Category: Classroom

Video: A personal Learning LAb

3/22/2018

approx read time: 2 min.
Wouldn’t it be great if you had a coach with you in the classroom whenever you wanted? You know, someone who watches you play your game, and then helps you adjust your technique.

Imagine you got a great idea from a blog post, Twitter chat or conference workshop over the weekend. You’re going to try it out Monday. Wouldn’t it be great if someone else could be there to watch and give you some feedback, engage in some reflection? Someone who knows the learning targets, but is free to watch the action unfold rather than be caught up in facilitating?

Or maybe you have a tried and true activity that could use a refresh. It flows wonderfully, but you want to build on it and take it to the next level. Unfortunately, when one is engaged in facilitating the lesson, opportunities to observe and learn as a teacher are few and far between.

One way to see it all is with the use of a tool like Swivl. This little robotic video stand offers a great option to observe and reflect on your practice. You can either set it in a convenient spot and let it go, or you can wear the marker and have it follow you around as you speak. Upload your video and watch at your leisure. And if you choose, you can invite others to comment by sharing your video. You can expand this out to filming students as they work individually, in small groups or presenting. Share clips with students as exemplars. Using Swivl is an easy way to step into using the ISTE educator standards as you strive to increase modeling, collaboration, and student choice. Use Swivl to:

(Learner) Continually improve your practice and explore proven and promising practices that leverage technology to improve student learning.
(Leader) Model for colleagues
(Citizen) Establish a culture of learning that fosters digital literacy
(Collaborator) Collaborate & co-learn with students and colleagues to discover and use new technologies to create authentic learning experiences.
(Designer) Leverage technology to foster student voice and accommodate various learning needs.
(Facilitator) Manage the use of technology and student learning strategies.
(Analyst) Use technology to design and implement a variety of formative and summative assessments.

The return on investment for Swivl is excellent. At the time of this post, it retails for about $600. That’s a fantastic price point for next year’s school budget. It’s also an easy sell for a site like Donors Choose. And if you’re really feeling adventurous, write a mini-grant to cover the cost. Most mini-grants are big enough to cover 2 or a few extra markers that you can use to maximize the benefits.
Leave a comment below to share how you’ve used Swivl or other video coaching methods to improve teaching and learning.

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Classroom on A Shoestring

6/19/2017

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5 Steps for Redesigning Your Learning Environment

reading time: approx 3 min
Summer’s here! That time of year when teachers take a breath and reflect on what they want to do differently in the coming year. What better time to envision how you can tweak your classroom to better accommodate collaborative, personalized, project-based learning. I recently read The Third Teacher; 79 Ways You Can Use Design to Transform Teaching & Learning. (website link) Turns out, the three teachers are 1. adults, 2. peers, and 3. educational environment. And while a complete reno may be the ideal way to go, there’s no need to wait for a donor, bond approval or major grant to get started. From cafeteria services and custodial products to daylight, seating, student voice and community involvement simple school environment hacks can add measurable value to the learning process. Use the following 5 steps as you reflect on 16-17 and get ready to make 17-18 the start of something new.

Do No Harm: Taken from healthcare, this simple oath should be applied fundamentally to education. Use it as the lens through which you view all aspects of the learning environment. And use it to challenge conventional thinking about what is ‘right’ in schools by asking “Where’s the harm in…?” Use Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs to navigate these waters. You may be hitting the basic physiological and safety needs, but are you making an effort to attend to self-esteem and belonging needs as well?
Start Small: The little things make a difference. Get the ball rolling with something as simple as a box of Kleenex, which became a symbol in one of my schools. Having a box of Kleenex demonstrates at the simplest level that this is a welcoming place that cares about you and provides you with the resources to attend to your most basic needs.
Observe: Take a step back and really notice the latent needs of teachers, students, and staff. Humans are creative by nature. We often create work-arounds without really being able to explain why. Watch and listen so you can learn why people in your space do things in the way they do, and then strive to meet them at their needs.
Create Comfort: Schools are hard-edged; desks, tile floors, brick walls, metal lockers. This creates not only a sterile, unwelcoming environment it also makes it difficult to communicate, especially when there are multiple groups working on a project. Add soft seating (cushions, couches, bean bags), area rugs, plants and indirect lighting to help soften the space, and control acoustics. Have students draw you a picture of where they study at home, or where they’re most comfortable reading and mimic those elements in your classroom. (See Visualizing 21st Century Room Design for a jump-start this summer)
Universal Design: Everyone has a special need from time to time. Don a bulky backpack or a pair of crutches and try to get around your room/school. Even a head cold can cause mild hearing loss. Does the ambient noise in your room make it a struggle to concentrate or engage in the lesson?

Ready to go big? Consider how your students and the community can become active partners in redesigning the learning environment. The Third Teacher is full of examples of why and how schools have improved school lunch delivery, air quality, community involvement, use of space, and more. Visit thethirdteacherplus for ideas and resources.

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Video: A personal Learning LAb

Classroom on A Shoestring

5 Steps for Redesigning Your Learning Environment

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