As I prepare for Spring Break coming up next week, I am feeling defeated by all the testing going on.  We lost 2 weeks instructional time for ISTEP this month.  We had not quite a week to prepare for IREAD.  Gave IREAD this week so another week lost.  Now final Acuity is scheduled for the week we return from Spring Break followed by the final ISTEP.  If I feel this defeated I can only imagine how my students are feeling.  It's getting to the point where they are testing so much they are not taking tests seriously.  I hear groaning and sighing when I mention another test we have to take.  Not to mention the stress the State of Indiana places on these test.  "Oh, by the way, if you fail this test today you are not allowed to move on to 4th grade.  Good Luck and do your best!"  Hard to say that with an encouraging smile to my little students.  Sometimes things are happening in a child's life that takes precedence over a test.  So this defeated feeling is warranted, but I need to find a way around it or through it to actually teach my students for what time I have them left in the school year.  I love teaching and making a difference with my students.  I need to find that focus again and show them there is more to school than testing!

WOW!  I just googled my name to see my own digital footprint.  I was really surprised by the results.  The first thing I noticed is my annual school pictures are displayed right there for everyone to see!  I had no idea those would be so readily available (I need to make sure I get that hair color and cut before school pictures next year).  As I look through the links listed below the photographs I see the first is my Facebook link.  Perhaps this is because I use this social media site a lot?  I’m not sure why it is listed first.  The next item listed is the link to my website through my makeup company I recently joined, Younique.  I find this to be my second passion behind teaching.  (Plug for Younique :) )  I see links to my Pinterest, Twitter, InstaGram, etc.  This is all on the first page.  When I click to go to the second page I find relatives names, websites I have joined (ex: Spelling City), previous employers!  Really . . . previous employers!  How in the world is that out there in cyberspace?  

How can I make my footprint positive?  I want my students to see ALL positive when/if they ever google my name.  I need to be sure all interactions online are POSITIVE.  No room for any negativity in my life.

What can I do to ensure my students have a positive footprint?  When we get our one-to-one devices I will show my students what happens when I google my name.  I will point out all the good things they see.  Then I will have each student google their name.  We will share some things they find out about their name being googled.  Explaining to them that their parent, teachers, principal, or anyone can google their names any time to see what they are doing online will have a big impact on the decisions they make online.  After about a month, I will complete this same exercise and ask them to compare this google to their initial google.  Come to think of it, I NEED to do this activity with my son right now!!!! :)

Resources

A key to being a successful teacher is organization.  Why spend all those hours collecting and curating resources for units to never use them again?  Right now I have everything organized for my units in my file cabinets.  However, since we began using Google in our building, I am working on collecting digital formats to organize in my Google Drive.  I have created folders for units and add to them when I discover a new link or document that I think I may want to utilize.  I have already created a Symbaloo Webmix to bookmark all the links I use daily.  Next, I want to create more Webmixes to use with particular units.  The teachers in third grade are working together to create links to useful webpages through Symbaloo for units we all use.  For example, we all do a unit on Stone Fox.  One teacher is creating a Symbaloo Webmix to share links to lessons for Stone Fox with us.  

When I find something that works, I keep it and add to it each year.  When it doesn’t work, I put it to the back because what may not work for one group of students may work for another.  So I’m always adding to my units.  Technology is making this process easier because I can locate information, save it for later use, pull it out quickly to use in my lessons, and store it away to use again later.  The only complaint I have is there is too much information available and it takes a lot of time to go through it all to locate useful lessons.

Authentic Assessments

I certainly believe authentic assessments are possible in every content area and in every grade level.  Given developmentally appropriate assessments, I feel like all students have the potential to show mastery through authentic assessments.  The only thing that concerns me about this is the situation teachers currently find themselves in.  We are giving students assessments that are not developmentally appropriate nor are they fair or consistent.  With these types of things happening it hinders my ability to truly assess my students in this manner.  I have to spend so much time getting students familiar with the format of the state assessments, then time covering all the standards so they are as prepared as they can possibly be.  I feel like I have no time left to create authentic assessments, let alone the extra time required for students to complete these during class.  Being a teacher is a 24/7 job.  I am spending my Sunday afternoon working on an online class, when I could be spending it researching types of subjects like creating authentic assessments that I can actually use in my classroom.  My time spent in the classroom is never long enough.  The expectations placed on teachers is beyond what is actually possible in an 8 hour work day.  With all this being said, I reread this post and think I sound a bit negative.  This is something I fight daily.  I LOVE teaching and I LOVE interacting with my students (they become part of my family).  However, the politics can become a bit frustrating and overwhelming.  Keeping a positive mind is essential for me to be successful in the classroom.  So, I will persevere and find time to integrate authentic assessments in my curriculum.  Slow and steady!

1. Where would you rate yourself in each area?

I chose to look at the Language Arts lessons.  I would rate myself as follows:

Active: I would place myself at Adoption.  I have students interacting with our Smartboard and practicing skills on the desktops and laptops to reinforce what we cover together in class.

Collaborative: I would place myself at an Entry level.  We collaborate as a class and in small groups, but have not made it to the point of utilizing technology for this.

Constructive: I would place myself at Adoption.  I have my students create presentations to share with the class during our literacy groups.  However, we are just scratching the surface.

Authentic: I would place myself at an Entry level.  I do not have students engaging in online discussions.  They do complete some assignments online, but I have not made it a requirement for them to submit them to me.  We have tried it, but still can not do this successfully.  We are successful in completing assessments online and submitting them.

Goal Directed: I would place myself at the Adoption level (emerging).  I have used programs such as Inspiration to create webs, but do not do this regularly.  Time constraints are holding me back.

2. Where do you think you could reasonably be at the end of the next grading period?

I would like to say I would take steps to place myself in the next level for each characteristic, however with the limited time available to complete everyday tasks, I don’t see this happening.  I struggle to find time to plan, complete required grading, and preparing lessons to present.  Trying to teach my students the basics in addition to the technology skills required for me to get to the next step seems daunting.  With the new standards and tasks presently required of us to create units and assessments, my “spare time” is nonexistent.  

3. What steps will you need to take in order to make the growth happen?

In order to see growth I need to choose one area and plan one lesson with more technology integration.  I will need to continue to utilize that piece of technology with my students in a variety of content areas so they can become increasingly familiar with it.  For example I placed myself at Adoption for the Active category.  My next step could be to search websites that create an interactive environment for students to work on practicing skills from lessons.  I could also place a Smartboard lesson into my reading rotations.  I use the Smartboard a lot for whole group instruction and to practice skills together, however I am always directing the instruction.  I could allow my students to work cooperatively together and experiment with a variety of lessons created for the skills we cover in class without me right there to guide the instruction.

How could you adapt or change one of your class/course policies to reflect a moving mindset?  Is this a change you are willing to make?  Why or Why not?

The thing that really caught my attention and made me think about the way I'm teaching is all the emphasis on how education hasn't changed for decades.  When I saw the photo of the classroom from 100 years ago and then saw the photo of the classroom today . . . WOW!  They were identical!  That scares me.  Our society has changed and I firmly believe our classrooms need to change as well.  Something small I will try to do is to to give up control during instruction and learning.  I want students to feel free to move around and have discussions openly.  After an initial introduction to the skill I will give students the opportunity to collaborate.  They can work together and help one another with the repeated instruction as needed.  I will take my place as guide by the side, not a sage on the stage (anyone have Dr. DeGraffe at IUS?).

I will also move desks to group students together for more group work and learning.  I have always seen great benefits in group work, but am hesitant to move them in groups for seating arrangements because of the constant talking.  If I want to give up the "old school control" I need to allow them to communicate openly with one another.  My kiddos are going to be so excited Monday when we move around their desks into small groups!

I am more than willing to try new things in my classroom.  Finding what works for my students and me is the key.  Trial and error. . . Here we go!