Lisa Nielsen: The Innovative Educator

The packet-driven classroom

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Sun, 19 May 2013 11:12:00 +0000

Jeff Bliss got our attention when he shared his frustration with his teacher, classmates, and the world about his learning environment.

The now viral video captures a room of passionless students, some with their heads down, some with a facepalm, some staring into space, all silently sitting at their empty desks seemingly disconnected not only from each other, but also from their behind-a-desk-fortress teacher.

That is until Jeff Bliss got up and spoke:

Jeff Bliss: [I’m tired of] hearing this freakin’ lady go off on kids because they don’t get this crap. If you can just get up and teach them instead of handing them a freakin’ packet, yo. There are kids in here who don’t learn like that, they need to learn face-to-face. You’re just getting mad because I’m pointing out the obvious.

According to classmate Colleen Hunt, “Everyone at our school is proud of him for speaking his mind and not being rude about it.” Jeff reignited a national conversation about the state of the educational system, the seemingly indifferent attitude of teachers and an administration that could allow teaching (or lack thereof) like this to go on in the classroom right under their noses. But many of those who work in or with, attend, and/or have children in schools, understand that in many cases it is not the teacher or administrator, but forces outside the school that has led to the development of the packet-driven classroom.

I experienced this first hand. Two years ago I was overseeing a project where my staff was working with schools to support teachers in partnering with students to create passion-driven learning environments. I had a great visit, during what we called an innovation field trip, to one of these schools. What a day it was as students excitedly presented their worthy-of-the-world projects. They clearly owned their learning and demonstrated this in a variety of ways. Some had created videos, some PowerPoint presentations, some wrote articles, and more. Students learned with and from one another, and they found places to share their work beyond the classroom.

As I was leaving the school I happened to run into their teacher and commended her for doing such wonderful work. I was struck by the fact that she didn’t smile when I did. Instead, she thanked me but told me this would likely be her last year in the classroom. What? Why? I didn’t understand. She explained that once they got back from their February break (the following week), the school goes into full test prep mode and she would be required to stand by complicit as she watches the shining light fade from the eyes of her students.

I looked around to make sure no one else was listening and whispered, “Why don’t you just keep teaching the way you teach and close your door?” She explained that this was not possible. There was actually drive-by test prep collection. If she was unable to provide evidence that the required testing and prepping were going on at all times she was at risk of being written up for insubordination.

Furthermore, online testing and prepping was on its way which meant administrators no longer had to go around to classrooms to ensure no student was left untested. They could log on and get data reports right from their desktop computers.

For those who aren’t teaching or don’t remember what it’s like to take a standardized test, here is a reminder:

Students sit under fluorescent lights in rows too far to see what the other is working on. The walls and bulletin boards are stripped of instructional charts, celebrations of work, or instructional aides that usually fill the room. The teacher may say nothing other than what is outlined in the packet. A student may not discuss a question with a classmate or teacher. Each question is what it is. There is no clarification. There is only one right answer. There is no nuance. Teaching is cheating. Talking is cheating. Looking at a bulletin board, using a book, a phone, a computer…cheating, cheating, cheating, cheating.

With this in mind, fast-forward to Jeff’s test-prep classroom, under his teacher, Ms. Phung. There it is, the perfect packet-driven classroom. Rows of desks. Walls devoid of student work or learning materials. Students sit at desks clear of all but a #2 pencil so there is ample room for packets and scratch paper.The teacher distributes packets, reads instructions, but does not teach. If students ask a question, stick to the script. The lines sound something like...”Reread the question. Do your best.“ Gosh, thanks!

Here’s something many of us know, but rarely say out loud: when it comes to packet teaching you don’t really need a teacher. Not only is a teacher not necessary for a “Pedagogy of The Test,” their teaching services are prohibited. Even after the students have drilled, killed and bubblefilled, their own teachers aren’t even allowed to grade their tests as this too can result in cheating… and the reality is, test scoring doesn’t need humans anyhow. Even in the 80s when I was in school we had bubble scoring machines and we are moving toward automated writing, speaking, and scoring systems as well.

When we put this Bippity Boppity Boo all together, what we’ve got is a Jeff Bliss teacher whose job is to create a sterile environment, distribute packets, read instructions, keep kids quiet, and collect their papers at the proper time.

We then realize that Ms. Phung was a model packet-driven classroom teacher. This is part of the reason why there was such outcry by educators when Jeff Bliss expressed frustration towards the teacher. If she is like most teachers, she likely thought she had signed up for a very different job, but the job changed, and eventually, so did she.

The problem, of course, is that this is not what students want, this is not what parents want for their children, and this is not the work that teachers want to do. Jeff Bliss summarized what our students want and need.

You want a kid to change and start doing better? You gotta’ touch his freakin’ heart!“

And that is why teachers should be celebrating Jeff Bliss for saying what so many can not. We know and want this type of teacher and the class she presides over to become extinct. We can automate packet distribution and scoring, but computers will never replace what students find most important.

Relationships.

Students want a teacher who know how to build relationships with them. Connect with their heart. Know the passions, talents, and interests behind each face. Give them their learning to own for themselves. Build trust by listening when students talk, even when it is about the problem they have with the way they are being taught.

Unfortunately, when our eye is so tied to the prize, and that prize measures how well students sit disconnected from the world, unable to speak to each other or even the teacher and fill in bubbles, we will get teachers like Ms. Phung and classrooms that house Jeff Bliss.

The hottest posts that everyone's reading

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Sat, 18 May 2013 11:50:00 +0000

Here’s the roundup of what's been popular on The Innovative Educator blog this week. Below you’ll see the top weekly posts along with the number of pageviews. I hope there's something that looks of interest to you. If it does, check it out. If you’re inspired, share it with others and/or leave a comment.

Post	Views
Was #JeffBliss disrespectful for using his #StuVoice... May 12, 2013, 12 comments	3888
5 ways to use Pinterest as a creation tool for lea... May 3, 2013, 3 comments	3672
7 free ways to capture student responses without ... Mar 27, 2013, 7 comments	1589
8 Real Ways Facebook Enriched Ms. Schoening’s Firs... Jul 15, 2010, 24 comments	1454
Could PBL be the Solution to Education Reform? May 14, 2013, 1 comment	1063
What breaks your heart? Tackle that with Quest2Mat... May 6, 2013, 1 comment	1063
Remind 101 provides simple & free texting tool to ... Apr 22, 2013, 2 comments	1030

Do we have to choose between student voice and teacher voice?

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:29:00 +0000

It turns out my support of student activist Jeff Bliss caused at least one teacher to announce on his blog that he wants to quit Tweeting and blogging.

Friends bombarded me with the post, accompanied by comments like, “This is great. We don’t need someone like that representing our profession.” Or, “Wow. He must really be threatened by students being heard. I think that’s a good sign.”

I represent, apparently,all that makes him want to quit. The problem however, is that what he expresses in his blog is a poorly articulated, almost despondent rant. The discouragement that he is feeling is completely understandable; he sees Bliss’s attack as one more on the pile laid upon teachers whose hands and voices are tied tighter every day. But what he expresses can have a dampening effect on those trying to amplify the voices that matter.

This is about more than one frustrated student’s angry words, and the shouts of praise and derision that followed. This is about whether a voice representing one view can marginalize or even erase another.

In his blog, Red Lines and Highlights, he says:

People like Nielsen, Seth Godin, et al would rather trump up the “Student Voice” for their own purposes and marginalize whatever contrarian teacher voice may exist in the conversation. And this is so prevalent that it has led me to ramble on incoherently on a Sunday night about how I just don’t think I can do *this anymore.
(Note: “this” refers to blogging and tweeting)

Let me give short shrift to the actual accusations:

Have I concocted a story with an intent to deceive?

In my post I was clear that I was responding to a particular video that I verified as authentic as well as reactions and interviews I saw in social and mainstream media. There was nothing concocted. No intent to deceive.

Do I use the student voice for my own purposes?

Guilty as charged here. I have a transparent purpose and passion in supporting the voice of students. However, I don’t discriminate. I happen to do that for educators and parents too.

Do I marginalize contrarian teachers?

I’m not even sure I understand what this means. Some of the teachers I respect and highlight most often are contrarian.

What I know is that I have published a blog for more than five years that honors and celebrates the voice of the teacher, but not any teacher. I honor the teacher who often thinks outside of box, the teacher who thinks as if there is no box, the teacher who has the courage to challenge the status quo, and the teachers who think of themselves as students. I have never censored a teacher (or anyone else) on my blog or in the groups I moderate. I have made a point to make it clear that all opinions are valued, even those with which I disagree.

The blogger goes on to explain why blogging probably isn’t worth it anymore for him:

It’s typical for Nielsen and bloggers like her, who have more in common with pundits than anyone else: have a viewpoint/agenda, see something that fits; wait just long enough for it to trend; swoop in with tweets/a post/an article; get supportive comments, reposts, mentions, retweets; and put another feather in the cap. And quite frankly, it’s why I think blogging about education probably isn’t worth it anymore.

Color me confounded. A public school educator since the 90s, I work among students, parents, and educators in my day-to-day life. I observe, I interact, I coach, I guide, I encourage, I think and I write. I use what tools I have to make learning great. For this to happen, teachers, parents, and students must be heard.

My agenda is to support their voices as much as I can. I don’t look for something that fits my agenda, and wait for it to trend. These are ongoing conversations. My online presence has a consistent message and focus on these topics. There is no shame in participating in conversations and sharing ideas about that which we are passionate.

I’m not following. Why wouldn’t that be worth it?

Why the negativity?

Next he explains why he is negative toward bloggers “like me.”

I don’t know if it’s writer’s block, burnout, or a symptom of some sort of depression, but every post I have drafted and many I have published since I got back from winter break has been negative. Not toward students, per se, but toward other educators and other bloggers, like those I follow on Twitter and Nielsen, who seem to specialize in talking points and rhetoric to a degree that I can make a drinking game out of the number of times I see them use buzzwords or “hot” terms. And that rhetoric so dominates the conversation that I feel like it’s not worth it to try and have a rational, honest conversation, and that even if I wound up doing so, my voice wouldn’t matter.

I stand accused of having talking points. Really? Most successful bloggers understand that having a consistent message and focus in writing and conversations is not a bad thing, it’s a best practice.

For this teacher and, others like him, whose feathers are ruffled when teachers come out in support of students...

We get it: you live where the rubber meets the road. You’re in there with kids and curriculum and desks and chairs and lesson plans. You’re a teacher; you have pressure from above and from below, and now you think you see it coming in at you from your peers.

The blogger ends with this unfortunate outlook.

It seems that the conversation about education as it is via social media has been happening this way for years and as noble as Jeff Bliss’s champions might think his “I Am Spartacus” moment might be, it won’t really change anything except get a black mark on his history teacher’s record.

He is right. One single action will never change the conditions in which teachers work. That’s why I work to amplify the voices that matter.

Jeff Bliss at eighteen may rise up to the height of an adult, but in the video, he’s not quite there yet; he understands that there is a problem, and focuses his vitriol at the human representation of that problem: the teacher who handed him his packet. We are adults, and have the maturity to understand that he is not yelling at his teacher who seems at a glance to be no great pedagogue.

Learning from students (including Jeff Bliss) and educators has been, to me, a great pleasure. Our voices matter and we will continue to use them to create real change.

As my friend David Bernstein said:

I really don't care that much about the specifics of the situation... I'm interested in whether this will raise awareness and be repeated elsewhere...

I think it will.

Could PBL be the Solution to Education Reform?

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Tue, 14 May 2013 11:21:00 +0000

Guest post by Bradley Lands | Cross posted at The Landscape of Learning

At the behest of politicians, educators nationwide have been told to view students as statistics, not as individuals, and to view the purpose of the educational enterprise as raising test scores rather than developing capable minds [1].

While I was taking a survey today about Response to Intervention (RTI) I began to reflect about how RTI and Data-Driven Instruction have affected my school. In the past few years, I have noticed teachers becoming overwhelmingly stressed about Standardized State Tests. Teachers feel like they don't have enough time to lesson-plan in order to appropriately meet the needs of their students. Moreover, teachers feel that the precious planning-time in which they do get is being wasted during team meetings and other scheduled events. Teachers are becoming depressed because they are feeling like they are doing their students a disservice by "teaching to the tests" and there isn't anything that they can do about it. This unfortunately creates an extremely negative atmosphere that is contagious to all valued stake-holders in a school system.

The saddest part about this story, is that the educators in my building, are all exceptional, highly-qualified teachers that have been forced to teach students in a way that will prepare them to be successful on State Standardized Tests, rather than preparing them to become successful, contributing citizens. Public school teachers across the nation are battling this problem everyday. However, I believe that I have a solution to this problem. I am suggesting that the solution to the education reform that teachers are looking for, could quite possibly be ... Project-Based Learning. With Project-Based Learning, teachers will be able to successfully teach the state and national standards with low stress, and high productivity.

In order to show how PBL might be the solution to Education Reform, I have provided some FAQs that I have created about Project-Based Learning.

Q: I teach in a Data-Driven school where we use RTI. How can I use PBL to collect data?

A: Suggest to your administration that you would like to try being data-informed rather than data-driven. "In schools that are data-informed, test results are just one more piece of information that can be helpful in determining future directions" [2]. If students are engaged in PBL, they can begin creating an ePortfolio in order to demonstrate their learning and understanding of standards, rather than testing for them.

Q: How can I effectively differentiate to ensure that I am appropriately challenging ALL of my students?

A: When teachers integrate Project-Based Teaching, they are providing the opportunity for differentiated learning, rather than differentiated instruction. "Differentiated learning shifts the responsibility for the learning to the learner (where it belongs)" [3]. With that we are truly supporting students in personal mastery in a way that differentiates learning, meets their goals, enables them to own the learning, and prepares them for success in life" [4]. This Flow Channel Graph [5] helps to show how students need to be appropriately challenged. With PBL, students are empowered to work at their own pace and ability level which provides them with the opportunity to challenge themselves. Students will instinctively follow the "Flow Channel" when they take ownership of their learning.

Student Engagement Graph: Challenge vs. Skill [5]

Q: How do I effectively assess my students?

A: Assessing students on their projects has never been easier. Using a Rubric like the one below, allows students to know what is expected of them, and it gives them structure for their project. It is important for the teacher to explain the expectations of the project in detail, so that students are fully aware of how they will be graded. It is also a good idea to show an example and a non-example of a good project.

Provided by Chris Lehmann at the Science Leadership Academy

Q: What types of projects can students create to show concept mastery?
A: Students can create a project using any of the Eight Multiple Intelligences. Below are some suggestions for projects. "Students could meet standards at their own pace, in their own way and learning could be differentiated and aligned to each child’s talents, passions, interests, and abilities" [4]. Project-Based Learning also beautifully integrates The Arts into education.

Project-Based Teaching Resources Provided by Dan Mulligan

Q: How can I ensure my students are attaining concept mastery?

A: I have developed a simple step-by-step process to ensure that students are attaining concept mastery.

Students are presented with a State Standard or Multiple State Standards to which they will be learning.
Students are empowered with the responsibility of mastering the Standard(s).
Students document their learning process via a KWLA Worksheet.
Students demonstrate their learning and understanding via the product of their project.
Students share their work via a presentation, and/or online-publishing.
Students reflect on their process via Reflection Questions provided by the teacher.

KWLA Chart

Q: How can I be confident that my students will do well on Standardized Tests?

A: Since you will be engaged in best-practice teaching, students will be engaged in best-practice learning. Having students create and share these projects will allow for the deepest understanding of the content. Evaluation or Creation is at the top level of Bloom's Taxonomy, which means that students are attaining the highest level of concept mastery by creating these projects. Students will no longer have to "memorize" or try to "remember" the information ... because they will have learned it.

Q: What about my struggling readers?
A: It is ultimately the teacher's responsibility to provide resources that are appropriate for his or her students' reading level. Google makes this easy for teachers. Google Advanced Searchallows students to search the internet using a beginner, intermediate, or advanced reading level. In addition, Google Advanced Search also allows students to search within a specific language. Students who are ELL can also research information in English and use Google Translate to translate the text into his or her primary language. Therefore, students should be able to perform research on any topic at their appropriate reading level. For more information on how to perfect your Google Search, vist my blog post, "Why Do I Have To Memorize This When I Can Just Google It?"

Q:  What about my students with IEPs?
A:  Students who receive special services typically thrive in PBL projects. Just be sure to provide the necessary accommodations when needed.

Q: How much planning will I have to do to meet all the needs of my students?
A:  The best part about PBL is that there is very little planning involved. This is because the teacher is letting go of control by allowing the students to take ownership of their learning. Lisa Nielsen once said, "I realized that when teachers gave up control and empowered students to use the tools they want and meet learning goals in the way they choose, then true differentiation could begin and it wasn’t all on the shoulders of the teacher to figure out how to do this [3]. However, teachers will still have to prepare the necessary materials and resources for each lesson.

Q:  What does an example of a PBL Project look like?
A:  See below: This student-created presentation is an example of my students creating a song about the Scientific Method in order to show concept mastery.

Q: What are some tools and resources that my students can use to create their projects?

A: Click on the link to access My Top Free PBL Resources.

Q: What if my school has limited technology resources?
A: Technology does not have to be integrated in order for PBL to be successful. Students can easily create skits, posters, children's books, songs, etc. without the use of technology. In addition, the teacher should acquire a plethora of books, on multiple reading levels, with information on the topic of the standard(s). If technology devices are present, but scarce, groups of 4 or 5 students can be created to maximize the use of technology. Consider Getting Ahead of the Technology Curve with BYOD for more ideas on integrating technology in the classroom.

Q: I understand how PBL applies to all other subjects, but how does it apply to math?
A: See Below: Here is an example of how to use a paper-slide video for digital storytelling in the content area of MATH!

A Dr. Lodge FIZZ video: http://www.iamlodge.com/ryosin/

Q: What if I can identify a problem in which PBL is not the answer?
A: Please comment on this post if you can identify a problem in which PBL is not the answer, or if you have a question about PBL. This will help me to continue my research and application. Thank you!

For an excellent list of more resources for PBL,vist my blog post: My Top Free Online Tools and Resources for PBL.

References:

Was #JeffBliss disrespectful for using his #StuVoice to demand a beyond-the-packet education?

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Sun, 12 May 2013 10:10:00 +0000

By now, you've probably seen the video of high school student Jeff Bliss demanding an end to what he calls "packet teaching." Instead he puts out a call to action for teachers to work to touch the hearts of kids to open their minds. The interaction was ignited when his teacher told him to stop his bitching about the test and kicked him out of class. A student flipped open the cell phone, caught his reaction on tape, and published it. It hit a chord with many and went viral, being viewed by millions around the globe.

As Jeff shared his frustration, his teacher saw no value in his wisdom and told him that he was wasting her time. When he responds, she apathetically silences him, tells him again to leave and informs him he is not welcome back.

What surprised me more than this teacher's dismissal of a young man so passionate about the education of himself and others, was that there were so many people who thought Jeff Bliss was the one being disrespectful.

Wait! What????

As I recently expressed during a weekly Student Voice chat on Twitter, here's my thinking about how we should view students.

My best teachers were students #stuvoice
— Lisa Nielsen (@InnovativeEdu) May 7, 2013

And this resonates with students.

@innovativeedu I love you so much Lisa! Best tweet ever.
— Lucia Grigoli (@lugrigs) May 7, 2013

When a teacher tells a young man frustrated about being robbed of his education that he should stop bitching and stop wasting her time, how on earth can we be focused on the student being the one that is showing disrespect?

Our school system is here to support children in learning. Most of us are aware that very few students learn well with "packet teaching," yet it remains.

Criticism of Jeff Bliss in social media and the mainstream press indicate he could have gone about this a different way.

They say he should have addressed her privately.

This makes NO sense. It was the teacher who called him out and kicked him out publicly in front of the class.

They say he should have gone to the principal or school board.

I'm sure he will, but at the time, he was responding to the woman who told him to stop bitching and kicked him out of class for voicing his frustration.

They say he should know the politics of education and know this is the fault of those beyond the teacher.

It is not the job of students to know the politics of education. It is their right to learn and to observe their freedom of speech when this right is being withheld.

They say he robbed his classmates of an education by disrupting the class.

No. No. No. Students speaking to their teachers about how they learn best is not robbing anyone of an education. It is an opportunity for everyone to put down the packet, talk, think, and discuss how they can best learn. Students can fill in bubbles anytime, anywhere. A class is a place for interaction and discussion.

They say he shouldn't have addressed the teacher because she was just doing what she was told.

We should not silence students who are telling their teachers they can't learn they way they teach. Students should be able to speak with their teachers and teachers should listen. When they do they will find there is something valuable they can learn.

I commend Jeff Bliss for standing up for himself and all the other students who deserve a beyond-the-packet education.

Our children are not our future. They are the voices we need TODAY. Our job is to listen and support them. When they say they can't learn the way we are teaching (or not teaching in this case) we must hear them and do what we can to ensure they receive the education they deserve. When we do that we will have citizens who are not just good at sitting down and filling in packets but standing up and filling our world with those who are empowered with embrace their right to change the world.

You can like Jeff Bliss's Facebook Page here and follow him on Twitter here.

Oh, wait. Before you go, check out this great remix of Jeff Bliss's inspirational words.

The hottest posts everyone's reading!

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Sat, 11 May 2013 12:07:00 +0000

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Pinterest curated into Joyce Epstein's 6 Types of #Parent Involvement

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Thu, 09 May 2013 11:07:00 +0000

If you are responsible for helping to build and strengthen the home-school connection, you’ll want to follow Principal Joe Mazza on Pinterest. Mazza uses Pinterest to pin resources aligned to the National Standards for Parent/Family Involvement Programs which build upon the six types of parent involvement identified by Joyce L. Epstein, Ph.D., of the Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships at Johns Hopkins University.

Below you will find the standards for the six types of parent involvement with Pinterest boards that are aligned to each.

Standard I: Communicating—

Communication between home and school is regular, two-way, and meaningful.

Follow this board at http://pinterest.com/LeadLearner/communication/

Standard II: Parenting—

Parenting skills are promoted and supported.

Follow this board at http://pinterest.com/LeadLearner/parenting/

Standard III: Student Learning—

Parents play an integral role in assisting student learning.

Follow this board at http://pinterest.com/LeadLearner/in-home-learning/

Standard IV: Volunteering—

Parents are welcome in the school, and their support and assistance are sought.

Follow this board at http://pinterest.com/LeadLearner/volunteering/

Standard V: School Decision Making and Advocacy—

Parents are full partners in the decisions that affect children and families.

Follow this board at http://pinterest.com/LeadLearner/communication/

Standard VI: Collaborating with Community—

Community resources are used to strengthen schools, families, and student learning.

Follow this board at http://pinterest.com/LeadLearner/community-collaboration/

Joe Mazza has shown us how Pinterest provides a great way to use a social media tool to curate content of interest to families. These boards can provide inspiration for others interested in customizing curated content on Pinterest for their school communities.

Leave high school. Test out of college. Save $$. Find success.

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Wed, 08 May 2013 10:29:00 +0000

Editor's note: There are plenty of questions around if college is really worth the time and money. Personally, I found a way to graduate college as a teen without going into any debt, so the decision wasn't too difficult. More and more people are finding innovative ways to have their cake and eat it too. Here's one such story.

Guest post by Laura Fokkena. Cross posted at Rise Out: Leave School. Start a life.

I don't believe standardized tests are an accurate measure of learning. In fact, one of the reasons I encourage students to extract themselves from high school is because it means leaving behind a culture where education is gauged by letter grades and multiple choice exams. But I'm also strategic. If colleges want to award you a semester's worth of credit in exchange for a one-hour, $100 test? Why argue?

In the first year after my daughter quit high school, she took 14 standardized tests. This felt absurd even as it was happening. I'd supported her leaving high school so that she could skip the busywork and have more time for authentic learning experiences, yet here we were, purchasing SAT and ACT preparation books, which she studied in lieu of actual literature.

But I don't regret it, and here's why.

There is substantial overlap between the last two years of high school and the first two years of college. If you've already mastered this content, there's no reason to start all over again taking Composition 101 your freshman year. Testing out of elementary college classes lets you take more interesting, engaging classes beginning with your very first semester. It lets you graduate sooner, it gives you more flexibility if you want to study abroad or do a double major or take a year off, and it can potentially save you thousands of dollars.

Test out of your freshman year and your total college costs go down by 1/4. Depending on your tuition, your expected family contribution, and your total student loan debt, that can be a savings of twenty, thirty, forty thousand dollars or more.

So what exams did she take?

CLEP tests
CLEP tests might be colleges' best-kept secret. Most schools accept CLEP credit, but very few students have heard of this option. You can use CLEP exams to test out of many introductory classes, including College Composition, American history and American government, French, Spanish, and German, Western Civilization, first-year biology and chemistry, math through calculus, and other subjects. CLEP tests are easier than AP and SAT-II exams, but offer the same amount of credit. Each test takes about an hour and costs about $100 -- far less than taking the class itself, even paying in-state tuition at a community college. The first month she ~~dropped~~ rose out of high school, my daughter took 3 CLEP tests, for which she earned 24 hours of college credit, the equivalent of almost a year of college. The College Composition test allowed her to skip two semesters of Freshman English, and she tested out of her general education requirements in literature by passing the Analyzing Literature CLEP exam. She also tested out of her foreign language requirement by earning a full four semesters of German credit through a one-hour CLEP exam. Thanks in part to CLEP tests, she went from being a high school sophomore to a college sophomore in the space of one summer, while she was still sixteen.

SAT subject tests
Most selective schools recommend submitting at least two, and sometimes three, SAT subject tests (also called SAT-II tests). But strong SAT-II scores not only boost your admissions chances: at many schools, you can test out of basic requirements by scoring well on these exams. Consider taking some SAT-II subject tests even if your intended college does not require them. While CLEP tests have very flexible scheduling, the SAT-IIs are only offered on certain days each year. Make sure you get the schedule and register in advance. Also be aware that some schools only accept foreign language SAT-II credit if it comes with a listening component. This test might be offered only one day a year. Deadlines are important!

PSAT
The PSAT is billed as a "practice" SAT exam, but it is much more than that. High PSAT scores might help you qualify as a National Merit Scholar, which makes you very desirable to colleges and usually comes with scholarship money. And the mere fact that you've taken the PSAT at all alerts colleges to your existence; it's usually at this point that your family will be inundated with letters and e-mail from schools. The PSAT must be taken in the fall of 11th grade. Contact the College Board to register.

SAT and ACT
Everyone's heard of the SAT, which is standard at most East and West Coast schools. The ACT is more popular in the Midwest. But most schools will accept either. I strongly believe that most students should take both, since most do better on one test than the other. Once you receive your scores, submit the one with the highest overall percentile rank. You can take both tests multiple times, and only need submit your best scores. NOTE: Sometimes schools will say that SAT/ACT scores are optional. If you've scored highly on these exams you should always submit them, even if they're not required.

Accuplacer
Many colleges allow high school-age students to enroll in individual courses as what's called a "non-degree student." As soon as she left high school, my daughter signed up for summer courses in College Algebra and Intro to Sociology at a community college. In order to be admitted, she had to first take the Accuplacer, a standardized test that measures college readiness in reading, writing, and math. Your Accuplacer score won't earn you college credit, but it can earn you a place in a higher-level course, thus jumping over elementary requirements. You'll probably be told that this is just a placement exam, so there's no point in studying for it. I disagree. It's hard to raise your English score, but there's a good chance you have all kinds of obscure math formulas floating around in your head, only half-remembered. Spend a week or two refreshing things like elementary algebraic formulas, the PEMDAS rule, and how to multiply fractions, and chances are you'll test out of some remedial no-credit classes.

AP and DSST
Two other options of credit by exam are AP tests and DSST (formerly DANTES) tests. Traditionally, high school students taking AP exams have spent a year studying the subject in school, but this is not a requirement to register for the test. All things being equal, I'd recommend CLEP or SAT-II tests over the AP test, only because the AP test is very specific in both content and format. But some colleges that don't accept CLEP or SAT-II credit do accept AP scores, so you should be aware of this option. DSST tests were designed for military personnel, but can be taken by anyone. They offer a wider range of subjects than the other options listed here. My daughter didn't take AP or DSST exams, but I'd be interested in hearing about the experiences of those who did.

Some general advice:
1. Not all colleges accept the same types of credit. Bunker Hill Community College, where my daughter got her AA, accepted up to 12 hours of CLEP credit in foreign languages, but didn't accept any SAT-II credit. UMass-Amherst, on the other hand, where she's now pursuing her BA, accepts up to 6 hours of SAT-II credit for each foreign language, but doesn't accept any CLEP credit. And while both schools accept credit for German, only UMass-Amherst accepts credit for Latin. By taking the CLEP test in German, the SAT-II test in German with Listening, and the SAT-II test in Latin, she covered all her bases: earning 12 hours of credit at each institution, and passing out of her foreign language requirement entirely at both schools. Knowing which schools accept which types of exam credit should be part of your college exploration process. For my daughter, it proved crucial: she was accepted at more than one school, but only UMass-Amherst accepted all of her exam credit, which allowed her to enter as a junior at age eighteen. Had she gone to one of the other schools that accepted her, she would have had to enter as a sophomore. Skipping an entire year of college leads to enormous cost savings, and was one of the key factors she took into account when she was deciding which college to attend.

2. It's best to use credit by exam for subjects you already know, or subjects you don't know but are enthusiastic about pursuing. If you already speak Spanish, preparing for the exam won't require much time, so you can get your credit quickly and then move on to other things. On the flip side, say you've never studied American literature but you're passionate about the subject and want to spend a year delving into books and designing your own curriculum. Great! Do that, and at the end of the year use an exam to get credit for your efforts. Chances are the exam will only ask you about a fraction of the knowledge you've acquired, but that's fine: it was the intellectual journey you were after; college credit is just icing on that cake. But if it's a subject you don't already know and you're not especially interested in it -- yet it's required for college admittance or for college graduation -- then you're better off taking a regular class, either through an online high school program or a community college. Yes, it's true you could buy a couple of prep books, study only the things they predict you'll need to know, and try to game the system that way. I don't begrudge anyone who chooses to jump through hoops like that, but really, is that the best use of your time? The hours you spend trying to second-guess the test could be spent in a real college class, where the curriculum is already developed for you and an instructor is there to answer all your questions.

3. At no point do you have to subscribe to the view that standardized tests are awesome. I know some folks -- homeschooling parents especially -- who foam at the mouth at the suggestion that standardized tests measure anything of value. Sure, they'll say, this whole credit-by-exam scheme might be fine for drones, who believe testing is equivalent to learning. I get it. And yet I'd ask them, who's the drone? Personally, I think it's the college student who spends a year or two taking elementary survey classes -- studying books she's already read, math facts she's already mastered, and foreign languages she already understands -- and then spends another ten years working off the student loan debt for that experience. That's the route I took myself, because I had no idea there were alternatives. I hate standardized tests. I do. But until we have a more holistic system that allows students to get credit for independent study, this is an option that students can use to their own advantage.
______________
Laura Fokkena is the director of Rise Out, a nonprofit organization that helps Boston-area teens leave high school early and take charge of their own education.

What breaks your heart? Tackle that with Quest2Matter

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Mon, 06 May 2013 10:43:00 +0000

Quest2Matter is a youth-focused effort that encourages young people to tackle problems that break their heart. The Quest seeks to unlock the potential of young people to think entrepreneurially and innovatively and use modern tools to change our world.

What is The Quest?
The Quest is a catalyst that challenges students:

Students who accept this challenge will know that they matter and that they can make a difference in our world.

What makes a good quest?

Ask yourself three questions.

1) Does your quest change the world for the better?

Great ideas dare to question the normal ways of doing things.

They also dare us to do things that many others may disagree with.

We're looking for rule breakers who are working hard to bring their big idea to light.

2) What have you done in the real world with your idea?

We're looking for stories about things that have actually happened (as opposed to things you want to have happen).

Stories of failing are welcome too - especially if you picked yourself up and kept on going.

That's because true innovation comes from trying things all the time, and most of us can't make our big ideas real without making mistakes along the way.

3) Can you get personal and tell a great story?

Great social change begins with something personal.

We'll be looking for students who can share a first-hand story (preferably through video) and inspire others to make their own impact.

Who is involved?
Young people in more than 70 countries, five continents, and global communities born to change our world. For purposes of according recognition, the Quest is open to individuals or teams of current students between the ages of 5-18, located anywhere in the world.

Will there be prizes?

The primary motivation for students to participate in the Quest2Matter is the burning desire to matter and to change our world by solving problems that break their heart. This is not a "contest" where a "winner" "gets" a prize. This is a quest, where the whole world wins, because all of the participants share their genius with the world.

Some student quests will be highlighted on the Choose2Matter or Quest2Matter Website or in publications of our partners.

Other student quests will be honored at ceremonies to be held in September 2013 at the BAMMY Awards in Washington DC and the Business Innovation Factory Summit in Providence, RI. Up to five students per selected quest will be invited to attend these ceremonies. We will assist the students behind Spotlighted Quests with fundraising to help subsidize the cost of attending these ceremonies, although there is no assurance that adequate funds can be raised to meet travel costs.

How do I get started?

Students register for the Quest via the registration page here.

This account may be for one young person or a group.

Students then embark on a quest to solve a problem that breaks their heart.

The students then upload to www.Yoursphere.com/Quest2Matter a blog post, a picture, a video, or any other form of media - that captures their quest.

The Quest2Matter will run through June 7, 2013. Students are invited to continue submitting quests after the end date, but these quests will not be considered for Spotlight Quests.

3 ways to use Twitter Fast Follow to strengthen the home-school connection

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Sun, 05 May 2013 12:22:00 +0000

Did you know that anyone (in the US) can receive Tweets on their phone even if they haven’t signed up for Twitter? Twitter Fast Follow allows anyone to follow Tweets right from any phone with texting capabilities. For a school community, this can provide a simple way for people to get information they care about in real-time. It is a terrific way to build and strengthen the home-school connection.

Here are some ways it can be used.

District

Be on top of the latest happenings in your school district by following them. For example, let’s say you want to get Tweets from New York City Schools (@NYCSchools). Just text: follow NYCSchools to 40404.

Suggesting parents follow your school district’s Twitter account can serve as a powerful way to keep parents informed of up to date information. For example, during the 2013 Nor’easter in New York, the @NYCSchools Twitter account provided up-to-date information on school closing and afterschool activities in both English and Spanish.

NYC Public Schools @NYCSchools

Schools are open today, but afterschool programs and PSAL games are cancelled. Please visit http://nyc.gov for the latest info. Details

Gobierno de NYC ‏@nycgob

Alcade: Las actividades después de clases y juegos PSAL están canceladas. Actividades y clases @NYCSchools el sábado estarán canceladas. Details

School

It doesn’t have to stop with following your school district. Schools can set up Twitter accounts to keep parents connected to the latest information. Check out how this worked at Locke Elementary School in Chicago in the video below.

Educators

While we know that parents wish they could spend more time at their child’s school, unfortunately, busy schedules often don’t provide such opportunity. However, when a teacher, librarian, or leader sets up a Twitter account and informs the families they can get live updates from the class, the library, or around the school, we take the age old question, “What did you do in school today?” to a new level! Teachers like Grace O’Keefe, leaders like Matt Brown , and librarians like Tracy Karas are doing just that. Click on their names to see the type of information they are sharing.

Here’s how it works.

Just text Twitter at 40404 and then type any of the following commands:

Follow [username] - allows you to receive updates from that user.

OFF or STOP or LEAVE - turns off receiving updates from the users you are following.

ON - will turn on device updates and you will start receiving tweets again.

WHOIS [username] - retrieves the profile information of the user.

STATS - returns the number of people that you are following.

GET [username] - retrieves the latest update that user has posted.

This is a terrific and easy way to stay connected with your school community. Once you set up your account don’t forget to include reminders in various places including signs in your school, as a part of your email signature, school flyers, business cards websites, blogs, etc.

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5 ways to use Pinterest as a creation tool for learning

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Fri, 03 May 2013 11:59:00 +0000

As I looked into using Pinterest as an educator tool, I found that most people I asked were using it more as a consumption or curation tool. (See the infographic at the bottom of this post for those type of ideas.) However, as the Pinterest guru NewYorkBob (who has more than a million followers) tells us, it is also a great creation tool. Among other things, one of the reasons I like this tool is because unlike some other cool sites that allow you to share photos (think Instagram), you are not tied to having a certain device. This makes it a great educational tool since it is accessible across platforms. Once you create your board, you can invite the school community to interact by commenting, repining, or liking. So how might this be used in a school? Here are five ideas.

5 ways to use Pinterest as a creation tool for learning

1.       Get to know staff

Share photos of teachers with their teaching philosophy. Send this out at the beginning of the year to parents so they can get to know who works at their child’s school. This could be modified as a get to know your classmates with pictures of each and in the comment area they can share their passions. Note: If you don’t have consent to share student photos, the photos could be representative of their passion instead, or…you could make the board secret.

2.       Celebrate science fair projects

Share photos of science fair projects with a description of the project. Even if parents can’t be there they can still see what was on display.

3.       Share books

Share photos of suggested books to read with a description of what the book is about and who might enjoy it. Families and their children can comment on the books they’ve read and share if they liked them.

4.       Sports teams

Share a photo from each event and include information such as final score, MVP, etc. It’s a great way to document a season and provides a way for the school community to show their support. Another possibility is to create a board with players photos and share.

5.       Neighborhood guide

Make a guide of your school neighborhood by taking pictures of various places and describing them. Others can share their comments and insights.

These are just a few ideas to get you started. Have more? Have examples? Please share in the comments.

Here are ideas for using Pinterest as a consumption or curation tool for learning.

Note: Pinterest's terms of service dictate that users under the age of 13 are prohibited. If your student’s don’t meet the age requirement, make sure it is only a teacher account that is being used.

Could hanging in the halls be a path to career readiness?

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Wed, 01 May 2013 10:59:00 +0000

Melanie McEvoy & Lisa Nielsen
Teenage years

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from my best friend who I've known since before we attended high school together. Even though she didn't like class, she liked school and thought it helped her achieve future success. Here's how.

Guest post by Melanie McEvoy - Owner/President, McEvoy & Associates

I attended public high school in Las Vegas, NV, Not exactly a town known as a bastion of education. That was okay, because getting a good education wasn't really my focus.

When I think back to high school, my fondest memories include all the social elements and none of the classroom experiences. I excelled at being social, walking through the halls and saying hello to everyone I knew, congregating around lockers with friends, and, of course, lunchtime was my favorite period.

We had a campus that allowed you to leave during lunch and return. We always went to Jack in the Box or Taco Bell, which is where all the 'cool' kids went. The 'cool' kids also hung out in the smoking area. Yes, back in the 80's our high school still had a smoking area, which still shocks me to this day. At the time it seemed perfectly normal, but today I doubt it would never have been allowed in the first place.

My teachers weren't so concerned about the students who showed up to class. I was able to get by under the radar, barely making passable grades, without being reprimanded or pushed to try harder. When I finally had enough of the 'high school experience, I sought out a guidance counselor to help figure out my next steps - I was looking for career advice, college advice and overall life advice.

I received none of that.

I took it upon myself to decide that I wanted to leave high school early, with a diploma. With some minor help from a counselor, I found a way to take extra classes in my senior year to enable me to be complete high school a semester early.

That relieved me in many ways. I was free to do what I wanted, when I wanted and wasn't beholden to having certain friends or cliques or teachers. I was 17 and ready to spread my wings so I enrolled in college where I began my metamorphosis from social butterfly to someone who was serious about my studies.

I don't regret my high school experience in any way. I believe if I hadn't had the freedom to be the 'party girl' at that time in my life, then I would have explored that aspect much more in college, which is what a lot of kids do. I was done with the party/social scene by the time I enrolled in college. Because of that I was able to focus on figuring out what my true passions were.

Today I own a successful event planning business in NYC which focuses on the non-profit sector. I have combined my need to be social with my passion, which is helping those in need, as many of the organizations we represent do. My need to be social was honed in high school; while living a passion-driven life was discovered in college.

Sometimes I wonder...

If it had been the other way around would I be where I am today?

How I use Voki to enrich teaching and learning

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 10:51:00 +0000

Below is my interview from the Voki blog explaining how I use this tool.

Goal

My goal with using Voki is to give every student a voice and a face in a fun and engaging way even if they only have access to a phone.

How I use Voki

Voki is a great tool that allows the 21st century student to capture, publish, celebrate and converse about any topic or subject. I love helping innovative educators use Voki. Here are some of the things they are doing.

Students can use Voki in the revision process of their writing by recording a Voki to make sure it sounds right. If it doesn’t, simply revise and re-record.
During publishing parties some students are uncomfortable reading their work. Thanks to Voki they can present their work without embarrassment.
English and Foreign language Learners can use Voki by recording themselves saying dialogue or reading a passage. Listening to the Voki enables them to hear how they sound and work on fluency.

Some of my favorite things about Voki:

It enables students who might not be proficient at writing to tell their story or share their message.
It enables students to publish to an authentic audience in a format where others can comment and keep the conversation going.
It gives a voice to a student who might not feel comfortable speaking publicly.

What would I add to the Voki product?
The ability to add your own Avatar either via your photo or drawing.

My favorite Voki trick
Set up pages at the end of units of study where students can share one great thing they learned. This creates a page of our learning which serves as a great reflective tool. I also suggest inviting parents, family members and others in the school to community to leave Voki comments for students.

See how other educators use Voki here.

Cel.ly Supports Schools: Group texting for education

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 10:58:00 +0000

Cel.ly is primarily a free group texting service. Group texting saves time, improves communication, provides documentation of texts, and sets the stage for easily using many other cell phone tools. The Cells referred to in Cel.ly are instant mobile networks. With Cel.ly, you can have open group chat, one-way alerting, or a hybrid where curators can approve messages.

Cel.ly also provides security and privacy as phone numbers are never exposed and there are controls. Cell curators filter messages before they are sent to the group. This keeps discussion on-topic and reduces abuse, impersonation, and cyberbullying. An @me feature lends itself to note taking. Cel.ly even has a built-in polling feature complete with the tabulation of results.
Who's doing this?

Melissa Seideman ‏- High school historyWith administrative and parental approval, high school history teacher Melissa Seideman uses Cel.ly to send text message reminders, announcements, polls, and questions to students. Cel.ly supports instruction and creates an environment where every student has a chance to “voice” his or her opinion. For example, when she shows a short video clip Seidman has her students text one significant fact or detail they learned to Cel.ly. Afterwards she highlights important topics from their messages. It is an interesting way to gauge student comprehension, involve all student’s, and start a discussion. Cel.ly has also improved parent teacher communication in her classroom. Parents say they appreciated the text messages about their child’s learning and even enjoyed the in-class texting activities. Parents are now more informed about how their kids are doing and are better able to help their children with their learning, which is key to student success.

Brandy Sparks - High school language artsHigh school language arts teacher Brandy Sparks, uses group texting with her classes to gather feedback after class discussions. Following a discussion, she sends her students a thought-provoking question. Sparks reports that the students’ responses are often of a much higher quality than the ones shared during class. She’s not sure if it is because they’ve had time to think and process or because they are getting to text it in, but she knows it works. Every student gets a chance to answer. A definite improvement over in class discussions. She also uses open chats to keep conversations going outside of class. All of the texts sent and received can be viewed from her computer by logging in on the Cel.ly site.

Willyn Webb - School guidance counselorSchool guidance counselor Willyn Webb says that Cel.ly has made a positive improvement for her school’s Parent Accountability Committee (PAC) which meets once per month. Before Cel.ly she found it frustrating to provide a clear picture of what was happening in school during their monthly meetings. Her solution was to invite them all to join her PAC Cell. At first they just communicated about logistics. For example, Webb used Cel.ly to set up a last minute Christmas potluck for their December meeting. Today, Webb sends a daily message that might be to share progress regarding service learning projects, academic milestones, praises for students and staff, struggles, and needs for improvement. As a result of Cel.ly the PAC is now communicating often and Webb says she feels great about keeping her PAC up-to-date and informed with the praises, growth, and challenges.

More ideas for learning

Book clubsBook clubs can keep the conversation going by interacting and discussing questions through an anytime/anywhere open group chat to which the teacher is invited. The teacher gets to be a part of every group and hear every student voice.

Critical discussionThe teacher sends out a critical thinking question to the students after school. The next day she shares all their responses and class time can be used for critical discussion rather than response collection.

Note takingHave students set up a Celly for themselves and use the @me feature for easily taking notes, writing questions, or making connections while reading at school or on the go.

Getting started

Text “Start” to 23559

Choose your Cel.ly username

Create a cell

Invite friends to your cellInvite a friend by entering their username or phone number. You can also enter multiple usernames and #s in one invite message

When you are done inviting, text “X” to finishIf you need to invite a large group of people, consider having them text to join. For example, you would tell them the cell name, @readingclub, and have them text @readingclub to 23559 to instantly join. This way you don't have to manually invite each person. You can also login to the Cel.ly website and mass invite a list of people using email addresses, usernames, or phone numbers.

For more information
For more information visit the website at http.www.cel.ly.com. You can visit their blog at http://blog.cel.ly/ or read these terrific step-by-step guides http://cel.ly/guides.

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noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 13:33:00 +0000

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Tell social media gurus #YouMatter with a #BammyAwards vote!

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 12:42:00 +0000

Envision a world that values education like it values entertainment. That is the goal of The Bammy Awards. Earlier this month I nominated educators from across the globe for an award. This time around, I’m nominating those I have the pleasure of working and connecting with in New York City. These are movers and shakers that I have come to know because of their pioneering work in the use of social media to support teaching, leading, and learning that will help guide students toward success with college, career, and citizenship.

The Bammy Awards nominations, are an honor that identifies and acknowledges the extraordinary work being done across the education field every day. The Bammy Awards were created to help reverse the negative national narrative that dominates the education field.

Now, you, the online community, have a chance to bring recognition to those we know, admire, and respect by placing a vote for the Educator's Voice Award to recognize the nominees that you believe are making a significant difference in the field. Below are my second round of nominations. Please take a look and if you like what you read, click that little “vote” link to find out more and vote for this person if you agree they should be honored.

	Deven Black - School Librarian Deven makes a difference in many ways. For his students, he made a difference by taking over a library that had become moribund, out of date, anachronistic, completely disorganized and with no technology. In two years he turned it into a much more modern, way more up-to-date, fully automated functioning library that circulates 200 books a week. He also is always on a quest to support students in learning in ways aligned to their interests, strengths and talents as he wrote about in this great lesson that he implemented http://educationontheplate.com/2010/12/26/my-one-great-lesson-this-year/ For his colleagues at his school, Deven has led the development of a more technology-capable staff through one-to-one training of tech-phobic or reluctant teachers. On a larger scale, Deven has served on the review committee to help implement the new social media guidelines for NYC DOE employees. You can read more about Deven and vote here.
	Sara Cottone - Parent Leader Sara Cottone understands that in today’s struggling economy there are many more working parents. It is very hard for them to make the time to be at the school, but even a little time is so worth the effort so Cottone has come up with innovative approaches that not only support her school community, but have also become a model for the largest school district in American, New York City. The innovative practices Cottone incorporates to reach working parents are now used as a model and example for other parent coordinators across the city who are looking new ways to connect and coordinate with their school community. Cottone teaches us that even if parents can’t be at school, there are ways to keep them connected. Some of the ways she does this include creating online spaces where they can not only get information, such as the Parent Coordinator website (https://sites.google.com/site/ps46statenisland/), but also a space for them to interact, a Parent Coordinator Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/PS-46-Parent-Coordinator/100570000004967. You can read more about Sara and vote here.
	Anna Dawidowska – High School Teacher Teaching in an inner city school requires educators to not only instruct children, but to also be life coaches. As a teacher of English, Psychology, and Career Exploration, Anna has been able to do just that and inspire students in many inventive ways. Anna believes that education must be relevant to students’ lives in order to be meaningful. Her goal is to use each student’s talents, passions, and interests to their best potential with real-world tools. Most recently Anna has been using social media with her students and athletes to connect their ideas in meaningful and collaborative ways. Anna is a pioneer in NYC in incorporating social media into practice. It is her Facebook groups which serve as a model for other teachers interested in doing the same. Many students are shy and feel intimidated to speak up in front of their peers. Anna has found the use of social media has opened new doors for these students and fostered the ability for them to express their literary opinions in a more concrete and honest way. It has also introduced them to using groups as a way of studying and preparing for exams that will benefit them not only in school today, but they will have the skills and knowledge to carry this over to college. In her college and career exploration group Anna has invited her high school alumni to interact with her current students to give them advice and guidance around what they can do in high school today to realize success tomorrow. You can read more about Anna and vote here.
	Chris Casal - School Technology Support Chris Casal is making a difference by facilitating communication with all school community stakeholders to establish a fully connected and transparent digital learning environment designed to build and strengthen relationships. Parent’s can’t always come to school to meet with teachers, the administration can’t always observe every great lesson or activity. Chris helps to keep them in the know with the PS 10 social media platforms. This helps the school connect with parents & community members on a wide variety of digital platforms with a consistent message. There is the PS 10 Facebook page where he posts status updates with fliers about fundraisers, changes in schedules, links to news articles about the school or relevant NYC school information. He also manages the school’s Twitter account (@PS10Brooklyn) and hashtags #ps10bk & #ps10sw. This helps streamline the publishing of general information & student work, helping to create a very transparent learning environment. The transparency of Twitter and the school hastags allows parents and staff members alike to have a front row seat to the great things happening in school. Parents can follow teachers and get a regular glimpse into the classroom settings, even when they are unable to be there. The administration can more easily be aware of great instructional moments, even if they can’t be there first hand by keeping up with school hashtags and teacher handles. During Superstorm Sandy these social media outlets provided a lifeline for the school to keep all stakeholders up-to-date and supported. Whether it is child, teacher, parent, or community Chris Casal works to ensure all members of the school community are supported in becoming active, engaged, and involved members of the digital world in which they live. You can read more about Chris and vote here.
	Jean McTavish, High School Principal Jean Schutt McTavish is a unique school leader for her activism in ensuring our children have healthy bodies and minds. She gave up a considerable amount of office space to build a student kitchen where students can cook food that they have grown in the school’s garden and teaches a spin class at 7 a.m. three days a week. In addition to supporting the health and fitness of students’ bodies, she also works hard to support their minds. McTavish works to instill students with self confidence and the belief that they can do anything they set their minds to. Part of her work to instil confidence in students and ensure their success involves speaking out about the deleterious effects of high stakes testing on students who are most at risk in America. McTavish believes educational leaders must stand up for our children and will fearlessly call out any leader willing to sell out the education of children to advance their career. She speaks, writes, and acts to effect change in this area and opts her own children out of high stakes testing. You can find her activism at Our Village, Our Schools Vote for Jean here!
	Me! Education Commenter / Blogger I recently learned that I too was nominated for an award. Exciting!!! Here’s what the nomination said: Lisa Nielsen thinks in very liberated and liberating ways about education. She pushes the envelope in the area of reinventing what schooling means, what the objectives should be and how do it. Outspoken and courageous, she has taken many bold and controversial positions based on her belief that educators and education must be reinvented to be relevant in a brave new, technology-driven world. Lisa is a strong collaborator and works with many groups to help move education reform forward. It's hard not to be impressed by the extent to which Lisa will go to push others forward, to empower and support the people she believes are on the right track. Her passion, energy and bias for action puts her in the league of proactive bloggers/commentators who go beyond writing and speaking about education reform to actually organizing and acting to advance the reforms she believes are critical to the field of education. Thoughtful, way out of the box thinker, more than and idea person...a "doer." Vote for me here :)

Remind 101 provides simple & free texting tool to enrich teaching and learning

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:19:00 +0000

Remind101 provides a safe, one-way, mass text messaging system created specifically for use in Education. It keeps your phone number, and the phone number's of your subscribers completely private, stores all of your sent messages, and it's completely free to use. Just sign up and create a list for others to join via a simple text or email. Because of the convenience of sending messages directly to phones, Remind101 is a perfect tool for announcements and reminders such as school holidays, school events, photo days, fundraising events, testing days, and more.

Who's doing this?

John Krouskoff, Director of Instructional Technology
The Clarkstown Central School District in New York have found Remind 101 extremely useful for quick, in-the-moment, updates. After Superstorm Sandy in 2012 John Krouskoff, Clarkstown’s Director of Instructional Technology shared that, “In fewer than 48 hours, more than 2,000 community members benefited from Remind101 service by receiving text messages related to the state of our schools.While I've known Remind101 to be a fantastic communication tool for teachers and students, I never dreamed it would be such a lifesaver for us in our time of need.”
Nikki Schubert, High school social studiesNikki Schubert is using Remind 101 for her high school social studies classes in Remsen, IA. She is able to send out reminders to students about changes in lessons, due dates, and homework assignments. She is also using it to send out information about cool websites and things on tv that are related to class. With five preps it's an excellent way for her to keep students informed and to help keep them up to date on our classroom activities. It really works well for students who are absent and need to know what's coming up. She is also using it with student council members in basically the same way and with her play cast. Her hope is to expand it to parents next year and include them in the transfer of information and communication process.
Katie Regan, High school English and tech teacher

Remind101 has bridged the gap between techno-phobic teachers and their students at Jordan-Elbridge High School.. Tenth grade English and ed tech teacher Katie Regan introduced Remind101 last year to a few teachers who were frustrated with the amount of communicating they were doing with parents individually and with students not remembering homework or due dates. These teachers claimed to be “dinosaurs” in technology integration and these are the ones she targeted first. As soon as they saw the effectiveness of the site and how easy it was to use, they began to take more risks and try other technology tools. Now, the majority of the teachers in her building are using Remind101. Not only are they communicating quickly and easily with all their parents and students, but they are beginning to see the value in using technology to engage their students.

More ideas for learning

Homework remindersHelp students and their parents remember their homework with a quick text reminder.
Special eventsHelp students remember to prepare for special events with a text to bring necessary clothing, forms, etc.
Learning promptsHelp students get excited about upcoming lessons or units with a text. Consider giving them a sneak peek of what they should think about for their upcoming class or provide opportunities for extra credit work.

Getting started

Go to https://www.remind101.com/
Visit “Get Started” at https://www.remind101.com/users/sign_up to set up your account.
Create a class.
Share the Remind 101 generated PDF with the number and code to text.

For more information
Sign up by visiting www.remind101.com, or downloading their iPhone app (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/remind101/id522826277) or Android app (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.remind101 ).

Free book chapter - Tried & true cell phone tools

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 12:00:00 +0000

Access all the chapters at The Classroom 2.0 Book

The Classroom 2.0 Book is now live, and I am proud to have a chapter with my co-author Willyn Webb (Tried and True Tools to Get You Going with Cell Phones) in this free e-book that was created as part of Classroom 2.0′s 5th Anniversary Project.

The project was put together by three fantastic leaders in education: Steve Hargadon, Richard Byrne, and Chris Dawson.

There are dozens of chapters uploaded with contributions for our communities brightest and best minds.

Here are just a few of the entries you have to look forward to: (Did I mention that the book was FREE!!!)

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noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 11:30:00 +0000

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Newsflash: Social media is real life

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 11:39:00 +0000

Co-authored by Lisa Nielsen and Lisa Cooley

A recent Common Sense Media story about Facebook Home warns parents that the new Facebook Home app will be an ever-present distraction in the lives of young people. It states that as your teen's engagement with friends via Facebook goes up, engagement in the “real world” can go down.

Adults need to wake up. We need to take a step back from the notion that online communication is interaction in a world that is not real or is somehow less valuable than face-to-face life. This impulse to dismiss social media as a “distraction” is detrimental to both ourselves and our children.

Social media has come to be a modern day tool, just like those we use to build houses and cars. While you can, of course, build a house or assemble a car without machines, it would be hard, if not impossible, to run a successful company without doing so. Likewise, in today’s world, if you want to run for office, run a business, or change how things are run where we live, work, or play, you probably use social media to do so effectively. Just like the machines that build our homes and cars, social media, has become the tool that makes college, career, or success in building a movement more attainable.

Case in point: last week’s Student Voice Summit was a result of the Student Voice movement. This movement was born in the fertile environment of social media, the tool that very effectively connects like-minded individuals. Weekly #stuvoice Twitter chats (8:30 p.m. EST), a Facebook Page to share and celebrate success, a Facebook Group to interact, and a website to receive and disseminate information are the tools students across the globe have used to grow their own learning networks and contribute to the cause of transforming public education.

The Summit provided an opportunity for individuals to see the faces of so many of the minds they had already gotten to know, through their passion to give students a voice in educational policies. Social media gave them the ability to change minds, change lives, and achieve real-world success.

Here’s the thing. Educators and parents do have to compete for the attention of young people today. They can do that by undermining and dismissing their online work as not real, relevant, or meaningful and forcing them to participate in that which adults think is important...because they say so.

But teens today are savvy and becoming more and more independent. They don’t want to be forced to disconnect just because someone else says so.

Adults must stop looking at student participation in social media as frivolous distractions. Instead, adults --teachers, parents, mentors, employers, school administrators--can partner with them. All generations together can identify what matters to young people, and support them in that pursuit, by all means possible.

As adults, we can look at our own use of social media. How much of what we do is the sharing of everyday thoughts, gossip about friends and neighbors, complaints about politics and local controversies? How much of what we do is pass along funny jokes and memes? How much of our Facebook lives are dedicated to productive, meaningful interaction about causes and issues that matter?

If the Student Voice project can be held as an example of what can be accomplished through social media, adults themselves can learn something from kids. Adults can put aside preconceived notions and prejudices, and discover how to live, operate, and succeed in their real, digital online worlds, before they themselves get left behind.

Know the "Other" side on Facebook

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 11:12:00 +0000

One of the best practices that I recommend for educators who are using Facebook with students is to create a group or a page where teachers and parents or students can connect, collaborate, and create. One of the nice things about groups and pages is they allow you to message members without having to be Facebook "friends" with them. Recently however, a new twist has been put in place that innovative educators should be aware of.

If you want to message a student with whom you are not friends, it will cost you a dollar for the message to go straight to their inbox as you can see from the below message.

But not to worry. Here's how to get around the fee.

What this means for educators who plan to message group members is that you need to let students know they should be checking their "other" folder. Let them know they can move a message to their Inbox by replying, or by opening the message and selecting Move to Inbox from the Actions menu.

Here is where you can find the "Other" folder.

A best practice might be to send members a welcome message with information about the group as well as directions on how to move a message from you to their inbox. Ask them a question that they can reply to so you know they know how to do this.

Preparing students for real-world financial success

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 11:13:00 +0000

Students often begin pursuing employment as early as high school, but they are not taught best practices when it comes to managing their money. Everyone should know how to make healthy financial decisions, yet it is rarely found in the high school curriculum. While the new Common Core Standards stress the importance of career readiness, it’s not clear in what context students would learn strategies for real world financial concerns--like staying out of debt and the benefits of having good credit.

Whether or not we are teaching this, students are watching it. It is not unusual for a young person to witness from their own family how smart choices can lead to a comfortable lifestyle or how one mistake with your personal finances can take years to erase. Knowing which is which can indeed lead to not only career, but also life, success. Despite the obvious necessity of this, it seems as though it is kept as some sort of secret, or in some cases, it is almost a shameful topic. The result is that in many cases neither families nor schools are helping students understand the importance of building credit, planning for the future or knowing how to think about life after work, how to save, or knowing when to take social security benefits.

Another issue to think about, even in high school, is insurance. While teenagers may feel they are invincible, it won’t be long before they should be worrying about car, health, and life insurance. When does it make sense to purchase a policy? What are you covered by from your family? What age do you need to start thinking about this?

Unlike some core knowledge, these are things that our entire society needs for success regardless of their life or career pursuits. Therefore, it is something that should be explicitly incorporated into student learning. Our new Common Core Curriculum focuses on the following areas in high school.

Number and Quantity
Algebra
Functions
Modeling
Geometry
Statistics & Probability

Educators need to start thinking about where it is they will incorporate these real-world readiness skills into the standards. Incorporating such teaching can not only help students prepare, but can also support their parents in making smart decisions about their financial health and wellness.

#StuVoice Summit Recap via Twitter

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 10:35:00 +0000

The Student Voice movement was born and grown from using social media as a tool to connect like-minded individuals via weekly #StuVoice Twitter chats (8:30 p.m. EST), a Facebook Book Page to share and celebrate success, a Facebook Group to interact, and a website to get information. The weekend, was the first ever Student Voice Summit. It provided an opportunity for individuals to see the faces of so many of the minds they had already gotten to know through their passion to give students a voice in the educational policies that affect them. The Student Voice, soon to become a non-profit, strives to create an international network of empowered students by providing them with the tools they need to use their voice in policy discussions.

Twitter provided a great way for attendees to interact, connect, make meaning of big ideas, and share them with the world. Here is a recap.

Who are the Tweeps talking about Student Voice? Follow them!

How many Tweets?

What were the big words used at Student Voice Summit?

Student Voice Images.

What were folks at the Student Voice Summit?
Check out the hashtag #StuVoice and join the chat tonight at 8:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

Will you let an exam result decide your fate?

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 13:25:00 +0000

Has an exam ever changed, influenced, or decided your fate?

It has for me, and for many, exams have been the gatekeeper to experiences brilliant people close to me had hoped to pursue. An algebra exam kept one friend who has run a successful business for years from completing the a Bachelor's program she wanted to pursue. Two friends who have proven track records as education technology leaders were denied consideration for a doctorate program because of their GRE scores. A high school student renowned for his successful political activism was denied entrance to numerous colleges based on his SAT scores ALONE!

The insanity of it is brought to life by Suli Breaks. The talented young man who brought us the viral video, "Why I hate school, but love learning" is at it again, with his latest, "I won't let an exam result decide my fate." Breaks message to us is that these exams and the academic opportunities they promise are no longer the one and only way to achieve success. He inspires today's youth to think outside the exam and stop valuing that as an indication of what we are worth. He suggests we all take note of so many of those in our world, who pushed exams aside so they could move on and achieve their dreams. Watch Break's latest effort to inspire us to reconsider this destructive practice and forge new paths to success in his latest spoken word piece, "I Will Not Let An Exam Result Decide My Fate."

Lisa Nielsen: The Innovative Educator

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Leave high school. Test out of college. Save $$. Find success.

What breaks your heart? Tackle that with Quest2Matter

What makes a good quest?

Who is involved? Young people in more than 70 countries, five continents, and global communities born to change our world. For purposes of according recognition, the Quest is open to individuals or teams of current students between the ages of 5-18, located anywhere in the world.

Who is involved? Young people in more than 70 countries, five continents, and global communities born to change our world. For purposes of according recognition, the Quest is open to individuals or teams of current students between the ages of 5-18, located anywhere in the world.

Who is involved?

Young people in more than 70 countries, five continents, and global communities born to change our world. For purposes of according recognition, the Quest is open to individuals or teams of current students between the ages of 5-18, located anywhere in the world.

Will there be prizes?

How do I get started?

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Remind 101 provides simple & free texting tool to enrich teaching and learning

Free book chapter - Tried & true cell phone tools

The hottest posts everyone's reading

Newsflash: Social media is real life

Know the "Other" side on Facebook

Preparing students for real-world financial success

#StuVoice Summit Recap via Twitter

Will you let an exam result decide your fate?

Who is involved?
Young people in more than 70 countries, five continents, and global communities born to change our world. For purposes of according recognition, the Quest is open to individuals or teams of current students between the ages of 5-18, located anywhere in the world.

Who is involved?
Young people in more than 70 countries, five continents, and global communities born to change our world. For purposes of according recognition, the Quest is open to individuals or teams of current students between the ages of 5-18, located anywhere in the world.