Category: Planning and Preparation

Teaching in Three Dimensions

matthewpiercyClassroom Environment
Self-compassion and seeing clearly of necessity as teachers navigate 3-dimensions.
Photo by: Photo by Nonsap Visuals on Unsplash

The start of a new school year resulted in my taking a bit of a hiatus in blogging.  No doubt, being in three places at the same time has provided some challenge.  Three places?  Live with five classes of twenty-something pre-teens wiggling before me in the classroom.  Getting to know students and  putting faces with names is the first order of “business.”  This year I have a student named Whale and another I warily call Honey.  “Good morning Honey!” just does no’t feel right for some reason.  I remain thankful Honey is not in Sweet’s class, or Sweet Honey might just sit alongside each other.  A colleague has Putter’s little brother, Birdie this year.  Thai nicknames often add  a bit of joy to the classroom and it is quite possible to have a whole fruit salad, with students named Apple, Pear, and Peach!  

 

3-D Teaching

Face to face, or dubbed f2f, often focuses the first days upon building routines and  just putting students at ease, so the classroom is a place each child feels comfortable. A second dimension being explored, is “the virtual.”  Back to Zoom and synchronous virtual learning. While the third space is reserved for the asynchronous and for students  currently out of the time zone.  These learners receive a link to the recorded class and sometimes  the addition of more succinct tutorial videos which teachers create.  So, a start to a school year unlike any other.  Three-dimensional!

Though only two or three class periods in, humorous stories already are being amassed.  Of such things as an unaware synchronous student,  broadcasting inappropriate comments  over the classroom speakers for all to hear.  Or, of the student projected on the screen in front of the whole class.  Only, everyone’s attention is on the mother who is behind her and acrobatically dodges out of sight. Dropped Zoom calls, forgotten recorded sessions, audio input/output incorrectly set.  Whatever the case, even with the fumbles and follies, the first two weeks back to school were a definite success.  One that required teachers both compassion for students and themselves.  

Here in Thailand we consider ourselves lucky to have a chance to be face to face.  This a possibility because of the stellar response of the  nation.  In fact, the end of  July saw Thailand ranked number one in the world out of 184 countries for its ongoing COVID-19 recovery effort.  This,  according to the Global COVID-19 Index (GCI).  Nearly a month later, Thailand remains on top.  As of August 16, the total numbrer of confirmed cases stood at 3,377, where 95 percent recovered and just 58 total deaths recorded.  Further, Thailand had no new domestic cases of COVID for 83 days.

 

New Normal Comes With Some Hard to Reach Directives

Throughout the pandemic, news of COVID stipulations seemingly shifted from morning to night.  However, society was steadfast in being compliant regardless if there appeared to be contradictions. Certain regulations appear to be for perception as the logic is difficult to understand.  For example, in schools students can pass a basketball but not borrow a pencil.  The importance of exercise a priority, while the pencil is deemed a risk that can be mitigated. Keeping account of the dos and don’ts or cans and can’ts can be difficult.  However, more challenging is to break socialization habits learned in kindergarten, where sharing was  “what big boys and girls do.”  First grade began with the importance of washing hands but also that there would no longer be the sharing of anything, toys included.  Then there was the valiant and never-ending  attempt to control for social, or what we call physical, distancing?  Social distancing, a bit of an oxymoron, as we want students to be social, but so long as there remains  1-2 meters of distance between them.  Middle school students huddle around an infographic the teacher probably should not have even printed and handed out.  Yet, the motivation being one of learning, sharing  ideas, and being together.  Laboratory work in the high school can be interesting if physical distance is to be maintained.  Need I even “touch,” no pun intended, what physical distancing might mean to a classroom of 3-year olds who is not yet even proficient in the language of instruction?  

Thai national  schools began the first weeks of July, whereas  the independent international school where I work just wrapped up week two.  However, mid-game (if ever there was a mid-Corona game) yet another measure of compliance was just handed down.  Impossibility absolutely inherent in the “design.”  The Ministry of Education requires all schools to ensure students maintain a daily record of their whereabouts outside of school hours.  The purpose is  to  facilitate any needed contact tracing should a case of COVID be reported (confirmed) in the community.  This means all students need to record where they go daily.  Being a middle school teacher, it often is challenging enough to have a chiild write down their homework when it is written on the board and given as a directive.  

In May Thailand’s government launched a contact tracing app, declaring it vital in reducing a flare up of virus cases. Public buildings required app and temperature check-ins  via prior to entry.  The shopping mall was the first place I encountered this, then the domestic airport.  Unable to mandate the use of the app, because not everyone has a phone, the alternative mirrored how it used to be to make a walk-in restaurant reservation.  A piece of paper on a clipboard and just your name and phone number penciled in. Initially I could not help but question the legitimacy or accuracy of this alternative.  However, Thai culture’s high degree of respect and deference shown to authority likely results in near perfect record keeping. A system like this in the United States would  play host to an array of absurd names and numbers.

 

The Road Ahead

No matter the next edict, law, or measure, Thailand will hurdle, rather than grapple with any ostensible or grey space. There remains a tensile strength in Thailand’s hierarchical structure, one that begets compliance.  Businesses remain shuttered and the entire tourist industry gasps for a breath of fresh air.  Though there is no promise, hope remains and there is conversation about a plan to re-open international borders.  Meanwhile, schools may be in session, but the situation is fragile. Learning could go back to 100 percent virtual at the drop of a hat!  If COVID has taught us anything, it is the importance of flexibility.  This, along with the reckoning of how Thailand’s entire society remains under the auspices of the Kingdom. Yet, herein possibly lies the very reason why the country tops the list of safest places to be right now!

 

Thoughts At the Dawning of a New School Year  

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The following post is divided into three sections:  Masks, Summer Happenings, and Getting Prepared. I hope you mith be able to find at least one nugget you are able to do something with.

Masks

United Nations COVID-10 Response on Unsplash

Who would have thought the maelstrom kicked off by the simple step of wearing masks in schools?  We are fortunate to be beginning the 2020-21 academic year fully in-person.  Masks are clearly a dominating concern, if not just something on people’s minds.  For parents this might begin with thinking about how to get their child excited about wearing a mask.  The tactics to mirror what many parents do with wearing “big boy” and “big girl” underwear.  Such things as superheroes printed over the mask, a possible motivator.  Then, there is the whole element of mask care.  Purchasing a holder that goes around the child’s neck, similar to a croakie for glasses, is one effort to prevent children from forgetting their mask, setting it down, or even crumpling and jamming it in their pocket.  But not all students will have these holders and a crystal ball is not needed to be able see the amount of masks that likely will be lying around.  Only unlike the myriad items spilling from a school’s “Lost and Found,” the masks simply will be tossed.  

Personally, I have given some thought to a sort of list of features to prioritize in a mask.  Finding the right mask of sincere importance, as covering my breathing holes eight hours a day is something that may not prove so easy to adapt to. 

  1. Breathability.  A clear frontrunner in the criteria.
  2. Comfort. On my face but also ears.
  3. Safety.  Meets the specifications to protect others and myself.
  4. Ability to project my voice. So students can actually hear me.
  5. Transparency.  I am thinking about how important it might be to show my mouth for students to better read my expressions and even lips.  Afterall, the majority of students are not native English speakers.  

*Notice cost is not an issue.  Over the summer I purchase a handful of different masks to experiment with, and never were they more than a few dollars.  Nor do I prioritize the design or message. However, the masks with “Make America Great” scripted across them, somehow don’t end up in my cart.

The last criteria, transparency are those masks designed specifically with the deaf in mind.  So they could read a person’s lips.  However, before even beginning the school year, it is easy to predict an added challenge hindering cross-cultural communication.  Facial expressions key, as is a face free of a mask so a student’s voice can be projected and pronunciation understood.

Summer Happenings

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

Transitioning beyond masks, a recent end-of-summer reflection centered on how a clear shift was taking place between the Achievement Gap focus and what now gripped people’s attention, the Privilege Gap.  Certainly the pandemic exacerbated all the discourse around equity.  Besides all the hysteria around COVID and “to wear, or not to wear the question,” the summer of 2020 might aptly be labeled the Anti-Summer. Anti-racism and anti-feminism, two antis leading the charge.  One of the top five best selling titles, “How to be an anti-racist.”  Two others in the top five being “White Fragility,” and  “How to Destroy America in Three Easy Steps.”  Equity, with good reason is legitimately on most everyone’s mind.  

Though I did not hyperfocus when the tides were high; Black Lives Matter protests, movements to defund the police, etc. my attention was grabbed recently by an article written in the San Francisco Gate. Definitely more low tide!  The title sums it up well. “’Learning pods’ threaten to widen the privilege gap in Bay Area schooling.” The author cites Clara Green and an opinion piece Green contributed to the NY Times.  

But first, what are “learning pods.”  No need to feign understanding as the concept did not exist two months ago.  Born out of student and family experiences with virtual learning as a result of the pandemic, learning pods are quickly becoming another option. Some families are distancing themselves completely from schools and opting for only learning pods, whereas others are utilizing them as supplemental.  More than a buzz word, one San Francisco-based group on Facebook has more than 9,500 members.  Furthermore, the “main” pandemic pods Facebook group is 30,000 and growing.  Their description on the “About this group” page:

Join this group to connect with other families, teachers, and caregivers as you figure out how to address your family’s childcare and educational needs during the pandemic…and stay for the information and resources shared in this group to help you navigate schooling and childcare during these difficult times.

The very idea one in which many families find to be of necessity.  A possible place marker for some, while others are likely to thrive and remain with this alternative model.  One in which individuals but sometimes also pop-up services in which teachers are hired and managed. In some cases, parents are even taking on the teaching as they share their areas of expertise.

Simple put, learning pods are all about education. 

However, in the NY Times article Green goes so far as to claim, “White parents are again ignoring racial and class inequality when it comes to educating their children.  As a result, they are actively replicating the systems that many of them say they want to dismantle.”

Really?

Getting Prepared

Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash

Last, I thought I would begin a sort of “veteran” teacher’s list of preparations for the start of a new school year.  The plan is to add on to this, up until the first day of classes, less than two weeks away.  This being my recipe of sorts.  In no way is it “THE” recipe.

  1. Know thy students:

I begin this by playing with students names, nicknames, birthdays, etc.  The more I write/type their names the better.  This begins with a spreadsheet where I note the aforementioned details and add notes such as, “Grace’s little sister,” “Lives downtown,” or “Father works at school.”  I also make a separate chart of birthdays by month so I can put these in my Google Calendar and be prepared to wish them a special day.  During this process, I deliberately think about each student and their name.  In Ecuador I worried about keeping the Marias straight.  Maria Elena, Maria Christina, and Maria Belen.  For Tunisia it was the Mohammads.  In Thailand I am especially tickled to read the nicknames.  This year I have no Sand or Beach.  However, I do have a boy that goes by Whale. 

  1. Organize the learning space.  This year’s social distance requirements add an interesting element to the classroom design.  However, I already have some ideas.  
  2. Prepare for first days (social emotionally and really building community and then context)
  3. Introduction of myself (a video to be shared with students and parents this year.  Taking what I learned from virtual learning about the power of teacher generated videos.
  4. Course overview (Syllabus? Video?)
  5. Google Sites creation (a place to store parent newsletter links, tutorials for example on how to read feedback on PowerSchool or whatever Learning Management System/Platform a school might have).  This Google Site is a new step I am taking to consolidate information and resources but also hopefully create more meaningful parent partnerships. It also doubles as we begin to utilize Google Sites as a beginning to reflective learner-centered portfolios.  A tool not only invaluable for student growth but also helpful in guiding student-led conferences.

Pandemic Confirms Consideration of Three Ps (people, possibilities, promise)

matthewpiercyPlanning and Preparation

“The thing that lies at the foundation of positive change, the way I see it, is service to a fellow human being.” – Lee lacocca

 

Teaching is as much about being of service, as it is about making a positive change.  The pandemic of 2019 and hopefully not beyond 2020, as it will surely go down in history books, continues to generate opportunities to reflect and surely to wonder as information shifts and unanswerable questions multiple.  Some people early on were tired by cliched yammering of “silver lining this and silver lining that.” All of our lives were turned upside down, some more than others.  Undeniably, misanthrope or not, the corona virus did incubate possibility.  All systems are being reconsidered, from health care and justice to food supply chains and education.  Behind every system is people.  Which heralds a consideration of what I like to call The Three Ps~people, possibilities, and promise.

 

People

Even the hermit would be stretched to tell a story about the pandemic.  How Italians serenaded each other from their balconies.  Or, the applauding of health workers putting their lives on the line.  Regardless, the thread throughout would likely be the humans as protagonist and the virus?  Predictably, corona the antagonist.  That is, all but possibly the stories abounding of how the natural world was provided a sort of break, while humans were locked down.  The key word being “down,” and not “up.”  And because humans were not locked “up,” plastic consumption continually rose.  More shopping was done on-line and restaurants catered to home delivery.  But it goes beyond this.  Think about the countless millions of surgical masks and gloves.  Or grimly, the body bags.  In a rush, not entirely unlike the space race, governments competed for respirators.  Similarly, some of these same governments rushed to stockpile supplies before their citizens.  In early May, Amazon had to put the clamp on, removing hundreds of thousands of listings where sellers jacked up prices on health related items, all either containing or contained in plastic.  People. People. People!

Then, there are people like prime minister Ardern of New Zealand.  A leader who did exactly that, effectively led!  A poll by the market-research firm Colmar Brunton found that 84 percent of Kiwis approved of the government’s response to the pandemic.  Why?  Ardern led with compassion, clearly communicating throughout as she helped navigate the course of the country.  This example of a person, segues nicely into possibility.  I just finished listening to a book called, “The Art of Possibility” by a husband and wife duo, Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander.   Possibility?  What do you think of when you hear this word?

 

Possibilities

For me, I cannot help but think antagonistically. About what might some may deem impossible but a hero’s journey arises. Stories of men and women where odds were tremendously stacked against a person but how an individual overcomes, earning a sort of legendary status.  Chief amongst these is Ernest Shackleton and how his iconic leadership led all twenty-seven members of the Endurance to safety after being trapped on the icy south pole for nearly two years. At one point Shackleton was quoted, “…even the remotest possibility had to be considered and exploited to the fullest.” His leadership showcased how Shackleton lived and breathed, but also thought artfully.  Anything was possible.  The authors of, “The Art of Possibility” consider a latent potency of being present.  Shackleton undoubtably operated in the present, doing everything in his power to live in the moment so as to safeguard a tomorrow.  To maintain morale but also some semblance of normalcy, the crew was expected to continue daily tasks.  Routines included playing games after dinner and holidays were even celebrated!  It is difficult to imagine what it might mean to live in the present when your home, a boat, is crushed by ice and it appears you are forever trapped.  Yet, Shackleton and his men did. Their belief in the possible, kindred to the eternal flame of the forgotten soldier.  Being present with the way things are is incongruous with acceptance.  You may not accept the conditions, yet zero tolerance can be provided for resistance to take root. Battling only fills in the space necessary for discovering what is possible.  The non-battle a sort of meditation with transformative power. The wind in the sail merely a question, “What CAN I do?”

Did we not ask ourselves this very question during lockdown? People responded, sometimes surprising themselves even.  Seemingly millions of people found their feet during this time, walking turning into a favorite pastime.  Others turned to baking. Many found solace in binge watching YouTube videos and Netflix.  Time became a relative concept as suddenly there seemed more of it.  And we looked for what we could do when we what we considered “normal” was no longer.  A final assignment I invited 7th grade students to what was called, “Quaranthings,“ an idea I borrowed from a teacher named Heather Clark.  The challenge was to gather up all the things that acted as supports throughout quarantine.  Then, create an artistic display along with your portrait.  Again this was about what was possible.  For me, some of the experience was about reading, guitar playing, and just being with our cats.

 

During the height of the pandemic I thought back on an important lesson I remembered learning in my early 20s.  It was my second year of university and transferred to Oregon.  The autumn was delightful but by early November, winter set in.  “Wasn’t this the West coast?”  I remember wondering.  The cold and wet unanticipated.  Well, at least not to the degree that it rained every day. In Corvallis, Oregon it is not unheard of to receive upwards of 15 inches of rain in a single month. Moreover, the chill was enough to set into even my youthful bones.  What did I do?  Changed course, going from my fraternity to class and back.  The fraternity is another story, one where “What can I do” didn’t bode well with the “brotherhood.”  Shuttering myself in, and waxing friction of being an underclassman or “pledge” in an “animal” house with 75 other dudes, it’s easy to see where I may have been a wee bit unhappy, or even depressed.  However, that next winter life drastically shifted when I made the unconscious decision to not let the weather dictate what I would or would not do.  I cut up a plastic 2-liter bottle, fitted my bike with DIY fenders.  I also invested in a Gore-Tex jacket.  I’d bike in the rain, stand in the rushing rivers and fish in the rain, walk joyously to class in the rain.  Embracing all that was possible because I was willing to live life.  A valuable lesson for anyone at any age!

 

Promise

This takes us to the final “p,” promise.  No doubt the world needs a lot more of this.  As an educator it is the education field I feel most comfortable discussing, relative to it being replete awash with promise.  Like the acrid clouds suspended in an airport smoking room, promise hangs in balance.  Though so much is uncertain, one factor we do know, is that we will not return to how things were in November of 2019.  Nor would it be sensical to desire this, as education systems are rife with inequity, and ineffectiveness.  The pandemic thrust us into a chaos that allows for the surfacing of long overdue opportunities for change.  Commissioned to co-exist with COVID-19, 20 and possibly 21, educators can anticipate change.  Some shifts simple modifications, others more revolutionary.  With this likely will come a mélange of emotion.  Teachers, administrators, students, and parents alike may grapple with change as promise or punishment.  With exhilaration or trepidation.

In the international school where I teach two overarching principles guide any adjustments and are clear from the beginning:

  • The health and safety of students, staff and our community are paramount, and
  • The educational and social emotional needs of students are best provided in a face to face environment on campus.

Who could argue with either?  These two principles push beyond the base physiological needs, a term Abraham Maslow utilized in his infamous Hierarchy of Needs.  Yet, how we support students in fulfilling their unique potential, their self-actualization needs, must continually come into focus we navigate new and fecund frontiers of teaching and learning.

Of course, there will be changes some may be leery or even displeased about.  Teachers having to adhere to a 1-2 meter physical distance requirement when interacting with adults and students, sounds dystopian or in the least, not personal.  Or the expectation to wear a mask at all times. An added challenge to connect with students, possibly understand their words and even facial expressions. But be as it might, people will adapts to these changes.  Of weightier importance is how schools exactly plan to roll-out the scenario they select to open schools with in the Fall.

Blended learning models are really the only option.  Just what this means though needs to be made clear to all constituencies. An approach combining components of an online education with more traditional place-based classroom methods.  Yet, how exactly this looks depends upon the design.  The form following the function, results in smaller class sizes.  Something teachers are likely to celebrate.  Schedules change too.  A shortened school day?  Also, it is reasonable to consider teaching may become more thematic and possibly project based.  Conceivably, teacher and student autonomy might increase but also empower as paths intentionally are paved for personalized learning.  Further, as already witnessed, a departure from high stakes testing will only gain steam.  Paraphrasing Zander and Zander in the “Art of Possibility,” abundance rather than scarcity is to be the context.  It is about what we now CAN do that before maybe we could not.  Education is being infused by promise.  The hope that administrators and teachers motivate, rather than manage. That learning builds on curiosity and is infused with joy.  Undeniably, the days and months ahead are teeming with promise.

COVID’s Theory…A squared + B squared equals?

matthewpiercyInstruction
Just for Now
Sleep less and commute more.  These are not exactly selling points.  However, lockdowns are being broken and the migration back to places of work is to commence; if it hasn’t already.  Anxiety pours thicker through people’s veins, the anticipation lackluster to say the least.  Lists of “What I’m Not Excited About” being scripted in invisible ink.  Less time with family and more  social pressure.  Yet, chief atop my list, is not an aversion to “rules” and regulations, rather a mental fatigue as a result of  attempting in good faith to keep everything straight.  To abide, surely even more difficult than to even understand what schools and governments want.  To return to some semblance of “normal,” but maintain distance, wear a mask, and don’t use athletic fields.  All that seemingly makes us human, stripped down.  The dependable formula seemingly changed.  A squared plus B squared, for some reason now equals I squared.  Might the “I” variable represent “illogical?”  Or does it stand for “irrational?”  Regardless, I find it helps to remind myself of three words, totalling but 10 letters.
“Just for now.”  A sort of mantra.
A preliminary list of dos and don’ts
I Want to Be a YouTuber
I’ve been thinking a lot about the way how things panned out with “emergency learning,” a term I recently heard to replace “virtual learning.”  We’ve done the best we can, yet even before it is over I reflect on how I might be more effective come the Fall and the start of another school year.  With near 100%  certainty elements of learning remotely will still be offered in addition to the traditional face-to-face.  For families not yet reassured that schools are safe and for others that may be in remote locations.  Chief amongst my endevourings is for compliance to be substituted for engagement.  This leaves me with several ideas of what next to pursue, relative to methodologies that might prove more appealing to today’s learners.  The intentional use of more video, including videos of me, as I emulate compelling strategies employed by YouTubers?  Not only might this be more alluring, but it also is aligned with the evolution of learning anytime, anywhere and from anyone.  Only in this case, from ME and asynchronously.
Michael Wesch, professor of cultural anthropology & world religions, is my inspiration in this.  Breaking down the 4-walls of classrooms and taking learning out into the world, Wesch offers university students something a “little” different.  His most recent video is titled, “Teaching Online by Going Offline: The Adventure Lecture.”  
I Just Need to Finally Do it (Students and Digitally Portfolios)
More than 20 years ago I made a professional portfolio as part of my Masters work.  It was in binder form, as this was before the widespread use of personal computers.  From time to time I’ve considered picking back up on this idea, knowing the great benefits of a digital portfolio.  I also knocked around the idea of students creating theirs too.  However, like that box of stale cereal in the cupboard that we reach past, always for something tastier or fresher, I continually looked past the portfolio idea.
But not anymore.
Already wading waist-deep into the water, I continue to explore how I professionally can utilize the portfolio process.  Further, finding it a definitive high-impact practice, it is something I want for students.  The role it might play in empowering students is clear.  Students  are decision makers, as they curate their learning.  It screams out, “Ownership!” as passivity morphs into action.  Digital portfolios allow for authenticity, reflection, and an opportunity to showcase learning over time.  My guru for all things digital portfolios is George Couros.  He can found here:  George
Maybe it makes sense for my first YouTube video to be on portfolios.  Let’s see, how to make that combination memorable?

Is Lilliput the “New Normal”?

matthewpiercyClassroom Environment

What might we expect for the 2020-21 school year?  With the endless possibilities, stringent measures, and unavoidable conservative changes being considered, one word encapsulates what I am feeling.  An omnipotent word that wakes me up at night and during the daylight hours, blinds my mind’s eye.  Lilluput. A fictional island of Gulliver’s Travels, Johnathan Swift’s timeless satirical classic. Lilliputians, symbolic of the excessive hubris we humans often exhibit.  A pride that in effect shrinks our very existence.  Where structure and bureaucracy become too thick to even wade through. Impossible 10-point plans schools hurriedly are designing, so learning can be brought from on-line to in-person once again.

Opening Back Up
The motivation to open schools back up is driven largely by a a desire to allow students human connection.  Some schools even consider an in-person finish to the 2019-20 school year, even if for one or two weeks.  A risk some declare is worth taking, if this means children (families and teachers too!) might feel good about the world again.  Safety of course driving any decisions being made.  There are considerations of student numbers on campus, possibly just 50%.  Question whether or not to utilize cafeterias.  Hands on learning, but only if items are manipulated by single individuals and also disinfected at night.  What type of masks are best?  On-site COVID-19 testing, data protection and self-declaration forms.   Of course, agreed upon social distancing requirements too.  The list goes on.
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Is this how classrooms are going to look?
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Confronting the Pervasive Uncertainty
One cannot help but wonder what this might not only look like, but what it will feel like? Though for many the motivation is to recover their pre-COVID life, a clear recognition of a changed world is imperative.  One that we MUST embrace.  No matter how strange it might feel for a teacher to keep her distance from a pupil, or try to read facial expressions covered a mask. So much is out of our control.  Yet, what is, is how we might respond.  Determinedly, as teachers we have a moral obligation to confront the pervasive uncertainty.  To run full speed ahead in vulnerability.  Trusting leadership.
Next Steps
Lemuel Gulliver, the “gullible” narrator, had several redeeming qualities.  I would argue that chief amongst these was that he expected others to be honest.  Amidst the current pandemic, we might benefit from a similar mindset.   Further, we might add fuel to the fire, by simply envisaging the irony all around us.  Gulliver was a prisoner to men no larger than six inches tall.  What imprisons us?  And, can we move beyond this and positively put our energy to use?  Possibly, even to pursue levity?  An upturned grin?  A chuckle?  No doubt, the world could certainly use a lot more laughter right now!

 

 

 

 

Project-Based (Connections: Past and Present)

matthewpiercyInstruction

Reflection:

This was the culmination of our unit titled, “Connections: Past and Present.”  The title, “Back to the Future” sought to encourage students to meet the two objectives:

    • Identify what changed and why 
    • Identify how the object might change in the future

All in all, I was extremely pleased with how students performed and the entire project was completed during virtual learning (COVID-19).  We, as a team, already are very aware of how limiting our standards-based approach can be.  This being said, it was especially rewarding to observe how dedicated students were at each step of the process.  Chris’s video above is but one representation of this. He demonstrates a high-degree of professionalism in  presenting and the virtual model he created clearly exhibits pride.  Though creativity is on the rubric (see below), it is not something we assess (yet!).  Rather it is a school attribute and we are beginning to consider how we might more routinely web school attributes into our project work.

 

Back to the Future: Summative Project

RUBRIC

Learning Goal Beginning Approaching Meeting Advanced
Interdependence

Understands that studying the past helps us understand how the world has changed and how it might change in the future 

(Future Product & Flipgrid Presentation)

 I can identify how my object changed through time and how it might change in the future at a limited level. I can partially identify how my object changed through time and how it might change in the future. I can proficiently identify how my object changed through time and how it might change in the future. I can identify how my object changed through time and how it might change in the future at a sophisticated level.
ISB Attribute

(Creativity)

Develops new and imaginative ideas that have impact

(Future Product & 

Flipgrid Presentation)

 I explore new ideas and use limited imagination

in my future product and Flipgrid presentation.

 I explore new ideas and use some imagination

in my future product and Flipgrid presentation.

 I explore new ideas and use my imagination

in my future product and Flipgrid presentation. 

 I explore new ideas and use huge amounts imagination

in my future product and Flipgrid presentation.

 

Invitation to Parents:

Dear Parents of 7th Graders~
Thank you to so many parents for your responses. I have been experiencing a few problems with my e-mail and am unsure if this went out to all the parents on my bcc’ list. I apologize if it is a repeat message. If so, please just delete. Again, thank you for your support!
We hope you and your families are well.  In an effort to connect school, home and learning we are hopeful you might celebrate with us.  You may remember an email (video) a few weeks ago where we shared the Back to the Future project.  Students worked hard, and there are many shining examples of excellence where the ISB attribute of creativity is showcased. We invite you to watch your son/daughter’s presentation and maybe several other student presentations.  Students nominated the following as “must see” videos.  (Kris Pornsirikul, Linzi Durandt, Logan Major,  Brooke Walther, Veronica Pak, Tam Suteesopon). However, there are SO MANY fantastic videos and we hope you’ll see them.  Below are the links to access the presentations.
Thank you for taking time to read this and also for watching the videos. If you have something positive to say, please feel free to leave a short video response on the student’s video.  You can click on an icon that looks like this:
image.png
We’re sure students would really appreciate your kind and encouraging feedback.  Thank you so much for your continued support!
Kindly,
Matt Piercy
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One parent’s response:

Dear Mr Piercy,

Yesterday we watched a few videos and we were impressed with the ability of the students to deliver a presentation. It was also a moment to reward __________ and to discuss his work and _________’s one (both chose the glasses) to look for improvements that he could have done. It was a really nice, positive and constructive discussion.
Kind regards,
Daniela

Riding the Momentum

matthewpiercyPlanning and Preparation

In a recent blog post by James Birchenough titled, Leading through the fog, we are reminded of the essential roles of kindness and empathy.  Being a leader of any organization during the trying months of COVID-19 presents challenges that no GPS could guide us through.  A seemingly shifting terrain with ever-changing weather patterns.

“Whichever camp we sit in, we need to be kind to each other, try to empathise and understand each other’s perspectives, and give each other a little extra grace: we’re all doing the best we can.”  (Birchenough)

So, in the forefront of my thoughts is this, yet occupying seemingly larger recesses of my mind, is the question many are considering; begging for time to answer.  “What will school look like post pandemic?”  I consider myself humble, yet there is ONE thing I do definitely know.  With all the speculation and ambivalence that everything will go back to normal, or a “new normal,” I flat out disagree.  There is no going back!  If nothing else, students, teachers, and families have all eaten from the “apple” that fell from the tree.  Call it the Tree of Knowledge or better yet, the Corona Tree.  In this case knowledge gained from direct experience.

 

Why an Apple?

Bing Crosby sang about apples in his 1939 hit, “An Apple for a Teacher.”  And before this, popular lore dates back to the 1700s where in Sweden and Denmark, baskets of apples were given to teachers as a sort of payment for a child’s education.  Then there are stories connecting apple giving to teachers as a result of a popular phrase, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”  Gifting a teacher with a healthy snack was a token of appreciation and a possible way to get on the teacher’s good side.  Is it ironic if we further consider that this same fruit is the name of one of the world’ largest computer companies?  Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Inc. is quoted as saying the origins of the company’s name were, “Partly because I like apples a lot and partially because Apple is ahead of Atari in the phone book and I used to work at Atari.”

 

Post WWI and WWII

No one would be so naive as to claim that life post either of the World Wars, just went back to normal.  Facts and stories about this have compiled volumes. Lives the world over, cultures forever changed.  The effects being almost written in the human DNA.  For simplicity sake, take the role of technology pre and post WWI as but one example of change.  “France only had 140 aircraft when war began, but by the end of it, it had used around 4,500” (https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/45966335).  But what about the role of women, medical innovations, and political borders?

The effects of the wars were gruesome and violent yet, inherent in survival was change.  A moving forward and not expecting life to be how it was.  Positively, there was a surge in arts and a sort of counter-revolution. The arts a means for memorializing the dead. Sculpture, painting, song, and memoire but a few examples.  It is possible today’s war with Corona is stimulating a similar shift.  Sidewalk art, along with rainbows and teddy bears in windows are glimpses of both solidarity and artistry.   Yet, what I imagine is more pervasive in its invisibility but also ubiquity.  The whole world over, the pandemic has forced our hand to adapt.  And humans are masters of adapting.

Whether we like virtual learning or not, and regardless of our deeming it a success or not, both may as well be mute points.  For the reality is, the wheels on the bus continue to go round and round.  The pandemic has forced our hand.  Virtual learning it is!  Many critics point to the ever-widening achievement gap and expanding inequities.  I would agree.  Yet, looking at where we are and where we want to be, seems to be the gravest consideration.  To do this, it would behoove us to answer the question, “What is the purpose of school?”

 

Why School?

The deep-seated roots of and role of tradition, combined with “this is the way it’s always been” practices of the institution, are collapsing.  At least during the reign of Corona.   Steeped in nearly 400 years of structure, compliance has overshadowed our school houses.  Virtual learning has not provided for this control.  There no longer is a “front” of the classroom, though a teacher may still be able to “mute” a student.  The lecture approach neither captivating nor effective.  For many, virtual learning is an experience of less than 8 weeks.  We cannot forget how in the scope of education as we know it, this is but a blip in time.  Yet, one that continues to leave an indelible mark.

 

I just hope we open our arms and hearts wide to the possibility of what school can be.  For me, this means continuing to expand in kindness, empathy, and creativity.

 

 

 

 

 

The Real March Madness

matthewpiercyPlanning and Preparation

~Coronavirus, both disruptor and catalyst for change in education

Spring 2020 is an unprecedented time. More than a billion students worldwide are learning in unfamiliar ways. We are at a crossroads. Where virtual learning is redefining what is “real.” It is the road less traveled. Families and teachers alike must take it.  For many  it is uncomfortable. Yet as Robert Frost surmised, this “road” will make all the difference.

Virtual learning is a grand opportunity, an adventure of sorts. One that cannot be painted with a single brush. Though some may be crusaders; either remiss, disapproving, or outright rejecting alternative approaches to education, the fact remains, the status-quo is not an option. Meaning, the situation worldwide is one in which the traditional learning within the confines of brick and mortar school houses, is not even lawful. So, this “battle” mentality will not serve students because this is not a war. Further, it is wholly myopic to abridge the current Coronavirus crisis and the challenges it presents to education. Whatever the case, future focused education is now pushed into the crosshairs. 21st century skills, learning, literacy, and life skills, no longer a postscript.

 

Silver Linings Abound

Though some educators may try to put new wine in old bottles, this quickly grows tiresome. Holding fast to a model of learning contingent on information, and simply attempting to replicate the physical experience by bringing it all online, is daunting but also nearly impossible. Recording lecture videos, digitizing assignments and entire curriculums is but one futile step along the “road”. This is because what beckons is a more human approach, couched in creativity and collaboration. Where we can streamline feedback but also design a type of learning where students feel a more invitational approach. A venue for personal learning.

 

Personalized Learning

Standing for a few minutes in a Starbucks and listening as customers put in drink orders, attests to novelty but also personalization. “Grande, quad, nonfact, one pump, no whip, mocha.”  Followed by, “Venti iced skinny hazelnut macchiato, sugar-free syrup, extra shot, light ice, no whip.” There are few repeats. Next, consider the impact of Netflix. Video streaming allows us to watch whatever, whenever, and wherever. This begs the question, might education begin to follow a similar path to personalization? With the demands of high-stakes testing in a seeming state of decay, the time for personalized learning has never appeared riper. Further, might the current COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on outdated models of teaching and learning, be the straw that broke the camel’s back? The impetus for a change long overdue? A paradigm shift in education.

 

How We Might Move Forward?

Clearly, of primary concern during this strain, is students feeling cared for and understood. A central tenet of teachers’ motivation to educate is to develop relationships with students. It is critical to harken back to this motivation as Teaching Tolerance elaborated in a March 23, 2020 article titled, “A Trauma-Informed Approach to Teaching Through Coronavirus”.

As educators and families move past the panic, a new more optimistic mindset must be in motion. COVID-19 is forcing us to think differently about all segments of the way we work, but hopefully also about how students might be able to learn. Where experiences are created that motivate but also empower students. Invitational approaches as opposed to mere mechanisms of compliance. Where context presides over content. And  where learning is more guided and supported, than directed or controlled. Digital platforms such as Zoom allow for connection and collaboration. According to Samantha Murphy Kelly of CNN Business, “On Monday March 23, Zoom was downloaded 2.13 million times worldwide, up from 2.04 million the day before.”  With virtual learning on such platforms, the valuable skill of collaboration is not only possible but necessary to utilize.

As hierarchies continually dissolve in our flattening world and systems, Zoom breakouts are but one example, where a teacher is able to pop between student discussions, yet trust is necessary. Trust that learners will stay focused because they can, but also because they care. In a traditional physical classroom, a teacher may have comfortably sat in error atop an omniscient high horse, eavesdropping and feeling like they could see and hear all that transpired within the four walls of their classroom. Containment provides a sense of control. Now, the walls are removed. The Zoom lesson may be expected to be recorded and some parents even watching. So, vulnerability and trust are vital.

 

From Consumers to Creators

The current pandemic situation is an opportunity for educators to determine how students might learn differently. Where they might be provided with greater autonomy,  and opportunities to develop their strengths while pursuing their passions. The Information Age, caused by the advent of the world wide web has not entirely passed us by. Only now, we find ourselves swimming in what is being called, the Experience Age. There is no denying that COVID-19 has us fully immersed in this “experience”. It only seems sensible that education mirrors the times. The factory model of education is six feet under.

Virtual learning presents an opportunity for students to experience; to be more engaged in meaningful processes. In turn, processes which result in products designed with purpose and audience in mind. Part of the Experience Age and project-based learning, is the prevalence of the “gig” economy and freelancing. According to Fast Company and Jessica Klein, a freelance journalist herself, “35% of the U.S. workforce is now freelancing—10 million more than 5 years ago.”  Students are not “moving into” a world commanding them to know how to be creative and autonomous. They already are living in this world!

Just found out about this amazing man, Paul Salopek, and his “Out of Eden” walk around the world. He thinks the coronavirus may change our values to slow down and savour life. https://t.co/uoQWust8n9

— Elizabeth Woodworth (@Abettervision) April 6, 2020

Slowing Down

Amidst the pandemic, teachers have some decisions to make. After defining how they can best meet the needs of students, they must determine what is the essential learning. Simplicity is a lesson already learned by early adopters of virtual learning. Further, the design for essential curriculum requires close consideration of what will be sustainable over the long haul. Whatever districts, schools, and departments decide, flexibility and navigating ambiguity are essential. As is, the critical need to be poised, patient, and observant. Slowing down in this already ramped up world might be one gift of quarantines and lock-downs. National Geographic explorer, Paul Salopek, is seven years into his walk across the planet, a “road less travelled” as he steps 21,000 miles. Traveling at such a slow pace allows him to get to know people and then tell stories imbued with hope, resilience, and connection.

COVID-19 has forced us in many ways to slow down. This slowing down paramount.  Barren city streets, shuttered businesses, and social distancing has definitely illustrated strangeness. Finding calm amidst the pandemic storm often feels illusory. The chaos, fear, and panic pervasive. “Keeping Quiet” (partially excerpted here), a poem by Neruda, reminds us of the value of stillness and silence, but also the reassuring fact that we are in this together.

 

For once on the face of the Earth

let’s not speak any language,

let’s stop for one second,

and not move for one second, 

and not move our arms so much.

 

It would be an exotic moment

without rush, without engines,

we would all be together

in a sudden strangeness