A Week of Miles and Smiles

This past week was filled with miles and smiles!  On Monday, April 14, I traveled almost three hours for an evening session at Central College in Pella, IA.  There I visited with student teachers about the question, "Why Teach?"  It was fun to see the enthusiasm and the positive response to teaching stories.

It is always a joy to share my passion for teaching.  It is also good to include tips for surviving that first year of teaching especially the importance of knowing you are not in this alone.  Finding positive and encouraging people helps us all get through those difficult roadblocks we frequently encounter in our lives.

Members of the Outstanding Iowa Educators Advisory Council

Next stop:  Des Moines, Iowa.

On Thursday, April 17, the Outstanding Iowa Educators Advisory Council met to discuss a variety of current topics - how to help our voice be heard (presenting by a PR rep from the DE, Stacy Hupp),

a review of Iowa Core (by 2010 National Teacher of the Year Sarah Brown Wessling), and ethics in teaching (presented by the BOEE rep Joanne Tubbs).  We began the planning process for a fall conference for education majors across the state.  It is our hope to plan a conference day filled with advice related to education issues as well as content specific insights.  We are seeking a theme for our conference and timely topics as we seek to prepare students for the world of teaching.



 On Friday, April 18, I spent time at Ashford University in Clinton, IA, discussing instructional practices in teaching English as well as sharing stories about being in the classroom.

 

 The weekend brought smiles as my children came home for an Easter visit.  We took time to walk in the pasture for a photo of the greening of spring - a reminder of new beginnings and fresh starts.  As a teacher, each day and each year holds promise of fresh starts and new beginnings.  That's what keeps me teaching and looking with anticipation about a new journey with students - that shared journey of discovery we call Learning.

PBL - the Bulldog Way

A 7th grade class studies Greek and Latin roots via Scrabble

I had the honor to visit with Aaron Mauer, Bettendorf Middle School instructional coach, and learn about the Bettendorf Bulldog focus on Project Based Learning.  Aaron was a finalist for the 2014 Iowa Teacher of the Year, and when one visits him in action, there is no wonder he received the honor of being a nominee.

Aaron with his podcasting equipment

Aaron's focus is the seamless integration of project-based learning into the curriculum.  His visits to classrooms consist of discussions about podcasting, skyping, developing global awareness, all the while promoting projects with proven strategies to engage students while promoting deeper learning.  Aaron turns to PBL expert Suzie Boss for reference.  Ms. Boss explains that PBL is used in developing students' critical thinking and other 21st century skills.  These types of projects build a lasting understanding of important content and make learning more enjoyable for students and teachers alike.

Aaron knows that "teachers who are new to the project approach need time to learn and apply classroom practices that make PBL effective. Projects may start with the spark of a good idea, but high-quality PBL requires thoughtful attention to project design, management and assessment." (Boss, June 18, 2012)

BMS Science classes have a real-world connection through aquariums and the study of aquatic life as well as hydroponic stands growing fruits and vegetables.

A robot Aaron insists will some day deliver and serve coffee to staff at BMS

While visiting, the Bettendorf Middle School students were actively engaged in preparing for their Expedition Night, where each student showcases his/her learning during the school year.  Expedition Nights occur twice a year.  These nights allow for students to make connections between classes and what they are learning while providing a venue to showcase what school is about - authentic learning with rigorous curriculum design.

Aaron collaborates with another teacher on a real-world connection with a classroom in France

Aaron is committed to PBL and has assisted in organizing the process into meaningful learning for students and staff alike.  There are great things happening at Bettendorf Middle School as they move successfully into PBL - the Bulldog way!

Interested in learning more about PBL? 
Check out: 
WEB:  http://www.edutopia.org/blog/pbl-world-conference-introduction-suzie-boss
TWITTER:  #pblworld
PBL CHAT ON TWITTER:  #pblchat
Join on EDMODO:  PBL Group

Learning - A Shared Journey of Discovery

A view of the crowd

The speaker's view

On Friday, April 4, I had the opportunity to address the Iowa State Education Association Delegate Assembly in Des Moines, IA.  It was fun to take a photos of the crowd from the speaker's platform - a view of dedicated educators from across our state.

Just one year ago I was sitting at one of these tables when Tania Johnson, the 2013 Iowa Teacher of the Year spoke.  After her speech, a colleague came over and said she was going to nominate me for 2014.  Little did I imagine that this year I would be addressing this group as 2014 Iowa Teacher of the Year.

ISEA is led by Tammy Wawro, ISEA President, and Mary Jane Cobb, ISEA Executive Director.  Both are very strong leaders who possess a clear vision on how to best serve the educators and students of Iowa.  We are fortunate to have them as leaders for our association.  

The title of my speech was "Learning - A Shared Journey of Discovery."  Here is a portion of that address:

Today I would like to take you on a journey – not just any journey – a journey with very specific stops along the way.  Today we will be visiting four places.  Those places we will visit are the Village of Never Give Up, the Town of Continuous Improvement, the City of Finding your Voice, and the country of Where do we Go From Here?

First stop – the Village of Never Give Up.  This is the place where one learns just what they are made of...  

Our second stop today is a The Town of Continuous Improvement.  As teachers, we strive to make this a frequent place to visit.  It is here in this place of continuous improvement that we reignite our passion for what we do.  Through continuous improvement we sharpen our skills, we learn new ways to engage students, we experiment with resources, and we earn new degrees.  I have visited this town frequently...

You, too, must visit the town of Continuous Improvement.  It welcomes all visitors and when you leave this town, you leave it as a better teacher than when you entered it.  In the words of Mark Twain:  "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”   You will be so glad you visited the town of Continuous Improvement and so will your students.

Our third visit is the City of Finding Your Voice.  This is one we struggle with especially with today’s media portrayal of educators and the system.  With high stakes testing, we are forced to look at our student learning as a number...

We are making a difference for those who will determine the future of our world.  We as teachers see the bigger picture and we speak to that vision through the lessons that take place in our classrooms.  But, dear colleagues, it is critical that we bring that voice out into the public.  We must get better at telling our stories or those who don’t know our stories will create pictures that do not accurately portray what we do as teachers.  We must visit the City of Finding Your Voice.  We must find ways to show others we are not just a proficiency number.

The final leg of our journey takes us to the country of Where do we go from here?    This is the most difficult visit along the way.  We don’t always agree upon what direction this leads.  We are fortunate we have organizations like ISEA to help us find our way.  They are working hard to lead and guide us in a strong direction that advocates for the benefit of all our students...

In the country of Where do we go from here? Each day is a new challenge but we do not walk this path alone.  We share this journey with our students, their families, our leaders, but most importantly each other.  Together we must have an eye on the big picture – what the world holds for our students and for the direction of education and best practices. 
   

Through visiting the Village of Never Give Up we learn persistence, in the Town of Continuous Improvement we learn excellence, in the City of Finding your Voice we learn to advocate for education, and finally in the country of Where do we Go From Here? we bring the bigger picture to the world of our desire for excellence in what we do and in how we teach...

Learning is a shared journey of discovery.

 

Culinary Arts: Tastefully Done

Welcome to Central Campus

A view of the Central Cafe

Menu for a delicious lunch

On March 7, 2014, I ate at the award winning culinary arts program called Central Campus Cafe located at Central Campus in Des Moines.  It is quite simply the "taste" of Des Moines Schools!  Central Cafe is a learning environment wonderfully crafted by Elaine Wolf, a finalist for the 2014 Iowa Teacher of the Year.  Elaine is a master at what she does - instilling in her students a love for culinary arts.  In the past ten years, she has created a source of pride for the Des Moines School District as she guides her students to prepare and serve meals in a cafe setting.  Her students prepare food from scratch for a cafe open for business either Thursday or Friday.   A GrowLab cart is used for growing herbs, lettuces, and micro greens for the Central Campus Cafe adding to the quality of the food served.

Tasty vegetable soup

Chef Wolf's culinary arts program is one where students can earn up to a full year’s credit toward a degree from DMACC’s Iowa Culinary Institute.  She has earned numerous grants to develop her high quality cafe and kitchen area including a grant for over $100,000 from Cargill.   She has developed partnerships with more than 50 area food industry professionals which provide additional  opportunities for her students.

Tilapia on rice

On the day I dined at Central Cafe, I was treated to flavorful vegetable soup followed by a tasty tilapia meal.  The service was excellent, and it is easy to see how proud the culinary arts students are to be part of this magnificent program.  The setting for Central Cafe has a wonderful view of Western Gateway Park in downtown Des Moines.

So if you are looking for a great meal and terrific service, make a visit to Central Cafe.  You will be glad you did!  And while there, be sure to offer your congratulations to Elaine Wolf for developing such an amazing program that allows students to pursue a career in which they are "hungry" for success!

Elaine Wolf in front of displays created by her students for competition

Montessori Magic

On March 7, 2014, I was able to visit the Cowles Montessori School in Windsor Heights, Iowa.  I specifically came to observe the classroom of Heather Anderson, the 2014 ISEA Excellence in Education Award recipient.  Heather is a passionate instructor of grades 1-3 whose love of learning is evident in all corners of her room.  While there, I also visited a kindergarten classroom, another primary classroom, and a middle school classroom.


The minute you walk into Cowles, you sense that this is a very special place.  A portrait of Maria Montessori welcomes you to the office area.  You will find the vision of this school posted: "Cowles Kids...respect each other, respect this place, and expect the best."  The feeling of that vision  permeates the hallways and is found nestled in the rooms of this wonderful building.  "The child is both a hope and promise for mankind" is the phrase that greets those who enter Cowles.  This belief is evident by the peacefulness and respect generated by both students and staff.


As a middle school teacher in a more traditional setting, it was a wonderful experience to watch the student engagement and their ownership for their learning.  The primary classrooms are center-based with many manipulatives for learning in all academic areas.  I observed both math and grammar work as students used hands-on materials to solidify their learning of concepts.  Students were self-directed in every classroom, and it was evident that each person who is part of this school - students, staff, and parents - find Cowles to be a very special place to grow and learn.

Montessori education is an educational approach founded by Maria Montessori, an Italian physician and educator.  The American Montessori Society emphasizes several principles of learning including:

• Mixed age classrooms
• Student choice of activities among prescribed options
• A discovery or "constructivist" model where students learn from discovery rather than direct instruction
• Uninterrupted blocks of work time
• Freedom of movement within the classroom

I enjoyed my first visit to a Montessori school and hope it won't be my last!  Many thanks to the staff and students of Cowles who graciously welcomed me into their world of learning.

Meeting the Iowa State Board of Education

Iowa State Board of Education Members - Michael Knedler, Sister Jude Fitzpatrick, Edgar Thornton (student member), Valerie Kruse, Dr. Brad Buck (Director of the Iowa Department of Education), Diane Crookham-Johnson,  Rosey Hussie (President), Mike May, me, Max Phillips, Lametta Winn, (Missing - Charles Edwards)                  

On Thursday, March 6, it was a pleasure to be introduced by Isbelia Arzola to the State Board of Education in Des Moines.  During our time together, I shared one of my favorite teaching stories.  One question asked by Mike May was, "If you could change one thing about education, what would it be?"  This required a little thought since so much is currently changing in education. One of the things I would change is for there to be more professional development for teachers and parents on identifying the signs of teenage depression.  In my years of teaching, I have experienced the death of two students through suicide.  Many of us in our district still wonder if there were signs of depression that we missed.  In this information age, students are never away from connections especially through technology.  If there are situations they want to avoid, it is made difficult because of the prevalence of social media.  Teenage depression and suicide are issues we all need to be aware of when working with today's youth.

On this blog, I want you to learn a little more about the State Board of Education.

According to the Iowa Department of Education website: 
 
"The Iowa State Board of Education works with the Iowa Department of Education to provide oversight, supervision, and support for the state education system that includes all public elementary and secondary schools, nonpublic schools that receive state accreditation, area education agencies (AEAs), community colleges, and teacher preparation programs."  (About, p.1)


Also on the website, the Board's vision, mission, and guiding principles are defined.  These are:

Their Vision is "Iowa students will become productive citizens in a democratic society, and successful participants in a global community."  (About, p.1)

Their Mission is "to champion excellence for all Iowa students through leadership and service."  (About, p.1)

Their Guiding Principles include: (About, p.1)

• All students can learn at a high level.
• Students respond best to challenging expectations.
• Safety and respect are essential to student learning.
• Educators need ongoing support and professional development to improve student achievement.
• Improving student performance requires a broad constituency of support.
• A quality education system is essential to a successful democracy, lifelong learning, and a vibrant economy.

There are ten members on the board, all appointed by our governor.  The term is six years with the student member's term being one year of service. They deserve our appreciation for selflessly dedicating their time to quality education in our state.

To read more about our State Board of Education, follow this link:  Iowa State Board of Education

WORK CITED:
"About the Iowa State Board of Education." Iowa Department of Education. Iowa Department of    
Education, n.d. Web. 9 Mar 2014.  <https://www.educateiowa.gov/about-iowa-state-boards-education

Creating a Digital Classroom

Attending Jeff Utecht's Digital Classroom presentation in Bettendorf

 I attended a workshop at the Bettendorf Center for Performing Arts given by Jeff Utect on the topic of "Digital Classroom Creation."  I came ready to learn from a master with technology who presents all over the world.  The Bettendorf teachers saw his presentation at ITEC this past fall and were so impressed they brought him close to home so all could learn from his expertise.  I see from his website he has or is presenting in various states throughout the U.S. as well as outside our country in Brazil, England, and Korea.  This afternoon's sessions are on "Looking for Learning in the Digital Classroom," "Stages of Technology Use," and "Communication and E-Folios."  I decided what better way to learn about technology than to blog as Mr. Utehct makes his presentation.  Let the learning begin.

He began with the big take-away from the morning - refining your search to make it more trustworthy.  He told about one middle school teacher who writes the standard on the whiteboard and tells the students,"You have two weeks to show me you have learned this standard."  In some classes, the question of the day is posted on the board and they have 15 minutes to find the answer.  Communicating today begins with looking at the workplace in which we live.  The line between our work life and social life has relatively disintegrated.  We are in an "always on" world.  Both are blurring into just what we can refer to as LIFE.  In schools we try to divide social and school life.  We do things to keep that social life out.  That's not the world they will enter when they graduate.

FACT:  55% of the students text during the day.
FACT:  66% of the text messages a kid gets during the day are from his/her parents.
FACT:  1.3 billion people are on Facebook.

Facebook - Practically everybody is there!  50% of the people who have internet access are on Facebook.  Libraries are using them to update it with books new to the library.  In one school the  dean of students uses an iphone to upload photos from the school activities to post on a Facebook page.  He is using it to create a community around the high school.  The web is about creating communities.  One school has a Compliment Page started by a student where kids can only give compliments to other students.  The manager of this page determines which will be posted.  She remains anonymous which is key for this to work.  Another classroom uses Facebook to post assignments and answer questions.

Twitter - The #hashtag# is everywhere!  Twitter is about community and following groups. Jeff thinks we need to embrace the technology and teach them appropriate use.  The potential use of twitter for teachers is tremendous.  #Edchat - provides many resources for teachers.  #ipaded - provides links to educational use of ipads.  Can use a #hashtag# to set up a community around your classroom.

Foursquare - Can search for various sights in a location.  It is a geolocation ap.

E-Portfolios - This has a chance to significantly change student learning.  In some schools, students have blogs from K-12th grade.  This allows them to have a view of their education throughout the years.  With an e-portfolio, you can build on what they are learning from year to year.

Blogging as a platform -  The portfolio blog is only a container but the user needs to identify what container to use.  Next, you look at how things are laid out.  What categories will you use?  Is there an opportunity for commenting on the content?

Blogging as a genre -  Quality of writing increases because it can be viewed by the world.  It is always reflective.

#Comments4Kids - Teachers and students will leave comments on a link you provide so the creator of the blog can connect with others around the world.

experienceactsofkindness,blogspot.com - made by Bettendorf where they post acts of kindness.

Censorship for the Good of the Kids - Many districts are opening up their internet doors and teaching digital citizenship.  There is fear of the unknown and litigation.

I listened to Jeff's many interesting ideas, but the explosion in technology can be overwhelming.  I encourage everyone to start with one baby step at a time as we determine best practices when using technology in our classrooms.

A positive place:  Posting Random Acts of Kindness