Mrs. McAlister's Blog

Philosophy of Teaching

8/9/2021

This summer, I had the privilege to apply for California State Teacher of the Year. As part of the application, I was tasked with writing an essay about my philosophy of teaching. The reflective process helped me clarify and articulate my beliefs as an educator. I highly recommend each one of us pen our beliefs.

Philosophy of Teaching

To accomplish any goal, begin with the end in mind. My goal in education is to create confident, collaborative and independent students. Over my 28 years as a classroom teacher I have found that the best way to reach this “end” is to first create an atmosphere in which we all feel safe, form relationships, and engage in meaningful content. With that foundation established, I then gradually guide my students toward self-directed learning in a student-led classroom. This balance between comforting structure and confident independence brings amazing results.

One paradox of this teaching philosophy is that in order to reach the end goal of student independence, I have to start the year with strong boundaries, structure, and routines. Once we put in the hard work to lay this foundation, there is an atmosphere of relaxed focus where all students can flourish. Quiet students come out of their shell while others learn to channel their energies productively. As the year progresses, I can gradually loosen the reins and, by the end, the students are running the show!

One useful exemplar of how this teaching approach plays out over time is our year-long inquiry projects. Gone are the days of pouring information into students. Inquiry-based learning is a great alternative. Units are designed around engaging provocations, essential questions, making personal connections, and responding in a scholarly fashion. Early on, students choose their inquiry topics to be explored both in small groups and individually and, over the course of the year, students move from structured to free inquiry. My students have challenged me to allow them to delve into self-selected social awareness issues like self-harm, anxiety, overuse of technology, and unfair immigration laws. Another source of inquiry topics is the UN Global Goals. These year-long inquiry units are showcased in a Celebration of Learning attended by the fourth and fifth grade GATE classes, parents, and members of the community. We’ve had a Social Awareness Seminar with student EdTalks, a Global Goals Carnival with student-made games that advocate for the Goals, and even a student-led EdCamp with students sharing and teaching others about their Passion Projects. Although I’m a GATE teacher, these experiences are provided for all students.

Two other positive results of my “structured independence” approach are a deepening of relationships and increased equity. One element of our “safe space” atmosphere is a “Just Be You” mantra where each student is valued for their uniqueness. Students of all backgrounds and ability levels are respected in our classroom and this, in turn, leads to more diverse friendships. Our classroom routines help solidify these relationships: from student shout outs, peer-editing, student-led stations, and small group inquiry projects, bonds are strengthened.

By the end of the year, the structure and atmosphere are still in place, but the students are now competently in control. If you came to my classroom, you’d often see me just “Kid Watching”. With a happy heart, I watch my students confidently in charge of their learning, collaborating on projects and laughing with their friends. Seeing all of this is reward enough, but often I receive more tangible tokens from parents and students. I tuck notes from students in the bottom of drawers and tape them to cabinets. I have an index card, from Sammy, with the words “I love you” with a big red heart on my window. And from a student teacher, “You’re the best!” From a parent, “Gracias por todo lo que hiciste en sexto grado, eres un maestra incredible. Giomar aprendió mucho, se siente seguro para ir al séptimo grado preparado. Gracias!” Relationships do matter!

I have always held that if you focus on what matters, learning will happen and test results will take care of themselves. This has been true throughout my career, even in one of the most underprivileged areas of the state. My students’ test scores have been consistently impressive. Despite the combination of low socio-economics and a high number of English Language Learners, I have closed the achievement gap, and more. My most recent SBAC scores are from the 2018-2019 school year. In English Language Arts, 86% of the class met or exceeded standards compared to 50% in the state. In Mathematics, 72% met or exceeded standards compared to the state average of 39%. My teaching philosophy provides the nurturing environment to allow all students to thrive and the high test scores bear this out. This validation that my approach closes the achievement gap while also building character and relationships is deeply rewarding.

Marilyn ❤️

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Grading for Equity

7/26/2021

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As we’re gearing up for a return to the classroom, let’s consider our grading practices. During the course of the pandemic, many of us shifted our systems in order to better meet the needs of our students. The following is an essay that I wrote for the California Teacher of the Year submission describing an educational issue or trend.

Imagine a child’s report card coming home in 2021. Whether digital or paper, we will see a student’s name, teacher, subject and grades clearly on display. A “B” in math, a “C” in language arts, and an “A” in science. An almost identical report card can be found in historical archives from 1921.

Our grading practices have remained practically unchanged for more than 100 years. As a young grad student, I read Punishment by Rewards by Alfie Kohn (1995) and more recently, Grading for Equity by Joe Feldman (2019). Fair and equitable grading has been a concern for years. The historical context of our current 0-100, A-F, grading scales find their origins in the beliefs of the Industrial Revolution: 1) everything can be measured to maximize efficiency, 2) intelligence is fixed, and 3) extrinsic motivation effectively changes behavior. At the time, schools sorted students into two groups; those that are college bound and those that will enter the workforce and the A-F bell curve assisted in the sorting. The system was based on points and students quickly learned to play the point game. They still do.

The grades may not effectively portray a student’s mastery of the content. Parents may be unintentionally deceived about their child’s capabilities. Teachers may be led astray thinking that too many A’s goes against the traditional bell curve. Students may be more concerned about their grades than the learning.

Today, the California State Standards drive our instruction, our beliefs have changed, and we are coming out of a global pandemic. We know from Carol Dweck that our minds are malleable and dynamic. From Daniel Pink, we know that intrinsic motivation works. And from personal experience, grading during the pandemic, a shift in grading is vital for academic success.

In order to attain equity in grading, grades must reflect accuracy, be bias-resistant, and motivating. Accurate grades come from evidence of learning. Through feedback conversations, providing clear success criteria, and grading summatively, grades will reflect learning rather than a mere accumulation of points. Bias-resistant grading eliminates grades for participation, timing of work turned in, considers environmental factors, and rejects the belief in the zero grade. A determined focus on the success of all students, without subjective biases, leads to equitable grading. Creating motivating factors to learn and be part of a community of learners draws students in as scholars rather than masters of the points game. Promoting a growth mindset and risk-taking helps orient students to value learning.

My grading practices before Covid already reflected many of these grading beliefs and the diverse experiences of pandemic teaching reinforced their importance. Feedback conversations, alternate means to show student learning, test redos, and late work are now standard practice. As a mentor to young teachers and professional development presenter, I am in a beautiful place to advance grading for equity. I wholeheartedly believe our community of educators is ready for this shift. Our students deserve an equitable grading system that values learning over compliance.

Marilyn 🖤

At a recent virtual event, I attended a "Grading for Equity" session by high school teacher Brianna Davis. Her research and knowledge about the book and her classroom experience was enlightening and deepened my understanding of this important educational topic. She has kindly allowed me to share her presentation with us. She can be found on Twitter at @MrsDavidRCHS.

Thank you, Brianna! 🖤

Presentation link here.

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Nearpod Pionear Application and Testimonial

6/6/2021

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It’s an honor to have been accepted as a Nearpod PioNear. The application process and testimonial provided me the opportunity for self-reflection and excitement for the future. In this post, I humbly share my application letter and video testimonial.

Provide a short bio.
I am Marilyn McAlister from El Centro, California. I have been an educator for 28 years. I consider myself dynamic, engaging, and passionate. I teach sixth grade GATE and am a lead teacher in the El Centro Elementary School District. I am a Google Certified Educator, Nearpod Certified Educator, hold an AVID Digital Teaching and Learning certificate, am GATE certified, and a board member for the Imperial Valley Computer Using Educators (IVCUE) affiliate. My educational passions include building relationships, Google tools, hyperdocs, inquiry based learning, station rotation, the Global Goals, Nearpod, developing student-leaders, and advocating for teacher voice. I run a flexible seating classroom, honor voice and choice, and use technology to promote empathy, creative critical thinking, and collaboration. I love supporting fellow educators with purposeful technology, focused lesson design, and student agency. Sharing on Twitter (@MarilynEdu) and Instagram (MarilynEdu760) brings me joy as I connect with other passionate educators.

Please describe your experience with education technology.
My edtech journey started 8 years ago when I saw a Catlin Tucker keynote. I kept saying to myself, “I can do that. I can do that.” I became Google certified, dove into purposeful lesson design with hyperdocs, began honoring student voice with Flipgrid, and continued implementing tools that strengthen my students’ content creation and collaboration. Nearpod became part of my repertoire when I started using it during Station Rotation with student leaders. During distance learning, I’ve learned how to create screencasts with Screencast-O-Matic, leveraged Desmos for higher order thinking in math, my student’s interest in gaming led me to Minecraft Edu, and made learning relevant with Flocabulary. Given the breadth of tools that I have been exposed to and use, I’m able to integrate a variety of tools right into my Nearpod lessons. Now, I not only use edtech in my classroom, but I also share at my district, local and regional conferences with the EdTechTeam and CUE organizations. It’s a journey that is continually evolving as I learn and grow as an educator and presenter.

How have you used Nearpod and/or Flocabulary in the past year?
This school year, Nearpod has been an integral part of remote teaching and learning. I have been able to package my online lessons by creating experiences that include social-emotional check-ins, language, math, social studies, and science content, polls for checking for understanding, videos, and virtual field trips. My favorite add-ons are the Draw-It tool for math and Time to Climb competitions for vocabulary. Last year, when I was teaching in my brick-and-mortar classroom, I taught my sixth graders how to run student-led stations with Nearpod. The Universal Design for Learning mindset of Nearpod enables my students to access content through Nearpod in meaningful ways. The accessibilitly tools, particularly the text to speech function, has been valuable for my learners. The ability to download notes right into Google drive allows my students to take notes and refer back to them as we revisit content. As an educator, I am to cultivate confident, independent, and collaborative learners. Nearpod is the perfect tool!

Additionally, the Nearpod alignment with the Global Goals is phenomenal! Last year, I introduced the Global Goals using the premade Global Goals lessons. In self-selected teams, students were able to dive into the goals and deepen their understanding in engaging and innovative ways. This year, I am running a district “Gifted and Talented Education” enrichment program with 48 identified third grade students with the Global Goals as our overarching inquiry topic. The students' teachers shadowed me as I taught their students virtually. There was hesitation whether or not the third graders would be able to use the technology. Boy did we show them! The third graders jumped into sessions, shared their ideas in writing and with drawings, and showed their learning with the Time to Climb games. I had no doubt that Nearpod would be a match with the little learners. The students had the most fun with the VR experiences. I shared the reports with the teachers. One teacher was amazed that one of their students worked so much with me. Honestly, the engaging nature of Nearpod draws students in. I’m so glad I followed my instincts and used Nearpod with the third graders.

Although I teach all subjects, math is a primary focus. I’ve successfully added Nearpod as a “Visual Thinking” protocol. The abundance of tools has allowed me to glean both formative and summative data. Screensharing student work in real-time has allowed my students to take the lead in their learning as they explain their thinking with classmates. Inquiry and conceptual understanding has come to life as I’ve remixed Dan Meyers “3-Act Math” tasks into Nearpod lessons. The ability to insert Dan’s video provocations into Nearpod keeps my students engaged. Both synchronous and asynchronous learners are able to access math lessons and engage in the content. I enjoy reading through their slides to see their thinking and consider next steps for instruction.

Nearpod has been a game changer both for my in-person and on-line learning environments. If I could only choose one ed-tech tool, it would hands-down be Nearpod!

Please describe your experience in facilitating training/workshops (in-person and/or virtual) at the school/district level or at educational conferences.
Over the past 7 years, I’ve provided dozens of trainings both at my school site, district, community, and beyond. As a Google Certified Educator, I started giving trainings teaching Google Suite applications such as Drive, Docs, Slides, Drawings, and hyperdocs (creating content with hyperdocs and Nearpod is my passion!). I’ve provided trainings through the EdTechTeam Google summits both locally and in nearby southern California communities. I have also provided trainings through my local CUE affiliate as well as neighboring communities. Topics have included hyperdocs, passion projects, inquiry based learning, Flipgrid, SolveInTime, and the Global Goals. When the pandemic began and schools transitioned into remote learning, I started providing Nearpod trainings to my district and community. Sessions included an introduction to Nearpod and an advanced session where I taught attendees how to create a template in Google and add on the Nearpod interactive elements. There was a flood of interest as it was the perfect tool for the times. As a result of these trainings, El Centro Elementary School District purchased a district account for Nearpod and Flocabulary. I also host monthly CoffeeEdu meet-ups. Local educators and I share classroom experiences and many times edtech that we’re implementing. I’m also part of a cohort of teachers that implements flexible seating. We provide trainings and brainstorm ideas with fellow educators at our local Imperial County Office of Education.

I also work with San Diego State University with their student teachers. I have had 10 student teachers. For the past two years, I have been providing technology training when they start their journey into the classroom. Much of the training revolves around Google tools. This year, I conducted the trainings through Nearpod. The teacher candidates were able to learn about Google and Nearpod simultaneously. My student teacher implemented Nearpod and Flocabulary immediately. I look forward to working with a new cohort next fall.

An experience that was not able to happen because of the pandemic was the Global Goals playground at ISTE 20 in Anaheim. I was approved to present the Nearpod Global Goals lessons in four 15 minute interactive sessions. A second session I was approved for was with a team of educators sharing the Problem Based Learning strategy “SolveInTime!” created by Google Innovator Dee Lanier. I have been a beta tester with him since the onset of the product. Sharing with others brings me great joy!

Are there trainings or sessions that you already have planned in the future that will include Nearpod or Flocabulary?
Our local CUE affiliate has a conference called Tech de Mayo every year in May. I will be presenting two sessions: one is an introduction to Nearpod and the other is an introduction to the Gloabl Goals using Nearpod as a vehicle. I’m also tinkering with a mathematics session introducing educators to the visual thinking components that are available in Nearpod as well as “3-Act Math” that I’ve been implementing. Once the math library is released, it will be at the top of my training topic list! I can’t wait.

Please explain how you promoted or shared Nearpod or Flocabulary with other educators, and how you have impacted teachers’ usage or discovery of the platform.
As stated above, when the pandemic began in April, 2020, I provided training for my school district on Nearpod. I was relatively new to the tool but knew that it would be a game-changer for remote learning. I provided two introductory sessions where participants interacted with the tools and one session teaching educators how to create lessons using Google slides and the Nearpod add-on. As a result, with the help of Corey Bess, our southern California sales representative, my school district purchased a Nearpod and Flocabulary account that reaches over 6,000 students in 12 school sites. I also work with San Diego State University - Calexico campus with their student teachers. My student-teacher and I provided PD for her cohort of 40 teacher candidates. It was a great experience! I was also a guest on the podcast, Edu with You, and was challenged to convince the host of the benefits of Nearpod over the competitor tool. Click here for the podcast. Finally, during one of my CoffeeEdu virtual meet-ups, I introduced county educators to Nearpod. One particular school, Calipatria, requested additional training, which I did. Nearpod is such an easy tool to promote as I whole-heartedly believe in the educational value of Nearpod and Flocabulary both for students, educators, and administrators.

How do you, or plan to, promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the work you do?
The community in which I live and teach, the Imperial Valley, is 87% Hispanic, my school district has an 82% free and reduced lunch rate, and 43% of our students are Engligh Language Learners. Given these challenges, by training educators in effective use of Nearpod and facilitating implementation of Nearpod and Flocabulary, our students will have access to an edtech tool that will strengthen their language skills while learning curriculum content. The Nearpod English Learners library, with its premade lessons for K-12 students, is a ready-made resource for teachers to use during their English Language Development class periods. In addition to providing support for our ELL students, the Global Goals bank of lessons exposes students to the world beyond their community, encourages empathy, and creates a context for global understanding and action. Using Nearpod as a hub, I use and train other educators in SolveInTime, a problem based learning tool that is rooted in equity and inclusion. The equity expansion pack delves into social justice issues that students are challenged to solve. (For more on SolveInTime, click here.)

Are you involved in any other education ambassador programs? If so, which programs?
I am an ambassador for SolveInTime, which I highlighted above. I have been a beta tester since the inception of the tool. It has been an honor to implement with my students and share with other educators in training sessions. There are playing cards in the original interation and more recently has been digitzed with Nearpod.

While not an official ambassador, there are a couple of products I am intimately involved with. I regularly highlight the work of “The Hyperdoc Girls” and have been a beta tester with them as they developed their new website. Hyperdocs were my first dip into lesson design which has shaped me as an innovative educator. (For more on hyperdocs, click here.) Additionally, I often praise and share the work of Tony Vincent and his Shapegrams. He used Google Drawings to create digital pictures using shapes. His videos and step-by-step tutorial are engaging and easy for students, and teachers, to follow. These product innovators have been vocal in their appreciation of my support.

Why is Nearpod (and Flocabulary) a company and product that you would want to advocate for?
Nearpod has been my go-to tool for the past year. I honestly can say that it saved me during the pandemic. The ability to easily create interactive lessons, see students work in real-time, and access meaningful reports enabled me to engage my students in content, as well as be engaging, during a challenging time. The ability to differentiate, using the live or student paced lessons, provided the equity that students and parents deserve. As we pivot back to in-person learning, I plan to continue my use of Nearpod and am eager to share with other educators through word of mouth and professional development opportunities. Nearpod and Flocabulary are tools that are 100% effective with customer support and social media moderators that are knowledgeable and helpful. The Camp Nearpod sessions have been phenomenal! Corey with his presence on Twitter and Amber in the Facebook group, are dynamic examples of what a Nearpod PioNear can be! It would be an honor to join the team!

How did you hear about the PioNear program?
I originally heard about the PioNear program from Dr. Jennifer Williams through her work with the Global Goals. Working with Jennifer, she exposed me to Nearpod and the powerful pairing Nearpod has with the Global Goals. More recently, I have worked closely with Corey Bess, the southern California regional sales manager. He helped me introduce Nearpod to my local district, facilitate my first Nearpod PD, and secure a district contract that reaches over 6,000 students and 12 school sites.

What do you think being a PioNear means, and why would you make a good addition to the community?
To me a “pioneer” is the first to explore or apply a new skill. In the community where I live, Nearpod is a relatively new tool. By being a PioNear, I would be able to bring Nearpod and Flocabulary to the community at large. Through my affiliation as a district PD facilitator, CUE board member, and being active in the Twitter Edu community, I have access to a large network of educators. It would be an honor for me to share and advocate for my newest edtech passion. I am an outgoing, enthusiastic, people-person that loves to help others. Being a classroom teacher, I would bring current pratices into my message and PDs. I have a blog that I’ve authored since 2015. Being a Nearpod PioNear would be a great series of posts to write. I believe I would be an asset to the community of educators through PDs, sharing on Twitter, and elevating the voices and needs of English Language Learners as well as advocate for the Global Goals through Nearpod. I eagerly look forward to expanding my PLN and Nearpod journey.

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Global Goals . . . SmashboardEdu and Carnival

12/29/2019

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My sixth graders and I have spent the last month delving into self-selected inquiries relating to the Global Goals. Students created their own inquiry teams, selected a goal, researched using the SolveInTime process, then designed and held a Global Goals Carnival.

Self-Selected Inquiry Teams
At this stage in the year, students are beginning to become more independent. With that in mind, students grouped themselves into inquiry teams. We ended up having nine. In their teams, they determined their top 3 Global Goals. We went through a process, starting with goal one, to see which teams would represent the goal. It was easy when there was only one team with the goal. If there were multiple teams interested, students played “Rock, Paper, Scissors”. There was a touching moment of empathy when a team won, but gave over the goal to another team.

SmashboardEdu
One of my favorite problem solving strategies when we start an inquiry is SolveInTime. (We are using an older iteration called SmashboardEdu.) The gamified process allows students to consider a real world problem, brainstorm solutions, and create an original piece to share their learning. For this experience, we added a research component before SolveInTime and we added a one minute presentation slam as a closing. For more, visit the official SolveInTime website or follow the creator, Dee Lanier and SolveInTime, on Twitter.

SmashboardEdu Inquiry Cycle

Initial Independent Research here
SolveInTime in Teams here
- Problem
- Research
- Solve
- Share
- Reflect
One-Minute Presentation Slams here

The inquiry cycle went very smoothly. We follow the inquiry pool structure designed by Trevor MacKenzie and Rebecca Bathurst-Hunt. We are solidly at the Guided Inquiry stage. As a class, we’re all working on the Global Goals, while students and teams are making more and more decisions. Student confidence is high and collaboration and critical thinking skills are strong.

Digi Journal SmashboardEdu Reflections
ZB: “Overall, my Smashboard Edu about Goal 9 experience was a very exciting and new one. Although there are still some things I would like to change. For example, When we did the slam I felt my partner and I should have added more content to our slide. Another thing I would like to improve was to have more research about Goal 9 when we did the cards. Some things I feel like I did good was taking notes about our goal, and working with my partner. During the Smashboard Cards there was some questions that I did not really understand, and had a hard time finding an answer to. For example, on the purple card there was a question where it said, “When does it begin or when does it occur?”. When I had first read this question out-loud my partner and I had no idea. Then, our teacher Mrs.McAlister, brainstormed with us to find a clear answer. Finally, even though I had already researched about Goal 9 before there was still so much I could learn about it.”

EB: “So recently, I did an activity called “Smashboard Edu.” I worked with my Global Goal 15 partner again and this activity is where we write the answers to questions. We had been given an SOS card that is basically a ticket for help. The second card was the problem and the third card where the problem occurs and where it began. The third card was about our solution to the problem and the fourth was share. We had an activity that went to the card share. We were given 15 minutes to complete a google drawing all about solutions. My partner was on an app on an Ipad where she drew pictures of trees representing tree farms and steps showing artificial wood. I typed a solution on lowering the ads of cigarettes and some simple ways to help out. I had done one bonus fact about the amount of money that will be needed to help out the forests. Next, the fifth card and final card was Reflect. We had to reflect on new things we learned in the process. We also had to reflect on challenges that occurred. One challenge that occurred was when we tried to link the picture to our chromebook. It did not work. The final question on the card was what things we would differently in the future. Overall, Smashboard Edu is a very fun and interesting activity because you learn things that you may have not known or more about a topic in the goal that you did want to know more of.”

Global Goals Carnival Design Cycle

Individual Game Design
Team Game Design
Build Games
Demo Games
Global Goals Carnival

In the past, I’ve implemented a Caine’s Arcade style carnival. With the Global Goals as our year long inquiry, we leveled up and now have a theme for our games. The purpose of their games was to bring awareness to our school community to the Global Goals. To be honest, this allowed for more creativity and purposeful game design.

The game design cycle took about three weeks. First, students sketched their own individual design. The next day, teams compared designs and developed one game. Most games were a combination of ideas. Then, teams created their games, informative signs, and even prizes. After their games were made, we demoed them with a small group of student players. Finally, we held our Global Goals Carnival.

District administration, board members, and families were invited to the carnival. Our students players were our third and fourth grade classes as well as our three Special Friends classes. Each group played for 30 minutes. Students were provided three tickets as they entered and could earn more tickets by performing physical fitness type tasks.

The sixth graders ran their games with enthusiasm. I was especially proud of all the Global Goals content they were able to share through their game designs. They were very intentional about teaching the student players about the goals.

Global Goals Games

Shoot for the Goals (Soccer Game)
Ski-Ball and Trash Sort (Toss Ball then Sort Item Inside)
We Speak for the Trees (Ball Toss)
Peace Pong (Ping Pong Toss and Memory Game)
Gender Equality Maze (Inequitable Rules and Discussion)
Take Action Below Water (Aquarium Plastic Cleaning)
The Brain Game (Educational Trivia)
Catch That Duck (Fish for Rubber Duckies in Polluted Water)
Goals City (Lego City Infrastructure)

Digi Journal Carnival Reflections
AC: “The carnival was really entertaining and educating to the 3rd graders, 4th graders, and special kids. ZB and I we worked very hard for this game and it was nice to see the kids smiling and laughing while they were building the Legos. Our game as called Goal City and the rules were to build a building and when they would be done they have to put it into our city. In our Goal City all the kids were communicating while they were building the Legos. The carnival was very superior and all the games were very scholarly and educating. And all the kids who played the games learned a lot. The kids learned a lot because now they know what problems are going on in our world and how to solve it. When kids were coming to our game ZB and I would explain to them on what to do in our game and what Goal 9 is.

When the carnival was over, ZB and I were happy on what we did because many kids enjoyed our game. ZB and I worked very hard such as we worked hard on the cardboard, the painting, outlining, sketching, and ideas. And the whole class also worked very hard on their games and they all also turned out to be very good because they were all very scholarly, entertaining, and educating.”

AD: “We did our global goals carnival today and the goal I did my goal was #13 climate action. At first my group had no idea on what to do. Then after the first day we all had to come up with our own idea for each person. When I did mine, I originally wanted to make a ball throwing game but then I thought it was pretty lame so I had to come up with a new one. The day after, I came up with a game called “Catch That Duck”. You had to catch a duck using a fishing rod. But then I realized, “How am I supposed to get a fishing rod?” So I said, “Maybe it can work with magnets?” So when the big day came to present our ideas with our group I felt confident that I was going to win and I did. My group also had some pretty good ideas one of them was called “Killer Wave.” But we stuck with mine and started to work right away. On the first day of building our game, we just planned on who was bringing what. Our game consisted of rubber ducks, stick paint, and magnets. When we were done my team was saying it was rigged and that nobody was going to win. On Friday, it was the demo slam and we were going to have people play our game. One of the kids called the game the best and, another kid said it was impossible. When the big day came of presenting our game we did great everyone was at our game. It was a very successful day.”

Our continued journey into the Global Goals is creating a classroom of student-leaders, researchers, and advocates. As an educator, if you’re interested in Problem Based Learning, I highly recommend the Global Goals as an overarching theme. Students are able to tie in almost any passion or area of concern into at least one of the goals. Look to your immediate community for inspiration. Surely one of the 17 goals can be addressed. If you’d like to learn more or brainstorm implementation, feel free to contact me or any member of the #GlobalGoals community.

#JustBeYou . . . Marilyn ❤

Animoto video here

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Global Goals . . . GATE PD

11/9/2019

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I had the honor recently to provide PD for our district Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) teachers, coaches, and administrators. The purpose of the day long PD was to introduce educators to the Global Goals (official site here), share my year long inquiry timeline, engage teachers in innovative and student-led practices, and guide teachers in creating their own year long Global Goals inquiry. I have a passion for developing agency in both teachers and students. This was absolutely my hidden agenda. ❤

Attendees
Our district, El Centro Elementary School District, has 9 elementary schools. We have three schools with GATE cluster classrooms, in grades 3 to 6, where students from other schools feed into. At our PD, we had 3 principals, 3 coaches, 12 teachers, and 2 district office administrators in attendance.

As a GATE team, we have a program called “Passionate Kids Project”, known as PKP. The purpose of PKP is for students to delve into topics of interest. In the past, we’ve done Passion Projects, Social Awareness Projects, and are now delving into the Global Goals. For our year long inquiry projects, students tap into their interests, research, create, and celebrate.

PD Structure
I structured the day by balancing hands-on activities with collaborative work time. I packaged the PD in a hyperdoc for easy access to materials along with my own year long inquiry. Last year, our PD focused on the inquiry process inspired by Trevor MacKenzie and Rebecca Bathurst-Hunt using their book “Inquiry Mindset”.

PD link here
Marilyn’s inquiry here

Global Goals Experiences
We had four main Global Goals experiences during the day.

Introduction Videos
Question Formulation Technique
SolveInTime
Design Challenge

As a GATE teacher myself, I pulled out my favorite learning experiences for the PD. Here’s a quick recap of each activity.

Introduction Videos
We watched three videos to familiarize educators with the Global Goals. Each video built upon the next to provide an overview of the 17 goals.

World’s Largest Lesson - Just a Kid video here
“We the People” for the Global Goals video here
World’s Largest Lesson - Emma Watson video here

Question Formulation Technique
Because questioning is a major component of inquiry, educators experienced a QFT session using the Global Goals as their Q-Focus. This is a technique that many participants knew about but had not implemented. They were completely engaged during the entire process. Needless to say, I was extremely proud of their engagement and questions. (Slide deck here)

SolveInTime
One of my favorite, and easy to implement, problem based learning strategies is SolveInTime, formerly known as SmashboardEdu, created by Google Innovator Dee Lanier. SolveInTime is a “problem-based learning & the design-thinking process smashed into a gamified experience!”

We used this slide deck to guide our session as well as playing cards for each group. Each group self-selected a goal of their choice. Again, participants were completely engaged in the process. By the end, when teams generated solutions, several teachers were ready to implement community campaigns. I was so proud of them!!! Their favorite new creation tool was Canva.

Design Challenge
Our final learning experience of the day was a design challenge. In groups of two or three, participants were provided a pizza box with resources, a close read, sketchnote, and comic found here, relating to one of the Global Goals. The challenge was to design a flying disk that taught others about their goal. Teams had 15 minutes to synthesize the readings and design their disk. It was so fun watching the educators . . . have fun!!! As I facilitated, one participant and I had a conversation about George Couros’ book “Innovate Inside the Box”. That is literally what we did. We definitely have prescribed standards to teach, but as educators, we have a liberty to make learning relevant and even enjoyable for our students.

Collaboration
During the course of the day, four specific times for collaboration were built in. Because I wanted the conversations to be focused, I provided possible discussion topics. Each of the three school sites sat together as a team. At the beginning of the day, there were many unknowns. By the end of the day, teachers and sites left with a rough timeline and ideas to implement their year long inquiries. I asked teachers to specifically consider a unit launch, writing, authentic pieces, and a celebration of learning.

Reflections
At the end of the day, I provided a reflection form for the participants. Here are a few of their comments:

"I really appreciate the day given to plan and collaborate with other sites along with my school site. Thank you for the opportunity to expose our students to relevant issues outside the valley."
"I am really thankful to have you as our presenter. You are easy to understand, easy to approach with any questions, and give great examples from your classroom, because you have actually implemented the goals. Thank you."
"I love this training! I feel the templates and hyper links provide a clear guide to take us through the process. You are my inspiration!"
"I attended an awesome PD session with my dearest friend Marilyn McAlister about Sustainable Development Goals. You have showed me a totally different way of teaching which I am planning to start asap. Thank you so much for all your ideas and support."

Two participants wrote more thorough reflections.

"I had the pleasure of attending a Global Goals professional development organized by none other than our very own ECESD 6th grade GATE teacher, Marilyn McAlsiter. More often than not, I’ve attended professional development that felt like too much fluff and not enough tangible ideas. This was not the case on Monday. It was evident that Marilyn put in a lot of effort to organize and curate materials that I could use in my classroom immediately and throughout the year. Marilyn’s passion and enthusiasm really fired up the teachers at my school. Not only did Marilyn light a fire under us with her presentation style and materials, she provided examples of how she used the materials in her class. Because of Marilyn’s work, I will be able to allow plenty of student voice and choice. My students are sure to be excited and inspired while exploring problems facing today’s world. I can’t wait to see my students grow as global citizens!"

-Mrs. Calatayud, 5th grade teacher

"Global goals are bigger than any one of us. When I was approached by Mrs. McAlister to consider the topic, well that was easy. The topic is all encompassing and it is worthy of attention. But as she explained the scope and sequence of the project, I was just overwhelmed by the absolute size and scope of it. There are so many people, so many schools, teachers, students and to be frank…the immediacy and importance of the topic was thrust into my face so I could not ignore it. I deeply believe in the purpose and need of each of these goals. It is the next human evolutionary step. We need to evolve or perish. But to see it implemented with fervor, intensity and love is a blessing for me. I have had the opportunity to glimpse our future in the hands of our children, and it made me sigh in relief and hope. People are better than we thought. We will become a better version of ourselves because of educators like Mrs. McAlister. Marilyn, does not shrink from the bigger picture, but quietly and enthusiastically leads us forward."

-Mrs. Quiroz, principal Sunflower Elementary School

Follow-Up
After the PD, it was such a joy to chat with teachers about their next steps. One teacher is interested in Station Rotation and several teachers would like support implementing technology in their classrooms. One principal would like me to visit and provide feedback and offer coaching experiences. Best of all, was the opportunity to guide two teaches in creating a Global Goals launch with their classes. By the end of the collaboration time, they were beaming with enthusiasm and confidence. Another teacher had me come in and facilitate a SmashboardEdu session. The students were phenomenal!

I’m excited to see where our GATE teachers and schools take their students on their journey through the Global Goals. It was an honor to empower educators where in turn, they’ll be about support, guide, and nurture powerful and relevant learning experiences to their students. To be honest, as a GATE teacher, I don’t want anyone to walk in my classroom and be able to single out the GATE students. Effective and meaningful teaching strategies are good for all learners.

Dear readers, enjoy the journey you’re on.

#JustBeYou . . . Marilyn

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Global Goals . . . QFT and GoalKeepers

11/2/2019

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My sixth graders and I are moving along with our Global Goals year long inquiry. We generated questions using the Question Formulation Technique, committed to be Goal Keepers, started a mini-inquiry slide deck, and added to our digi journals.

Question Formulation Technique
Using the process from the Right Question Institute (here), we generated questions about the global goals. This is our third QFT for the year and the students are very efficient with the process. Click here for our Global Goals slide deck.

The components of QFT are:

A Question Focus (Q-Focus)
The Rules for Producing Questions
Producing Questions
Categorizing Questions
Prioritizing Questions
Next Steps
Reflection

The student’s questions showed their growing curiosity with the Global Goals. As I facilitated the experience, students were actively asking both open and close ended questions.

Some of their questions are:

How did the Global Goals begin?
Were they put in a certain order?
Did the creator expect it to become big?
What inspired the 17 goals?
How would accomplishing the goals affect our world?
Can I help make a difference?

Even now, reflecting on the questions, I can see the power and influence of the global goals on our youth. They’re asking relevant questions and are eager to take action. I love the last question, “Can I help make a difference?”

Goal Keepers
When we started our Global Goals inquiry in September, we watched an introductory video hosted by Emma Watson (here). She shared how we can “invent, innovate, and campaign”. At that time, we decided that we have the ability to campaign. As their teacher, I’m working on creating confidence and independence in my student leaders. The Goal Keeper mindset is perfect for that.

To introduce Goal Keepers, we watched three videos (here, here, and here). The videos spoke to my students. There were moments of silence after each video, tears throughout, and powerful discussions of the content and how it relates to our lives. Many students connected with personal experiences. I shared that many people become advocates of a cause because of a personal connection.

After watching the videos, we created our own Goal Keepers posters. (Link here) Students enjoyed choosing words and colors that express themselves. We also wrote about what makes us Goal Keepers. (Template here) We used the analogy of being the goalkeeper in soccer: One that protects the goal, works with a team, and constantly has an eye out to see what needs to be done next.

Mini-Inquiry Slide Decks
As part of the QFT, we introduced Next Steps. Our next step was to research each of the 17 goals. Students were randomly placed with a partner, then they used a digital spinner to be assigned the goal they would be conducting a mini-inquiry on. In our inquiry journey, we are still in the guided inquiry stage. (Click here for the inquiry pool developed by @Trev_Mackenzie.)

Students were given a choice of the template they would like to use. Each pair is asked to conduct a close reading on their goal (resources here), share the goal’s problem and solutions from the close read, and answer one self-selected question from the QFT. Student’s personalize the slide decks with colors and images that relate to their goal. This is a work in progress and will be a future blog post.

Sample slide decks here, here, and here.

DigiJournal
An ongoing component of our Global Goals inquiry is adding to our digi journals. Reflection is a major part of the inquiry process. This is where we synthesize and make meaning of our learning experiences. Take a look at some of the QFT reflections.

SM: “The Global Goals QFT helped me and my group go more in depth about the Global Goals and also the questions we’re going to use for research. One of my partners, KV, helped me think of multiple perspectives while asking questions especially about Gender Equality. During QFT, we also had a really open minded discussion about the questions we want to research more about. Thankfully, the discussion helped me learn about other Global Goals and other ways to question things. Because of this QFT, this really expanded my mind more about 17 Global Goals and why each are important. Another question that we discussed was, “How would completing all of the goals affect the Earth?”. This question inspired me to research about every goal and not just focus on one goal/question. Also, the groups helped me because they sorted randomly and helped all of us learn about new perspectives we haven’t heard of before. Most of us in the classroom started off close minded for all of the people we didn’t talk too, but now, no matter who the person is, we always stay interested and open minded about every question. This benefited ALL of us by learning new perspectives and let alone just learning new people.”

TG: “What I learned is that there are so many unanswered questions about the global goals and working together in a QFT could make a bigger difference than working independent. One of the questions that my partners and I had in mind is what if there were no global goals? That’s a good question because if there was no global goals everyone on earth would probably be homeless or be starving for food. I wanted to write and possibly get the right answer, but it was about writing the question and not answering it. After QFT we shared our important questions to the class and I had other ideas from other classmates or peers as they shared their questions aloud. Some of the questions I had were similar to the questions that my other classmates had in their poster. The connections I made was the zero hunger and no poverty. Sometimes when I walk around El Centro I see people that are homeless or people that look hungry. Other times I see people asking for food and money sometimes people ignore them, but other times people give them money and food to help them. I see that there are people asking for money or have a sign that says I need money. It really makes me feel bad for them because they have no home or food and they don’t have anything to survive with no food or water and sometimes people ignore them and they judge them. This proves that I learned many things with the QFT research.”

Our Global Goals inquiry is continuing to evolve. With each new experience, students are learning more about the world around them and themselves. Their quest for knowledge is clear. Their expressions of empathy are evident. I’ve told my student’s parents time and time again what fine young men and women they are creating. Being a sixth grader can be hard. But as we find our bigger purpose, we’ll be able to navigate the many changes around us and surely find our places in our community and world.

#JustBeYou . . . Marilyn

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The Goals Project

10/5/2019

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My sixth graders and I are so excited to start our year long Global Goals inquiry. As our unit launch, we participated in The Goals Project lead by Dr. Jennifer Williams and youth ambassador Ayush Chopra. Without their leadership and passion for world and environmental change, the project would not have been possible.

Background
The purpose of the project was to bring awareness to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The project ran through the month of September, 2019. The project brought awareness to the 17 global goals, included 70 countries, and reached over 1,500 classrooms. Classes were grouped into cohorts of 17 classes and each had a team leader. Our team, #GameChangerGroup24, was lead by Elizabeth Ogunsola. Each class in the group was assigned a goal to research and create a unique project to share with the other classes. (Official website here.)

Research
We began our inquiry watching videos about the global goals, followed by a close read of our goal, goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth. We finished our research analyzing a sketchnote and a comic. (Official Global Goals website here.)

During our research phase, we jotted down notes while watching the videos, annotated our close reading text using the GATE icons, and created posters of our learning as well as various discussion sessions.

Video resources here, here, and here.
Written resources here, here, and here.

Create
For our unique project, we had a design challenge. Students were presented with a pizza box that held their goal, the prompt, a flying disk, and markers. The challenge was to design a flying disk that teaches our partner classes about goal 8. Students worked in teams of two. Their engagement, excitement, creativity, and critical thinking was phenomenal. They were beyond proud of their original creations.

Share
Once we had our flying disks created, we wrote personal notes, shared a few special momentos, and mailed them out. Along with the disks, we included our group sticker designed by @nineviaene, a Goals Project coaster, and our class hashtag sticker, #JustBeYou. Our class was so excited to send out the mail. Just as exciting was receiving messages from Jen and other classes that received their special packages.

Reflection
As part of our year long inquiry, students are asked to reflect on their experiences. We created a digi journal where we will add posts to throughout the year. Here is a sample template. Take a peek at some of their reflections.

MF: "At first, I didn’t quite understand what Goal 8 meant, but as time went on and Mrs. McAlister gave me and my peers more resources and articles, I finally understood why Goal 8 was important and what it meant. I learned that Goal 8’s goal was for everyone to have a safe and beneficial job, well paid wages, and end forced labor. I learned these facts thanks to a worksheet Mrs. McAlister gave my class called ‘Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth’ by Margreet De Heer. I also learned that by 2030 we need everyone in the world including men, women, and people with disabilities to get beneficial employment. Another fact that I learned is that 731 million people are below the U.S poverty line, which is partly because some jobs don’t pay their employees fairly. My experience with the Global Goals project was really fun! I learned many things thanks to the experience. My partner and I worked really hard on our frisbee, but it ended up looking like a smirking face with a giant nose. Even though I faced some minor difficulties, I still very much enjoyed the activity."

CJA: "While we were discovering Global Goal 8 I learned a lot. One thing that I learned is that in other countries they force child labor. Forced child labor is when you make children work at a very young age. This is a problem because children are working instead of getting their education. We also did a design challenge where we had to design a frisbee based off of Global Goal 8. My partner and I both got a sketch paper to practice on and then we combined the ideas to make the final product. Another problem that I discovered was that there is a lot of poverty around the world. In America it has dropped to a 5% Poverty rate but in other countries it is still very high. The problem here is that people are not getting paid the right amount of money to be able to provide for themselves. Through our journey learning about Global Goal 8 I learned a huge amount about things that are beneficial to the society now and in the future."

This is only the beginning of our journey. I can’t wait to see what the year has in store for us. We’re living in a time where our youth are ready to take action. It’s time for us, as educators, to lead the way and give students opportunities to be global citizens, empower them with agency, and open the doors for leadership opportunities. Join us as we take the challenge to make our world a better place.

#JustBeYou . . . Marilyn McAlister

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AVID . . . Sweet 16

8/9/2019

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This summer I was fortunate to attend one of the AVID national conferences in San Diego, California. This was my third time attending and I wasn’t disappointed. Highlights of the conference were the student speakers, keynote by the humble and amazing Rick Ramirez, and attending the Digital Learner strand.

When I attend a conference, I’m always on the lookout for something to implement right away. This time, it was the Sweet 16 gamified challenge to learn about 16 different digital tools (Think March Madness). The tools included:

The Challenge
In groups of two, participants were randomly assigned a digital tool to research and create 3 different tasks.
   1.   Create a 60 second presentation focusing on the features of the tool.
   2.   Complete a sentence frame making connections between the tool and AVID college and career readiness and WICOR strategies.
   3.   Create a meme that included a tagline about the tool.

All presentation links were collected in a Google Sheet.

Teams were given about 45 minutes to create and submit their links. When the first round of presentations began, two teams were paired off then timed for 60 seconds. The match ups were tools of similar purpose like Code.org vs Scratch, Canva vs Adobe Spark, Flipgrid vs Seesaw, etc. After both teams presented, the audience voted using Kahoot. There was so much engagement from the presenters and the audience. After the first elimination round, teams in the Elite Eight presented their sentence frames. Then the Final Four shared their memes. The championship round was a vote off of the final two.

This was such a fun way for us to learn about new tools, engage in the 4 Cs, build culture with the group, and have some good ole’ fun.

Classroom Application
As soon as we got started with Sweet 16, I knew I had to bring this back to class. But what topic would I use? After a few days of pondering, I decided to use the topic of “brands”. Some of the match ups include Coke vs Pepsi, Google vs Microsoft, and Skittles vs M and Ms. My purpose for Sweet 16 is to introduce my students to Google tools they’ll be using in the classroom, start developing a mindset of the 4 Cs, and have the added bonus of creating classroom culture at the same time.

Here is a copy of my Sweet 16 Brands Edition. Feel free to use it as it or modify to meet your needs. If you use it, I’d love to hear how it goes.

Shout outs
I’d like to give two huge shout outs. One, to my AVID mentor, Martay Monroe, that has been my AVID trainer for two years. Her passion, love for AVID, and gift of empowering teachers to be the best they can be for students makes her a fabulous role-model. Second, to the amazingly inspirational and humble educator and national speaker, Rick Ramirez. His energy is off the charts! But even more impressive, is his love for students and making a difference in their lives. Thank you both for making my AVID experience memorable.

#MuchLove to all . . . Marilyn ❤

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Just Be You

7/17/2019

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This post is a departure from my normal lesson design posts, but it is something that is dear to my heart.

For several years now, I’ve been noticing many more social/emotional concerns with my students, particularly with anxiety. Additionally, last year my students took on heavy topics for our social awareness inquiry: depression, self-harm, making wrong choices, anxiety, and more. To be honest, I was initially uncomfortable with the topics, but I trusted them as young scholars. They taught me, and our school community, so much about the topics and, more importantly, solutions.

As simple as the phrase sounds, I teach my students to #JustBeYou. As a Christian woman, I know that each of us is wonderfully made. Although I don’t speak of Christ, I do express to my students that each one of us is special and unique. Maybe you’re shy and quiet, maybe quirky and creative, maybe athletic and active, or even nerdy and nice. Whoever you are, just be you. Be true to who you are at your core.

The phrase didn’t come to me overnight. You see, many years ago, when I was a young teacher, a comment was made to me that was paralyzing. In the copy room one day a fellow teacher told me: “Not everyone can be happy like you all the time.” Whoa! I don’t remember my response but I do know that I changed. For the next six months I was “professional Marilyn”. I controlled my laughter, my smiling, and my encouraging nature. Then one day, a different teacher asked me what was wrong with me. I shared the story. She scolded me on the spot. She basically told me to “Just Be You”. I am so glad she had that conversation with me. From that day on, I knew that to be happy, I had to be my authentic self.

I’m so excited to share that I found a graphic designer, through Fiverr, that designed a sticker for me. He literally made my concept come to life. Thank you, Milanga!!!

As we start the 2019-2020 school, I would love for this message to get out to our students. If you would like a sticker or magnet, please DM me your address. The simple message of “Just Be You” is a powerful talking point that students really do latch on to.

With a tender heart,
Marilyn ❤️

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Social Awareness Inquiry Cycle

4/23/2019

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My sixth graders and I had a rewarding year delving into social awareness topics of their choosing. As a GATE class, we participate in Passionate Kids Project. This year, along with discovering our passions, we tackled social concerns. To be honest, the topics were out of my comfort zone but I trusted my student’s maturity. The inquiry was broken up into experiences throughout the year. The focus was on solutions.

Inquiry Cycle

Our inquiry cycle started out with many guided experiences then culminated in a completely student-led seminar. Let’s take a look at our cycle.

#SmashboardEdu: We started out with the essential question, “What are some issues young people face today?” and used this #SmashboardEdu guide. After coming up with concerns, students teamed up to do some initial research. (Collaborative slide deck here and blog post here)

Question Formulation Technique: After brainstorming social concerns with #SmashboardEdu, students were placed into teams based on the topic they were most interested in. We used this QFT guide to generate open and closed questions. (Blog post here)

Collaborative Research and Presentations: As a team, each inquiry group answered questions from their QFT then presented their findings in oral presentations. (Student samples here, here, and here)

Student Created Logos: As a side quest, some groups created logos using Google Drawings. (Slide deck here)

Thesis Statements: Individually, students created thesis statements that would guide their independent research. (Student samples here)

Articles Reviews: Students used two self-selected sources (with my approval) to answer their essential questions. Through a process of writing, peer editing, and teacher feedback, students wrote their article reviews that provided background information of the social concern and a variety of solutions to help solve the problem. (Samples here, here, here, and here)

Demo Slams: Each group created a digital and oral presentation. The digital piece was to have very few words and the oral presentation was to focus on solutions and include an interactive experience for the audience. Groups created, practiced, and refined their presentations. The goal time was 10 minutes. Peer evaluations were completed during the demo slams. (Sample here)

Social Awareness Seminar: For our celebration of learning, we held a Social Awareness Seminar for our fifth grade classes and parents. The fifth graders were able to choose topics they were interested in and attend those sessions. Our sixth graders dressed up, were knowledgeable, confident, and had fun. It was a perfect culmination to our social awareness inquiry. (Sample slide decks here, here, here and here)

We had a busy and productive year. We started the year in the shallow end of the inquiry pool and ended in the deep end. With lots of support and encouragement along the way, I’m proud to say that my sixth graders are leaving me as confident, independent scholars that were allowed to share their voice.

Educators, after 25 years of teaching, I’m still stretching, learning, and more importantly, trusting my students. We are in a new era in education. It’s time for us to make learning relevant, bring in student interests, and loosen up the reigns. It’s a journey. It’s taken me three years to get here. But the rewards of seeing my students share their voice, learn through experiencing successes and even failures, is worth any discomfort we may have. I encourage you to take on an endeavor next year that may make you uncomfortable. I wasn’t sure if we could handle these deep topics, but we did. I cried more this year than any other year (out of pride). I stepped out of my comfort zone, and I’m so glad we did.

On another note, if you’re interested in starting or refining your inquiry journey, I highly recommend Dive into Inquiry and Inquiry Mindset by Rebecca Bathurst-Hunt and Trevor MacKenzie. If you’re interested in problem based learning and want to try #Smashboardedu, give Dee Lanier a follow or check out SmashboardEdu.com.

#MuchLove . . . Marilyn ❤️