Category Uncategorized

2 Techy Tools That Help Students Catch Up, Keep Up, and Get Ahead

Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth Leave a comment

Guest post by laura steinbrink,

I STUDY NUCLEAR SCIENCE

Ever wondered what tech tools are out there that can maximize learning as we enter the era of Artificial Intelligence? Worried about reading or math gaps as we continue post-covid? In every district I have taught in, for the most part, there is a short period in the schedule, daily or 4 days a week, where students can catch up on work or receive intervention. While that is always a great idea, the reality is much different. Effective use of that extra shorter class period for intervention or to help students keep up with their classwork can be very challenging.

I LOVE MY CLASSES

One of the biggest issues with a study hall type/intervention class period or time slot during the day is the additional work added to teachers with little to no additional accountability for students. Introducing Microsoft’s (MS) Learning Accelerator tools for students, specifically, Reading Progress and Reading Coach within Microsoft Teams. Not a Microsoft school? No problem!  I’ll walk you through what the MS Learning Accelerators, Reading Progress, and Reading Coach, can do to help students improve their reading, and how to use your school Google accounts to create free Microsoft 365 Education accounts to get started!

I GOT A CRAZY TEACHER

You can use Teams for Education from most web browsers or by downloading the application. To download the Teams for Education app on mobile or desktop, visit the Microsoft Teams web application. You and your students can sign in with your school email and password. Before you try this with students, contact your school’s IT administrator to make sure you have access or contact IT if you do not have access to Microsoft 365 Education or Microsoft Teams for Education. Schools in which teachers, administrators, or other staff members who have Windows computers, laptops, or tablets will already have Microsoft Accounts, which are most likely the school email accounts, set up. Sometimes all the IT person has to do is add your students to the product or web tool, so start there.

HE WEARS DARK GLASSES

Now, let’s get back to how the MS Learning Accelerators, Reading Progress, and Reading Coach, can help us with those study hall/intervention times many schools have built into their daily schedule. Reading Progress and Reading Coach combined help students work independently on their reading fluency. Why is this important? Students who can read fluently have more available cognitive load capacity to comprehend the complexities of the text they are reading than students who are not skilled in reading fluency. In most districts, at least that I’m aware of in the United States, learning to read ends in the third grade. Generally, by the fourth grade, students are now reading to learn, whether they’re ready to do so or not. As a high school teacher, I am often frustrated with my inability to help students who are testing below grade level in reading (Microsoft).

Photo by Eliott Reyna on Unsplash

THINGS ARE GOING GREAT, AND THEY’RE ONLY GETTING BETTER

I teach students how to analyze what they read, not how to read, so I was thrilled when I learned about MS Reading Progress and Reading Coach. Then, when I found out that the amount of oral reading practice in high school is correlated with reading achievement gains more closely than the amount of in-class silent reading practice, I was hooked (Stallings, 1980). According to the National Research Council report, Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children (Snow, Burns, & Griffin, 1998), it states “Adequate progress in learning to read English (or, any alphabetic language) beyond the initial level depends on sufficient practice in reading to achieve fluency with different texts” (p. 223). This is how using Microsoft Teams with Reading Practice and Reading Coach can help us use those study hall/intervention periods during our daily or weekly schedule to help students without causing undue burden on teachers. Using AI, Reading Progress gives students and teachers valuable data on their reading fluency, and Reading Coach selects the top 5 words that the student struggled with while reading for some additional work on those words. Students can work independently, get immediate feedback, and the data is invaluable to teachers (Microsoft). Here’s how that works.

I’M DOING ALRIGHT, GETTING GOOD GRADES

Once you have a class Team ready to go, or perhaps you already use MS Teams with students, create a practice assignment with Reading Progress through assignments. To do this, click on the Assignments channel (on the left), and then click Create button on the lower lefthand side. Click “New Assignment,” fill in a title and basic (or specific) directions, and then fill out the options on the right. Select the due date and time, the Team it is to be assigned to, which students get the assignment (this is where customizing for individual students is easy because Reading Progress practice assignments can be assigned to specific students or the whole class), point value, etc.

THE FUTURE’S SO BRIGHT, I GOTTA WEAR SHADES

Now click the paper clip icon to “Attach” a file. At this point, you will see the Reading Progress option. Select it. You can use your own Word or PDF file or you also have the option to select a passage by browsing the sample library. If you’re using the sample library, select the grade level first, then you can choose by non-fiction or fiction, the Lexile level, and/or the word count.

I GOTTA WEAR SHADES

If you are uploading your own file, make sure you know what the reading level is because the level you enter here will be tracked in Insights, so consistency will provide more meaningful data. You will select the genre, decide how many attempts students will have for this practice, whether or not there is a time limit (Student performance will only be calculated for words read before the time limit), and what you want for the pronunciation sensitivity. To limit frustrations from your students (I recommend you try one yourself as a student), I suggest starting with the “less sensitive” option when you choose how sensitive the Auto-detect (preview) should be when listening and estimating errors. You can always manually edit errors for accuracy when looking at the report after students complete the practice, so you can reassure any student who is unhappy with their results at first.

WELL I’M HEAVENLY BLESSED AND WORLDLY WISE

The last two things you must decide prior to completing the assignment are whether or not you want Reading Coach turned on, and whether or not you want to require the assignment to be completed as video or audio only. Reading Coach identifies students’ 5 most challenging words and provides support for independent practice. This is great for helping students work on their reading fluency independently. As for the video option, most of the time it is best to use it with this option turned on. I have had students with IEPs (Individual Education Plans) or other documentation that prevents them from being on camera or video for any reason, so in those instances, turning that off and using audio only is a great option. That’s it! Now the magic happens.

I’M A PEEPING-TOM TECHIE WITH X-RAY EYES

If you are able, use the study hall/intervention time for Reading Progress practice. If your building uses a testing platform to gauge reading levels, students who are below their grade level in reading can work on 2 or more practices a week. A separate study hall or intervention is not necessary. However, if it is already set up that way, this gives the teacher data that can be used to help the students show improvement and eventually move back to a regular study hall class once they reach their grade level for reading fluency. Students and the teacher can access the data, track student goals, and prepare to see improvement. With the new Expression view, teachers can now see expressive and monotone reading, missed punctuation, excessive pausing, and more. When looking at the data provided for the student once they’ve completed the assigned practice, teachers also have the option of returning the full report, a simple report, or a customized report to the student.

THINGS ARE GOING GREAT, AND THEY’RE ONLY GETTING BETTER

With this amount of data available, the ability to customize the reading practices for each student, and the independence that the AI-generated feedback facilitates, this is a game changer for students who always feel like they are behind their peers when it comes to reading. We owe it to our students to do our very best to help them be successful once they graduate, and Microsoft Reading Progress and Reading Coach are valuable free tools that can help us all do our very best for our students. If you have a study hall or intervention period already set up, give this a try. If you don’t, pitch the idea to your administration, and don’t forget to talk with your technology department. Stay tuned for the next post where I’ll show you the mind-blowing power of Microsoft’s Immersive Reader. For more ideas on how to use Microsoft Teams as a Google School, see my post on using it for blogging with students.

REFERENCES

Microsoft Education Blog. (2023, June). Building reading foundational skills: A guide to reading progress and reading coach in Teams for educators. Retrieved July 30, 2023, from https://educationblog.microsoft.com/en-us/2023/06/building-reading-foundational-skills-a-guide-to-reading-progress-and-reading-coach-in-teams-for-educators.

Snow, C. E., Burns, S. M., & Griffin, P. (Eds.). (1998). Preventing reading difficulties in young children. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

Stallings, J. A. (1980). Allocated academic learning time revisited, or beyond time on task. Educational Researcher 9 (11):11–16.

SUBHEADINGS ARE PARTIAL LYRICS FROM TIMBUK 3’S THE FUTURE’S SO BRIGHT, I GOTTA WEAR SHADES.

About Rachelle

Follow Rachelle on Twitter @Rdene915 and on Instagram @Rdene915. Rachelle has a podcast, ThriveinEDU available at https://anchor.fm/rdene915.

Looking for PD for your school? I provide in-person and virtual training on the following topics. If you want to learn more about and explore AI and ChatGPT, contact me to schedule! Rdene915@gmail.com

**Interested in writing a guest blog or submitting a sponsored post for my site? Would love to share your ideas! Submit your post here. Looking for a new book to read? Find these available at bit.ly/Pothbooks

Promoting collaboration in the classroom

Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth Leave a comment

Updated from prior post on Defined Learning

“Collaboration is being open to each other’s ideas and benefiting from each other’s perspectives in an open way.”

Alan Menken

Preparing our students for the future means that we need to continue to learn more about the types of jobs that are in demand and create opportunities for our students to develop a variety of skills that are transferable to many types of work. As we have experienced over the past few years, being able to collaborate whether in person or remote, was critical. We all faced challenges in our practice, especially in being able to connect with our students and create learning experiences that fostered the building of relationships and collaborative skills.

For our own professional learning, being able to facilitate instruction with students, and working with colleagues in the absence of being together in the physical space, we had to explore and learn what worked the best. By leveraging the right digital tools and spaces, whether in-person or virtual, we kept learning going and continued to build our own professional skills.

There is tremendous power in collaboration and if we want to best prepare our students with essential skills they need, being able to collaborate and work as part of a team are two of the top skills required by employers. There are a variety of ways that we can foster collaboration in our classrooms which are beneficial to our own learning and growth, but more importantly, for our students.

Benefits of Collaboration

When we collaborate, it not only impacts our growth as educators, it amplifies the learning potential for our students. In an article by Lily Jones, “The Power of Teacher Collaboration”, research showed that teacher collaboration helps to raise student achievement. They found that when teachers had more conversations that focused on the content area, that it helped to provide more for students. By modeling collaboration, students will see and experience the benefits of collaborating with classmates and even beyond our own classroom and school. Building relationships is important for social-emotional learning (SEL) and future preparedness, especially for having a system of support in place. Finding methods and tools that foster collaboration between students and teachers in the same school or school district as well as on a global scale, will provide many benefits.

When educators collaborate, it enables us to stay relevant and current with teaching methods and digital tools, and we have access to more feedback that helps with our professional growth. For our students, collaboration needs to be a priority so that we can provide the most beneficial learning experiences for them. When students work together on a common goal and share responsibility for creating a product of that learning, there are many benefits beyond just learning the content.

As students collaborate, they are building relationships and their own learning network. They can bounce ideas off of each other, provide peer feedback, work through learning challenges together and build SEL skills throughout. Through collaboration, students build their comfort and confidence in the classroom.

Here are three ideas to explore for promoting more collaboration:

  • Brainstorming spaces: Using a variety of digital tools, we promote collaboration beyond our classroom space. Whether through Google Jamboard, sharing ideas in a Wakelet collection, or posting on a Padlet board, everyone can contribute from wherever they are. With some of these options, audio or video can be added, which enhances the learning experience by feeling more connected to classmates and teachers. When students need to work together, they often need a way to collaborate beyond the school space. These options create a space for students to work as a team and feel more connected whenever they cannot be in the classroom working together. For students to explore and brainstorm ideas on their own, try Ideamapper for mind-mapping.
  • Methods: When we bring in methods like project based-learning, we provide many benefits for students. They can work together to solve a problem being faced in the world, for example, by learning about the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). PBL is also a good method that will help students to develop SEL skills, especially in self-management and decision-making. Game-based learning is always a good choice to not only build content area skills but also for promoting collaboration and boosting student engagement. Through the digital tools available, students can collaborate on teams and build teamwork skills while using the games to become self-aware of their growth and set new goals for learning. Some of my students’ favorites are Gimkit and Quizizz. Providing opportunities for summer learning and STEM exploration is another way to keep learning going and spark curiosity! Check out Lobee Learning and how they provide STEM and PBL experiences for students.
  • Feedback and reflection tools: Just as educators need feedback and opportunities to engage in conversations and collaborate, students also need to learn how to track their growth over time. Being able to identify strengths and also areas where they may want to focus on improving is important. Having a small group to collaborate and reflect with can help students not only become more self-aware, but also develop supportive relationships in the classroom. Some ideas for collaborating to help each other grow are to write a collaborative blog, launch a podcast, or even use collaborative spaces where students can share their progress and provide feedback. With Flip, students can record videos to reflect on their learning experiences and share these videos with the teacher or collaborate with classmates to reflect and give feedback to each other. Sharing a blogging space, even using Microsoft or Google tools, where students can write and collaborate would be beneficial. We also use Spaces EDU which offers individual, class, and group spaces, all great for collaboration at different levels. For teacher-to- student, the individual space helps students to build confidence in sharing their learning with teachers and the group spaces for working together on activities like a scavenger hunt, discussion, or PBL for example. In using formats like blogs, podcasts or even portfolios, students will not only develop skills for collaborating, but also skills of self-awareness and self-management which are vital for now and the future.

Each of these methods and tools offer a lot of ways to promote collaboration for students and teachers. Collaboration is an essential skill for everyone. Being able to ask for help, provide support to others, and work as part of a team, are transferable skills to any area of work and life. With a variety of methods and the use of different digital tools to facilitate them, we can foster collaboration and the other essential skills needed that are needed for future careers and success.

About the Author:

Rachelle Dené is a Spanish and STEAM: What’s nExT in Emerging Technology Teacher at Riverview High School in Oakmont, PA. Rachelle is also an attorney with a Juris Doctor degree from Duquesne University School of Law and a Master’s in Instructional Technology. Rachelle is an ISTE Certified Educator and serves as the past president of the ISTE Teacher Education Network. She was named one of 30 K-12 IT Influencers to follow in 2021.

She is the author of seven books including ‘In Other Words: Quotes That Push Our Thinking,” “Unconventional Ways to Thrive in EDU”, “The Future is Now: Looking Back to Move Ahead,” “Chart A New Course: A Guide to Teaching Essential Skills for Tomorrow’s World, “True Story: Lessons That One Kid Taught Us” and her newest book “Things I Wish […] Knew” is now available at bit.ly/thingsiwishedu.

Follow Rachelle on Twitter @Rdene915 and on Instagram @Rdene915. Rachelle has a podcast, ThriveinEDU available at https://anchor.fm/rdene915

I am available for PD sessions in-person and virtual on a variety of topics. Key focus areas are AI, ChatGPT, AR and VR, SEL and STEM.

**Interested in writing a guest blog for my site? Would love to share your ideas! Submit your post here. Looking for a new book to read? Find these available at bit.ly/Pothbooks

Dyslexia and Technology, Using Digital Tools in the Classroom

Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth Leave a comment

Guest post by Robert Abraham, opinions expressed are those of the guest author

Dyslexia is a condition that primarily affects the ease with which a person reads, writes, and spells. It is typically recognized as a learning disorder in children. Students with dyslexia find it more difficult to read and spell words, and it can have a major impact on their educational performance in school. Twenty percent, or ONE in FIVE students deal with dyslexia.  Fortunately, technology companies like Microsoft and Google are helping in the fight against dyslexia by creating tools to help students deal with and overcome this challenge. Microsoft has developed a suite of tools, and some of these include Immersive Reader and Reading Coach.  Google has some extensions for Google Chrome that are beneficial for students with Dyslexia and other vision impairments.

Immersive Reader is a free Microsoft tool available that helps users read and comprehend text. It allows individuals to customize features such as text layout, size, style, font type, and spacing. This makes it an improved and personalized reading experience for individuals with dyslexia and other visual issues. Immersive Reader also employs a text-to-speech feature, which allows users to hear the text read aloud, helping them decode challenging words and improving comprehension. In addition, the tool has a picture dictionary as well as the ability to break down words by syllables, like we used to do by clapping in the classroom. Here are some of their available tools:

Another Microsoft tool that assists students with dyslexia is Reading Coach. Reading Coach is an interactive and fun tool for students that helps teamwork on and improve their reading speed and accuracy. While Immersive Reader helps students with written text, Reading Coach is a tool to help students with oral fluency. It uses a virtual assistant to listen and correct children’s reading mistakes by providing them with personalized practice word lists. It also provides feedback to help improve their reading. Reading Coach, which is built into Immersive Reader also creates focused practice exercises for each student. Students can track their progress, and the tool provides cumulative stats that help identify areas they need to improve. 

Google Chrome extensions are programs that can be installed into Chrome in order to enhance the browser’s functionality. They can be found on Google Chrome’s Web Store and most of them are free although some have both free and premium versions. There are many helpful extensions available but I am going to mention a few that students with Dyslexia can use to enhance their learning experience.

Read&Write is a very robust extension that offers teachers and students many helpful tools. There is a free version with limited tools but those are still very helpful for people with vision disadvantages. There is also a free version available for teachers with all of the features available. This allows teachers using interactive whiteboards or screens to use the tools with small groups or full class. There is also a yearly subscription per student as well as a bulk price for schools.

Read&Write has many tools available including opinions for text, content, display, and colors. Students can change the size of text on websites or pdf documents as well as change the font and line spacing. Read&Write can also read web pages to students by page, paragraph, or word and allows for changing the pitch and speed of the spoken text. There are also tools for page translation, a built-in dictionary, and page magnification. It offers Dyslexia tools including ruler, specific dyslexia-friendly fonts, color blindness adjustments and focus tools.

Read&Write is a complete solution but only the full paid version (or free teacher option). There are other Google Chrome Extensions that have some of the options of Read&Write but at no cost. Speakit is a free extension that offers text-to-speech so students can have web pages and documents read to them. It is a simple-to-use extension found on the Google Play Store. Another useful fee extension is Postlight Reader. Postlight Reader strips away many of the busier elements on a website which allows students to focus on the text with less distraction. Here is an example of a webpage without Postlight Reader and the same page with Postlight Reader: 

https://educationblog.microsoft.com/en-us/2022/10/celebrate-dyslexic-thinking

In conclusion, Microsoft has developed great tools and inclusive technologies such as Immersive Reader and Reading Coach, with the goal of making reading and writing accessible to everyone, including those with dyslexia. These tools help improve reading accuracy, speed, and comprehension. They also empower individuals with dyslexia to achieve academic success. Microsoft offers other effective tools including Microsoft Translate, Reading Progress and Flip, formerly known as Flipgrid. Google has useful extensions to their Chrome browser and many of them are very beneficial to students with visual differences including Dyslexia. 

About the Author

Robert is an Instructional Strategist at Teq and an experienced technology coach in education with a passion for helping educators integrate technology into their teaching practices. A former NYC Department of Education teacher with almost 30 years of experience in the field, Robert has worked with teachers and administrators to develop technology-rich learning environments that engage students and enhance learning outcomes. Currently, Robert works for Teq, a technology education company in NY. Teq offers schools and districts a complete solution from planning and purchasing educational products to in-person and online professional development as well as follow-up support. In addition, Teq also offers Project Based Learning solutions, called iBlocks, which are beneficial to teachers in the classroom and in STEM labs as well.

About Rachelle

Follow Rachelle on Twitter @Rdene915 and on Instagram @Rdene915. Rachelle has a podcast, ThriveinEDU available at https://anchor.fm/rdene915.

Looking for PD for your school? I provide in-person and virtual training on the following topics. If you want to learn more about and explore AI and ChatGPT, contact me to schedule! Rdene915@gmail.com

**Interested in writing a guest blog or submitting a sponsored post for my site? Would love to share your ideas! Submit your post here. Looking for a new book to read? Find these available at bit.ly/Pothbooks

Learn to Help Students Correct Science Misconceptions by Producing Instructional Videos

Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth Leave a comment

Guest post By Reggie Grant, Twitter @media4literacy

This project was presented at the FSU-Teach STEM Teaching Mini-Conference at Florida State University on June 28, 2023.

“While we teach, we learn.”

These words are attributed to the Roman philosopher Seneca and are the inspiration for a classroom project that I recently developed with my former colleague Brian McClain. “In what scientists have dubbed ‘the protégé effect,’ student teachers score higher on tests than pupils who are learning only for their own sake,” according to a 2011 Time article.

As a longtime high school science teacher, Brian has encountered various common science misconceptions that students hold, some of which are directly or indirectly related to photosynthesis. In an article published in the 2015 issue of the European of Teacher Education, researchers say misconceptions like these must be confronted and corrected to prevent them from stunting students’ future understanding.

“Misconceptions operate to distort new learning. …learners’ existing misconceptions will hinder future-related learning,” the article says. “Before new concepts can be understood, misconceptions must be dispelled.”

Brian and I designed this media project to help students use research and credible evidence to correct some of these common science misconceptions. The project guides students in the production of a short instructional video presentation that sets the record straight about a chosen misconception.

This “Set it Straight!” video project is similar to another project I developed a decade ago when I was teaching high schoolers. In that project, students taught others the correct use of a commonly misused set of words. Examples include there / their / they’re, affect / effect, and farther / further.

The process of creating a media product to teach others develops critical thinking, problem solving and creativity – three of the top five skills necessary for today’s workplace, according to the Future of Jobs Report 2020 produced by the World Economic Forum.

Using media this way in the classroom is endorsed by the Science Education Resource Center at Carleton University. SERC recommends teachers use media technology to engage students in more meaningful and deeper learning experiences. It should be used for more than delivering PowerPoint presentations and showing videos.

“Media can also be student-generated,” the SERC website said. “This approach asks the student to step into the role of the teacher and create content that will engage learners and help them to master concepts.”

“Involving students in creating media encourages collaboration, accountability, creativity, and mastery of ideas and concepts,” the SERC website said. “Importantly, one does not need a large budget, fancy studio, or advanced degree to create original media that is informative, entertaining and educational.”

The Project

The “Set it Straight!” video project is guided by a series of prompts.

For example: “What is the common misconception you researched?”

“Why do you think this is a common misconception?”

“Identify and list two or three important facts necessary to correct this misconception.”

The questions require students to restate the questions and answer them clearly and briefly. Limiting the number of sentences students can use in their answers is important. Short answers require students to really understand the concept. Clarity and brevity are the keys to effective media production.

After feedback has been provided and final revisions have been made, the questions/prompts are removed and the answers/responses become the script.

Students record themselves reading the script.

Accompanying visuals (photos/charts/graphics) are created and/or identified and downloaded.

Then, the visuals and narration are edited together for the video, which will be no longer than about three minutes.

The steps above are detailed in this document with accompanying links.

“Nutrients in the soil are the primary source of the mass increase in plants during their lives.” This misconception is corrected in this example video that we produced.

Conclusion

Making sense of a complex concept by creating media products is empowering for students. It is an effective way to actively involve students in their own education by teaching others.

And by teaching, they learn.

If you have any suggestions for this project, please send them to mediaforliteracy@gmail.com

Reggie Grant teaches journalism and mass communications at Tallahassee Community College. For 11 years, he taught media production — introduction to mass communication, photography, video production, and graphic design — at Lincoln High School in Tallahassee, Florida. He blogs at https://mediaforliteracy.wordpress.com and can be found on Twitter @media4literacy.

Looking for some PD for your school? I provide in-person and virtual training on the following topics. If you want to learn more about and explore AI and ChatGPT, contact me to schedule! Rdene915@gmail.com

**Interested in writing a guest blog or submitting a sponsored post for my site? Would love to share your ideas! Submit your post here. Looking for a new book to read? Find these available at bit.ly/Pothbooks

Advice from an elementary teacher about summer learning

Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth Leave a comment

Guest post by Ashley Cooley @ashleyecooley

Next year will mark my twenty-fifth year to be an elementary teacher. Parents ask me a lot of questions about how to keep their child learning during the summer. The best thing is to of course enjoy summertime and get in all the family time that school schedules get in the way of. Here are some ideas that I recommend and used with my own children.

  • Check out recommendations from your local librarian. 
  • Review math facts (addition, subtraction, and multiplication) with flashcards or play “war” with a deck of cards or dominos.
  • Visit museums, children’s theatres and check out ideas from DFW Child… My favorite in the DFW area are the Dallas Museum of Art, The Modern, and the Dallas Children’s Theatre  
  • Review math and science workbooks that were sent home! If your child had an educational platform like Seesaw, review the assignments.
  • Have your child write letters to grandparents. They will write back! Letter writing is a lost art that children need to bring back.
  • Go to a baseball game and let your child keep a record of runs, outs, hits, steals, etc. Then make a bar graph at home to show the info.
  • Cook together! Cooking with your child is a valuable life skill that teaches children about nutrition and food safety while building math, science, and literacy skills.
  • Going on a road trip? Take these math wrap-ups with you and challenge your child to go faster
  • Take your kids to the grocery store and have them keep a running total of what’s going in the cart.
  • Keep a gratitude journal. It will keep your child writing and focused on the positive things in their lives. View the journals that were sent home (along with more workbooks, folders, and supplies). Children’s writing is so innocent and sweet, you will love reading what they wrote.
  • Visit your local library and encourage them to start a series. My first graders LOVED the “Humphrey” series.

Find inspiration from this list and make it work for you. Learning over the summer doesn’t have to be complicated or require long hours of planning. Have fun with it and give your child ownership in their learning. Wishing you a very happy summer full of learning.

My first-grade class helping me celebrate earning teacher of the year!

**Interested in writing a guest blog or submitting a sponsored post for my site? Would love to share your ideas! Submit your post here. Looking for a new book to read? Find these available at bit.ly/Pothbooks

About Rachelle

Looking for some PD for your school? I provide in-person and virtual training on the following topics. If you want to learn more about and explore AI and ChatGPT, contact me to schedule! Rdene915@gmail.com

Ozobot: Overcoming Challenges in Bringing STEM to the Classroom

Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth Leave a comment

In collaboration with @Ozobot

Integrating STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education in classrooms has become increasingly important to prepare students for the future. We know that these skills are highly in demand and there will be an increase in the number of STEM-related jobs available by 2025. STEM learning is essential, however, educators often face several challenges when implementing STEM initiatives. It helps to first identify the challenges and brainstorm possible solutions to overcome them. There are many resources available for classroom use, however, Ozobot offers a variety of options that are great for any classroom and that do not require educators to have a level of expertise!

Theme 1: Lack of Teacher Confidence and Training

In my own experience prior to teaching a STEAM course, I did not see how I could bring STEM activities into the language classroom. This feeling is common among educators today. Many educators share that they do not know enough about STEM or even lack confidence in teaching STEM concepts in their classroom. There are ways for schools to help with this such as:

  • Provide professional development programs that focus on enhancing STEM pedagogy and content knowledge.
  • Leverage teacher talent and have time for experienced STEM educators to guide and assist their colleagues.
  • Use online platforms such as Ozobot Classroom, which offers training materials, lesson plans, and interactive tutorials to build teacher confidence and expertise in STEM education.

Theme 2: There is not enough time or it does not fit in the curriculum (Time Challenges and Curriculum Constraints)

Time is always a factor for teachers when there are so many tasks that make up our day. Finding enough time to integrate STEM activities into their curriculum can be difficult. Class schedules do not provide enough time perhaps or there are specific guidelines and timelines to be met with the curriculum.

Possible Solutions:

Incorporate cross-curricular integration, where STEM concepts are integrated into existing subjects rather than taught as standalone lessons. For example, using robotics to explore math concepts or engineering challenges within science topics.

Explore the versatile resources offered by Ozobot. It is quick to get started using the activities and challenges that come with each robot, and these can be easily integrated into different subject areas and grade levels, which saves time and promotes interdisciplinary learning.

Theme 3: Access to the Right Resources and Materials

One of the biggest areas of concern is that resources are limited in schools or a lack of funding makes it tough to decide which resource is the best and most versatile option. Accessibility is a significant challenge for teachers who want to implement STEM-focused activities in their classrooms. Questions that I get are often around the time involved to find resources and funding for bringing them into schools.

Some ways to work through this are by seeking grants to obtain STEM resources. Ozobot offers a free Grants & Funding tool that provides guidance on these topics.

Explore the resources from Ozobot which are affordable and provide everything that educators need to implement STEM in their classroom. The robots and lesson plans are designed to help educators to engage students in learning about coding and robotics and hopefully spark interest in a future career in coding. My students have enjoyed learning about coding and creating with Ozobot.

I definitely recommend exploring all of Ozobot’s resources. A great option is the Ozobot Classroom Kit, which offers everything all in one with curriculum-aligned resources suitable for various STEM activities.

Theme 4: Engaging Diverse Student Populations

We want all students to have opportunities to explore STEM but the reality is that not all students have access to the resources to explore STEM-related learning. Engaging students from diverse backgrounds, including underrepresented groups in STEM, can be challenging due to varying interests, learning styles, and prior experiences.

Some ideas to explore are to incorporate culturally relevant STEM projects and examples that reflect the students’ backgrounds and experiences, promoting inclusivity and increasing engagement. Additionally, Ozobot offers MetaBot – a free AR experience hosted on the Evo App that allows students to virtually build and execute Blockly programs with Evo.

By bringing in project-based learning (PBL) and hands-on activities that provide opportunities for collaborative problem-solving, allowing students to contribute their unique perspectives and skills and also foster the development of SEL skills.

Theme 5: Integration of STEM Across Subjects

For some educators, the idea of STEM may not seem like something that can be brought into a class that does not fall under the “STEM” subjects. Finding ways to bring STEM concepts into classrooms can be challenging, especially for classes that are traditionally perceived as non-STEM related.

The best option to bring STEM into all classrooms is through cross-curricular collaboration. Not only is this beneficial for students, but it also encourages collaboration between teachers of different grade levels or content areas. They can work together to create interdisciplinary STEM projects that incorporate concepts from their courses and provide more meaningful, real-world learning experiences for students.

Project-based learning: Implement project-based learning approaches that encourage students to apply STEM knowledge and skills to real-world problems across different subjects.

Ozobot as a solution: Highlight Ozobot’s versatility in integrating robotics and coding across various subjects, fostering cross-curricular connections and enhancing student engagement.

Bringing STEM to every classroom can be a powerful and transformative learning experience for students which will equip them with the skills needed to be successful now and in the future. By asking educators what their concerns and challenges are, we can work together to find solutions. With the support of a comprehensive platform like Ozobot, educators can design dynamic and engaging learning environments that spark student curiosity for learning, build critical thinking skills, and foster interest in STEM fields.

About Rachelle

Rachelle Dené is a Spanish and STEAM: What’s Next in Emerging Technology Teacher at Riverview High School in Oakmont, PA. Rachelle is also an attorney with a Juris Doctor degree from Duquesne University School of Law and a Master’s in Instructional Technology. Rachelle is an ISTE Certified Educator and Community Leader and served as president of the ISTE Teacher Education Network. She was named as one of the 150 Women Thought Leaders to Follow for 2022 and one of 30 K-12 IT Influencers to follow in 2021.

She is the author of seven books including ‘In Other Words: Quotes That Push Our Thinking,” “Unconventional Ways to Thrive in EDU” “The Future is Now: Looking Back to Move Ahead,” “Chart A New Course: A Guide to Teaching Essential Skills for Tomorrow’s World, “True Story: Lessons That One Kid Taught Us” and her newest book “Things I Wish […] Knew” is available at bit.ly/thingsiwishedu.

When it comes to professional development for your school, Rachelle offers both in-person and virtual training on a variety of topics. Don’t miss the opportunity to schedule a session by contacting her at Rdene915@gmail.com.

**Interested in writing a guest blog or submitting a sponsored post for my site? Would love to share your ideas! Submit your post here. Looking for a new book to read? Check out my books at bit.ly/pothbooks

Spark Career Curiosity for Future Career Paths

Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth Leave a comment

Updated from a prior post

In today’s ever-changing job market, we need to help students develop a variety of skills that will enable them to be flexible with the changes we are seeing in the world of work. It is also important that students have opportunities to consider a variety of career paths. It’s not enough to just focus on the careers and options that exist today, as technology and the jobs in demand are constantly evolving. To help students take ownership of their career journey and be curious about opportunities available, educators can explore the resources provided by Defined Learning to help students learn about their options.

Defined Learning offers a variety of tools and resources to help K through 12 students explore career options and develop the skills needed to succeed in the future, whether in college or career. There are materials available for students in elementary, middle, and high school and each has a listing of possible career choices and

Here are some ideas to get students excited about creating their own career paths:

  • Encourage Career Exploration

One of the best ways to get students excited about creating their own career paths is to encourage them to explore their interests and passions. Ask students about their interests and provide opportunities for students to exchange ideas with classmates. Sparking interest in career exploration happens when students have a chance to dive into their own curiosity and tap into their personal interests. When students are passionate about something, they are more likely to be motivated and engaged in their work. Sharing resources will provide students with access to a wide range of real-world career scenarios that can help them identify their interests and passions. These resources may inspire students to think about the types of careers that would enable them to pursue their passions while also making a difference in the world. It includes job descriptions, education requirements, and salary information.

In addition to exploring different careers, students also need to develop the skills necessary to succeed in the workforce. Defined Learning Career offers resources to help students develop these skills through career courses. Each Career Course focuses on providing students with relevant career experiences and skills needed for a specific career. Each career course is a collection of projects that gives students hands-on learning opportunities. Teachers can supplement these materials by having students create materials they need for careers of interest such as resumes and cover letters, or preparing for an interview. Through the career clusters, students also create products of their learning that can be uploaded into their portfolio to track their growth. Students can explore to learn about the demand for specific careers and

Educators can incorporate these resources into their curriculum, either as standalone lessons or as part of larger projects. By helping students develop these skills, educators can empower them to take ownership of their career paths and feel confident in their ability to succeed.

One of the best ways to get students excited about their future careers is to give them real-world experiences. Defined Learning Career Courses offers a variety of units and career clusters that have projects and project descriptions to give students real-world learning experiences. To bring it to life even more, educators can help students to find opportunities to engage in virtual job shadowing or connect within the community to learn about industry-specific projects.

By incorporating these types of experiences into their curriculum, educators can help students see how their education is directly relevant to their future careers. This can be especially valuable for students who may not have a clear idea of what they want to do after graduation. Having a variety of options to explore within one platform is so helpful for educators looking to provide more choices for students and for students to have guided support as they learn about careers through the pathways. Exploring the work of commercial and industrial designers, a baker, a hazmat technician, and other careers will spark some curiosity.

In order to create their own career paths, students need to be able to think outside the box. Defined Learning Career resources can be used to help students think creatively about their future careers. Especially for students that may be unsure about future plans, exploring these real-world tasks can be so beneficial.

For example, students can explore non-traditional career paths, such as entrepreneurship or freelancing, game designers, and learn about the skills and resources they will need to succeed in these types of careers. By encouraging students to think outside the box, educators can help them see the possibilities for their future careers and feel excited about the opportunities that lie ahead. Educators can also offer their own guidance by providing one-on-one meetings with students to discuss their career goals and help them create a plan for achieving those goals. By offering this kind of support, educators can help students feel more confident in their ability to navigate the constantly changing job market.

Getting students excited about creating their own career paths is essential to best prepare them for the future. Defined Learning offers a variety of resources to help educators foster career exploration, develop career readiness skills, and incorporate real-world experiences, through a range of project-based learning experiences that help students develop the skills they will need to succeed. By utilizing these tools, educators can empower their students to take ownership of their future careers and feel confident in their ability to succeed.

Author

Rachelle Dené is a Spanish and STEAM: What’s Next in Emerging Technology Teacher at Riverview High School in Oakmont, PA. Rachelle is also an attorney with a Juris Doctor degree from Duquesne University School of Law and a Master’s in Instructional Technology. Rachelle is an ISTE Certified Educator and Community Leader and served as president of the ISTE Teacher Education Network. She was named one of 30 K-12 IT Influencers to follow in 2021.

She is the author of seven books including ‘In Other Words: Quotes That Push Our Thinking,” “Unconventional Ways to Thrive in EDU” “The Future is Now: Looking Back to Move Ahead,” “Chart A New Course: A Guide to Teaching Essential Skills for Tomorrow’s World, “True Story: Lessons That One Kid Taught Us” and her newest book “Things I Wish […] Knew” is now available at bit.ly/thingsiwishedu.

Follow Rachelle on Twitter @Rdene915 and on Instagram @Rdene915. Rachelle has a podcast, ThriveinEDU available at https://anchor.fm/rdene915.

Looking for PD for your school? I provide in-person and virtual training on the following topics. If you want to learn more about and explore AI and ChatGPT, contact me to schedule! Rdene915@gmail.com 

**Interested in writing a guest blog or submitting a sponsored post for my site? Would love to share your ideas! Submit your post here. Looking for a new book to read? Find these available at bit.ly/Pothbooks

3 Ways to Get Students Excited About Creating Their Own Career Paths

Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth Leave a comment

By Rachelle Dené Poth,

In today’s ever-changing job market, we need to help students develop a variety of skills that will enable them to be flexible with the changes we are seeing in the world of work. It is also important that students have opportunities to consider a variety of career paths. It’s not enough to just focus on the careers and options that exist today, as technology and the jobs in demand are constantly evolving.

To help students take ownership of their career journey and be curious about the opportunities available, educators can explore the resources provided by Defined Careers to help students learn about their options. Defined Careers is an online platform that offers a variety of tools and resources to help K through 12 students explore and experience career options and develop the skills needed to succeed in the future, whether in college or career. There are materials available for students in elementary, middle and high school and each has a listing of possible career choices.

Here are a few ideas for how educators can use Defined Careers to get their students excited about creating their own career paths:

1. Encourage Career Exploration

One of the best ways to get students excited about creating their own career paths is to encourage them to explore their interests and passions. Ask students about their interests and provide opportunities for students to exchange ideas with classmates. Sparking interest in career exploration happens when students have a chance to dive into their own curiosity and tap into their personal interests. When students are passionate about something, they are more likely to be motivated and engaged in their work. Sharing resources will provide students with access to a wide range of real-world career scenarios that can help them identify their interests and passions. These resources may inspire students to think about the types of careers that would enable them to pursue their passions while also making a difference in the world. Defined Careers offers a wealth of information for all grade levels and different areas of work. It includes job descriptions, education requirements, and salary information.

To make this learning experience more engaging and build communication skills and classroom collaboration, educators can also have students create brief presentations or share what they learned about different careers. This can help students get excited about the possibilities and start to envision their own career paths.

2. Foster Career Readiness Skills

In addition to exploring different careers, students also need to develop the skills necessary to succeed in the workforce. Defined Careers offers resources to help students develop these skills through career courses. Each Career Course focuses on providing students with relevant career experiences and skills needed for a specific career. Each career course is a collection of projects that gives students hands-on learning opportunities.  Teachers can supplement these materials by having students create materials they need for careers of interest such as resumes and cover letters, or preparing for an interview. Through the career clusters, students also create products of their learning that can be uploaded into their portfolio to track their growth. Students can explore to learn about the demand for specific careers.

Educators can incorporate these resources into their curriculum, either as standalone lessons or as part of larger projects. By helping students develop these skills, educators can empower them to take ownership of their career paths and feel confident in their ability to succeed.

3. Incorporate Real-World Experiences

One of the best ways to get students excited about their future careers is to give them real-world experiences. Defined Careers’ Courses offers a variety of units and career clusters that have projects and project descriptions to give students real-world learning experiences.  To bring it to life even more,  educators can help students to find opportunities to engage in virtual job shadowing or connect within the community to learn about industry-specific projects.

By incorporating these types of experiences into their curriculum, educators can help students see how their education is directly relevant to their future careers. This can be especially valuable for students who may not have a clear idea of what they want to do after graduation. Having a variety of options to explore within one platform is so helpful for educators looking to provide more choices for students and for students to have guided support as they learn about careers through the pathways. Exploring the work of commercial and industrial designers, a baker, a hazmat technician and other careers will spark some curiosity.

4. Encourage Students to Think Outside the Box

In order to create their own career paths, students need to be able to think outside the box. Defined Careers resources can be used to help students think creatively about their future careers. Especially for students that may be unsure about future plans, exploring these real-world tasks can be so beneficial.

For example, students can explore non-traditional career paths, such as interior designer, an artist, or a game designer, and learn about the skills and resources they will need to succeed in these types of careers. By encouraging students to think outside the box, educators can help them see the possibilities for their future careers and feel excited about the opportunities that lie ahead. Educators can also offer their own guidance by providing one-on-one meetings with students to discuss their career goals and help them create a plan for achieving those goals. By offering this kind of support, educators can help students feel more confident in their ability to navigate the constantly changing job market.

Getting students excited about creating their own career paths is essential to best prepare them for the future. Defined Careers offers a variety of resources to help educators foster career exploration, develop career readiness skills, and incorporate real-world experiences through a range of project-based learning experiences that help students develop the skills they will need to succeed. By utilizing these tools, educators can empower their students to take ownership of their future careers and feel confident in their ability to succeed. 

About the Author:

Rachelle Dené is a Spanish and STEAM: What’s Next in Emerging Technology Teacher at Riverview High School in Oakmont, PA. Rachelle is also an attorney with a Juris Doctor degree from Duquesne University School of Law and a Master’s in Instructional Technology. Rachelle is an ISTE Certified Educator and Community Leader and served as president of the ISTE Teacher Education Network. She was named one of 30 K-12 IT Influencers to follow in 2021.

She is the author of seven books including ‘In Other Words: Quotes That Push Our Thinking,” “Unconventional Ways to Thrive in EDU,” “The Future is Now: Looking Back to Move Ahead,” “Chart A New Course: A Guide to Teaching Essential Skills for Tomorrow’s World, “True Story: Lessons That One Kid Taught Us,” and her newest book “Things I Wish […] Knew” is now available at bit.ly/thingsiwishedu.

Looking for PD for your school? I provide in-person and virtual training on the following topics. If you want to learn more about and explore AI and ChatGPT, contact me to schedule! Rdene915@gmail.com 

**Interested in writing a guest blog or submitting a sponsored post for my site? Would love to share your ideas! Submit your post here. Looking for a new book to read? Find these available at bit.ly/Pothbooks

ISTELIVE 23: Another Great Experience

Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth Leave a comment

This was my ninth time attending the ISTE conference, the third time it was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There were a few years that the in-person event did not happen but ISTE held a virtual conference that enabled educators to connect and learn with other educators from around the world. It is the reason I look forward to the summer and a conference I look forward to because it brings in people from more than 80 countries from around the world. It offers so many different ways to learn through the poster sessions, the playgrounds, the concurrent sessions, panel discussions, workshops and other special events.

But beyond those specific learning spaces, there are lots of opportunities to connect with educators and build your PLN. It’s not just the learning that happens in those session rooms and spaces. It is about the learning that also happens on your walk to the sessions and while in the open spaces. A time when you can walk and talk or sit and have a conversation. And even once the conference day ends, the social events that happen later in the evening, are always great for connecting with friends and making new ones.

The conference was a little bit different for me this year because even though my schedule was busy it didn’t feel as overly busy as in prior years. I had the opportunity to join in some new adventures, present sessions on some of my favorite topics, and had the honor of being involved in the Closing Mainstage.

For me, as soon as I met friends at the airport, the excitement started. Then as soon as I arrived at the convention center to register on Sunday afternoon, it took a good 25 minutes to get there because I kept passing friends along the way, some of whom I had not seen in more than 5 years and a few that had never met in person. And when that happens, you have to stop and enjoy those moments.

Registration can definitely wait. Taking the time to stop, grab a quick picture, a hug, even a quick conversation makes all the difference. It brings those connections to life and reminds you to not miss out on opportunities, no matter how tired you are.

Presenting with friends

There wasn’t much time to waste as I had a workshop with my good friend Melody McAllister on Sunday. While we have done a live show for years, it was the first time presenting together officially. The focus was on podcasting and live streaming. We had a great crowd, our session was sold out and it was a high point in the conference for me. Being able to present with friends, share each other’s perspectives, and learn together, really makes a difference. For a long time, I did sessions by myself and that definitely helps me to build my own comfort level and confidence but I have definitely grown to prefer having friends present with me because we can bring in our different backgrounds and experiences and it’s just fun.

Another highlight was my Immerse Students in Learning session, all about AI, AR, and VR, topics which I have been presenting on for a little over 5 years. It has been amazing to see the increased interest in AI especially over the past 6 months with the entrance of ChatGPT, it has stirred up a lot of conversation and will continue to do so.

It’s a lot of fun to share with educators how I got started in teaching about AI in my classroom, knowing very little but also knowing that I needed to just dive right in. And that’s the advice that I often give. You don’t have to be an expert, you just need to have one idea, one method, one tool to start with and put it in the hands of the students. It’s important to also engage in conversations about these topics and these technologies so that we can be mindful of any concerns but also aware of the potential benefits not just in education but in preparing the students for their future and how these technologies might be used in the world of work.

Presenting with students

Another highlight was being able to co-present with Namya Joshi, (#EachOneTeachTen) a young student from India who we had hoped would be able to attend in person but thanks to technology and the power of using Zoom, I was able to bring her in to present with me during that session. Powerful to hear from students and I definitely recommend any time you can involve students in sharing the impact of these tools, and in this case the importance of STEM, then we need to do this. Hearing from her, (at actually 3:00 in the morning because of the time difference), did not diminish her spark for STEM and she was definitely an inspiration.

ISTEVerse

The three-day augmented and virtual reality ISTEVerse experience was a big hit and I tried to direct people to stop there as much as I could because a lot of people don’t realize the benefits of it until they experience it. And without access to the resources or know how to sort through all of the tools that are available, it can be hard to dive in and explore. That space had a variety of opportunities for people to learn about augmented and virtual reality, how to have students create rather than just consume, and that AR/VR is something that can be used in all content areas and grade levels.

Coffee with Kai’s Clan

Social events

And everybody kept busy with social events, which are great spaces for networking. Whether the Edtech karaoke, casual gatherings for coffee or small sit-down dinners, there were opportunities everywhere. Learning still happens in these spaces. What I’ve discovered over the years is that PD does not only mean sitting down in a session and listening to a presentation. PD is so many different things and there are so many ways for people to choose the type of PD that is going to impact them the most.

Those early morning CoffeeEDUs with Alice Keeler, the social events and mixers held by some of the companies that we all know, and quaint gatherings by some other companies that enable you to really engage in conversation and get to know the people behind the products and their passion for what they’re doing. An amazing dinner with the BookWidgets team was a lovely opportunity to relax, enjoy the conversation and spend time with friends.

Dinner with BookWidgets

The Closing Mainstage: AI in Education

And one final highlight as I’m rolling these out in chronological order, was the Closing Mainstage on Wednesday. I was honored to be selected as the person to introduce and then interview the keynote speaker Kevin Roose. He is a New York Times columnist, a bestselling author of three books and he writes about technology, education, finance, and AI. We had the opportunity to sit down and talk for about 20 minutes. I had a lot of questions for him but tried to streamline them to those that are on the minds of many educators that I’ve spoken to, and some questions based on what I had read in his most recent book Futureproof.

Some of the biggest takeaways from that conversation are:

  • As educators, we need to be willing to embrace new ideas, trends, and technologies, even if we don’t fully understand them or we feel like we’re not the expert, we have to keep up with the changes that are coming.
  • We have to prepare our students and understand how these tools can be beneficial to us and to students, but we also have to be cautious as with all things, and question their purpose.
  • Consider any potential concerns or harm that can come from using them whether safety, security, or privacy. Ethics needs to be part of the conversations that we have and continue to have as these tools continue to evolve.
  • If we look at the positives, for teachers, as Kevin stated on his podcast dividing the AI between the “relational and the logistical.” We need teachers, humans, for the relational so that we can work with the students, we can have conversations, and support them as they learn. But we can benefit from the logistical or the clerical tasks that AI can do like helping us with some of the grading or having it be able to see trends in student responses and create a personalized learning path for them in real time. We can use traditional assessments and give students feedback one-on-one, but we can also find a way to balance the use of the technology so that we have more time to work with our students and provide for them with exactly what they need.

It was a great conference and it’s hard to believe that it has come and gone already but before you know it, it will be June 2024 and we will be in Denver for ISTE. The last time it was held there was in 2016 and that was the first time that I got on an airplane in many years and so I’m looking forward to returning to the conference next year. If you have not ever attended but have been giving it some thought, I definitely recommend that you try to go. And if attending in person is not an option, take advantage of the virtual learning that is available. Several of my sessions were recorded and live streamed and many of the other sessions were as well. So you can join in, interact in the chat, build your network, and learn from wherever you are and whenever you want to.

Jenn Womble and Adam Phyall

Wakelet and Capstone friends

The power of these global networks is that there is something for every educator and it’s important to keep pushing ourselves to learn and grow and adapt with the changes that we have seen and will continue to see in education.

See you in Denver next June!

About the author

Rachelle Dené is a Spanish and STEAM: What’s Next in Emerging Technology Teacher at Riverview High School in Oakmont, PA. Rachelle is also an attorney with a Juris Doctor degree from Duquesne University School of Law and a Master’s in Instructional Technology. Rachelle is an ISTE Certified Educator and serves as the past president of the ISTE Teacher Education Network. She was recently named one of 30 K-12 IT Influencers to follow in 2021.

She is the author of seven books including ‘In Other Words: Quotes That Push Our Thinking, Unconventional Ways to Thrive in EDU, The Future is Now: Looking Back to Move Ahead, Chart A New Course: A Guide to Teaching Essential Skills for Tomorrow’s World, True Story: Lessons That One Kid Taught Us, Your World Language Classroom: Strategies for In-Person and Digital Instruction and her newest book Things I WIsh [….] Knew is now available.

Follow Rachelle on Twitter @Rdene915 and on Instagram @Rdene915. Rachelle has a podcast, ThriveinEDU available at https://anchor.fm/rdene915.

Looking for PD for your school? I provide in-person and virtual training on the following topics. If you want to learn more about and explore AI and ChatGPT, contact me to schedule! Rdene915@gmail.com

**Interested in writing a guest blog or submitting a sponsored post for my site? Would love to share your ideas! Submit your post here. Looking for a new book to read? Find these available at bit.ly/Pothbooks

Learning on Purpose With KLAR

Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth Leave a comment

Guest post by Dr. Amy Mathews-Perez, @drgrowtoknow

All growth happens in a cycle. Every cycle has various “phases” or “stages.” Simple examples include laundry, our workday, a car purchase, sunrise, sunset and even various bodily functions. As Educators, our cycle includes the beginning of a school year with new students (unless you’re looping), the middle of a school year and the end of a school year, and we can all relate to the growth that occurs during these phases of the cycle we call “a school year.” Growth for our students and growth for ourselves. Once I realized this about cycles, it allowed me to have a better understanding of where I was in the cycle (whichever one I was reflecting about at the time.) The cycle that I have found most beneficial is the cycle I have curiously named KLAR. With my 30 years serving special education, the majority of which are in the special education arena, you will not be surprised that I love and consistently use acronyms. I think in acronyms, I make them up and I redefine real ones just for fun. So, HWG! (Here We Go!) 

My Twitter handle is @drgrowtoknow. I came up with that years ago before I even knew how to use Twitter, but even waaaay back then I was in tune with the facts that (1) there was so much more for me to know, (2) I wanted to grow in knowledge/skills and (3) the best way to grow was to start at #1. Fast forward to the present, I can now describe my cycle as KLAR: Know, Learn, Apply, Repeat.

KNOW: We know that there is more to learn. However, to maximize the KLAR cycle there must be intention: What exactly do we want to know? Why do we want to know it? Where is the information? In other words, the KNOW part of KLAR does not mean to consume as much information as possible. The KNOW part of the KLAR cycle means that there is something specific that you realize you need to know more about in order to improve yourself, expand your skill set, obtain new insights, etc.; self realization of a need for knowledge. EXAMPLE – I need to know more about AI.

LEARN: At this stage of the cycle we are learning on purpose. We all learn – sometimes by incident, sometimes by accident, sometimes from reflection and sometimes from rejection. What we learn can be greatly influenced by the circumstances, which is why at this stage of the KLAR cycle, LEARN must be defined as Intentionally seeking information for a specific reason. EXAMPLE – I read multiple articles/blogs, watched videos, interviewed 2 people and followed 4 people on Twitter that teach about using AI to write measurable goals and objectives for IEPs.

APPLY: This is when we use the learning with purpose. This stage of the KLAR cycle can be the most beneficial if we collaborate with a trusted friend, coach or accountability partner. Role-playing is another effective way to apply learning. If you are intuitively reflective or simply exceptional at self-reflection, you may not need the support of another person in determining the effectiveness of your application of learning. Again (see the theme?) – being purposeful regarding the circumstances, the people and your intention when applying your learning will maximize this step. EXAMPLE – I drafted one goal for each of the following content areas for a specific student: Math, RLA, Science, Transition and Post-Secondary. I asked two peers to review the goals for accuracy and effectiveness.

REPEAT: This part of KLAR is self-explanatory, no doubt. However, the repetition begins with the realization (and hopefully celebration) of your growth! Next, repeat the first stage of the KLAR cycle. Based on your recent experience in applying your new knowledge, how are you different? What information do you need to seek next? For what purpose?  EXAMPLE – My goals included four of the key elements of a good goal (timeframe, condition, behavior, criteria) -this is the celebration part. 🙂  However, they were not specific enough for the student. Now I know I need to refer to the student’s FIE and PLAAFP in order to make the goals more individualized.

Each KLAR cycle provides learning, increases awareness and facilitates growth. Growth happens…it may be small, it may be monumental, it may just be the tweak that leads you to your next “Ah-ha!” You may even choose to ignore the growth because it makes you uncomfortable…but growth happens. KLAR provides us with a way to reflect and help ourselves grow on purpose. If you are an educator, your “school year cycle” is clearly marked as a new beginning, but it is my hope that you experience KLAR year-round. 

Happy growing!

About The Author

Texas-born & raised, I am finishing my 30th year of serving public education where I have served as a General Ed. Teacher, an SLP, Diagnostician, SPED Supervisor, Principal, an Assistant Principal and a Director of Special Education. I currently serve a central Texas school district as a Director of Special Programs which includes Special Education, 504, Dyslexia, MTSS, and the Liaison for students experiencing Foster Care and/or Homelessness. My passions are communication, laughter, and authenticity and I am happiest when I get to use those things to inspire & empower others. As a learner, I consider myself an “Experience Expert” because I learn from every experience. Life is short but our influence is never ending, so I seek joy and create smiles through connecting, sharing, and highlighting the best in others. If you share any of my passions, I’d like to connect with you! My Twitter handle is DrAmyMP@drgrowtoknow

Looking for some PD for your school? I provide in-person and virtual training on the following topics. If you want to learn more about and explore AI and ChatGPT, contact me to schedule! Rdene915@gmail.com

**Interested in writing a guest blog or submitting a sponsored post for my site? Would love to share your ideas! Submit your post here. Looking for a new book to read? Find these available at bit.ly/Pothbooks