Flipped Out!

As a hybrid summer school class, Great Literature Great Games has been successful on many levels this week.  Students were immediately thrown into this "flipped classroom" when they realized that the bulk of their work would take place on the days they physically weren't in school.  While some of them are still grasping this concept, most really enjoy the freedom that the flipped classroom allows.  While I do have online office hours, my students are completing work, responding on forums, and asking questions at all hours of the day. 

Our in-class sessions have been excellent because the majority of the students are coming to class with an understanding of the materials we are discussing because they completed the online work.  This has allowed our conversations in class to be much more meaningful and relevant.

On the other hand, there are some students who have not logged in to complete any work and are only taking part in conversations in class at the surface level.  Addressing an absence from school as an absence from any online work, discussion, etc. was a hard concept for many students to grasp. 

In the end, after the first week of this new class, I have seen some excellent discussions online, some excellent work, and students who are invested in learning more about Great Literature and Great Games. 

More to come...stay tuned!

Great Literature Great Games

Summer school has begun and Great Literature Great Games is off the ground.  I worked on the curriculum for Great Literature Great Games for about two years and was finally granted the opportunity to teach the class this summer. 

In our first class session, students explored the history of video games to establish some context for the class.  While most of the students took the course because they have an interest in games, many are too young to know the early innovations that names like Atari and Nintendo brought to the industry.  With this in mind, students learned about early video games, the video game crash of 1983, and got to play some actual consoles from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. 

As a hybrid summer class, students will be doing much of their work at home, so our sessions in the classroom will revolve around analysis of literature and games, discussion, and collaborative work.  Here's a look at our first week's assignments:

• Metagame of the Week - Metagame is a card game that encourages players to create and support verbal and written arguments.  In our class, I post the question each week and students respond in our class forum.  Check out this video to learn more...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrzwhK5Ehx4
• Video game culture, stereotypes, and perceptions
• Video games in/as art, literature, and education

Stay tuned for updates!  Students will begin exploring character development and narrative theory in literature and games in the coming weeks.  Lots of fun ahead.  

Post a comment below! Thanks. 

Finding Places to Learn

In my last blog post, I discussed creating spaces for learning.  However, after reading a recent article in the New York Times, I have to consider the other side of the argument: the spaces are already there, teachers just need to find and use them.  

In this article, students from the Ethical Culture Fieldston School, a private school in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx, take part in experiential learning and focus on the place in which they live as their primary source.  And it is clear that the students, despite some scheduling conflicts, benefit from this type of experiential, hands-on learning.  

So my question: How can we engage our city?

If the ultimate goal and vision of schools is to produce productive and educated citizens of the community and world, I think we have an obligation to provide our students with as many opportunities to engage their community in their learning. And with the ease at which technology could be used to facilitate these kinds of experiential learning experiences, we don’t have many excuses.  

In the end, I wholeheartedly believe that an engaging learning experience that incorporates all subjects will not only prepare students to pass a standardized exam but will prepare students to be better people and citizens of their community.  

To read the New York Times article I referenced, click on the link: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/04/education/in-fieldston-school-course-all-of-new-york-is-a-classroom.html?smid=tw-share

Share your thoughts and comments below.

Creating Spaces for Learning

Final exams are upon us and with reviews out of the way, my students and I took the opportunity to enjoy some "creative play" time.  The focus for our final two days of instruction was to answer this question: How do you define LEARNING?

The definitions, as you can imagine, were wonderful and varied.  Several students seemed to answer with the exact dictionary definition, but others add terms like "teaching" and "application" to their definitions. I actually scribbled down my own definition only to scratch it out after hearing how deeply my students thought about theirs. 

However, we ended this conversation wondering if LEARNING is restricted to certain spaces or if we, as learners, restrict our own learning based on the spaces we occupy. 

To answer this question, then, I set up stations in my room where students were able to "creatively play" several different video games.  On one television students were building in Minecraft.  On another television, students were creating goo bridges in World of Goo.  And on a final set, students were applying physics knowledge in Portal.

So what did they learn?  Some student testimonials...

"In Minecraft, I learned how to use resources to build new things."
"In World of Goo, I learned to use anything I could find to get to my destination."
"In Portal, you have to think about forward momentum and think about how to solve the puzzle...think outside the box."

Though I gave my students only a brief opportunity to be creative in these virtual spaces, I think it's safe to say that we create our own spaces for LEARNING!  Even in spaces that attempt to restrict our learning, we can create our own opportunities to learn.  With these video games, the game designers have created a space with rules and limitations, but the students found ways to learn inside those spaces.  As teachers, we must create and cultivate spaces in our classrooms that allow students be creative because they will, quite honestly, create their own spaces without us!  

Welcome to Caine's Arcade

At a recent Literacy Team meeting, my colleagues and I discussed the unlimited possibilities that Project Based Learning and the Common Core can bring to the classroom.  We listened to, discussed, argued, and complimented project ideas from kindergarten to eleventh grade.  But over the course of the morning, the one common thread that was evident from the teachers and students was CREATIVITY. 

Caine's Arcade is a wonderful example of the creative possibilities that exist in our students.  Caine's Arcade is project based learning.  Caine's Arcade is the common core.  Caine's Arcade is creativity, imagination, problem solving, dedication and entrepreneurship at work simultaneously.   

As we strive to create opportunities for our students to think critically, be creative, communicate effectively, and collaborate with peers, keep Caine's Arcade in mind.  I promise...if you watch the video it will be difficult not to!

Visit www.cainesarcade.com to learn more about this wonderful story.

Keeping it Simple!

As the end of the school year is upon us, I'm noticing a wide range of changes that are taking place in my own school district.  With budget cuts already causing discussion and the uncertainty of class schedules and teacher placements weighing heavily on our shoulders, I'm reminded of some simple advice an administrator gave to me several years ago: Keep It Simple...Shane!

These words echo in my mind at the end of each school year when the pressure begins to build, but this year I hear them louder than ever before.  And in looking to next year, here's how I'll keep it simple:

• Keep a simple focus on the "stuff" that needs to be finished by the end of the year.  Grades, report cards, and goodbyes are all part of the job.  

• Reflect on the successes of the year and don't dwell on the failures. 

•  Identify some simple things to improve upon for next year.  (I'll probably make a list and keep in in my wallet or iPad or phone so I don't forget!)

• Don't sweat the small stuff!  

I suppose these things might seem like common sense, but when the hustle and bustle of our daily lives starts to take over,  it's comforting to be reminded of these simple ideas.  Sometimes, keeping it simple can take us a long way! 

New Teacher Evaluations

As part of a project through Cleveland State University, a group of teachers, administrators, and guidance counselors spent some time discussing the Entry Year Teacher Program for the State of Ohio.  New teachers are considered Resident Educators and are required to attend a series of meetings and go through a series of activities before they can move on to their next year of teaching.  

In our group, we discussed some of the benefits of this new program but also focused on some of the areas in which this program could be improved.  In part, we developed some great recommendations:

• Entry year teacher programs should focus more on and emphasize collaboration through Teacher Based Teams and other professional learning communities.  DuFour's work is essential! 
• Entry year teacher programs need not focus on the basics and fundamentals of teaching that are learned in college education programs and instead focus on state and school district initiatives.
• Entry year teachers should be evaluated by a Mentor teacher and an Administrator throughout the year to support the teacher and to identify growth.
•  Entry year teacher programs should not be filled with busy work that takes away from the already hectic first year of any new teacher.

As principals and teachers enter into a new era of accountability with new evaluation procedures already in writing, it is important to keep things simple.  While much of what we see on paper looks excellent, in practice it might be unbearable.  With new teachers in mind, giving the highest levels of support will go a long way in paving the way for a successful career.

For more information on the Entry Year Teacher Programs in the State of Ohio, go to www.state.oh.us.  Feel free to comment on this post and let me know your own ideas on teacher evaluations.