Going WAY Outside My Comfort Zone (Or Genius Hour Success!)

Today I took a giant step outside of my comfort zone by presenting at the Hamline Summer Literacy Institute.  This is a professional development opportunity for teachers which is strongly attended by educators from Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin.  I volunteered to present several months ago.  What motivated me to present was my new knowledge and experience in the area of Blended Learning.  I felt I could help fellow teachers by sharing what I have learned and used since starting my pursuit for the Innovative Leadership Certificate program.

I was asked to arrive 30 minutes early to prepare for my presentation.  I was a bundle of nerves which made me think I needed more than 30 minutes to get set up and prepare myself mentally for my presentation.  (I arrived almost 3 hours early.)  I was glad I did arrive early as I experienced technical difficulties with the internet which resulted in the need for help from the Hamline IT department.  About 15 minutes before I began the coordinator stopped in to make sure I had everything I needed.  She then told me not to be concerned if only 1 or 2 attended as I was scheduled the same time as one of their keynote speakers.  I was concerned (and secretly hoped) nobody would attend.  Much to my surprise I had an audience attendance of 15 teachers.  With the information I was given, I was thrilled to have this many people attend.  The majority of my presentation was loaded on Google Classroom.  I had lesson samples, videos and announcements posted.  This was a refreshing change from the usual power point.  My presentation went very smoothly and the audience seemed interested in what I had to share.  Pacing was challenging and because I was nervous and talking fast I still had 15 minutes left.  For a moment this worried me but I was then able to open this up to a round table discussion.  One teacher in attendance had experience with using Blended Learning in her classroom.  She discussed how it did not work well for her.  She said that is wasn't because of the platform but the curriculum her school used was not very good.  My audience seemed the most interested in the different apps that I used and as I demonstrated how they worked I noticed several of them were feverishly writing notes as I talked.  Another teacher had used Schoology in the past and we talked about the differences between Google Classroom and Schoology.

Before I gave my presentation I had researched countless numbers of Ted Talks, websites and other sources of information to help me deliver a smooth presentation.  Many sources suggested that I know my audience and be prepared to give them the information they were seeking.  This was very difficult as I had no idea who the audience was (besides being teachers) and what they may want to know.  I had to anticipate what that may be.  Another source stated to, "stay in the lead".  I was able to do that until it came to the point where my presentation was complete and I had remaining time.  But rather than putting the audience in the lead it became more of a collaboration of experiences.  Another source suggested to remain confident.  Much to my surprise, I was able to do that.  I became more relaxed within minutes of beginning my presentation.

One of the main points I wanted to get across to teachers is that Blended Learning allows teachers to differentiate and meet the needs of many students at one time.  There is much research and scholarly articles focusing on this.  One source tells us that Blended Learning allows educators to "meet the students where they are at." (Edutopia, 2012).  I agree with that as I have been able to create various assignments to meet objectives students still need to master.  This agrees with the findings in the article from Exceptiona+1 titled Differentiating Instruction with Technology which states, "The ability to differentiate instruction to target all learning styles is enhanced in an effective blended class as a conscious effort has been paid to identifying learning styles and meeting the needs of the learner."

As attendees arrived I asked them to sign in and provide their email address.  I plan to send out a survey to gain information on what I need to do to make my next presentation even better.  Although what they may say makes me nervous, I feel that this is critical information in meeting the needs of my future audience.

I learned many things through my experience.   They are:

• I learned that I have knowledge that is worth sharing and there are people who are interested in hearing what I have to say.
• Pacing is a challenge.
• Keeping the attention of the audience is challenging.
• It is important to be prepared.

and most importantly:

• I can successfully stand in front of the room and give a quality presentation.

I look forward to to presenting again next year!

Genius Hour Project

I am currently taking the Mindset, Motivation and Self Directed Learning course through Winona State University.  This course requires me to complete a Genius Hour Project.  I am new to this whole concept so that in itself required some research on my part.  For this project I chose to give a presentation at the Hamline Summer Literacy Institute on the benefits of blended learning in the classroom.

You may wonder why I chose this as my project.  Part of the reason that I selected this is because I feel that many teachers are not aware of the benefits of blended learning.  I want teachers to understand that this does not replace the instruction in the classroom given by teachers but it enhances the learning.  Blended Learning allows teachers to differentiate and supplement objectives being taught.  It may appear that this requires much more work for the teacher but actually, once it is initially set up it makes the differentiation less labor intensive.

There is a second reason I chose this as my project.  I feel that public speaking is not something I am good at.  Although that may be true, it is a skill that I can improve upon the more I do it.  As we tell our students, "Practice makes perfect."  Part of my goal in this project is to change my mindset from "I don't think I can do it" to a mindset of "I can do it".  Yes, the thought gives me butterflies in my stomach and I have been tempted many times to back out of this commitment.   I expect the butterflies  will always be there when it comes to public speaking and this is something I need to carry through.  Public speaking is something I anticipate will come smoother the more I do it.

My presentation is scheduled for this week.  I look forward to reporting back to my followers the success I experienced.  I CAN DO THIS!

Empowerment is Key to Motivation

Chapter 6 of George Couros book "The Innovator's Mindset" puts the focus on engagement and empowerment.  Couros points out to his readers that increase engagement we must be willing to empower our students.  By that, Couros means to give them the tools that they need to want to explore a topic deeper.  That could be through YouTube videos, reading blogs or researching credible online resources.  I agree completely with what he is saying and have experienced my own motivation growing simply by reading his book.  Often times Couros will reference a source that has me seeking out that source to read more about it or to read the entire article.  By providing me with the resources, I see curiosity sparked and my motivation to learn more is increased.

An example of this in our own school comes to mind when I read chapter 6.  The second grade students are required to research a topic of a person in history.  These students are allowed to pick the person they wish to research further.  They are able to use textbooks, nonfiction books, the internet or any other source that is of interest to them.  In the end all students are to create a costume and dress as that individual.  They then put their work on exhibit in the Wax Museum.  Through this assignment I have witnessed students eagerly researching their character knowing that they will be able to present their work to the school and the community.  I have seen the most struggling student motivated by this assignment.  Why is that?  It is because this assignment provides them an opportunity to feel empowerment.  Students are not told how they they must do their research or how their character must look.  Rather they are given the opportunity use their imagination.

Empowerment is key to increasing motivation.  Nobody wants to be constantly told what to do or what to say.  Although there are guidelines to completing an assignment or a project, allowing the students the freedom to be creative and resourceful increases both motivation and engagement.  If you have not done this in your classroom, give it a try and see how it affects your student's learning.

Growth Mindset: Do I Have It?

The focus for the coming school year is to learn and encourage a Growth Mindset amongst all staff and students.  As learn more and more about a Growth Mindset vs a Fixed Mindset I find myself evaluating my own present position.  I can honestly say that at one time I had a Fixed Mindset.  I would often find myself saying, "I can't do this.  This is too tough." Or when it came to change, I would often not see the value of that change and be apprehensive of conforming.  But as time goes on and the more I learn about a Growth Mindset I can see myself changing.  Although some changes or challenges may be tough, I look hard to see the value of the change or what is asked of me and try my best to change.

In a recent video in the Mindset, Motivation and Self Directed learning we see a gentleman about my age trying to ride a bike.  This is not a typical bike but one that has been redesigned to turn left when the handle bars are turned right and vice versa.  This gentleman is an adult and knows how to ride a bike but this particular bike has given him trouble.  But he was determined to conquer this task.  It took him 8 months to master this skill because his brain already knew how to ride a typical bike.  He had to rewire his brain to ride this bike which took him some time.  But he went into this with a Growth Mindset.  That coupled with determination gave him success.  His 6 year old son took on the same task.  It took his son 2 weeks to master this skill.  Why?  Because his son did not have the habit as strongly embedded in his brain.  The success of these two is credited also to the neuroplasticity of the brain.  The time difference in learning these skills is credited to the level of habit in riding a typical bike.  To help you understand what I am talking about I have included the video.

https://youtu.be/MFzDaBzBlL0

The brain is a powerful part of the body.  With a Growth Mindset, one can accomplish almost anything.  At times it may take longer to meet the goal, but with the Growth Mindset, it can be done.  And those with a Growth Mindset are much more enjoyable to be around.

Do I have a Growth Mindset?  The majority of the time I do and I have found that mindset allows me to feel more positive successful.  Because of the change in my mindset I foresee a successful school year for both myself and my students.

Welcome Summer!

Hello to all my followers!  You couldn't ask for a better summer morning than what we are having today.  The sun is shining, the temperature is just perfect and the birds are singing.  This must be a sign of good things to come for today.  It seems that it has taken until today for me to wrap up the loose ends of the school year and complete any professional commitments I have made so far.  Last week I taught a geocaching class through the ZED Summer Academy.  The kids had a great time looking for (and hiding) "treasure".  The first full week of the summer vacation is when we started our week long road trip down south.  My husband and I celebrated our 31st wedding anniversary on June 8th.  On that day we left for North Carolina.  But that trip was not without a stop in Tennessee to enjoy the Grand Ole Opry.  The entire trip was wonderful and we can now add 4 more states to our list of "been to's" and another set of mountains.

The week of June 13th I began another class in my journey towards a certificate in Innovative Leadership.  This class is titled" Mindset, Motivation and Self Directed Learning. "  This course requires a Genius Hour project.  Although my summer has been filled with professional commitments that would meet this requirement, meeting the course deadline has proven to be problematic.  The project I have chosen is my presentation at Hamline's Summer Literacy Institute with the topic being "Blended Learning".    I did not "settle" on this project, but this is a project that I feel the most excitement.  One thing to note, the thought of public speaking stirs up the "butterflies in my stomach."  This is something that I dread but it is something that I committed to because I needed to change my mindset from a "I can't do this" attitude to an "I got this!" attitude.  There have been a hundred times I have thought about calling the organizers to tell them I can't do this.  But I have resisted this temptation and will see this through, because I CAN DO THIS!

My presentation is scheduled for July 14th.  Watch for an upcoming post updating all of you on my experience.  At this point my thoughts are that this is the worst part of it, the thought of it.  Stay tuned!

And That's a Wrap!

Wednesday night, April 20, 2016 the WSU Cohort #1 held its final #byronedchat.   This has been quite an experience.  We had our regulars but this time we had several make their presence known that were not even from our district.  It makes me think that if we are able to keep this going we can become just as big as some of the other chats that I have participated in such as #mnlead or #satchat.  I am impressed with how quickly we have become known by others.  I think that is because of the the strong PLNs developed by of some of my classmates.

This semester has been very exciting.  I have created my own PLN and watch it grow almost daily.  At the beginning of this semester I had 53 followers. I am now up to 144.  And reading those bios, those are people that that I consider credible in their fields.

This semester I have learned many things.  I did learn I can "go off the grid" and survive without technology or social media.  As much as I have referenced it, one must get the impression that this was very difficult for me.  That would be an accurate impression.  Because of our district wide Twitter chat, I have come to know others from the district that I have only known by name.   I have learned what an incredible team of educators we have in our district and through our discussions it is no wonder that we are considered a Blue Ribbon School.

The pace of this course was very manageable.  It allowed me to take time to explore options before trying them without the pressure of a deadline. Through collaboration I have been given many resources that will help in enhancing my teaching.

As class 2 in this program comes to a close, it finds me not only reflecting on what I have learned this semester but pondering what I would like to learn in the classes ahead.  I am excited for what is to come.

Feeling Panicked

It is hard to believe but our cohort is down to the last few weeks of this course.  At this point, I am finding that I still have much to do.  There is only one assignment that is giving me trouble and has me losing sleep.  That assignment is creating a lesson that includes a global learning experience.

Going into this course, I knew exactly what I wanted to do.  I had (and still do) every intention of connecting my students with students from another district.  The purpose was to allow them an opportunity to improve their social communication skills.  At the start, I was very hopeful and very excited about this lesson but as time continues, the excitement has turned to nervousness.  The nerves are not because I am worried about them doing it. It is more about finding a classroom teacher that is willing to work with me on this mission.  Since the planning of this assignment I have had three different teachers outside of our district who have expressed interest in connecting our students but have not been willing to follow through with the request.  I am not a procrastinator when it comes to my coursework but I do fear that this will put me in a situation where I will have to implement a Plan B.

There is somewhat of a bright spot in all of this.  By reaching out to teachers from other districts, I have increased my PLN.  I feel the teachers that have been willing to collaborate with me (who I have added to my PLN) are very credible educators.  I sense that the challenge is the same for them as it is for me-time.  We all have the same goals for our students but we have them in a different chronological order.  We are all on a different calendar.

So, as I continue to assess my situation it leaves me to wonder when do I give up on my original plan and resort to Plan B?  Time is not on my side.

I Am a Pioneer

This week has been a very exciting week for myself and our WSU Cohort.  In an effort to increase the growing use of  Twitter within our district our cohort has taken on the initiative and sponsoring a district wide Twitter Chat.  I have found that within our district there are many that have a Twitter account but there are also many that have let their account go unattended.  I suspect this is primarily due to the lack of knowledge and understanding of the benefits of Twitter as part of a PLN.

Our first chat began at 8 p.m. and lasted for 1 hour.  We had several participate that are not part of our cohort.  I suspect that those that did participate found it engaging and interesting.  I anticipate that as word gets out about our conversations, the number of participants will increase.  This is something that I find very exciting.  I enjoy collaborating with colleagues both within our building and within other buildings within the district.

Next week Kory and I will be leading the discussion.  I am very excited for this.  Through the continual use of Twitter, I have become comfortable with doing more than re-tweeting.  I have learned many things from others and I enjoy sharing out what I know or have tried.  With that being said, I am looking forward to another evening of collaboration.

BLACK OUT!

As I had mentioned in one of my previous blog posts, one of my assignments in the course Connected Educator, Connected Classroom class through Winona State University (under the instruction of Jen Hegna) is that I participate in a BINGO challenge.  And challenge it was.  When I saw the card I thought to myself, "This will be easy peasy."  Well, it wasn't stressful but it wasn't as easy as I thought it was going to be.

There were many activities on the card that had me "putting myself out there" publicly.  Things such as posting pictures of teaching and learning in my classroom, participating in various Twitter chats, organizing lists of followers, posting inspiring thoughts.  Some of these things I found exciting, some made me nervous because I worried about being judged.

One of my favorites was participating in #satchat this morning.  There was a high volume of tweets going on which was exciting and frustrating at the same time.  Seemed like every time I went to retweet or reply to something, the tweet would jump farther down the page because of the activity.  I had to move fast.  But I did find alot of new resources that I want to investigate further.  That is why I saved the whole session to Storify.  Here if the link if you are interested as well:

https://storify.com/TracyLermon/satchat

Now that I have finished my BINGO card, I am spending some deciding if I want to go back to "lurking" or being an active participant on Twitter chats.  I have learned alot from the "lurking" part but to me it does seem important to share what I have learned.

Let the learning continue!

Where Are We in Getting Our School Connected?

Through this course we have read and discussed many things from where the importance of how to get our staff connected in their own Personal Learning Network (PLN).  Our final chapter and last Twitter discussion has shown me that as a district, we have a strong beginning to making that happen.
The first step necessary is providing the equipment necessary to be connected.  As teachers, we all are provided with both computers and iPads along with access to the internet.  Additionally, the majority of us have Smartphones so we have continual access to our PLN.  The rest is fairly easy, just seek out sources that help us to collaborate and learn from each other.  We are also given free access to Google drive which serves as our Cloud.  By utilizing our Cloud, we have all of our gathered resources at our fingertips no matter which device we may be utilizing.  We are rapidly making the transition to a paperless education system.  Parents are able to access tools to the progress of their child, see what is coming ahead in their learning and to communicate with their teachers.

I feel that as a district, we are probably "ahead of the game" in not only being connected as staff but also supporting our students and parents connectivity.  The advantages to this are abundant.  I strongly feel that by being having a strong PLN, we as teachers are opening ourselves up to a variety of teaching lessons and tools.  Every student has their own individual style of learning and a PLN allows us to be diverse in teaching to those individual learners.

Byron prides themselves in meeting the needs of the 21st Century Learner.  I am proud to be an active part of that mission.

Becoming a Networked School

This week's reading tells us not only how, but why, we must become a networked school.  It may seem like a "trendy" way to bring innovation to the classroom but our times are changing and it is becoming almost an essential element to teaching and learning.  This statement addresses one of the three cornerstones in the path of making change.  The cornerstone of providing a compelling case.

This week we have learned that a networked school should include ALL educators.  You will always find a "nay sayer" or one that may resist the change.  That is where it is also essential to have a collaboration of staff to collaborate to create a networked school and to persuade those "nay sayers" to embrace the change.  This group will serve as your change team, the pioneers.  To sway the thinking of skeptics, the change team can then put their work into action which is the pilot stage of the three cornerstones.

Chapter four points out that motivation can be as much of an issue for us as it is for our students.  I like how Richardson and Mancabelli acknowledge that each participant is at different levels of learning.  Those differences should be recognized and expectations set at varied levels to keep the motivation alive.

21st century teaching and learning is here.  As educators, I feel we must welcome this and be willing to incorporate this in our classrooms.  Move over Xeroxed worksheets, make way for Makerspace!

Is it important to be a connected educator? Why or why not?

This is a prompt in our course that has me thinking deeply.  Is it important to be a connected educator?  Absolutely!

Currently, for this course, we are reading the book Personal Learning Networks by Will Richardson and Rob Mancabelli.  Chapter 2 points how we are not only educators, but we are learners too.  I feel that Professional Learning Communities (PLC) are starting to experience a shift where they are not becoming Professional Learning Networks (PLNs).  We are no longer relying on the colleagues that exist just within our building, but those within the entire world.  We are becoming connected through technology and social media.  Resources such as Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest are no longer considered time killers but are now becoming a resource to connect with other colleagues to  collaborate long distantly.

Richardson and Mancabelli also tell us that it is not the number of connections we have but the quality of those connections.  From experience, I am finding that to be true.  When I first started using Twitter or Facebook, I would find myself "following" anyone that had knowledge in Special Education or Reading since I am licensed and teach in both.  Before I knew it, my "feed" was was becoming unmanageable and I was missing very good information.

The importance of being a connected educator is that it provides us the opportunity to grow right at our fingertips.  Not only is social media a resource to us but there are also online journals or webinars.  The more connected we are the more the opportunity to improve.

During the coming 12 weeks, I plan to create a quality PLN.  I will be assessing my current activity and determining what is beneficial to me and what it not.  I plan to use my PLN tool as a resource to learn and to collaborate.

My Name is Tracy...and I'm an Addict

As I write this, I have completed my first, and hopefully, only 24 hour period without technology.  I went to bed Saturday night at 8:30 because I dreaded the thought and Sunday night at the same time so it would be over sooner.  I have always known I rely too much on technology and I have now proven that to be true.

Some things I learned:

• I am on my phone constantly.  I will look at it without realizing I am looking at it.
• 99% of my resources are on my phone.  
• Phone book (Some kids may ask what that is.)
• Calendar
• Calorie Calculator
• Social Media
• Notes
• I post on Facebook alot of things that people really don't care about.  Nobody really cares to hear about my frustration when I have forgotten my grocery list (on paper for this 24 hour period) at home because I couldn't use the note feature on my phone.  Or that I went to Fantastic Sam's for an "emergency" haircut and the lady who cut my hair would not stop making small talk.  
• My alarm clock. Fortunately it was Sunday so I didn't need it but had it been a week day I would have had to purchase an alarm clock.
• We don't own a single radio in the house.  It was pretty quiet here.  No Pandora, iTunes or Netflix.
• On a positive note, I am more productive.  I was able to get alot of paperwork completed so I can now say my work is caught up at school.  I did have to use my computer to type up some reports.
• Another positive, I was more connected with my family.  I now know why they say, "You are on the that phone all the time."  Because I am!  The weird thing is, I don't have this challenge at work.
• I have often wondered if I have ADD or ADHD.  I can't stand in line anywhere without surfing.  I went shopping yesterday and had times I had to wait in line. I actually had to look at people or find other ways to entertain myself.
• All of my coupons are on my phone!  I had to plan ahead so I remembered to take my paper coupons with me.
• My phone has replaced my camera.  
• I do not enjoy talking on the phone.  I text often.  I avoided conversations yesterday so I didn't have to talk on the phone.  
• I may be less informed without my phone, but I will not die.

What do I plan to change?

I do plan to be more conscious of when I am using my technology.  When I am watching a movie with my husband, it is ok to put the phone down.  I think I will start the habit of turning my phone off when we are having quality time.  We are empty nesters, this is when life is really good.  I can't replace my kids with my phone. Other than that, I can't see things changing a whole lot  My phone has replaced many of my daily tools such as calendar, camera, etc.  It is so convenient to have this all in one spot.

Pushing Myself to a New Limit...

I am currently participating in class #2 of the Innovative Leadership certification program through Winona State University.  This class is titled Connected Educator, Connected Classroom.  During this short time I have found myself as an active participant in Twitter chats.  Myself and two of my classmates will be facilitating a Twitter chat through #WSUCohort1.  I am very nervous because this is something I have never done before.  I struggle with not having enough characters so I can fully express myself.  Although I am nervous about this, I am excited!

With that being said, that is not the only way I am stretching myself.  During this class, we have the assignment involving playing BINGO.  There is an option for points for a blackout.  I felt confident that I could do this until I noticed that one of the options was to "go off the grid for a day".  This has me assessing my dependance on my phone and social media.  I check my Facebook page and Twitter feeds more frequently than I should.   Pinterest has great ideas for lesson plans, travel plans or meal planning.  I'm forced to think for myself in those areas for a 24 hour period.   I guess you could say that I am addicted to my technology and social media.  Although I am an addict, I refuse to fail.  I can disconnect for a 24 hour period and still survive.  I will have to watch the news on tv and read the newspaper.  It may not be the most up to date information or immediate but it is news.  I also want to mention I intentionally chose Sunday because that is going to be my biggest challenge.  The workweek would be less "painful".

So, with that being said.  Come midnight tonight you will not hear from me.  I am anxious to see how much work around the house I get done.  And I may even get caught up on my paperwork. Tune in Monday to hear the results.

And The Learning Continues...

The 2015-2016 school finds me continuing my hobby as a life long learner.  This fall I became a member of the Innovative Instructional Leadership certificate program through Winona State University.  I feel very fortunate to be in a classroom (both face-to-face and online) with a great group of fellow students while the learning is being lead by Jen Hegna, who also serves as the leader in the technology department with the Byron Public Schools.

This is not my first experience as an online student.  I graduated from Hamline University in 2014 with a Masters degree in Literacy Administration.  I did not step foot on campus (beyond a visit to the campus bookstore) until I attended my graduation ceremony.

As an experienced online learner, I understand the value of technology along with innovated opportunities it brings to the classroom.  I imagine in the not so far away future, snow days in the public school system will not longer exist.  Rather, students will remain safely at home accessing their learning through the ever evolving technology opportunities.

Blogging is a very new experience for me.  As I write this I think to myself, "Is this how I am supposed to do this?"  But I also reassure myself that of course this is how it is done. Afterall, blogs serve as a way of reflecting on what has been learned and has yet to come, right?

Although this is "short and sweet", it is sincere.  Look for more blogs to come. I look forward to reflecting and sharing with you all that I have learned along the way.  This is an amazing journey that I am on.

Welcome!

Hello everyone.  Welcome to my newest experience in innovation, my blog.  I am looking forward to learning how to blog and be an activate member of the blogging community.