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Making Learning Personal
Fall 2019
In the Spotlight
The Catlin Tucker Experience
Monocacy Middle School
@MrMcVaysClass
I was first introduced to Catlin Tucker when I came across her Twitter account a few years ago. Many of the Cohort 1 Vanguard teachers were following and retweeting her blog posts, ideas, and communication with many from our FCPS team. Curious by this influx of Twitter activity, I gave her a follow and have been reading her posts and attempting to apply her strategies in my own classroom ever since. When the opportunity arose for my own Vanguard Cohort to meet with her, I was extremely excited for the opportunity. Being fairly active on Twitter, I wondered to myself “Will the persona of who I THINK she is match my expectations in reality?” After my Catlin Tucker experience, I can definitely say it is all real.
Balance with Blended Learning Keynote
Settling in at Frederick High School for Catlin’s keynote speech to FCPS members, I was inspired by how she remembered many names and faces of individuals from FCPS that she has worked with in the past. Her presentation style gave insightful information that was all so pertinent and useful for teachers, regardless of what grade, content, or school that you may teach. I will be the absolute first person to admit that I am not the greatest student. My attention wanders and I often become distracted. At the keynote, I found myself on my phone quite often. Not scrolling through Twitter or checking the time, but taking notes! It was extremely refreshing to have an experience with someone who is “on the front lines” as a teacher and can relate to the struggles, time constraints, and all the other variables that we encounter as we try to meet the needs of all our students.
Feeling inspired from her talk, I took to my favorite social media platform to discuss my key takeaways from the evening. I was even more thrilled when Catlin responded to my tweet and helped to set the stage for an awesome professional development the following day. I saw several instances of Catlin reaching out and networking with our fellow FCPS teachers and making connections to her talk and what the next steps would be for all of us.
Applications for Cohort 4 are open!
The Effective Blended Classroom
A Brain-friendly approach to the Flipped Classroom
Eric Haines
Curriculum, Instruction, and Innovation
@EHainesFCPS
Technology has been at the fingertips of students for a decade, but it has not been until recently that educators have discovered how to leverage technology in brain-friendly ways that enhance, instead of distract from learning. From 2007-2010, I saw a huge increase in students having their own smartphones and Wi-Fi being available in homes and in businesses throughout our community. Teachers immediately tried to find ways to leverage technology to improve learning. I started using flipped learning as a strategy in my classroom. The intention of the flipped classroom is to allow students some control over the time, place, and pace of their learning. If they are able to watch a video at home, they can pause, rewind, or rewatch the video and pace their own learning in a way that is not possible when a teacher is lecturing or explaining information in class. I also thought that if they covered some of the material at home, we could focus more on the application of the content at school.
Some problems with flipped learning popped up quickly. Students did not consistently watch the videos or complete the flipped portion of the assignment. Sometimes students did not complete homework assignments, and it became problematic when my next day’s lesson plan relied on the completion of that homework. Even with the most diligent of class rosters, there were issues with access to devices and access to the Internet. Over time, our district has worked towards alleviating these issues by implementing a 1:1 Chromebook initiative and partnering with local Internet providers to establish low-cost Internet for families. However, there are still areas in our district that cannot access consistent Internet service. As a teacher, I tried to put a band-aid on these implementation problems, but makeshift strategies like extended time and access to my computer during lunch still did not allow students to maximize their learning experience.
Over the next decade, I studied how students learn and reflected on the flipped classroom model. I would like to suggest a more brain-friendly approach to the flipped classroom called the “in-class flip.” The in-class flip is a variation to the traditional flipped learning in which students complete the homework portion in class as part of an intentional, blended learning model. Catlin Tucker points out that with the in-class flip, “Students still control the pace of their learning, teachers are free to circulate and support students as they work, and students can still apply the information in class with their peers.” With the in-class flip, students start by accessing bite-sized videos or resources in class. Instead of accessing new information on their own, there are opportunities for students to collaborate, ask the teacher questions, and utilize multiple modalities to the flipped approach. By doing the initial learning in class as part of a station rotation or playlist, students move more quickly into the application phase of the class. By transforming the knowledge, students begin to make meaning. Additional learning opportunities can be utilized to take advantage of dual-coding theory, check-ins with classmates and the teacher, and receive more timely feedback. All of these factors lead to the in-class flip being a more effective classroom practice.
Leading by Example
Don't Let Perfect Be The Enemy of Trying Anything
Jason Green
Learning Innovation Catalyst
@jasontoddgreen
I sat with a teacher a few weeks ago that was confronted with a very common classroom challenge – how to create more differentiation in her classroom to better reach all of her students. She was worried that her struggling learners were not receiving adequate support from her. I could tell immediately from our conversation that she was a committed teacher – hardworking, diligent, dedicated. Her issue was not lack of effort or desire.
I learned that she was spending the majority of her class time in the whole group model of instruction – with very little time available for more targeted small groups. As this was a school that recently rolled out a blended learning initiative, I recommended that the teacher consider trying a Station Rotation which would allow for various grouping strategies by skill, modality, independence readiness, or interest. This would help her achieve her goal of more differentiation and targeted, small group instruction.
While I shared this strategy with her, I began to see a look of angst and frustration come over her face. Then she shared almost in anguish, “everything you’re saying sounds great and I think I could do it but it would take me five hours to plan a lesson like this. I have my own two kids and a husband at home who need my attention.”
This wasn’t the response that I was expecting, but I knew exactly how the teacher felt. When moving into a new kind of practice especially one that requires a different type of planning or in some cases more initial set up, it can seem daunting with already limited time and resources. This situation was further complicated because this was a teacher who was highly-esteemed in a high-achieving school. Doing anything in her class that was short of impeccable felt like a nonstarter.
This wasn’t a teacher that was resistant to doing a Station Rotation model in her classroom. It was a teacher who was resistant to doing a Station Rotation imperfectly in her classroom. This was a case where her desire for perfection had become an impediment to trying something new.
#FCPSVanguard
Upcoming Dates and Reminders
Nov. 8 - Cohort 4 Applications Close
Dec. 11, 8:00-4:00 - Math and Sci. Vanguard Forum
Dec. 16, 8:00-4:00 - Elementary Vanguard Forum
Dec. 18, 8:00-4:00 - ELA and SS Vanguard Forum
Jan. 13, 8:00-4:00 - Applied Academics Vanguard Forum
Vanguard Teacher Program
Email: eric.haines@fcps.org
Website: vanguard.fcps.org
Phone: 301-644-5182
Twitter: @EHaines24