Mrs. McAlister's Blog

PKP . . . Curiosity Journal and Gathering Evidence

4/13/2018

Our Passionate Kids Projects is running at full speed. We’ve been exploring “what if” questions in our Curiosity Journals and gathering evidence about our essential questions and passions.

Curiosity Journal
One of my goals for our PKP unit is to provide time for students to ponder and express their curiosities. As primary students, many are still discovering themselves and the community/world around them. The journal provides the opportunity for students to self-reflect, consider empathy, and consider their future in a safe environment.

Our Curiosity Journal (here) is comprised of 10 questions inspired by Trevor MacKenzie’s book, “Dive into Inquiry” on page 60. I launched the journal during Station Rotation. Each rotation is 20 minutes and is comprised of 8 students. The journal was pushed out in Google Classroom. Students are given five minutes to write about a prompt of their choosing. We actually use a timer. Over time, student’s writing stamina has increased. After the five minutes expires, students orally share their responses. Because of the small group structure, students are able to expand on their thinking and have informal discussions. The relationships building for both students and me has been phenomenal. A welcome bonus for sure!

Take a look at some of their entries . . .

Gathering Evidence
At this point in the Inquiry Process (map here), students have their essential question, have created their proposal, and have at least two trustworthy sources. Students are now ready to start collecting evidence. In the past, I would have provided a specific structure for students to follow. I’ve been on a journey for a couple of years now to have a student-led classroom. Part of the inquiry process is to redesign the role of the teacher and the student. As the teacher, I am trusting my students to be mature and responsible with their time, talents, and academic endeavors. Students understand the structure and are provided tools to tap into student agency. (“Dive into Inquiry” page 10)

As students started gathering evidence of their research, we brainstormed collection tools. To be honest, I was met with blank stares. The shift of being “told” what to do to having “choice” was confounding. Student’s initial list was spiral notebooks, Google docs and slides, index cards, and writing in the margins of printed articles. I had students create a Google folder to collect their evidence. Google tools are easily stored in the folder while other collection methods involve taking pictures. As research sessions continued, their collection methods being more varied.

Let’s take a look at some collection methods . . .

I have to say, I am so proud of my students. Their level of engagement, creativity, and scholarliness has me in awe almost daily. The foundation of trust and collaboration was set early in the year and they’ve now soared. We have a class mission statement that helps drive us. It’s posted on our door as a reminder of who we are.

The time, intention, and willingness to “let go” is enabling my students to soar. May each of you find success in your journey discovering your passions and encouraging your students to delve into theirs.

Currently, we are creating thesis statements and writing multi-paragraph article reviews. Ooooh, and some students have been creating Google form surveys for their peers to respond to. It’s been a fun side-quest.

#MuchLove
Marilyn

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PKP . . . Essential Questions, Passion Board, and Proposals

3/31/2018

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We’re moving right along with our Passionate Kids Project. For the past couple of weeks, we’ve developed our essential questions, displayed them on our Passion Board, worked on our inquiry proposal, and started gathering evidence.

Developing the essential questions was quite a process. Once students were able to pinpoint their passions, I wanted them to connected it with society. Our class overarching essential question is “What ignites your passion and how can your passion have a positive impact on society?”. My goal is for students to take their passion to a deeper level, connect it with society, and develop empathy.

To begin, I used a handout created by my colleague, Susie Whipple. She gathered information from Trevor MacKenzie’s book “Dive into Inquiry.” (Handout here.)

Trevor says, “Essential questions are not answered in a quick, simple Google search. They are not answered in a single lesson or in a discussion with a friend. They do not have a single answer and, in fact, our understanding of the essential question may change over time.”

This quote led to a discussion on the need for an open-ended questions that require multiple sources to answer. I shared my experience as a graduate student. When we draft our master’s thesis, many of us have to revise our focus once we start looking for information. For others, the question may be too direct and easy to answer. At this point, layers of depth and complexity must be added. As adults, we understand that this is part of the process. Our young learners are just starting out with inquiry. All these steps need to be discussed.

Students wrote a possible essential question on a note-card. They held onto it for a couple of days to ponder. We came back to the questions during one-on-one conferencing. I met with each student individually and we confirmed or modified their question. After discussion, most questions remained very similar to the original question. Some students needed probing to take the questions deeper. Most students were able to make a connection to society.

For example, two student like dogs. Their connection to society is K-9 dogs. Several students are interested in sports. Their connection to society is health benefits of sports. Another student is interested in Greek mythology. Her connection to society are the influences of mythology on modern products. Another student is interested in science experiments. His connection to society is how inventions that are harmful can be made safe. Take a look at our questions here.

What is the cycle of a K-9 dog including training, service, and retirement?
How are K9 dogs trained to detect drugs, weapons, or people?
What are the health benefits of playing soccer and how can players maximize their potential?
If Greek mythology and culture didn’t exist, what items would we not have today?
What are the details of harmful inventions and what can we do to be safer around them?

Once students developed their essential questions, they created a card to be displayed on our Passion Board. The board is a living piece that students are adding to. Students are encouraged to bring in artifacts that relate to their question. We are having so much fun with this! It’s like an upper grade version of “Show and Tell.” When students share an artifact, they first tell us their essential question, share their item and how it connects with their question, then we have a QandA session.

I’ll share a few of their stories.

One students’ question is, “How can the bond between animals and humans be beneficial?” This student has been raising pigs in 4H for several years. It is a passion that the whole family shares. She’s interested in the relationship between animals and their owners. Through her personal experience raising animals, and research that she is finding, she is able to tie academic research into her passion. At our county fair, she earned Grand Champion for her market swine. She brought in her ribbon as her artifact along with an iMovie she created during her fair experience.

Another students’ essential question is “How are people harming beaches including the physical beach and animals along the shoreline? What actions can be taken to restore our beaches?” This student created a sorting box. She included items that are natural to beaches and items that are harmful to beaches. She plans on having students sort items when she presents her research at our student-led edcamp.

Still another question is “How did holidays originate and how do people celebrate them today?” This student has been bringing in a variety of artifacts relating to holidays. We had to extend our board to include a desk for her artifacts. Her enthusiasm for holidays is contagious. Along with her research, she plans to create a Google form for fellow students to complete about their favorite and least favorite holidays.

We’re following Trevor’s Inquiry Process. (Map here.) Following the process, we came upon the proposal. I loved the graphic so much that I created a digital version for students to complete. I created two templates, one for educators following #DiveIntoInquiry and another for educators that are conducting PKP in my school district. There are a few word changes but the core content is the same. Feel free to #FileMakeACopy to make the documents your own and modify as needed. Click here for the #DiveIntoInquiry template and here for the PKP template.

I’m taking the inquiry process very slow. Since this is our first experience with free inquiry, I’m more concerned about the process than the final product. The components that students have completed in their proposal are the essential question, links to their online resources, their personal goals, and how they will keep track of their learning evidence. (My next post will be about their learning evidence.) I have an analog check-off sheet where I’m keeping track of student progress. Once a section has been completed and reviewed by me, students insert a checkmark in the box to the left. Surprisingly, this has been a motivation for students. Here is a sample of a student proposal.

Next on our PKP journey is to continue to gather evidence, answer essential questions in a multi-paragraph essay, create a digital piece, and conduct a 20 minute session at our student-led edcamp. My next post will focus on gathering evidence, our curiosity journals, and our diji journals we’re using for reflection.

Ooooh, if you haven’t ordered your copy of #InquiryMindset, be sure to check it ordered. It’s lovely!!! Trevor and Rebecca created the perfect companion book to #DiveIntoInquiry.

#MuchLove
Marilyn

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#PKP . . . Cardboard Challenge

3/10/2018

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Welcome back! We’ve had a busy two weeks. The Cardboard Challenge was a huge success. Let’s take a look at one of our favorite maker projects of the year.

As part of the launch of Passionate Kids Projects, we watched the inspirational Caine’s Arcade video. The students were entranced. After watching the video, we walked over to my office. I had been hoarding boxes and random supplies all year long. I opened the door to this . . .

The class knew immediately what my intentions were. Right then and there, I introduced the challenge. Over the next two weeks, we would create individual designs, pitch them on Flipgrid, create teams, plan, build, write direction sheets, and share at #GameFest2018.

Two summers ago, I read John Spencer and AJ Juliani's #LaunchBook. Their launch cycle is perfect in our classroom for design challenges. I highly recommend the book if you are new to design thinking.

To get started, each student created their individual game design on paper then pitched their design in small groups. Next, students created teams. For our Shark Tank challenge, students were grouped by interest. For this challenge, I allowed students to self-select their teams. My goals for the Cardboard Challenge were to create an engaging game, infuse language arts standards, and interact with the 4 Cs, while also spending some social time with classmates. As sixth graders, this is their last year in elementary school. This activity will be a moment for them to remember.

We ended up with 10 teams. Each team created another plan for a group game and were ready to start building. Check out their group pitches on this Flipgid. This is where the real fun and creative critical thinking begins. Students got their supplies from the warehouse (see this post on how I used gamification to get supplies), brought items from home, and started building. For about four 1 hour sessions, students cut, glued, taped, painted, and modified their games. Groups worked both inside and outside of the classroom. I relate the process to Mary Poppins and her magical carpetbag. Miraculously, items pop out and go right back in. Each group had a spot in the classroom for their supplies. And just like Mary Poppins, things came out and things went right back where they belong at the end of a building session. The iteration process was powerful as students worked through the construction of their games. Shout out to Mr. Anthony for helping with the exacto knife. (#SafetyFirst) Take a look at their work sessions and designs . . .

As we were getting closer to #GameFest2018, I wanted students to ramp up their game play. Soooo . . . out came Waldo. Waldo threw down a challenge. On game day, I invited several adult visitors from our district office. I let students know that I would be giving the visitors Waldo cards to pass out. On the back of each card, it said this, “Present this card to a Cardboard Challenge team that you feel had an appealing game, engaged their audience, and contributed a positive Game Fest environment.” That was just the motivation the class needed. Students added challenge cards, dice, signs, prizes, tickets, and more. I was completely blown away with their ideas.

For our public display of learning, we launched #GameFest2018. We invited our third grade classes, friends from the special day class, parents, and district leaders. Our sixth graders welcomed guests, gave instructions to participating students, and encouraged everyone to have fun. As students started playing, I met with the adults and introduced the Waldo cards. They had a lot of fun with their special task. For 45 minutes, we had a full-scale arcade going. I wish I could share all the positive comments from the adults and students alike. Instead, let’s take a peek . . .

Phew. That was a great day!!! But we weren’t done yet. Once we got back to the classroom, students reflected in their diji journal. For me, the reflection piece is where the real learning takes place. Connections are made, successes are celebrated, and improvements are suggested. Here are some of their reflections:

“Gamefest was very amazing for my group. At first there weren’t that many people, but then there were a lot. We also got two Where’s Waldo cards and it seemed like the kids really enjoyed our game. I think that some advice that I would give is to really engage your audience, and be positive and energetic. Doing this makes kids really want to play your game, and it just gives out a positive vibe. All our group was encouraging the kids, so that they would have fun, and all the kids did pretty good. The high score was 3 points, and 3 people tied the high score. My group and I did very well running our game, and that was one of the reasons that we got a where’s Waldo card. After each turn, the kids would have to roll the dice, and if it was an odd number, they had to do a dare, but if it was an even number, they had to do a truth. If it were doubles, they got to pick which one they wanted to do out of the two. Everyone got a prize, and that prize was candy. There were a lot of kids who got truth, and some got dares, but no one got doubles. Something that my group and I could have done better was to make better truth and dare cards, because they were decent, but we could have made them better.” -AS

“I think game fest went really well but I could have also done better in attracting kids to play the game my partner and I made. One thing we could have done is have spoken more. We didn’t really talk much because we are both a bit shy. I was worried that not many people would come and play our game but they did. I didn’t expect many people to come and play our game, so I was really surprised. We even got a waldo card. We gave out candy and some other prizes and that also worked out well. It was fun overall because I got to see kids play the game my partner and me made. It was awesome to see kids play and have fun playing all the games that were there.

Some tips I would give to others that might do this challenge is to not be shy when people are playing your game. You should also be cheerful when people start to play your game so then that would attract people to play your game. Try to have a normal mode then a challenge mode in your game. That could make it fun and they could get different prizes. (You really don’t need to give out prizes) I would also suggest the teacher should buy water because it was hot outside.” -JQ

My personal reflection is that the class exceeded my expectations. This is the third time I’ve done the Cardboard Challenge. It gets better and better each time. I have to tell one quick story. Our school site hosts a moderate to severe handicapped class. After #GameFest2018, the teacher told me a story. She shared how impressed she was with how the sixth graders interacted with her students. In particular, an interaction she witnessed with one of her students that is blind. She was almost in tears as she shared how gentle and kind the sixth graders were. For me, this story made the whole experience worth it. We are educating our students academically, but we’re also nurturing and modeling empathy in all that we do. I searched through my photos and was so pleased that the moment was captured.

That’s a wrap for our Cardboard Challenge. Next up for Passionate Kids Project is writing essential questions, creating their project proposals, and curating research articles. Quick shout out to Trevor MacKenzie for guiding me through this journey.

#MuchLove
Marilyn

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#PKP . . . Gamification

2/24/2018

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Soooooo . . . I’m super duper excited to be trying my hand at gamification during our Passionate Kids Project unit. I’ve been digging into Michael Matera’s book “Explore Like a Pirate” and youtube channel. The guy is off the charts! I've been loving the #XPLAP community on Twitter and all their inspiration and encouragement. Give @MrMatera a follow.

The main piece of advice about gamification that I’ve learned so far is to layer the gaming elements on top of your existing curriculum. I wasn’t sure how that would work, but once I got going, it really does. I decided to gamify our passion project unit since it would be contained inside the parameters and time frame of the unit itself. Michael suggests a storyline, characters, side quests, and more. Since this is my first shot at it, I don’t yet have all the elements in place, but enough to generate interest.

Let’s see what we’ve done so far.

As I introduced PKP, each student received a game board. (I created it using Google Drawings.) The concept of the board is that students receive stickers on the inside of the board when they complete regular classroom tasks. The outside sections are for side quests (double point value). Side quests are completely voluntary. The ultimate goal is to earn points for privileges during our student-led edcamp. Basically, the more points you have, the more options you have during edcamp such as location of your table, which session you want to present in, or likelihood of attending the sessions you’re interested in. Here’s a link to the game board. Feel free to make a copy and remix it.

According to Mr. Matera, a good gamification unit has characters. We have four characters with passions of their own. Kung Fu Panda loves tech and especially Google Blackbelt Throwdowns and Care Bear is all about relationships and showing kindness to others. Curious George has a mind full of questions and continuously seeks answers. And Waldo, well, he’s completely random. Once never knows when he will show up. (And one teacher, me, needed a character for when something completely random pops into her head.

We’re now on our third week of PKP. Students have had opportunities to earn stickers on the inside part of the board as well as side quests. An unexpected result of the required classroom tasks is that students are expected to produce work at an acceptable level. Some students had to go back and add more details and elaborate on some of their work while others produced work that was superior to what they usually do.

Here are some of the required tasks so far:

Interest Survey here
Finding Your Passion here
- Bonus for sharing orally
Entry in our Curiosity Journal here
Cardboard Challenge individual design

The side quests have been really fun. The best piece of advice Mr. Matera gave was that not all students will participate in side quests. And, students will gravitate to quests that meet their talents and personalities. He suggested a balance of quests that are academic in nature and others that involve relationship building and empathy. With that in mind, I developed the concepts for the side quests.

We’ve had one Kung Fu Panda Blackbelt Throwdown. Once we get started with our actual collecting of evidence, writing, and creating, students will be asked to reflect on their journey. My dear friend, Jessica Ortega, has a phenomenal digi journal. Follow her @JessOrtegaEdu. For the challenge, I planted a link to a bitly that took students to an instruction page that Jessica created to make the digi journals. When students came back the next day, I asked students that were doing the challenge to meet me at our table. There were about 7 students. One student completed the task, one student started it, and the other students were interested but hadn’t started yet. I asked the student that completed the challenge to share with the group. She gave us a detailed walkthrough. (She earned her black belt sticker that day.) I let the group know that we’d come back after the weekend to see the other digi journals. On Monday, only one other student completed the challenge. She shared with the first student and me at the table. I ceremoniously gave her her sticker. My daughter works at Disneyland and we had just visited. When I was there, I bought pieces of “magic” as prizes. The two girls were able to choose a piece of magic. One girl chose happiness and the other chose generosity. I then closed the challenge. Side note . . . I’ve decided to close challenges at a certain point so that students have to strike while it’s hot.

For the Care Bear, empathy section, I’ve been giving students stickers for commenting on this PKP blog. Now, I don’t actually announce side quests. Because of the random element of gaming, students never know what will earn them a sticker. Of course, over time, they’ll discover some patterns. The stickers for blog comments came about by chance. I had posted the link on Google Classroom and a student commented. I took that as the perfect opportunity to hand out a sticker. Now that I’ve posted a couple of blogs, students are starting to see that commenting is a way to earn a sticker.

Oh, oh!!! Shhhhhh, don’t tell. Students shared their group design for the Cardboard Challenge on a flipgrid. Students that reply with a video response will be earning a Care Bear sticker. ❤

Soooo, I felt like I was doing a pretty good job with layering the gamboard on top of our PKP unit. But, I wasn't sure what to do with the points. I reached out to the #XPLAP community for suggestions. @KimSnodgrass graciously let me pick her brain. After getting a better handle on XP, I had a plan. As part of our PKP unit, we’re participating in the Cardboard Challenge. I have an office FULL of boxes, odds and ends. We have 10 teams creating games. Each group was given an index card and asked to total up their combined points and divide by how many team members they have. (Sneaky, sneaky!!! Pulled some math into the challenge.) Teams lined up from the most points to the least. Each group was allowed to get three items from the “warehouse”. It was absolutely brilliant! The excitement was off the charts. At that moment, we had a game!!!

All I can say is, “WOW!” My class and I are loving game based learning. I call them the beta testers and I’m the game master. We’re on this journey together. Since we began, students are constantly looking around the room, logging into Google Classroom, are more active participating, producing more detailed work, and keep asking, “When are we doing PKP?”

If you’ve been thinking about dipping your toes into gamification, I highly recommend starting with Mr. Matera’s book, following the #XPLAP hashtag, and ask your students to take the journey with you. They are gamers!!! They will help you and energize you to create engaging learning experiences for them.

I won’t be posting next week. But I’ll be back the next weekend to share our experience with Caine’s Arcade and the Cardboard Challenge.

#MuchLove,
Marilyn

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#Pkp . . . Finding Your PASSION

2/19/2018

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After our launch last week, my class and I were excited to get going with Passionate Kids Project, PKP, this week. But before I dive into the week, I’d like to give a HUGE shoutout to my Twitter friend, Meagan Kelly. She is a phenomenal junior high math teacher, AVID coordinator, and Google Innovator. Meagan shares so many resources that she’s created and uses in her classroom on her blog, I❤Edu. In October, she shared her 20% Time lesson design with us. (Click here.) I kept it on the back burner knowing that one day I would use it. Meagan has inspired me immensely and I have remixed several of her ideas to meet the goals and needs of my students. I am eternally grateful for Meagan. Give her a follow on Twitter at @Meagan-e-kelly.

We started the week with an interest survey. Actually, it’s the same interest survey that I gave at the beginning of the year, but this one had a PKP twist to it. (Click here.) Students were asked six questions, inspired by a talk given by Katie Martin at #EdCamp619 in Chula Vista this fall. Thank you Katie!!! Because the idea of passions may be new to students, the interest survey has students reflect on their own lives both in and out of school. Students took about 20 minutes to complete the survey.

We came back the next day and orally shared. The atmosphere was calm, relaxed, and respectful. Each question was presented one at a time. Students were given the option to stand up if they wanted to share. The attentiveness during this session was impressive. At one point, I reminded students that this is a safe environment and that we can trust each other with personal details. I was glad that I took the time to slow down and allow students to share. You could see students connecting with their passions and each other. Our Mr. Anthony even came in and took some videos of students sharing. His mind is ticking away on how he’s going to format the documentary.

I asked four students if I could share their PKP journey on my blog. I think it will be interesting to follow their process through the student perspective throughout the project. Click here, here, here, and here to view their interest surveys. There is an Answer Garden at the end that was completed by the 4th grade class and ours. If you’re new to Answer Garden, it’s a quick and fun feedback tool.

After we shared our interest survey, I gave each student an index card. I instructed students to reflect on the survey and list three passions on one side of the index card. On the other side, I asked students to write three concerns they have about our community or the world around us. Earlier in the year, we created Shark Tank inventions that would be useful to society. The exposure to looking at the world around us and attempting to solve problems and concerns sure helped us as we looked at societal concerns through the PKP lens. Students held on to these cards for a couple of days.

Side note . . . I had a conversation with Dive Into Inquiry author, Trevor MacKenzie, recently. He stressed the importance of making learning sticky. He used the term “velcro.” The videos, conversations, and brainstorming are hopefully providing something for student’s ideas to stick to.

As we launched into our “Find Your Passion” official lesson, students pulled out their index cards. We started the lesson introducing the essential question for the unit.

What ignites your passion and how can your passion make a positive impact on society?

Shout out to Joy Ceasar, our district GATE coordinator, for developing the essential question and providing structure for PKP district wide.

By this point, students had experienced the unit launch, completed the interest survey, and brainstormed their passions. I introduced the essential question to the class. Then, I told them that I wanted to share a story about a boy with a HUGE passion . . . Caine Monroy. We watched the infamous “Caine’s Arcade” video. Students were mesmerized. After the video, I walked the kids over to my office. This is what they saw . . .

Yup, you saw that right. A wall full of recycled boxes, containers, odds and ends. Right there in the office, with some students in and others outside the door, I introduce the Cardboard Challenge. This is my third year conducting the challenge. It’s a blast! The 4Cs at it’s finest. Here’s a blog post about my first experience with the challenge. There’s a fun video at the end. 😃

Finally, I felt that students were ready to starting penning their ideas down. Students were asked to write down three passions, three concerns about their community or world around them, and connect a passion with a concern. Because of the “velcro” experiences before getting to this point, almost all students were able to make connections. Phew!!! I’m so glad I didn’t rush students to get to this point on day one. Students completed this doc, remixed from Meagan Kelly. View our four student’s work here, here, here, and here.

When students were working through their doc, I revealed more about the project. Students will be asked to present a proposal, research, keep a folder of learning evidence, reflect, backwards map a timeline of work to be completed, write an article review that includes two sources, create an authentic piece, and present at a student-led edcamp. With that in mind, there was a lot of discussion about where their topic could go. Although students are working on their own topic and research, the class is used to collaborating and know the power of sharing ideas and getting feedback from peers. That mindset was clearly evident as students worked through the doc.

Take a peek at how students connected their passions with a societal concern . . .

"I believe that staying healthy and staying active is very important in order to do many things in life, such as play sports. Soccer is a good example, because if you practice, you are staying healthy, and at the same time, you are getting better at the sport. Also, playing soccer builds muscle strength, lowers your body fat, and it helps with your coordination. It also helps because of all the running and walking, and many other things, and a professional soccer player usually runs about 5 to 7 miles every game. If you aren’t active, you can get high blood pressure, you can have stiff joints, and you can become overweight etc. There are many ways soccer and any sport can help you with your health, and these are only some of the many reasons."
"I can combine a personal passion with a problem in society by combining at with depression. I can do this because people normally get depressed when a series of events happen. Another way many people get depression is if someone is a perfectionist, have a tendency to worry a lot, or some just have low self-esteem. When someone makes art, they usually do something that appeals to them and they express their feelings on the paper. When someone makes an art piece, someone might make a positive comment on it and whoever made it might have a boost of confidence."
"I can combine my passion of animals with the concern environments getting destroyed. These 2 work together because animals are struggling trying to survive because people are invading their homes. Without animals the food chain could not go on and other animals could invade human homes. Just like us humans, animals need food and shelter to survive. We are taking their homes and food by trying to make homes for people. Some animals are cute but are endangered because us humans cause then to lose so much. Environments getting destroyed means animals are in danger."

I can't wait to see where students go with their projects! Next week we will be going through the design process and begin creating games for the Cardboard Challenge. Additionally, students will be introduced to their curiosity journals. I'll be blogging next week about how I'm using gamification elements during our PKP unit.

Have an amazing week!

#MuchLove . . . Marilyn

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#Pkp . . . Launch

2/10/2018

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I’m eager to share an endeavor that 2 colleagues and myself are embarking on . . . Passionate Kids Project. This will be a multi-post blog series sharing the lesson design of the unit. Let’s get started.

Passionate Kids Project is a new twist on our district’s Phi Kappa Phi young scholars group. In the past, GATE classes researched and presented topics revolving around a particular theme such as conflict, resilience, and social influence. Academic rigor, collaboration, and presenting to an authentic professional panel were hallmarks of the program. Although it was a winning format, we were ready for a change.

This will be our first year to implement Passionate Kids Project, PKP. The format will be different, but the rigor will be just as high. The main difference is bringing in relevance to our students. Instead of being given a theme, students will focus on a passion.

I’m excited to say that we will be using Trevor Mackenzie’s “Dive into Inquiry” book and inquiry process as our guiding force. I read Trevor’s book last summer. (My initial book annotations say July 3, 2017.) I was enthralled by his powerful connections between relationships, passions, content standards, student agency, and inquiry. I highly recommend the book to any and all educators. Details here. Trevor’s insight will inspire you to let go, tap into student’s natural interests and capabilities, and build strong, positive relationships with your students.

Each teacher presented a different element during the launch to introduce students to PKP and ignite curiosity.

Mrs. Segura shared videos that focused on the concepts of bringing student’s passions to school, what passion is, and what passion projects look like. Discussion was built into the video session and students also reflected on this reflection sheet. Take a peek at the video presentation here.

Mrs. Whipple focused on the first pillar of the inquiry process: Explore a Passion. For her session, Mrs. Whipple used the Question Formulation Technique, or QFT, to formulate and categorize questions about possible student passions. Read more on the technique here. To conclude the session, students reflected on a Padlet.

For my session, I introduced our students to the inquiry process using Trevor’s inquiry map. I walked through the map then spent time having students brainstorm possible authentic pieces. I focused on the shift of teacher’s telling students what to research, study, and create to choosing their own topics and display of learning. Students jotted down ideas on this note card and added their ideas to a collaborative poster. Take a peek at the presentation here.

A special bonus to our PKP journey is that our computer technician, Anthony Rodriguez, aka Mr. Anthony, will be filming and producing a video documentary. His expertise, energy, and compassion make him the perfect person for the task. #WeLoveMrAnthony

We had a fantastic morning sharing our new vision of PKP with our students. As students began understanding the concept, their interest grew. By the end of the morning, sparkles of excitement were in our student’s eyes. Next week, students will complete interest surveys and begin the process of narrowing down their passion. And . . . I’ll be introducing a game board as I try my hand at gamification during our PKP unit of study.

See you next week . . . Marilyn

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#OneWord2018 . . . Present

1/1/2018

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Wow! It’s a new year! 2018 is officially upon us. With the start of a new year comes a new word. One little word that will guide us through our year. One word that will call us back to what’s important to us. One word that we will own, wholeheartedly.

This is my third year on the “one word” journey. In 2016, my one word was intentional. Post here. It was the perfect word that year. I learned about to be intentional in my actions, my thoughts, and my goals.

In 2017, my one word was authentic. Post here. Again, the perfect word. As I neared my 50th birthday, I wanted to truly own myself. It was a fantastic year of accomplishments, changes, and fun. I became a Google certified educator and presented at our local EdTechTeam summit, I ran the Rock and Roll Vegas half marathon on my birthday weekend, my husband and I became empty nesters (we’re super proud of our two college students), and I was honored to be Teacher of the Year for our county.

2018 is here and it’s time for a new one word. This year, I’ve decided on present.

Instead of focusing on action this year, I want to focus on a state of mind.

I want to appreciate those tiny joys that will nourish my soul.

I want to truly be in the moment, with myself, my family, and my students.

I want to listen to my body and nurture it with exercise, healthy food, and plenty of sleep.

I want to prepare for my day with calm and serenity.

I want to pause and reflect on my day.

And I want to listen, really listen. Not to think about what I’m going to say next or allow my mind to wander or become distracted, but to truly hear what the other person is saying. I want to listen with my whole being. I’ve been about action. This year I want to be present. And being present is listening, to others and myself. When I find myself not listening, I’ll pull myself back into the present.

May 2018 be filled with blessings, accomplishments, and love.

If you’re participating in #OneWord2018, share your word on this Answer Garden.

Happy New Year!

XOX . . . Marilyn

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For Blair . . . A PLN Tribute

12/28/2017

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Life is short. Live your life to the fullest. The most important things in life aren't things. We've heard these quotes. This post is a tribute to Blair Smith, an exceptional educator, family man, and friend. Together with a compassionate group of educators, we honor Blair's life and offer up gratitude and blessings to him, his family, and our growing global community. -Marilyn

During the summer of 2016, a group of educators found each other on Twitter and what came of that connection became the very first PLN (professional learning network) I have ever had the privilege of being a part of. We came from different places around the US and world, and connected on things such as faith, flexible seating, social media in the classroom, and so much more. Shortly after meeting on Twitter, we created a Voxer group, and named it “Our PLN”. No matter the time or day, we always knew we could depend on one another within that group. Sometimes we shared professional ideas and thoughts, and other times we shared things that were personal and very dear to our hearts. I have never met Alana, Mike, Blair, Todd, or Marilyn in person, but they felt like family regardless. -Amy

Through this amazing group we all learned that love has no boundaries and that you can become connected to one another over time by opening up to each other, appreciating each other’s strengths, and caring about each other through good times and bad. We hope that by sharing memories of our friend, Blair, that we will honor his heart and his memory. -Alana

Amy Storer:
One of my best memories of Blair is when I was able to connect with his class in Australia to show his students how to use Buncee. Shortly before that, he participated in EdChange Global, and virtually attended my session on Buncee. He ended up winning a subscription to Buncee, and I was so excited about showing him and his students the power of this creation tool. We scheduled a time for us to virtually meet, and because we both lived in different countries, we got creative. That is one of the many reasons why I respected him so much! He always found a way for his kids. He even had Skype Nights at his school where the students could stay the night so they could connect with classrooms in the United States. He knew how important it was to connect his students with the outside world. I loved being a part of his class on that day, and was so excited about them starting their Buncee journey!

Each and every time that I visited with Blair, he inspired me to do more as an educator. His positivity was contagious, and his eagerness to grow as a lead learner was something to be admired. You will never be forgotten, my friend. “Our PLN” will honor you always. Thank you for coming into our lives the summer of 2016. We are truly the lucky ones!

Never take for granted this gift that we have been given-the gift of global connections. So many of my PLN are people that I know I can count on, but have never met in real life. That is huge. If you haven’t gotten connected as an educator, I encourage you to do so. You will not regret it!
-Amy Storer
Montgomery, TX, USA
@techamys

Alana Stanton:
Two years ago I got on Twitter with the hope to be inspired to be a better educator. I never realized that the people I would meet would become such dear friends who would inspire me to be a better person in all that I do. One of the first educators that truly amazed me was Blair Smith. I was first amazed at his classroom, which was made for students and had flexible seating. I was also impressed with how he used simple things to innovate his classroom such as whiteboard tables and table projections.

My husband and I both connected with this educator turning our rooms into flexible seating classrooms with whiteboard tables, in turn this inspired many of the teachers around us to change their rooms to fit the needs of their students. We were so encouraged by Blair who always took the time to answer our questions and give us encouragement. This was much needed for Mike and I because we were taking a huge leap to change our classrooms, but Blair reassured us it would turn out great and we had his support at any time.

Last year Blair was highly involved in my classroom even though he lived in another continent, Australia. He taught my students about The Great Barrier Reef, the outback, and the amazing animals that lived there. He even took pictures of kangaroos on his drive to work, so my students could see them in the wild instead of in the Atlanta Zoo. Blair always took time to answer my student’s questions on Voxer and Twitter even though he was extremely busy living life as a basketball coach, educator, administrator for his school, and being an involved family man. He even took time out of his week to help my own children with their Australian Day. He taught them a special song that only Australians would know for patriotic events. The girls learned the song and sang it for their school making it a very special day.

Over time Blair, my husband Mike, and I got into our first Voxer group with three other educators Todd, Amy, and Marilyn. We loved hearing Blair’s encouraging voice. Through this group I found out Blair was a Christian educator. We both read the book, Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. We were able to share these encouraging messages with each other on challenging days. This is when I started to realize that I was a Christian educator and I should be open to share this through my posts, blog, and in my classroom. Blair knew that being an educator was soul pouring and he showed me the importance of starting each day with prayer. He specifically taught me how to pray for my students. I now pray daily for my students knowing there’s a power higher than me that can help them succeed.

Blair will forever remain in my heart and in my classroom. I will always remember the impact he had on me as an educator and as a person. He was and will remain one of my most favorite educational heros. My hope became a reality when I got on Twitter two years ago and I’m grateful I got the chance to know this inspiring man. (Psalm 34:18-19)
-Alana Stanton,
Dacula, Georgia, USA
@StantonAlana

Chris Quinn:
It was a blessing for me to get to know Blair through a number of different Twitter chats, over the past few years. I have not been part of the PLN Voxer group, but I have come to know many of its members. Blair was a dedicated family man, teacher, athlete and Twitter friend to many! He brought life, passion and goodness to so many of our conversations. He put kids first, as evidenced by the way he approached teaching, always welcoming change, global connectivity, innovation and flexible responses, based on the needs of his students. He truly was (and remains) an edu hero for me and for so many! He inspired many of us to continue to grow as educators, in collaboration with each other!

His passing is a tremendous loss for our education community, for his dear family and for his friends. His life is the gift that will keep on giving for many years to come. May we find some comfort and solace in knowing that he left an indelible mark, through his ‘giving from the heart’, on the many lives he touched, and in the hope that he now rests in peace with our Creator.-Chris Quinn
London, Ontario, Canada
@ChrisQuinn64

Mike Stanton:
The summer of 2016 was a great summer of friendship. The friends I made I never met face to face, however I knew I could count of all of them. Blair, Todd, Amy, and Marilyn were new friends that my wife Alana and I connected to through Twitter. We enjoyed growing together and sharing ways to change our thoughts, ideas, and teaching practices. We pushed each other to try new things.

As friends do, we began to share our lives through connecting on Voxer. We would not only learn about our classrooms, but also about our families. We shared our hopes and dreams with one another and opened up to each other in the process. We shared stories that were close to our hearts and dreams we had for our future students and our families. We also shared our fears, challenges, and heart aches.

Our group came together and were truly lead by Blair Smith. He was strong enough to push us to our limits but gentle enough to help guide us along the way. He was innovative yet down to earth. He was most importantly a friend we could call on for laughter, support, and advice. Blair became part of our thoughts, ideas, and classrooms. We will forever hold onto those pieces he shaped in us and transformed in our classrooms. His legacy lives on through the children he has influenced across the world. -Mike Stanton
Dacula, Georgia, USA
@micronmike

Marilyn McAlister:
Our precious, Blair. Through time, space, Twitter, and Voxer, we are better people and educators because of you. The sound of your voice, the smile on your face, your words of encouragement, and your sharing of best practices will forever be reminders of your goodness.

At one point in life, I could never grasp that relationships could be built through a virtual space. But then our PLN came together. Amy’s fun and feisty Texas accent, her passion for Buncee and global connectedness, and her precious niece on #PassTheScope kept us on our toes. Alana and her love for her girls, her husband, her Kinders, and her school kept our hearts open. Mike, although the quietest of bunch, always had words of wisdom just at the right time. Todd was always ready with a relevant quote, a story about his high school leadership students, and words of affirmation. Chris is our encourager that helps me see the big picture.

And Blair. Our precious, Blair. He would tell stories of his drive to work. Although I’ve never been to Australia, my mind conjured up a scene of him driving and laughing through the winding road to school. But his classroom, now that we could envision. There’s much talk of being an innovator. Blair is the epitome of an innovative educator. At the beginning of each year, he would put all of the furniture in the middle of the room. Literally!!! Students would design layouts and the room would take shape. It was a delight for him to give his students autonomy from the very first day. No desks, but couches, a variety of tables, both high and low, chairs, bean bags, rugs, and the like. Each student had their own tub of supplies. The tubs were carried and moved around the room, then stored nicely at the end of the day. Blair created a room where learning and relationships went hand in hand.

Innovation did not exist only in his classroom. He reached out far and wide. For two years in a row I watched, read, and heard about his international Skype nights. He was the master of global collaboration. I loved the pictures he would post of his students skyping with other classes, educators, authors, and scientists. Read more about his Skype nights here. I picked his brain on numerous occasions about Skyping. He kept prompting me, but I was scared. I’m not sure why, but I was. Now I have to Skype with a class. What a gift Blair gave his students. The gift of diversity, connectedness, and authentic learning.

It is with tears that I end this reflection. Blair left a legacy. His humility and kindness were apparent to all that crossed his path. His family, his students, and his PLN are better because of him. Let us all live our lives in a way that will bring honor to those that love us. Blair lived his life with zest, compassion, and humility. Let that be our example.

Our precious, Blair. Forever in our hearts.
-Marilyn McAlister
Imperial, California, USA
@MarilynEDU

Everyone in this PLN has been touched deeply by Blair Smith and grown as an educator whether it was by his ideas, his innovation, his passion, his humbleness, or his heart. We will never forget him because in some way he is found in each of our classrooms and even in our teaching philosophies. We all know that it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. We will continue to reflect on who we are as people and educators hoping we can carry on a little bit of his spirit with our flexible seating, connecting our classrooms, or by staying present in the moment like Blair choose to do with each and every person he connected with. We were all blessed to know him and hope this post shares a little bit of why he made the world a better place for students, staff, and a world full of educators.

Blair you will forever remain in our hearts. We know we will get the chance to meet you in person one day and when we do we know you will have that beautiful smile waiting for us as you greet us at the door. -Alana

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#GoogleCertifiedEducator

7/2/2017

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I did it! I became a Google Certified Educator. For some it was a snap, for me it was a true journey. I am truly a technophobe. My Twitter profile used to say “closet technophobe ready to be Tech Girl.” Becoming Google certified would be my marker of becoming Tech Girl.

Let’s read about my edtech journey.

#HowItAllBegan
Every school year, I create an overarching goal for the year. This year it was to create a student led classroom. Last year it was to become “Tech Girl”. How would I do that? Why would I do that? How would I know if I actually accomplished the goal? (This is starting to sound like a SMART goal.) The answer to the second question was easier than the first. Why in the world would I want to be “Tech Girl” if I was a self-proclaimed technophobe? Easy, because being a 21st century educator is not about my comfort level but about providing the best possible education for my students that I can. And we all know that having a blended learning environment, embracing and implementing technology, and allowing students be creators rather than consumers will make learning both relevant and engaging to our students. The second question, now that was harder. How would I become Tech Girl? I knew that I needed to learn all that I could about technology. I became active on Twitter (lots of edtech inspiration), started reading edtech books (Catlin Tucker’s Blended Learning started my journey, The Hyperdoc Handbook solidified it), followed blogs (lots and lots of blogs), participated in webinars, took online classes (Alice Keller’s Google Classroom Deep Dive and the EdTechTeam’s Hyperdocs Bootcamp), and attended workshops (Google Summit and #CUE17). How would I know if was actually Tech Girl? After much contemplation, I decided that I would need to become Google certified. Phew, that would be hard to do!!! I’d definitely need some help.

#GoogleFundamentals
The Google Training Center has excellent modules to help educators learn how to implement Google apps into their classrooms. So last summer I embarked on the Fundamentals Training. The level 1 module has 13 units. Each unit has an introduction, lets you know what you will learn, the products you will be using, and the skills you will need. Within each module, there are generally 3 to 5 sections. At the end of each section, there are 4 multiple choice questions to check for understanding and at the end of the unit there are 6-8 multiple choice questions. I would take the unit review questions before I started the modules as my own formative assessment. Sometimes I was pleasantly surprised, other times I knew that I had a lot to learn. I went through every single module, watched tutorial videos, learned how to use Google Help, recorded my quiz results, and even created a Google Fundamentals folder in Drive to store tutorials, notes, and blogs relating to Google certification.

#TheExam
After about a month of studying, I was ready to take the exam. I got signed up, got my password, made sure the camera was working then got started. After about 2 and a half hours I pressed submit. I sat and sat, then the results came in. I didn’t pass. My score was 76%. I wasn’t completely deflated. At the bottom of the results page, there was a list of “needs improvement” areas. Over the next week, I worked on those particular components. Time to take the test . . . again. I was primed and ready to go. Another two and a half hours later, I sat and sat. Much to my dismay, another fail. Yes, it even says that “failed”. This time my score was 72%. What?!? This time I was deflated. I cried. I really did. My husband helped me put it in perspective. He asked me, “Did you learn anything?” Me, “Of course, but I didn’t pass the exam.” Him, “Is it about the learning or passing the test?” Grrrrrr. He knows how to get to me!!! Needless to say, with my new Google skills I would dedicate myself to using them as much as I could during the next school year. And I did just that. I was intentional about using GAFE for purposeful educational endeavours with my sixth graders.

#GAFEInTheClassroom
The level 1 exam has educators show fundamental knowledge of the basic GAFE apps. With this in mind, I started to refine my skills with the help of my students.

Google Classroom: I’ve used Google Classroom for two years. The first year was more dabbling, but the second year I felt like I fully implemented G-Classroom. It was a regular part of our classroom structures. Posting announcements, assignments, and utilizing private messages was standard. Students learned the importance of reading directions carefully, collaborating with peers while working through lessons, self-monitoring to make sure assignments were turned in, and checking G-Classroom when they were absent.

Google Drive: For me, G-Drive is the hub of G-Suite. Everything is stored there, can be retrieved easily, and is the source of creating new digital content. I became addicted to color coding and organizing my folders for efficiency. Take a look at my Drive . . .

GoogleSlides: Our most used app is definitely G-Slides. Students find it easy to write, insert images, gif, and hyperlinks, and add their slides to class collaborative slide decks. We used slides for independent work as well as group work. If I had to choose one app that addresses the 4Cs, it would be G-Slides. All four components including collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking can be utilized in G-Slides. Take a look at one of our collaborative slide decks here.

GoogleDocs: The first Google app I used was G-Docs. Actually, I learned about them from my daughter that was in high school. She was working on an essay and telling us (her dad and I) how she was editing with a friend. I had her show me. Wow!!! This was my first exposure to synchronous online work. It wasn’t until the next year that my district adopted GAFE. But when we did, I was excited to use G-Docs. At first, I closed editing rights and comments to just me, but as time went on, I discovered the power of students working on collaborative docs, editing each other’s work, and the power of the comment function. I taught my students how to give productive feedback with the sandwich method . . . one compliment, one suggestion, and end with a compliment. They became really good about productive feedback. We also learned how to use the Explore feature when writing and researching. I love how it’s built right into the document.

GoogleSites: I have to be honest, years ago I created a class website using G-Sites. It was a very cumbersome process. And at the end of the day, I didn’t use it very much. But . . . along came the new G-Sites. I kept seeing Twitter post from people that were able to beta test the new G-Sites. I was really looking forward to the release date. Once they became available, I made one of my own, then walked my sixth graders through creating their own G-Sites as Digital Portfolios. They turned out great and we used them all year long. The collection of work in them is phenomenal. And best of all, they are so easy to use!!! I wish I could show you one, but they are closed within our domain. But here’s a blog post about how we created them.

Gmail: The first app I used was actually Gmail. I’ve had a personal account for several years. But once I started studying for the exam, I discovered the organization techniques built into Gmail. My students don’t have access to Gmail, so I was on my own without my tech-gurus to help me out.

GoogleCalendar: Okay, so this is the app that got me the first time. My husband is a super organizer and planner. He’s the expert in the family with G-Calendar. He keeps everyone up to date with appointments, invites, and scheduling dilemmas. Google Help and online video tutorials really helped me learn about G-Calendar. I’m pleased to say that I now my calendar regularly. The best part about calendar is the mobile app. I love getting reminders on my phone.

GoogleKeep: Once again, an app that my husband introduced me to. (Wait, maybe he should be getting certified?!?) I first used G-Keep on my phone exclusively, then eventually started using it on the desktop. I use it more for quick note-taking and downloading images or photos that I want to remember. I love checking off items off the list. I didn’t have my students use G-Keep this year, but I plan to next year.

GoogleHangouts: My first exposure to G-Hangouts was through the mobile app. My husband and I would use it to make video calls when one of us was traveling. Later, I was able to be part of G-Hangouts during the Hyperdoc Girls online class. I took the EdTechTeam’s Google Bootcamp and had fun learning the ins and outs of hangouts with the group. I knew the basics, but there were some nuances that I needed to figure out.

GoogleGroups: Full disclosure, I never used G-Groups. I learned about to use the functions I was exposed to during Fundamentals, but I have no practical knowledge. I need to figure out how to best implement the app for purposeful instruction.

#GoogleBootcamp
Towards the end of the year, my district hosted a county wide Google Bootcamp. I have to say, the two day workshop was phenomenal. Although I thought I could learn the material and pass the test without the workshop, attending the workshop, collaborating with other educators excited about Google, and completing tasks was well worth the time and money. (Principals, send your teachers!!!) Shout out to my trainer, Sean Williams, from the fantastic training. Man, I was the nerd in the front asking questions and probably too excited to answer questions. (Think Hermione in Harry Potter) He gave us Blackbelt challenges to test our skills. I loved them so much that I started creating them for my students. Check them out here.

#TheExamTakeTwo
So now with a year of working with the Google apps with my students and family, it was time to take the exam again. I have to say, I was super scared!! I went through the Fundamentals unit review questions again and had a few F2F study sessions with a friend. But I was still SUPER nervous. I bit the bullet and registered. On the day of the exam, I got myself set up, made sure I had notebook paper with me to write down tasks, activated the camera, then set off to take the test. It took me two and a half hours. I stayed focused, kept track of time, and paid particular attention to details. I pressed submit. This time, I didn’t sit at the computer. I went to my bedroom and called my husband. Then, with him on the phone I went to check the results. I passed!!! I can’t tell you the relief I felt. I didn’t want to tell him that I felt really good, but once I knew I passed I told him.

#GoogleCertifiedEducator
I am proud to say that I am now a Google Certified Educator. I now completed my goal from two years ago.

If you’re thinking about becoming certified, I highly recommend it. As my husband reminded me, it’s all about the learning and what we can take back to our classrooms. Our students deserve to have a high quality education. In the times we live in now, the “basics” include being literate in technology. Not for technology’s sake, but for the sake of our student’s futures.

GoogleCertifiedEducator,
Marilyn

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#TriangleOfTrust

4/20/2017

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I’ve been teaching for 24 years now. I’ve learned a lot over the years. But the biggest lesson I learned was 20 years ago. I know it was 20 years ago because my precious daughter is 20 and she is part of the story. Here it is . . .

I was a young mother and teacher. I had a loving husband and had just started working at a new school. Our careers and lives were on the right path. Our pastor’s wife was raising children of her own and had happily agreed to watch our baby while we were at work.

So what was the problem? I knew our daughter was in caring hands. I knew the babysitter had a nurturing environment. I even knew that the babysitter loved our daughter like one of her own. The problem: I was tremendously jealous of the babysitter.

I would cry at night feeling guilty for having to leave our baby. I would cry because I felt like someone else was raising our baby. My husband comforted and counseled, but I still cried and was still filled with jealousy and guilt.

One day, I shared my feelings with a dear friend. (I call her Peace, she calls me Joy.) I shared how I was jealous of the love the babysitter had for our daughter. She just shook her head and laughed. “Marilyn,” she said, “that’s exactly what you want. How blessed is she (my daughter) to have someone love her that much.” That hit home. My friend was right. I was being selfish thinking that we, her parents, were the only ones to love her. I should look at it as a privilege that others would love her like we do.

This was my lesson. There is a triangle of trust that comes into play. Just as I left my daughter in the care of the babysitter, my student’s parents were sending their children to me. In essence, I was like the babysitter that was spending the day with their children. These parents were trusting me to educate, nurture, and love them, just like I was trusting the babysitter.

Twenty years later, this is still the biggest lesson I’ve learned as an educator. Academics are important, but the relationship with our students and their parents, are even more important. We are entrusted with precious children. Let’s treat them like our own. John 13:34 tells us to “Love one another.” Let’s make it our goal, daily, to do just that.

Lovingly,
Marilyn . . .

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Welcome to my blog. I'm an 80's girl embracing being a 21st century tech-girl with the help of my amazing sixth graders. Join us as we journey through sixth grade.

PKP . . . Curiosity Journal and Gathering Evidence

PKP . . . Essential Questions, Passion Board, and Proposals

#PKP . . . Cardboard Challenge

#PKP . . . Gamification

#Pkp . . . Finding Your PASSION

#Pkp . . . Launch

#OneWord2018 . . . Present

For Blair . . . A PLN Tribute

#GoogleCertifiedEducator

#TriangleOfTrust

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