Hazen's MGI 2015 Blog: June 2015

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Project Based Learning for the Digital Age

We have to make videos. Get kids into them. Get kids creating them. Writing scripts. Using music they created as the soundtrack. Make the videos go viral. Get everyone at school involved. TSA identity videos. Wildcat TV (WTV). Show Hardwick, Greensboro, Walden. Get kids creating video about what they're passionate about. Get kids engaged. School-wide videos. Middle school videos. Introduce Hazen to incoming students. Celebrate athletics, band, music. Share with our community. Showcase acts of kindness. Allow students learn from the process. Create campaign videos. Create Public Service Announcements. Encourage students to grow from this experience. Allow them to gain comfort, digital citizenship. Encourage collaboration. Work together. Have fun.

Something to consider for our rubric? PLP, IDU, Work Habits?

At new view

School involves the world, there are no boundaries. The video class was really inspiring and so upbeat. Complete engagement, everyone was involved, great school buy-in and spirit- makes the place feel so good and so much fun!
Hardwick spirit- put a great video made by graduating class about Hazen on social media, including all our fabulous accomplishments.
Our team worked real well today, not unlike other days. I feel like the many initiatives we have been working on are really coming together. Very exciting to start the year off with such partnership and enriching curriculum. There is a lot and it all goes together so well. It will be so important to work real tightly together, 2 solid houses.
My learning curve is getting steeper and I can see it's rich results.

Wondering what the team thinks about this:

http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/09/04/how-to-turn-your-school-into-a-maker-haven/

Sitting in this morning's 1:1 Implementation for School Leaders workshop is really throwing me into the future. I am getting the feeling that 1:1 can be a significant catalyst for school change.

That being said, Scott (the Milton High School principal) started off his session with this video:

His message was recognize the road blocks, but don't admire them. I think this idea will be essential as we move forward with our implementation over the next year. At times our roll-out and work will not be easy. At times we may feel stuck. Regardless, we will need to keep moving forward. Our 1:1 implementation will help reshape our school and possibly our community.

Thursday's Game Plan

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Wednesday- a full day, I am certainly feeling old and slow... My mind is working so hard just to find "things" on the computer I seem to be losing the threads.
I am hoping that tomorrow or the next that things will all come together. I am on a very steep learning curve tech wise so I will plug away.
Beside that, I keep thinking what a great process it will be for me to create a PLP for myself. I see such a great benefit for the kids with all the layers of identity and personal goals.
I will remember what Don Taylor said about putting our best digital foot forward. Having kids see famous sport players, singers... Digital foot print and what we learn about them.
The importance of educating the parents is such a big part of this roll out. It is a topic we need to iron out.

Negotiated Learning- and other things that make total sense

I spent an hour with the Panel from the Edge today. It was heartening to to see how much the team members loved their school experience. They are given choice in their learning and in return they have a buy in that goes way beyond academics and the schools walls. Several of them said it's been a "life changing" event for them. Those are some pretty strong words. I am putting out a challenge to our administration that they check out the presentation on the orange page to at least get a taste ( without the human connection piece) of how schools are transforming. Let's get on that train.

Negotiated Curriculum Process:

#LETSBETHECHANGE

1-1 Rollout: from parental involvement to dish racks

https://docs.google.com/a/ossu.org/document/d/1HgttKHQsXC6eTDFVMXwG_ClXFRV3cxpZqvmazuNEAho/edit?usp=docslist_api

I have just finished the seminar on 1-1 rollout from Maura at People's Academy. My major takeaway is that if Hazen could hire Maura to be our 1-1 rollout consutant, that would be amazing (I'm only slightly kidding).

Other takeaways:

Figure out a location and system for storing the ipads. A dish drying rack in a locked file cabinet seems to work well. There should be shared responsibility between students to untangle cords

iPad charging station! $5 dish rack, 2 powerboards and 4 zip ties! No expensive cart needed.

Red, yellow, and green zones in the school based on amount and type of usage allowed
We ALL need to get on the same page about Google classroom
Teachers should get geared up for a lot of after school events for parent tech nights. These are unavoidable
ALSO, we have a lot of work to do to organize the parent tech nights.
Do we already have a system in place to deal with broken ipads?
Will we have a couple extra ipads for kids who have dead ipads, lose, or break them?

Investigation & Inspiration

Listening to the experiences and examples from Don, Maura & Rachel today reinvigorated me about the exciting changes in the coming school year. Personalized Learning Plans seem to be my biggest area of interest and I can't wait to implement the ideas I'm learning of, the collaboration my fellow Hazen teachers are offering and seeing my students identify, goal set and reflect on their education.

wednesday reflection

Today was an interesting day. It was interesting because actual "production" seemed to be less but instead I did a lot more investigating and researching, which will provide for more developing a product later on. I did a lot of reading around digital citizenship. The choice session that Maura did this morning was very informative and helpful.

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Student Agreement adapted from PA-- this has to do with the 3 school rules

Q & A

Organization is key---- Let's talk about/DO:

Where are the iPads going? at first-- where will they be plugged in? logged cabinets?
When is our parent night?
Do we like the parent-student agreement form? (check out PA website for the intro to this--need to work on this!)
add links to lessons into the Q & A
investigate the "zones" from PA middle level- it will be posted in the NUTS n BOLTS presentation.

Today's Game Plan

--
John Craig

"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul." ~JM

The Week's Outcomes

Monday, June 22, 2015

Day 1, Goal 1: PLP Website Template

Evidence Towards Goal Setting: (Moving forward, challenges, etc.)

The goal we were tackling today was the first one we posted on the padlet which was about the website template for the PLP's.

We unanimously agreed that this goal is the first one to tackle before we can move forward with our other goals. After about 5 minutes into our collaboration, I realized that the idea to tackle this whole topic was a bit too lofty. We ended up mainly focusing on the "identity" part of the PLP and ended with a preliminary discussion about the tabs and the general format of the PLP site. We have not finalized those tabs and more specifically the mode that students will be presenting evidence of growth and which topics students will be posting to their website.

Now that we have a general structure for the website, I feel we need to have a more general discussion about the philosophy of the PLP website and what evidence students will be collecting throughout the year.

Changes are A-Comin'

Brainstorming by Middle Level teachers... Changes are a-coming

We finally are able to really integrate our new devices and active PLP work into a new hybridized curriculum. The combining of seventh and eighth grade teachers from Hazen Middle Level into a collaborative setting and aligned courses will bring an appropriate parallel to the changes that will come to our teaching with the 1:1 initiative.

This week for will continue to bring brainstorming, reflection, growth, progress and inspiration.

Only the beginning.... more than just the start...

It really came out great how it all fits together- the PLP and our IDU at the beginning of the year. I like how it is scaffolded throughout the IDU- the creation of the students PLP. It makes it so real and individual.
I also think the idea of the story core interview is such a good skill for students to experience and then write their own "story".
The roll-out for their 1-1 will work great for creating their PLP.

Beginning of Hazen Middle Level PLP's

Ideas for template for PLP

We began to work as a team today to look at models for PLP's and then use these ideas to design our own. Above is a first brainstorm of our "tabs" and ideas to go under our tabs. We had much discussion about how the PLP, 1:1 initiative and our community IDU will be incorporated all together for the first few weeks of school. It was nice to be on a team where we all have the same goals and are focused on student voice. Not only were we able to know our goals as a team, but were able to discuss what student goals look like and how they relate to Proficiency Based Learning. Everything feels very blended and smooth to incorporate everything into our plan.....stay tuned.... more discussion on where the evidence goes.

what we need to move forward---- maybe more technology instruction of what to use with kids, how to use it, APPS that would help us.

~Monica

Teal, Jen, and Dylan's Re-fabu-flection

It's simple, it's clear, you can link to blogger. We can directly connect the PBGRs directly to our evidence and site.
We would like more D. Taylor info/time/in depth break down of goal creation.

Saturday, June 20, 2015

Welcome to Our Blog

Here is our school is documenting evidence and reflections toward proficiency in the goals we've established for the MGI week. Please explore the tabs above to see evidence related to the topics of our work. Use the Proficiency links to the right to explore progress toward the proficiencies we're pursuing. I hope you find some of our work helpful as we all try to figure out personalized learning for young adolescents.

Personalized Learning Strand Topics - Do Not Delete

Identity

Who are we?
Where are we on PLPs and proficiency based education?
What do we need to know?
Who are our partners to assist us designing and implementing this plan?
What do we need from them?

Goals

As you develop goals for the strand, and your vision for personal learning plans and curriculum, consider these standards. These support the development of student-centered educational experiences that align with the state of Vermont's move towards personalized and proficiency based learning.

Growth and Reflection

What are goals and action steps in learning about and designing a PLP implementation plan?
What changes do we need to make during our work at the Institute?
How can we design an Action Research Project that will allow us to gather information to modify and revise our plan during the fall and beyond?

Transformation

What does the plan look like in phase two (after we have implemented the PLP process/cycle one full round)?
What is that time frame for each cycle (each quarter, semester, year)?
What does it look like for teachers and students in year two who have gone through the process already (is this a 1 year implementation plan (grade 7) , a two year plan (grades 7 & 8), a three year plan (grades 6-8) or a 4 year plan (grades 5-8)?
How do proficiency based learning and assessments become a part of the PLP process?
How do middle grades PLPs prepare students for learning opportunities (in and out of school) at the high school level?

MSNB/Personalized Learning Proficiencies - Do Not Delete

Goals from Middle School Is Not A Building

Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

1. All middle level learners participate in challenging, integrated, real world, standards based curriculum that promotes conceptual understanding, 21st-century skill development, and knowledge acquisition.

2. Instruction is engaging, personalized, and differentiated to meet individual student learning needs.

3. Student learning is measured by appropriate assessments, resulting in continual learning and high achievement.

School Organization and Community

4. Organizational structures and a school culture of high expectations enable all middle level students and educators to succeed.

5. Relationships for learning create a climate of intellectual development and a caring community that includes having an adult advocate for each student.

6. Ongoing family and community partnerships provide a supportive and enriched learning environment for each middle level student.

7. A supportive, safe, and healthy learning environment advances learning and promotes overall student and educator well being.

8. A democratic system of continual collaboration by all stakeholders allows for authentic student voice and a shared vision to guide decisions.

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Technology Strand Proficiencies - Do Not Delete

ISTE Standards-T 1. Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments.

a. Promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness
b. Engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources
c. Promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes
d. Model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments

ISTE Standards-T 2. Design and develop digital age learning experiences and assessments Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessments incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the Standards•S.

a. Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity
b. Develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress
c. Customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources
d. Provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards, and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching

ISTE Standards-T 3. Model digital age work and learning Teachers exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of an innovative professional in a global and digital society.

a. Demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations
b. Collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation
c. Communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital age media and formats
d. Model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning

ISTE Standards-T 4. Promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility Teachers understand local and global societal issues and responsibilities in an evolving digital culture and exhibit legal and ethical behavior in their professional practices.

a. Advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources
b. Address the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources
c. Promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information
d. Develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital age communication and collaboration tools

Labels

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Hazen Middle Level Community Questions

Monday, June 22, 2015

Saturday, June 20, 2015

Thursday, June 18, 2015