#TeacherEdChat Archive
We invite all educators to contribute to the conversation of preparing preservice teachers as well as practicing teachers for the realities of the 21st-century classroom. This includes principals, in-service teachers, university supervisors of student teachers, education professors, higher education administration, instructional technology specialists, and so on. Anyone with a vested interest in supporting our teachers in preparation for teaching the diverse K-12 student population is invited to participate.
Monday February 8, 2016
Welcome to ! Thanks for joining in on tonight's conversation about "Empowering Students to Lead in the Classroom!"
Please take a moment to introduce yourself to the group (name, current job, location).
I'm Paul Solarz, a 5th grade teacher & author of "Learn Like a PIRATE." I'm honored to be guest moderating tonight!
Joining Teach grad ed courses in CT
Read the book last year and we distributed copies at Thanks, Paul
Let's get started with the chat! Question #1 coming up in one minute!
Hello from AL, Debbie, Instructional Tech Coach, glad to be here
is on now with guest moderator Feel free to pop in
Jordan, 8th Grade ELA/SS in NC.
Hello Jordan, & glad you're joining now
Jessie Erickson, Paul fan! Grand Forks, ND, 5th Grade
A1 because that is real life
A1: We need to encourage student leadership & collaboration to keep our digital learners engaged
A1 Ss collaboration teaches the soft skills & problem solving skills so pertinent for their future, creating independence
A1 - Because when teachers make all the decisions, students learn they don't have to think for themselves! I want thinkers!
A1: it is about students owning their education
Yes, students need to own and embrace their own education to learn and thrive
And you do an excellent job, Paul, of allowing students to take the lead
A1: It's a self-starter's world-Risk-taking leaders w/ good people & problem solving skills r in high demand in today's world
hello tweeps! Tina from TN, aka , making it to
hello tweeps! Tina from TN, aka , making it to
A1 student centered classrooms, voice, choice, create "workplace" environment that empowers Ss taking ownership of learning
Glad you're joining the conversation here on
Thanks Judy! They've really been impressing me recently! They've created new reading discussion categories...
A1. If we dont start offering Ss the reigns of their education, when do we? Build lifelong learners by giving up control
...a whole-class Variety Show Act, a Hunger Games get-together at the park where everyone's invited, etc.!
Need to connect my grad students w/ your students
A1: builds Ss confidence, encourages higher order thinking,teaches Ss to work as a team while building communication skills
A2: Create an environment where all students feel comfortable, valued, and contributors
A2 stop lecturing. Let student own their learning by finding and discussing information
A2: Create an environment w/ a so that it's not about one S being better than another. Encourage risk taking
A2 Ts guide Ss in art of communication & questioning, use team/community building activities & cooperative activities
Precisely, move away from competition to collaboration
A2 - We use Responsibility Partners for most independent work. We learn to look out for more than just ourselves!
A2 create a community of respect & trust, where every Student feels valued & part of a team.
A2:bld connections,reinforce all thoughts welcome,teaching respect is a must,encourage behaviors that support co-learning
Agree, less teacher talk and more student talking and doing
A1: collaboration allows for students to share ideas and come up with the best solution possible to a problem.
Dan, business teacher from St. Louis.
A2 constructive friends activity, Ss learn to critique their own & team members, group conferences during projects
Yes, and that should also be the model in business
Providence Student Union checking in—hello all! PSU is building student power in Providence, RI.
https://t.co/aazFNUIL34
A2: create an environment where Ss feel safe to take risks, work together, be wrong, and not get docked for cheating/wrong.
A2 Ts should show Ss how 2 ask ?s without fear & help them realize growing is what matters. We all have more to learn.
Environment where all students feel safe is critical
absolutely!! Ss need to feel the classroom is a place to Learn, mistakes & problem solving is the process
A3/PSU ensured that students at one HS were part of the interviews 4 hiring new principal. Ss must be involved at all levels!
A3 - Students will take ownership of responsibilities when they have some power: "Give Me Five!"
https://t.co/4WBg9AVBGN
A3: Let students know they are in the teachers in a sense
A3 there is 0 lecture. Everything is developed by the students
A3:not in a class but trained Ss tech team to wk w/Ts,encouraged Ss to bld confidence to wk w/Ts by having train w/ me 1st
Yes involving students in interview process to hire principals & teachers is empowering
A3 scaffolding activities that build upon objective, giving Ss choice to explore resources & voice for ideas to be heard
This was the 1st thing I tried. Amazing! We use "May I have your attention please?" --a school universal
Yes - so many great versions! It's so great to watch the kids lead themselves & others!!!
A3: by giving them the responsibility to take charge of emir learning/actions. My role is to be a coach/mentor to guide them.
A3/Schools must devolve *actual decision-making responsibilities* to Ss. They are capable of much more than we give credit 4!
A3 give Ss checklists/ rubrics to help guide them, have group conferences to check for understanding/progress
A3: Often I am a participant, knowledgable but a participant
My kids use "Give Me 5" too when they present--it works!
Allow students to make modifications to those rusty rubrics, which promote conformity and not creativity
A3: smile and say "what do you think?"
So simple to do and so effective not just in school but in interactions in general
Absolutely, I usually leave the "A" column blank, let's them decide what needs to be accomplished
A4: I work w/ Ts on using tech in the classroom & encourage more than 1 resource option
I tried "give me 5" at the beginning of year with 3rd grade. Had to stop when the same kids used it as a way to tattle
Julia in So Cal late to the chat.
A4: Use social media and other means to enable students to make suggestions not just during school day but afterwards
Glad you could drop by to
I let my students decide how the classroom is set up. Differently every time
A4 Ss have choice of resources to use, creativity tools to express learning, sometimes a "tic tac toe" of activities
A4 My only homework is 20 minutes of reading 4 nights per week in book of their choice. A lot more buy in when they choose
A4/Ss should be able to choose courses. Underfunding electives & overloading req's steals choice from Ss.
Yes, allow students to demo learning through tools of their choice
Tic tac toe is a great way to promote choice.
A4 Ss use a collaborative Google doc to share ideas/ resources when working on projects
Excellent to see HS English teacher giving students this freedom
A4 students decide on what project they want to do and which tool they need to use
A4: GH, reading, process, product, procedures, processing, and learning partners.
A4 Show Ss what they should be able to do at unit end and ask them what experiences would help them be ready to do the same
A4: My Ss can sit where they want, choose their Passion Project topics/final products & do self-selected Sci. projects w/me!
Explain further how Tic Tac Toe is used in this way
A4: use an idea from give Ss "Must-Dos and May-Dos" kids ❤️the control of their learning! https://t.co/dXxalUq6Ea
Center is non-negotiable, they choose the other two activities, Ss love it!
Explain for others concept of Passion Projects
Thanks!! And it's catching on. Now many other Ts on my campus starting to do this too!!
We do "sign-ups" using Google Spreadsheets-I list 30 topics, pull sticks & have Ss sign up for their favorite!
A4: my Ss have a voice every day to come to class and work hard. We try and use tech, and be the best we can each day.
Love to 2 see all the ways they take charge. Fave is when they ask the clss 2 quiet down so they can learn.
For us, Passion Projects (a.k.a. , Projects) are self-selected interest-based explorations.
center non negotiable Ss choose two other activities, scaffolded activities different learning styles
A5 first: stop talking second: start listening
A5: Digital media lends itself to engagement and helps students to determine how they learn and how to demonstrate that
Must and may dos would be good for varying point values. 10,20,30,40 points and Ss total must be 50 https://t.co/ZibntT8KOn
A4: use an idea from give Ss "Must-Dos and May-Dos" kids ❤️the control of their learning! https://t.co/dXxalUq6Ea
A5: 45 minutes every Monday is for state assessment practice. Every other class Tues-Fri is built on PBL and collaboration.
A5: GAFE, Twitter, scavenger hunts, Ss teaching the class, flipped classrooms.
A5: map what must be learned directly to be efficient the rest find best fit through experimentation & choice
Trying to stay on top of 2 Twitter chats tonite. and :)
I started this year. Rocky start but a with in progress.
Yes, all of these ways work well & more teachers need to adopt them
A5: Genius Hour is my absolute favorite Proj Based time of the week. Choice, engagement and authentic learning!!!
A5 use of Webbs DOK, develop the higher level Qs activities that develop the skills, content becomes context to learning
A5: by using tech as a seamless resource in the curriculum, not an outlier...pbl & digital media work w/ all curriculum
Just use both hashtags: overlap works
A5: Most everything we do is collaborative in some way. I give directions/info, but get out of the way & support w/feedback.
Thanks Paul and crew... leaving early. Love the learning!!!
we have no built-in assessment practice. Monday is 20-Time
Yes, but still we like to hear both sides
A5 Opened a google classroom question today. One original post per S then 2 replies. Incredible to step out of the process!
A5: Encourage activities that get students out of seats, moving around, and even engaged with community
A5: Go global; connect with other classrooms; let students assume leadership in the cross class projects
A6 - My students enter the room, move furniture based on the activity planned, get supplies/materials, lead transitions...
A6 we reduced the importance of grades which freed students to want to help each other
A6: Students teaching one another, blogging, website development, digital storytelling, etc.
A6: everyone is on the level of learner. we all can teach and learn from ideas, mistakes, experience.
A6 Ss engage in carousel activity 4 some projects, they become "critical friends" leave sticky note w/positive & suggestion
A6 In going to eavesdrop this one for ideas!!
A6 - While reading novels, my students record all discussions, upload to YouTube & tag them: https://t.co/CB8n8QvK31
Tell more, Paul, about what they upload--do they include visual media?
A6 When a Ss asks me how to do something, I ask the room for a S expert. Even shy kids help!
Great strategy: love it; more teachers need to do that
Did this! There were tears which was a beautiful thing. Empowering
A6: start with opening circle everyone has to speak
we have to free students to think and not focus on the idea that there is only one answer
have u tried digital portfolio Ss can record & create, Parents have access, great tool
We have a board that categorizes the type of discussion (signpost, specific story element, turning point, etc.).
BOOM!!! Told my Ss that independent thinking is goal for this year. Period.
How are students & parents reacting to ?
A7 we have weekly project logs that focus on their learning
Love weebly! my Ss created a website collaboratively as a PBL, best lesson! look forward to yours!
A7: Use GDocs for peer response. Encourage revisiting activities later in the year for rethinking & responding
A7: Ss tell me color they saw today. Red=lost and why; Yellow=kinda have it and why; Green=got it! tell me what they learned
A7 I build semester long themed units. We full circle at the end so all learning is connected. American Dream right now.
So good to hear that is working well for collaboration and more
Elem Ps love , Ss love "all" they can do!
I would even say Google Classroom Question works better at times for open discussion with feedback. https://t.co/0cMyhWupwu
A7: Use GDocs for peer response. Encourage revisiting activities later in the year for rethinking & responding
Been hearing wonderful things about for elem grades. What about upper grades?
Not everyone has access to Google Classroom, thou, so GDoc next best option
A7: After learning a new Big Idea, my students show their process & reflect via their ePortfolios: https://t.co/Cd7zREiu77
A7: have students keep a journal as their own exit slip each day so they can reflect on their learning.
of course! My district spoils us with amazing access to all things tech!
What other ed tech tools are working well that you would recommend to others?
A7 - Since we don't have grades in our classroom, I can revisit old assignments and have students make corrections any time!
great tool for this as well! very versatile, great collaboration/communication tool
We can do that even when we have grades and have everyone revise to achieve best results
we focus on 3 ?s what did u learn? What did u do? What ? Do you have?
Kahoot. Socrative. Padlet. Edpuzzle. Digital interactive journals.
Been using also for cross class collaboration & global connections
Used padlet at EdCampPerris for interactive collab with Ts. Love !!
A8 having students set goals help keep them engaged in their learning and excited about learning!
Thx & ! Great chats & mods!!
Found a winner for teachers and for student engagement
A8 - My Ss collaboratively come up with a whole-class goal at the end of EACH day during "Evaluate." https://t.co/16H92xffXq
Would love to hear how...
A8: goal can help Ss have a sense of accomplishment; especially the Ss who struggle with big ideas; gives hope
Been having students create the Great way to learn in role of playing teacher
Love that they can go at their own pace
A8 - Every Friday, my students reflect on personal goals, set new ones, monitor progress, celebrate completed ones, etc.
Yes, with can respond any time before a due date
So many excellent ideas being shared now on
I present the goal as EQs I want kids to get by the end of the unit. Vary opportunities for project types
We need to clone you, Paul
excellent to have them generate Qs to show learning!
It was such an honor to guest moderate this evening! If you'd like to check out the book, here it is: https://t.co/GGcUW57CbV
Also found that after a round of played, need to review concepts for learning to sink in
Thanks Judy! Not sure about that, but we're doing the things I believe strongly in & can't be more proud of my Ss!
