COLLABORATOR
Teachers model safe, ethical and legal behaviors and create learning environments that encourage students to engage in positive, socially responsible behavior.
a. Dedicate planning time to collaborate with colleagues to create authentic learning experiences that leverage technology.
As a member of the Ladue Middle School Diversity Cadre, I helped to plan our annual exploration and celebration of diversity issues in our school community. "I Am LMS" day is a time when every teacher, student, and staff member in the building sets aside the academic aspect of school and engages with the human element. This year, the Diversity Cadre planned a suite of activities for students focusing on individual identity, particularly with regard to race and gender expression. This schedule, though simple on paper, represents months of collaboration and planning between teachers, administrators, students, and parents.
ARTIFACT: I AM LMS DAY
Each year, our school chooses one focus area that each teacher dedicates special attention toward in their practice. This year, we are examining the critical role of student engagement in the classroom. To inspire and give teachers strategies to reinvigorate student engagement in their classrooms, I collaborated with two colleagues to present strategies for student choice in the classroom. The artifact below shows my section of the presentation. My contribution encouraged teachers to be more open with their students, and loosen their grip on the notion that all students must be doing the same thing at the same time in order for a classroom to be well-managed.
ARTIFACT: STUDENT CHOICE PRESENTATION
ARTIFACT: I AM LMS DAY
Each year, our school chooses one focus area that each teacher dedicates special attention toward in their practice. This year, we are examining the critical role of student engagement in the classroom. To inspire and give teachers strategies to reinvigorate student engagement in their classrooms, I collaborated with two colleagues to present strategies for student choice in the classroom. The artifact below shows my section of the presentation. My contribution encouraged teachers to be more open with their students, and loosen their grip on the notion that all students must be doing the same thing at the same time in order for a classroom to be well-managed.
ARTIFACT: STUDENT CHOICE PRESENTATION
b. Collaborate and co-learn with students to explore and experiment with digital tools and resources that support learning, and to diagnose and troubleshoot technology issues.
A major anchor of my middle school technology classes is 20% Time - the concept which originated at Google, that says that each person should be able to spend a part of their time working toward something they are personally interested in and find valuable. My students have one day per week to learn about literally any topic they are interested in, on the conditions that they must learn something new and they must present their learning to the class at the end of the semester. This total freedom over the topic, process, and product of their learning is often brand-new to students, and gives an excellent opportunity for me to be a co-learner as we work together to find resources for both learning and sharing.
ARTIFACT: KAYLIN'S PREZI
This school year, I had the opportunity to participate with students in a regional summit addressing issues of digital citizenship. The objective of the summit was to educate students on various facets of digital citizenship, examine students' perceptions of the current values in their school communities, and create a plan that drives those values forward from the students' point of view. This was an illuminating experience for me, because it allowed me to hear students' candid thoughts on how they view digital citizenship and character education within our school community. After the summit, I created this presentation to share with our school's Character Education committee, and continue to serve as a liaison to ensure that as a school, we are addressing issues that reflect our students' lived experiences rather than our adult views of what students "should" be doing to develop character.
ARTIFACT: DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP STUDENT SUMMIT
ARTIFACT: KAYLIN'S PREZI
This school year, I had the opportunity to participate with students in a regional summit addressing issues of digital citizenship. The objective of the summit was to educate students on various facets of digital citizenship, examine students' perceptions of the current values in their school communities, and create a plan that drives those values forward from the students' point of view. This was an illuminating experience for me, because it allowed me to hear students' candid thoughts on how they view digital citizenship and character education within our school community. After the summit, I created this presentation to share with our school's Character Education committee, and continue to serve as a liaison to ensure that as a school, we are addressing issues that reflect our students' lived experiences rather than our adult views of what students "should" be doing to develop character.
ARTIFACT: DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP STUDENT SUMMIT
c. Use collaborative tools to engage virtually with experts, teams and students, locally and globally, to expand students’ authentic, real-world learning experiences.
20% Time (mentioned above) is an incredible experience for me and my students. When students begin to "pitch" their project ideas, one of the questions they must consider is, "Who is an expert in the field I'm exploring? What would that expert do or know? What questions would I ask them?" The e-mail below is a direct result of this process. A 7th grade student, Erin, had a passion for hand-lettering and calligraphy, and wanted to ask many questions about the art form to Mary Suber Thorpe, a well-known artist. I reached out to Mary on Twitter, and facilitated the conversation between Mary and Erin.
ARTIFACT: CALLIGRAPHY EXPERT E-MAIL
One of the most thrilling aspects of 20% Time is that I can never, ever guess where my students' interests will lead them. I was absolutely over the moon when an 8th grade student, Gavin, wanted to investigate "how and why people try to hunt Bigfoot." He wanted to speak to an expert on this topic, so I took to Twitter to find one. The artifact below demonstrates the power of engaging with experts - even in decidedly non-academic fields - for the student AND the teacher!
ARTIFACT: CRYPTID EXPERT E-MAIL
ARTIFACT: CALLIGRAPHY EXPERT E-MAIL
One of the most thrilling aspects of 20% Time is that I can never, ever guess where my students' interests will lead them. I was absolutely over the moon when an 8th grade student, Gavin, wanted to investigate "how and why people try to hunt Bigfoot." He wanted to speak to an expert on this topic, so I took to Twitter to find one. The artifact below demonstrates the power of engaging with experts - even in decidedly non-academic fields - for the student AND the teacher!
ARTIFACT: CRYPTID EXPERT E-MAIL
d. Exhibit cultural competency when communicating with students, parents and colleagues and interact with them as co-collaborators in student learning.
As schools seem to be hurtling toward the future at breakneck pace, we sometimes lose sight of the fact that innovative digital learning is not a standard (or even an option) for many people. The same forces that impact the quality of a child's education in general - namely, systemic racism, sexism, and socioeconomic instability - impact their experiences with technology both inside and outside of school. In order to help teachers better understand these issues, I curated the reading list below as a part of my Google Certified Innovator project. Only when we understand our own advantages and listen openly to the lived experiences of others can we begin to work toward equitable educational experiences for all students.
ARTIFACT: #STEMISFORME READING LIST
This year, our school gave a parent screening of the documentary "Screenagers," which explores issues around middle grade children and digital life. Many parents had questions and wanted further discussion around the topic, so my assistant asked if I would facilitate a discussion with parents about the realities of digital life for middle schoolers. The artifact below shows an outline of the talk, which I will be delivering later this school year. As I created these talking points, I had one major goal in mind: while these concepts may be hard for parents to accept and understand, they are a driving force in every aspect of our students' lives, and that reality must be respected.
ARTIFACT: "SCREENAGERS" PARENT TALK OUTLINE
ARTIFACT: #STEMISFORME READING LIST
This year, our school gave a parent screening of the documentary "Screenagers," which explores issues around middle grade children and digital life. Many parents had questions and wanted further discussion around the topic, so my assistant asked if I would facilitate a discussion with parents about the realities of digital life for middle schoolers. The artifact below shows an outline of the talk, which I will be delivering later this school year. As I created these talking points, I had one major goal in mind: while these concepts may be hard for parents to accept and understand, they are a driving force in every aspect of our students' lives, and that reality must be respected.
ARTIFACT: "SCREENAGERS" PARENT TALK OUTLINE