May 2015 – Pernille Ripp

I seem to be aware to a lot of conference, I think it comes with the territory of being connected. Many conferences catch my eyes and I dream of going but the reality is often that the days don’t fit, the price is too high, the location is too far away, or it is not quite what I am looking for. Imagine my delight then when a new conference caught my eye and I, for once, realized that this one might just be something for me.

From the authors behind the great book What Connected Educators Do Differently , Jimmy Casas, Todd Whitaker, Jeff Zoul comes the What Great Educators Do Differently Conference – yes, that’s a mouthful, but completely worth your time! So why is this conference piquing my interest?

The presenters! It is not often you get the likes of Todd Whitaker, Shannon Miller, Jimmy Casas, Angela Maiers, Dwight Carter, and even my friend Joe Sanfellipo at the same conference presenting. And the best part is that they are not the only ones, to see the full list of presenters go here. I think what made me the happiest, though, was the mix of presenters. From professors, to superintendents, to classroom teachers and everything in between, this conference promises to have many voices represented, not just that of professional presenters.
The location! The great conferences are almost always far away from the Midwest but this one is right in Chicago. A mere 2 1/2 hours from my house.
The dates! Yes please to professional development on a Friday and a Saturday in October (the 16th and 17th) because by then I feel like i am ready to learn again. I have gotten over the beginning of year craziness and am ready to be inspired.
The vision! As much as I love being inspired when I got to conferences, I really want practical ideas that I can implement right now. This conference promises to give me both; great inspiration and even an unconference in the middle of it to make sure attendee voices can be heard as well. What more could you want?

So you may be wondering whether I am getting paid to write this, but no I am not, this conference looks that great. I hope you check it out!

I am a passionate teacher in Oregon, Wisconsin, USA but originally from Denmark, who has taught 4th, 5th, and 7th grade. Proud techy geek, and mass consumer of incredible books. Creator of the Global Read Aloud Project, Co-founder of EdCamp MadWI, and believer in all children. The second edition of my first book “Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students” is available for pre-order now. Second book“Empowered Schools, Empowered Students – Creating Connected and Invested Learners” is out now from Corwin Press. Join our Passionate Learners community on Facebook and follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

being me, conferences, connect

Well Hello ISTE 2015!

May 28, 2015 Pernille Ripp

I have never been to ISTE. A few times I have almost gone and something has always gotten in the way; finances, pregnancies, courage… I hear ISTE is amazing and yet I am so terribly nervous to finally be going. Will I get lost (probably), will I feel overwhelmed (probably), but more importantly – will I get to meet all of the amazing people I want to meet? Will I get to make connections? Will it be worthwhile?

So if you are going to ISTE, I would love to meet you. I am pretty shy when it comes to meeting people, but this will be my chance to work through that. So where can I be found for sure?

Bloggers Cafe – I think this will be my preferred hang out spot. The only reason I get to do all of the incredible things I get to do is because of my blog.

Sunday:

ISTE Townhall Lead & Transform Panel – Sunday, June 28th 9 AM to 11:30 AM. I am honored to be the teacher representative on this panel where we get to discuss how we are changing professional learning in our communities. The best part of the panel is that I get to listen to he amazing students from SLA, who will start the discussion!

ISTE Ignite – Sunday, June 28th 1:30 PM to 3 PM. I have dreamed of doing an Ignite for several years and what better place to try it than at ISTE. I don’t know whether I am more excited to speak about having courage to create passionate learning environments or listen to the other Ignite presenters!

Monday:

Monday morning – Award breakfast where the Global Read Aloud and I will be honored with the ISTE Innovation in Global Collaboration Award.

Monday lunch – The ISTE Making IT Happen award luncheon.

Tuesday:

Set Their Voices Free: How Students Can Share Their Stories – Tuesday, June 30th 10:45 AM to 11: 45 AM. I am pumped to be presenting on this topic and with these people; Erin Klein and Colby Sharp. We started planning this session this week and it promises to be hands-on with time to work, discuss, and share ideas. Isn’t that what we all hope to get from a session.

Wednesday:

Corwin Connected Educator Panel – Wednesday, July 1st 8:30 – 9:30 AM. I get to see some of my favorite people and discuss one of my passions; how do we empower students and staff in our schools with my friend and inspiration, Tony Sinanis. What isn’t there to like?

Other than that I plan on hanging around the Skype booth and otherwise bopping around. So if you are there, please say hello. I am going to make as many connections as possible and would love to connect with you.

advice, aha moment, assumptions, being a teacher, being me, Passion, student voice

What My Students Want to Know

May 27, 2015 Pernille Ripp

I asked my 7th graders to tell me the truth and for 170 days they haven’t stopped. Sometimes their truth was harsh, angry reactions to the perceived faults that school and teachers have. Sometimes their truths weighed heavily on me as I drove home contemplating how to be a better teacher. Sometimes their truth spoke of challenges I knew nothing of and had no idea how to solve. Their truths became my truths as they shared, and shared, and shared.

My students have had opinions on everything, from the way teachers speak to them, to where they sit, to what we do. Their words have shaped me more as a teacher than any other professional development opportunity, any other teacher, any other book I have read. They have offered up their opinions even when I didn’t ask. Showing me the trust they have in our community, the implicit trust they have in me to carry their words forward. And so I have shared their words with anyone who crosses my path; placing them in my book, into my presentations, and into any conversation I have had. I have made it my mission to share their words because for some reason students have little voice in today’s education debate. And with their words behind me, I continue to change the way I teach, hoping to become than I am today.

So as I turned to my blog today to reflect on something completely different, their words encouraged me to write this instead. They told me to ask a simple question to anyone who reads this; have you asked your students about your teaching? And if you haven’t, why not?

That’s it.

being a teacher, communication, end of year, feedback, hopes, parents, trust

Why You Should Ask For Parent Feedback Even When You Are Afraid of the Answers

May 24, 2015 Pernille Ripp

I just hit “Send” and for a moment my hand hovered over the “undo” button. Perhaps I didn’t need to ask these questions, perhaps this year I would skip the annual end of year parent survey. I don’t know why after 7 years of teaching, asking for feedback is still so excruciatingly tough. Not from the kids, that I ask for every single day, but from the adults, the parents/guardians, the ones at home that see the effects of the teaching I do every single day.

For a few weeks I have wondered if I even wanted to send it this year. If anything good would come from it, or if my self-esteem could handle it? This was my first year teaching 7th grade and in so many ways I have felt like a brand new teacher with all of the flaws, the mishaps, the bad teaching that comes along with the first year title. So now as the end of the year is in sight, I was compelled to just forget all about the feedback, pretend I don’t want to know, pretend to not care.

But that’s not the truth. Because I do care. Sometimes probably too much. I know that I have screwed up. I know that I could have been better at reaching every kid and teaching them what they needed. I know I have failed some times, and I know some of my feedback will say that. Some will probably crack my facade and make me feel pretty terrible.

And yet, if I don’t ask, I can’t grow.

So I let it go, and I now I wait, hoping for the best. I hope there are some that will see how hard I tried to reach every kid. I hope there are some that will see the thought, effort, and diligence that went into this year. But I also hope there are some that will take a moment to give me advice, to tell me how I can grow. Because I know I need to, and that is the bottom-line. This is not about me, it is about the students. And while I may have an idea of what I need to work on (and boy, do I ever), there is nothing like the perspective of a parent/guardian to show you things you never even thought of. If we truly mean that we are in this for the kids, then we have to include those at home. We have to ask the tough questions, even if the answers may sting.

If you would like to see my parent survey this year, here you are. Student surveys will be done in class next week.

I am a passionate teacher in Oregon, Wisconsin, USA but originally from Denmark, who has taught 4th, 5th, and 7th grade. Proud techy geek, and mass consumer of incredible books. Creator of the Global Read Aloud Project, Co-founder of EdCamp MadWI, and believer in all children. The second edition of my first book “Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students” is available for pre-order now. Second book“Empowered Schools, Empowered Students – Creating Connected and Invested Learners” is out now from Corwin Press. Join ourPassionate Learners community on Facebook and follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

aha moment, attention, being a teacher, being me, technology

Why I Will Be Going Device Free in My BYOD School

May 20, 2015 Pernille Ripp

I work in a fantastic district that believes wholeheartedly in the power of BYOD or Bring Your Own Device. All year, we have harnessed the power of especially cell phones as we have taken pictures, recorded video, searched for facts, and used them in ways that made what we were already more meaningful, easier, and more efficient. I believe in the power of great BYOD. I believe in the power of teaching students how to use the devices they have in a meaningful way. I believe that all schools should allow students to use the devices they already have so they can work with what they have access to, not what we decide they need.

And yet, my students are distracted. They are often on their phones checking the time, checking their notifications, moving it, taking one from a friend, or wondering where they put it. And so am I. My own phone is an integral part of our classroom. I send out pictures of students working throughout the day, I take pictures for parents to see, I tweet from my phone to showcase their learning, and I search quick facts we may need as we discuss. But I also look for my phone, get distracted by its blinking, and check that quick notification and then wonder what that email, Vox, or text may say while I am supposed to be teaching. Not all the time, but it happens, and it happens more and more.

As a teacher, I am worried about the constant distractions. About the small bursts of attention we can give to things before we get that check itch. The itch that tells us to check our phone quick, check the time, check whatever. That rush we get whenever we see something new come across our screens. As a parent, I worry even more as I see how much my students rely on their phones to communicate, about the intense scrutiny their social media presence gets, and how wrapped up their self-esteem is in their device and the messages they get through them. What I am not worried about so much is how students seem to be less connected with those in front of them, I am that way, but with books, which just happens to be a more socially acceptable way of disconnecting. But the constant urge in the back of our collective minds to just check really quick; that is getting in the way of learning for all of us.

So with 11 days left of school, I am declaring our room a device free zone. At least on some days. At least on the days where the constant distraction of merely having the device will stop us from going deeper with our learning. At least on the days where everything we need to can be accomplished without the help of any devices. It is not a declaration of war against devices. It is not a breach of rights. I will simply be asking my students to leave their cell phones in pockets, lockers, or a designated bin along with my own. So that we can focus on what we have in front of us, not what someone might have said or the rest of the world. But us, the community we have right here, and the actions we want to take a part in.

Yes, cell phones and devices have a rightful place in our classrooms, but just like any tool, they are not needed every single day, every single moment. And sure, there will always be distractions, we all need brain drifts where we can activate our brains in a different manner, but the focus on just this one thing has to be spread out. Has to be ,discussed, processed, and changed. So it starts tomorrow, no better time to start than right away. .

I am a passionate teacher in Oregon, Wisconsin, USA but originally from Denmark, who has taught 4th, 5th, and 7th grade. Proud techy geek, and mass consumer of incredible books. Creator of the Global Read Aloud Project, Co-founder of EdCamp MadWI, and believer in all children. The second edition of my first book “Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students” is available for pre-order now. Second book“Empowered Schools, Empowered Students – Creating Connected and Invested Learners” is out now from Corwin Press. Join ourPassionate Learners community on Facebook and follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

being me, global, MIEExpert15, mystery skype, student voice

A Few Ideas for Using Skype in the Classroom

May 19, 2015 Pernille Ripp

There are technology tools that come along and make your day easier, that make your day better. There are technology tools that integrate themselves so seamlessly into your lessons that you soon forget what life was like before. There are tools that you know you can rely on whenever you need them. And then there are tools that encompass all that and oh so much more. Tools that elevate your teaching ideas to places you never thought they could have gone. That’s how I feel about Skype. Skype and I have been faithful friends for the past 16 years, ever since I moved to America, but our relationship really deepened 5 years ago when I brought it into the classroom.

So why has Skype been such a central piece of my classroom? Because it is free, efficient, easy to use, and opens up a world of possibility that I never could physically bring into my classroom, yet through its power and immense network I can. Skype simply makes what we are doing better. It gives us audiences, authors, experts. It connects us with places around the world and gives my students a way to change the world.

So what are some of our best ideas?

How about using Skype to do market research? We did just that in our epic nonfiction picture book project where the students had to write a book catered to a K and 1st grade audience. So voila, through the magic of Skype we spoke to several classrooms throughout North America and learned what we need to learn to make our books so much better.

How about speaking with an author? This has always been one of my favorite ways to use Skype since so many authors speak to classrooms either completely free or for very cheap. It is powerful for students to see the genius behind their most favorite books and only heightens their experience with the book. Did you know that the incredible Kate Messner has a list of authors who Skype for free?

How about working on geography skills while building community? That is exactly what playing Mystery Skype has done for my students. If you have never tried this simple guessing game, please make sure you plan one this year. They are so easy to plan and incredible to be a part of. This is always one of the most favorite things my students do throughout the year.

How about having students teach others how to do something? My students have used Skype to teach others how to blog and how to play Mystery Skype. They have been teachers for other classes and other teachers. Think of the power in that!

How about using it to share book recommendations? As summer nears, my students are adding books to their “Plan to read” lists and a great way to get more suggestions is by scheduling Skype calls with other students eager to recommend great books. This is a great way to get new suggestions both for my students and for my own classroom library and it seems to hold more power when it is a student-to-student recommendation rather than just me book-talking.

How about bringing an audience to you? It would cost a lot of money for my students to visit an elementary school to perform or speak, but via Skype our audience can come to us. So whenever the chance exists, I try to bring in a live audience through the camera. Having the live audience ups my students’ performance and gives us a way to connect with others.

How about learning about other cultures? I think we often think that every call has to be planned out and structured but sometimes just giving students tim e to speak to other students can be exciting within itself. One of my classes spoke to a school in inner-city New York, something I did not think would mean much to them because it was not out of the country, but the experience rattled them. They could not believe how different their school and community was from theirs. That call cemented something that I had been telling them all year but that they didn’t quite believe; America is a very diverse nation indeed.

How about to raise awareness? My students have used Skype calls to raise awareness about the “R” words, bullying, and other issues near and dear to their heart. Again, by providing them with a platform to spread their message that extends beyond our classroom walls, they see the significance that their words may carry.

And finally, how about to learn something more? With the massive network of experts that Skype In the Classroom provides it has never been easier to bring in someone who knows more than me to help the students learn. All I have to do is search for what I need and I can almost always find someone who matches that. I love showcasing new fields of information to the students, and they love getting to ask even the weirdest questions.

I am a passionate teacher in Oregon, Wisconsin, USA but originally from Denmark, who has taught 4th, 5th, and 7th grade. Proud techy geek, and mass consumer of incredible books. Creator of the Global Read Aloud Project, Co-founder of EdCamp MadWI, and believer in all children. The second edition of my first book “Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students” is available for pre-order now. Second book“Empowered Schools, Empowered Students – Creating Connected and Invested Learners” is out now from Corwin Press. Join ourPassionate Learners community on Facebook and follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.