Authentic Celebrations of Learning

This week, I had so much fun at our district high school art show reception. Along with the art show, we had a runway show to showcase the work of our students in the cosmetology program! It made me think about how powerful it is to have truly authentic celebrations of learning.

The students in the program had created headpieces made entirely out of hair! What an amazing display of artistic talent! The variety and detail was stunning! The students also did the (natural) hair and makeup for the models for the evening.

The runway was built by our construction program. Again - an authentic project to be used at an authentic event. Pretty cool!

The models were entirely professional - this wasn't some giggly kids show, but they had their walks choreographed and timed and looked amazing while doing it.

Authentic audience. That is one of the cornerstones of project-based learning, and it was on display this night. Before this, I had no idea that our cosmetology department engaged in projects like this. I didn't think much about our construction program! These are all a part of our Career & Technical Education (CTE) program, which sometimes isn't given the same weight as our traditional "academic" classes...but why?

It's important for kids to find their place and talents, and some of them clearly shined this night. I'm grateful that we had such an amazing and appreciative audience to cheer these kiddos on and a great venue to hold the show in!

How are YOU celebrating your students' creative talents? How often do they get to share with an authentic audience?

Time + Freedom

Time. Freedom. Those two things seem almost like a dream in our world of education, don't they? But what are we missing out if we don't create space for those two things?

I was reminded of this recently in my work. After spending hours listening to stakeholders & working on a project, we were finally able to sit down and make some great progress! Why? Well, along with getting lots of input, we were able to get out of the office, be free from distractions, and take the time to really explore the "problem" and all of the people it affected. I felt like we were so productive, precisely because the pressure was off, and we were free to dream and explore.

Transfer these concepts to the classroom...

Getting out of the office - Sometimes, all it takes to spark creativity is a change of scenery. How can you change the environment for your students? Could you go outside, move furniture around your classroom, or redecorate?

Be free from distractions - Distractions and interruptions are all around us. How can we teach our kids to focus in the midst of them? Additionally, are there distractions that we could remove? I am so guilty of giving my kids a block of time to work, then interrupting it with an announcement or question. Sometimes, the best thing we can do is let our kids get into their own "flow".

Take the time to explore - How often do we give students the time and freedom to think deeply? In my experience, not enough. I think this is why I love the idea of passion projects, genius hour, or 20time (whatever you want to call it). It gives kids the time & freedom to pursue their own ideas without a prescribed solution or "right" answer from teachers. Are our days filled to the brim with content, or are we giving students the time to think on their own?

Of course, we do have plenty of constraints in the classroom. But how can we keep students from feeling the pressure of those constraints? How can we build in the time to allow them to move, focus, learn, explore, innovate, and solve the problems they see in the world?

How can we afford not to?

How do you give students time & freedom in your class? Please leave a comment with your ideas!

Catering + Interior Design + Marketing + Computer Science

Real-world learning? Cross-curricular collaboration? At this high school, the answer is a resounding, "YES!"

I was recently talking with my brother about a project his computer science class is working on. It all started with a catering class, when they were given this assignment:
Participating teams will demonstrate their knowledge of the restaurant and food service industry by developing a written proposal for potential investors in a new restaurant concept.The written proposal will consist of a defined restaurant concept, supporting menu, and supporting marketing plan."

As a part of this assignment, they added in team members from other classes...
Students in an interior design class became "contractors" helping them design the restaurant.
Students in a marketing class are developing business cards, brochures, and a marketing plan.
Students in his computer science class are tasked with building an app for the restaurant.

Four classes. That's a lot of coordination. But think about what the students are learning!

They are seeing a project through from start to finish, with many different phases.
They are collaborating and working together.
They are practicing entrepreneurship skills.
The computer science students are learning to work with a "client" and design for what somebody else wants (which may or may not be clearly communicated at the outset - very realistic!).
They are putting their unique skills to use to help others.
They are learning to work with people with different strengths.
They are learning that they are just one part of a larger puzzle that makes the world go 'round.
They are breaking down the artificial walls between different subjects and connecting the dots to work toward a larger goal.

I am so inspired about this project and thinking about how it breaks the mold of "playing the school game" and really prepares them for life after graduation. I hope more teachers are encouraged to design learning opportunities like this in the future!

Tech Doesn't Inspire...Teachers Do!

Can I be honest? I've found myself complaining way too much this week. The weather has been dreary and gray, I've had some long days at work, and I'm just tired. I've been making a conscious effort the past few days to STOP complaining and instead focus on gratitude & the good I see around me. It's an hourly battle & a daily choice, but as I spend less time complaining, I have found it easier to really recognize how many great things are happening right in front of my eyes!

In my role as an ed tech specialist, I spend a lot of time planning PD and training others. Sometimes, this means the very basics, like how to use Google Drive or sharing ideas for improving workflow. Sometimes, it bridges to more instructional uses, like finding the right tool for the desired use or "leveling up" a unit plan based on the SAMR model. What I don't always get to see is the follow-up to these interactions - how things are applied in real life with students.

That's why I have been so excited this week to hear about some awesome things happening in our schools! Teachers really are amazing...they can take an idea and run with it, and turn it into so much more!

This week, I've heard about:

• Teachers connecting their classes to real-world events (like the recent hurricanes), running a fundraiser via social media, and being able to see the tangible results that their money is bringing via a video chat
• Teachers embarking on a journey to meet the needs of all students by developing parallel lesson plans/units with similar content, one for students who are English speakers and a scaffolded version for newcomer students who are learning the English language
• Teachers who are collaborating across three grade levels in elementary to have students engage in research, write a script, film a video with the green screen, and put the final project together to show their learning

These are just a few examples (I know I've forgotten some that I wanted to share, because there's just too much awesomeness going on in our schools right now)! While all of these endeavors use technology, none of them are really about the technology. It's the creativity, expertise, and caring of the teachers that has really brought these lessons to life. The tech tools are simply avenues to build amazing experiences for kids. And THAT is what it should be about. THAT is what gets me excited. THAT is why I am in this job!

Thank you, teachers, for inspiring me this week!