Back-To-School Video From Wisconsin's Tony Evers

Tony Evers salutes teachers and staff as we head into the new school year - 2013-14.  Click here.

Apps to Help Students With Dysgraphia and Writing Difficulties

Technology can be a great tool for students (and adults!) who have learning disabilities like dysgraphia or dyslexia that affect their written expression. We’ve personally reviewed these mobile apps and we know they’re LD-friendly. They can make the writing process a bit easier and even fun! Not every app will be a “perfect fit” for everyone who has LD, but with a little testing, you can figure out which one works best for your child or teen’s individual needs.

Read more here. 

Motivation is Inseparable from Culture

Motivation Is Inseparable from Culture

Engagement is the visible outcome of motivation, the natural capacity to direct energy in the pursuit of a goal. Our emotions influence our motivation. In turn, our emotions are socialized through culture—the deeply learned confluence of language, beliefs, values, and behaviors that pervades every aspect of our lives. For example, one person working at a task feels frustrated and stops, while another person working at the task feels joy and continues. Yet another person, with an even different set of cultural beliefs, feels frustrated at the task but continues with increased determination. What may elicit that frustration, joy, or determination may differ across cultures, because cultures differ in their definitions of novelty, hazard, opportunity, and gratification, and in their definitions of appropriate responses. Thus, the response a student has to a learning activity reflects his or her culture.

While the internal logic as to why a student does something may not coincide with that of the teacher, it is, nonetheless, present. And, to be effective, the teacher must understand that perspective. Rather than trying to know what to do to students, we must work with students to interpret and deepen their existing knowledge and enthusiasm for learning. From this viewpoint, effective teaching is culturally responsive teaching.

Thought-provoking article ------- Textbook's Role in Today's Learning

I read this and thought - that is very interesting.  I thought I would share with you to see what you thought.

The Textbook is Dead, Long Live the Textbook! What 1:1 is doing to Traditional Classroom Resources.

Yep I said it. The days of the traditional textbook are over.  The moment I brought devices into a classroom the textbook fell from its revered place as a THE respectable source of information and was revealed for what it is, a simplified and incomplete narrative of the past.

Click here to read more.  Let me know what you think.

Creativity vs Innovation...........How can you tell them apart

Creativity vs Innovation

Creativity can be considered as the process of thinking up new things and concepts while innovation is the process of converting those thoughts into tangible things. Another way of looking at it is to consider creativity as the dreaming up of new things and innovation as the process of making those dreams come true.

Read more: Difference Between Creativity and Innovation | Difference Between | Creativity vs Innovation http://www.differencebetween.net/miscellaneous/difference-between-creativity-and-innovation/#ixzz2d64xCyTZ

ISTE 2013: New Report Details Latest Trends in Online Learning

ISTE 2013: New Report Details Latest Trends in Online Learning

Speak Up 2012 data highlights how virtual, blended and flipped classrooms are contributing to districts’ digital conversion efforts.

Read more here at Ed Teach K-12.

Welcome New Teachers........thanks for the caring hearts of the mentors

Check out our developing website for mentor and new teacher resources too -- http://educatorchat.weebly.com/

It has been updated with a Fall theme.  It is exciting to start the year with all of you in the Waterford Graded School District...............and friends following this blog around the world.

Key Nuggets from Dylan Wiliam's Presentation..............I would love to hear from you WGSD

As I walk away from the Dylan Wiliam, author of Embedded Formative Assessment, I am reminded of the following (click here to continue the dialogue http://todaysmeet.com/formativeassessment):

• The great profession that I am a part of the and the life-changing ability of a teacher to impact students in many ways not only during the years they have them in the classroom but their future success in the world of work.
• It takes commitment and dedication for a teacher to work on getting better every year - teaching is very complicated.
• We need to help students find their passions and learn how to learn. Creativity is key.
• I love when he said, "Mistakes are evidence that I gave you work that was hard enough.  If it is easy work, I am sorry as you are not learning."
• Teachers who have students raise hands are using an ineffective practice.  All students should be accountable and know you may call on them at any time.  Don't let them off the hook -- let them phone a friend, poll the audience, but don't move on when they say they don't know.  Randomly picking students is key to engagement.
• Feedback/comments increase learning if they point to the learning to advise or challenge the student only if the student is required to respond.  It is the quality of the student's response that determines the quality of the feedback.  Critic the behavior of the learner not the learner themselves.
• Mindset - smart is something you get when you work hard at something to refine, rethink, etc.
• It is harder to change habits than learn new or additional practices. However, we have to let go of some good but not great practices to learning and grow to having great instructional practices.
• Peer Observation is great if the observed teacher directs the observer on what they would liek to be observed on and owns any of the evidence used in the peer observation.

CCSS - Myths and Facts about the Common Core State Standards

Here are some updated resources on the CCSS.

Myths and Facts about the Common Core State Standards

WI Brief on the Common Core State Standards

DPI Common Core Communication Toolkit

Wong & Wong: How to Successful Engage Students in Correcting His/Her Behavior

Practicing the Smile-Feedback-Name-Please-Thank You can really assist in student management:

Step 1 - SMILE.  Smile as you approach the student, even if your first impulse is to behave harshly toward the student.

Step 2. FEEDBACK. Observe the reaction to your smile.  Are you receiving a smile in return or at least a signal that the student is relaxing and receptive to your approach?

Step 3. PAUSE.

Step 4. NAME State the student name with a slight smile.

Step 5. PAUSE.

Step 6. PLEASE. Add please, followed by your request.  Do this in a calm, firm voice, accompanied by a slight, non-threatening smile.

Step 7. PAUSE

Step 8. THANK YOU.  End with "Thank you, Nathan" and a slight smile.

SMART Goals.....Made EZ

Here is my "SMART Goals....Made EZ" - okay, well perhaps easier at least.  Click for examples.

Basic Pattern:

We, _____________, will increase/improve student achievement/learning in (1)____________ so that (2) _____of students will show gains by  (3)  on ( 4) ________ by (5) _______________  (6) through (begin to identify your action plan overview).

1. improvement you will measure (math, reading, art knowledge or skill, etc)
2. who (all the students some gains, an identified population,,,,,,,,,,could have subgoals for different areas/types of students --- GT, spec ed, etc)
3. how much (based on your baseline data, what is the improvement you would like to see, realistic for the given time…………….subgoal of mid-year possible also)
4. what tool will you use to measure (MAPS, Fountas and Pinnell, rubrics, WKCE, math text assessment? )
5. by when will the measurement be available (end of the year, mid-year, by March?)
6. additional information to refer to major action focus your team will target

Pedagogy First, Tech Second

........ from 21centuryacademy by Sharon Ellner

I was reading a blog article by Darren Coxon about his travels through an iPad deployment.  The intent of the article was to save others from having the same frustrations as his school had, which is great sharing. What hit me, however, as a key point was in this passage:


"There are some schools that went all out, investing in one iPad per student from day one, but I have been to some of these schools and they are not using the iPad in a way that can be truly transformative. For me, it is about more than just the device; it is about getting the infrastructure in place. And this does not only mean things like wireless: it includes the intellectual, pedagogical infrastructure that brings with it an understanding of both the benefits and pitfalls of bringing these devices into the classroom. They have the powers to be truly game changing, but only if they are handled correctly. Remember the interactive whiteboard when it was first brought in? We thought it would change things completely. The reason it did not was that no one really thought through the pedagogy behind it. It became a glorified, expensive projector, little more. The iPad has the capacity to become nothing more than a glorified iPhone without the phone, or a nice way to look online."


Darren, you hit the nail on the head.  Don't get me wrong....I think technology rocks....but only when it fundamentally changes the thinking and learning of the students.  If we are going to have students taking lecture notes on an iPad or netbook, does that really change the learning?  Perhaps, as the students can collaboratively share the notes and hopefully build some knowledget together, but is that really a game changer?  If we have students taking quizzes with clickers rather than paper, does that change their learning?  Perhaps, as the teacher can get quicker results, but is it a major game changer?  If we have students playing an iPad app for Everyday Math instead of the same game with cards and paper, are we really changing what they are learning?


What I really see as the value of technology is when it allows students to think and learn in ways they could not otherwise do. For example, if we have students in the United States collaboratively trying to solve a water pollution problem in a third world country with students in that country, now THAT is a game changer!  How else could they get first hand knowledge of the problem?  How else could they see how their ideas would be feasible in another country?  Without the technology, they could not complete this task at the same level.


I would love to hear more examples of how technology is being used to really raise the level of thinking and learning of students.  What are you all doing out there to accomplish this?  What are the students doing differently?  Could they do that same thinking and learning without the technology?  

Posted by Sharon Ellner at 1:08 PM 

Darren, you hit the nail on the head.  Don't get me wrong....I think technology rocks....but only when it fundamentally changes the thinking and learning of the students.  If we are going to have students taking lecture notes on an iPad or netbook, does that really change the learning?  Perhaps, as the students can collaboratively share the notes and hopefully build some knowledge together, but is that really a game changer?  If we have students taking quizzes with clickers rather than paper, does that change their learning?  Perhaps, as the teacher can get quicker results, but is it a major game changer?  If we have students playing an iPad app for Everyday Math instead of the same game with cards and paper, are we really changing what they are learning?


What I really see as the value of technology is when it allows students to think and learn in ways they could not otherwise do. For example, if we have students in the United States collaboratively trying to solve a water pollution problem in a third world country with students in that country, now THAT is a game changer!  How else could they get first-hand knowledge of the problem?  How else could they see how their ideas would be feasible in another country?  Without the technology, they could not complete this task at the same level.


I would love to hear more examples of how technology is being used to really raise the level of thinking and learning of students.  What are you all doing out there to accomplish this?  What are the students doing differently?  Could they do that same thinking and learning without the technology?  

Simple Joys in Education

Today I had the wonderful experience of meeting with one of the district's new teachers.  What joy to talk about the excitement, the nervousness, and the hope for a great year.  It brings me back to my first year of teaching at the Developmental Resource Center in Hollywood, FL.   "Those were the best of times, those were tough times, but most of all they were joyful times because of the students and teachers I met which I am still in contact with today!

There isn't anything better than the dawning of another school year!

How Much is Technology Woven Into the Fabric of Learning in Your Classroom?

Interesting article and resource from http://academy21.blogspot.com/.

The Technology Integration Matrix, produced by the Florida Center for Instructional Technology, is a great tool for schools to use to see how deeply technology is woven into the fabric of learning in their school.  The matrix shows how teachers can use technology to improve student learning.  What I really like about the matrix is the range of use across the levels of technology integration.  Regardless of a teacher's knowledge or comfort level with technology, there are ideas for technology use at all the stages.  The earliest stage is Entry, followed by Adoption, Adaptation, Infusion and Transformation.  The other axis of the matrix is related to the characteristics of the learning environment. These learning attributes include Active, Collaborative, Constructive, Authentic, and Goal Directed.  If you click on the arrow on the name of the stage or learning attribute, it brings up a new webpage with more information.  Near the bottom of each new page, are videos that show that level and attribute in action!  As a teacher, this is extremely helpful for me to see a lesson at that level and 

Four Beliefs of Highly Effective Teachers

The 4 Key Beliefs of an Effective Teacher:

1. It is the teacher who makes the difference in the classroom.

2. By far the most important factor in school learning is the ability of the teacher.

3. There is an extensive body of knowledge about teaching that must be known by the teacher.

4. The teacher must be a decision maker able to translate the body of knowledge about teaching into increased student learning.

Wong, Harry K. "P. 30." The First Days of School: How Effective Teachers Teach Classroom Management. N.p.: n.p., 2006. N. Print.

iPad Apps to Start the Year - 4K - 2nd grade

Here is a list of iPad Apps from my WEMTA listserv.  Thanks to the Justin Cowen, IT Technician from School District of Florence County.

iPad app recommendations - ALL FREE: by grade, topic, etc

PALS 4K, Kindergarten and 1st grade Update

According to DPI, the PALS online administration and scoring course for 1st grade and 4K will not be up and running until after August 12th.

In the Waterford Graded School District - teachers in 1st grade and kindergarten teachers who have not given the PALS - K assessment will have professional development on using these tools and become certified on the August 27th In-service Day.

I look forward to working with you on this, Kathy