Pernille Ripp

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I once sat on an interview committee in which the candidate p[proudly proclaimed that to integrate technology her students would use word processors and publish their work in a monthly book. My toes instantly curled. It wasn’t so much that she had used the words “word processor” but rather that she thought tech integration meant to have students type on a computer and then publish their work, that that would make them ready for this century of jobs. So a couple of things come to mind whenever we discuss tech integration in schools.

Students have often more seamlessly integrated technology into their lives than their teachers and didn’t even need to take a class on it.

We chalk this up to them being digital natives or because they have an interest in it. Yet not all children are digital natives and most of them have had role models that show how to use the technology. They also know that tech is valuable and can add to their lives rather than detract from something else.

Some teachers assume that clicking on a SmartBoard or having students type their papers mean that they are “integrating” tech. This is one very limited usage of tech, in fact, it doesn’t really count as integration. True integration is when a student decides to film a video to show whet they have learned rather than create a poster. True integration is when students have ideas and fearlessness to use technology to show their learning as a natural extension of the classroom. Not to type a paper.
There seems to be no urgency when it comes to actual technology integration into the classroom, but more of an urgency on how to buy the flashiest gadgets and then offer limited training or support. How often do we hear about a district that has spent too much money on 30 SmartBoards, 100 iPads and how they will be placed in the hands of the students to enhance their learning? How often do we then hear about the support they will offer their teachers or how those products will actually be used to enhance learning? There seems to be an assumption that if you give they will use it effectively, which we all know is not true. Some teachers might, but most will use it superficially and after a while the product will languish, unused, outdated, and just another relic of someone’s hastily thought out idea.
Some teachers feel that integrating technology is optional. Integrating technology is no more optional than teaching how to use a pencil. And while many may find that extreme, we cannot equip our students with the skills they need to be successful learners and teachers without teaching them to use technology properly. Many schools see typing as a necessity but then cannot bring that view into how to stay safe on the internet, how to search properly on a computer and myriads of other things that technology can offer us. How to use computers effectively is now a life-skill and as teachers it is our job to equip students with these.
Teachers who have been labeled “techie” teachers are sometimes viewed as a one-trick pony, that is all they are passionate about and therefore they cannot possibly have an effective classroom. I certainly am one of the techie-teachers in my classroom but many are surprised at how little we use tech on a day to day basis. That is not to say we don’t use it, because we do, but we also do many other things. In fact, using a tech tool is just one option my students have to show their learning. What I do practice is fearlessness in tech usage and that I pass on to my students. Not that they always need to use some sort of tool, we use our pencils more than a computer, but that they can effectively use whatever whenever they need to.
Teachers think they have a choice in their classroom. I am sorry but the choice should not be teachers’ anymore; every school should have an effective technology integration curriculum to offer students the skills they need. We do not have a choice in teaching literacy or math and should not be given one when it comes to technology. This is not about what WE want the kids to know but what the KIDS need to know.

And I am sure I could continue the list, however, these are my main concerns. We cannot afford to not focus on proper technology integration in our schools. It is not about the gadgets, it is not about the typing, it is how to use technology tools fearlessly, respectfully, and effectively. All things every teachers should be teaching, no excuses.

internet safety, student blogging, Student-centered

You Teach a Child to Blog…Common Concerns with Student Blogging Answered

February 16, 2012 Pernille Ripp

You teach a child to blog and the whole world opens up to them. And yet, with that whole wide world comes a whole lot of responsibility. Some of the more frequent questions I receive is how I keep my students safe when they blog, how do I prevent cyber bullying, and how do I convince parents that this is worthwhile. While I may not have all of the answers or any quick fix solutions, I do have a lot of passion for this.

First things first; student safety is paramount. I use Kidblog for this reason. It allows me to control who sees our posts, who comments, and also how open I want our account to be. But I don’t just give students their account information…there is a lot of preparation before then:

We talk at length about blogging, why it is important to us, why it is a privilege.
We visit other student blogs and we discuss whether we agree with their posts, with their etiquette and we decide how we want to represent ourselves.
We discuss what constitutes an actual blog post and what we share with the world. We discuss the difference between Edmodo and Kidblog, and there are many.
I show them scary videos of giving out information on the internet to strangers, we discuss how the Internet is like the mall.
We talk, reflect and then have further discussions before we even do our first mouse click. we create a paper blog to get a feel for commenting and I show my own blog to show them the power of blogging.
And this isn’t an only at the beginning of the year conversation, it is an always conversation. We always discuss safety, we always practice it, and we remind each other whenever need be.

Then there is the ugly reality of cyber bullying, and yes we face it head on and battle it. I have never had another child bully a classmate through blogging. They revere it too much. That is not to say that all of my students love each other, they don’t, they are 10 years olds, but they do respect each other. And I think that is the most important ingredient to prevent cyber-bullying; respect. We respect each other, and the differences we may have. We respect the privilege that it is to have a blog, to have a voice to the world. We discuss how this is a big deal and how we would never want to hurt someone purposely or even shine ourselves in that light. There is no anonymity on our blog, I make sure of that, and the students would have to sign their name to any comment that they leave. While they may not always get a long we still have a sense of community that we work hard on achieving and maintaining from the very first moment we are together. I love my students as if they were my own kids and I think they feel that we are a family. That feeling takes us far.

Finally, the apprehension of parents. I have been incredibly lucky with my parent support but I have also worked hard for that. I have been completely transparent with the purpose and scope of our blogging. I have shown them examples and the direction in which I want to take the students. The communication is paramount to the success. I am not trying to exploit the works or thoughts of their children, and I am not bringing them into danger. They know I work hard to keep them safe and I think many of them appreciate the inherent internet safety message that these students embrace. But there is an opt out; blogging is not mandatory, nor is it part of their trimester report card grades. I have never had anyone take the option, they hear about it before they come to my room, and it is highlight for many. Parents understand that and I think they love seeing their child’s thoughts on so many times, their growth as a writer, and how their child is handling the responsibility.

Student blogging has changed the way I view my students and their voice. It is now an essential part of our classroom, our community, and of our curriculum. We revere, we tame it, and we use it properly; sometimes for fun and sometimes for serious study. There is no one solution to everything but there are several ingredients that have to be present if student blogging should be successful; respect, communication, transparency, and expectations. With those in place you will go far.

classroom expectations, classroom management, students

You Know Those Kids in 5th, They Become Those Kids in 6th…

February 15, 2012 Pernille Ripp

My 5th grade team met with some of the 6th grade team at the middle school, one of those rare occurrences where everyone’s schedule just meshes and you finally get to sit down and discuss expectations. Hallelujah! While the whole meeting was a gem to be a part of, one thing that struck me was that the kids who are struggling in elementary are the kids that end up struggling in middle school. Simple conclusion, yes, but think about the impact of that…

Those kids who have problems handing in work, or don’t know how to ask for help, or who sit back and wait for someone else to figure it out, they keep doing it in middle school. Those kids who don’t show up to school, or show up with half of their things, who seem unaffected when we ask where their work is, or why they didn’t finish something. Who horse around, who get in trouble at the blink of an eye, those kids that the whole school seems to know. Sure ,those kids come to us like that in 5th, much like they came to their teachers in 4th the same way, and yet I wonder; what are we doing to change their habits?

The age old system of losing recess, docking points for late assignments, a stern talking to, parent phone calls, and drill and kill don’t seem to be putting these kids on a different path. Neither does compassion and community, showing that you care and giving them extra time. We don’t seem to be having many eureka moments. So what can we change? How can we intervene differently? How can we stop the cycle? That’s what I left wondering after today.

being a teacher, internet safety

I Found 8 Students on Facebook…

February 12, 2012 Pernille Ripp

It finally happened; in a passing conversation my principal mentioned Facebook and one of our students. Curious I jumped onto my account typed in the name and there it was; his profile for the whole world to see. No protection, no privacy, but all the information you could want about this 10 year old kid. I noticed he had more than 800 friends and so I scrolled through and sure enough about 8 more of our 5th graders showed up and even some 4th and 3rd graders. Yes, I felt like a creepy stalker but also I couldn’t help but think why hadn’t anyone taught them about their privacy settings? I shouldn’t be able to see his pictures, his walls, his friends

This post is not to debate the merits of Facebook. I think a lot of 5th graders are on there, whether they should be or not. It is to discuss how we are not able to teach them the safety lessons they need when we stick our head in the sand and pretend they are not. I have written about it before and it continues to irk me. As a school we do internet safety, sure, which mainly teaches the kids how scary the Internet is, instead of devoting our time to teaching them how to use the internet properly.

Now some may argue that it really is the job of a parent, but with Facebook changing its privacy policy more times than I change shoes, can you blame them if they are as confused as their kids? So I propose that we as teachers figure out a way to teach the safety and proper privacy policy of Facebook. Maybe not in younger grades than 5th although my searching found 8 year olds on there, but there needs to be some sort of open discussion. There needs to be some sort of acknowledgement that these young kids are on there and that we need to teach them to do it right.

I have used Edmodo with my students and my students are probably more internet savvy than most other 4th or 5th graders. And while I like Edmodo one drawback is that my students don’t have control over their own settings. I set it all up so that they are protected. I decide what they can post and who they can post to. Edmodo is a step yes, but it is not enough simply because it is not the wide-open world of Facebook We don’t expect kids to learn how to drive by keeping them on a bumper-padded closed course either? Instead, we take them into the real world and navigate it with them, we need to do that with Facebook. Facebook comes with such immense responsibility; why are we skirting ours when it comes to teaching safety?

being me, blogging

Is Blogging Worth Our Time?

February 11, 2012 Pernille Ripp

In June 2010 I started to blog, a journey I will not bore you with here. Since then I have updated my blog, now blogs, almost on a daily basis, letting my thoughts, mistakes and achievements flow freely. Most of it here has been education related with snippets of my personal life shining through. The change in my life has been dramatic from the smallest things such as constantly thinking about whether I can blog about something or not, to large things like the time I have dedicated (thus losing it other places), the connections I have made, the conversations I have been engaged in and even the criticism I have faced from strangers and friends alike. So I wonder whether it is worth it?

Is blogging and baring your soul really worth it to anyone? Can we outweigh the negatives, the backlashes we may create in our professional lives all in the name of transparency? Can we say the time spent blogging has been worth it when I look at my daughter and see how she seems to be growing in front of me? The self-doubt created on whether I made my mind clear or if I just said something I shouldn’t have? The scrutiny faced by others when we put it all out there? Is it all worth it?

I started to blog because I needed to reflect on my journey as a changing educator, I blog now to keep myself honest, to reach others, to connect, and to perhaps change education. But am I really doing that? Is my investment worth it? Or are the goals too lofty? Can we really change education by blogging about it?

classroom management, classroom setup, organization

10 Easy Things You Can Change in Your Classroom Today

February 8, 2012 Pernille Ripp

Let’s be honest, most teachers at the halfway point in the year are feeling a little overwhelmed with all of the great ideas they want to implement. Our students are grooving, perhaps even getting a little too rambunctious, the routines are in place and yet it seems like there are so many things on our plate. So I present to you 10 simple things to change to make your life a little easier….

Assign jobs. I have jobs for everything and they change weekly. My students take attendance, pass back papers, run messages and help pick up the classroom. They love to help, they know it is expected, and together we take care of our room. I don’t have to hound people to do their jobs, at most I give them a reminder but it is a lot easier for me to say “Do your job” than remind 23 students to sign in every day.
Be on a need to know basis. My students don’t need to ask for permission to go to the bathroom or get a drink, just let me know either through a raised hand, a look or a gesture. Class keeps going, students take care of themselves, everybody is happy.
Have extras. This year has been the needy year for markers and calculators. Instead of asking whether they can borrow something students just grab whatever they need, put it back when they are done. If they accidentally take it home, so be it. I will have to find more then.
If you can, plan right away. After my morning math class my students leave for recess. I take that opportunity to finish correcting fact tests and plan the next day’s lessons. This works much better for me since what they are secure in or not is fresh in my mind. The next morning the lesson is ready to go and we are picking up right where we left off, reveiwing, securing and deepening our knowledge.
Keep a Google Calendar. On our classroom blog we have a Google calendar where I put everything related to the classroom as soon as I know. If I am gone from the classroom, it’s on there, if we have a large project due it is on there. Parents know I update it faithfully and go there to answer their questions regarding upcoming events. This has cut back on a lot of confusion and questions from everyone, plus I refer to it in later years.
In fact, have a classroom blog. Our blog is our hub of activity; upcoming events, extra project information, pictures, videos – all have a home on our classroom blog. The students post there sometimes, I post often, and parents have a place where they can go for the information they need. I showcase it on orientation and encourage them to add it to an RSS feed or get the email updates, this has cut back paper copies by a huge amount.
Ask your students. This has to be my mantra for our classroom. Winter is here, colds are all around us and I am pregnant – all reasons that lead to less creativity in lesson planning. Yet my students are still amzingly creative and have no problem sharing their ideas. The problem lies in that we forget to ask. So take 10 minutes at the beginning of a lesson and ask them what they would like to explore, what would they like to create and then actually listen to their ideas. I promise you, you will not be dissapointed. (And yes it can fit into your standards and goals no problem – those don’t dictate the path you take).
Dance a little. This time of year can be rather depressing, particularly with winter in Wisconsin, so to bring in a little bit of fun and a little bit of sun, we take 4 minutes to dance. The students pick the song (I usually check the lyrics) and then we crank it up. We get back to work right after with a smile on our face and tensions gone.
Ask your papers where they want to go. I used to have a very strict organizational system that required me to do a lot of thinking of where I put things. I cannot tell you how much time I spent trying to remember where I had organized something to. So one summer I decided to let my papers tell me where they wanted to go. Those places now have trays in them for said papers and everything is in its place. By letting your subconscious mind create your organizational system, things seems to stay organized.
Follow the one minute rule. I am a procrastinator when it comes to filing or dropping things off. It seems like I always have something more urgent to do than to take care of whatever I have in my hand. So now I live by the 1 minute rule; if it can be done in 1 minute, do it right away! My room is cleaner, my emails are more quickly answered, and I feel on top of things. I even do this at home, what a difference it makes in a home with a toddler!