Empowering Students with Technology

Today, I was working in a 3rd grade classroom where students were discovering and exploring Explain Everything. I have done planning and technology work with this teacher before and she isn't the most confident in her technology abilities, but today I think the lightbulb went off for her. She doesn't need to be the keeper of all knowledge when it comes to technology. If we empower our students to help one another, things work smoother and the students take ownership of their own learning.

I gave an overview of the toolbar and then gave students an assignment to create within Explain Everything. Before I turned them loose to create, I asked the students what they should do if they didn't remember how to do something. Of course, they responded they should raise their hand and ask me. I reminded them that I won't always be in their room but to look to their peers. It was amazing what happened when they started working. Students were asking each other for help and when one would ask me, I would direct them to another student that I knew had completed that task.

I did show one student how to change the privacy in settings in case the camera or the microphone was turned off in any app they were using. Her confidence and excitement for helping others became clear right away when three students came up to her in about five minutes asking for assistance with this task.  By the end of the session today, there was a class full of experts and the students even discovered things that I hadn't shown the class and were willing to share with their peers.

We need to get over the fear of not having all of the knowledge and letting the kids figure things out and help each other.  The teacher can then truly move into a facilitator role instead of the keeper of all knowledge.

Jumping Feet First Into Self-Paced Math

I have been feeling guilty about not posting to my blog but now I feel like I have so much to share about the great things happening in Nevada.  One huge endeavor some of our teachers have taken on this year is creating a self-paced environment in their classrooms.

Through this process, students progress at their own rate and are able to get individualized attention based on their needs.  Teachers put in countless hours this summer to align activities, lessons and assessments to the standards while still engaging students. They put great effort into not making these items drill and skill but rather a focus on students creating and applying their knowledge, as well as sharing these ideas with peers and the world.  Students can advance at their own pace and get their needs met by small group instruction with the teacher.

We have worked together to determine logistics, learn new technologies, and put all of the pieces into place to make self-paced math work.  Below is an example from one classroom this morning - the focus mini-lesson was on fractions and aligned to the grade level standards, but these 3rd/4th grade students were working on their own pacing guides based upon their needs.  This classroom looks like a well-oiled machine after a month of just jumping in feet first to self-paced math. Kudos to the teachers for taking on the unknown and putting the best interests of kids at the forefront of their teaching and learning.  I am lucky to work with some amazing educators and am grateful my own children get the chance to learn in self-paced learning environments.