Vocaroo your Kids into Self-Directed Learning

Think of all the ways that kids lose instructional time waiting.  Kids miss instructional time each time they have to leave the classroom to take an oral administration of a test but they also lose valuable time each time they have to wait for the teacher to direct their learning.  But it's even harder to get kids to drive their own learning, especially if kids are conditioned to wait for the adult before they take charge of their learning.

Well have no fear; Vocaroo is here. Vocaroo (CLICK HERE) is a cool tool that will keep kids engaged in learning, but the powerful potential in Vocaroo goes far beyond it's basic use as a digital tool to orally adminster tests.  Below are 5 ways that you can use Vocaroo to enhance your instruction and strengthen student engagement at the same time.

Listen to my short vocaroos below, and if you want to experiment with Vocaroo, click the record and upload voice button.  THE BEST PART about Vocaroo is that it is EASY to USE.  Honestly, I made each 30-45 second Vocaroo in about 2 minutes from start to finish which also includes embedding it into this post.  I hope you will check it out.

Oral Administration of Tests


Record and upload voice >>


Bell Ringers & Exit Tickets


Audio recording >>
Collaborative Learning Groups


Voice Recorder >>


QR Codes for Independent Tasks


Voice Recorder >>

Vocaroo QR Code
Try it out!

Science Fairs (or other student products)


Online recording software >>


How Do You Vocaroo? 
Drop a comment or an idea of how we can use Vocaroo to meet the needs of kids while simultaneously creating an environment that challenges kids to take charge and be self-directed in their learning.

Change your Words; Change your Mindset

Nothing is more powerful or more limiting than the spoken word, and in education we say a lot of words. Some words push kids and peers forward, while some words stop others dead in their tracks. If you think about it, we say a lot of 4-letter words in education (not those 4-letter words :-)) that truly limit students and colleagues from reaching their innate potential and we must address that.  

Today's post is not about eradicating words but reconsidering how we use them. Below are a few 4-letter, fixed mindset words that we need to either eliminate from our vocabulary or transform our use of them from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset.  

Pass

Fixed Mindset - He passed the test, assignment, class, year 

Growth Mindset - He has made x amount of progress from the last test, last grading period, or last year.

Fail

Fixed Mindset - She failed. 

Growth Mindset - She is failing in the following areas, but she has these concepts under control. 

Can't 

Fixed Mindset - He can't do this work. 

Growth Mindset - He presently struggles with this skill, and here's the plan to help him overcome his deficit. 

Don't 

Fixed Mindset - We don't do that around her. 

Growth Mindset - We haven't done that before, but we can learn more about it to see if it will help us better help kids learn. 

Like

Fixed Mindset - I like the work you're doing. 

Growth Mindset - Here's what I Iike about the work you're doing. 

Good

Fixed Mindset - Good job. 

Growth Mindset - Good growth, good progress, good improvement. 

What would you Change?

Drop a comment and share a word that you would add or an idea that we should all keep in mind. We mustn't forget that when we change our words, we also change our mindset. 

18 Traits of a Great Leader

Gr8 leaders are the difference between success and failure.  They grow kids into learners and followers into leaders.  In fact, the gr8est leaders turn static organizations into thriving learning environments, but here is the question.  What does it take to be a gr8 leader?  What do the gr8 ones do that separate themselves from average leaders?

18 Tr8s of a Gr8 Leader
Elev8
Great leaders focus on elevating their people as well as elevating their confidence.

Rel8
Great leaders relate to all people in their school community because they understand that relationships with all people are the key to helping all kids reach excellence.

Medi8

When conflicts arise, great leaders spring to action.  They resolve conflicts by attempting to mediate as a first resort because they understand that when mediation works, conflicts can end with a Win-Win result.

Deb8
Great leaders love to argue and debate with people.  By being the devil's advocate in important discussions and decisions, leaders help people become more committed to their beliefs and ultimately their work.

Celebr8
What gets celebrated gets accelerated, and great leaders build celebration into their daily work and interactions with all people.

Deceler8

When things aren't working or new initiatives are falling apart, leaders realize that they must slow down the process to allow people time to learn more about the initiative or fix what is not working.  Gr8 leaders pump the brakes. 

Acceler8
When leaders see that processes are working, they find ways to accelerate the organization because they know that growth grows faster when we are moving faster. 

Formul8
When problems arise on the campus, average leaders formulate a plan to find a solution, but great leaders formulate a system that ensures that the problem is resolved and never resurfaces for years to come.

Educ8
Keeping people informed is what average leaders do, but great leaders educate their teachers, their parents, and their community on what is best for all kids and why it is best.

Medit8
Average leaders never stop, but great leaders realize that they must take mental breaks. Meditation and reflection are essential for growth, and great leaders know how to shut down in order to reboot their system.

Demonstr8
An average leader tells people what to do. A great leader shows them the way.

Communic8
All leaders communicate, but great leaders overcommunicate verbally, visibly and virtually.  They communicate their message multiple times in multiple formats to ensure that the communication is not only received, but they verify that the communication is clear and coherent.  The most important communication trait of a great leader is LISTENING.

Collabor8
Collaboration always outperforms isolation, and great leaders model collaboration by working in a PLC with their teachers, fellow leaders and peers.  You can't expect collaboration if you never collaborate yourself.

Appreci8
Constantly showing appreciation for leaders, teachers, students and the community is consistently evident in a great leader's communication.

Emul8
Great leaders seek out excellent practices from other leaders and teachers and emulate those behaviors in their work.

Replic8
When great leaders discover excellence in teachers or programs, they find ways to replicate those practices throughout the school by empowering those exemplars of excellence to show others their success and expertise.

Cre8
Great leaders only create when they can't replicate, and they enlist the expertise of others to create new and effective processes to improve the school.


Dedic8
Being all in is not an option for great leaders. They dedicate themselves wholeheartedly to the success of others.  Furthermore, they model their dedication for all to see, so that they can inspire others to commit as well.

Gr8 Tr8s lead to ∞ Growth
The possibilities for systemic growth are infinite when leaders focus on having the traits of a transformational leader.  There a lot of other excellent traits that I could have mentioned, but here is the main idea. When leaders embody the actions of excellence, student success grows because teacher success grows.  Great leaders realize that they don't directly impact students, but they do directly impact teachers, and when leaders focus on developing their own skill set to make teachers more effective and more efficient at helping kids, student success automatically takes care of itself.  

Convert your Peeps into Tweeps

I had a message from a friend the other day asking me to help her get a professional Twitter account started, and she asked me to name some people that she should follow.  That's a hard question for me, a person that is connected to so many people.  After thinking about it, I gave up on her request and created a Google Sheet with lots of people that I connect with.  These are not necessarily the most popular or my favorites. They are a great starting point for building your PLN.   These folks are people that I interact with on different levels.  Some are superintendents.  Some are teachers.  Some are advocates, but all have one thing in common.  They help me grow.

As educators, we should encourage our colleagues to start a twitter account.  After all, Twitter is the exponent of learning.  To start a Twitter account, you need to create a stream of good content that will provide a wealth of information.  However, getting started on Twitter is hard, especially if you are uncomfortable interacting with complete strangers, but I hope this list along with these steps will help convert your Peeps into Tweeps.

How to Convert your Peeps into Tweeps

Step 1 - Follow these Folks

Now this is not everyone that I learn from.  In fact there are tons of people that I could have put on this list, but space is an issue.  For more names, just go to my Twitter account and look at my followers or my following list.

Step 2 - Find more people to follow

Once you follow these people, see who they are following, retweeting, favoriting and interacting with, and then follow those people as well.  

Step 3 - Read, favorite and retweet what they post

Once you start following people, you can interact with them or their content by reading, favoriting, and retweeting (RT) what they are tweeting.   You don't have to say anything.  Just share their thoughts.

Step 4 - Reply or Quote a Tweet

Start replying to tweets or quoting tweets that you find interesting. Conversing with members of your PLN is a powerful learning activity as these folks help you grow in your comfort with Twitter.

Step 5 - Participate in a Twitter Chat

Go to @cybraryman's page to find a schedule of Twitter chats and participate in one.  Participating in a chat can be quite exhilarating as a flood of ideas and thoughts around a central topic can expand your knowledge beyond what you could ever learn in your district.  Don't forget to add the #hashtag of the chat so that your thoughts are visible to everyone participating in the chat.

New is not that Scary

Twitter is not that scary once you get going. Just log on, start following folks and learn from them. Once you're comfortable, you can jump in there and share your ideas. I promise you that your contributions are great and people want to hear them.  The most important reason to get on Twitter is to continue your own personal growth and development, and the reason that is important is because it will help your students learn more from you.  Good luck and tweet on. 

10 Supports New Principals Need from Teachers

Master schedule, discipline plans, parent concerns, lesson plans, formative assessment, lunch duty, and RtI.  Every principal is grappling with the fact that starting school successfully is always a challenge, but new principals to the profession or a new school spend the first month not only struggling with these concepts, but how to effectively lead people in the school.  When I first jumped into the principalship, I learned quickly just how little I really knew.  School success is directly related to the leadership ability of the principal, and if the new principal doesn't develop his leadership skill-set immediately, he will lead the campus over the cliff into oblivion.

So what do new principals need to successfully lead their campus?  To be honest, they need leadership from their teachers as much as they need it from their superintendent.  As a new principal, I overcame my leadership deficits by relying on the teachers that I worked with.  By being open and willing to learn from my fellow principal, my superintendent and my teachers, my leadership grew tremendously.

10 Supports Teachers can provide their New Principal Right Now 

Loyalty 
New principals need to feel the support from their teachers, and they need to know that they have your support in leading the school.

Encouragement 
Being inexperienced and at a new school can be downright overwhelming.  Principals new to the profession need lots of encouragement, especially at the beginning of the year.

Assistance
We were all inexperienced once, and we looked for support from patient people.  By helping your principal, you actually help yourself.

Directness
Principals need the cold hard truth especially if their actions are leading the campus backwards.  Principals who want to improve appreciate it when they receive direct feedback from their teachers.

Expectations
Teachers aren't the only ones that need expectations.  Principals need them too.  This link will give your principal a great strategy to get their expectations from teachers without asking for them.

Recognition 
Principals need pats on the back just as much as teachers do.  Some of the best recognition I ever received came from teachers who took the time to tell me what a good job I was doing and how my good job helped them. Recognition reinforces effective leadership behaviors.

Schooling
Inexperienced leaders lead the same way they like to be led and new principals revert to their preferred leadership strategy, but that doesn't always help all people in the building.  Principals need leadership lessons, and the best lessons come from conversations with teachers who want to help their principal get better.

Humor
Laughter lightens the load, and principals can be loaded down with lots of stress.  Take time to crack a joke and make your principal laugh.  When they are at their wit's end, remind him or her that it could always be worse, and then insert your favorite joke.

Insight
Leaders don't know everything, but they're expected to.  The only way that they can lead the entire organization to excellence is if you provide them with your insight.  Your insight may just be the expertise they are lacking.

Point of View
New leaders always lead from their perspective, not necessarily from the reality of the situation.  Show them your point of view as it helps principals gain the right perspective to lead effectively.


New Principals Need LEADERSHIP Too!!!
You are the key to helping your principal.  Sure, they may not do everything you want them to do, but you can influence them in the right direction.  They will make mistakes, but hey, what principal doesn't make mistakes?  If you want your year to be successful, you owe it to your principal to give him or her your honest feedback and support.  In the end, when they're a better leader, it will make you even better in your classroom.  

Every Kid's Hope for the 1st Day of School

Whether they are on track to the be valedictorian, or they had the worst year ever in school last year, every kid believes this on the first day of school.  If they know with certainty what they want to be, or they are rebelling against everything we want them them to be, every kid is thinking this on the first day of school. The question is this.

Will we recognize it?

On the first day of school every kid, every parent, every teacher and every administrator is anxious and excited.  The first day of school is the first paragraph of a new chapter.  It is the start of a new journey.  Last year was last year, and this year offers new opportunities.  On the first day of school every kid will walk in to your school with this hope.

This will be the Year that I find my Purpose in Life.

Think about it.  Before school started, you dreamed about what the new school year would be like.  Before you knew who your teachers were, you envisioned what they would do for you and your education.  My own children are changing schools this year, and while they are nervous, I hear them talk about how hopeful they are for their new school and their new year.  I hear their excitement about the possibilities that await.  Every kid is thinking the same thing, and those with a history of failure are praying that this year is going to different for them.  The question is this.  

Will we ignore it?

This is the Year that We will Ensure that They find their Purpose in Life

We don't teach content.  We teach kids, and our purpose for the first day of school is to keep the main thing the main thing.  We must ensure that we convey to our students that they are special and that they are going to learn and grow this year.  We must send the message that they can be anything that they want to be, so long as they are willing to work hard, commit to learning, and develop their tenacity. But words alone aren't enough. Kids must hear, see and feel that message through these traits that all of us must possess.

• Our passion for learning, and how it will help them find their purpose.
• Our passion for helping every student reach high levels of excellence.
• Our high expectations for learning, and how we will help all students reach those expectations.
• Our desire to know our students as individuals and people not names on a roster.

If we can commit to preaching our passion for learning on the first day of school and the days that follow, we will solidify their 1st day of school belief.  However if we fail to embrace kids on the first day of school, their belief that developed all summer long will die a little bit, and each day that follows where we fail to connect with them, it will die a little more until their belief transforms from one of hope to one of apathy.  

On the first day of school, kids will be excited, anxious, scared, apathetic, or angry about school.  These emotions are obvious to average eye, and we must recognize and respond to these behaviors.  But the one thing we must never forget is that every kid, no matter their outward emotion, has the same belief about the first day of school.  Every child is hoping and praying that this will be the year that you and I will look past their history or beyond their intellect and help them reach their ultimate goal, finding their true purpose to life.

Happy 1st Day of School

Transforming Busy Work into Purpose-Driven Learning

Nothing frustrates students more than mastering a concept and then being given more of the same work to do. Once students master the learning for the day, what they do next will either kill their passion for learning or inspire them to learn at higher levels than ever before. As educators our job is to create real learning that transforms mundane busy-work into purpose-driven learning. 

From Mundane to Meaning

“Meaning drives motivation for any learner.” (Ferriter. P 3).  In Bill Ferriter’s book, “CreatingPurpose-Driven Experiences” (CLICK HERE), he illustrates how authentic learning experiences push kids far beyond the limits of a traditional curriculum.  But more than that he illustrates that “succeeding at meaningful work depends on mastering competencies that modern employers are looking for”.  That means that the 4 C’s must be embedded in our students' work:  Communication, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, and Creativity.

In Ferriter’s class, his students extend their learning by using project-based learning (PBL) as tool for doing meaningful work that matters beyond the classroom.  In his classroom, he leverages the 4 C’s to create PBLs that have real-world connection, academic rigor, structured collaboration, student-driven environment, and multi-faceted assessments.  In other words, the work that his students do is a learning/service project that serves a two-fold purpose:  helping people glocally while helping students individually.

Microlending

One project that Ferriter’s class used was microlending.  Microlending is “making small loans designed to extend independence to people living in poverty”.  Ferriter showed his students the statistics about global poverty. Then he showed the kids how Kiva could address this issue, and finally, he challenged students in groups of five to brainstorm a plan to take action.  To date, his students have made “75 loans totaling over $25,000 to people in over 60 countries”.

Blogging

Another example of purpose-driven learning that Ferriter’s students engaged in this year was leverage the use of blogging to raise awareness.  His 2^nd period class began a debate over the NYC mayor, Michael Bloomberg, and his efforts to ban sugar in drinks over a specific quantity in the city.  From there the #SugarKills blog began.  Instead of just debating the topic, which is a great extension activity, the students were challenged to use their information for a bigger purpose, awareness.  The students wrote about the effects of obesity. They shared health statistics and made it their personal mission to educate the word about making healthy choices.  The great thing about this great example of PBL is that the kids didn’t think of it as project-based or learning.  “The elements of high quality project-based learning mean little to the #sugarkills gang, however.  They aren’t interested in academic rigor, structured collaboration or multifaceted assessment.  They only care about doing work that matters.” (Ferriter. P 46)

What will your kids do this year?

If we want all kids to learn far beyond the learning objectives, we must stop settling for keeping them busy or simply engaged. The pathway to authentic learning lies first in engaging kids, and then in creating purpose driven learning projects that inspire, motivate, and ultimately empower every kid to pursue his purpose in life. After all, that is the ultimate goal of any type of learning, to transform kids from consumers of knowledge into game-changers.