It seems now a days that every day is associated with some obscure holiday like National Hot Dog Day, or National Boyfriend Day. Today alone is National Suspenders Day and the International Day of the Air Traffic Controller! How does one celebrate that? Typically I don't pay too much attention to these daily holidays and go about my gaming like normal. However, there is something special about today that caught my attention and made me stop to think. Today is the national day for writing, and it true blogger fashion, I need to recognize this, and what better way to celebrate than to write! I was scrolling through Twitter this morning as I usually do, and I glanced over to what was trending for today. #WhyIWrite was the number one trending topic and it made me consider that very question. Why do I write? Why do I take the time to write this blog in hopes that a few hundred gamers like myself will take 10 minutes to read it? What do I get out of this process? Well, let me tell you! When I took a minute to pause my game and reflect upon #WhyIWrite, I realized that one of those reasons is reflection itself. In education there is so much talk about being reflective as a teacher, helping our students reflect and reflecting as entire systems on initiatives. Honestly, I think this is something that lots of people fail at. There are many days when I fail at this, not because I don't want to reflect, but because it takes time, planning and an avenue in which to deliver that reflection. Think of it like a gamer. Let's say you are playing Super Mario Bros 3 and you are trucking through a level when you die. Doesn't matter how, you may have fallen in a pit, fell victim to a Koopa or weren't quick enough to dodge a turtle shell. Most gamers will quickly enter the level again and try to be successful without really thinking about what happened. What if when you died, the game asked you a few questions about what happened and how you could improve upon the mistake next time? Do you think this would help you maintain your lives a little longer? I don't know the answer to that question, but it is worth considering. As a teacher we don't have those questions always built into our day. It is easy to end a lesson and pick up the next day with whatever is written down in our plan book without much thought. What if we built it a way to force us into that reflection? That is what blogging helps me to do. That is #WhyIWrite, and if we has teachers gain the discipline to reflect on our practices, it will only allow us an easier road towards helping our students to do the same. This blog serves many purposes, and though the reflective piece is for me, I also write in order to inspire others. It is scary to put a public product out for all to see. What will people think about my writing? Will they understand my off-kilter gaming references? Ultimately, if a reader can take one idea, or one thought and use it as inspiration, that is #WhyIWrite. I am not in the regular education classroom any more with my new job as an instructional coach. There are downsides to that, but there is one MAJOR upside. I get to work with 550 students rather than just a class of 20! My ability to inspire all students in a building is a huge motivational piece to this writing puzzle. Whether you understand the gaming references or not, I hope you can find at least one nugget of inspiration to broaden my 550 student reach to thousands! Like many gamers, I love a challenge. Levels that require no skill or thought, just don't do it for me. They don't add XP to my life or level me up in a meaningful way. When I decided to start writing this blog I knew that it would challenge me. I had never done anything like this before, and I never considered myself to be a good writer. However, I knew that if I wanted to make big changes in education one day, it needed to start with me making big changes for myself. The last reason #WhyIWrite is because it challenges me. I get so much joy and gratification from finishing a post and seeing the number of people who it can reach. When I complete something that is easy for me, it doesn't quite have the same effect. Much like finishing an extremely tough game or finding that rare artifact in a mission, the gratification from challenge is magnified. I encourage you to find that thing that challenges you, and dive in. It might be technology use, it might be blog or even allowing your students increased control in the classroom, but try it! There are people all around you that can guide you on your way.
Cheat Codes: BROYP-Be Reflective On Your Practice WHTIOABIY-Work Hard To Inspire Others And Be Inspired Yourself FACFTCOTC-Find A Challenge, Face The Challenge, Overcome The Challenge #WhyIWrite-To level up Why do you write? Taylor
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You know those games where you get to add to and customize your character based upon points or currency that you have accumulated while traversing through missions and accomplishing tasks? Well, for the past 5 months that is exactly what I have been doing! Some of these missions have been extremely taxing, while others intensely exciting, but overall they have begun to shape the character I am becoming in the whole new game I am playing this school year. Often times when you are customizing a character within a game you have to eliminate certain features of that character that may have been working successfully in the game. However, in order to truly tackle the most difficult of bosses or uncover secret mysteries hidden within that same game sacrifices must be made for newer, shinier and more effective armor or items. I want to share with you guys about my shiny new armor and my sharp new tools that are sure to help me level up not only as an instructional coach, but as a person too! In the video game world, many characters travel through levels while receiving assistance from a friendly and all-knowing AI, or artificial intelligence. These generally non-human characters provide a variety of assistance from which path to take through different levels, to tips for using items. They are a guide, a keeper of knowledge, a helping hand when you need it, and sometimes even mysterious. Students might think of the teacher as their AI, or teachers might think of the instructional coach as the AI. Ultimately we all need someone, or something, we can turn to for guidance, someone we can ask questions of and trust that they will steer us in the right direction, even when we may be apprehensive. This year, I want to be that ever present source of help and guidance for my teachers and students at my building. Even more importantly, with all my character changes these past five months, I needed my own shiny new AI to help manage the chaos of my upgrades. Luckily I was able to find not only one every present source of guidance, but multiple. From my parents, to new and old friends, to Jesus Christ, I am truly blessed with the best AI out there. Each has shown me things about my character that I didn't know and has helped me reach the end of some of the most difficult levels I have every played. The best thing about them is that they aren't artificial at all. I encourage you to find that ever present person for you. Whether that be in your career or in your life, it is truly one of the best character upgrades available! As a player upgrades their character, they often have a choice of different types of armor, or costumes that their character may wear. Each piece may have a specific ability attached to it in order to help that character complete a specific task or complete a difficult level. I have added some specific armor pieces to my life that I think every student and teacher should have! The first set of armor I discovered held the ability to fear nothing. As a teacher and coach, I believe every student and teacher should have this set of armor in their closet. We cannot be afraid to try to things as a teacher and we need our students to feel confident trying new things as well. Knowing that failure is okay and that we don;t have to fear it will lead to some quick leveling up! I have had some pretty significant failures recently and I can tell you without this armor it would be extremely difficult to try new things again. However, with the assistance of our AI's and our fear nothing armor, we can venture into unknown levels with the bravest of faces. The second set of armor I came across possessed the ability for enhanced perspective. When wearing this special armor, a character is able to use the lessons from past levels and battles in order to make wiser decisions. This skill may not seem useful, but think about it this way. Often times characters learn increasing levels of skills as they progress through a game. If that character was to forget those skills and therefor lose the perspective they had gained from their experiences, it would be impossible to complete the game. What they have experienced, and what they have learned from it MATTERS! In teaching and in life, the lessons and skills we learn from the experiences we have are important for forming our perspective on the present and on the future. Our students will have different perspectives. Sometimes that might be a good thing and other times that will be very difficult for them to overcome. As teachers we need to help them form a new perspective on learning and life. Sure our armor might not always look as fancy as what you see below. Trust me, mine has been beaten up, scratched, dented and burned. However, I continue to wear it proudly and it has helped me learn to fear nothing and always keep my perspective positive even in the face of difficulties. Cheat code time!
UTPTEP-Use The Past To Enhance Perspective FNEF-Fear Nothing Especially Failure FYAIAUT-Find Your AI And Use Them Welcome back folks! Let's not go as long without playing this next time! Happy Leveling! Y'all, I did something new last week, something I have never done before, something scary and new and life changing! (P.S. I say y'all because this amazingness happened in Austin, Texas) This was a game I have never played, heck I hadn't even read the manual, but like a true gamer I grabbed my controller, blew out my cartridge and pushed play! Last week I attended the SXSWedu conference in Austin, Texas. Now, attending this conference would have been an entirely new experience it itself, but because I like to play expert level I also submitted to be a speaker at the conference this past summer. Naturally, I never expected for my submission to be chosen among the over 1,200 entries for this conference, but the world works in mysterious ways and this was an upgrade I was meant to discover. Fast forward 8 months and I was on my way to my first ever conference presentation at one of the biggest national conferences for education! Now in a video game a bonus level is a special level within a video game designed to reward the player with extra points, power-ups or items. They are much shorter than regular levels, but can have major impact on the success of the character within the game. I want to talk to you guys about how my experience at SXSWedu was the ultimate bonus level for leveling up my teaching and learning! When I entered into the room that I would be presenting in, I was instantly overwhelmed. 185 chairs, a screen, a big opening in the middle where I was supposed to stand and try and impact a room of educators and people can be intimidating. Would the audience gain anything? Would I sound like I knew what I was talking about? Would I fall on my face literally and figuratively? These, and an unending list of other questions were scrolling through my mind in the hours and minutes leading up until the moment you see above. Entering an unknown bonus level is much like what I was feeling at that time. Will there be enemies in the level? What benefits will I get out of the experience? What will it even look like? The unknown is scary, I don't think many people dispute that, but it's also exhilarating. My session could have gone horribly. I was relying on technology (yikes), my students were freely able to answer questions how they wished (good thing they are amazing), and I had heels on people! However, this one hour bonus stage of my life provided essential XP to my confidence, to my network and to my own empowerment. Don't let scary questions about the unknown keep you from entering your bonus level. The power-ups you'll gain from the experience will forever change the way you play. I may be biased, but I truly do have the coolest students in the world. It's true that bonus levels can be completed alone, but when you can include a sidekick or a player 2, that level becomes a shared experience in gaining XP for all gamers involved. Empowering each other with your strengths allows each person to gain the full impact of the level. The most difficult power-ups are more easily reached through teamwork and collaboration. Why not utilize our students as those second players. Their talents, knowledge and willingness to take on the unknown will make a bonus level more disruptive to your game, in a good way! Too often they are forgotten as a source of collaboration for teachers. We should work WITH our students, not alongside of them. My session at SXSW would not have been as impactful without the expertise of my little gamers. Empowering them to share their voices, was scary, but it was the best part of this bonus level.
Listen, I get it! Taking risks and entering the unknown "Bonus Level" may not seem like it is worth the risk of failure. You could lose time on your journey to the final boss, you could lose a valuable life, you just might lose a previously gained power-up. But what could you gain even in the success or even in the failure? You might not know until you try, so it is essential to put yourself out there, try something new and conquer that bonus level! Cheat Codes: TARACTBL-Take A Risk And Conquer That Bonus Level YSCBYBC-Your Students Can Be Your Best Collaborators FTQADSS-Forget The Questions And Do Something Scary Happy Leveling! Taylor Every January I take some time to think to myself about how I am going to "level up" for the next year. Typically, I'll be honest, whatever these grand ideas are that I brainstorm don't last much past January. They fizzle out quickly, they lose steam, or they may never even quite get off the ground in the first place. I think one thing people don't talk about enough in January is how difficult it is to make a change. I am talking about a real game-changing experience. Anyone can dye their hair, or change their clothes, but what about the type of change that doesn't only affect you, but also those around you? This January when I took some time to reflect on 2016 and make plans for 2017, I realized that 2016 had really changed a lot about me and it didn't start at the beginning of the year, rather it started with a catalyst, an experience. That experience is still motivating me today to gain XP in multiple areas of my life, and explore new levels I wouldn't have dreamed of touching before. That doesn't mean I don't have goals for 2017. 2017 is going to be HUGE! However, before I share with you some of my favorite words for 2017, I wanted to reflect on the fact 2016 really spring-boarded this whole process, and say thanks to all the people around me who helped me to begin this journey! I am sure you all have seen the #OneWord2017 posts going around on social media. It is amazing that so many people are dedicating themselves to leveling up this year, but the more I saw these posts the more I thought to myself, "Why just one word?". Yes, one word can encompass a multitude of experiences, levels, and characters, but for me, #OneWord2017 became #WordsforChange2017...with an S. So here are my #WordsforChange and a little bit about how they are going to level up 2017 for myself and my students. You guessed it! Rogue is my first word for change in 2017. I will admit, I haven't seen this word posted anywhere on social media yet for someone else's #OneWord, because I don't think it is one often associated with teaching or learning. Being rogue has become extremely important to me over the last 6 months, and in 2017 I look forward to pushing myself off the beaten path a bit more. So what do I mean by this exactly? Rogue has many defintions, and the rogue that has spoken to me is the verb which means to defy law or norms of behavior. Why should we do school how it has always been done? Answer=we shouldn't! Go rogue! Do something different that it has been done before because it is what is best for students, and forget about what other people say. Be true to what you believe and find that glitch, that hidden path in the broken game of education to exploit. Your students will thank you! My second word for change in 2017 is create! I feel like this is a more common choice for teacher resolution, but maybe not for the same reasons you might think. Honestly, I am not a very creative person. I don't craft things, I don't build things and imagining myself as an artist is sort of scary. This is not the type of create that I mean. To create is the act of making something new, like this blog for example. This is something I created, but I want to do more. In 2017, I want to push myself to create new things that not only help me in my leveling up journey, but can inspire and guide others in their own. I don't necessarily know what that all means yet, but I know that it will involve putting myself out there, and sometimes it will be intimidating. That is the great thing about games though. If you create something that doesn't quite work or doesn't really fit, it can redefined, remade and remastered in creative mode. In the game of life it isn't any different. My creations won't be perfect, and they won't always impact in the intended manner. But when they don't, I will head back into the studio and rebuild my creation again! I realize that "just be" is two words, but hey this is my blog post, so I'lll do what I want! Anyway, I think that these 2 words for change are the most impactful, yet simple for 2017. Just Be! I have spent a lot of my life struggling with anxiety. I like things to be right and finished and good. It is really difficult for me to let things go that don't work out as I had envisioned and in turn...BAM...anxiety. This can make teaching really, REALLY difficult sometimes, as if it wasn't hard enough already. Things don't always work out as intended, every teacher knows this, but if you're like me it is a struggle to just let it be. Well in 2017, that is what I intend to do. Just be with my students in these important times in their lives. Just be with my family the very few times I get to see them. Just be on the couch and lost in a good book. Just Be. I think these 2, short words might be the hidden easter egg to reaching my highest XP this year. Just be, and the rest will work itself out.
Cheat Codes: Go Rogue Create Just Be Thanks! Happy 2017! Have you ever walked into a place, it could be any type of place, and thought to yourself "Wow, whoever designed this space is amazing?" Or maybe it was more like, "I wish my house, classroom, or place of work looked even close to this!" I don't know if we always realize how important the design or layout of a space is to us. A recent visit to the amazing Northland Innovation Center in Gladstone, MO really had me considering these things. When I get home at night after a long day of teaching it looks like this; I immediatly change clothes into something comfortable followed by lighting a candle or four, then plop myself on my favorite couch with the lights turned down low and the lamp on only to immerse myself into an amazing fantasy book that takes me to new worlds. From the minute I am at home it is about being in a comfortable space, and then using my imagination to explore the impossible worlds I wish I could be a part of through books. Why can't we make our work places more like our homes then? Why can't they have that favorite spot to sit, or the delicious smelling candles (okay fire hazard, but you get the point), or the lights turned down low? Well, I think that we can have that! I think we should have that! And, I know how games can help us to understand why that is, and help to begin the process of redesigning some of our spaces for the most optimal use and comfort. First, when we are designing new spaces, we have to remember that everyone has different needs, different likes, and different dislikes. Whether this is a group of students in a classroom, or a group of adults in a workplace, different people have different preferences. In order to create an environment that works for all these people, there has to be options! The pictures you see above are from a video game called Skyrim. The goal of this game is to work through the missions and traverse the world in order to become the ultimate dragon master. What I love most about the environment in the world of Skyrim is what it can teach us about providing options for people. The game has hundreds of different places that your character can discover, but the best part about these places are that no two are the same. There are beautiful and serene locations mixed with harsh, wintery outposts. Some locations are high upon mountain tops while others are located along the sea. Huge cities sprawl across parts of the map, and other locations are merely huts in comparison. The creators of this game understood that variety is important to #Levelingup your gaming experience. In our own physical spaces, we too need to understand that variety is essential to meeting the needs of all types of gamers. Some are social, some prefer quiet spaces and others want extreme comfort. As the designers of our own "worlds" we need to keep in mind how we consider the variety of people who use our spaces and design accordingly. Nothing helps to gain XP quite like that perfectly varied level layout! Another vital piece of designing spaces to meet the needs of others is to remember to gain their input and use their feedback to guide the process. Even include the users as designers in the creation of the space itself! Game designers know that the player wants to have control over all aspects of the game at times, and this includes the level design itelf. We have all played or at least seen someone play a Super Mario franchise game before, but not everyone has seen their side scrolling game creation system known as Super Mario Maker. This particular game puts the level creation into the hands of the gamer themself. Gamers can use traditional Super Mario game elements like Goombas and Power ups, but they can also manipulate those same game elements to create new obstacles like stacked enemies or hazards that come out of question blocks. The lesson here is that by putting the creation in the hands of the gamers, the levels are customized to meet the needs of gamers around the world and include ideas never before considered from the original game developers. We can use this same idea when we are designing spaces. The users SHOULD have a say in the design. It is for them afterall. Take a page from a game developers book and put the level creation in the player's hands for optimal results and maximum creativity.!
Finally, what I really find important about designing a space is to make sure you have a means to escape it. That probably doesn't make sense at first. Why design an amazing space for work or learning and also create a way to leave? That is simple! No one confined space can provide all the needs, knowledge and experience for any one person. It doesn't matter how many different types of seating, or how open the space, or the colors you use; the space won't be sufficient to be all that the users need. People need to experience the world, or have a means of reaching out of spaces in order to truly reach potentials and make impacts. The need for multiple experiences are why game designers originally made the jamma board for arcade games and why products like the Nintendo Switch are being developed. People need to play more than just one game! In order to accomplish this we must leave our spaces and visit others. We need classrooms to join with other classrooms physically or virtually and work together. Business should collaborate and visit each other's houses people! Without the ability to explore outside of your space, you won;t truly be able to use that space to it's fullest potential. So, put yourself out there and take a chance to explore all the levels that are there for us as gamers in this crazy world! Cheat Codes: ITUITD-Include the User in the Design BFWYS-Be Flexible with your Space IOPTUYS-Invite Other People to Use your Space DFIIAAV-Don't Forget it is All About Variety DCYTJOS-Don't Confine Yourself to just One Space Every gamer knows that it is important to collect things along the way that will assist your character in their ultimate goal or mission. Whether this be a special sword or shield like in World of Warcraft or a specific song like in Zelda: Ocarina of Time, it is important to collect these pieces during game-play in order to successful. In teaching, I like to think of these items as classroom tools. These classroom tools can be technology based, paper and pencil, or based on student movement. It isn't about the type of tool, it is about what the tool helps the teacher to accomplish. In my new position this year teaching gifted, I have had the opportunity to test many new tools and strategies in my elementary and middle school classes. Many of them have inspired my students to try new things, motivated them to research something further, or simply caused their educational experience to be brighter for a day. I want to take some time to share these tools, so that other gamers like myself might accomplish the same mission I am working towards each day; to level up education for my students! The tool you see my student using above is called Bloxels. In gamer terms I would say it boosts creativity points by 1,000 XP and covers characters with the cloak of unlimited fun. If you haven't seen, heard of, or experienced Bloxels, then I challenge you to download the app as soon as possible and explore. You will not be disappointed! Basically Bloxels is an app that allows students to create their own side scrolling video game circa Super Mario Brothers NES addition. At first this item may not seem like one capable of leveling up a student's learning experience, but you can't think like a traditional teacher with this one. Imagine students bringing their narrative stories to life in a video game using Bloxel's story block feature, or a student designing a game to reflect a specific ecosystem. The tool allows its users to design and animate characters, layout levels, create their own decorations and configure the enemies in the game. If you are struggling to engage boys into a specific topic, consider how you might use Bloxels to peak their interest. When it comes to the mission of allowing students to create in new and different ways using the same standards we are currently teaching, Bloxels is an amazing tool to transform that learning and boost XP for teacher and student. Who doesn't love robots? I mean they are machines that do what we tell them to do. Bossing these little robots, called Ozobots, around has leveled up my Bright Ideas students in a variety of ways. First of all, this item bestows upon its user the power of code. In today's job world a knowledge of coding is becoming more and more essential for success. Many teachers feel uncomfortable teaching coding because they don't know how to code themselves. The Ozobot provides a great starting point for teachers and students using its corresponding website, ozoblockly.com. With this basic coding knowledge your gamers will complete previously considered impossible missions. Second this items provides its user a pathway to problem solving. Included with the robots are numerous challenge boards that force the player to consider what series of commands to best complete the task. This is problem solving disguised as fun. If you are a teacher on a mission to venture to planet problem solving, the ozobot can be your vessel. Finally, once your players acquire the ozobot, they will be wearing the costume of engagement. With multiple options from technology to hand drawing courses, students can choose what method fits their gaming style. This costume provides unlimited smiles, occasional laughter mixed with focused eyes and minds. It is a must discover for the mission of motivation.
When it comes to collecting items in a game it is important to remember your final mission. As a gamer that can mean many different things from defeating the final boss to escaping a doomed planet. As teachers that ultimately means learning and success for our students. Just like a gamer needs items to assist them in their journey, students need them as well. Each student may require different items depending on the game they are playing, but it is up to the teacher as game-master to decipher and deploy the precious cargo. However, we must always remember it isn't simply having the item that creates success. but how and when we choose to use that item that truly levels up the player. So I challenge you in the spirit of gaming to try something new with your students. Show them an item that could lead to valuable educational XP, but don't be afraid to fail. Failure can be a valuable item in itself. Other tools to try: Scratch Coding Google CS First Little Bits Dash and Dot Sphero Cospaces.io Google Cardboard Flowvella Swift Playgrounds Have you ever seen the acronym MMO or MMOG and had no clue what it was referring to? Well MMO or MMOG stands for Massive Multi-player Online Game. Still confused? Does the name World or Warcraft, The Sims, or Clash of Clans ring a bell? Well, if you are still not quite sure what an MMOG is but your are reading this blog, so you may know a little about education then it may be easier for you to understand if I say that an MMOG is like an edcamp. Yes, there it is the burning apple! Edcamps are the epitome of leveling up teaching, learning and living. I think the reason that they provide so much XP is because they have similar elements to that of the most popular MMOG's around. First of all an MMOG is social. The first two letters stand for Massive Multi-player. These games can have thousands upon thousands of people playing in the same worlds at the exact same time. Players in the worlds can interact with each other in a variety of ways depending on the premise of the game. Edcamp too brings together thousands of educators in different ways. It is simply more fun to play the game, when you have like-minded people in the room with you, virtually or physically. You can team up in an MMOG to complete a mission or gain an artifact. You can continue to work with the same players, or you can collaborate with new ones each day. Edcamps are designed for teachers to team up to make positive changes in their educational landscapes. Each session provides new players with which to team up, or if you and one specific teacher have a great thing going, Edcamps provide the flexibility for you to continue that conversation! I think most people have found that the mission is just more fun to complete with someone else. They bring their own talents, items and powers to the task. Together we can accomplish great things whether that be defeating an evil troll in World of Warcraft, or using coding to teach math concepts in your classroom. Another way that Edcamps create meaningful ways to earn XP in the same way that an MMOG engages its players is by using choice. Choice is the pillar by which Edcamps and MMOGs function successfully. In an MMOG the player has the ability to choose between hundreds of missions, situations, or story lines. Each different path will take the character through new challenges, give them new understandings, and provide valuable experiences to gain XP. Edcamps use choice in the same way. Teachers can choose their own story line! By having session boards created by teachers and for teachers, the learning is meaningful and engaging. If a session board doesn't have room for your one burning topic, you can create your own hallway session! If you attend a session and it isn't fitting your needs, you can leave with no harm done! The power of choice is astounding. One of the reasons that MMOG games are so popular is because the player has power over their destiny and control of their timeline. The player is trusted to make their own decisions about where they take their character. Teachers are trusted in an Edcamp to create powerful converstations and meaningful learning. Guys, I haven't been to an Edcamp yet that hasn't rocked my world with amazing teacher leadership and collaboration. I think these MMOG developers are really on to something! Really what it all comes down to is creating culture of togetherness and empowerment. Both MMOG's and Edcamps leave players with a sense of team as well as a feeling of power over the destiny of that team. It makes me ask why we don't have more of these types of structures in our classrooms. If allowing choice and social interaction works to engage and motivate people, why do some of us do the complete opposite every day? It requires work, and you will probably be uncomfortable at first, but it is about what is best for kiddos, not what is easiest for us! I know that I want my students to feel the same excitement I feel every time I leave an Edcamp when they leave my classroom each day. So, let's level up and make it happen people!
Instead of my traditional cheat codes, I want to leave you with some upcoming Edcamps you may want to attend! Mizzou Edcamp-October 15th in Columbia Missouri EdcampDallas-October 15th In Dallas Texas Edcamp Honolulu-October 22nd In Honolulu Haiwaii-(Becase Why not??) Edcamp Colorado Springs- October 29th in Colorado Springs EdcampKC-November 5th in Kansas City Missouri Edcamp SAGU-February 4th-Waxahachie Texas-(My parents live here!!) EdcampSTL-February 11th in Saint Louis Missouri Find an Edcamp close to you and #levelup! Typically when I write a post, I begin my thinking about how something that is currently on my mind in education relates to a specific arcade or video game. If you are a fan of those posts, don't fret because there will be many more, but I want to switch gears for this post. I am changing my character if you will. Think less Master chief, take charge kind of person, and more of a Cortana, the AI who sees all and guides progress. I don't know if I have mentioned before, but I work in four pretty amazing buildings. One of the best parts about my new position teaching the gifted program this year is that I get to be in 4 out the 5 buildings in my school district! I have the opportunity to witness the amazing things that teachers are doing on a much wider scale then most of the people who work in Excelsior Springs. So, because of the AI, see all, nature of my job locations, I want to share some of the amazing progress I have witness so far this year, and in the true spirit of an AI like Cortana (Halo video game franchise btw) hopefully guide some readers to these amazing educators as well! The pictures you see above are from the Middle school in Excelsior Springs. Now, when I first took this new position I knew it would mean teaching at the Middle school two days a week. I had only ever been at the elementary school level, so that was extremely intimidating for me. If I am speaking in game references, we are talking World 8 Super Mario sketchy! You guys I am so happy I have had the chance to experience this new building so far! We all know that middle school age kiddos are tough. They are the most emotional and complex characters of the game, but I have come to realize how surprisingly pleasant they are. The culture that the teachers and student leaders are working to build at our middle school is truly inspirational. The teachers are willing to try new instructional techniques and dabble with technology. They have welcomed me as a new teacher into the mix, and I am so thankful for their open arms. If your current school doesn't believe that culture matters, they are mistaken! I encourage everyone to follow #ESMSbestyearever on twitter as it blows up daily with the amazing things happening in this building. Students and teachers are leveling up and gaining valuable XP daily to make a lasting mark on each other. I was familiar with working in an Elementary school, and spend most of my time at Lewis Elementary where I have worked for the past 4 years. I didn't anticipate feeling much change when it came to my 3 elementary days. I was wrong! It was a whole new world. Being removed from the regular ed classroom as truly made me appreciate how amazing those teachers are! With the overwhelming amount of assessments, underwhelming amount of time, piles of standards, grades and behaviors; it is amazing teachers even exist anymore. Teacher are amazing people! I am talking the highest level character in the game. Despite seeing these struggles I have been able to witness teachers pushing to gain XP and level up daily at the elementary level. It blows my mind that through each challenge, they continue to complete levels and progress threw this game we call a school year. They do it because they care. That really is all there is to it. They love to teach, they want to help kids. It isn't a complicated plot line. It is the simplest side scrolling game around. Teachers want to help kids and in Excelsior Springs we truly have the high level gamers around!
Instead of cheat codes this post, I want to suggest some amazing Excelsior Springs educators to follow on twitter! @valstaponski @MS_ESSD40 @AllenDanielle91 @DebbieGatrel @MrsDuddyESMS @Kbiebighauser @96lsteffens @teacherharris @jennlyn_h If you have read anything about me, then you know that this year I am starting a new teaching position in my school district. I am embarking on the journey of teaching our gifted program, which we call Bright Ideas. So, if I say the words Bright Ideas I am referring to the program, not necessarily my superior ideas. Let me give you a little background information on Bright Ideas. Bright Ideas is our gifted/talented program for students in the district. Currently, I will be servicing kindergarten through 8th grade students. Each student attends Bright Ideas for one entire day of the week. You might be thinking at this point "Holy Moly, you are going to be teaching five through 14 year old kiddos"! Or maybe your thoughts are a little like, "How can you plan for 5 different days a week?" I have asked myself a lot of those same questions when preparing myself to take over teaching this program. Now the amazing thing about this teaching this program is the amount of freedom I have to explore with my students, but sometimes with freedom comes difficulty. I don't have a curriculum to follow. I don't have a team of teachers to plan with. I don't have common assessments or standards or rubrics from which to gather ideas. This can make it a little scary and disjointed to undertake. As I have been planning and reflecting on how I am going to tackle this year, I started to think a lot about track and field. I don't mean the physical, actual high school sport of track and field, I am talking about the 1983 Konami arcade version. Naturally with the Olympics currently in full swing, I couldn't help but connect my thoughts to this Olympic themed masterpiece. First, let me give you a little background information on the arcade game if you are not familiar. As I stated above, Track and Field was released by Konami in 1983 as an Olympic themed game. As a player you have an overwhelming three buttons to choose from when competing in six different events. The player can choose from two run buttons and one jump button. The events your athlete must progress through in order to complete the game are: 100 meter dash, long jump, javelin, 110 meter hurdles, hammer throw, and the ever tricky high jump. In each event there is a qualifying time one must reach in order to move forward to the next event. The goal is to accomplish qualifying scores in all six events with the highest score at the end. Seems fairly simple right, and probably not at all related to education. Keep reading and I promise it will come together! When I think about how Konami's Track and Field relates to my new journey as the Bright Ideas teacher, I immediately consider the six different events in the game. I will be working with eight different grade levels of students, and each of those grade levels is going to come with its own challenges and strengths. Some groups may excel in one area, while others struggle with it. Certain skills like teamwork, communication and collaboration might be more difficult for some ages than for others. Each day and each new group of students is like a new event for me. When you are playing track and field you start with the 100 meter dash. This race requires you to only use your two run buttons, which you must hit back and forth as fast as possible. Upon qualifying in the 100 meter dash, your player immediately moves onto the long jump, which now requires running as well as the addition of a well timed hit of the jump button. As a player, you may excel when it comes to mashing your two run buttons, but timing the jump button is a struggle. Will you just quit on the second event because it is different? Nope! You will adapt your strategies, you will practice your timing, and create a new approach! In my Bright Ideas classes, I might have to take a new approach each day, but my goals will remain the same, just like it each event, to qualify!
How can this apply to regular classroom teachers? Sure, for a secondary education teacher this seems to fit easily. Each class is different and your strategy needs to change in order to adapt to the dynamics of that class, but what about elementary teachers. Their class stays the same for the entire year! I can tell you, I taught elementary and no two days were ever the same, and really they shouldn't be. In an elementary classroom you might compete in six different events in one day. One of your students might be a high hurdle master while the rest are more of the high jump type. You'll find that you need to use all three buttons in multiple combinations each and every day. Trying the same strategy over and over for different events won't work, just like trying the same strategies for different kiddos over and over won't work. If you want your students to qualify, and I know that we all do, it is time to mix it up and level up our teaching strategies. Try a new approach and throw the buttons out the window. Run outside the lanes and design new tools to jump higher over the bar! I challenge you to level up your approach this year in order to meet the needs of all our little Olympians as they embark on quite the marathon this year! Cheat Codes: EDKRADA-Each New Kiddo Requires A Different Approach LUYSFAGM- Level Up Your Strategies For A Gold Medal ESDTBOTP- Every Student Deserves To Be On The Podium DBATROTL- Don't Be Afraid To Run Outside The Lanes I went on an adventure two weeks ago! An adventure that took me to the countries of Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Ireland and France. An adventure that broadened my view of the world and taught me lessons about people. An adventure that leveled up my life and one that I can't wait to bring to my students this year. I gained invaluable XP that will allow me to expand the worlds of my students beyond their classrooms, neighborhoods and cities. What would a trip around the world be if i didn't use its lessons to help level up the lives of my students? I want to talk about how the experiences I had halfway around the world can translate into ways to take risks in your classroom, connect your students to the world, and be daring as an educator! Also, throughout this post please forgive the abundance of pictures. They are too beautiful not to share and I promise they will help you understand how to level up. That right there above is the Domturm in Frankfurt, Germany. Basically its the tallest church around, 368 steps to the top to be exact. I know this because I climbed the 368 steps to the top. Now, this may not seem the like the biggest risk to some, but let me explain. From the bottom, before beginning the climb, there are a lot of questions that go through your head. How tired is this going to make me? What if it sways at the top with the wind? After climbing 368 stairs, will it really be worth it? It is hard to put yourself into a situation where the end goal is unknown. I didn't know how long it would take to climb these stairs. I didn't know the condition of the stairs or what it would be like at the top, but I took the risk anyway. It is like the beginning of the school year for teachers. You don't where the year is going to take you. You are not sure how the conditions in your classroom will be or what the view will look like at the end, but it shouldn't stop you from taking the risks throughout the year. If you don't, you may never get a view like this. I had the privilege of meeting many amazing people while traveling in Europe. I'll admit I was nervous about meeting people. Would they speak English? Would they be accepting to an American who couldn't speak more than 20 words in their language? Would they make an effort to get to know me? I was blown away by the acceptance, welcoming and grace these now new friends of mine showed towards me during my visit. They taught me new words. They introduced me to new foods. They brought me to castles and told me about history. These connections I have forged will forever change my life and my view of the world. It also helped me to realize how important these types of connections are for my students. Think about the things our kiddos will miss out on if they don't have the opportunity to connect with people around the world. We must work to provide these opportunities for students, and then teach them how to seek out connections themselves. I realized during this trip how much I don't know about the world. There are so many things that I am not capable of teaching my students because I am not the keeper of all knowledge. By teaching them how to connect globally we are opening up infinite doors of information. Finally, Europe taught me to be daring. During my visit I had the joy of exploring of number of castles. This was a highlight for me, since there are no castles in the states and I love the historical importance of them.. The knights and lords and kings that built these castles were the epitome of daring. The looked for the tallest hills with the best views. They built the largest and strongest structures around. They were daring. These castles were built to be the best, to impressive and withstand anything. Why don't we teach and learn like that? Encourage students to find their tallest hill and build their tallest tower! Let them know it is okay to be strong and encourage them to be daring in all that they do. They are the kings and knights of our schools and we should empower them to build castles.
Cheat Codes: CTTT-Climb The Tallest Towers TRABD-Take Risks And Be Daring CGCFYS-Create Global Connections For Your Students |
AuthorGreetings Readers! My name is Taylor Arehart and I am a 6th year Educator in Excelsior Springs, MO. I have taught 3rd, 4th and gifted and talented, but now I am beginning a new adventure as an Instructional Coach. I have a huge passion for transforming education and giving students the 21st century skills they need to rock the world. I am writing about my journey of leveling up! Leveling up means to constantly look for ways to improve in teaching, learning and living. This means in the classroom with my students as well as in other areas of my life. I hope you enjoy reading about my journey (and my students' journeys) to reach our highest levels and rattle the stars! Archives
October 2017
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