Think Like a Teacher

The sun did not shine.
It was too wet to play.
So we sat in the house
all that cold, cold wet day.

In honor of Dr. Seuss’s birthday coming up, I reread the book I could once recite as a child — and later as a young mom. It is a tale of fun, surprise, fear, mischief, skepticism, and guilt. That fish speaks in the back of our minds throughout our lives, warning us not to allow the Cat or Thing One and Thing Two into our house for fear they will upset everything.  

Tell that Cat in the Hat
You do NOT want to play.
He should not be here.
He should not be about.
He should not be here
When your mother is out!”

In less than a coincidence, I learned today about a teacher who was offered a grant to provide consistent, in-school Internet access to students involved in a national research pilot of an innovative (and free) program for learning science in a safe social network.  The grant would mean that the teacher — and her students– would have the solid, reliable connection they need to connect with a world outside their very small, rural community. Their world, much like the Seuss kids inside on a cold, cold, wet day, would be open to allow outsiders in.

But the worrier fish in this real life story had a greater say than the one in the book.  The Cat in the Hat — and Thing 1 and Thing 2 — did not get past the door to bring the reliable Internet connection to the kids in that classroom. For whatever reason, the school administration did not feel comfortable allowing an outside funder/stranger to bring in such disruption(?). And so the grant was politely but officially declined. Sally and her classmates simply stay inside, watching out the window and connecting perhaps during the few classroom hours when “mom” is home and the Internet works?

Every teacher faces different barriers, stressors, and challenges. And the fish in this tale probably has a very good (or legally protective) reason to refuse to allow the Cat into the classroom.

The message to me is that none of us really understands what others face inside their teaching houses on cold, cold wet days.  We may be risk takers and have school administrations that allow more open doors (and permit the mess caused by Thing 1 – the Internet and Thing 2- social learning). We may worry about how to clean up after the fun our students have when it gets a little messy. Or we may face much more basic challenges like just being allowed to open the door. Don’t assume you know every tale. You might even try rereading The Cat in the Hat through the lens of adult experience. It adds a new layer of meaning to Read Across America.

I know nothing of the Olympics except what the television networks feed me. They have taught me that Olympians are specialists in many things I never thought about — or knew existed. Olympic skiers know the details of ski materials, edges, turns, and lines on a course. They know what wax technicians do and all about different characteristics of snow. They adapt their skiing strategy for every nuance, and they also push the envelope in hopes of hitting just the right combination of risk and experience to feel a medal ’round their neck. They measure themselves by their finishes and their cumulative racing success. As they grew from novice skiers, their support teams grew with their success until they reach the Olympic pinnacle. They are specialists, and they know where they stand.

Teachers are specialists but without the support team, medals, or media. (We are thrilled to find free donuts in the lounge!) Since we do not “compete,” it is much harder to measure our success or earn sponsors, but we quietly build as strong a repertoire as an Olympic skier. (And our bodies don’t give out as soon!) We know the edges of different approaches to learning. We see different lines to take on a course, and we seek a balance of risk and experience every day. We speak a specialized language that unfortunately mystifies parents but makes sense among our team of colleagues. So how do we measure our own success and needs for growth?

I was part of a panel this week with James Welsh from FCIT, home of the Technology Integration Matrix. As he shared the matrix, a tool for self-evaluation or administrative evaluation of how a teacher integrates technology,  and I shared about apps in the classroom, I thought about just how specialized we really are and how tough it is for us to see our own accomplishments. The non-teachers in the audience made me realize we are the Olympic skiers talking about edges and lines and wax and snow.  So how do we know how to grow? I have more questions than answers for teacher-specialists right now. Obviously, edtech or instructional coaches can play a role in this, but what role do you want to take yourself?

• How do you measure yourself as a specialist?
• Do others ask you for teaching ideas? (Should they?)
• Do you use a self-evaluation or rating scale like the TIMS? Would you like to? Do you compare yourself to exemplar videos? Would you voluntarily watch a video of another teacher?
• Do you let an administrator label your “level”?
• Have you ever tried to explain your chain of decision-making to someone who is not a teacher?
• Have you ever watched the same event/class/student and shared what you observe vs. what a nonspecialist might see?
• Do you realize how much you know — and how much you have to learn?

Be an Olympian. Take the risk of measuring your accomplishments.

I loved Crackerjack when I was little. The caramel corn was OK, the peanuts were better, and the prizes were the best! I would beg my parents for Cracker Jack when we were out shopping, and I usually won. Years later, I  think of Cracker Jack as a good analogy for edtech today. I think of the wonderful tech snack foods we find in apps and on the web and wonder if, instead of asking teachers and kids to  “think outside the box” (an overused phrase at best), we should be looking for the unexpected prize inside each box — like Cracker Jack.

Here are some STEM or math-related Cracker Jack boxes I have explored recently — and the serendipitous surprises at the bottom of each box:

Primitives Application This one intrigues me. I look at this graphical representations of numbers, and I want to solve its secret code. Actually, I want to show it to a few kids and ask them what is going on. I don’t think I’d even tell them these were numbers initially. I’d ask them to figure out what the site is doing. They’d spot the numbers at the bottom and the changing graphics and eventually figure out that each number has a representative “graphic.” The surprise in the box? Change the settings so it jumps ahead. Predict the next graphic. Even better, create your own system of graphics for numbers. You could scribble them in crayon or get really clever with digital shapes, etc. The candy-coated popcorn is figuring it out. The prize inside the box is creating  your own. 

Brainy box Yes, I love visual toys, and this one is a BOX in itself. I can put whatever I want on the outside: YouTube videos, images, text, etc. The candy coated popcorn is being able to make a box. The prize inside is that what I put on the outside can be a mystery about what is inside. So in chemistry class, I can put hints about the mystery element  hidden inside my Brainy Box. My prize is making YOUR prize a secret that you must solve.

Cym@th This Cracker Jack box looks like a black and white boxed, generic product. Don’t be deceived. There is Cracker Jack in here for sure!  Try entering an algebraic expression and telling it to factor for you! Remember all the hours you spent trying various combinations of  (x+2) (3x-7) until you found the right combination? No more! The candy coated popcorn is a problem-solver for almost any mathematical expression.  (Uh oh! This is an instant homework cheat…) But wait! The prize? Have the kiddos make screencasts where they EXPLAIN what the tool is showing them. If they have to narrate it beyond what it is print, they’ll have to understand it. So the prize is hidden understanding accompanying the “answer” it gives. Remember, if you don’t ask for the prize, you’ll have nothing but popcorn,

Composite Number Tree If you like making popcorn balls or chains, this Cracker Jack number tool provides just the number project. See how composite numbers form a tree. I taste the caramel corn as I watch the tree “grow” to 99. Then it stops. The prize? Draw the tree of 100-999 or 1999- 2099 or any other number series you choose. Make an entire orchard of composite number trees. 

Build With Chrome  This Lego collection has infinite blocks. Enjoy the treat of tutorial building challenges as you crunch your way through the box. The prize is being able to think up a building challenge like “Design an ideal home for a giraffe.” or “Design a new bobsled run for the Olympics,” and then let kids go to it. They can even challenge each other. No messy Lego buckets, no pointy little blocks embedded in your bare feet, no COST, nothing but building fun! By the way, it works in CHROME only.

Hope you found some learning snacks that appeal to you and — especially — some prizes.

Lately, I have posted largely to an edtech coach audience.  At my core, however, I am “just a teacher.” (My license plate reads TCHR2GO.)  I think a lot about the teacher’s view of the relationship with an edtech coach and of professional development done poorly.  I know what it feels like to have someone breathing professional development at you like an unwelcome dragon. I was always the person asking loads of questions in those PD sessions, trying to make it meaningful to me and my teaching world.  So I offer the top ten questions you can (and should) ask to find out what your edtech coach can do for you.

Top Ten questions to ask your edtech coach

10. Is it OK to have fun? Hopefully, you coach will burst forth with a resounding “Yes!” A good coach can actually get you excited about the learning that occurs along with the tech instead of  simply playing with “toys.” You wouldn’t have become a teacher if you didn’t enjoy learning as “fun”!
9. What if it breaks? A good edtech coach can help you get past the crutch of crisis help. If you have found your primary contact with your coach has been sending high priority emails with the subject line “Help,” you should definitely ask about the things you might anticipate in using a certain tech tool with your students. A good edtech coach can help you become proactive instead of reactive. Or you could simply ask your students the same question and see what they already know about the tool.
8. What if it bombs? Some lessons will, whether you are using technology or not. A good edtech coach will point out what you and your students you are doing right, helping you refocus and build upon it.
7. Where do I find that again? (What if I forget how?) After the refrain of “it’s easy” throughout a session with your coach (or your savvy students), you may want to declare yourself “dumb” for not remembering it all.  A wise teacher will always ask where to retrieve this information later. A good edtech coach will have it ready for you to watch the screencast or revisit the video or find the FAQ when you are ready to retrieve it.
6. Where do I PUT all this stuff? It may make sense to a “techie” person how to organize things like Word documents, files, Google presentations, how-to videos, and bookmarks, but you, as a teacher, did not learn how to put these things away in a four drawer file cabinet back when you were student teaching. A good edtech coach will share some possible ways to name files, organize folders, create cloud storage, and clean out old versions.  Even more importantly, he or she can show you how to search for that long lost file. Everybody has a different system, but the key is system. Ask for suggested options.
5. How do I remember all these passwords? Passwords are both the most critical security device and the most annoying reminder of our cognitive overload. A good edtech coach will share some of the clever ways others handle this problem or how they solve it themselves. They are good at hearing and sharing good ideas from one teacher to another — with or without “credit” as the original teacher prefers. (I will listen to good ideas on this one, too. In the meantime, I have resorted to password storage tool. I just have to remember the password to access it!)
4. What is _______ (fill in the blank as many times as you wish: Twitter, a wiki, a Google Doc, a hashtag…)? Your edtech coach should welcome each and every question you ask about something you have heard or are curious about. His/her response should come without any reaction to indicate your ignorance and with at least two of three ideas for how (fill in the blank) could fit into learning in your classroom.
3. Who is going to benefit if I do this? This question can sound pretty negative, so be careful what tone you use. It is like your student who asks, “What am I going to do with algebra, anyway?”  A good edtech coach will take it well. He/she will help you see into the shadows of your class where you did not previously notice the quieter student who comes to life on backchannel chat or the gifted one who did nothing but disrupt things until technology brought more open-ended learning to your lessons. What you are really asking is, “Can you help me assess the impact of these changes I am working so hard to make?”
2. What else can I give up to find time for this? Like #3, this can sound negative, but it is a legitimate question. Every teacher craves time.  Please show me what two things I can combine because I am using technology. Please  show me how doing it once will accomplish it ten times over. Please show me why the effort is worth it. Give me examples of what I can replace instead of just adding more. A good edtech coach will have those examples or will ask other teachers in your school community to share their answers.
1. How does this fit with (enter your latest school/district initiative here)? Any teacher who has been working for more than five years has seen initiatives come and go. Each comes with its own inservice requirements, new teacher evaluation elements, and “changes” to your practice.  When was the last time someone incorporated the ways technology can facilitate and meld with the initiative into those mandatory inservice sessions? A good edtech coach was at the district office advocating to treat technology as part of the initiative toolbox  and offering to work together with inservice staff to make it a seamless union. A good edtech coach will answer, “Let me show you how… I have been working on this because it all fits together.”

Ask questions. You may discover a new and productive relationship with that person with the mysterious title of coach, integration specialist, tech specialist, ITRT, or whatever.