Pernille Ripp

Hey Pernille, we watched a video on the Khan and the flipped classroom model today. I think you would love it!

Oh, yes I am already familiar with it, why do you think I would love it?

Well, you love technology….

It’s true, I love technology for what it does for my students and I. I love that we can grab cameras and document our learning. I love that we can blog and start conversations with others. I love that I send my students out the door with tools that others may not know about in middle school, thus spreading their knowledge and giving them options. But I don’t love the flipped classroom, it’s not for me, sorry.

Sure, it is a cool concept. Videotape your lecture so that it can be accessed anywhere and then use the class time to discuss and investigate and really learn more. I love the classroom part. I love the idea of not standing in front of students talking and instead getting to the actual work stage, the exploration, the stage that the kids so desperately want to get to anyway. But the lecturing is not for me. Sure, there are times when I have to provide background for my students, in fact, every day that happens, but the idea of taping a lecture and then forcing them to watch it on their own time upsets me.

When I do my background providing, or “teaching” in class, we have discussions. The students ask questions, clear up misconceptions, and sometimes we end up in a totally different arena then we intended. I know I need to keep it short, I know I need to keep it relevant so that we can do the work, so that the kids can have time to explore. I know I could talk a lot longer if I had the opportunity. Being on live in front of the kids mean I have to be a story teller, I have to be at my best so that they stay with me and stay engaged. Sure, there are times I wish I had it recorded so that they could watch it again because they didn’t get it the first time, but then I realize that they didn’t get it because I didn’t do a good enough job explaining it. And having a recording of me explaining it poorly is not going to do them any favors.

Then there is the homework aspect of the flipped classroom. We expect students to use their time outside of school to watch all of these videos. Can you imagine how much time that would be if every class in a high school setting required this? My teenage rebel self rolls her eyes. I would never have been into that as a teen and in college I did my homework on my breaks at work, my breaks between school and work and wherever I could. I didn’t sit in front of a screen, nor did I have access to it. I worked full-time while going to school full-time and did much of my reading in my car. Flipping my classes would have meant that was not an option. Sure, times have changed since I graduated 5 years ago, students have more access to portable computers, yet we are still asking them to take their outside time and do the work in a matter determined by us. We are still taking their time.

So I leave you with this simple question, why not skip the lecture altogether? Perhaps we wouldn’t need the concept of the flipped classroom if we just stopped talking and got to the point? Perhaps if we actually honed our craft as story tellers, not as lecturers, students would have the opportunity to get the teaching and the exploration all at once? I know it sounds crazy but I think it can be done, we just need to stop talking so much.

being me, learning, PD

So You Say You Don’t Have the Time – PD for Busy People

July 3, 2012 Pernille Ripp

image from icanread

One thing I know we all face in this multi-tasking world is the concept of not having enough time. Even when we save time, there still isn’t enough left over for us to feel like we are caught up, like we relaxed, like we actually had time to spare. We just add more things to our day and then hope that by the end of the day we will feel fulfilled, we will feel in satisfied, we will feel time balanced.

When I speak to people about Twitter and having a PLN, they never get where I find the time. Besides the fact that I make both of those things a priority, I am always trying to explain that being part of both actually save me time in the long run. Time I then get to spend somewhere else, while still growing as an educator.

So when someone says they don’t have the time to get inspired or that PD is too time consuming, how about trying this…

Set up a reader with people that inspire you. I access my reader in the morning when I have my cup of tea. I read those that I feel like, share others that inspire me, and sometimes even leave a comment. It all depends on how much time I want to spend. And sometimes I just mark all as read because I just didn’t get to them and that’s ok too.
Take 5 minutes on Twitter. I don’t spend a whole lot of time on Twitter interacting, it is hard for me to focus on it with a 3 year old at home but every day I tune in for at least just 5 minutes and try to reach out to someone, to have a human connection, rather than just share my ideas.
Listen to a Ted talk. I know people think they have to watch all videos, but the truth is I find it much easier to just listen to most of the. that way, while I am cleaning or playing, I at least can hear some of the great things being said by others much smarter than me.
Subscribe to the most emailed stories on NPR. I love this podcast and listen to it in the car. we run a lot of errands in the summer and the radio drives me nuts after a while. NPR continues to be my favorite for staying on top of news, but how about subscribing to other podcasts. NerdyCast is another favorite of mine or even Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me.
Ask someone a question. I have learned so much about myself as a teacher or even my teaching style from asking my husband questions abut his experience as a student. When I was just in the hospital many of the nurses told me about their children’s schools, their own schooling, and their expectations. The point is, ask someone about school and you will probably learn something, I know I do.
Read something non-educational, like a really great book, a magazine, or whatever floats your boat. I just finished The Strain trilogy and found myself wanting to blog about several sections in it even though those vampire books have nothing to do with education. That’s the beauty of inspiration, it doesn’t have to come from somewhere scholarly but just from somewhere.
Pay attention to your surroundings. Do you know how often I come up with a blog post from reading a sign, seeing a bumper-sticker or even overhearing a snippet of conversation? When we pay attention to the world around us, we can learn a lot.

behavior, classroom expectations, punishment, students

No School For You, Bully! But Did We Fix Anything?

June 30, 2012 Pernille Ripp

The news broke last night that the 4 middle schoolers who were caught on tape tormenting their bus monitor received a year’s suspension from riding the bus as well as school. A whole school year! (I should add they get to go to the district reengagement center, not just sit at home). So while many cheered at the justice being served, I shook my head and once again thought about how we dole out punishment in the American educational system.

I am not here to argue that what they did was in any way justifiable. I am not here to argue that they should not be punished. But a year’s suspension? Since when does any bullying incident result in a whole year away from school? This seems to be another case of media sensationalism leading to excessive punishment, without actually thinking about how these kids could be helped instead. Where is the repair? The discussion of what led to all of this? The plan for something like this to not happen again?

The sad thing is, we only know about this case because one kid foolishly published the video to Youtube, apparently proud of their achievement as bullies. The bus monitor didn’t report it, or at least we don’t know that she did. She also barely spoke up for herself throughout the ordeal, instead sitting their stoically taking whatever evil words they could fling at her. How often does that happen, those untold stories of bullying that we only discover after it is too late? How do school react to those stories where young children commit suicide due to the cruel nature of others? What about the every day bullying that happens in our hallways, in our lunch rooms, at our recesses, right underneath our noses? What punishment do those kids get? How often do we say it is just a part of growing up, it is just a part of school, it is just a part of life? How often do we come up with a repair plan but then don’t follow through? How often do we not believe the children that report the bullying? So when a case like this one, that seems so cut and dry, we jump on it, flaunt our muscles, blame the parents and then punish those kids with every thing we have. Those kids are going to pay. Those kids will be an example. Those kids will learn. And yet, we don’t actually fix the problem.

So I wonder what can we as a society do to prevent these situations from happening? And how can we serve justice in a way that makes sense, that makes children change their behaviors? How do we focus in on all bullying and not just those cases that make it into the media, that start an outcry? How do we teach children and adults, because adults are as much of a part of this as children, that bullying is vile and inhumane? They say kids learn best from examples set, well, how are we setting the example? What responsibility are we taking for all of this? And how do we truly show kids that bullying is not just “not ok” it is deplorable?

kidblog, student blogging, voice

How to Create Successful Student Blogging – Taking it to A Deeper Level

June 28, 2012 Pernille Ripp

One question that pops up in my conversations with people whenever I highlight the blogging I do with my 5th graders is that of safety and commitment. How to keep them safe while online, how to prevent cyber bullying and also how to get them invested so it is not just another chore on their massive to do lists. While approaches differ, this is what has worked well for me.

Open it up to the world. One huge fear people have when they have their students blog is opening up the blog to the world but those global connections are exactly what make blogging such a phenomenal experience for everyone. If I had a private blog I wouldn’t have to teach the students much, it is the vast possibility of the unknown that forces us to really think about how we present ourselves to the world and how we conduct ourselves.
Stay on as moderator. While this may be an “oh duh” comment just leaving you as moderator of both comments and posts and then doing your job (reading everything) is a huge deterrent to anything. Comments don’t just slip through. Posts have the right tone and students present themselves well. And I have only once in my 2 years of student blogging had to intervene in a post. That’s with more than 1,600 students posts.
Prepare, prepare, prepare. I don’t just set up their blog and let them do it, we prepare through many steps. We learn about safety and we approach it like any other skill; one we must develop in order to fully understand it. But it goes deeper than safety, we have to get to the “why” of blogging, otherwise it will just be another demand from the teacher.
Treat it with reverence. Blogging is not an automatic right in my classroom. It is something the students learn about, build toward and ultimately have to prove that they are mature enough to handle. We discuss how much of a privilege it is throughout the year which means the students get that this is important. They know they represent our school district on our blog and that adds weight.
Have conduct rules. Just like in any other situation we talk about what good commenting, good posting, and good conversational skills are. Students know that their sense of humor can be taken out of context and that they need to represent at all times. So we discuss how to engage in a dialogue without hurting others and we talk about how to offer appropriate feedback as well.
Revisit. I say this all the time, just like in any other big life lessons, how to blog appropriately, safely and well is not a beginning of the year lesson, it is an all the time lesson. And you need to make the time for it.
Build community. Blogging is only really successful if you have the trust of the students. We use our blog to discuss happenings in our classroom, do curriculum, but also to write about big issues that affect the students. If they didn’t trust me and their audience, my kids wouldn’t bare their hearts like they do. Asking a 10 year old to tell them how they really feel about your classroom can be viewed as a trick question, one asked to get them into trouble, so before you get to those big questions, the foundation of honesty, reflection, and trust has to be present in the physical world.
Walk the walk. I blog extensively and I share it with my students. I talk about what my take aways are from blogging and why it is a necessary part of my growth as a teacher. I do not hide what I blog about and I even highlight some posts that revolve around my students. I show how I comment, build relationships and respond appropriately. I am right there with my students, doing the same thing they do, sharing the experience.
Listen. I have students suggest topics, I have them give me feedback, and I let them blog about whatever they want. All of that adds their passion to it and that is why they keep blogging even now when school is out and they are on summer vacation. They still have stories to tell and people to connect with.

By no means a complete list, but hopefully food for thought. Student blogging can be such a powerful learning experience and one that shows students that they have a voice and a place in the world of importance. They are indeed connected within our class, our school, and in the world. What else can you do for free that teaches them that?

alfie kohn, classroom expectations, no homework

I Don’t Think Your Students Are Ready – When We Don’t Assign Homework

June 26, 2012 Pernille Ripp

Mathematics homework (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“….I worry about your students next year, I don’t think they will be ready…”. My heart is pounding so hard it sounds like a truck, I can feel my checks blazing, my hands are clenching. She worries? About my students? About those kids that I have poured everything into? Those kids that have set higher expectations for themselves than any other grade I have taught? Those kids that demand a better education, a deeper discussion, a better understanding of what we do and why we do it. This teacher worries about my kids? My ears fail to listen and I feel the need to explain myself, to defend and argue but instead I raise my gaze and ask simply, “Why?” The answer is swift, “You don’t have any homework…” I wait, what else, but there is just silence. Homework and not giving it once again the center of a discussion.

So what is it about homework and whether to assign it or not that becomes such a flashpoint in education? Both sides are passionate in their reasoning for or against but the discussion seems to happen more outside of our schools than in them, not amongst colleagues. This teacher had decided, without speaking to me, that since I did not assign homework, students were not held responsible for their learning. Students were not held accountable for showing what they knew and I had no idea of how to challenge them. This was not a fair assessment by any means but still the one that had been made. So when others are misinformed about what a “no homework” classroom really is like, is it up to us to reach out and educate? Or should we expect them to come to us to become informed before they pass their judgment?

We may have all of the answers ourselves but how do we communicate them to other staff? How do we make others realize that there is a way to still deeply teach something without assigning outside of school work? How do we help others realize that homework does not have to be an integral part of what school is and that children will still be prepared for what is to come? Are we only fooling ourselves when we do boast that we are still creating responsible, accountable, time managing students without the use of homework? Can we truly not prepare students for the “rigors” of school if we do not do what others around us do? Can my fifth graders still be succesful in middle school even though I did not expect them to do two hours of work every night? Have I fooled myself into thinking that I am helping them become deeper thinkers when all I am really doing is robbing them of their chance for success? Was that teacher right? Should I be worried about my students?

exploration, feedback, no homework, parents

Can We Prepare Students for Middle School If We Don’t Assign Homework?

June 25, 2012 Pernille Ripp

I wonder if my child will be overwhelmed in middle school by all of the homework since they have not had much with you… The comment stares me in the face and I immediately think up excuses; but we had homework, we just did it in class, but it is not my problem what happens in middle school, and why didn’t this parent bring it up before? And then I pause, re-read the comment, take away the personal insult I had added to it and see it as feedback, see it for what it truly is; a learning opportunity.

Homework, that integral part of going to school, that bastion of what afternoons should be consumed by, how school should look. We grew up with it, we survived, we learned the lessons and now our children should go through the same. I used to believe that home work taught a deeper lesson, that without it children would not learn lessons such as time management, responsibility, accountability. I used to believe that if a child did not do their homework then they were not taking school seriously, that the failure to complete their end of the deal exonerated me from any further responsibility. Really all I had to then was punish and move on, hope the kid got the homework done and understood the bigger lesson. And now I know how wrong I was in those beliefs. I know how homework became something expected but not contemplated. and yet how do you communicate that to those kids it affects? How do you effectively have parents place their faith in you when how you run your classroom is pretty different than what they ever tried?

So for next school year I will not just mention my homework policy. I will thoroughly explain it and also stress that it is not that my students do less work than the other fifth grade classes, it is just that they do it at school instead. It is just that they may not get worksheets but rather delve deeper into projects, dedicating class time to learn those same lessons of accountability, responsibility, and time management. I will leave the doors for discussion open and encourage the questions, not afraid of criticism but welcoming the process, carefully explaining why I make the choices I make and how the students will indeed be prepared for middle school.

And so I continue to read through the feedback and I stumble upon one that is just as unexpected, just as deep… “I wish I had had a teacher like you in school, I am sure I would have liked school more if I had…”. And I smile and I reflect and I am grateful for all those that took the time to tell me how they felt.

We only grow when we open up to the good and the bad, we only grow when we realize our own imperfection. We only grow when we reveal our vulnerability and then really listen, I would not want it any other way.