Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Transforming Teaching & Learning... #thisiswhatitsallabout


Teachers who strive to make a difference in the lives of students and those who are trying to transform teaching and learning in classrooms today often wait years to see the results of those efforts. There are days when you wonder, "Am I really making an impact on my students? Are the changes I make in my classroom truly transformative and worthwhile? Does what I am doing really matter?" Making a difference and changing the "way we have always done things" is hard work!


Back when I was teaching Math to my sixth graders, I decided to begin differentiating instruction for my students. To be effective, this required careful planning and solid classroom management. It required me to use data to provide my students with appropriately leveled tasks for each strand, and my class time was spent working with students in small groups to address misconceptions and having meaningful conversations about Math. Truly differentiating instruction for my students was the most challenging work of my teaching career; however, it was also the most worthwhile and rewarding experience. I found that I loved teaching students... even more than I loved teaching Math.

As an instructional technologist, I spend most of my time teaching teachers in small groups and working alongside my teachers to plan for meaningful learning experiences. Differentiating instruction for my teachers is important to me, and I have found that I love teaching teachers... much more than I love teaching tech. But there are days when I wonder, "Am I making an impact on students? Does what am I doing in professional development and conversations with teachers really make a difference in the classroom?" Change can be even harder when you are working with grown-ups!

One of my favorite things to do in between PD sessions and planning with my teachers is to get out into classrooms. I walk the hallways in search of students using iPads, and I talk to them about what they are doing. I go into classrooms to observe and interact with students to find out how they are using our 1:1 technology to learn. I ask them about what they are creating and what they are learning. I ask them about what they like... or don't like. Getting out into the classrooms helps me stay connected to students, and it's also an effective way to gather important information and feedback!


Last Thursday, I had a chance to walk around and observe students when I was at Powdersville Elementary, and it was AWESOME to see the way that our 1:1 technology is beginning to significantly change teaching and learning! Teachers are able to implement Guided Reading and Guided Math more effectively because of the meaningful work students are creating and the interactive resources available on the iPads. Teachers are gathering feedback to inform instructional practice using formative assessment tools in ways that are not possible with pencil and paper. Students are doing research to find information and creating recorded lessons to show what they know and to teach other students. It is so exciting to see that change is really happening, and I'm looking forward to seeing the amazing things that are happening at all of my schools in the weeks ahead!



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