Reflections on a Computational Thinking After School Club

I have always enjoyed doing after-school clubs. I think it is a great way for students to explore their passions and it gives the teacher and student a different way of relating to each other. I am always thinking of different clubs to facilitate and I usually do this by surveying the students to see what they are interested in.

Earlier this year I was looking to code a game for a phone. Looking online I came across GDevelop5. It is a game development program. After using it for a while and seeing that there are many tutorials available, I thought it would be a good thing to introduce to the students. 

So, I used that as the backdrop to the club. I called it "Coding Games on a MacBook" so that only Grade 5 and 6 students would join. (We are 1:1 starting in G5). 

The Plan

The plan was for them to work on the space shooter game. I chose this one because it had a tutorial and I had some experience with it. Students would follow a tutorial and build their game. I would be on hand to support them when they needed help. 

The Beginning

I flubbed the first day. I jumped straight into showing them how to follow a tutorial. I should have let them explore and see what kinds of games you can make. So I had some students trying to follow the tutorial and some just playing. 

They were not interested in reading. Looking back I can see now that when a ten-year-old hears the words "video games", their minds jump to playing it. Also, when people do not have experience coding or creating [digitally], they might not know the knowledge base one needs to build. 

Continuing on ... 

So for Session 1, I had them go through the tutorial on their own. For Session 2, I decided to lead them through the space shooter game. I figured that either it would go smoothly and all students would make a game in a session or two, or I would go very slowly and students would get bored and try it on their own. 

After the first time leading students through, one G5 student started to go ahead on her own. I used her as an example for the others - showing her work to the other students as an example. A G6 student started to go off on his own and explore the graphics. He drew a new character and found a new background image. 

From there, students started trying things on their own. Yesterday one student showed me that he had added enemies to his game and said he was going to add movement to the enemies next.

We got into a good rhythm so now that the break has started, I have time to make more videos for the lessons.

How to Create an Essential Agreement About Technology With Your Child

What is an Essential Agreement?

When you went to school, were rules posted on the wall for all to see? I don’t remember rules being posted in my classroom when I was in school, but since I became a teacher, we teachers have been asked to post them in our classrooms each year. 

If your child is attending an IB (International Baccalaureate) school, they probably have something called an Essential Agreement hanging in their classroom. An Essential Agreement is a common understanding or “set of rules” among the members of a community about what everyone’s common values are. We try not to call them rules because rules are made by someone in authority and imposed on someone else.

An essential agreement can look differently depending on the school, classroom, and teacher. Usually you will find a list of rules written in positive language about how the students want the classroom to look and feel. In most cases, students will sign the agreement to show that they have had a chance to add their input, have read it, and understand it.

Why have an Essential Agreement?

An essential agreement is a common understanding that is co-constructed by members of a group. When creating an essential agreement for a classroom, the essential agreement represents what it is they want their class to look, sound, and be like.

There are many benefits to having a co-constructed agreement. Maybe the most important is agency. Allowing your child to help make decisions about what is included in the agreement and help construct their own, they will feel more a part of the process and feel more ownership.

When we have a chance to offer our opinions and give input on a process, we feel more attached to it like we own it. When we have had a chance to offer our opinions on a rule or policy, chances are that we also would have had the chance to offer alternative ideas that we can discuss.

How

Talk about the 5W’s (Who, What, When, Where, Why, How) relating to technology use in your classroom. 

Who - Who can use certain devices? 

Can your child use your phone? Can your child’s friends use their computer? 

Try to think of all your devices and who should be using them.

What - The devices themselves

What sorts of activities should your child be using the computer for? Are they creating as well as consuming content?

When - When are acceptable times to be using devices?

Can your child use their computer after bedtime? Can they use it while eating? Talk about the times it is appropriate to use the computer. 

Where - Where are good places to use them

Where is a good place to use the computer? Is a table with drinks on it the best place? Should it be used in a place with food around? Talk about the best places to use the computer for both productivity and the care of the device.

Examples

 Use the Common Sense Media Family Media Agreement 

Homework

What? Homework? OK, let’s call it a Call to Action.

Your Call to Action is to have a conversation with your child about technology (See the blog post How to Talk with Your Child About Technology for guidance.) 

Step 1. Talk about what technology use looks like

What does it look like for you? 

What does it look like for your child?

Step 2. Talk about where you should use technology

It would be a good idea to have an agreement that the screen should always be visible. This is so everyone can look back to it as a reminder.

Step 3. Make an Agreement

A document where you can record what you talk about is a good idea. It can be kept on the wall or refrigerator as a reminder of what you talked about. Also talk about what should happen if and when the agreement is broken. 

I recommend using Common Sense Media’s Family Agreement as a start. If it doesn’t work for you, make your own or adjust it.

Step 4. Implement your Agreement

Start following your agreement right away. If you find your agreement is not working, have a talk with your child about why it is not working and what can be done to make it better. 

Don't Let the Process Inhibit Innovation

I have been thinking about this a lot recently. 

Photo by Alex Knight on Unsplash

There are times when teachers put in place steps for students to meet when building or creating. Sometimes it can feel that we are teaching students how to take steps and reflect along the way. But other times those are obstacles that can demotivate and actually crush the creativity we are trying to develop. 

Building Executive Function: Now You See It, Now You Don't

I am reading about executive function in the brain and how essential it is to everything we do. 

The executive functions are a set of processes that all have to do with managing one's resources in order to achieve a goal. 

(Cooper-Kahn, Dietzel, 2008, p. 10 as cited in Sulla, 2018 ) 

I might add something like skills to "resources" since Sulla talks about how we need to be able to analyze, evaluate, and reflect when doing the somewhat simple task of fixing drywall.

But I was more interested in the teaching activities this book would offer. 

The first activity suggested to help build executive function was something called "Now You See It, Now You Don't".

Tableau I, 1921, Kunstmuseum Den Haag

This is similar to the game memory. But you try to remember specific details of the picture when describing it. For example, you would show students a picture for a short amount of time, then hide the picture from them. The students would try to describe the images in as much detail as they could.

I can see this working with one of our Units of Inquiry. For example, for a unit on the elements of art, maybe you could show students an art image that has strong line elements to it. After revealing the image, you could ask not only details they saw, but this could also be an opening to talk about the art and how line was used in the image. 

I also think an activity like this would be great for EAL students and building their vocabulary. 

Sulla, N., 2018. Building Executive Function. 1st ed. New York: Routledge, p.2.

"Piet Mondrian” Wikipedia.org, Nov. 2 2021, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piet_Mondrian.

How to talk to your child about technology usage

Integrating technology into teaching and learning makes up a large part of our program at OYIS. Students are required to use their devices in class and it is expected that they make good decisions when using the device. Getting your child their own device is a big step for both your family and for your child. For children, it is a powerful tool they can use to interact with friends, play games, and connect to the world in general. For parents, it can be stressful and, at times, challenging to navigate. But negotiating an agreement with your child doesn't have to be as complicated as you may think. 

Already your child's homeroom teacher talks with students about how to responsibly use technology at school. At home, talking with your child about technology usage will alleviate many problems that will arise.  Ideally, we should allow children to have some agency in how they use their devices and help them to make good choices. 

A good place to start is with the 5 W’s - Where, when, what, who, why, and how. Beginning with the 5 W’s as a starting point, you can open lines of communication with your child and establish the rules you have as a family regarding areas such as screen time, storage, and safe sites. 

So, what might this look like?

WHERE

Where the device can be used in the home is a simple and effective way to begin the conversation. Think about the places in your home where you might use the device and talk about where a good location might be. 

One rule of thumb is to keep screens visible. Children should not go into their rooms to "do homework" or be able to keep their screens hidden from view. Establish a norm at your home to always use computers with the screens being visible. 

Photo by Dawid Liberadzki on Unsplash

A good way to keep computer screens visible is by having the screens face the center of the room.

When talking about where devices can be used, also consider the physical care of the device. Keeping the device away from liquids and food will help it to last longer. 

For example, a conversation could start by asking one of the following questions:

• Where is a good place to use devices? [image] 

• Is it OK to use the computer at the dining room table, or is that not a good place because of food?

• Is it OK to use a computer on the floor, or is that not a good place because it might be stepped on? 

Allow your child to arrive at an answer about where they can use the device, but also be flexible about allowing the conversation to be open to other questions and topics as well. It will be natural for the conversation to move to when, what, who, why, and how questions next. 

WHEN

“When” questions are a good chance to bring up the topic of sleep. You can discuss how the device affects sleep and why they should not use it two hours before they go to bed.

Other questions might be:

• When is a good time to use the device?

• Should it be used late at night?

• Should it be used right when they wake up?

• Can it be used before reading or homework?

WHAT

It is important to show children that devices can be used to create amazing things that we can share. We can create art, movies, podcasts, books, or almost anything we can think of. With that in mind, it suddenly can seem like a waste of time to always consume content by watching movies or playing games.

The key is balance. How much time should you be doing for each?

• Talk about what the device should be used for. 

• What should I use the device for?

• How much time should I be spending on my device?

• Can the device be used for only watching videos or playing games?

• What can we create using the device?

WHO

The internet is mostly used for communication and information exchange, so talking about appropriate people to communicate with will come up in conversation. The question of “who” could also lead you to talk about who your child can share their device with. Also, be aware that many children share their passwords with each other. This should be avoided. In general, children should only share passwords with parents and teachers. If your child would like to collaborate with a friend, encourage them to find a service that allows them to do so without sharing an account. 

A few questions to guide the conversation on who:

• Who should I be communicating with right now? 

• Who should you be communicating with online?

• Is it a good idea to let others use your computer?

• Is it a good idea to let others have your passwords?

Finding your niche online is a process we all go through. But it is best to let your child know they should keep themselves safe online by being aware of who they can trust. 

WHY, and HOW 

Also, talk about why you are using the device and how you will use it. 

• If you are using the device to mostly consume, is it for school?

• Can you be creating something instead of simply consuming information? (One of the PYP Learner Profiles is to be Knowledgeable. Being Knowledgeable means that you share your knowledge with others.)

These questions can help you find a balance for the device that works for your household and can give your child ideas for how technology can be used. When talking to your child, you can use the school's technology agreement [K-2, 3-4, 5-6] or the Common Sense Media Family Agreement as a conversation starter. Read it together with your child with the questions above in mind. If their agreement works for your family - that is great! Use it. If not, there are places to add your own ideas, or you could even write a new one together with your child. 

CITATIONS 

Kaohsiung American School 1:1 Parent Presentation

Shifting Our Schools Podcast: Episode 173

Hidden in Plain Sight - Ep. 01 - The Yodogawa River

I want to blame the janky writing on me using translation, but most of it is just me. There's more to research, but I am interested in just getting this started. Here is episode 1.

Listen on Anchor

===

I grew up in Minnesota where three large rivers cut through the state: the Minnesota River, the St. Croix River, and of course, the Mississippi River. There may be more but it's been a long time since I went away and these are the three I had the most exposure with. I remember fishing in them, boating in them, biking along them, and looking across the shores where in many instances the shore slopes into the water at an almost flat incline.

I now live near the Yodogawa in Osaka. Where I am, just north of Umeda, the Yodogawa is wide and usually flows pretty slow. The thing I noticed first was how straight the Yodogawa is in my area of the river. It kind of bends around the JR Kyoto Line bridge, but is pretty straight from there to Osaka Bay.

Another thing I noticed was how the shore seemed a little odd. In places around the Juso bridge, the shore is a concrete wall. Understandable since that used to be a shipping dock area. But I had expected to see the river and the shore meets in a way that I had been used to seeing in Minnesota where the shore gently slopes into the river.

I chalked it up to a simple case of human development. All along the north side of the river, there is a large embankment I had assumed was just built to protect the houses from flooding. Several times I have seen storm surges push water a third of the way up the embankment. I realized the embankment was reasonable for the government to erect. But why did they do it?


The Yodogawa Basin in the Edo Era

It turns out, the Yodogawa River of today is different from the way it looked in the Edo Era. There used to be three larger rivers that flowed in the area where the current Yodogawa flows. They were combined into one great river to ease flooding. The thinking was that a single wide river would prevent flooding in the area. An added benefit was that ships would be able to move into the river more easily.



The New River

The old Yodogawa River flowed through the city. But the construction restricted the water that flowed through the city. The Nakatsu River was widened and straightened and became the Yodogawa that we see today. The Kanzaki River is still here a little farther to the north.



My Yodogawa

The north side of the river in my area around Nakajima is more beautiful than the city side in my opinion. The north side has a view of downtown and a river park. But it holds a dark secret. I heard because downtown is the economic center, it would be disastrous should a flood happen. So on the north side, there are flood gates that can be opened if they need to let water out of the river. Is that also the reason for the park on the north side. Does that also double as a flood plain? Next time you look at the Yodogawa River near Osaka, notice the shores and how unnatural they look.



The Nakatsu River

I did some research to see if I could find the old Nakatsu River because I was afraid I am living on its former riverbed. I came across a site that showed me the Hanakawa Shrine near Tsukumoto was the "nose" of the river. (I am still trying to figure this one out, but I think it's a small peninsula.) Then I did some more reading and found that the Sumiyoshi Shrine near that one actually butted up against the river.

The roads in this area make unusual and seemingly unnecessary turns.

http://blog.livedoor.jp/osakawalker/archives/51847937.html

I'll have to find a better map of the whole river.

Fun fact

There is a river that flows out of the area of Osaka near Baika and Torishima called the Shorenji River. On a map it looks like it is coming out of nowhere. I'll have to do some more investigating, but I think this is the former mouth of the Nakatsu River.







Sources
https://www.kkr.mlit.go.jp/yodogawa/know/history/now_and_then/kouji.html
http://blog.livedoor.jp/osakawalker/archives/51847937.html
https://osaka-hk.org/posts/senjin138

How to Talk to Your Child About Technology Usage

Draft

Getting your child their own laptop (device) is a big step for your family. For your child, it is a powerful tool they can use to meet their friends, play games, and connect to the world in general.

For parents, it can be a little stressful. The key is to start by talking with your child and keep an open dialog.

This doesn't have to be a complicated conversation. A good rule of thumb is to use the 5 W's (Where, When, What, Who, Why, and How) to guide the conversation.


WHERE
Where is a good place to use devices?

Think about the locations in your home where you might use the device and talk about where a good place might be. 

For example:

• Is it OK to use it at the dining room table, or is that not a good place because of food?
• Is it OK to use it on the floor, or is that not a good place because it might be stepped on? 

One rule of thumb is to keep screens visible. Children should not go into their rooms to "do homework". Establish a norm at your home to always use computers with the screens being visible.

When talking about where devices can be used, also consider the physical care of the device. Keeping the device away from liquids and food will help it to last longer. 

WHEN

When is a good time to use the device?

• Should children use it late at night?
• Should it be used right when they wake up?
• Can it be used before reading or homework?

This is also a good chance to bring sleep into the conversation. You can talk about how the device affects sleep and why they should not use it two hours before they go to bed.


WHAT
Talk about what the device should be used for. 

• Can the device be used for only watching videos or playing games?
• What can we create using the device?

It is important to show children that devices can be used to create amazing things that we can share. We can create art, movies, podcasts, books, anything we can think of. With that in mind, it suddenly can seem like a waste of time to always watch movies or play games.

The key is balance. How much time should you be doing for each?

WHO

Talk about who you should be collaborating with.

• Who should I be communicating with right now? This question could lead to an answer of no one.
• Who should you be communicating with online?
• Is it a good idea to let others have your passwords?

In general, social media is for ages 13+, but I have seen younger children have accounts that were most likely set up with a parent's help. This should be avoided. If it cannot be avoided, the parent should be in control of the account.

In general, children should only share passwords with parents and teachers. 

 

WHY, and HOW 
Also talk about why you are using the device and how you will use it. 

• If you are using the device to mostly consume, is it for school?
• Can you be creating something instead of consuming?

The main idea of all of this is to allow the child to have some agency in how they use the device. These questions can help you negotiate a way to use the device that works for your household. 

Even if your children are very young, conversations about the internet and technology use can happen. It can be as simple as "thinking out loud" about what you are doing and why you are doing it. While using the internet, you could say, "Right now I am searching for a restaurant near Osaka Station." Or, "I am editing our family photos from the trip we took to Tokyo."

These reminders plant the seeds for how technology can be used.

Use the school's technology agreement or the Common Sense Media agreement as a conversation starter. I will talk about the media agreement in the next post.

Credits 

Shifting Our Schools Podcast: Episode 173

Kaoshuing American School 1:1 Parent Presentation

A Loose Parts Story

Last week I was outside with the early years students and saw an awesome example of Loose Parts Play unfold. While I saw it unfold, it is not surprising it did unfold for the teacher has made loose parts play a part of his curriculum so it has been set up to happen.

In the beginning ...

Parts were gathered and brought into school. The parts were set out for the students to play with. They included: blocks, nails and screws, tents, and wood pallets.

The students were able to gravitate to the things they wanted to play with and who they wanted to play with. 

One student started building with the pallets.

Another student joined in.

More students joined in.

The teacher saw the interest of the students and stepped in to help make the structure more safe.

In the end ...

They had created a new flexible playspace. They had already started adding new parts to it when my time with them was finished.

Dinopass: A Tool For Students To Make Passwords

Making new passwords can be challenging - and that is for adults. When I have seen the passwords that some of my students come up with, they can be a little too simplistic. (Or worse a slide across the keyboard.)

When I talk to adults or older students, I recommend they choose a sentence as a password. 

However, some students have difficulty doing that. 

I recently came across a great tool for students who have a challenging time making passwords. This tool called dinopass creates a random password for students. It has two modes: simple and strong. 

My Advice To A Parent About How To Talk With Their Child About Media Use

Today I spoke with a student's father who is a little distraught over his child's device usage. This was the first of many conversations we will have.

Here is my reply to him.

Hello Mr. Smith,

Thank you again for talking with me today. I just wanted to send a resource to you. 

The first is a family agreement to get a dialog started with Jonny. I recommend going over it with him and making sure you are both on the same page in terms of Jonny's device usage. If he agrees with everything in this contract- great! There is extra space to write in additional ideas.

If there are points of disagreement, that could open a dialog and negotiation where you could ask questions like:

... where good places to use the device. Is the kitchen table OK? The living room? The floor? I recommend that you say the device screen must always be visible.

... when good times to use the device are.

... how the device should be used. Here I would focus on creating rather than consumption. (This would be like doing digital art rather than watching YouTube all the time.)

... what activities are worthwhile when using the computer and which are not so beneficial?

The family agreement might need to be rewritten if you come up with different ideas.

I will continue to look for ways to have more control over what Jonny can do with the computer.

I am looking forward to talking to you again next Friday, September 13 at 9:00 am.

Please let me know if you have any questions before that time,

Tom Hammerlund

"Students should be banned from YouTube"

Google is rolling out several changes to their Terms of Service and what you can and cannot do with certain apps. I first noticed this when I logged into my Blogger account and a brief scan of the changes told me that students would not be able to use Blogger anymore.

Then I was forwarded this video which basically says the same thing. All users not labeled over 18 will be blocked from creating channels on YouTube and will be restricted from other services.

This brought up an interesting conversation with my coworker who made the statement, "Students should be banned from YouTube".

The crux of her argument was that kids should not be thinking that being a YouTuber is a job. 

So I replied, well, yes it is.

Then she said something like it's not a real job and gave an example of a video being posted about what a person did over the summer. 

So I pointed out that her example sounds like an assignment I might have my own students do. 

Then she said that you don't need skills to be a YouTuber.

I thought about the skills that are required:

• Creativity 
• Video Editing 
• Digital Citizenship
• Synthesis
• Writing
• Communication
• Critical Thinking
• Media Literacy

I could go on, but my point was that I thought she should have a coffee and relax a bit.

I do agree somewhat with Google on this issue. I don't think students need all the access they have had. But, I wonder why Blogger is getting blocked and if that is more of a Google-not-policing-content issue rather than a child protection issue. As for YouTube, I mostly see benefits students having a school YouTube channel or being able to watch a live stream.

I guess I am disappointed they are being so heavy handed. My guess is that there is a lot of pressure from governments on this issue. 

What will happen though, is that kids will open their own private accounts and use those instead. 

Create a Digital Breakout Room using Google Sheets

I have been working on a "digital puzzle" that can be used with students. This can be used in any subject, but for me, a specialist teacher without a home classroom,  I wanted something I could use with teachers. 

The prototype was this robot I found on Pixabay. But like I said, for teachers, I wanted to do something that challenged them to get all the answers without guessing what the picture was.

Today I tried making a puzzle that revealed a QR code and it worked.  

The QR code opens up more possibilities for what I can do with this. 

If you are interested in making this for yourself, I wrote out the directions here. 

The Skills to Create

I was asked recently, "did you do any interesting tech projects over the summer?" 

My initial thought was a resounding, "NO!" But then I thought about it another half second and answered, "Actually, I figured out how to make a puzzle in Google Sheets where every time you answer a question it reveals a part of the picture."

I was thinking of that tonight and was wondering what it would take for a student to do that same thing.

My story is that I found something similar on Instagram. It was linked to a paid site. I wanted the template but didn't want to pay for it, so I thought, "I've been learning a little Google Sheets. I will try to make it myself."

My prototype

How did I do it?

1. I found the post with the template. 

2. I thought I could figure out how to do it myself.

3. I knew it had to use the "IF" function. 

4. I knew how to search for the information I wanted. 

5. Since I couldn't find the exact information I wanted, I had to know enough to make connections to fill in the gaps.

6. Tried and tried until I got it.

What skills and attitudes did I need?

1. Found inspiration

2. Had the confidence I could do it myself.

3. Had prior knowledge

4. Had search skills

5. Application

6. Grit

So if a student were to do the same task they would need to ...

1. Find the inspiration (be curious)

2. Have confidence in their own ability

3. Have prior knowledge

4. Have basic research skills

5. Be able to apply information

6. Have grit

I suppose finding inspiration was also curiosity since I did follow that account.

It is also interesting to see what kinds of PYP ATL skills they need.

1. Gathering & Recording

2. Evaluation

3. 

4. Consuming & Processing

5. Application

6. Resilience

I don't know - I don't really have a good one for #3. But this was an interesting thought exercise. I wonder what it would be like to ask students to do this for an activity. 

1. Write the steps you did.

2. Write the ATL for each step.

Grab the template to the puzzle here.

Audiblogs Went Paid!

I don't blame Audiblogs for going to a pay model. I am just disappointed.

Audiblogs is an extension that will convert web pages to audio. The kicker is that it can then send those audio files as a podcast. I tested it out in the beginning of the summer and enjoyed being able to listen to articles (and PDF documents) instead of sit in front of my screen to read them.

Well, I tried it out today and was met with a paywall. 

I get it. We all need to eat. I am just disappointed (there's that word again) the developers didn't consider a few free articles a month.

I was just about to recommend it to teachers at my school.

Well, a short Google search after that brought me to a bunch of alternatives - many of sites have a feature to download the mp3 file. 

I tried out naturalreaders.com and it seems like a good alternative, but downloading the files costs a fee.

Thinking Time

I have noticed something about myself and the way I solve problems. Not always but, I tend to need a lot of time to think and play with ideas in order to arrive at a solution.

I played around with different ideas before arriving at the final idea, as well as the code, for the initial extensions I made. 

version 1.0

Today I finally made a Google Sheet that would reveal a part of the picture when you get the right answer. I have been playing around with that one for a week or so, and it just clicked today based on some Googling and some connections to prior knowledge. 

It didn't work initially because I had the code wrong. 

Then it didn't work because the image URLs didn't work.

After a few hours today, I got it to work and have a final product. 

version 2.0

I guess what I need to remember is that sometimes it is good to put projects on the back burner and return to them at a later time.

Here is the post on how I made the Google Sheet and a link to make a copy.

First Year Reflections

This post has been waiting to be written for a few weeks.

I call it my "first year" despite being in my fourth year at my current school for a few reasons. The first reason being each year has felt like a new year, but more relevantly because this was my first year as PYP Learning Support and Technology Coach.

Photo by Edi Libedinsky on Unsplash

This was a new position for both me and the school. I had been a technology coach before, but it was at a different school [KAS]-- and a completely different situation [K-12 vs K-6].

What worked for me at KAS was:

• An open schedule (Well, only 10 hours of teaching a week)
• Support - the person who hired me had a vision for what he wanted the coaching program to look like
• Weekly meetings with my boss - the Tech Director
• A group of teachers who would support teachers and meet once a month to talk about tech issues and ideas in the school

This year started:

• Weekly meetings with PYPC
• Weekly meetings with Tech Director
• The role
• Started Tech Tuesdays

Not everything worked -- the Tech Tuesdays will be rolled into the weekly faculty meetings and I will try meeting with teachers during that time when we have time to meet with specialist teachers.

Help People See What They Don't See

Today on my walk I listened to a few podcasts. The last two I listened to were connected to each other and to coaching. 

The first podcast I listened to was Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud: Personalized Professional Learning: Teacher Voice and Choice in Coaching.

In this episode, he showed an example coaching where he asked the following questions:

• Can you describe the teaching situation?
• How much will you need to modify to do what you want to do?
• What is the specific activity you will do?
• What is the most important thing the kids will do?
• What is the most important outcome of the lesson? What is the most important thing you will need the kids to do?
• What will the kids do in the lesson that will help them reach the outcome?
• What are the most important things for you as the teacher to do to help them reach the outcome?
• What would you like me to give you feedback on?

The second one was The Psychology Podcast with Scott Barry Kaufman: Lori Gottlieb and Guy Winch || Dear Therapists.

In this podcast, Lori Kaufman talked about how she is not teaching the people she works with because they know more than her. What she says she does is help people see what they don't see. 

Photo by Marten Newhall on Unsplash

help people see what they don't see

So often I feel intimidated when working with other teachers because I do not know their content. But that is not as important as helping them pinpoint areas they want to work on.

A plan for the school to integrate BML, or EAL, teaching in all subjects

Last year I took the course, BILINGUAL & MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS FROM THE INSIDE-OUT. 

A plan for the school to integrate BML, or EAL, teaching in all subjects

How I Would Structure Home Learning If I Were A Parent

The past few weeks have had me feeling like I have been living in a movie. This situation doesn't seem real.

Last week I was talking with a friend in the United States who told me his kids would be learning from home after the schools close.

I have been virtual teaching for the past three weeks, but have had to try to stay as close to my program as I could. However, if my kids came home without a program, I might do something like this. I would start with the choice of the child.

Have your child start with a driving question. Then record [for them] other questions that come up. Or, if that looks like it will get in the way, encourage them to follow the questions they have.

Below are some links and sites that might be useful.

This post is unfinished but I am going through and just trying to publish past posts.


STEAM PROJECTS

I think STEAM [Science Technology Engineering Arts Math] projects are the heart of learning because they are interdisciplinary and mirror the real world. If I

EXPLORATORIUM
https://www.exploratorium.edu/

SCRATCH
https://scratch.mit.edu/

BYRDSEED TV
https://byrdseed.tv/students/index.php?kids=true

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-STEM-At-Home-Learning-Menus-5333225




PBL WORKS

https://www.pblworks.org/blog/beyond-worksheet-packet-pbl-projects-adapt-remote-learning


PE

GO NOODLE
https://www.gonoodle.com/good-energy-at-home-kids-games-and-videos/



SCHOLASTIC

https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.html



READING

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/education/resource-library

newsela.com



Local Library

Library Extension
https://www.libraryextension.com/


WRITING

Writing would be taken from what is happening around.

journaling
opinion writing
informational writing
story writing


MATH

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mkFhrrzlyLJeXKkD_L9g--RNI9hWUra_UEFmdd3dvwQ/preview#




FIELD TRIPS

https://www.travelandleisure.com/attractions/museums-galleries/museums-with-virtual-tours


https://nepris.com/industry/talks


OTHERS

DUOLINGO


FENDER PLAY