides tremendous flexibility and honors time.  The platform promotes school-wide collaboration, enhancing vertical articulation and opportunities for inquiry-based professional learning. 

Rather than conducting a tradition book study meeting, shift to a 21^st century approach by posting reflective prompts on your Ning.  Using this model, teachers are given choice regarding the time and location for completing the professional learning activity.  Further, the threaded discussion fosters authentic participation and pedagogical synergy. 

Creating a Ning for professional development allows educators to participate in the use of social media for learning and gain a greater understanding regarding the way our students learn and interact with information.   

2.   Personal Professional Development via Twitter:

When I began my career as a teacher almost 20 years ago, my professional learning network included educators within my school and district.  Today, my PLN reaches across the globe thanks to Twitter.  Promoting the use of Twitter by teachers within your school will provide them with one of the most powerful inquiry-based professional learning tools in existence.  Teachers will be able to create a Twitter PLN and follow hashtags based on their needs and interests.

Connect your staff to educators around the world by promoting the use of Twitter as an integral part of professional learning.

3.   Learning via Digital Tools:

As 21^st century educators, we must embrace the use of digital tools within the classroom.  Tools such as iPods, iPads and e-Readers can enhance student engagement and instantly connect learners with real-time information from around the world.  A great way to get started is by utilizing educational apps for devices such as iPods and iPads.  The ever-growing list of free educational apps can have a significant impact on student engagement, enhance the students’ understanding of abstract concepts and provide built-in opportunities for differentiated instruction. 

In addition to the aforementioned devices, e-Readers are now part of our students’ literacy development at home.  Whether using the built-in dictionary, highlighting text or adding annotations, the students’ interaction with text is strengthened via these powerful digital tools.  Moving towards an instructional model, which harnesses the capabilities of e-Readers is a necessity for our 21^st century students. 

Rather than resembling museums in the eyes of our students, the use of digital tools within the classroom is a tremendous step towards keeping our schools relevant.  

4.   Sharing Writing beyond the Classroom via Blogs:

Class blogs add a 21^st century attribute to writing; the ability for students to share their ideas and products beyond the classroom.  Today’s learners expect to be connected with people beyond their classroom walls and share their work with an audience around the world. 

After initiating a grade-level kidblog for our fifth grade students, we were amazed by the students’ level of interest and use.  Students were asking their teachers throughout the day if they could blog, posting original work, providing feedback for their classmates and realizing the value of their work.  Teachers have noticed that students who were reluctant to participate in class discussions have found their voice via the blog.  In addition to the marked increase in writing during school hours, parents reported that their children were regularly accessing the blog from home and writing rather than watching television.  By contrast, students were not as motivated to open a composition notebook and simply write for their teacher. 

Class blogs have a tremendous impact on student engagement as it relates to writing and allow students to communicate and collaborate in a way that did not exist in traditional language arts instruction. 

5.   Invite Students and Experts into the Classroom via Skype:

Video conferencing technology such as Skype is being used in schools in order to prepare students for the 21^st century, foster creativity and collaboration, and expand teaching and learning beyond the classroom. 

Through the use of Skype, we were able to arrange a virtual trip to Tanzania for our third grade students and connect fifth grade students with a geologist working in the Colorado Plateau.  In addition, our kindergarten students were able to video conference with an author after reading her book in class. During the video conference, the students were able to meet the author and her dogs, as well as ask questions about story elements and the authors writing process.  These powerful learning experiences connected the students with experts in the field and took them to destinations beyond the limits of the school bus.  

Another powerful use of video conferencing technology is the ability to connect students with other classrooms and schools.  By using Skype, students can participate in a collaborative project with another class or have the opportunity to share their work beyond the classroom.  In the 21^st century, students ought to have Skype pals. 

Promoting 21^st Century Learning:

Does your school have a culture of 21^st century learning for students and teachers?  The use of class blogs, digital tools and video conferencing represent a step in the right direction for our students.  Social media such as Ning and Twitter signify tremendous networking platforms that educators can utilize to augment professional learning.  By implementing these powerful approaches, a 21^st century culture begins to emerge, enhancing learning for students and teachers. 

Engaging Students via Authentic Learning Experiences and Digital Tools

Throughout this school year, our students have been engaged in extraordinary learning experiences and challenged to develop critical thinking skills, work cooperatively with peers and utilize problem solving strategies.  The following examples simply highlight a few of the rigorous and engaging instructional endeavors taking place at Magruder Elementary School. 

This year, our students have been able to take part in the Stock Market Game.  The Stock Market Game challenges students in mathematics as they endeavor to grow their virtual portfolios.  This learning experience involves cooperative groups of students engaged in researching, trading and monitoring stocks throughout the school year.  Students analyze investment opportunities and make judgments regarding which stocks to buy and sell in order to increase their initial portfolio value of $100,000.  This powerful learning activity provides students with a real-world experience in which they are challenged to excel in the areas of cooperation, problem solving, mathematics and economics. 

In order to make connections beyond the classroom, MES students have been involved in Skype video conferencing during instructional activities.  Skype has allowed our students to connect with other classrooms within York County and experts from around the world.  Recently, our students were able to Skype with Beck Seashols, the author of “Weiner Dog Adventures: The Treasure of Kittybooty Island” after reading her book in class. This 21^st Century tool is definitely enhancing student engagement and learning within the school. 

Students in all grade levels have used iPods as part of the lessons within their classrooms.  A vast-array of educational Apps have been utilized in order to enhance instructional activities across the curriculum.  Whether using Apps such as Super Why, Freddy Fraction or Pass the Past; the students’ use of iPods is having a positive impact on their understanding of abstract concepts and level of engagement. 

Finally, our students have explored division via a cross-curricular activity involving mathematics, art and technology.  Using digital cameras and video production software, students created Claymation products by taking photographs of their clay representations of division problems.  Through the Claymation process, they were able to turn the still photographs into a sequential video and gain a greater understanding of the long-division algorithm. 

Magruder Elementary School continues to challenge students via authentic learning experiences and digital tools.  It is an absolute honor to serve as the principal of such an outstanding school.