Teachers Teaching Teachers #278 - Maybe Detox is a Curriculum - 1.4.12

Post-Show description: 
On this episode of Teachers Teaching Teachers, learn more about the co-hosts of our webcast, +Chris Sloan @csloan, +monika hardy@monk51295, and +Paul Allison @paulallison 

Recently, Monika had a meeting with Jared Polis, U.S. Representative for Colorado’s 2nd congressional districthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jared_Polis . She shared with him her efforts in Loveland, CO at the Be You house and http://labconnections.blogspot.com . Perhaps this could become a true experimental lab to the state. “Perhaps we might get funding per census, as we crowdsource communities of practice.” Monika explains more, and gives a deeper history of the work she has been doing over the past four years.

Paul has recently updated a guide he uses to organize a passion-based curriculum with students using http://youthvoices.net and he would love thoughts about this document as well: https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1eqLUXP6TXxrtor-HnXOobZEVmwTMfex9TxOlnN5Z3iU This guide, which animates Paul’s classroom is part of a wonderful collection on NWP’s Digital Is: http://digitalis.nwp.org/collection/assessing-multimedia-compositions and Paul explains it in this resource on NWP’s Digital Is: http://digitalis.nwp.org/resource/1259 

Chris talks about a survey he recently conducted with his students who are also using Youth Voices.

Click Read more to see a copy of the chat that was happening during the webcast.


08:39 Paul Allison: https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/102348327409046706063/10234832740904670606...
08:40 Paul Allison: Tonight's show notes: https://plus.google.com/u/0/113993022447291199374/posts/5evN7x9STDS
08:43 Paul Allison: http://digitalis.nwp.org/
09:49 guest-313: Just checking in between classes - hope all goes well with the new chat room.
09:51 pgeorge: Hi everyone! I was just about to say how much I loved the new chat when I clicked on the URL and the chat disappeared. :-)
09:51 pgeorge: but I really do love the new chat! you can actually copy/paste urls here :-)
09:51 guest-313: That's one of the remaining TO Do items for the elves - getting links to open in a new window
09:51 guest-313: For now, Right Click/Open in new tab is encouraged :)
09:52 pgeorge: it's easy to just hold down the command key on a Mac and it will open in a new tab. I just need to remember to do it
09:52 pgeorge: :-)
09:52 guest-313: Back to class- hope all goes well with the chat during the show...
09:53 pgeorge: thanks for checking in Jeff!
09:55 Paul Allison: Hi Peggy, can you join us on camera?
09:56 pgeorge: Don't really want to be on camera :-)
09:56 pgeorge: I can see the doc in Livestream
09:57 guest-316: ah Peggy
09:59 pgeorge: Hi Chris and Monika :-)
10:00 pgeorge: your Youth Voices guide looks great Paul :-)
10:01 pgeorge: hahaha Chris :-)
10:02 pgeorge: I'm really having a lag here with the video and chat. Maybe too many tabs open???
10:03 Paul Allison: hmm?
10:08 guest-314: Hi all. (I think I was in the wrong chat place.)
10:08 pgeorge: Hi Karen :-) were you in the Livestream chat?
10:08 guest-314: yep
10:09 pgeorge: sorry! I've done that before...very lonely in there :-)
10:09 guest-314: :)
10:09 pgeorge: we're just getting rolling now
10:10 pgeorge: Jared could be a great supporter even if you aren't asking for funding.
10:10 guest-314: "too many strings attached"....more people should think about this b4 they take $
10:10 pgeorge: I agree!!!
10:11 guest-318: Hello
10:12 pgeorge: Hi Scott! Thanks for joining this chat. Are you on video in the hangout?
10:12 guest-314: Hi, Scott.
10:13 guest-314: (Fyi, I think you can 'hang out' w/o video)...checking...
10:13 pgeorge: I like how easy it is to popout this new chat window :-)
10:14 pgeorge: Scott I can copy/paste URLs in this new chat now :-) Happy camper!
10:14 pgeorge: Love having Kelsey visit us here!
10:14 guest-314: Fyi, you can "hang out" without video...volume is a lot better for me.
10:15 pgeorge: I was wondering about the volume Karen. It's a bit soft here and I have the volume all the way up.
10:15 pgeorge: Scott is ready to go!!!
10:15 guest-314: me too peggy
10:15 guest-314: Congrats Scott!!
10:16 guest-317: new chat window. checking it out
10:16 pgeorge: are you going to substitute teach for the spring semester Scott?
10:16 pgeorge: yes Chris! Jeff Lebow changed us to a Drupal chat and it's so much better!
10:16 guest-318: I might sub a day or two, but I lose about $150 each time I sub
10:17 pgeorge: that's not so good! is it because you have to take time off from your other job?
10:17 pgeorge: https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1eqLUXP6TXxrtor-HnXOobZEVmwTMfex...
10:18 pgeorge: too small in Livestream but we can view it in our browser with the link I just posted
10:18 pgeorge: 16 assignments are due every week Paul?
10:23 guest-318: @Peggy - My Mrs. said she might like to move to Phoenix or a nearby town. Let me know if you hear of any openings.
10:26 pgeorge: sorry! my browser was stuck and I couldn't reply. I will definitely keep my ears open for you Scott!
10:27 guest-318: Thanks! I'm hoping to set up interviews during the summer and spend my vacation time doing them.
10:28 pgeorge: good plan because official openings don't usually come until mid to late April after contracts have been renewed for existing teachers
10:29 pgeorge: I think this is really interesting Paul.
10:30 guest-314: I like it.
10:30 guest-318: I don't like that they have to do ALL 16 activities. There is no choice.... no opt out.
10:30 guest-314: (Scott, don't know if they have any openings, but Vail outside of Tucson is doing some awesome stuff.)
10:30 pgeorge: do you find that your students want you to explain the tasks more specifically?
10:31 guest-318: Choice of activity, but the all have to be done.
10:31 pgeorge: so many students (even my university students) wanted to know exactly what was expected and that's all they did...
10:31 pgeorge: the grid makes me think rubric but this really isn't a rubric
10:32 guest-318: Yes, but that tends to crush creativity. Sometimes they need a blank canva
10:32 guest-314: Many/most of these things aren't really separate assigmts but steps in a process
10:32 pgeorge: I agree Scott but I got a lot of pushback from univ. students
10:33 pgeorge: seems like a lot to keep track of for the teacher
10:33 guest-318: Peggy, I think each course needs a blend of "rubric work" and "open-ended work"
10:33 guest-314: Peggy, that's because of bad "training" in k-12...transfers all the way to the adult workplace. it's a problem.
10:33 pgeorge: even though they put an X in the box :-)
10:34 guest-314: Paul, are you one-to-one?
10:35 pgeorge: yes Karen--there is always a lot of resistance to open ended kinds of assignments/courses. Look at the Connectivism open courses by George Siemens. People have a hard time when he doesn't lay out the agenda/structure of the course
10:35 guest-314: I like that...asking students how "open-ended" they want...make them reflect on it. I'd like to try that with teachers in PD. :)
10:35 guest-316: http://howtorunclass.wetpaint.com/
10:36 pgeorge: got it Monika
10:37 guest-316: http://howtorunclass.wetpaint.com/page/LESSONS+-+JINGS+AND+VOICETHREADS
10:37 pgeorge: Michael Wesch is a master at getting huge classes fully engaged!
10:37 guest-314: this is making me think about the teacher "how to do peer/self directed learning" class we want to do in p2pu this spring...a lot of people really don't know how to "do" this
10:37 pgeorge: yes seeing it Monika
10:38 guest-319: I can see it
10:38 pgeorge: perfect example Karen!!
10:38 pgeorge: seeing it
10:38 guest-314: I bet that a lot of kids are more apt to do this than adults.
10:38 pgeorge: what's the purpose of the parent guide?
10:42 pgeorge: have you heard of somersaulting your classroom? it's a gentle flip :-)
10:44 guest-314: Did they like math more?
10:47 guest-319: I keep a list like that, but personally, not for school
10:47 pgeorge: how can they do a non-conventional course and still take the conventional tests? they don't match!
10:50 guest-314: link?
10:50 pgeorge: we are having Karen Hume, author of Tuned Out, on our Classroom 2.0 LIVE webinar on Sat. Jan. 14th. I'm really looking forward to it!
10:50 pgeorge: she has a lot to say about things like Monika is talking about :-)
10:52 guest-314: note to self: self-reflection is a key part of self-directed learning
10:53 pgeorge: absolutely Karen!
10:54 guest-318: Detox implies running from something. Maybe need a term that means running toward something good.
10:54 pgeorge: our kids are so programmed to follow the rules and do what is expected that they don't find value in self-reflection because they aren't given choices
10:54 guest-314: detox can mean running toward something good
10:54 pgeorge: great point Scott
10:54 pgeorge: it can mean that Karen but most people don't think of it that way
10:54 guest-318: test
10:55 guest-314: Peggy, teachers too, I think...."so programmed to follow the rules and do what is expected that they don't find value in self-reflection because they aren't given choices"
10:56 pgeorge: I completely agree Karen!
10:56 guest-319: I think that the thing I respond best to is being told "This is the point you have to get across. Go do it." There are options, but they aren't A or B or C, but they are "Go and do"
10:56 guest-314: problem solving
10:57 guest-314: I struggle w/this in teacher pd....folks want a script of directions to follow not "here's the goal...see what you can do"
10:57 pgeorge: I felt that way as a principal and we also weren't given choices like choosing our own way to reach a goal
10:58 guest-314: side note to Scott...Vail SD seems to do a good job of telling their teachers "here's the goal; you and your students can reach it however you like"
10:58 pgeorge: Karen are you talking about Vail AZ?
10:59 guest-319: I think it depends on what you are used to as to wheather you see it as "Go and do" or "See what you can do" This implies that you can't figure it out, and people like knowledgeable authority
10:59 guest-314: yes, peggy. have you visited them?
10:59 pgeorge: I know them well! I've spent a lot of time there
10:59 pgeorge: I live in Phoenix AZ
10:59 guest-318: I'll have to look them up.
10:59 guest-314: Kelsey, this is so true. We're experimenting w/this a lot at p2pu (peer learning for teachers)
11:00 pgeorge: they are my best example of 1:1 :-) I love what they're doing! Teachers have choices and so do students :-)
11:00 guest-314: I agree.
11:00 guest-318: @Kelsey Good job tonight. You have had some insightful posts.
11:00 guest-319: thank you
11:00 guest-314: I was astounded at how they combine sts-based instruc (and fairly rigid pacing) w/amazing flexibility and tech use
11:00 guest-314: Thanks all!
11:01 pgeorge: this is how Vail develops their curriculum :-) all done by teachers and students http://beyondtextbooks.org/
11:01 guest-314: exactly
11:01 pgeorge: thanks Paul for facilitating another really stimulating conversation!
11:01 guest-314: Good night everyone.
11:01 pgeorge: good night all
11:01 guest-318: That is the way my student teaching was... no books
11:02 pgeorge: you're really fortunate to have a student teaching experience like that :-)
11:02 guest-318: We had such a great time. We both learned a great deal
11:02 pgeorge: I'll bet you learned a lot and left feeling empowered :-)
11:03 guest-318: Yes, but still nervous about doing it solo. She was a great safety net
11:03 pgeorge: you'll be just fine!
11:04 pgeorge: and I'm sure she'll be there to mentor you even after you move on to your own classroom :-)
11:04 guest-318: Thanks. I'll let you go - I should be off to bed.
11:04 guest-318: Have a great evening
11:05 Scott (guest-318): Thanks for your support