Practice Makes Perfect, Right?

Originally published on November 3, 2016.

Playing handbells has me thinking about practice. We played a particularly challenging song on Monday night, note that "challenging" is relative here. I was horrible. I had to stop playing and just listen because I lost my place, couldn't read my notes, and in general gave up on the song. I need a lot more practice.

Many of our students need a lot more practice. But is all practice equal? Is merely trying to master the concept or skill over and over again effective? Much research says no, it isn't. Hence the term "deliberate practice." Here's a good general description of deliberate practice: The Role of Deliberate Practice in Education

There are strategies we can use to help learners practice. Going back to my handbell music, it's pretty useless if I just play it once a week during our dedicated "practice" time. I know myself, and I know I really won't get much better for week to week, at least not enough to figure out this song. So I found the sheet music online, and now I can practice on my own, but that's still not enough. The following are practice strategies:

• Chunk the task into smaller tasks for mastery. With sheet music, that may literally mean only practicing a few measures at time. In problem solving or a task, it's mastering one step at a time: addition first, then multiplication; writing an opinion, then forming a sentence, then creating a developed claim statement.
• Go slower; fewer beats per second. In some cases, students might need more time. Others might need help slowing down so they can think about what they're doing and why they're doing it.
• Use decoding strategies. In my case, colored highlighters for each note and big, flashing words when I need to change from a sharp to a natural bell or English translations of the Italian musical terms. Students need help using the language of the discipline.
• Give practice tasks at the appropriate level. There's a section of the music that has more notes than I can count in beats, so I can't practice these measures. They're currently too difficult. If I practice them, I'll practice them wrong, over and over. Practice that's too hard or too easy, doesn't take learners toward the mastery goal.

Yet there are times when practicing on your own just doesn't cut it. At home, I have no handbells to play, so I pretend-ring pens. I also don't get feedback like I do during rehearsals; there I can immediately hear if I've played the wrong note because it clashes with everyone else's. Being at home, away from resources like other students and the teacher creates a difficult situation for some students because they need feedback. Some students might even lack proper materials, like I lack handbells, but there might be calculators or highlighters or even a quiet space to work. So students need a low-stakes way to practice in the classroom as well, with peers and on their own, and with feedback.

Like many students, I hope that when I go back to "class" next week and play the song again, my peers or my instructor will make note of my improvement. A little encouragement that all of the practice is paying off goes a long way.

Becoming a Learner

Originally Published October 24, 2016

I stumbled across this blog post through the portal of a podcast and YouTube video. http://myteachingnotebook.com/index.php/2015/08/29/my-journey-to-the-joy-of-learning/ And what I read and saw and heard from Michael Wesch was a reminder, that if I'm going to be a teacher, then I need to remember what it's like to be a learner. I can't remember what it's like to learn to write an essay for the first time or go online to find resources for my research, so really the only way to remember what it's like to learn is to LEARN.

So this thought stuck with me for a while. I'm really good at intending to learn things, HTML, watercolor, knitting, but I'm not really good at actually following through with those things. I still intend to learn to knit and code and paint awesome pictures, but my intention isn't helping me to experience learning.

Then I realized that even before I read that blog post, I actually was learning something new, or mostly new. For the past two months, I've been playing handbells. I learned basic music growing up. I know the different notes and how to read a measure and where to find my two notes on the treble clef, but I haven't read or played music in nearly 15 years, so I consider myself a novice. I'm having to learn how to count beats and play on time, what words like forte and martellato mean, and how to ring a bell and turn a page almost simultaneously. I'm learning to play handbells, and I'm enjoying it.

Chiu, N. (2009) Handbells. Flickr.

I want this blog to be a reflection on my learning journey. I don't want it to be about my intention to learn, but rather written memories on what it's like to be the student. My teachers may come in person like the music director or they may come in the form of internet tutorials, online courses, or self exploration and failure. I need to push myself to learn a outside of my comfort zone because the courses I'll be teaching, while housed in the department of English, will consist of very few English majors who self-elected to spend their college careers reading and writing, and so the content might be a little (or a lot) outside of their comfort zones.

I also know that if I'm asking my students to write, then I should also be writing, so sometimes I'll be doing what I've already learned to do, but as with every field, you can always learn to do it better. It's just that I'll never get to go back to the first time I wrote my own research paper (it was on the dying out of frogs in our ecosystems) or the day I discovered the writing of Ernest Hemingway.

Learning to play handbells has already taught me some about what it's like to be a learner. I experienced not understanding the lingo of a particular field. At one rehearsal, the music director said to me as least 5 times, "play the take." My stand partner circled a note for me and said, "You play that one too." And on about the 6th time through, it finally dawned on me exactly what it meant to play the take, and I played my note. But the language was a total barrier to my understanding, even with all the cues I was given. And so now I know it's important to consider how you phrase feedback or directions to novice learners.

Playing handbells truly is a challenge for me. I have yet to play a song to perfection, nor do I ever think I will. While playing a song I will inevitably either miss a note, play the wrong bell, lose count, forget to take the repeat, play out of turn, or any combination of the above. But I'm okay with making those mistakes because I'm not made to feel like a failure of a musician when I do those things; we just keep practicing until we make fewer of them. The music director believes that anyone can play handbells, but that some just take more time and practice than others.

Isn't that how we should look at all of our learners? All of them can learn; some might take more time and practice, and some might make fewer or more mistakes than others. But if they ever feel like they can't or that they just weren't born with the natural talent to be a writer or a musician or a scientist or a whatever, then they're defeated before they even get started. So what can educators do for learners? We can believe in them, and we can empathize with them. We can create a space for them to make mistakes, to practice, and to perform, and sometimes all three might be happening at the same time. 

I'll hope you'll join in learning with me. Here's to a wonderful journey for us all.

Models of Blended Learning

4 Models of Blended Learning

The different types of blended learning can be divided into four models, though these don't have to be taken as clear-cut descriptions or types. The four models are a good way to create a framework for what is being done and can be done in a blended learning environment. I want to take a look at each of these and think through how I'm currently seeing them used and questions and ideas to think about for implementing each models. The four models are 1) rotation 2) flex 3) a la carte 4) enriched virtual

from the Clayton Christensen Institute

1. Rotation Model
The rotation model is probably the most familiar to teachers, especially those who have used any sort of rotation in the classroom such as stations or a workshop model, even without the use of technology. In this model, teachers are in control of the amount or time for each rotation. There are four subtypes of the rotation model:

A. Station Rotation
In this model, students rotate between learning stations that may involve self-paced online learning, group-learning, whole class learning, small groups learning with the teacher, etc.

Reflection: This, to me, is probably one of the easiest ways to implement blended learning in a single classroom. Teachers who already use independent, online learning in the classroom or programs such as IXL or Compass Learning may consider why all students need to work on the computer at the same time, when in actuality students could be rotating through groups, assigned tasks based on their needs, and have time to work in small groups with the teacher.

B. Lab Rotation
This model is very similar to the station rotation model except that when students are completing online work, hey move into a computer lab with a learning coach or teaching assistant. This frees up space in the classroom and allows teachers to work more directly with smaller groups of students.

Reflection: This model involves more space than most teachers might typical have. It also involves another person to supervise. These could both be mitigated by partnering with another teacher; one supervises computer time with a large group while the other rotates students through small groups and vice versa. However, I think to do this well would mean more than just one or two teachers at a school implementing this model.

C. Flipped Classroom
This model is pretty popular in ed tech talk these days, but it's a bit more than having students watch lectures at home. Simply, in this model, students complete the learning they would traditionally do in class at home, and would put the learning into practice, what they would traditionally do at home, in class. The teachers can use formative assessments and quick checks to gauge students' learning.

Reflection: I know a few teachers who have tried the flipped classroom model, and maybe you have too. I know some of the problems teachers had with it was the students weren't doing their homework. So this could be tricky, especially if students don't have a good home environment for learning. I also think that students need to be held accountable for learning the material in ways other than quizzes, and preferably in ways that would motivate them to learn. Teachers can team up to create flipped lesson materials or curate from resources already available. I also think the flipped content needs to be a bit more engaging then a traditional classroom lecture.

D. Individual Rotation
In this model, students have a customized schedule of each day's learning activities based on their previous day's performance. This schedule can be set by a computer algorithm or by a teacher. This is different from the other models because students may not visit all stations in a day, and each student has a specialized "playlist" of activities. It is a rotation model since the teacher or program sets the amount of time at each learning activity.

Reflection: This is the most innovate of the rotation models. It definitely takes whole school change and a complete redefinition of the teachers' role. In many ways this is like the flex model, but here the control is still in the hands of the teacher or computer algorithm and not the student about what to learn and when or how.

2. Flex Model
In the flex model, the core learning happens online. Students are in a school building and teachers are there to support students, provide small-group instruction, facilitate group projects, etc. This model might involve larger workspaces with specialiazed areas for labs, individual work, small group work, etc. Students move about the different work spaces at their own pace and based on their proficiency and mastery in the online work.

Reflection: This model isn't really too out of reach based on how I've seen online learning already being implemented. It does however involve using learning spaces a lot differently, and the traditional school with small classrooms and lots of individual student desks presents a challenge to create a space conducive to this model. However, this could mean that teachers have the ability to create the curriculum together, tutor students based on their strengths, group and regroup students, and implement project-based learning. I really like the flexibility this model provides.

3. A La Carte Model
The a la carte model offers students choice in the courses they take both online and in class in a school building. In this model, as part of their school day, students take an online course. This model caters to students who need remedial courses or advanced or unpopular courses because it allows them to take the course even if a teacher at the school is not teaching it.

Reflection: Although this isn't really that old of a concept, it seems the most traditional to me since it's just a blend of the students' day and not their individual classes. I do like that this allows students to take classes they aren't offered in the tradition setting such as certain AP courses, recovery credits, or foreign languages.

4. Enriched Virtual Model
The enriched virtual model began with online schools noticing that students were more successful when they had in-person support. The majority of a student's education comes from online, which can be completed any-time, anywhere, but the part of this model that makes it blended is that students also go to a learning space to get extra help, work on projects, or collaborate. They do not attend these spaces as often as a student at a traditional school would.

Reflection: This is the most innovative of all the models. It really rethinks education. I don't think this is a model for all students, but it reminds me of an early college type model. Some students really benefit from the social aspects of school such as clubs, sports, lunch, and the routine schedule. But I have also had plenty of students who would have preferred flexibility in their schedule and more choice in the courses they had to take.

Overall Reflection
All of these models have benefits for students, and really start to drive student-centered learning and give students agency and choice in what and how they learn. Also, the blended learning model you're using might not fit specifically into one category or the other, but these models really help to provide a framework of what blended learning is and what it might look like.

To learn more about the models of blended learning and to see examples, visit Khan Academy's Introduction to Blended Learning.

Source: Horn, M. B. & Staker, H. (2015). Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools. San Fransisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Dear First Year Teacher Me,

"It gets better" was the mantra that wiser, more experienced teachers kept telling me my first year, and the one that I kept telling myself because there are a lot of things about the first year of teaching that are absolutely miserable, especially for the 23 year old that I was. I jumped into life as an "adult" who was suddenly responsible to make decisions for and about lots of others' lives. I also made a lot of mistakes. And my poor students, I'm just glad to know that they made it in spite of me. This is my first year in a new role in education, and in a lot of ways it's like being a first year teacher all over again, but at least now I have the experience of being in the classroom to rely on. So, to my first year teacher self, here's a letter:

Dear First Year Teacher Me,

Congratulations on getting your first teaching job! I know you have a tough time deciding whether or not this is really what you wanted to do, but instead of spending so much time thinking you made the wrong decision, just be happy with the choice and keep working at it until the mood strikes you to do something else.

I definitely don't regret how much time you spent coaching because that was a wonderful way to forge relationships with your students, but perhaps you don't have to coach three seasons a year. Keep enjoying running with your athletes like you do. You'll have so many wonderful memories of the times they made you laugh and made you mad, and made you laugh and be mad at the same time.

Spend more time learning from your peers. You're a bit arrogant if I do say so myself. You don't know how to be a great teacher yet, but some of the people you're working with really do. Have them come observe you and give you candid feedback and don't take it personally. Observe their classes, watch them teach. Tammy and Lisa really have a style of teaching that you'll eventually fall into to, so learn from them while you can, especially before Tammy moves away.

Oh, and try to take on more of a laid-back attitude about getting your work done. You don't have to ruin your whole weekend thinking about everything that has to be done by Monday morning. Eventually you'll learn that it will get done, and if it doesn't, then you'll figure out a way to adjust.

Teach your students what you love. It'll be a lot more fun. Don't keep that Greek Mythology class because it's not what you love. Trade it out for American Lit like others are offering you. And keep teaching every American Lit book you can get a hold of. Have your students do more fun projects and play more games.

You've done a lot of things right, and you're going to end up being a really good teacher. You just have to know that the first few years are tough. Like I mean crying from exhaustion and frustration hard. But it gets better.

Life is sort of like this every time we try something new, isn't it? But the best thing is, even if we're new at it, it's not the first time we've done something totally unfamiliar, and so we have experience to lean on. So to any new teachers out there, keep learning from yourself and from your peers and especially from your students.

Skills on My Bucket List

I have some pretty traditional things on my bucket list like travelling around the world and the US. In particular I would really like to go to Southeast Asia, see the Northern Lights, and go whale watching. I also want to write a book; probably a children's book. I've had my dog for one year exactly now, and she's a pretty funny character, so maybe I'll find a story there.

There are also a few skills I still want to learn as part of this list, and one of those skills is learning how to code. And so, that's what I'm trying to do. However, I didn't really realize how many different coding languages there are, and I'm kind of feeling like I don't know where to start. I tried Googling "what's the best first coding language to learn?" and I got a very large variety of responses from that search.

So I just decided to dive in and pick a language. I found my way to Code Academy and picked Python to start with. I'm only 15% through the course, but it's easy enough so far. The tutorials on Code Academy and great, and I'm really appreciating all of the Monty "Python" jokes written in to the program. Although, I just feel like I'm learning a foreign language and all I can do is say the names of colors and count to ten.

I know this is something I'll keep working on, but I have no idea where this endeavor will take me. Coding is really so unknown to me that I'm not even sure what I can do with it once I learn it, and so it's really a discovery process. Part of me really wants to work with girls and get them into science, math, and computers, but with a degree in English, I'm not really the right person to be able to do that until I give myself more of a background in those things. Who knows where this skill will take me, but it's exactly that uncertainty that's driving me to develop it.

Why I Like My Long Commute (Sort Of)

I have quite a bit of a commute to work each day, and I'm not a fan of morning radio shows, so my options are either to listen to music, NPR, or channel surf until I find something I want to listen to. What I've discovered though is that I have another option, podcasts.

My collection of podcast subscriptions has grown. It started with Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, This American Life, Snap Judgment, and Ask Me Another. I've added new podcasts like Invisibilia and Serial and enjoyed some tried and true ones like America's Test Kitchen and Science Friday.

The best part about listening to podcasts is how much I learn about science, cooking, current events, psychology, and humanity. I like that so many podcasts teach through storytelling, but they also use humor, points and counterpoints, and great guest interviews. My commute turns into the chance to quench my thirst to learn everything I possibly can about the world around me and within me.

As an educator, I have made reference to a podcast I listened to on the way to work or on the way home more times than I can count. Such as, when the science teacher told me his story about sending up a weather balloon, I pointed him to a story I heard on RadioLab about Japanese weather balloon bombs during World War II that you could also listen to here.

I also spoke to a teacher that I work with who drew inspiration to keep trying to reach all of her students from an episode of Invisibilia which tells the story of a young man who is trapped in his own body who many considered a vegetable, but the people who didn't give up on him...well I don't want to give away the story. You can listen to this one here.

Stories, research, expert interview, discussions, debates, and game shows are inspirational parts of podcasts that can help teachers fuel their own passion for learning and pass that on to their students.

What podcasts will you try? What are some of your favorites, and how have they found their way into your classroom?

A Blog is Born

It's that time of summer again when school is quickly approaching and summer is fading away. It's one of my least favorite time of year because suddenly all of my freedom feels like it's being taken from me. However, it's also one of my most reflective times of year, when I think about what I'd like to do with my new students and classes and how I can improve my teaching. It's the only time of year that I have enough time to make quality lesson plans without also having to teach and grade and do everything else. So this summer, I've started reflecting a lot on the use of technology in my classroom.

Image the creation of Dr. Ruben Puentedura, Ph.D. 

http://www.hippasus.com/rrpweblog/

Last semester of my graduate courses, one of my classmates posted the SAMR model that really started my reflection process. To me, one of the greatest aspects of having technology in the classroom is its ability to transform teaching and learning, and yet, as I reviewed this model, I realized that much of my use of technology in the classroom was used to enhance teaching and learning. Enhancement is good, but transformation is better. So, I've been reflecting on how to make it to those levels of modification and redefinition, to rise above the line.

Last year was my first year with all of my students have Google Chromebooks in the classroom. For a first year of that experience, I would call it a success. But, I want to do more with them, and less with them at the same time. Sometimes I thought pencil and paper were best, and sometimes we used them, especially to practice writing for timed tests like the SAT, ACT, and AP Exam. And sometimes annotating on an actual article rather than just adding comments on a Google Doc actually helps them to find more stylistic elements that are important to the purpose of writing.

I want the Chromebooks to transform my classroom. The revision/review part of the writing process already has been transformed. My students and I can comment in real time, and I don't have to worry about holding on to their one copy of their paper while I get through the stack. In the fall, I want to try voice comments using Kaizena in hopes that not only will it save me time, but it will allow me to give my students better feedback by more clearly explaining myself.

I also want to rethink the end products of a lot of my course assignments. I have spent much of my teaching career knowing that students need authentic writing experiences but not knowing how to go about those. I think it's finally time to try blogging in class, as I'm finally trying myself. My students need real readers and real reviewers and not just their classmates and family and friends. They need to know that what you write matters, and how clearly you can communicate matters. Writing is such an incredibly powerful tool and these Chromebooks have given me the opportunity to transform my students into writers as soon as I figure out how to modify and redefine traditional assignments.

So this blog is a chance for me to share what I want to try, what I do try, and how it works. I also want to reflect on current technological trends in education, share some of what I'm learning in my graduate courses, and give tips to teachers about how to use technology to not only enhance, but also to transform teaching and learning.