#DBC50Summer

#DBC50Summer 36/50: Stories From Webb

/ Alicia Ray / 9 Comments

As I read book 36, I knew exactly what my implementation will be and I am terrified. Not just the butterflies and jittery anxiety, but hair-standing-on-end, sweating, dizzy, gut-clenching terrified. I’ve known what I wanted to do since I was a young girl. And now it’s time to share with the rest of you.

I don’t have an anecdote to share today, which is pretty dang ironic if you stop and think about it. I just have a plan; the implementation that has been weighing on me for a while. Reading each of the first 50 Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc books has been an amazing journey; one that has been filled with so much support, encouragement, motivation from my Professional Learning Network. Book 36, Stories from Webb by Todd Nesloney (co-author of Kids Deserve It) confirmed one of my deepest fears and my greatest hopes. Through reading this book, hearing the voices of Todd’s staff of Webb Elementary, tears running down my face or smiling from ear to ear, I am acutely aware of the effect of words on others. Words can inspire or tear down, portray compassion or apathy, impart wisdom or uncover ignorance. Writing has always been part of my life. I have never enjoyed it while doing it, but once the process was complete, I always looked back and was thankful I completed it.

As a young girl, I would sit in my bedroom and write stories, three or four chapters long. It was always realistic fiction, but I couldn’t get the characters out of my head until I wrote about them. As a middle schooler, we were required to keep a journal and choose from hundreds of prompts to write an entry each morning. I shared that journal with some of my family who loved it (although I truly believe they are a bit biased). If I’ve ever needed to express my thoughts on a deeper level, writing has always been easier than speaking. When I’m thinking through a problem, I scribble a pro/con list. Through #DBC50Summer, I have realized that while the books are tremendous, and I do mean fantastic, my growth has only been in part because of the words written by these amazing authors. The majority of my growth has come through the written reflections on my practice and how I can improve through an implementation plan. As an adult, I dream about characters and their stories for multiple nights, then they just vanish (likely because I’m not writing them down anymore). My mom has always told me that she envisions me writing children’s books. Looking back, it’s easy to see why she would think that.

Looking back is exactly what I have in mind. Hindsight. How many times have you wished you could go back in time for a do-over? It might only be 5 minutes, or even 20 years, that you’d like to erase, but the common theme is that we’d all like to have a redo in some moments of life. Reflection is such a major piece of education. Without reflecting on our practice, and on the stories of individual students, parents, colleagues, administrators, we become stagnant. I love that Todd’s school family shared their stories within the pages of Stories From Webb. It was so powerful to read and connect with each one.

I’ve alluded (several times) on Twitter to writing my own story.

Are you seeing a pattern? My implementation? I’m going to write that book. A dear friend of mine and I have been tossing around the idea of writing an educational book for a couple of years. I definitely want to do that, but it doesn’t feel like it’s my story. It’s more of a how-to with resources. In one of those “shower moments” one day (they’re legit, by the way – check out Tara Martin‘s #3minPD on this topic), I just knew I wanted to write my story about my epic fails and how I responded to them. Think of it as a “what not to do” manual of sorts. Then, with more experience and hindsight, share what I should have done and what I would do in the same situation now.

PS… it will be 20 chapters long… because you know. Hindsight is 20/20.

So now what? Todd has put the final nail in the coffin, so to speak. At the very end of his book in the acknowledgements section (yes, I read the forewords, dedications, and acknowledgements of every book), he wrote this to the readers:

I hope that you choose to be brave, love wildly, take risks, embrace the challenges, and most of all, remember that every moment is an opportunity to be better. It’s a scary thing, but just like my team and I did in this book, we need you to share your story! Write a blog, tweet it out, share it on Facebook, but get out there and share your brilliance with the world. We need your stories too.

~Todd Nesloney, Stories From Webb

I hear you, Todd. The stories of your staff have inspired me; your stories touched my heart. You make me believe that even thought it’s insanely scary, I should put my story on paper. I will share my story. Even if it’s never officially published, I’ll share parts of it on my blog. Possibly the next blog series? #HindsightEDU? We’ll see. For now, I need to finish #DBC50Summer, read and blog the amazingness of books 51-56 (and the newest one by Tisha Richmond, Making Learning Magical – cannot WAIT for Tisha’s book coming mid-September), then no more putting it off. I keep making excuses for myself. I know that when I add this to my implementation plans for #DBC50Summer, I remove the ability to make excuses.

For more stories from incredible educators around the world, jump into the #TellYourStory chat with Todd on Wednesdays at 8:30 pm EST. You can also follow along with others 24/7 using the same hashtag (As a note, #StoriesfromWebb as well as #KidsDeserveIt are also used to share stories)! Visit Todd’s website and grab a shirt while you’re at it! (Shirts are available the first week or so each month.) If you do nothing else, check out Todd’s amazing YouTube channel for episodes of #TellYourStory! Todd has hosted, as well as appeared as a guest on multiple podcasts. I’d suggest just doing a Google search for all of that awesomeness. This book is definitely worth picking up a copy! It’s one of those that you can randomly turn to any page of the book and be inspired and remember your why. It eliminates the feeling of loneliness that educators can sometimes feel as it reminds you there are others fighting the good fight, too! Go ahead and get your own copy; hurry!

As always, there is a flipgrid for global collaboration and reflection. Thanks to Andrea Paulakovich for allowing me to copilot this insanely awesome idea she had! So fortunate to have met her through #DBC50Summer!

Book 37 is The Principled Principal by Jeff Zoul (of Start. Right. Now.) and Anthony McConnell. This is one of the longer books. As I have zero interest in becoming an administrator, I’m interested to see how I might be able implement this one. I like a challenge, though. So… let’s get started.

Feel the need to share a little awesome sandwich with you (posterity and all, you know) – the time Todd came to #ncties15 and I got to meet him & chat with him & Jennifer LaGarde.

 

#DBC50Summer 35/50: The Wild Card

/ Alicia Ray / 5 Comments

One of my most (positive) vivid memories of my childhood was camping with my family. Now I’m not talking about tent camping – no, thank you! (I slept in a tent once at a birthday sleepover after a bonfire when I was almost 17… never again. Never.) No, we stayed in a fifth wheel camper set up at a campground on the mountain about an hour from our house. There were several families from our town that owned campers there and we’d spend many weekends during the summer enjoying the outdoors and community at the campground. My mom and dad were still married, so I couldn’t have been older than 10 or 11, but the memories stick with me like glue. The best part? They let me stay up until all hours of the night playing the card game called Spades with the other campers there in the campground community house.

Creating memorable experiences that stick like glue is what we want for our classrooms. Playing those games didn’t have a thing to do with school, curriculum, content… or did it? I learned critical thinking, strategy, probability, the power of failure, thrill of victory, and how to do it all while absolutely exhausted, refusing to admit it because my parents would make me go to the camper and get some sleep. Perhaps those nights are what drive my love for games now. That’s a thought for another day, though.

For now, let’s discuss book 35 in the Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc line of incredible books. (By the way, they just released a tremendous new website for DBC, Inc! Check out the latest and greatest features here. Spoiler: features include previews of each book, how to follow along with authors/book communities in multiple social media/blog accounts, and how to purchase autographed copies of book like Teach Like A Pirate. Subscribe and be entered for a chance to win a free book each month!)

Book 35 is called The Wild Card and is co-authored by Wade & Hope King, a husband & wife team. (This is the third instance of a husband/wife collaboration in DBC, Inc. P is for Pirate co-authored by Dave & Shelley Burgess, How Much Water Do We Have? written by Pete Nunweiler with contributions from his wife, Kris were the other two.)

I’m going to admit something that many educators might find shameful. I have never read a single Ron Clark book. (I know… I know. I’ve heard.) I’ll take it one step further…I’ve never watched the movie either. (My aunt is going to be so disappointed when she finds out I never turned it on when she sent me those text messages.) I’m totally not slamming Ron Clark. I love what he has done for education, and I think The Ron Clark Academy is the bees’ knees. Can I redeem myself by saying I read this book and loved it? Not realize the connection? Hope & Wade King work at the Ron Clark Academy; Hope is a reading master educator and Wade is a social studies master educator and Director of Curriculum and Instruction. Before we dive into the book, you should know you’re going to want your own copy – I’d suggest a physical copy so you can highlight and write all over it. You’ll want to. Here’s a link. You’re welcome.

This was another of those books where I didn’t come up from air while reading. I really didn’t need to… it was an engaging read. It had a perfect mix of guide book, personal experiences, and excellent ideas to challenge you in the classroom. The book is divided into three sections – Wild Card, Creative Breakthrough, and Toolbox.

Wild Card talks about the metaphor of being the wild card for your students. Every student is dealt a different hand, and the wild card can either make or break you. Hope & Wade challenge us to be a wild card that makes the hand unbeatable. They discuss the Joker in one chapter, which totally resonated with me. I battle with self-doubt often, and I, too, have panic attacks. Like Hope, I strive for perfection and that perfectionism has been the primary source for many anxiety attacks in my life. I never want to be a disappointment; it’s one of my biggest fears. Others fear death or public speaking… my biggest fears are fire, having to choose which of my daughters to save in a catastrophe (yes, truly stresses me out), and being a disappointment to those I love and respect. So, Hope, sister… I feel you!

The second section is where the magic happens! This is the step-by-step guide that you’ve always wanted. I would highly recommend reading a chapter at a time, marinating on that one topic for a couple sleeps, then moving to the next chapter. Rinse and repeat. That will be hard to do because it’s written in a way that’s so dang easy to read that you’ll just fly through it. If that happens, go back to section two and start with the awareness chapter; take it slow. Reflect. I know I’ll be going back to this and reflecting myself.

The third section… we’ll call this one your new best friend. Did you love the section on hooks in Teach Like A Pirate? The section of mini-games at the end of Explore Like A Pirate? You’ll love this toolbox, too! Just trust me!

I feel as though I’m not giving away too much information by sharing the snappy wrap-up at the end of the book. One statement from each chapter is given by Hope & Wade. The statements in and of themselves are powerful, but please believe that the details in the book that back up these statements are astounding.

  1. Be the wild card.

  2. If you argue for your limitations, you get to keep them. (WOW!)

  3. Don’t listen to the Joker.

  4. Always know your WHY.

  5. These things are free: a smile, passion, and enthusiasm.

  6. Lunchtime is a creative opportunity.

  7. Make them want to come to class.

  8. Just do you.

  9. Don’t stop for roadblocks.

  10. Spread the magic.

While reading there were several things that popped out to me as possible implementation plans. A few ideas were to record myself teaching, then watch it and reflect, and rewatch it while muted focusing on my body language (Genius, right? Great idea, Kings!), continue redecorating the media center to meet my own passions because students are interested in seeing any changes happen (truth – check out phase one of the media makeover), maintaining smile, passion, and enthusiasm every single day because they are contagious, and even go see Hamilton! In all seriousness, I have seen this Broadway show advertised in more places than I can count in the past six months. It’s even coming to my state twice over the next few months, and both stints are sold out.

However, my implementation came down to one thing that I connected with as it also aligns to my school’s vision of encouraging the love of lifelong learning in our students. I’ve completed genius hour projects in the media center before, but only a class or grade level at a time and only “mini” projects. They looked like this: “Research all you can find on your chosen topic for 20 minutes, then create a 5 slide presentation to share with your friends.” While that was a great starting point (see my first ever genius hour attempt reflections here.) it wasn’t really what genius hour was intended to be. I’m looking to expand this idea of genius hour to a more open-ended platform. I’ve already committed to having an Innovation Club after school as my implementation of Pure Genius, but I want this to be open to all students. This is one of those projects that relies on student buy-in; no grade, no accountability, no assigned due date. I just want to open up the opportunity to learn about whatever they’d like to learn about and offer the media center and supplies to create something they can share with others. That may be a vlog or blog, podcast, green screen video, stop-motion animation, lego creation, coding endeavor with scratch and the Arduino or MakeyMakey. I’m not sure what they’ll come up with, but the sky is the limit. I just need to offer the space and time. I want it to be completely invitational so students don’t feel as though it’s something else they have to do, but something they get to do. I’m going to work through this in my head and will let you know how it all goes as it unfolds. I just know I want this to happen and as Hope & Wade would say, there are no excuses. If I’m considering it, I need to just do it. So… here we go.

You can find more of Hope & Wade King on their website here. You can also be inspired by them in person at the Get Your Teach On conferences. I’d love to attend the national conference in Texas next summer (fingers crossed)! Hear Wade talk with Vicki (@coolcatteacher) Davis on the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast, then listen to her chat with Hope! Don’t forget to get your copy of The Wild Card. Use the hashtag #BeTheWildCard to connect with other educators reading this book! You can also connect via flipgrid. Andrea Paulakovich had a spectacular idea at the beginning of the summer to create a virtual space for global book studies, so here it is. She and I copilot this space and would love for you to contribute as you finish books! (Also, look for something epic from us soon… just saying.) Andrea also recently wrote a blog post on The Wild Card! I love how she puts her own spin on #DBC50Summer – check it out here!

I didn’t do a lot of tweeting with this book because I was so immersed in what I was reading that I kept forgetting to stop and do a #BookSnap – oops!

Up next in #DBC50Summer is a book from an author you already know and love! Todd Nesloney (of Kids Deserve It) and the amazing educators of Webb Elementary bring us Stories from Webb! I’ve read many of the stories here, but all out of context. Sometimes I open it like the old school Chicken Soup books (Man, what a series!) and just pick a story and read it for inspiration. Now I get to read the entire thing! Looking forward to diving into book 36!

 

#DBC50Summer 34/50: Code Breaker

/ Alicia Ray / 3 Comments

My first experience with coding? High school. Computer Applications 3. We were told to open Notepad on our Dell Optiplex GX110s (yep – big, white computers complete with driver for a 3.5″ diskette). After we were given a sheet with various html codes using angle brackets, we set to creating our own websites. As a junior in high school, I was able to create my first website using code like <h1> and </h1>. My favorite part? I distinctly remember when Mrs. Burgess (Yes, that is really her name! No, the irony of that is not lost on me!) gave us the “cheat codes” to different colored backgrounds and colored text. As soon as I could make my page hot pink and purple, I had succeeded. (Y’all, it was a horrific design. HA!)

Book 34 is a super short, super fast read full of ways to get started with coding in your own classroom/school! Brian Aspinall brings us Code Breaker as book 34 in the Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc line up.

Brian is quick to explain that computer science is not only coding. It’s a way of thinking. He speaks to learning about coding as a language that our students should know, even if they are not planning to become professional programmers. Thinking through the process of writing code is about more than just creating a website or app. It’s about the critical thinking and problem-solving that is put into practice while writing the code. It’s about perseverance and finding those tiny mistakes that can negate an entire block of code. I love his analogy of coding being a part of computer science as biology is a part of natural sciences. That’s when the distinction really clicked for me in a way that I could share with others.

Even if I weren’t already an advocate for teaching students how to code, I would be after reading Code Breaker!

When I became a media coordinator at an elementary school in 2014, I heard about this idea of “Hour of Code” that was taking off in schools across the world. I knew my students needed in on this, so I partnered with our computer teacher and we created a schedule in which every student in our school (yes, even the pre-kindergarten students) would engage in coding within one day. It was fast and furious and so much fun! Our pre-k and kindergarten students enjoyed playing a game of Simon Says and following the tiles along the hallways of our school. They were learning the fundamentals of coding through playing a game they were already familiar with. They learned how the computer only does what the human tells it to do just as they only do what Simon says to do in the game. We then moved from analog coding (unplugged activities) to using code.org for our emerging readers. This is a great place to go for coding instruction, allowing learners (even you!) to move through a curriculum designed for any age group. Even though I’ve moved to a middle school, the Hour of Code has not only continued in that elementary school, but has spread throughout my district.

If you’ve participated in the Hour of Code and are ready to move to the next thing in coding, check out Brian’s book! He gives many ways to integrate coding into multiple subject areas at a variety of ages. There are QR codes linked throughout the book to blog posts to further your learning, as well as examples and resources. At the end of the book there are several more resources, and educators to follow are listed throughout the pages of Code Breaker.

I have some of my favorite resources to share with you as well.

There are several unplugged games to get you started, too!

Earlier this year, I facilitated a session on Coding Camps and shared our activities in a five day summer camp. That slide deck can be accessed here.

With the strides we’ve already made to include coding across our district, I was a bit apprehensive about how I could implement Code Breaker in the new school year. Luckily Brian provides to many new ideas that finding something to implement was incredibly easy! For this book, I will be working with my math team to use MinecraftEDU to show patterns in both constant rate of change and growing patterns as he describes in chapter 4! This experience fits perfectly in our curriculum and we already use Minecraft to do multiple lessons, so students will be excited to see it implemented in patterns as well!

Brian provides excellent resources on his website. Brian has three TEDx Talks! Click for access to Hacking the Classroom, Education Reform, and Beyond Rote Learning. Don Wettrick (remember Pure Genius – such a good book!) interviewed Brian in his StartEdUp podcast. MindShare Learning did a video podcast with Brian, and The Ed Podcast just released a podcast with Brian earlier this summer about coding and why it isn’t necessarily the most important thing being learned (LOVE THIS!). As always, Andrea Paulakovich and I are copiloting a flipgrid which allows for collaboration on a global scale reflecting on each DBC, Inc book. Andrea had this incredible idea of using flipgrid at the beginning of the summer, and I was fortunate enough to get to be part of it! Feel free to share your thoughts with the community here; if no one has posted, be bold and start the conversation! The Twitter community uses the hashtag #CodeBreaker to discuss the ideas in this book. Speaking of Twitter, here are a couple of my reflective tweets while reading the book. Brian speaks so much truth in so few pages! Be sure to grab your copy now!

 

 

I was excited to finally be able to read book 34 and am equally pumped to get to read book 35! If you’ve heard of The Ron Clark Academy and believe in what the educators there in Atlanta are doing for their students, you will also be excited about book 35! It was written by the husband-wife team of Wade & Hope King, educators at The Ron Clark Academy and is called The Wild Card. Prepare to be inspired to get creative with book 35!