On today’s podcast, we will here from Barnett Berry.  Barnett Berry is Founder, Partner, and CEO at the Center for Teaching Quality (CTQ), a national nonprofit organization that focuses on teachers transforming teachingfor the benefit of all students.  Barnett helped launch the nation's first virtual network of teacher leaders--the CTQ Collaboratory which now welcomes teachers (and all who support teachers as leaders) to connect, learn, and collaborate to drive change. Barnett is a former classroom teacher, think tank analyst, and university professor. Collaborating with twelve accomplished teachers, he outlined a bold vision for the profession's future in book titled TEACHING 2030: What We Must Do for Our Students and Our Public Schools... Now and in the Future. His second book, Teacherpreneurs: Innovative Teachers Who Lead but Don't Leave was published in August 2013.  Barnett shares his thoughts on how to encourage teacher leadership through writing.

 

This podcasts explores what it is like to be an educator who writes for the government.  Our guest is Suzy Meyers--a long time teacher who now works and writes for her state’s Department of Education as a literacy and writing consultant. She helps oversee the training of tens of thousands of teachers when it comes to literacy standards and reading and writing instruction and assessment. Suzy shares tips for communicating through writing with clarity.

In this podcast, we visit with educator, blogger, and podcaster Brian Sztabnik. Brian produces the popular podcast--Talks with Teachers.  Brian shares his insights on the potential for teachers to regularly engage in reflective practice through their own writing.

In this podcast, we explore writing in education and an interesting phenomenon called writer identity crisis.  Our guest is Christopher Goering, an associate professor at the University of Arkansas and is the Director of the Northwest Arkansas Writing Project.  He has authored or co-authored several articles and book chapters and is a National Board Certified Teacher. He co-founded EduSanity, a blog dedicated to promoting civil discourse in education. He also founded www.LitTunes.com…an open access educational outreach initiative designed to develop adolescents' literacies through popular music and music lyrics.

Just what is the most difficult writing that we engage in as teachers?No…it isn’t a masters thesis or doctoral dissertation.  It isn’t getting a someone to publish an article or book you have written.  The most challenging writing in education might just well be the National Board certification process.

 

It takes many months to demonstrate to the National Board and its reviewers of teacher portfolios that you are committed to student learning, that you know you subjects and how to teach those subjects to students, that you can manage and monitor student learning, that you think systematically about your practice, and that you engage as a professional in learning and in learning communities. 

 

 

Just look at a state like California.  According to the data available, over 2,000 teachers have attended information sessions to learn what it takes to become nationally board certified.  After hearing about the process, more than half of them 'jump ship' either immediately or throughout the process. In fact, only 900 have actually completed their portfolios. Of those, only 773 made it through the process….many of them only after multiple attempts.  So, in this podcast, we hear about reflective, analytical writing from the National Board itself.  

 

 

 

This podcast explores writing in education with our guest--Justin Minkel.  Justin is an elementary school teacher and was recently named the Arkansas Teacher of the Year.  He was also given the Milken Educator award.  He teaches in a high-achieving public elementary school where 97% of the students live in poverty and 85% are English Learners. Minkel previously taught 4^th grade in Harlem, New York City.  His writing and commentary have been featured in the Washington Post, Education Week, and a bunch of other places.   I recently had the opportunity to have lunch with Justin at restaurant downtown and fortunate to be able to ask him a few questions.  The food was excellent…and so was insight.

In this podcast, we visit with Glenn Weibe.  He is an educator, social studies guru, and blogger on the widely populary website History Tech.  Glenn shares his thoughts on the need for teachers to regularly write alongside their students.  

In this podcast, we visit with educator, author, podcaster, and blogger Jennifer Gonzalez.  She hosts the widely popular website Cult of Pedagogy that provides teachers with teaching resources, tricks, and tips.  In many ways, her writing helps elevate the discussion of pedagogy to somewhat of an art form.  Jennifer shares her suggestions and insights on writing for a diverse group of educators.

Just what is the link between our writing ability and our ability to think critically? Writing itself a process in which we have to go slow…in order to go fast.  We have consider a prompt or topic, and audience, and angle.  We have to brainstorm, make claims, and back it up with evidence..…all before we are able to put pencil to paper…or fingers to a keyboard…whatever the case may be.  Then as we write, we work constantly and conscientiously to revise our thoughts so they are clear, concise, cogent.  Does that sound a lot like critical thinking?  In this podcast, we examine the research and possible link between writing and critical thinking.  Our guest is Dr. Kay Ann Taylor.  She is an associate professor of at Kansas State University and has studied the historical and modern aspects of poverty, including its relationship with education. Her research is known for its in-depth understanding; her writing and thinking can be summarized with a single statement…

"There are no simple answers.”

 

 

 

This podcasts provides new teachers with a few tips and tricks in research and academic writing writing.  Our guest is Dr. Janet Stramel.  She was born and raised in Oklahoma, and has taught middle school mathematics in Oklahoma and Kansas.  She has authored a number of academic articles and is now the Department of Teacher Education Chair and Director of Assessment and Accreditation for the University where she now works. 

It is one thing to help teachers to find the time to write.  It is quite another to give them the tools they need to be able to write better.  In this podcast Sarah Brown Wessling--the National Teacher of the year--shares tips for doing both.  

One the most challenging aspects of being an educator is getting those outside of the profession to take you seriously.  Unless, of course you are Lori Rice. Not only did her opinion catch the attention of her legislature, it also ended up in the Washhington Post. In this podcast, we hear from Lori about her experiences in the media and in the classroom.

 

In education, just because everyone claims to be doing something similar doesn’t ensure that they are doing it well…or the even the same.   Project-based learning, or PBL, continues to gain momentum in schools and districts across the country as a means of ameliorating student engagement, retention of content, and students’ attitudes toward learning (Holm, 2011).

 

 

 

But as John Mergendoller recently wrote…

 

 

 

…popularity can bring problems. …If done well, PBL yields great results. But if PBL is not done well, two problems are likely to arise. First, we will see a lot of assignments and activities that are labeled as “projects” but which are not rigorous PBL, and student learning will suffer. Or, we will see projects backfire on underprepared teachers and result in wasted time, frustration, and failure to understand the possibilities of PBL. Then PBL runs the risk of becoming another one of yesterday’s educational fads – vaguely remembered and rarely practiced.

 

 

 

I was fortunate to have a conversation recently with John Larmer of the Buck Institute for Education regarding the potentially problematic, wide-spread adaption of PBL.  In this podcast, John shares several tips to help classrooms ensure that teacher efforts are calibrated to a ‘golden-standard.’  He also offers his thoughts on the role of technology in helping (or hindering) project-based learning. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

 

 

 

Holm, M. (2011). PROJECT-BASED INSTRUCTION: A Review of the Literature on Effectiveness in Prekindergarten through 12th Grade Classrooms. InSight: Rivier Academic Journal, 7(2).

 

 

 

Larmer, J., Mergendoller, J. R., & Boss, S. (2015). Setting the standard for project based learning: A proven approach to rigorous classroom instruction.

 

References

 

 

 

Boss, S., Larmer, J., & Mergendoller, J. R. (2013). PBL for 21st century success: Teaching critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creativity. Buck Institute for Education.

 

 

 

Markham, T., Larmer, J., & Ravitz, J. (2003). Project based learning handbook. Buck Institute for Education.

 

Young people’s brains are designed to solve problems.  Once they are invested in a something challenging, they will often do whatever it takes to work out a solution.  One of my own son’s, for example, heard about an extracurricular trip that some of his elementary school friends were going on in order to retrace the route of the Santa Fe Trail.  The trail itself was part of a unit of study that they had completed earlier on in the year. 

 

 

 

From what he was told, the trip would be chance to hang out with his friends for several days, see some sites, and do some pretty grown-up stuff along the way.  The only problem was that it would be very, very expensive—nearly 1,000 dollars.  When he approached my wife and I about it, we could tell immediately that it was something he wanted badly to be a part of.   But we also explained that we didn’t exactly have that kind of money just lying around.  We are teachers, after all. 

 

 

 

Instead of sighing or whining, he got this look of resolve.  He asked us, “Would you let me go if it were cheaper?”

 

 

 

Without thinking, I replied… “Well, maybe if it was like half as much.”

 

 

 

He thought for a second, and said, ”Okay. I will find a way to earn half of the money, and you and mom can come up with the other half.”

 

 

 

He has now spent the last few months shoveling our neighbor’s snow and rounding up people’s old junk to sell at his own, bi-weekly garage sale.  He has learned to set goals, how to network, negotiate, and how to fundraise.  He has figured that a sign that says, ‘I am raising money for my education,’ works better than a sign that simply says, ‘garage sale.’  He also has learned to draw in customers through the use of his baby-faced, four-year old brother who stands by the sign and waves to each and every passerby. He is invested in the challenge because he has a problem—his own problem—to solve.

 

 

 

Educational research, my own experiences in the classroom, and my son’s fundraising efforts all underscore the need for more problem-based learning in the classroom.  In particular, there is a need for teachers to carefully orchestrate compelling problems for students to solve.  Albert Einstein once said that, “the formulation of the problem is more essential than the solution” (Einstein & Infeld).  

 

 

 

Therefor, it behooves teachers to spend as much time as we can on the front-end of instruction—working to design thought-provoking problems that spark and propel student learning.  After reading through every book I could on Problem-based Learning (PBL), visiting classrooms, and trying things out on my own students, there are a at least 4 types of problems that really seem to foster student interest and effort (Dean & Marzano, 2013; Hattie, 2009). 

 

 

 

 

 

1.    Historical Investigation

 

 

 

These types of challenges start with a teacher clearly describing a historical event and then identifying to students what is and what is not known or agreed upon.  At this point, the teacher offers up a couple of possible scenarios, then students work to seek out and analyze what evidence determines the plausibility of each scenario.  For example, students can seek to examine conflicting versions presented by scholars regarding The Boston Massacre or President Roosevelt’s role in the events leading up to Pearl Harbor.

 

 

 

2.    Decision-Making

 

 

 

Decision making challenges start by describing the alternatives being considered by a single person or by a group of people.  Students then work in groups or with a teacher to identify the criteria that should be used to influence decision-making.  Collaboratively, they rate each alternative based on the scale criteria and then re-evaluate the criteria based on the result.  For example, students can predict who should be considered for admittance to a particular sports or musical hall-of-fame. 

 

 

 

3.    Problem-solving

 

 

 

Problem-solving challenges are similar to decision-making challenges to some extent.  However, instead of starting with a description of alternatives, problem-solving challenges start by working with students to identify a goal…as well as related barriers and constraints.  Students then work to identify and try out solutions, and then seek to explain to what extent their solution was successful.  Based on the degree of their success, other solutions are identified and experimented with.  For example, I visited a class who was working to gather and send shoes over to a partner-school in war-torn countries over-seas where mail delivery often proves difficult.  The students worked to gather shoes, to comply with packing procedures, and to fund-raise to help ship the items.  When their first shipment failed to arrive, they tried alternative solutions for subsequent shoe donations.

 

 

 

4.    Invention

 

 

 

Invention challenges capitalize on students’ desire to improve the world around them.  These activities start by identifying and describing a situation or need in the real world, then working with students to identify specific standards or designs that would improve the situation.  In groups, students brainstorm ideas and then evaluate their ideas based on forecasted likelihood for success.  Then they draft, sketch or build a prototype to improve the situation.  For example, as part of a unit on natural resources, I recently watched students design and share working models of pet-wash stations that sought to conserve and reuse water.

 

 

 

Our student’s brains are designed to solve problems.  So…let’s give them problems.  Well-orchestrated problems are authentic, student-centered, and require collaboration and critical thinking. They can be rooted in history, decision-making, goal-attainment or even invention.  Problem-based learning reminds us that some of the most important work we do as educators is when we invest on the ‘front-end’ of learning.  When we seek to provide students with authentic challenges, we are reawakened to one, simple reality—that our students—and my own son—all work the hardest when they have a really compelling problem to solve.  My problem—how am I going to come up with 500 dollars?   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

 

 

 

Dean, C. B., & Marzano, R. J. (2013). Classroom instruction that works: Research-based strategies for increasing student achievement. Boston, Mass: Pearson Education.

 

 

 

Einstein, A., & Infeld, L. (1966). The Evolution of Physics (1938).

 

 

 

Hattie, J. (2009). Visible learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement. London: Routledge.

 

If you ever want to have a bit fun, walk up to a group of educators and ask them—does spelling really matter?  As I visited with schools over the past few weeks, I found out that spelling seems to be one of those polarized issues that everyone seems to have an opinion on…and a strong one at that.  It’s almost like asking someone to share their views on the upcoming election, gun control or capital punishment.

 

Not too long ago, I was at a parent teacher conference for one of my own boys.  I sat down and noticed that the teacher had a look of concern.  After a long, awkward pause she said, “I guess I’m just a bit surprised.  I mean…his older brothers were so…smart.” 

 

Now, instead of getting upset, I just sat and listened for a while and asked a few questions.  I found out that my son’s grades were excellent, that he got along well with his peers, and that he was in the high group for math and for reading.  In fact, the only real concern his teacher had was regarding my son’s spelling.   Which leads me back to my question—does spelling really matter?

 

This week I had a chance to sit down and visit with Robi Alstrom.  She works as a consultant with a number of schools and districts to improve literacy and learning.  Robi also possesses a wealth of knowledge on spelling and the brain, and was willing to answer some of my questions on spelling…

 

 

 

References

 

 

 

Berninger, V. W., & Wolf, B. J. (2009). Teaching students with dyslexia and dysgraphia: Lessons from teaching and science. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Pub. Co.

 

Dehaene, S. (2010). Reading in the brain: The new science of how we read. New York: Penguin Books.

 

Ritchey, K. D. (2008). The building blocks of writing: Learning to write letters and spell words. Reading and writing, 21(1-2), 27-47.

 

Santoro, L. E., Coyne, M. D., & Simmons, D. C. (2006). The reading–spelling connection: Developing and evaluating a beginning spelling intervention for children at risk of reading disability. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 21(2), 122-133

 

Wolf, M. (2010). Proust and the squid: The story and science of the reading brain. Cambridge: Icon Books.

 

What do Charlie Sheen, Jane Austen, Paris Hilton, John F. Kennedy, Kanye West, and Benjamin Franklin all have in common? The answer—they’re all very well-known, very successful, and very terrible spellers.  This week’s blog post and podcast is titled, ‘Does Spelling Still Matter?’  It could also be titled…can you spell better than a middle-schooler? 

 

 

 

Some of us are just fine chuckling at our own spelling mistakes.  Words like ‘acceptable,’ ‘Wednesday,’ and even ‘misspelled’ continue to plague us despite our own repeated effort. But for some people, spelling is no laughing matter.  Take for example, Thomas Hurely, an 8^th grader who made it to the final round of the game show Jeopardy.  The final clue was… Abraham Lincoln called this document which took effect in 1863 “a fit and necessary war measure.” Thomas wrote down his answer—The Emanciptation Proclamation.  He had written the correct answer, but misspelled it.  As a result, the judges ruled it incorrect.  Thomas lost the final round and 3,000 dollars. 

 

 

 

While the judges of jeopardy and other spelling advocates insist that spelling is something that should be taken seriously, others aren’t as sure anymore.  Sandra Wilde, college professor and co-chair of National Council of Teachers of English, was quoted by USA today and stated that, "In ordinary life, I think spelling is too overblown. We expect it to be 100% correct and don't cut a lot of people slack. Even in The New York Times there is an occasional spelling error.”

 

 

 

The question continues to loom and to be debated.  Does spelling really matter in this modern age of autocorrectiion tools, spellcheck, and voice recognition?  To what degree should spelling be focused on in schools?  And then there is my question—are we born good spellers…or do we become great through some magical combination of our own efforts and environment?

 

 

 

My interest in spelling got started a couple of weeks ago. I had been on the road for several days visiting schools and speaking at education conferences.  I was supposed to be taking the day off, but noticed in my local paper that the middle school where my oldest kid attended would be holding its annual Spelling Bee.  I figured that if I took my computer along, I could get some work done and watch my son, and some other super-spellers, in action.

 

 

 

The first thing I noticed was that Spelling Bees haven’t changed much from when I was in school.   Students approached the podium, were given a word, permitted to ask some clarifying questions, and were eliminated one by one as the words became increasingly difficult. 

 

 

 

I have to say I was pretty impressed with myself for a while.  On my notepad, I scrawled out words like ‘cashew’ and ‘rucksack’ with no problem.  But as the words became a bit more complicated, I grew less sure of myself.   There were words that I nearly misspelled because I started to overthink them….words like skirmish, goblet, and berserk.  There were other words that I had definitely heard and had used before, but that possessed seemingly random sets of repetitive letters….words like aardvark and whippoorwill.  There were also a number of words that threw me for a loop because of the way they were pronounced…or mispronounced by the spelling bee announcer.  These were words like jocularity, hydroponic, and debilitate.

 

 

 

But a handful of the students held strong.  One of which was my my son.  He made it into the final three and was doing well, until he was given the word wahine.  It’s pronounced wah-hee-nee.  He looked alarmed, asked for the language of origin, requested the definition, and even asked to hear wahine used in a sentence.  It was like watching a contestant on ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire’ burn through all their lifelines, while knowing full-well that they don’t have a clue what the final answer should be.  He spelled it—or rather misspelled it—and sat down frustrated and disappointed.

 

 

 

As I visited with my son, with the school spelling bee champion, and with other students, four ideas surfaced on the origins of adept spelling.  First, young people are very quick to self-identify themselves as either good or poor spellers.  Second, many insist that some of us are just born with better spelling ability than others.  Third, while spelling seems to come easier to some students than it does to others, most young people insist that reading widely seems to help.  Finally, young people seem to believe that despite any innate ability or aversion, the ability to spell is something that can be improved through practice. 

 

 

 

So in the next couple of podcasts and blog posts we will explore the truths and myths of spelling.  We will look at the research and visit with experts in the field to uncover what is we really know about spelling…and about our students. 

 

 

 

 

 

References

 

 

 

Rapp, B., & Lipka, K. (2011). The literate brain: the relationship between spelling and reading. Journal of cognitive neuroscience, 23(5), 1180-1197.