Vol. 4 – October 21, 2011

Coaching Site = http://share21.org Community Site = http://share21.wall.fm Page 1 of 3

iCoach  1.0

 

Mentor  Message:  In making site visits to the high schools, Ed and I have observed some frustration and difficulty as teachers are getting started with PBL and 21st Century skills. We’ve also been in schools where teachers and students are jumping into 21st Century skills and problem-based learning. Calculus students shared their Prezis with me and explained the work they had done that was shown in their Prezis. Their excitement was evident as they presented their work. They had collaborated and were extremely creative in the ways they interpreted the problem and illustrated their findings. Our hope is that some of you will share the successes you’re seeing by describing them in Share21.wall.fm. Keep in mind that change is messy and it does not move evenly. Rather, change moves in jumps and halts, sometimes moving backward before taking off in a forward direction. Thanks for all that you do. Carol Dodson, Mentor

 

Information:  Upcoming Meeting at ORC – Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2011 9:15 am-4:00 pm. Be sure to respond to the eEvent invite to register for the event.

Vol. 4 – October 21, 2011

Coaching Site = http://share21.org Community Site = http://share21.wall.fm Page 2 of 3

iCoach  1.0

 

 

Implementation: How are you using your time in the schools?

1. Rigor and Relevance Work – Your team should be having meaningful conversations with you about the level of rigor in the lessons they plan and in the work they assign to students. If your team has developed a tool, please share it with the other teams. http://share21.wall.fm.

2. Generate discussion with the team on some deeply held beliefs and practices. Use the USA Today article, “'Flipped' classrooms take advantage of technology,” about flipping the classroom. http://tinyurl.com/4xcezcr

3. Are you in the classrooms weekly? How much time are you devoting to debriefing, offering feedback, and suggesting additional resources to the teachers?

4. Have you created a group on the Share21.wall.fm site with your teachers to share ideas, create groups, and link with other projects?

5. Share a resource – English language arts and social studies teachers will love this site, as will some math and science teachers. With this fake facebook wall generator, your students can easily create fake profile pages, showing what they have learned about an historical character, scientist, mathematician, or writer. View samples of John Lennon, FDR, and other famous people at http://myfakewall.com/.

Vol. 4 – October 21, 2011

Coaching Site = http://share21.org Community Site = http://share21.wall.fm Page 3 of 3

iCoach  1.0

 

Inspiration:  Wrong Focus: Teacher-Centered Classrooms and Technology “Look at the front of the classroom from the students' perspective. What do they see?” “Now flip it. What do educators see when looking at students?” Read this article written by Ryan Bretag for “Leader Talk,” the Education Week blog, for thoughtful insights about technology in the classroom http://tinyurl.com/ryan-bretag Are You Making A Difference? Adobe Youth Voices http://www.youthvoices.adobe.com Adobe Youth Voices provides samples, ideas, and inspiration for project-based learning. This creative process offers opportunities for students to formulate media project ideas and themes, plan their production, review their work and the work of others, and share their original work with an audience.