Student-centered – Page 11

What Do Teachers Want From Tech Tools?

February 14, 2014February 16, 2014 Pernille Ripp

Too often when we discuss technology and what to use in our classrooms we get caught by the flashy gadgets, the promises of something new, or the latest tool to be sweeping the community We think we need the newest thing to keep us current and connected. We think we need more tools to have better tech integration. And yet, I often find that it is not so much about getting more tech, but rather using the things I have better. So what does this teacher really want from her tech tools?

User friendliness. I am not afraid of technology, meaning I will gladly play around with something until I make it work, but sometimes even I throw in the towel. If a new tool is not something I can figure out a little within a half an hour then I doubt it will find a permanent home in my classroom.
Global Collaboration. I love integrating things that can connect my students to the world. So whether it is a Kidblog account, a Chromebook, or a digital camera, the tech I use needs to serve a higher purpose of creating global citizens.
Ease of Integration. I like to bring in a new tool or site and then see how easily my students gravitate towards it. How easily do they find ways to integrate it into our every day learning. That is not to say that it all has to be easy, but if my students never use it (like our Livescribe pen) then I know it is not the best fit for us.
Multi-people-functionality. I have many gripes about SmartBoards, but a huge one is that only one child can use it at one time. I have 26 students, they need to be engaged in their learning at all times. Watching one kid (or one teacher) write on a fancy board does not equal engagement.
Reliability. For a tool to truly find a permanent home in my classroom it has prove itself over and over. It needs to work when we need it to work, and although we will excuse the occasional glitches, if a tool proves to be unreliable then I am not wasting my time on it anymore.
Security. I am entrusted with 10 and 11 year old’s as they venture online and get connected so whatever we use in our classroom has to provide me with a level of safety for these kids. That doesn’t mean filters to block out the world, but ways to keep these kids’ information and work safe while exploring the world.
Accessibility. The best tools live in the cloud or are portable, most of the time.
Purpose. The tools we use need to have a deeper purpose of enhancing our curriculum, not just be a flashy tool to get my students’ attention. So if we are investing our time using something, then there needs to be a deeper purpose behind it.
Fun. Who can forget fun? Tech tools should also be fun to use (most of the time) otherwise they just become one more thing to do. We don’t need more things we have to do.

What things do you look for when picking a tool for your classroom?

I am a passionate (female) 5th grade teacher in Wisconsin, USA, 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. I have no awards or accolades except for the lightbulbs that go off in my students’ heads every day. First book “Passionate Learners – Giving Our Classroom Back to Our Students” will be released this March from Powerful Learning Press. Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

Be the change, reflection, Student-centered

All In Their Own Time

February 13, 2014 Pernille Ripp

Thea learns when she wants to. She creates her own homework when she wants to. And she gets it done when she wants to. She has almost been like this since she was born. Master of her own path and of her own time, So putting her in school, 4K, to be exact, has been interesting to say the least. She works hard in school, playing mostly, learning happens too (she has an amazing teacher) but she is carving her path at her own speed. Her personality staying true no matter what we try to do at home, no matter what she should be learning at a certain point in time. She doesn’t care about time lines of learning, she is on her own journey.

I wonder about my own students and those whose habits I try to change, am I on a wild goose chase? Are their habits already past changing or does that change have to come from within them with slight goading from me? How many times have I told a quiet child that they should speak up more, or a rowdy child that they should calm down? What about the child whose file shares a pattern of work not getting done, office referrals for miles, and grades to go with it? Can I truly change how they are as a person or only show them a better way and hope that they agree? Can I expect them to line up their achievements with what my curriculum map says thet should accomplish?

We talk about achievement in education as if we can just teach students something and expect them to be ready to learn it because of their age. Yet we seem to forget that we are working with human beings that don’t just change when someone tells them to, even if they are just a child being told what to do. We forget that even children have a sense of self and stay true to that unless the benefit to change is so great that they cannot resist. No matter how much I cajole Thea to learn her letters if she doesn’t want to, she won’t. No matter how much I sweet talk or tell her of the life consequences that will face her if she doesn’t. She will learn in her own time, as she always does, staying true to her personality along the way. Curious, creative, but all in her own time. Did I forget that my students are probably just like her?

Reading, reflection, Student-centered

Is There Room for Slow Readers in Your Class?

February 11, 2014February 16, 2014 Pernille Ripp

“…but I read as fast as I can…” followed by tears and the teacher in me stopped while the parent in me took over.

“I know you do, and there is nothing wrong with savoring the words. It is okay to be a slow reader as long as you are reading, that is all I care about.”

We focus so much on quantity of books read in school. I even have the 40 book challenge adapted to my room so students know that the expectation is that they read 40 books in a year. And yet, every year I modify it for a couple of kids. They don’t need the challenge to read 40 books, they need the 10 book challenge instead, or even the 5 book challenge. And so we discuss it privately and I ease their fears that they will not do as well in reading as they should just because of their reading pace. I let them in on my secret that the 40 book challenge is not about who reaches 40 books first, but rather about reading more than one did the year before. That there is no prize nor punishment for those who do not reach the 40 books, but rather just a year long focus on the love of reading and finding incredible books to dot our path in 5th grade.

We tell children that to become a great reader one must read a lot. To become a fast reader one must read a lot. We forget about the kids that do read a lot but read slowly, enjoying every moment, taking their time and studying the nuances. We get so focused on hurrying them through the experience of reading that we forget to say it’s ok to be a slow reader, all that matters is that you read. We make them ashamed of their pace, we push them inadvertently toward shorter or easier books because they want to read a lot of books rather than just read the books they want.

And so in the spirit of reflection, I wonder what we can do to celebrate our slow readers? To make them feel that reading pace is nothing to be ashamed of and also to spread the word to other teachers that being a slow reader does not equal being a bad reader. It just means that you read at a different pace than others. That perhaps you take your time. And sure, we should encourage and help children become faster readers, but not for the purpose of speed, but rather for the purpose of being ale to devour even more books. There should not be a set reading pace for a 5th grader, there should not be a set amount of books that every child must read (and yes, I know I do this myself), but only the expectation to read. Instead, we should expect our kids to reach higher, to read more, to read better, and set individual goals. My slow readers taught me that.

I don’t have tears in my room this year over reading pace, they are all in our secret, they are all reading more without the pressure of reading enough. The biggest gift was when one student told me that he noticed that he reads faster now and how much more fun books are because he doesn’t get bored as easily. And while he does not think he will complete his 40 book challenge, he knows he will have read much more than he did the year before. And so with him I celebrate the new goal and how he is reaching it. That is what matters in reading.

Be the change, reflection, Student-centered

Why Our Past Should Stay in the Past

January 29, 2014 Pernille Ripp

I thought by now I would have it all figured out. That my lesson plans would almost write themselves. That by January I would be planned until May. I thought by now it would be a routine. As easy as riding a bike. As easy as following a recipe. I thought by now teaching would just be another thing to cross off my to-do list of things I was done with for the day. I was wrong. And I am glad.

I used to let the past define me. If I had done something the year before then I certainly was going to do it again the following year. After all, I had put so much time into learning about it. I had put so much time into thinking, creating, and then implementing the lesson. And it had worked, sometimes with great success. Yet, whenever I pull something out of a file cabinet (whether literal or the one in my head) it never seems to quite fit the kids I work with now. It never seems to garner as much excitement as it did the first time. It never seems to be as much fun to teach. It still works, but it is not enough for me anymore.

So I have learned that my past lessons may support me and give me a place to start, but they should not dictate what I do in the future. The ideas I may have are still worthwhile but they should be nourished and pushed to grow to fit my current students, not the ones I had the year before. Students don’t mind the same material, but I think they mind when it is taught the same way as the year before. They want to feel our excitement and let it feed theirs. They want to know that we are teaching to them and not just a nameless group of kids. They want to feel special, as much as I hate using that term. And I’m ok with that. After all, it is the change and the quest for the perfect lesson that keeps me coming back day after day, year after year.

I am a passionate (female) 5th grade teacher in Wisconsin, USA, 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. I have no awards or accolades except for the lightbulbs that go off in my students’ heads every day. First book “Passionate Learners – Giving Our Classroom Back to Our Students Starting Today” will be released this March from Powerful Learning Press. Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

Be the change, Student-centered

How About a Little Change?

January 20, 2014 Pernille Ripp

I seem to write about big changes a lot. You know the kind that changes the way you teach, how school is done, and how students function in your classroom. And while I love my big changes (I would never go back) I also know that it can be kind of hard to do some of these big changes all at once or even at all. Sometimes policies stand in our way, other times it is our own courage that is lacking, or our preconceived notion of what students will be able to handle. And yet, you want to change, but just not in a big way (yet…) so how about some little changes to get you started?

Instead of getting rid of all homework how about eliminating it in one subject? While I am proponent of not assigning any, even I sometimes have to. So a way to change the way you do homework is to just not give it in one subject. Check in with students during class and eliminate the thing you were going to use to check in on what they knew. Try it, see if you like it, and then see if you try more subjects.

Instead of doing all project-based, how about converting one topic? Project-based learning can be really daunting if you are looking to transform your entire curriculum to hands-on learning, so how about you start with just one segment of your curriculum? How about the next social studies project? Or adding in some science? Get your feet wet, and those of your students, and then see if you can do it again.

Instead of getting rid of grades how about asking your students to set them with you? This is a great way to work within policies that mandate you give grades. Doing it together with students starts a learning dialogue and creates ownership. When they get to set, discuss, and defend their own grade they reach a deeper understanding of their own knowledge and needs.

Instead of a whole day of innovation how about one hour? I am a huge proponent of Innovation Day but also understand how it can seem overwhelming or doomed to fail by some (yet trust me it is worth it). If you are not sure how a whole day of letting students create will look like, try Genius Hour first. This one hour innovation is a great way to get students into a creation groove and also allows you to iron out any misunderstandings.

Instead of connecting your students with the world how about connecting them with one class? We often feel like our students should be engaged in a global conversation, and yet, that can be a lot to set up, oversee and maintain. So rather than focusing on the whole world, how about focusing on just one deep connection with another class? I have often found that a focused connection is more meaningful than many superficial ones.

Instead of an hour of project time how about just 10 minutes? My students and I like to do projects. The students lesson plan with me while making sure we cover everything we need to (and then some) and then they get to work on their projects. But if this seems like it would be frightening or you are not sure that your students could handle a whole hour of self-directed work then give them 10 minutes at the end of class. This way you can support in a concentrated dosage and students still get to work on something more hands-on. As you get more comfortable you can expand the time.

There are so many things we can change to create more student-centered learning environments. All it takes is one small step in the right direction and you have started on your path to change.

classroom expectations, classroom management, community, discipline, punishment, student choice, student driven, Student-centered

Don’t Act Like An Idiot – My 5th Graders Make Our Rules

January 13, 2014January 13, 2014 Pernille Ripp

Silence…not something that happens in a room full of 27 students.

Then one hand cautiously rises, then another, but still mostly silence…

A minute ago I had asked my students, “What do we do in this classroom when you don’t behave well?”

This was now the reaction I faced; confused looks and silence. 4 years ago, my students would have prattled off a list: we write our name on the boards, you give us a checkmark, we lose recess, we lose free time, we call home, we go to the principal’s office. All very common consequences in classrooms. But now, 4 years later, I have unintentionally stumped my students.

One student finally says, “Well, you expect us to not act like idiots, so we don’t.”

Another student jumps in, “Yeah, and if we do something stupid then you tell us to fix it.”

And a third, “So we just talk about it and figure it out.”

Aha! We discuss their behavior and then we fix it in whichever way it needs to be fixed.

I threw away punishment because I always punished the same students. It also never solved the problem but just added a grudge between the student and myself. Today, some question whether students can truly act well when you don’t punish. When they don’t know the consequences of their behavior. Some think that no punishment equals no rules, no perimeters, but it couldn’t be further from the truth.

No punishment means no public shaming, no loss of privileges, no loss of recess unless we need private time to talk. It doesn’t mean no structure, no expectations, or a free for all of student chosen behavior. It means I expect my students to make the classroom rules. I expect them to behave well. I expect them to make good choices. I don’t have a perfect classroom, but I have kids that try. I have kids that know what the expectation is. I have kids that make a choice everyday, whether to be active participants in our learning journey, or whether to act like idiots. They don’t always make the right choice, but if they don’t, then we deal with it on a situational basis.

So no, I don’t need to punish my students into behaving, and not because they are all angels (ha, far from it) but because as a classroom we have decided to learn, to share, to behave like a typical 5th grader.

Don’t act like idiots, in true 5th grade language, and represent. Those are some of the rules for our classroom. I din’t make them but I do give them to grow and become part of our culture. Most kids know how to act in school, it is time we gave them our trust and a chance to prove it.

Edit: As you can see from a comment, the word idiot can be taken to something much deeper than is its intention here. When my students and I use the word “idiot” it is meant to convey a 5th grader that deliberately chooses to do something they shouldn’t, not someone with an intellectual disability. I never mean to offend but here I chose to let the word stand since it portrays the conversation we had.

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