Using Social Media for Instruction

Recently the Metro Nashville Public Schools decided to gradually allow access on their wi-fi network to Twitter and YouTube. It's a significant change for the Nashville schools because they've blocked students from accessing many social media sites, including Facebook, when using the school's wi-fi system. The restrictions will be lifted first in high schools and then in middle schools. The change is driven by teachers who plan on using more social media to improve instruction. This decision reflects the growing recognition that social media is a powerful tool to access instructional tools and resources. The policy change will also be accompanied by lessons about the appropriate use of the Internet and social media. You can get the details of the change in this article from The Tennessean, the local Nashville newspaper.

I'd enjoy hearing from you about the use of social media for instruction in your school.

STEAM rather than STEM: Adding the Arts

For the last decade there's been a discussion about the importance of STEM programs in schools (science, technology, engineering, math). But in the past couple of years educators have begun to add another component, the arts. The result is adoption of STEAM programs that include everything mentioned earlier but recognize the valuable role the arts can play in student learning. The prevalence of STEAM programs in several central Washington school districts illustrates the impact. A recent article in the Tri-City Herald (Pasco, Kennewick, Richland, WA) describes the positive impact of STEAM programs on students in several elementary and high schools in the area. Even though the program is having an impact there are still concerns that the arts will some how be lost in the curriculum.

I'd enjoy hearing from you about STEM or STEAM programs in your school. 

A Different Kind of AP Course

Across American high schools have added Advanced Placement classes. The program is booming. Those classes are known for their rigor and the way they help students prepare for college. But six years ago AP teachers in the Bellevue School District near Seattle teamed up with researchers from the University of Washington to make their AP government classes far more interactive and project based. Role plays and simulations are a central part of their curriculum. What began as a change in AP government and politics courses now includes AP environmental science and AP physics.

The results are impressive. Students in five dozen classrooms in Washington, California and Iowa score as well or better on AP exams compared to students in lecture-heavy traditional AP programs. For example, last year 88% of students in two high-poverty schools that are part of the program passed the AP US government test compared to 24% for comparable schools across the nation.

Here's a story from the Seattle Times describing the changes. You can also watch a short video about the program. I'd enjoy hearing from you about your AP program and what you think about this modification.

Twitter and Other Social Media for Instruction

One of the fastest growing trends in education is to encourage students to bring, and use, their own technology---smart Phones, tablets, laptops. Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT) or Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) programs are underway across the country. The most notable challenge with these programs is that students know far more than most teachers about how to use the devices for tasks. Often educators focus on the misuse of technology but the Pew Internet and American Life Project found that most students use their devices appropriately. That's let many schools to encourage teachers to incorporate technology and various forms of social media as a way to both motivate and engage students. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel recently showcased the efforts in several Wisconsin schools to use Twitter and other social media, once banned, for instruction.

It's a rapidly growing trend and recognizes the powerful ways technology can transform teaching and learning. Howard Johnston and I wrote about the trend and how social media can be used with 21st century learners to improve their academic experience. Our book, The School Leader's Guide to Social Media, is available from Routledge Education, at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.

I'd enjoy hearing from you about how your teachers are using technology and social media to improve instruction.

10 Things School Leaders Do to Kill Enthusiasm for Technology

In late December NASSP sent an email that included links to the top articles of 2013. One of them caught my eye, Ten Ways Principals Kill a Teacher's Enthusiasm for Technology. I remember reading it earlier in the year but found the reminders very helpful. I work with lots of principals who struggle with how to balance the need for infusing technology as a valuable instructional tool with the resistance that is associated with any change. The dilemma is that our students often are far more knowledgeable about the latest technology and how the way it can improve teaching and learning.

The article is a helpful reminder about how leaders must model the use of technology, value its use and support teachers as they use it in their classrooms. Mandates almost always never work. Support, encouragement and adequate professional development do.

I'd enjoy hearing from you about how strategies you use to successfully work with your teachers to increase the use of technology.

Confronting Myths About Rigor

When Barbara Blackburn and I wrote Rigorous Schools and Classrooms we spent a lot of time talking about the challenges principals face as they work to improve the rigor of their schools. We began to talk about the myths that are associated with the concept of rigor and identified four of them that we think impact the way parents, teachers and administrators think about rigor.

• Myth #1: Lots of Homework is a Sign of Rigor - For many people this is the most prevalent indicator. Many teachers are proud of the amount of homework they expect of their students. It is often built on the idea that "more is better." Unfortunately the evidence is that "more" often means doing more low-level activities, often repetition of things done earlier. Because students learn differently it is important to vary the instruction with the student and to use homework as an opportunity to deepen understanding of what has been learned.
• Myth #2: Rigor Means Doing More - There is also a belief that students need to do more than they are currently doing. Tony Wagner of Harvard found that classrooms are often characterized by low-level, rote activity. Howard Johnston and I asked parents about rigor and found that they believe rigor is doing less but doing it more in-depth. That is often difficult for principals to reconcile when talking with teachers and other school personnel. True rigor is expecting every student to learn and perform at high levels and requires that students delve deeply into their learning, engage in critical thinking and problem solving, and be curious and imaginative.
• Myth #3: Rigor is Not For Everyone - There is a belief that if everyone is engaging in rigorous activity, it somehow lowers standards and lessens the value. There is growing recognition that all students must be provided an opportunity for a rigorous educational experience that is more than just a set of courses. It is anchored in the belief that every student can be successful if given adequate time and sufficient support.
• Myth #4: Providing Support Means Lessening Rigor - Rugged individualism characterizes the fourth myth. There is a belief that if students are provided, and accept support, it is a sign of weakness. We've found that providing support is an essential component of a rigorous school. Students are motivated to do well when they value what they are doing and when they believe they have a chance for success. When Howard and I talked with teachers and parents about their own rigorous experiences they invariably described the support they were provided.

I'd like to hear your reaction to these four myths and about your experience increasing the rigor of your school and classrooms. I look forward to hearing from you.

District Proposes Limits to Birthday Celebrations

My grandson recently celebrated his 6th birthday. He was so excited about becoming six and about have a celebration at school on his "special day." As a teacher and principal I remember the ritual of recognizing student birthdays and working to assure that the whole day wasn't impacted by the "party."

So I was interested in a recent decision by the Manchester, NH schools to limit classroom birthday celebrations to once a month. No more individual parties, just a single celebration each month. The policy, under consideration by the Board of Education, is designed to limit consumption of sweets like cupcakes and ice cream and to promote eating fruits and healthier snacks.

As you might expect, not every parent is sold on the change. It's an interesting response to the growing problem of childhood obesity and the disruption of the instructional day.  Here's a link to a story about the policy on a Manchester television station. I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts about what Manchester is proposing.

Favorite Social Media Tools

Social media technology continues to transform how teachers, students and leaders do their work. We're amazed at the creative tools that have emerged to support our work individually and with one another. Here are a few of our latest finds.

Popplet - http://popplet.com

This tool allows you to gather and organize ideas much like a concept map. It allows you to examine resources from different sources and organize an assignment or presentation. You can invite others in your group to add to the web/map. 

Educreations - www.educreations.com 

This tool allows you to create amazing presentations on a recordable whiteboard. It captures your voice and handwriting to produce short video lessons that you can share online. Created as an iPad app they're working on an app for Android devices. Public lessons can be embedded on blogs or websites. Ron uses it all the time in his online courses.

Idea Sketch - http://www.nosleep.net/ 

This app allows you to draw diagrams and create mind maps, concept maps or flow charts. There is an option to convert from text or to text if desired. It's a great tool for brainstorming and illustrating concepts. Apps are available for iOS and Windows devices.

We also want to include a tool that's been around for a while but just keeps getting better.

Prezi - www.prezi.com 

This presentation tool allows you to organize and share ideas on a large whiteboard. A wide selection of templates makes it easy to get started. Once you begin you'll find Prezi easy to adapt to a whole variety of presentation needs. It allows you to embed photos, audio, video and links to all sorts of information on the web. 

We hope you enjoy trying out these social media tools and would enjoy hearing from you about other's you've discovered.

Getting More Diversity in Honors/AP Classes

One of the most persistent issues in American education, and one of the least discussed, is how to address issue of lack of diversity in accelerated, honors and AP classes. While we talk a lot about the achievement gap, we rarely look at how admission to these classes does not reflect the ethnic and gender diversity present in ours schools. The College Board reports (2012) that while increasing numbers of high school students enroll in AP classes, the admissions/enrollment gap persists.

A recent column in edutopia examined how accepted practices in many school perpetuate these gaps. The gap may be the result of the criteria used for admission to high-level classes. It may be a misperception among students and their families that these classes are for certain kinds of students. Regardless, the admission gap continues despite our knowledge that there is no inherent "ability" gap because of one's gender or ethnicity.

In her blog tweenteacher.com Heather Wolpert-Gawron, a middle school teacher describes the plan her school developed to address the need for more diversity in honors classes. She provides a candid, but thoughtful analysis of the issues involved in addressing this issue. Her post ends with the question we all should be asking---what do you plan to do about this issue in your school?

Using Facebook with Students

Social media has become an useful instructional tool and is used by more and more teachers to interact with their students and by principals to communicate with families and community. A recent report found that more than 70% of Americans have an account.

But there are legitimate concerns about how teachers and other employees use Facebook and other forms of social media with their students. In a recent post, Lisa Nielson provided five best practices for teachers when they use Facebook with students. At the top of the list is the importance of maintaining a professional demeanor and not mixing your personal site with your professional one. Nielson says, "You can create a page or group that students can "like" or "join" without being one another's friend or seeing one another's feed." That's really important. Nielson's other tips are equally useful.

In The School Leader's Guide to Social Media Howard Johnston and I share other ideas about how teachers can use social media like Facebook to improve instruction and how school leaders can use social media to improve communication. We'd welcome your thoughts about the use of social media in schools. 

Social Media: Policy Trends

Social media is a term used to describe a lot of things. For many of us we associate it with Facebook or Twitter and we never think about the countless other ways we use social media technology in our professional and personal lives. Our most commonly used social media device is our phone, often called a "smart phone." Cell phones are no longer used for just making calls. They are now used for locating things on the Internet, sending short messages to friends or family, watching television shows or even movies, reading books, and locating a good restaurant or a nearby coffee shop. In other words, for many of us, our social media device (our cell phone) has become indispensable.

I work a lot with principals, superintendents and people who aspire to those roles. When I mention social media they often describe the perils of its availability and use in their schools. But more recently the tone of these conversations is changing from "how do I ban them" to "how do we use them effectively." That's a monumental shift and recognizes that social media technology and social media devices are just not going away. Some schools have adopted BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policies that encourage students to bring and use their social media devices for instructional activities.

As a school leader how do you manage social media technology among your students and your employees. What sort of policy might you consider? What type of policy would be appropriate given the prevalence of social media devices and the powerful tools that social media provides for communication, collaboration, and teaching and learning?

One of my favorite online journals is THE Journal, a publication about current and emerging issues involving technology. Ruth Reynard wrote a really insightful article discussing current policy trends that try to control social media. She offers really useful ideas about how to shape policy so that social media is used appropriately and not in a harmful way.

In The School Leader's Guide to Social Media Howard Johnston and I discuss many of the same issues and provide examples of tools and strategies for using social media in schools. We'd really enjoy hearing from you about how social media is shaping your school and its instructional program.

Tips for Flipping Classrooms

"Flipping" a classroom is a new trend designed to provide more time during class for discussion of concepts, to work on gaps in learning to clear up misunderstanding and for the teacher to work more intensely with students who need additional instruction or support. for a teacher to work individually or in small groups with students needing extra support. When a classroom is “flipped” students’ homework is introduction to new learning through reading materials and watching online videos and other content prepared by their teacher. Labs and other application of learning occur during class when the teacher is available to respond to questions, provide clarification and assist and support students.

In flipped classrooms students take more responsibility for their learning. They watch videos or online lessons, read online material, and complete assignments and assessments outside of class. Specific instructional activities vary based on an individual teacher’s style and preferences.

Edutopia (www.edutopia.org), a site sponsored by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, reports that “flipping” the classroom results in far more individualized learning for students. They described how students move at their own pace and teachers have more time for one-to-one work with students in need of greater support. Students who are absent find it easier to catch up because they can watch lessons and access other materials online. Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams (2012), among the first teachers to "flip" their classroom found that students demonstrated deeper understanding of course content, assumed greater responsibility for learning, and became far more self-directed.

Flipping the classroom alters instruction by shifting from in class delivery that is often very teacher centered to a class that involves far more discussion and analysis of student learning. The model shifts the role of both teacher and learner as students assume greater responsibility for completing learning activities outside of class.

Useful tips for how to "flip" a classroom were provided by eSchoolNews in a recent article. They include the importance of beginning with two or three things and expanding as you become more comfortable. It's also important to recognize that almost everyone who "flips" their classroom experiences some discomfort because the role of the teacher changes. Finally, they discuss the challenges when students have limited access to the Internet outside of school. Two websites provide other resources on flipped learning. They are http://flippedclassroom.org and http://www.techsmith.com/flipped-classroom.html. 

The Value of Zero

One of my students is an elementary principal in southern Michigan and he writes a weekly blog that is shared with his staff and others. This week he writes about the use of "0" in grading. When we use zeroes we can seriously impact a student's grade. I enjoyed his thoughts about this topic and hope you find it interesting and thought-provoking.

At the end he poses a fascinating question---Grades are a communication tool to students and parents, do your grades reflect knowledge or effort?

Students Who Challenge Us

This week ASCD has been sharing information about tools and strategies that both teachers and principals can use to work with students who challenge us. Two ASCD Smart Briefs examined the issue. Part I looked at the difficulties faced by students with "learning and behavior challenges." Part II provides resources for reaching students "struggling with far more than learning the three R's."  It's a really informative set of reports because it provides links to other resources and tools.

Here are the links to the two SmartBriefs.
     Part I - http://tinyurl.com/8vy4em5
     Part II - http://tinyurl.com/9xsdofs

ASCD's SmartBriefs are a really concise way to stay up-to-date on current educational issues. You can sign up here and will then receive a daily e-mail newsletter.