When I first began to incorporate coaching into the classroom, I tried to use as many of the coaching strategies as possible. But because true coaching is about meeting the needs of our students, I realized that I would have to wear different hats at different times to help my students’ progress. Coaching wasn’t the only role. I had to admit that I was also a consultant, a collaborator, and an evaluator; and with each role, my behavior changed.
Coaching is the ability to move an individual, cooperative group, or a class, forward. As an instructional coach, I wanted to help my kids become more self-directed. I wanted them to monitor themselves and manage their tasks expediently and efficiently. Respecting the reflection process, I allowed time for self-assessment, whether a debate, discussion, or project. My role was to pose questions and have them analyze things at a higher level for deeper understanding.
But there are times I had to take on the role of being a consultant. I had to establish a baseline of information in the curriculum. I gave myself a maximum of 10-15 minutes at the beginning of a class period when necessary. I may have needed to establish policies and procedures to help my students locate where they could access information, or to offer them choices of things they may not have been aware of. So my behavior became a lecturer (which is so hard to admit, but of course minimally!).
Sometimes, I collaborated with my students. I loved it when a student asked a question that I knew nothing about. Collectively, we formed ideas, made inquiries and learned together. One time, I tested a new strategy and wanted my students’ opinion afterwards. Well, the strategy was a loser. When I expressed my disappointment, you can’t imagine the plethora of student suggested ideas. My behavior represented being at the same level of the students, a learner. It was a highlight of my career as we all had shared ownership of a modified lesson.
Lastly, whether I liked it or not, I often had to be an evaluator and use criteriaestablished by outside agencies. We live in the real world and we have to conform to a set of standards set by our locality, our state, and our nation. Whether we use rubrics, quizzes, tests, or mandated exams, my behavior shifted as judge and to rate the performance of my students.
So, how can we best define our roles to our students? First comes the acknowledgement that our language and behavior changes with each role. Of course, you can literally wear a different hat for each role! (J). Or, you can tell the class up front your role so they know what is expected of you and of them. You may decide to display a card at your desk…. The options are limitless….. But most importantly, know that your job as a teacher is to move gracefully between the different roles.
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So what’s going on?
With the resurgence of testing nationwide, many teachers report that they have to “cover the curriculum” rather than “uncover the curriculum.” With the Common Core Curriculum, parents express feeling exhausted from helping their children with increased homework to meet test expectations. Teachers are pushing to cover as much of the content necessary for their students to pass the state level exams, sometimes given only 70% into the school year.
So, it is not surprising that teachers see a change in their own teaching, moving away from more discovery learning and project-based learning and towards coverage and drill. Teachers state that they no longer have the time to do all that “fun stuff,” and aren’t happy giving up many of the projects they love to offer.
And yet, many states are adopting Charlotte Danielson’s Framework. Her rubric encourages student discussion and ownership of their work. The rubric encourages higher level question posing and negotiating of rubrics and assessment. As both these philosophies play out simultaneously, we will undoubtedly see a modification of expectations in the future.
Take action NOW!
As many of you know, I run Synergy Westchester, an advocacy group for gifted and talented education and The Interactive Classroom, an organization that offers professional development for all classroom types. Not only do we lobby for the rights of academically gifted children, but we advocate for those creative kids who are academically average. We encourage teachers and schools to provide environments that encourage creative talent in all children. We push for discovery learning, problem solving, discussions, the performing/ visual arts, and the creative process where students have a voice in their own learning.
Sometimes, taking action can be as simple as posting an image that will remind us of our mission as parents and as teachers. That image can be as simple as a window decal for a white board or for the rear view window of a car. The image can be a sticker placed on a notebook. So, join me in spreading the word: Inspiring Creativity to think outside the bowl:
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With more and more schools turning to Charlotte Danielson’s framework, districts are requesting that principals train their staff in understanding her rubrics. The difference between the “proficient” and the “distinguished” columns is the presence of teacher-centered versus student-centered instruction. While this concept is clearly not new, her analysis and blueprint is greatly needed.
In years past, teachers anxiously awaited the semi-yearly to yearly observations by their assistant principals or principals. Teachers often expressed that it was similar to driving in a car and approaching a traffic light. What part of the lesson received a red light for failure, a yellow light of caution, or a green light for success? Did they squeak through the yellow light, resulting in an officer pulling them over with a “got-ya” ticket? Well, with a new approach of infusing life coaching skills into the educational arena, hopefully this old type of teacher evaluation will become archived as ancient history.
In the past decade, schools hired literacy and math coaches for elementary schools to support their teachers. The idea of utilizing coaching skills within education proved to be successful. Our last book, Teachers as Classroom Coaches brought new coaching techniques to the classroom for all grades. K-12. As the tide is turning towards a coaching model, districts are realizing that coaching teachers provides better results than traditionally evaluating teachers.
So, what is the difference between traditional evaluation and a reflective coaching model? It’s respecting the thought processes of teachers. It is the belief that they have the ability to analyze their own instruction and design objectives and pathways of growth that can be assessed. But in order to achieve this goal, principals need to be trained in educational coaching. Then they can pose the right questions that provoke teachers to analyze their own instruction in a non-threatening manner. Nothing is more valuable than a person generating his or her own analysis and reaching an “a-ha moment”. If we want student-centered instruction, then why wouldn’t we want teacher-centered evaluation?
In our first book, we outlined many of the coaching techniques and used the classroom setting to bring them to life. Now we review those techniques and introduce you to several new techniques that principals may use during teacher evaluation sessions or walk-throughs. If we want “everyone on board”, then it is important to respect the different perspectives of the administrators and the classroom teachers, while still using many of the same coaching strategies. Why would these models and strategies be used only by literacy coaches and teachers, but not administrators? It doesn’t make sense.
So the time has come. And nothing is more powerful to drive student-centered instruction than the techniques used during teacher evaluation. If teachers know that they are being evaluated towards a goal, clearly outlined on a rubric, then they will modify their techniques to reach the highest level of proficiency. If this technique of negotiable contracting and using rubrics in classroom has clearly worked in the classroom, then why wouldn’t it work for teacher evaluations?
Learning new words and developing an extended vocabulary, with accompanying compatible definitions, is a common task throughout all disciplines and at all levels of school. Teachers are always looking for new ways to motivate their students, but when the work is usually dependent on memorization, it often converts into a boring task.
In many instances, college students use index cards fashioned into flash cards to implement and exercise the memory process. Taking the index card idea, we can utilize this concept and turn the cards into more than a flash item. The following steps and procedures are an intelligent and challenging way to reinforce the educational process, while motivating the students in a fun manner.
The following strategies can be utilized as a “Do Now” activity when the students enter the classroom. They can be offered as paired work, as a competition among small groups, or even for homework. Implementing the ideas using different structures is intellectually challenging and creates a stimulating vitality in the classroom that becomes focused on discussing the content and subject material.
Here is a list of excellent games for classroom use, which will move vocabulary words from short-term to long-term memory:
Acrostics: Create an acrostic from 5-7 vocabulary words.
Groupings: Select five vocabulary words. Identify how you grouped them together in an off-beat way.
Body Mnemonics: Have students design body language cues for the memorization of selected vocabulary words.
Carousel Brainstorming:Place four of the student’s vocabulary words on separate charts around the classroom. Have cooperative groups of students walk from one chart to another brainstorming the use of the vocabulary words.
Categories: Place each card into specific categories determined by the classroom.
Chronological Order: Place vocabulary words in some type of order that is unusual.
Concept Attainment:Create groupings on the spot from students’ vocabulary words. Have students generate the titles for each category. (Hilda Taba)
Concept Maps: Create connections from vocabulary words using a bubble format with string or line drawing.
Crossword Puzzle:Design your own crossword puzzle from ___ number of vocabulary words.
Emotion:Group the vocabulary words according to an emotion.
Emotional Flashes(on cards): Students draw a picture or diagram on the index card, trying to evoke an emotional response that they get while reflecting on the vocabulary word. The pair is given 3-5 choices of emotions and the viewer tries to guess what the artist tried to convey. (Life Science Secondary School)
File Cabinet: Design a file cabinet for the vocabulary words. How would you label each drawer and each manila folder?
Gallery Walk: All vocabulary words are placed in an order for someone to view as if they were in a gallery or museum.
Grab Bag: Each student places a few vocabulary words in a paper bag. Pair the kids. Their partner picks out a card from their bag and reads the definition. The original author tries to guess the vocabulary word. If they get it right on the first try, they receive 3 points. If they get it on the second try, they get 2 points. If they get it on the third try, they receive one point.
Hidden Word Puzzle:Design a multi-pop or hidden vocabulary word puzzle.
Hierarchy: Design a hierarchy from your vocabulary words.
Identity Crisis: Each student has an index card placed on their back. Then they have to ask questions of other students to determine the vocabulary word.
Imagery Map:Create an imagery map from the vocabulary words with pictures.
Just Like Me:Have students find five vocabulary words that reflect their personality.
Linking: Students find a vocabulary word and link it to their personal history.
Location: Group words according to place.
Longest Sentence Ever!:Write a sentence using as many vocabulary words as possible.
Mad Libs:Fill in the blanks with vocabulary words.
Mixed-Up Files:Place vocabulary words in a mixed up order. Have a partner explain why this would or wouldn’t work. (i.e. Math solutions, sequential order of a story, timeline in history, etc.)
Most Important Point: Students find the most important vocabulary word and state their reasoning.
One-Minute Speech:Make a one minute motivational speech from the vocabulary words.
Paired Verbal Fluency:Students take out five words and study them. They find a pair and have to rattle off as much information about those vocabulary words that they can muster in 45 seconds. Repeat the same procedure with the same batch of words to the next partner, but only having 30 seconds. Lastly, repeat the procedure with a new partner, this time in 15 seconds.
Pluses and Wishes:Make a list of those vocabulary words that you wish to have in your life.
Poster:Select and decide the most important vocabulary word or words that you would want to put on a poster for advertising purposes.
Question Box:Place a vocabulary word in the box and attach a question to it. Have the class answer them. (Life Science Secondary School)
Scrambled Sentences:Place 5 vocabulary word cards in a sequence to create a sentence. Scramble them. Have a partner try to place them in order. Compare your results.
Slogan:Make a slogan from the vocabulary word cards.
Spinning Game(purchase re-writable spinners): Place each vocabulary word on a section on the spinner and a person in the pair spins it. They have to respond to the word on the spinner based on a set of questions that are written on the board. (Life Science Secondary School)
Time Travel: If you were to travel through time, select vocabulary word that can be used as a souvenir that you would take with you. For what reasons did you make that selection?
Timeline:Place vocabulary word cards in a timeline.
Trash Can:Determine the vocabulary words card that can be trashed (create a reality situation, such as: due to space restrictions from the publisher)
True/False:Categorize by “true” and “false” under certain conditions.
Viewpoint: Locate the most important vocabulary word card from a specific person’s viewpoint.
Write Your Own: Formulate your own question and have the partner answer it from the set of vocabulary words. (Life Science Secondary School)
This list is a modification of the index cards and guided questions blog post.
Do you have a strategy that you would like us to add to the list? (To reply, please click on the comment link next to the title or scroll down.)
Andi Stix is an educational consultant & coach who specializes in differentiation, interactive learning, writing across the curriculum, classroom coaching and gifted education. For further information on her specialties or social media, please email her on the Contact page.
Click here to receive a PDF version of this article.
Whether you are a teacher or an administrator, creating trust is key to enhancing your ability to communicate effectively. Communication is a tool that we use daily and when we use the right words in the right way, they can work wonders even when things become a bit testy.
Most of us think that we communicate well, but research has shown that we are surprisingly becoming more and more unskilled with the advent of email, texting, and a plethora of social media. We can, however, retrain ourselves to speak and listen in a way that stimulates sympathy and encourages trust in our schools. Here are 5 tips that will insure that you are using the best dialogue possible:
1. Deep breathing and stretching:When things become challenging, stress usually makes us more irritable, which in turn leads to anger. When we are angry, it is hard to communicate effectively. To counteract this, take a deep breath and count to 5. Try flexing your neck or even a fake yawn and you will be surprised how your brain can get back on normal ground.
2. Think positively and re-frame: When tensions rise, negative energy can interfere with your ability to process language. So, re-frame the situation into a positive mode. Instead of letting your defenses rise, which builds leads to distrust, think of 5 positive ideas. This reminds me of the old Burton White study. If you see positive in a staff member or in a student, he will usually rise to the occasion.
In the future, you can seek out that individual and offer a compliment. A single statement can go a long way in order to build trust and cooperation. Let the individual know that you are available one-on-one to further the discussion. A statement made at the end of an interaction lasts a lot longer because it lingers in a person’s mind.
3. Use body language that communicates satisfaction: If a student or a staff member at a meeting challenges you, re-frame it as mentioned in #2 and add a smile. You can state, “I’m really glad that you mentioned that point, even if it counteracts my point. Let’s talk about it.” This will convey a sense of openness, kindness and compassion, even if the other person is used to fluffing your feathers. Don’t be surprised if your reaction softens them and they reflect back with less aggressive body language.
Once the body language of both parties becomes more matched, making direct contact with your eyes lets them know that you really care. Focus on what their facial expression displays: Were they angry, fearful, saddened, disgusted, or surprised, and help them get back on track.
4. Use brevity: Research has shown that our mind can become overloaded quickly. Therefore make your points in a positive manner and then pause. Allow the person to digest the information. Many times, their eyes will focus away from you and will then return when they are ready to move on and listen further. Also, think of cause and effect. For each of your points, be sure to offer how it will affect others.
5. Be patient and listen: Examine how often you allow the other person to speak until finished. You would be surprised to note how all of us have a pattern of interrupting and speaking over others. Train your brain to stay focused on what the other person is saying and how they are communicating the content with their body language. Facial expressions, the way the eyes move, the arms and hands speak volumes. Be sure to digest it all. Frequently, we lose our focus and think of how we are going to craft our response, rather than giving them our full attention and absorbing their information in its entirety.
By using these steps, you will see a change in your one-on-one interactions, in a staff meeting, or in a classroom. Within two weeks, the environment will change creating greater trust and better communication.
Andi Stix is an educational consultant & coach who specializes in differentiation, interactive learning, writing across the curriculum, classroom coaching and gifted education. For further information on her specialties or social media, please email her on the Contact page.
Click here to receive a PDF version of this article.
New York State’s teacher evaluation system has finally arrived and we all recognize that this is a time of transition and a time of opportunity. New York, like other states, is beginning to roll out assessments of teachers. Therefore, it is imperative for schools to consider on-going professional development where certified, educational coaches can work individually and in small groups with new and at-risk teachers. Coaches can help your teachers deliver high quality educational strategies that will increase their ranking.
For over 20 years, I’ve trained and counseled teachers in the New York City metropolitan area, Westchester County, and throughout the United States, at all grade levels K-12. Working cooperatively with both administrators and teachers, many of the schools where I was a consultant have won local and national awards for their ability to deliver high quality education. So, we know that coaching works!
When hiring any coach, be it for literacy, math, social studies or any other subject, make sure that they are accredited. I am both an educational and life coach from respected training institutes, such as iPEC, Corporate Coaching University and Cognitive Coaching. As districts offer professional development to all staff on Superintendents Day, or encourage teachers to take workshops, coaches should also be trained at multiple sites to get a deeper understanding of the different approaches that can be applied. Whatever the level of your teachers’ experience, highly trained coaches with the certification, skill, and know-how can help them be more successful.
If you would like to discuss this further, I’m available to hear about your needs or ways I can collaborate to meet your district’s goals. Please feel free to reach me at 914-636-0888, at astix@optonline.net, or visit my website at classroomcoaches.com. You will discover that my expertise runs the gamut from curriculum to assessment, from literacy to math, and all the disciplines in-between.
We can all appreciate that this issue deserves our immediate attention.
(To reply, please click on the comment link next to the title or scroll down.)
Andi Stix is an educational consultant & coach who specializes in differentiation, interactive learning, writing across the curriculum, classroom coaching and gifted education. For further information on her specialties or social media, please email her on the Contact page.
Click here to receive a PDF version of this article.
The most popular bulletin board in social media today is Pinterest. But now, Grockit! is launching its own version called Learnist (http://learni.st) for educators. While both follow a scrapbook styled interface designed for communicative sharing, the focal points of each company differs. Pinterest is primarily used for sharing favored material goods and inspired ideas, whereas Learnist is intended for dispersing educational tools and learning resources. Teachers can easily design online content and craft a set of lessons using this powerful image-based platform. They take a topic they want to teach to their students and design a visual presentation around it.
On Learnist, teachers can also display a variety of resources or “posts” that are pertinent to their lesson plan, including images, videos, blog posts, Google maps, slide share decks, podcasts, music, Wikipedia articles live streams and more. Teachers and students alike can add annotations, explanations and commentary to the posts; all of which can be shared on Facebook, if so desired. The posts can also be ordered, remixed, mapped, or scaffolded for differentiation on the bulletin to ensure that the sequence makes sense to students. Even full-length books can be posted on Learnist’s “Learnboards”. Students can check off the posts they have read or watched. Then, they can offer their own suggestions or get an expert to comment on a particular bulletin board. This process allows teachers to monitor both what is being viewed and the degree of student engagement with the posts.
For example, on Learnist, students can simulate a trip to ancient Mesopotamia by uploading their travel schedule, asking & receiving tips from travel agents, sharing pictures/videos, saving information on cities such as Sumer or Babylon and more. In Learnist’s humble opinion, “it’s really a more immersive & interactive experience.”
Learnist’s education platform is appropriate for students of all grade levels, truly running the classroom gamut. Instructors and students can post videos of fire trucks (K-1), images of leaves and photosynthesis (2-4), primary source maps of the discovery of the New World (5-8), classic novels like The Great Gatsby (9-12), or even principles of macroeconomics (University). Even though Learnist is still in beta format, it will be a catalyst for safely incorporating social media platforms into education.
Why Use Learnist?
It can:
motivate students, as they are encouraged to become active learners who design, create, and produce.
allow students to design boards either independently or within cooperative groups.
promote cross-collaboration, allowing bulletins to be conjointly created by different classes throughout school or even throughout the world.
be a showcase for your school to present what students are doing within the classroom and the community.
allow your content to go viral (Pinterest’s track record of pins being “repinned” is 80%).
act as a collective event planner for graduation or other school events.
sell a product to help raise funds for your school.
showcase a play or other student performances (with parent’s permission).
offer a scavenger hunt for students to find items pertinent to lesson plans.
present a video of a debate in social studies.
offer a link to a PowerPoint or Prezi presentation.
link to your or another classroom’s Wiki or Blog.
pin a notable quote from English literature.
offer a contest such as “Pin It to Win It”, where students post relevant content to the class bulletin and have their peers repin their favorite posts.
pin to teach: showing images of “how-to” or “step-by-step” instructions.
display visual images of a science fair or social history showcase.
present interviews of notable people.
offer a timeline of pictures, such as photos of a cocoon’s metamorphosis into a butterfly.
In what ways can you use Learnist to stretch the boundaries of active learning? Thinking about the 7 Habits of Creativity, in what ways can you use this platform to gentrify some great old lessons into a new, refreshing format? (To reply, please click on the comment link next to the title or scroll down.)
Andi Stix is an educational consultant & coach who specializes in differentiation, interactive learning, writing across the curriculum, classroom coaching and gifted education. For further information on her specialties or social media, please email her on the Contact page.
Click here to receive a PDF version of this article.
After receiving several requests, I prepared a professional set of guidelines to protect teachers who want to use social media to communicate with their students. Schools want to ensure that social media will not be abused by any teacher and that innocent students will not be harmed by the content posted. When mindfully and prudently used, social media is a great tool.
Teachers today may feel they are being subjected to the Orwellian world of “Big Brother,” where every post is the object of close scrutiny and surveillance. As social media is often public and can be viewed by local media, parents and students alike, I recommend that you abide by the following suggestions:
Separating Personal from Professional Use
1. Do not share your personal information with students.
2. Do not friend, follow, comment, or post on your students’ Facebook, Twitter, etc., pages.
3. Maintain two separate email accounts: one for your personal use and the other for your professional use.
Permissions and Usage
4. Request approval from your supervisor before using a social media platform with your students.
5. Before posting student pictures, be sure to receive parental consent.
6. Do not allow students to post other pictures of students. It is recommended that they send you the pictures and you post them to maintain proper control and etiquette.
7. Screen all comments before allowing them to be posted, and turn them on and off when appropriate to meet the objectives of the lesson.
8. Do not tag photos or videos with personal information of students.
Professionalism and Monitoring
9. Do not accept student’s invitations to join their social media platforms as they, not you, are in control of the content.
10. Apply the same level of professionalism to your posts on social media as if you were sending a letter to your principal. If your posts are public, school systems may have the right to monitor your social media sites, whether they are personal or professional. You don’t want to be surprised, so use good judgment!
Andi Stix is an educational consultant & coach who specializes in differentiation, interactive learning, writing across the curriculum, classroom coaching and gifted education. For further information on her specialties or social media, please email her on the Contact page.
Click here to receive a PDF version of this article.
Not so long ago, many schools throughout the nation banned the use of social media on their website portals, finding censorship an easier solution than coping with the new technology. Regardless, social media acquired widespread popularity. And now, many school districts are formulating guidelines for acceptable usage by students and teachers alike.
As a strong advocate of using social media in education, I feel that the responsibility becomes more than just guidelines. Districts need to offer training in its proper, safe, and ethical use, as mandated by the federal Broadband Data Act for teaching online safety. Young people must receive sound modeling practices while they make their way through the primary grades and be educated in how to use social media safely, as early as the 5th grade. This way, by the time they reach thirteen, they will have acquired the moral and ethical parameters needed to independently engage in its use.
Thus, school systems are now asking, “What are safe practices in social media?” Working with students and teachers, I find that a discussion of protective measures and awareness in safety is necessary. Youngsters need awareness that their practices in social media can have an impact on their lives, their future, and the lives of others. They need education on how to protect themselves in reputation and character while engaging in social media. And discussions should be explored as to how their postings can reflect being responsible and ethical. As we all know, we tend to practice the way we were taught; so teachers need to model these safe social media practices using sound platforms throughout the students’ education. And lastly, this is task for parents and schools alike, both cooperating and working together. So let’s explore these issues:
We need protective measures to engage in safe practices in social media.
Schools need to offer a sound curriculum in protective measures of social media that is methodical and practical. Let’s choose wisely rather than rely on learning bits and pieces or possibly incorrect information from friends. Issues such as online predators, cyber bullying, harassment, scams, chat rooms, identity theft, and social networking are just a few of the areas needing coverage.
2. Social media practices have an impact on the rest of students’ lives.
In my previous blog post on Facebook, we examined how people’s postings are not only traceable but accountable. Social media is a public forum; it is not email. We all learned from the experience of Olympian swimmer and gold medalist Michael Phelps, who was shown on someone else’s post doing drugs at a party. This lapse of judgment cost Phelps the loss of valuable endorsements. Social media is not the place to publicize using drugs, to bully other young people, or to engage in sex and gender harassment. These actions can impact later on in adulthood and result in unpleasant consequences.
3. Learn how to protect your reputation and character while engaging in social media.
It is easy for students to be lured into unknown relationships on the web. For what reasons should people trust you? What are the indicators that you may not be presenting yourself honestly? For what reasons should students expose little about their private lives? If they know the answers, then why are they surprised when others use that information against them? These are only a few of the reasons that education in safe social media practices should be mandatory.
4. Student engagement in social media should be responsible and ethical.
As students become more independent, they may choose to join various clubs and organizations. They may list their profile on a dating service. So, knowing that their online platforms are traceable and transparent, what should their postings look like? How should they present themselves as responsible and ethical individuals? I don’t mind the transparency because the more open we are as a society, the healthier we are.
5. Teachers should model safe practices in social media and use sound platforms in the classroom.
From kindergarten upwards, teachers can share their thoughts behind why they post or upload items into social media. They should make students aware of the reasoning, integrating the safe practices and continually holding discussions on how the public or parents will view their posts. At this stage of development, we need to help children view their postings objectively, rather from their own viewpoints.
School systems can research different platforms and decide which they may want to encourage. The choices are endless, from classrooms having Facebook or Twitter pages, using social bookmarking platforms such as Delicious, enticing parents to consider using or purchasing products for a school fair on Pinterest, drafting their reflections on Blogger or WordPress, or showcasing their photos of class trips on Flickr or Shutterfly, Tumblr, etc.
6. It is necessary for schools and parents to participate in educating their children in social media.
By the time students can establish their own Facebook page, they will be 13. As teenagers enter high school, communication with parents decreases. This is normal, as kids begin to question their identity and become more independent. Sometimes at this stage, it’s almost impossible to get children to share their lives with their parents. School districts might decide to invest in curricula, such as Sunburst’s Protecting Students in the 21st Century(PS21C) in order to educate everyone, from the administrators to the students, and to offer workshops to parents through the PTA. PS21C conforms to the federally mandated Broadband Data Act for teaching online safety.
Why can’t parents train their children by themselves? Well, sometimes it becomes easier to reach children through their teachers, the objective ones. We are at a place historically where children may know more about the technology than their parents, who may not even be on social media. Schools and parents must collectively work together to make sure that the laws are honored and students do not take out accounts with false identities. Parents along with the teachers have to continue to review the lessons from their workshops in social media.
My daughter once asked me, “When will I be old enough to live independently?” I answered her, “When you hear my voice in your head.” So too, with social media.
Describe some lessons that come to mind where you can integrate safe social media practices. For what reasons do children often think they are invulnerable until it is too late? (To reply, please click on the comment link next to the title or scroll down.)
Andi Stix is an educational consultant & coach who specializes in differentiation, interactive learning, writing across the curriculum, classroom coaching and gifted education. For further information on her specialties or social media, please email her on the Contact page.
Click here to receive a PDF version of this article.
Delicious.com is an online social bookmarking platform that stores and categorizes photos, videos, and articles that teachers can use to motivate and engage students. It is part of social media because teachers can see each other’s folders called “stacks” of information and share each other’s postings of links on the web. These links are usually of high quality because teachers have invested time in surfing the internet to make meaningful selections.
Many teachers have used Delicious to share great links with other instructors. Today, we will explore how an instructor can allow her students to have access to this virtual file cabinet so that they can explore the materials at their own pace. The sharing of Delicious expands the delivery of basic content so students can watch selections on YouTube, read and capture a quote or an image on a blog’s Op-Ed piece, view pictures on Flickr, or refer to Wikipedia. What makes it worthy of classroom interaction?
It provides an opportunity for teachers to engage students in role-play.
When coaching in schools, I encourage teachers to create engaging classroom experiences for their students. We’ve learned that as the rate of engagement increases, behavioral issues decrease. So, if we were in a coaching session now, I would pose the following question:
If our goal is to engage students in active learning, what role-playing experiences could we stage that would allow them to design, perform, or create something?
Here are some examples:
Social Studies Content: Gettysburg
Role: Museum Curator Selects a Video for the Entryway at a Museum
In Social Studies, you may ask students to vote on four different videos which describe the Battle of Gettysburg. They can refer to YouTube, read blogs posted by family members sharing recollections that were passed down over generations, view a map of the battle on Google images, or search Wikipedia for primary source documents.
Students would review everything posted to your Delicious stack to ultimately select the video most suitable for a museum exhibition. They will have had an opportunity to view the content from multiple perspectives, engage in discussions with their cooperative group members, and use higher order thinking skills to make their final selection. Highly motivated students might surf the web to provide the class with additional choices. Thus, you are helping students move basic content from short-term memory to long-term memory through active learning.
Language Arts Content: Wizard of Oz
Role: Video Producer for the Anniversary of the Wizard of Oz
In Language Arts, you may have students select a specific theme from The Wizard of Oz to generate a 30 second commercial. Once you design your stack on Delicious, students can select a primary source document poster linked from Flickr; select a video from YouTube; highlight a specific scene that covers one of the Wizard of Oz themes (such as Identity, Conflict Resolution, Risk Taking, etc.); or read from an actor’s blog to learn what it was like to be an on the set. Of course, you may invite students to add to the stack through their own online research. Then, students can write a 30 second storyboard and videotape their performance, integrating some of the primary source documents, photographs, and quotes.
Mathematics Content: Fractals
Role: Photo Editor of a Book that Bridges Mathematics and Nature
In Mathematics, you can create a stack on Delicious with 15 different photographs of fractals (an “irregular” pattern within a pattern, within a pattern) in nature, such as ferns and broccoli. Students can add to that collection with as many as 30 choices by searching websites, blogs and other online resources including The New York Botanical Garden. From there, each cooperative group or pair of students analyzes and selects an image. Students then write descriptions for each of the pictorial images and you will then create a not-for-sale classroom book that will be produced by an on-line-service. You could sell it if you gained the rights to reproduce each of the pictures.
Music Content: Choral Parts
Role: Choral Director Teaching Professional Group Amplification or Reduction of Tone
In music, students learn how to be part of a section that functions within a larger whole. Each section, (i.e. soprano, alto, baritone) has to learn that at different times during the performance of a choral piece, they must either amplify or reduce the volume of their group. You create a stack on Delicious with different YouTube or sheet music samples of choral piece sections which exemplify this process. Each cooperative group would then select one of the samples and prepare a presentation demonstrating how the amplification or reduction of a specific part helped to create a mood or tone.
Regardless of the subject matter being taught, students should assess one another after all of the groups have completed their presentation. The class can vote on which groups deserve a“5 star status” in recognition of their exceptional work. I prefer this strategy to recognizing first/second/third place winners as it encourages all groups to be top winners!
In what ways have you used Delicious.com to actively engage your students? In what ways can you use your existing account and rethink it for active learning? (To reply, please click on the comment link next to the title or scroll down.)
Andi Stix is an educational consultant & coach who specializes in differentiation, interactive learning, writing across the curriculum, classroom coaching and gifted education. For further information on her specialties or social media, please email her on the Contact page.
Click here to receive a PDF version of this article.
With on-line communication transforming the world, many education departments across the country have banned social media in schools for protective measures. Now, districts are readdressing these bans and seeking more effective guidelines. As an educator for more than 35 years, I believe it is time to ask ourselves the following questions:
How can schools:
protect their students?
monitor the content of hundreds of teachers’ messages?
Not a moment too soon, the New York City Department of Education is now thinking about the role of social media in its public schools and how it may impact teachers and students. This week, preliminary social media guidelines were released. However; according to Deputy Counsel Robin Greenfield, “The guidelines are not in place yet. Principals received a letter explaining that they will be effective in the fall.” They will have an opportunity to offer comments this month and in July.
The NYCDOE is finally facing the reality that social media is here to stay. Previously, they banned teacher access to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube from their website portal. Of course, they were concerned with teacher-student relationships that could develop in an unprofessional manner. Even before the advent of social media, there were cases where professional boundaries were crossed, resulting in disciplinary actions.
What also begs for discussion is how teachers’ and students’ words can be used in advertisements without their knowledge, briefly covered in the NYCDOE guidelines Section D, #3c. With the new timeline and format of Facebook, every word is now accountable and traceable. Businesses and schools cannot create a professional page today, unless its origin comes from someone’s personal Facebook profile. In my case, I have a personal profile page, Andi Stix, but have professional pages in education that are linked off my personal profile, which are The Interactive Classroom and Synergy Westchester. Therefore, everything is traceable to me. And so, I am diligent in separating my personal life from my educational consulting.
So, what are school systems to do? Professional Development is key. It is the district’s responsibility to inform staff of the potential dangers to them and to their students of inappropriate use of social media vehicles.
Did you know that everything that is posted on Facebook belongs to Facebook? Many people find this disturbing, but this should come as no surprise. A decade ago, I was interviewed by the Philadelphia Inquirer and the publicationheld that copyright; so too now with Facebook.
Many principals are currently faced with the responsibility, according to preliminary NYCDOE guidelines, for obtaining permission from parents before posting their children’s work on the internet as well as giving permission to teachers to host Facebook pages, blogs, picture warehouses for photographs, etc. Principals are having peer group discussions with other administrators to understand the ramifications of the guidelines. Some schools are allocating a professional development day for their teachers outlining how social media may impact their school and its image.
At the present time, I’m getting certified in Social Media at Purchase College. As explained by one of my professors, Linda Solomon, “As Facebook goes public, it’s all about profits.” Teachers and students need to be warned that their words can go viral without their knowledge. Companies have figured out a way to capitalize on their content.
Here’s a perfect illustration: Let’s say that you post a message stating that you love your new Fendi bag. Do you know that Facebook can give Fendi permission to use your name in their ads without your knowledge? (When signing up for a Facebook page, you agree to their terms and this is one of them found in the fine print.)
In preparing to train teachers in Social Media and its potential danger, I examined how advertisements were posted on the right-hand side of Facebook, where they have always been located. But here is what surprised me: When I scrolled down the listing of my contacts on my Friends page, I specifically focused on my niece Rori, who posted a picture of her baby, which is circled below:
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So, I clicked on her link and these advertisements were found on her page:
Two of my friend’s “likes” were made into advertisements.
When I contacted Sophia Gonzalez and Pam North, they were unaware that their names were being used for commercial purposes by Fendi and Viking River Cruises.
Facebook shared my friends’ interests with companies who then used their names in online advertisements. Then, those companies posted advertisements on all of Sophia’s and Pam’s friends Facebook pages who fit the same demographic profile and target their Friend’s Friends. Here’s the process:
Sophia likes Fendi.
Fendi buys an ad campaign from Facebook to target friends of Sophia’s who share the same demographic profile.
Ads show up across Facebook, targeting those people. (me, Andi)
I click on that ad to view it.
Now, all of my friends see an ad that Andi likes Fendi.
Moreover, there are other companies besides Facebook, such as Taykey, that analyze post messages in your newsfeed and profile. If Sophia states, “I love my new Fendi bag,” her words can be picked up for potential advertising. Here’s the process:
Fendi contacts Taykey to find people who like their Fendi bag on Facebook, Twitter, Google, etc.
Taykey will first place a Facebook ad on those people’s pages and then target their friends who may also show an interest in Fendi.
Therefore, teachers have to be aware of their endorsements as well as anything negative that they have to say, either representing themselves, their schools, or their students. Once something is posted, it lives on the internet FOREVER.
If you take the average number of friends on your profile page, being approximately 140, and multiply the reach of your friends, that could provide companies access to approximately 300,000 per fan. This line of advertising was formulated, according to Erik Qualman’s book Socialnomics, because 90% of people trust their friends’ recommendations as opposed to 14% of advertisements.
So what does this mean for school systems?
Strict guidelines must not only be disseminated but also be discussed in detail by all schools. Each and every word that is written can either boost a school’s image or destroy it. Teachers need to be aware of how public their messages and their students’ work can become. Based on the new preliminary guidelines, the arduous task of monitoring social media falls on the supervisors.
Am I fan of social media? Yes. I’ve run professional development for the Interactive Classroom for 20 years. And this is a new stage of interaction. The opportunity to do that which was unimaginable has finally arrived where students’ works and ideas can be shared globally with such ease.
In the past few decades, we learned that the quality of students’ writing is so vastly different when it is only read by one’s teacher versus being shared by one’s peers. But now, the opportunity to share work globally is a huge incentive to raise the bar of student achievement, if used properly. However, with the world of social media exploding, teachers need clear boundaries of what is publicly owned, what is professional and what is personal.
So, let’s make sure that we do it right. In order to protect our students, let’s monitor the content and regulate what is private versus public. Let’s get involved and help shape the debate.
What’s your opinion? In what ways can schools offer regulations that will protect their students but allow supervised freedom of speech? (To reply, please click on the comment link next to the title or scroll down.)
Andi Stix is an educational consultant & coach who specializes in differentiation, interactive learning, writing across the curriculum, classroom coaching and gifted education. For further information on her specialties or social media, please email her on the Contact page.
Click here to receive a PDF version of this article.
For a complete guide to coaching, please see Teachers as Classroom Coaches
by Andi Stix, Ed.D. and Frank Hrbek, published by ASCD.
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The objective of a teacher as coach is to elicit responses that reflect how well cooperative groups or a student is progressing. The questions should be open-ended, probing for as much detail and description as possible.
Teachers such as Kim Trettor and Lydia Caprarella have the acronym and its definition posted on the wall so that peers in cooperative groups can help each other. COACH, the acronym, stands for Clarity of task, Ownership, Attentive, Comprehension, and checking for Heightened or Hidden emotions. Questions or statements that Kim and Lydia pose while circulating to each cooperative group are:
C =Clarity of Task: Please explain to me in your own words what you need to accomplish. Explain specifically what you have decided to do.
O =Ownership: How have you decided to divide the responsibility? For what reasons do you feel that this is fair in terms of your workload?
A = Attentive: Please share with me what you have been able to accomplish thus far today. Describe in detail how well you think you are working as a group. In what ways is this relevant to what you are trying to achieve together?
C = Comprehension: Please show me where you found this information because I find it fascinating. Please explain the most important points that you found in your research. For what reasons does this information make sense to you? For what reasons do you think you can make the connection?
H= Heightened or Hidden Emotions: I noticed that there is very little discussion at this table. Please share with me how you feel your group is functioning right now. It appears that this group has divided itself into pairs. Please describe what has taken place.
“Using COACHing questions is a good way to determine that students understand tasks and work completely and thoroughly. It also helps the teacher to see where students need extra clarification or attention.”
-Kim Trettor
Teacher
By asking COACHing questions, Kim and Lydia inspire students to probe deeper, rather than becoming defensive where they feel inadequate. It also allows them to become part of the inquiry process, where they model that they are not the sole repositories of all knowledge, but are interested primarily in their students’ unique research and projects. As students take risks and try new endeavors, it is important for the teacher to guide them and facilitate learning in a positive fashion. By prompting students with specific questions that initiate scholarship, teachers allow students to think critically and apply multiple perspectives. When the teacher abandons the phrase “should have” and replaces it with “May I suggest,” “You may want to consider,” or “In what ways can you…” the responsibility takes a major shift from the teacher to the students (Crane, 2002). This offers students the choice to respond to the needed change.
After having taught this strategy to your staff at a staff meeting or to your students in the classroom, in what ways did it help them become better cooperative group participants? (To reply, please click on the comment link next to the title or scroll down.)
For professional development at your school, click here.
Andi Stix is an educational consultant & coach who specializes in differentiation, interactive learning, writing across the curriculum, classroom coaching and gifted education. For further information on her specialties or social media, please email her on the Contact page.
References
Crane, T. The heart of coaching: Using transformational coaching to create a high performance culture.San Diego,CA: FTA Press.
Eisner, E. (2005). Back to whole. Educational Leadership, (63)1, 14-17.
Guarino, M. (2004, Feb 13th). Empty nesters find purpose and motivation: The action step guide once the children leave. SparkPeople.Cincinnati,OH: SparkPeople, Inc.
iPEC: Institute for Professional Empowerment Coaching (1999, 2005). Coach training manual.Manasquan,NJ: iPEC.
Kohn, A. (2005). Unconditional teaching. Educational Leadership, (63)1, 20-24.
Longenecker, C. & Pinkel, G. (1997). Coaching to win at work. Manage, 48(2), 19-21.
Marklein, M. B. (2005, Oct. 12th). College kids get coached up. USA Today. McLean, VA: Gannett Co., Inc.
Stix, A. (Fall 2000). Negotiable contracting. Gems of AGATE Newsletter. 24(3). NY: Advocacy for Gifted and Talented Education inNew YorkState.
Wright, K. (1998). Breaking the Rules: Removing the obstacles to effortless high performance.Boise,Idaho: CPM Publishing.
Zeus, P. and Skiffington, S, (2001). The complete guide to coaching at work. NY: McGraw-Hill Education.
Click here to receive a PDF version of this article.
Our book, Teachers as Classroom Coaches, describes in detail ways a teacher can coach her students using the 3Ps + C Model. Here, on our blog, we decided to show an example of how an administrator can use the same strategy with a teacher: The 3Ps + C Model:
purpose
permission
positive suggestion
compliment
Every principal, especially if we believe that the buck stops at the principal’s desk, as well as all of the teachers and staff, needs to establish academic goals that have a clear purpose. This means determining the mission of what the school should become. However, sometimes those goals get compromised with personal issues.
Here is a scenario of a conversation between a principal and a teacher. The principal, Jennifer, uses the 3P+C Model to help a teacher deal with a personal issue that is affecting her teaching:
Jennifer: You are one of the best teachers I’ve had the pleasure to work with over my long career in education (compliment). But for some time now I’ve noticed you seem to have lost your focus, and I am concerned. There has been quite a change in your demeanor and performance (purpose). I’ll admit to curiosity: what has changed?
Amy: I’m embarrassed that my behavior has become noticeable. I’ve always taken great pride in my abilities as a teacher, and I didn’t think my personal life was interfering with what was taking place in the classroom.
Jennifer: I don’t mean to pry, but I want you to know that I’m available and always here for you. Whatever has been bothering you all this time, you may want to consider sharing it with me (permission). We’ve known each other for close to seventeen years. You’re not alone.
Amy: My closest and dearest friend died. Connie had been sick for months. She suffered a lingering and debilitating sickness, and she wasted away before my eyes. Connie and I grew up together, and we’ve known each other all our lives. This experience pulverized me emotionally, and took its toll. I stayed with her as much as I could all the days and weeks and months that she was slipping away. It was a long goodbye.
Jennifer: You’ve suffered a terrible loss and it completely understandable the emotional turmoil you are experiencing. It’s heartbreaking when you lose someone who has always been so close to you. How can I help and support you?
Amy: You’ve already helped by letting me talk about it. I tried to hold on to her, but Connie herself knew there was little that could be done. Thankfully, she was medicated and sedated throughout, and did not suffer pain. I just wasn’t aware my classroom activities were affected. This is a situation I just have to learn to handle myself.
Jennifer: I have a suggestion, and a strategy, that just might work for you. Would it be okay to share it with you (permission)?
Amy: Please do. Anything will help. Sometimes I feel as if my legs were kicked out from under me, and I can’t cope. I know it’s probably a normal feeling, but I thought I would be able to handle the situation a lot better than I have.
Jennifer: You’ll always have Connie with you as long as you live, and the love and the good memories will never go away. Write down on a piece of paper the ten best things you remember about your friendship with Connie, that gave meaning, sweetness, fun, and relevance to your relationship with your best friend. Take as much time as you need (positive suggestion).
Amy: I have to keep brushing away the tears. I have ten items.
Jennifer: Tell me about one of your favorite times with Connie, something that the both of you did over and over again and bonded the friendship.
Amy: We both loved the summer months. Throughout the year we always waited for the warm days. And we loved the beach. Both of us were like little kids, always, walking along the beach and running in and out of the water. We would walk together for miles, and talk, and share every thought and secret we could think of. In that way we were almost like twins, inseparable.
Jennifer: Amy, have you shared your loss with your students?
Amy: I haven’t. I questioned the appropriateness of doing that. I know they’re seniors in high school, but they’re kids, and young and vulnerable.
Jennifer: You’ve always maintained a warm and nurturing environment in your classroom (compliment). One of the books on the school’s reading list is James Agee’s A Death in the Family, which, if assigned, may open up a meaningful lesson on relationships and loss. The kids love to read, and the book received a Pulitzer Prize. Have them write their reactions, and though they may be in the full blush of youth they are young adults, and mature. Perhaps this might help you move through a difficult time.
Amy: Oh Jennifer, if it would only lift away the heavy weight I feel pressing down on my heart.
Jennifer: Give it time; that will happen too. In what ways do you think students may have dealt with losses in their own lives?
Amy: I’ve never considered this. I’m certain many have had their share of sadness and loss – grandparents, friends, and relatives – even something tangible they cherished. And they do have their own friendships and relationships.
Jennifer: This may be a good way to purge the sorrow that has taken place in your life. You seem hesitant and tentative, Amy. Share with me what you’re thinking.
Amy: I’m thinking that I’ll share my list with my students. I want to celebrate all the good memories that Connie and I shared. I have so many photographs, and I want everyone to see the person Connie was when she smiled and lit up the whole world around her.
Describe in detail other coaching strategies that you have used with teachers or with your students in the classroom. In what ways have the coaching strategies empowered your students? If you used the 3Ps +C Model, please share your experience with us. (To reply, please click on the comment link next to the title or scroll down.)
Andi Stix is an educational consultant & coach who specializes in differentiation, interactive learning, writing across the curriculum, classroom coaching and gifted education. For further information on her specialties or social media, please email her on the Contact page.
Click here to receive a PDF version of this article.
The Imagery Walk is an exercise that allows students to visually bring content alive by utilizing their imaginations. It is based on meditative practices, but allows for scenes in English Language Arts, historical periods in Social Studies, geometrical designs in mathematics, and procedures in science to be recreated. By implementing this strategy, students are more able to move the content from short-term to long-term memory, because they personally create and interact with the content area.
Using a soft, gentle, soothing, and even voice, begin to set the stage for this exercise. Tell students, “You will be taking a voyage of the mind. You will meditate quietly in your seats, looking for greater understanding of what we have been studying. Please get comfortable and close your eyes.” (If the class size is small and the floors are carpeted with ample room, ask the students to lie down.) “I am turning off the lights to help you focus within, allowing your imagination to take flight. There is no talking. Embrace the stillness and the quiet. Your task is to envision in your mind’s eye the unfolding scene of the content that we are studying.”
“Place yourself in the situation where you are looking down from the top of a staircase. Be completely relaxed. With closed eyes, prepare the mind for your journey, where each of the meditative steps will open new vistas of understanding and clarity. The physical body is totally relaxed, and the mind should be free of intrusive and distracting thoughts.”
Concentrate and focus on your breathing, which should be evenly spaced. This will allow for your full concentration.”
Pretend that you are walking down a path and come to a staircase. As you look below, you notice that each step has the beautiful colored hue of the rainbow, starting with a brilliant red and ending with the subtle shading of purple. In your mind you are now prepared to embark on your journey, and you take the first step. You concentrate on each of the colors.
Look at the staircase and prepare to walk down. Let your mind focus on each color as you take your steps.” Give students 20 seconds after each description.
a. “Your foot first touches the redstep. Look at the brightness of the color. Feel the redness rush through your body. Red is the color of excitement. It is bright and brilliant, and you feel its warmth rush through your body. Think about the excitement of this experience.” Pause.
b. “The next step is orange. Step carefully as you let the color wash over you. Orange is the color of harmony. Concentrate on the color. Measure your breathing evenly. Focus only on the color orange, and feel the warmth in this room.” Pause.
c. “Now you step on yellow. The yellow makes you happy. The yellow gives you joy. Continue breathing slowly, the mind empty except for yellow, and think of the sun’s rays that shine upon the earth. Feel the sun’s warmth on your face, like the fresh burst of spring.” Pause.
d. “You’re glowing with warmth as you step on the green. Green, like the bursting leaves on the trees, gives you a soothing and healthy feeling. It’s the color of grass and all the plants of the earth, and represents life and growth. Breathe in and enjoy the smell of fresh-cut grass on a spring day.” Pause.
e. “The bluestep welcomes you. Your breathing comes evenly and relaxed, for you feel the peace and warmth of the blue, for that is the color of all the love in the world. Your mind is calm, free of everything except the good and peaceful thoughts that love brings.” Pause.
f. “Place your feet on the purplestep. This is the color of kings and queens. Breathe in slowly, and let your mind hold on to the purple glow, giving you the power to do what is right for yourself. Concentrate, and let your mind fill with all that is best for you.” Pause.
g. “Last is the step of creativity, the violetstep. Relax your mind and breathe slowly and evenly. Imagine the silken texture of the violet flowers, their softness, and how easily you can solve your problems. The violet, like the creativity of your mind, is a burst of brilliance.” Pause.
6. “You will now be stepping off the staircase and onto a cloud that will carry you off to a distant place.”
7. At this point, you will guide the students where they will travel. Your descriptions should paint the stage of their exploration.
a. English Language Arts: Assigning To Kill a Mockingbird, you can descriptively portray the era of America’s “Jim Crow” South through the eyes of Atticus. The humiliations of segregation, where Black Americans in the courtroom were kept apart from Whites, and the threat of lynching and physical violence was a daily presence. For example, “As you enter the courtroom, the heat and humidity combined with the attending townspeople makes you perspire. You are not sure if your evident discomfort is due to the heat, the crowd, or the oppressive feeling of racial tension that is so evident in the proceedings of the trial…”
b. Social Studies: Studying the world of Periclean Athens, the daily world and vibrant activities of the Athenians can be brought to life. You give the students an example: “The agora, the great portico and central meeting place of the City-State, is filled with people. There are politicians and holders of public office all gesticulating and talking loudly, competing with the shouts and voices of shopkeepers and tradespeople haggling. Business and buying and selling is continually being carried on, with all the populace that includes slaves and foreigners and freemen mixing together and exemplifying the democracy of Athens…”
c. Science: While studying the digestive system, have them transform themselves into a piece that was just bitten off an apple . Your narrative takes them through the various stages of the digestive tract: “You are swallowed and slide down the esophagus, and then are momentarily halted. There is a valve that allows only small measured portions of you to continue. You make it into the stomach chamber. All of a sudden, there are liquids that swirl all around you. You are surrounded, and all parts of you begin to break down for separation and parceling to other parts of the body…”
d. Mathematics: While studying geometry and polyhedra, take the students on a scavenger hunt trying to locate a terrorist. Your clue is that he is hiding in unusually shaped structure: “Like superman, you are flying above Washington, D.C. You peer down and see the great dome of the circular pillared building that enshrines Jefferson’s statue. Further along, you zoom down to the huge and massive pentagonal shaped building that houses the military leaders of the USA…”
8. Make sure you tap sensory perception. How do things appear? Is there a smell involved? Can students touch something and note its texture. Is there a question that they want to pose to a given character? Does your lesson allow students to take on a specific character and to see it from his or her perspective? Allow them the opportunity and time to extend the lesson that you have designed. This will tap their creative abilities that can be reflected upon after the lesson in the Follow Up section.
9. To bring students back to the classroom. Warn them kindly, “We will be leaving in a minute from this place and will return to the classroom.” (Pause for a minute or two.)
10. “It’s time to go, to get up and climb back onto the cloud. It will bring you back to the foot of the staircase. Be prepared to climb them. Slowly and carefully, take one step at a time, moving upward and stepping on each step as you climb the staircase: violet, purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red.”
11. “At the count of three, you will open your eyes to end the voyage. One…, two…., and three.”
Follow-Up
The following questions can be discussed in small groups or pairs and/or answered in written form:
Describe in detail to a peer what your meditation experience was like.
In what ways did the Imagery Walk help you gain a better understanding of the content we are studying?
Explain in detail what you were surprised to learn…..
Please share this or other visualization exercises that you have used with your class and how your students .……………………responded to the experience.(To reply, please click on the comment link next to the title or scroll down.)
Andi Stix is an educational consultant & coach who specializes in differentiation, interactive learning, writing across the curriculum, classroom coaching and gifted education. For further information on her specialties or social media, please email her on the Contact page.
Click here to receive a PDF version of this article.
The Carousel Brainstorming strategy is easy to implement. Each cooperative group walks up to an open-ended question posted on chart paper, discusses it, brainstorms answers or solutions, and writes down responses within a given amount of time. When the teacher “carousels” students, or rotates the groups to new locations, they repeat the exercise with a new question. This time students must read the responses from the previous group(s) before they begin to write down new ideas.
Materials
Different colored markers
Chart paper
Masking tape (Tape chart paper at eye level in different locations around the room)
Preparation
1. The teacher generates open-ended questions for the class. Open-ended questions provoke a higher level response from students and can easily be written. Instead of writing a question starting with “who, what, when, where, and why”, try the following:
In what ways…
Describe in detail…
For what reasons….
Generate a list of….
For a more detailed discussion of questioning, please see our Open-Ended Questions post.
2. Or, if time permits, the teacher along with the students can generate questions collectively.
3. Numbering each, the teacher places the question separately on the top of chart paper for students to answer.
4. Use masking tape to post the questions on the walls. Allow ample room around each chart, so the group can congregate around it.
5. Assign each cooperative group with a number that corresponds to a question. Give each group a different colored marker. This will identify their answers on all charts.
6. Explain the strategy to the class: Each cooperative group will walk up to the same number as allocated to their cooperative group. They will be given a short period of time to answer the question.
7. All groups are to discuss their ideas/responses to the question. Responses are written down on the chart paper by the recorder.
8. After a specific time frame (3-5 minutes), each group rotates to the next sheet with a different question. Rotate the role of recorder. Each group takes the marker with it, as all responses with that colored marker serve to identify the work of each particular cooperative group for the teacher. Groups cannot reiterate previously stated responses, but they can continue to add new ideas to the list. Repeat the same procedure for the remaining questions until the system is exhausted. Using this format, groups “carousel” around the room, rotating among the questions.
9. Students are given an additional minute for each time they rotate to a new question. This extra time will give them the opportunity to read what other groups have written. Even though they are not allowed to write the same thing another group has written, they are allowed to make comments on the side of the sheet to extend an answer or simply add marginalia or notations.
10. Now that the strategy has been explained to the class, the teacher institutes negotiable contracting of criteria for assessment. Ask students to place themselves in the position of the teacher. Now that they have a good idea of the task, what criteria should be used for grading the strategy? Allow students to brainstorm criteria in their cooperative groups. The teacher lists the results on large chart paper. Please see our post on Negotiable Contracting. The following are sample ideas of criteria for assessment:
Listen and respond to others in your cooperative group
Make meaningful contributions
Encourage peers to explain themselves if they are not clear at first
Write down the idea clearly and succinctly for others to read
Activity
1. Each cooperative group is now assigned to walk over to a different sheet of chart paper with a question written on it. They follow the procedure as described above.
2. Following the activity, the instructor asks the class to discuss the responses that are posted.
a. English Language Arts: Samples may include but are not limited to:
Describe in detail how the environment has an effect on the main character of the book.
Explain specifically the conflicts or problems that your young adolescent faces.
Describe the tensions between the main character and the other characters in the book.
Explain in detail which of these strengths you find admirable, and which weaknesses you can relate to and understand.
b. Social Studies: Samples may include but are not limited to:
For what reasons did tensions evolve between the two great empires?
In what ways did the cultures of the various civilizations clash?
Describe how the leadership qualities of the great men resulted in conflict?
c. Mathematics: When studying how different graphs present information differently: Samples include but are not limited to:
In what ways do the styles of these graphs differ?
Describe in detail the strength of Style A graphing as opposed to Style B graphing?
If you wanted to stress a certain subject or topic, explain specifically which style of graphing you would choose.
d. Foreign Language
Generate as many words beginning with a c that creates a “CH” sound.
etc…..
Please share with us your experiences with Carousel Brainstorming in the classroom or at a staff meeting. Describe what you learned. Explain in detail any variations that other viewers would appreciate knowing. (To reply, please click on the comment link next to the title or scroll down.)
Andi Stix is an educational consultant & coach who specializes in differentiation, interactive learning, writing across the curriculum, classroom coaching and gifted education. For further information on her specialties or social media, please email her on the Contact page.
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When I first began to incorporate coaching into the classroom, I tried to use as many of the coaching strategies as possible. But because true coaching is about meeting the needs of our students, I realized that I would have to wear different hats at different times to help my students’ progress. Coaching wasn’t the only role. I had to admit that I was also a consultant, a collaborator, and an evaluator; and with each role, my behavior changed.
Coaching is the ability to move an individual, cooperative group, or a class, forward. As an instructional coach, I wanted to help my kids become more self-directed. I wanted them to monitor themselves and manage their tasks expediently and efficiently. Respecting the reflection process, I allowed time for self-assessment, whether a debate, discussion, or project. My role was to pose questions and have them analyze things at a higher level for deeper understanding.
Sometimes, I collaborated with my students. I loved it when a student asked a question that I knew nothing about. Collectively, we formed ideas, made inquiries and learned together. One time, I tested a new strategy and wanted my students’ opinion afterwards. Well, the strategy was a loser. When I expressed my disappointment, you can’t imagine the plethora of student suggested ideas. My behavior represented being at the same level of the students, a learner. It was a highlight of my career as we all had shared ownership of a modified lesson.
