Summertime! There it is; that collective sigh of relief. Now that school is almost over, hopefully you have a few weeks to relax, relate, release and regroup. I know this is your time to unwind and totally let your hair down, but…you could also use some of this time to change your game plan for the coming school year. I mean, after you regroup and let your hair down. Most schools have adopted the Common Core Standards. They are in just about every classroom, affecting just about every teacher. So what does that mean to you? It means you might want to add some thought towards common core standards and career and technical education to your summer dreams.

Common Core Standards are the destination…

The thing about common core standards and career and technical education is that they don’t dictate how students arrive. The great part about that is that it doesn’t matter how your students get the skills, as long as they can demonstrate them at the end of the course. Summer break is a great time to evaluate yourself, your results, and find ways to improve your methods of teaching. You could even experiment with tools and techniques that you don’t have time to explore during the school year.

If it ain’t broke, why should I fix it?

I’m not suggesting a total overhaul. You won’t need to. The teachers who need a teaching-style makeover are probably not reading this blog. I am suggesting that the mental break may do you good and allow you to see some aspects of your classroom differently. Take a look at those modules that are unsuccessful. By unsuccessful I mean boring (they even put you to sleep), difficult for students to grasp, low-scoring, or they just make students run from the room crying and screaming. Now is your chance to really take some time to figure out how to breathe life into that subject. And while you’re looking at trying something new, there is a perfect opportunity to combine common core standards with CTE. In health science, hand washing can be pretty boring. But, what if you surprised the class by secretly using Glo Germ products to demonstrate how easily germs are spread. I attended a health fair where the powder was used unbeknownst to the participants and it had a pretty cool effect.

Let the summer inspire you.

Does she look like she’s thinking about common core standards and career and technical education?

I know you never take your teacher hat off (and I’m not being sarcastic), but during the year it’s probably really hard to take your experiences and exploit them for all their worth. Now you have some time to take those summer pics, experiences, problems, and encounters and turn them into something meaningful for your students. Let’s say one of your children jumped off the roof or stuck a rock up their nose. How can you use the accident and emergency room visit to your advantage? While the main lessons are humans don’t have wings and rocks aren’t made for noses, there are other lessons to be learned and your students can benefit from them.  Everything can be turned into a learning experience.

Have fun (always keeping common core standards and career and technical education in the back of your mind)!

Unless you’re teaching summer school or somewhere else during the summer, you don’t have the everyday stress of the classroom. You should take a breather; you deserve it. Just don’t forget to jot down some of those “teachable moments” so that when you have your prep time, you can use them to make material relevant and sometimes even fun for your students.

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It is every teacher’s challenge to try to keep students engaged despite digital distractions and lack of motivation. With more distractions than ever before like texting, social networks, and YouTube students are possibly less attentive than ever. And the promise of employment after education looks grimmer than in the past. This leaves you, as teachers, with the need to find ways to revitalize students’ interest and passion in their education.  So how do you get them as interested in your teaching as they are in becoming the next viral sensation?

Is the answer wrapped up in that question?

Rules for working with narcissists: Focus on Their Learning, Not Your Teaching

Perhaps you need to worry more about their interest in their learning rather than their interest in your teaching. We all have that friend or relative that likes to talk about themselves. How do you interact with that person? You make everything you discuss pertain or apply to them or how it effects them. It doesn’t make them a bad person, you love that friend or family member and you adapt your interaction with that person to ensure the most successful possible outcome.

In gross generalization, students today have very narcissistic, self-consumed outlooks. Perhaps we should even say “inlooks” as today’s students of the “Generation Me” tend to look inward rather than out. Before you throw up your hands and say, “I just can’t reach these people” let’s center on some positive things this scenario.

These students have an interest in personal achievement. My theory is that a lot of these kids have been protected and coddled by “there are no losers” scenarios to the point that what appears to be entitlement is really more a fear of failure. You just have to help them get out there and try things. And what better way than in with the means and methods they are most comfortable with like phones, tablets, and laptops.

Keep students engaged despite digital distractions

Of course the caveat to that is, how to keep students engaged despite digital distractions?

From what I’ve gathered, it seems that one of the greatest challenges to using online blended learning solutions in the classroom is that students tend to wander away from the online learning tool. Just a few years ago, the rule was simple, students weren’t allowed to go online. This one’s gotta go, people. I’m sure allowing calculators in math class was a “crazy idea” years ago. Allowing online access to students today is like allowing calculators in math class yesterday.

Funny you should ask. Being in the online learning business, we are a little obsessed with this topic. So much so that we developed a FREE lesson on how to keep students engaged despite digital distractions.

A [FREE] solution

As I was pretty unimpressed with my search for good examples of modern classroom discipline strategies to use with blended learning solutions, we discussed it at AES. Fortunately, we all agreed that there is a need out there that we might be able to meet. And so, we’ve released a FREE online lesson for students about appropriate online behavior in the classroom! There is also an editable contract that will provide you some tools for filling any holes you may have in your own discipline strategies.

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It’s graduation time again. A whole new graduating class will be entering the workforce. But are they ready? Are they really prepared for the adventure that awaits them? Do your business education lesson plans include adventure?!

I found this article, Preparing Students for Success in the Work Place, that raises some important points about student preparedness. I think it can be summarized into  three main questions we need to ask when developing business education lesson plans: Are students able to work in groups?  Can students verbally communicate effectively? And do students know how to exhibit professionalism?

Teaching Life Skills in Business Education Lesson Plans

When you really boil it down, are you teaching your students life skills? We often hear from educators that soft skills are some of the most difficult to teach in the classroom. How do you let students practice for the real world in a safe environment? One solution is to role play. However, there is a downfall to role play. In addition to the collective groan you may hear from students at its mention, are your students taking risks in their solutions? Are they learning multiple consequences effectively?

Scenario-based Online Curriculum

Another solution is to let them practice in some scenario-based online curriculum. A bit of a “choose your own adventure” style lesson where students can explore safely. If you ever read those Choose Your Own Adventure books, you could always sense what the “right” answer was. But wasn’t it always fun to select a “wrong” path, just to watch your space ship blow up or let the knight get eaten by the fire breathing dragon? Students can benefit from making incorrect choices just to “see what happens.” Let them explore and make many different choices.

Many of our new business lessons allow students to explore in this way, including Teamwork and Business Ethics.

Looking for more ways to include real life in your business education lesson plans? Check out Celestial’s recent post: Cultivating Great Employees.

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Back in September 2012, I posted “Educational Buzzwords for 2012.” This post was popular, so I thought I’d dig around for educational buzzwords for 2013. What did I find? They’re pretty much the same, but with some important additions. But, I know some of you might have missed the 2012 post, so I’ll rehash and add-to here. Good stuff!

What’s new for Educational Buzzwords for 2013

The Cloud. If you are using our HealthCenter21 or Business&ITCenter21 programs online, you are using cloud computing. Wikipedia describes cloud computing as follows:

“The use of computing resources (hardware and software) which are available in a remote location and accessible over a network (typically the Internet). The name comes from the common use of a cloud-shaped symbol as an abstraction for the complex infrastructure it contains in system diagrams. Cloud computing entrusts remote services with a user’s data, software and computation.

Yet there is a difference compared to the traditional user – server relation. The cloud idea goes beyond the shared computing resource usage. It focuses on maximizing the effectiveness of the shared resources. Cloud resources are usually not only shared by multiple users but as well as dynamically re-allocated as per demand. Imagine a cloud compute facility which serves European users during European business hours with a specific application (example email) while the same resources are getting reallocated and serve American users during America’s business hours with another application (web server). This approach should maximize the use of computing powers thus reducing environmental damage as well. (less power, airconditioning, rackspace, etc. is required).”

Infographics. As defined by Wikipedia, infographics are “graphic visual representations of information, data or knowledge intended to present complex information quickly and clearly. They can improve cognition by utilizing graphics to enhance the human visual system’s ability to see patterns and trends. The process of creating infographics can be referred to as data visualization, information design, or information architecture.” If you are on Pinterest, you’re probably already immersed in infographics. Not only are infographics a good way to get students to recall some basic information and data, they are also a fantastic project to have students create to help solidify their learning and understanding.

Five Educational Buzzwords

In an article for CNN’s School of Thought, Donna Krache, defines the terms common core, flipped classes, gamification, MOOC, and school choice in the article “Five buzzwords you’re likely to hear in education this school year.”

Ed Tech Cheat Sheet

Mr. G Online provides the fantastic “Ed Tech Cheat Sheet.” This list includes a more extensive list that adds these buzzwords:

• 1:1 Technology
• Adaptive learning
• Asynchronous learning
• Blended learning
• Course management system
• Differentiated learning
• Digital storytelling
• E-books
• E-learning
• Electronic classroom
• Individualized learning
• Informal learning
• Lifelong learning
• Open educational resources
• Online lab
• Personalized learning
• Synchronous online learning
• Virtual classroom
• Virtual learning environment

More Buzzwords

And here are a few terms that I’d like to add in case you’ve heard of them, but aren’t really sure what they are.

Edmodo: Edmodo is defined by Wiki as “ is a social learning network for teachers, students, and parents.” If you are looking to get your feet wet with Edmodo, 0ne of our clients, Rita Griffith, offered up this invitation to all of our Facebook friends: “Hello Health & Medical Science instructors using HealthCenter 21! Please check out a great new networking resource tool that is free to instructors- Edmodo. www.edmodo.com. Join the Health Occupations for CTE group. Joining code 38c0j8.”

BYOT: BYOT is bring your own technology. Many schools are experimenting with allowing what was just recently strictly forbidden…students bringing and using their own technology devices to school.

21st Century learning: Here is a term that includes many of the others. 21st Century learning is defined by Wiki as “ or the “21st Century Skills” movement as it is commonly known¹, refers to a growing global movement to redefine the goals of education, to transform how learning is practiced each day, and to expand the range of measures in student achievement, all in order to meet the new demands of the 21st Century.”

How did you do? How many of these did you already know?

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How do MBA programs bridge the gap from theoretical textbook education study to the real world? Case Studies! You can do the same, using case studies for high school business courses.

Case Studies for High School Business Courses

Case studies are a great way to let students have a glimpse into the inner workings of a business. They can help bridge the gap between foundation business concepts and the mock business/competitions organized by FBLA, DECA and Junior Achievement.

My twitter stream has a unique combination of educators and entrepreneurs. Many of the people that I follow posts to nice articles. Once in a while I see an article or web site that I would like to share with teachers (our customers and everyone else) on the Internet.

Under 30 CEO

Today I saw a link about a web site called “Under 30 CEO.” It’s full of articles about young entrepreneurs. The information seems like it would be interesting and relevant for high school age students that are interested in pursuing business education.

One recent article is titled “7 Business Lessons an Entrepreneur can learn from super heros.” You students saw Iron Man 3 last weekend. This is the perfect time to read the article and discuss in the classroom.

Here are a few classroom discussion points to help you get started:

• How does the advice in the article compare to other information presented in the class room.
• Pick a different super hero and less the class what they would say about entrepreneurship.

Find the article here:  http://under30ceo.com/7-business-lessons-an-entrepreneur-can-learn-from-super-heroes/

Be sure to check out other articles on the web site. There are many great ideas to share with your students.

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I know, I know…I like to talk bout types of learners. Particularly, I like to try to persuade everyone to my way of thinking in regards to types of learner theories. It’s just one of my things, okay? Why is it a thing? Well making really simple ideas overly complex for the sake of professional and/or educational superiority and condescension is a huge pet peeve. Whoa, I’m on a roll today. I think types of learner theories are misleading. However, I do think you should teach as if types of learner theories are relevant.

Sneakers

Many years ago, shoes could be divided into general categories: loafers, pumps, sandals, boots, and sneakers. Sneakers were sneakers. Did they fit? Good. Comfortable? Great. You’re good to go. Run like the wind. Then at some point, sneakers became basketball sneakers, running sneakers, cross-trainers, tennis shoes, and on and on. If I believe my kids, I need to purchase them a pair of sneakers for every sport they play. Seriously? I’d love to see them stop in the middle of recess and use valuable play time to change from their football sneaks to their basketball shoes just because they picked up a different ball. Oh, time for tag…let me grab my running shoes!

Likewise, I don’t think that students pay the least attention to methods of learning. Student: “Okay, time to tune-out…teacher is going to lecture for 5 minutes. I’ll catch it when we go to video.” Or… Teacher: “Okay, for all my kinesthetic learners, please come over here so that I can show you how to take a temperature. Auditory learners, please stay in your seats and just listen carefully.”

This is why I see types of learner theories as irrelevant. Do they make theorists and psychologists and educational experts feel good? Do theories allow them to talk a talk that the engineer or the surgeon doesn’t get? In reality it seems to me that it’s nothing more than a complicated way of saying that using a variety methods to teach is a really, really good idea. Can’t we just say that?

Teach as if types of learner theories are relevant

Teachers do so much for students. Do even more by teaching as if types of learner theories are relevant. But don’t do it because you buy into theories that your students can learn only one way. Rather do it because your students are individuals. Individuals with preferences, including learning preferences. Mix it up, but don’t hurt yourself trying to cover every thing every way. After all, my kids can shoot hoops in flip flops if they want to. THAT’s an idea…don’t worry about how you teach it…work on making them want to learn it.

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It’s 2013, and I still don’t have a flying car. Or that pill that was going to be an entire meal. Or even a rocket to vacation on the moon. So much of what I was promised when I was growing up just hasn’t come true that sometimes I wonder if I could get a refund on my old subscription to “Popular Mechanics Magazine.” Here’s why we still need teachers in the digital classroom.

My big motivations were girls and theater class…

I’ve been hearing for about 20 years that computers will be taking over education. First it was video tapes of professors lecturing, then it was little e-learning lessons with “Click Next” buttons. More lately you’ve probably seen stuff like MOOC courses and Coursera and Kahn Academy. Each one is touted as the end of the classroom. Just plug your student in, sit back, and watch the knowledge trickle into that little skull full of mush.

Well, I’ll give them credit. Sometimes, with some students, it works. I’ve built hundreds of online courses on dozens of platforms. If the student is very motivated, if the courseware is well designed (blush), and you’ve got a subject suited for teaching via computer–it’s entirely possible that many students will leave with more knowledge that what was in their heads when they arrived. Sadly, that doesn’t happen often. 

Can you remember High School? Were you motivated? My big motivations were girls and theater class. For my older brother it was sports. My sister was a math whiz. (ProTip: We call that “intrinsic motivation.”) Any other motivation is called “extrinsic motivation.” Like “we’ll fail you.” Like “we’ll tell your parents and they’ll punish you.” Like “you wont’ get into college and you’ll end up working at Micky D’s.”

Why we still need teachers in the digital classroom

But the real, meaningful motivation came from the teacher in the classroom who could engage us in the content and explain why it mattered. That happens via projects, discussions, group work–all of the “hands-on” stuff that happens after the electronic shiny stuff is over. And that’s what makes the learning stick. Take a moment to think back to something you learned in school that has really stayed with you. Was it from a video?

I’ll bet you my pair of fuzzy dice it involved an actual living, breathing teacher.

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First of all…May is Teacher Appreciation Month, so I’d like to give a big “shout out” to all the instructors out there who help to inspire and motivate our students to succeed. At the same time, I’d like to take a few moments to share with everyone a few videos I recently watched that reminded me of the importance of kindness, empathy, and connection in our lives. These are great resources for teachers teaching soft skills. Who doesn’t need a little kindness?

Make kindness and respect part of our daily lives

We live in an unsettled world, and the Boston Marathon bombing last month reminded us how short life can be. It also allowed us to take a few moments to remember that during our short lives, we can all do something to help others. The internet has brought the world closer together; however, it sometimes seems that face-to-face communication is not as prevalent as it once was. So…this blog post is a reminder to all of us that treating people with kindness and respect should be part of our daily lives.

As teachers, we all agree that raising a generation of caring, compassionate kids will benefit everyone, and if we can somehow help in this regard…then let’s do it! Take a look at the following video, called, “Take a Seat – Make a Friend?” It may bring a tear to your eye, but it’ll also make you smile!

Cool idea…right?! I think I’ll make a ball pit here at work!

I also came across these resources for teachers teaching soft skills

Enjoy…!

• http://www.randomactsofkindness.org/educators
• http://dalailamacenter.org/
• http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/education
• http://ripplekindness.org/school-curriculum/
• http://www.projecthappiness.org/programs/educators/
• http://www.rootsofempathy.org/

I actually downloaded the first chapter of “Roots of Empathy…Changing the World Child by Child” from the “Roots of empathy” website and will be reading it on my deck later today!

So…Let’s now go forward, and bring a little sunshine into someone’s life! I’m ready…! Are you?!

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The common core state standards focus on academics and ignore electives like middle school computer applications, personal finance and family consumer science, right?

Wrong!

Look at the following section from the English Language Arts standards, especially the highlighted segment.

Research and media skills blended into the Standards as a whole

“To be ready for college, workforce training, and life in a technological society, students need the ability to gather, comprehend, evaluate, synthesize, and report on information and ideas, to conduct original research in order to answer questions or solve problems, and to analyze and create a high volume and extensive range of print and nonprint texts in media forms old and new. The need to conduct research and to produce and consume media is embedded into every aspect of today’s curriculum. In like fashion, research and media skills and understandings are embedded throughout the Standards rather than treated in a separate section.”

Middle School Computer Applications and the Common Core Standards

More than ever, students will be expected to use the skills they learn in your classroom to achieve academic success in all of their courses.

The common core state standards don’t list specific new media skills that you are responsible for teaching. The technology changes too fast for this to be feasible. It’s not hard to find state computer application standards that reference outdated technology.

Your role as a computer applications teacher will be to prepare the student to successfully use technology for researching, organizing, and creating content for new and old media forms. That’s a pretty big task considering that technology will change by the time student graduate.

The key to success isn’t for students to master specific applications (Microsoft Office Certification). The key is to have students that know how to analyze a situation and come up with a solution using new, varied and ever-changing technology tools.

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Giddyup, folks, it’s time to jump on the common core wagon! Let’s get aligned, people. Before you freak out, I want you to know that you probably are already in the ballpark. Here are some thoughts on how to align your CTE course with common core standards.

Step 1: Find out what will be required of you

Before you read any further, you might want to find out what exactly your requirements are as a CTE teacher in meeting and aligning to common core standards. Fortunately for CTE teachers, I imagine that your coverage or alignment with common core needn’t be 100%. I’m guessing you’ll merely be required to demonstrate that your content supports common core standards. Please don’t quote me on that. But I’m just going to take a wild guess that at least for the next school year, while details of the common core movement are hammered out in the core subjects, that CTE might have more of an opportunity to ease into it. Ha! I love it when being the CTE teacher is a coup!

Step 2: Get familiar with the common core standards

Not ground-breaking, I know. But how many of you have been stressing out over whether or not you can align your CTE course with common core standards before you’ve even had a chance to take a look at what they contain? I’m going to be really honest with you and let you know that I have not yet read the entire common core standards. But I’m guessing that our instructional designers have. Nor am I completely ignorant. I want to help you be the best teacher you can be. Common core isn’t going away soon, so I’m right there in the trenches with you, trying to get a handle on what all this is going to mean. From a CTE teaching perspective, I’m pretty calm about what I’ve seen so far. Fear not.

Step 3: Find common core standards that are speaking your language

I meant it when I said that you are likely already in the ballpark to align your CTE course with common core standards.

For example, for our Business and Information Technology and Computer Applications teachers, I see gracefully simple alignment to common core standards such as “Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums (e.g., print or digital text, video, multimedia) to present a particular topic or idea.” Or how about this one, “Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.” Or this one, “Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies among the data.”

For our health instructors, doesn’t this sound like practicing skills? “Follow precisely a complex multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks; analyze the specific results based on explanations in the text.” And in mathematics, “Analyze decisions and strategies using probability concepts (e.g., product testing, medical testing, pulling a hockey goalie at the end of a game).” Or have students write a health care scenario to cover this: “Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.” In this case you not only touch on this common core standard, you are also helping students with communication skills that are so critical to a career in health.

Feeling pretty good? You should. Foreknowledge is forearmed. I think the key to success is to absorb the common core into your way of thinking. Then, as you prepare lesson plans and activities you’ll find surprisingly easy ways to align your CTE courses with common core standards.

NOTE: All standards used in this post and a full list of common core standards can be found at www.corestandards.org.

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