A Year In Review

As the final few days of the school come to a close and the chaos wanes, I can finally take a moment to reflect on the entire course of this year.  And as I look back, I see that I am a far better, more effective teacher than I was on day one of this school year.  The evidence of this is clear, as I think through the triumphs of my students and grade their final exams.  This has been a year of growth and rigorous learning for all of us.  I am thankful for their graciousness as I tried new techniques, tried new lessons, attempted new assessment methods, and planned more discourse.  There were growing pains during much of the "change," but in the end, when I look at the joy on their faces, hear the beautiful music they perform, watch them sight-read a new piece of music in minutes, and listen to their intelligent and academic discussions, I'm in awe of the amazing things these students have accomplished.  So here are the three things, I'd say are the biggest changes in my development as a teacher that led to this beautiful result.

1. It is worth the extra time to slow down and empower students by giving them opportunities to tell and show what they know or are learning. 
2. Music literacy skills are only maintained if they are worked on daily. 
3. Simplify, simplify, simplify! Seriously, you don't need to do it all today!

So there is it folks.  This list is obviously not the complete index of what I've learned this year (I'd need a least another 50 pages to list all of the learning and growth), but it is important to note that these particular elements really made an impact on student engagement and learning.  So I will count that as a win, and continue to strive to be a better educator each day.  

Coursework & Practice Reflection

Internship Performance Criteria 4 states “The teacher uses content area knowledge, learning standards, appropriate pedagogy and resources to design and deliver curricula and instruction to impact student learning.”  In other words, the teacher must plan and implement successful instructional methods and strategies. 

During this course, we walked through nine themes relating to content knowledge: 1) assessing prior knowledge 2) integrating student assets 3) teaching academic language 4) scaffolding 5) supporting 6) deepening 7) providing and responding to feedback 8) student reflection 9) teacher reflection. When I began the course, I believed I had a pretty good idea of how to assess prior knowledge, scaffold learning, and reflect on my own practices.  That said, the biggest areas of growth for me were in integrating student assets, supporting, deepening, feedback, and student reflection.  My classes definitely benefitted from my learning in this course as I provided more inquiry based instruction, meaningful feedback, and opportunities for student reflection.  One of the ways I implemented inquiry was by asking students to identify the weaknesses in their performance rather than pointing them out myself.  The students were able to practice academic language and classes consisted of more opportunities for student voice.  Students also felt more confident and competent when they were able to evaluate their own performance and they deepened their learning by thinking critically about how to improve our ensemble sound. 

Additionally providing more meaningful, specific, and timely verbal and written feedback for in class and on assignments students were given the support necessary to reflect on ways they could improve.  I also made a point to reinforce and support academic language when providing feedback.  For example, I may re-state a student’s comment using correct academic vocabulary or ask the student to restate his or her comment using academic language.  Though painful at first, this commitment to consistent use of academic language has made each student more active and confident participants in our classroom discourse.  

Finally, by differentiating elements of my lessons, I was able to support all the learners in my classroom.  For example, I had a student struggling with melodic dictation.  In order to support her, I worked would come by and sing her whatever melody  she had written on her staff measure-by-measure and then play the original melody again.  She was able to compare the two melodies and change the “wrong” notes by noticing whether the “right” note was higher or lower.  Eventually, after a few weeks she was able to sing the melody to herself and self-correct the wrong notes.

Clearly, it is important to incorporate all of these themes when planning and implementing instruction.

ISTE 5: Professional Development Through Technology

ISTE 5

Good educators know that continued professional development is the key to a successful and lengthy career.  That said, professional development is evolving as our world makes more and more technological advances.  Online professional learning is becoming a commonplace method of professional development.  

This week, I researched the communities, resources, and methods that educators are using to continue developing their instructional strategies through the effective use of technology.  

The timing of this study was uncanny as I had just completed a teacher in-service where my fellow teachers and I collaborated and shared our ideas and successes with incorporating technology in class and as a school. I find face-to-face interaction with my colleagues to be especially valuable because I enjoy discussion and appreciate the innovative ideas that come out of establishing a collaborative culture within our school.  

That said, my research allowed me to discover many methods and opportunities for professional development through the use of technology.  Engaging in professional communities through social media platforms, blogs, or online discussion boards gives educators chances to ask questions, develop relationships, and share resources with educators around the world (EdSurge, 2014). 

Moreover, technology delivers learning opportunities for teachers at the click of a mouse.  In fact, many national educator associations are investing in online courses, videos, webinars, and more as they strive to provide accessible instruction for their members.  Gone are the days of traveling long distances for workshops and conferences.  Now teachers can sit in the comfort of their own home and learn about the latest trends in education.  Teachers can also find support from mentors and coaches in online professional learning communities.  Feedback on professional practice has never been so easy! Digital tools also allow teachers to track data on their students’ performance in a way measures the effectiveness of their instructional strategies.  This measurable data is useful when debriefing with administrators following a formal observation.  

It is clear to me that technology has opened up a whole new world of professional development possibilities.  I still enjoy collaborating with my colleagues in person, but I look forward to joining a professional learning community in order to expand my network and learn from those outside my school.

Resources

How Teachers Are Learning: Professional Development Remix (EdSurge Guides). (2014). Retrieved March 11, 2017, from https://www.edsurge.com/research/guides/how-teachers-are-learning-professional-development-remix

Digital Citizenship Poster

This week, I polled my high school students fellow staff members for their opinions on which of the eight digital citizenship topics (referred to in a previous blog post) represents the most immediate need for instruction and training in students ages 13-17.  Over 55% of the 60 participants in the poll believed that understanding one's "Digital Footprint" was the most immediate need.  In talking to some of the students, they specifically expressed concern over social media postings by friends. Due to these comments I developed a poster  that identifies some of the things students should think about before posting, considering once the comment or photo is uploaded, it is forever a part of their digital footprint.

ISTE 4: Digital Citizenship

ISTE 4

In a world where technology is integrated into nearly every element of society, it is imperative that educators equip students with effective and safe digital practices.  After all, the students of today will likely be living in a completely digital world and will need to establish themselves as responsible digital citizens. 

As I conducted my research on digital citizenship education this week, I was encouraged by the abundance of resources available to parents and teachers.  One of the largest organizations I found was Common Sense Media. This non-profit organization provides instructional materials, curriculum, webinars, websites, books, videos, and other resources that help educators and parents address teach digital citizenship to their students.  These resources focus on eight key elements of digital citizenship, shown in Figure 1. 

Figure 1: Scope & Sequence

One of the most interesting ideas I discovered this week was the idea of implementing an advisory class for all first year students.  For example, all incoming freshman would take one semester class where they would learn how to responsibly navigate and use technology. This could be extremely beneficial to their education and success later on in life. According to Ribble (2015), students should be equipped with digital access and develop an understanding of digital commerce, communication, literacy, etiquette, law, rights, health, and security.  Having a digital citizenship class at the beginning of one's schooling experience, like Common Sense Media's Digital Compass curriculum, would cover all of these aspects through simulation games, discussion, practical application, and reflective writing. 

Perhaps the most imperative component of educating students on the importance of digital citizenship is the effective modeling of best practices by the teacher.  This takes work, as technology is an ever-changing field. But with a commitment to innovation and integrity as well as a constant desire to continue developing their own skills, educators can effectively model and teach digital citizenship. 

References

Digital Compass in Action. (n.d.). Retrieved February 28, 2017, from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/videos/digital-compass-in-action

Ribble, M. (2015). Digital citizenship in schools: Nine elements all students should know. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education.

Scope & Sequence: Common Sense K-12 Digital Citizenship Curriculum. (n.d.). Retrieved February 28, 2017, from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators/scope-and-sequence

Multiple Intelligence Theory in the Classroom

As an educator, I approach Howard Gardner's multiple intelligence theory with apprehension. According to his theory, there are nine different intelligences that individuals can possess (Figure 1). Individuals will favor some intelligences over others which impacts how that individual processes information and learns.

Figure 1

In the education system, we have a diverse population of students with various intelligence strengths. This should inform our instruction as we observe the favored intelligences of each student. But how on earth are educators supposed to individualize instruction for the 20-30 students in each of their classes? It certainly seems like an intimidating task when we must first accurately assess or observe the strengths and weaknesses of our students', and then present instruction in the way that caters to each student's strength.

Adapting teaching methods and preparing this kind of instruction model takes more time than traditional approaches.  It seems impossible to expect that teachers could cater to learners with nine different intelligences.

However, technology and digital tools may be the key to successfully implementing intelligence-based instruction. By using the resources that contemporary technologies afford, teachers can provide experiential instruction that meets students where they are at.  Virtual field trips, WebQuests, interactive simulations, online collaborative projects, media presentations, and virtual classrooms tear down the four walls of a classroom and transcend time, space, and economic limitations (McKenzie, 2005).  Technology grants students the chance to deepen their learning while capitalizing on their intellectual strengths. Hence, it is safe to say that multiple intelligence instruction is possible in the 21st century classroom.

Citizenship & Moral Education

The moral ambiguity of our society illustrates the devaluation of virtue that seems to stem from the increasing influence of media. Kirk (2016) writes, "In no previous age have family influence, sound early prejudice, and good early habits been so broken in upon by outside force as in our own time." In other words, family exemplars and commitment to cultivating virtuous practices are undervalued in a world where media glorifies the unethical and mocks the honorable.  

So how do we combat this reality in our schools?  How do educators teach virtue?

Though Plato may have argued virtue is taught by implementing a curriculum that allows students to read about the virtuous leaders of the past, that is only one part of the equation.  Virtue must be caught more than taught.  

That said, teachers must model virtuous behavior and conduct themselves with integrity.  They must cultivate a respectful classroom culture where sound values are demonstrated.  Moreover, educators must provide opportunities for students to practice virtues within collaborative learning activities.  This practice is essential to forming good habits and re-enforcing honorable values.  Finally, virtues should not be taught or talked about separately, but integrated within a rigorous, thought-provoking curriculum.  Rather than lecturing students on the importance of virtuous character, educators must challenge students to recognize and admire noble values within the provided course content in order to embrace these characteristics as their own.  

B. (2016, March 22). Are Virtues Caught or Taught? Educating for Intellectual Virtue. Retrieved February 12, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2xNxsqJ3dM