"We Have to Get Kids Back in the Schools" - Wrong! (PART ONE)

I don't know of a single person who doesn't want schools open - not teachers, not students, not parents, not elected officials, not medical and science experts, not the community. 

But just saying kids have to be back in school is not helpful and not a plan. Any type of return to school with the pandemic still raging involves a level of risk and requires changes to what we envision when we hear "back to school." That means we have to face the reality that "getting kids back into the schools" is not what our goal is. What we do need is plan for how we can educate all our children during this current crisis, with or without using our schools. 

Instead of saying that we have to get kids back in the schools, try saying this:

How can we redesign education during a dangerous pandemic so we can meet high safety standards, support the social/emotional needs of adults and children, and provide the best learning experience possible in a time of crisis?

Here's what we are looking at for many of our in-person classroom experiences at the elementary level:

• Less than full classes to meet safety guidelines - with some kids possibly connecting remotely and/or with kids coming to school every day or on alternate days. 
• Coordination of in-person along with the remote learners, which could look different on different days and throughout the year based on the degree of illness in the community.
• Distance - should be 6 feet but I am seeing some say 3 feet (makes me very nervous).
• Masks (hopefully masks and not just face shields) for part or all of the day.
• All students facing the same direction. No face-to-face interactions.
• No small group work (unless you can do it via computers as kids sit at their desks).
• No or limited hands-on experiences.
• No shared equipment. This could significantly impact science, math, art, music, and physical education experiences.
• More time devoted to hand washing, desk cleaning, mask breaks. Wash hands when you arrive and before and after eating (so that's lunch and snack). Do this while maintaining distance among all students and adults.
• Time outdoors (weather permitting) to stretch and this can also be a mask break - make sure kids stay apart though.
• Recess: keep distance, no shared equipment.
• Lunch - I have no idea - probably in the classrooms and not the cafeteria - at a distance, facing the same way, so no face-to-face socializing. Let's face it, how do you even socialize while eating all facing the same way at a distance of 3 feet or more?
• Transportation:  Buses with fewer kids each trip - so we might need two rounds through the community to get everyone? Will that mean a later start to the day? Longer time getting home?  I'm not sure. Maybe more kids will walk or get picked up. The transportation issue alone keeps me up at night, and I can only image how those who have to plan it out must be feeling!
• Possibility of no assemblies, live guest presenters or volunteers, field trips, few or no before/after and recess clubs simply because they won't meet safety guidelines.
• Increase in absences - adults and students. Plan for needing more substitute teachers. Plan to support students who might be sick or quarantined for long periods of time.
• Increased use of computers. Prepare for technical difficulties, fatigue, distractions.
• Challenges in hearing the teacher and students who are speaking through a mask. Challenges in reading facial cues. How does this impact those tuning in from home?
• Passing out papers - probably not. Convert to a paperless classroom if you don't already have this.
• Schools without air conditioning will likely need to start with virtual learning. There will be so many who fall ill if they are in a 90+ degree room with a mask on for hours. I know from experience in unconditioned classrooms how unproductive this can be, and that was without wearing a mask. 
• Less time devoted to curriculum. Plan for transitions to take longer and for the time it will take for a full class hand washing and room cleaning throughout the day. Plan for more review, troubleshooting, safety reminders, breaks. Many modifications will need to be made to adhere to safety guidelines which will limit some experiences.
• For many rooms, only desks and chairs will fit. Any flexible seating, comfy furniture, small group table, etc. will need to be removed; otherwise, the distancing won't work.

So when I hear some saying we have to get kids back to school, is this what they mean? Because this is what it will be. We need to be realistic if we are going to try to make this work. So back to my question:

How can we redesign education during a dangerous pandemic so we can meet high safety standards, support the social/emotional needs of adults and children, and provide the best learning experience possible in a time of crisis?

We need to work together to figure out if there IS an answer. Can we find tools, resources, strategies that will support in-person learning with current conditions? If the environment we are putting our children into is a terrible, stressful, dangerous, boring, learning environment, and we have no idea how to make it better, then we need a new plan. The last thing we want to do is make things worse. We aren't only thinking about the education of our children now, we are potentially going to have an impact on the physical and mental health of our school communities and their families. So if what we are offering for in-person learning is terrible, can we really say it is worth the risk? Do we really HAVE to get kids back into the schools if we can't ensure a good education and a safe and welcoming space for all?  

Continuing to think of in-person learning, can you fill in either of these answers to my question?

Yes, we can redesign education during a dangerous pandemic so we can meet high safety standards, support the social/emotional needs of adults and children, and provide the best learning experience possible in a time of crisis, and here is how we can do it.... 

After brainstorming and considering all possibilities, no, we can't redesign education during a dangerous pandemic so we can meet high safety standards, support the social/emotional needs of adults and children, and provide the best learning experience possible in a time of crisis and so we need to...

I don't have all the answers, but I do know we need to face this before we move forward. I have been discussing possibilities with colleagues, reading all I can from our health and science experts, trying not to follow toxic dialogue on social media, and doing all I can to help prevent the spread of the virus.

If we cannot plan an in-person scenario worth risking our health for, we need to spend the weeks we have left before school starts putting all our effort into designing a virtual experience that will answer the question I pose.

In my district, we have an amazing community, staff, administration, school board, and families. We have a lot of really, really smart people who have proven in the past that we can work together to do what is best for our community, and especially for our children. We are not all going to agree on what the best options are, but, if we commit to sticking with it, stay honest with our reality, agree to being respectful in our words and actions, and open our minds to some creative changes in how, what, and where children learn, we will surely find a plan that keeps us safe and inspires our children to learn and grow.

In "We Have to Get Kids Back in the Schools" - Wrong! PART TWO I will share some ideas I have for how to create meaningful learning experiences for students during the upcoming school year that will also bring us closer to a modern learning environment even after the pandemic has passed. (coming soon)

Educon 2017 Session - Mental Health: Finding Help, Getting Help

Educon 2.9 takes place January 27-29 at the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia, PA. On Saturday, January 28, from 1-2:30 pm, in Room 209, I'll be leading a conversation about Mental Health, with a focus on mental health and mental illness as it relates to our school communities. The goal is to help each other become better informed, to share resources, and to simply provide a supportive environment for those who want to discuss this sensitive topic. Throughout the session, we will use a shared document to post notes and resources. Finally, participants will discuss some "next steps" that can be taken to help support mental health in our communities.

There will be a brief intro (statistics, short video clip, share-out) and then participants will join in small group discussions about challenging issues related to mental health, including discussions of how schools can support students, families, and colleagues with mental health needs. Here are some of the proposed questions. Keep in mind the conversation will be flexible to take into account participants' needs and expertise. 

1. Are our learning communities designed to promote mental health for all?
2. Do we know how to identify signs of mental illness? 
3. Do we know where to go to find help for those in need? Do schools have supports in place to help children and adults who are part of our communities?
4. Are schools responsible for reaching out to families or helping family members? 
5. Are we keeping an eye on our colleagues? Is self-help possible?
6. What are some next steps for our communities?

Consider attending Educon this year. It's a great opportunity to "recharge" during the winter months. If you are attending, I hope to see you at the Mental Health session. 

Take care!
~Maryann

Great Questions from Summer STEM Academy Participants

 

This has been my fourth summer facilitating technology-focused summer programs in our district. Sessions have included Photojournalism, Movie-Making, a Technology Academy, and, for the last two years, our STEM Academy. As technology and interests have changed, we have adjusted our program, and this summer we doubled the number of kids, grads 3-8, who participated. With each program, I've noticed that the children have great questions that help guide the program. Aside from questions about how to use materials and resources, here are some other questions that show kids are thinking...

1.  So now that I know what this does, what else can I do with this? This question is a great conversation starter. I usually give some examples, but I also ask lots of questions. I might ask, "What do you want to do with it?"  or "Is there something that you have in mind?" or I might say, "Tell me some of your interests and let's see if we can connect to ... ."

2.  How much does this cost? Kids, as it turns out, are not willing to spend a lot of money on gadgets, tools, etc. They might want to purchase an item they are using in our program, but they will not consider spending a lot of money if they don't think the item is worth it, even if they really like the item. They think about cost, asking parents, splitting the cost with a sibling, what else they are saving for, and upcoming holidays and birthday. These are not kids who just "want everything."

3.  What can I keep?  While the kids don't want everything, they do want something. We work on projects involving such materials as K'Nex and electronics. Some projects the children can take home, but others they have to disassemble and return to me. The children are obviously proud of their work and are slightly disappointed when they can't take home a project that they've spent several days working on. This is once again a great opportunity to have conversations that help these young children understand the materials they are using and the system within which they are working. It has allowed us to come up with solutions, such as taking photographs and video they CAN take with them. They've learned about how our district or an individual acquires materials and works within a budget. They've learned to document their work and how to post to a web site, and they've learned how to share materials and to care for materials that are used by others. When they work in pairs or groups, they don't need adult intervention to figure out what to do with finished projects. From youngest to oldest, the children learn to compromise in a most impressive manner. Their methods of deciding who gets what are very creative!

Understanding HOW to use STEM materials and resources and developing related skills is obviously a key component of our program. We do, however, want to help the children grow as leaders, which means encouraging discussions related to the above questions and others like them. We want the children to understand WHAT the materials are and to be able to make wise choices as consumers. We want them to think beyond our introductory lessons and to be able to test new ideas. We want them to ask us questions and to consider ideas that we might not have considered before and to be partners in this fantastic learning environment. Let's keep the questions coming!

Bored? How?

This winter has been brutal.  We've had several snow days and some late openings and an early dismissal due to the weather.  But no matter where you are, there's lots of learning to be done.  Parents and children should celebrate the time they have together because there is so much they can do! Learning doesn't just take place at school, and learning can be, or should be, FUN!!

Here's what I did today.  If you have some extra time with your children, look at it as an opportunity to do something different.  And if your power is out and you can't use the computer...well, be creative!!

1.  Art Lessons:  I spent some time laughing and making a cat.  There are more lessons, so bring on the snow!  I can't wait to share this with my school kids. This is a drawing course for kids pre-k to third grade, but it was just right for me.   Check out illustrator Will Terry as he helps us all learn how to draw.  http://www.youtube.com/user/willterryart#grid/user/0455BA1360AC306D

2.  Make puzzles.  I made some cryptograms to share with my class.  I bet your kids will love these.  Or, better yet, have them make puzzles for YOU to solve.  You can trade.  http://www.discoveryeducation.com/free-puzzlemaker/?CFID=4876881&CFTOKEN=30792682

3.  What?  You're not following the Iditarod?  It starts in about a month, so get moving.  I spent a lot of time revising my lessons and preparing for our annual Iditarod Banquet. The Iditarod site has tons of suggestions for how to use the Iditarod to teach children, and there are even blogging dogs.   Lots to do, lots to do!  http://www.iditarod.com/

4.  Do you want to learn how to make comics with kids?  The National Association of Comics Art Educators can help.  http://www.teachingcomics.org/

5.  And if you think you have it bad stuck in the house for a day or two, visit this Alert Map site.  It shows every type of disaster imaginable happening in the world now.  Then count your blessings.  http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/index2.php

Parties and Plans: Then and Now

Here I am, at home, with my sick child. I had to leave school at noon to take care of my daughter after receiving a call from the nurse at her school telling me my daughter was sick.

When I was in 2nd grade, here are the directions that probably would have been left for my teacher's substitute had she left early that day:

1. Make sure everyone stays in his or her own desk.
2. Ask two students to give out the treats (If suggestions were given of "good students," I would have been listed of course!!)
3. Give out the Halloween worksheet. Students should complete it by themselves.
4. Sing Halloween song.
5. Have two students clean up the trash.
6. Have two students sweep the floor.
7. Have two students clap the erasers.
8. Have students pack up.

And here are some of the directions I left:

1. Here is how you log into the Mac. It is the same way as you log into a pc.....
2. Here is where you access the on/off to the projector (it's in a box).
3. Do you know how to orient the Smartboard (yes, good). If you have trouble, see the teacher next door.
   
4. Here is the link to the web site, etc. (provided directions to get to a Halloween spelling game to play on the Smartboard).
5. Here is a pile of books my student helpers and I collected in case you need them to read.
6. On the children's desks are science papers. They need to observe the toothpaste and water to see what it looks like after sitting overnight.
7. The children can have some independent reading time if there's time. They love that. Or, they can write in their journals. They were learning about "sound words" and alliteration by watching two short videos and creating a podcast yesterday so they might want to use those styles in their writing today.
8. Parents are coming at 1:30 to help the children dress. Some parents will stay in the classroom to help set up for the party (food and craft) and others will come on the parade around town.
9. I have partnered the children for the parade so they keep an eye on each other. I used the digital photo magnets of the children posted on the chalkboard to show you who the partners are.
10. Here is my cell phone number in case you have any questions.
11. Make sure to lock up the Mac and cord in the closet when you are finished.

Whew! No wonder we are tired at the end of the day - even if we aren't there!!!

Classroom Culture

As all teachers know, every year you have a different group of children and a different feel to the classroom. There are different people, of course, in your environment, and that makes all the difference. You are teaching similar content, the classroom itself is somewhat the same, you probably have many of the same books, desks, learning materials, standards to achieve, and a similar schedule to adhere to. But, luckily, we get to do our job differently every year. That is one of the exciting things about teaching - even if you teach the same grade year after year.

As the "leader" of the group, a teacher does have some say (at least we try) in the development of the culture of the classroom. This year I have been observing some of the very interesting developments in the culture of my second grade classroom that I find fascinating because the children are creating some of this culture themselves by making the most of the structures that have been set up in this particular learning environment. Here are two examples:

A few weeks ago a child brought in a rock from home. During the busy morning as the children were arriving, the child showed me the rock. I commented on the rock as I was getting the day organized. He asked me if he should put it on the display table. I quickly said yes as I attended to the other children. After a few minutes (processing, processing), I stopped and thought, "Do we have a display table?" I then realized that on the first day of school a child brought in some things from her summer vacation. We put them on a metal stand that I use to store science materials. Without my paying much attention to it, the stand gradually became a display table for all kinds of interesting items the children wanted to share with the class: books, toys, rocks, shells, awards, Halloween decorations. Sometimes I don't know who put the items there - they just "appear" there. And that seems to satisfy the need of the children to share their things without having them become a distraction. And, the other children respect the items and leave them alone.

This is the first year our four Macbooks available at the very beginning of the year for the students to use in the classroom. The children are already becoming comfortable using the computers and will even ask for "my mac" when they have some work to do. But it still surprised me when I was talking with another teacher as the children came into the classroom after lunch and I heard the "ding" of the macs as they were being turned on. I found it surprising, and amusing, that the children were so comfortable with themselves as learners and tech. users that they would get right to work after lunch without waiting for me to give them any directions (I did actually have a math lesson planned by the way...). You have to remember, these are only second graders! They aren't fooling around - they want to get their work done. And this is THEIR work - not my assignment for them to complete.

With guidance and trust, modeling and support, even the youngest children will embrace learning and leading in their classroom. Keep an eye on them...they're fascinating. And they won't wait for you either!!

I Triple Dog Dare You - And Other Exciting Playground Rules

Everyone knows that if you are "triple-dog dared" you just have to do it, right? We all know you can spray yourself or draw a force field to keep the "cooties" off too. When I was in elementary school, we had the "Naked Machine." If you stood on a certain vent and someone pushed a button, then you were naked, no questions asked, and it didn't matter that you still had all your clothes on either - you were naked. About 15 years later I was visiting my parents and walked through the school playground during recess, and, sure enough, someone was on that vent and the "Naked Machine" was still in operation!! I couldn't believe it. Are these really logical and sound rules and procedures for your playground? Of course not!

We do have lots of rules, though, to make play-time fun, safe, and fair for everyone. We help the children understand the rules and what to do if they are having trouble. We help the children when the problems are beyond what they can handle themselves. We work with the whole class and with individuals. We use stories and role playing to help the children understand empathy, fairness, cooperation, etc. So why is it, then, that year after year, we continue to address the same problems, sometimes problems that continue to pop back up throughout a school year? And sometimes the problems continue year after year throughout the grade levels.

During the July 2009 Constructing Modern Knowledge I was fortunate to be able to interact with educator Deborah Meier. She gave us some suggested resources ("Write this down," she would say...so I did.) One of the educators she spoke about was Vivian Gussin Paley, and she suggested we read her book You Can't Say You Can't Play. It took me about two days to read - it's a quick read.

You really have to read the book to appreciate the discussions and debates Paley and her kindergarteners and the children from grades 1-5 had regarding the rule "you can't say you can't play." They wondered--Is this a fair rule and would it work?

So, do you think this is a fair rule, and do you think this would work in your classroom or school? Would you like this rule applied to you, either as an adult or thinking of yourself as an elementary school student? Remember, that would mean that you couldn't tell anyone they couldn't play with you, and no one could tell you that you couldn't play with them (or anyone else).

If you think about it quickly, it sounds great - everybody gets to play. But then you have to consider all the "what ifs" that will certainly occur in a social arena. What if someone is mean to me? What if I only want to play with my best friend? What if the teams are too big? What if the boys only want to play with boys and the girls only with girls?

But also consider: What if one child is always excluded, day after day, year after year? What if there is always one child who decides who plays and who doesn't - one day you're "in" and the next day you're "out"? What if someone wants to play with your best friend and your best friend wants to play with someone else but doesn't want to hurt your feelings.

I'm not sure if this rule is fair or if it would work in my second grade classroom. I do know that for the last nine years of teaching, it is certain that there are problems that occur at recess and free play times because the children exclude some, create cliques (even at this young age), test their social powers, and still need help learning how to join in with a group. As Vivian Gussin Paley suggests, a public school is a public place. If you want to play exclusively with your close friends, you can arrange to connect outside of the school day. But school is not the place for exclusion.

What do you think...I'm still deciding...I wonder what my students think...I'm going to ask them...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/foundphotoslj/ / CC BY 2.0

Constructing Modern Knowledge 2009 - Show and Tell Is Not Just for Kindergarten

If I told you that as a teacher you would have to plan and execute a one-week circus camp and at the end of the week your students would have to understand the science content and perform in their own one-hour circus you would think..., BUT...

...If I showed you the letters written in the style of “camper to family” explaining the science content and you viewed a video of the amazing circus performance that had been prepared in five days, then you would think??

If I told you to use an annual Alaskan dog sled race (Iditarod) to teach probability instead of the usual math p. 103, you would think..., BUT...

...If I showed you my notes with the dialogue of the children’s discussions about who is most likely to win the race with their detailed theories why and then also showed you the links to social studies (including geography, current events, history, economics), science, art, music, graphing, languages arts, etc., then you would think??

Out of Constructing Modern Knowledge I came away with a number of things to think about. Two of them - good PR and documenting learning, to me, seem to go together.

Have you ever been to the Apple Store? It’s a great place to play. It’s a great place to watch good marketing too. There’s lots of good showin’ and tellin’ (and buyin’) taking place! And the showing part is a very important part of the process.

Sylvia Martinez of GenYES shared a clip of a student teaching others in his school how to use GarageBand to create podcasts. He was actually inspired by his trip to the Apple Store in New York. He wanted to be like those he saw in the store showing others how to use the tools, how to get excited about learning and digital media!

Schools can do that too! Many of the schools already have the equipment: the cameras, video recorders, computers, software, web 2.0 tools, the know-how (and if you don't, ask your students!!) We need two more things. We need to know that it really is OK to show off the great things that are happening in our schools - the great things that the staff is doing and the great things the students are doing. And we need to make that part of our job description and the culture of our communities.


Deborah Meier expressed it well when she said that schools do a terrible job of marketing ourselves as we compete with the toy markets, electronic markets, sports market, food market, for the attention of our children. We need to do a better job of "Show and Tell." And by the way, didn't we invent the game in the first place!!

We need to counter the bad press that drags down morale. Do you want your own children to go to an ordinary or worse school or an award-winning (perhaps), unbelievably exciting and engaging special learning environment? Here is where the craft of documenting comes in. Of course, we don't want to engage in deceptive advertising or seem like we are enticing children or families to "buy" a poor product. We don't want to hand children a script and tell them to say what we want others to hear either. We want to tell the truth - so make it the truth! We want children to do what they are going to do anyway and say what they are going to say, just make sure we, or they, document it. When it REALLY isn't good, that's when we have a problem.



Lella Gandini spoke of the early childhood schools of Reggio Emilia and how their approach to teaching has influenced education across the world, including in the United States. One of the important practices of educators in Reggio Emilia schools is to document learning, for example, with writings and photographs and with the children's own work. She commented that one of the reasons that the Reggio Emilia approach to education has been successful is because the schools have been so dedicated to the process of documenting the learning that takes place in their schools. The documentation tells the stories of the successes and stands as proof of learning. Their documentation is certainly different than a list of test scores, I would say. The documentation is not taken for the purpose of "good PR" but does the job nevertheless. Learning to observe and collect quality documentation is a skill that is crucial to the learning process but that can also serve to "show off" our schools.

So, upon reflection, Constructing Modern Knowledge was about many things. But, I have to say there was a lot of "Show and Tell" taking place throughout the week. Lots of great educators showing us how to do things, lots of participants showing what we learned. Lots of great educators telling us some amazing, engaging, thought-provoking stories and asking some questions that don't necessarily have answers but will require us to continue the " showing and telling" with our colleagues back home.

Pass it on...We're doing Show and Tell next year...all grades, all ages...

Outside the NECC Walls

So, after all my reflections on NECC, I have to say that my favorite part was the people-watching. During the keynotes, sessions, the volunteers, outside the conventions center, at the receptions, the vendors--there was so much going on! And surrounding the many aspects of this conference, a city was bustling with workers, vacationers, families, etc.

I think I saw it suggested somewhere - that we have a "conference without walls." And we are definitely at a time when all of our sessions do not have to take place in rooms in the same building. We can be "out and about" the cities where we are having the conference doing some great hands-on learning and discussions.

One of my favorite parts of my NECC-plus-vacation was the Fourth of July parade. Instead of watching the parade, I found myself watching the spectators. With the countless phone, photo, and video gadgets, the people--children, adults, seniors--were involved in the parade in more ways than just as viewers. There were flags being waved, but more often than flags, I saw cameras and cell phones flying high above the crowds trying to get a great photo. Here's where our learners are. Here's where our educators should be. Here's where the collaboration, sharing, and learning by doing are taking place. They've got the tools and we can facilitate the learning - taking it to the next level - outside where things are happening...

BubbleShare: Share photos - Easy Photo Sharing

That's Sooo 20th Century!

Our young students are ready and eager to learn and use the skills that have been recognized as crucial skills for the 21st Century, including problem solving, creativity, collaboration, as well as the development of their technology skills. I have found that if you have high expectations and give young children a chance to take on a challenge, they will step up to the task. Of course, they need adult support, review, repetition, and a learning environment where they feel comfortable taking risks.

While I continue to be amazed at the fantastic projects my second graders can tackle, I have also noticed that there are some basic skills, both academic and life, that cannot be ignored as we zoom through our days. They are skills that have been around for quite a while, and I don't think they will be going away soon. So, while we are teaching our young children the new 21st Century Skills, let's not forget to check on some other areas. Here are three:

1. Shoe-tying 101: Every year in second grade there's maybe two or so children who still need to learn to tie shoes. But some classes can have as many as eight or nine! As a second grade teacher, my policy is, "I don't tie second grade shoes," and I make sure they find a friend to help them. (I do it in a kind way.) I try to give deadlines (by Halloween, for example), encourage the children to support one another, and celebrate as they reach their goal (I have a certificate). It is very exciting to see the children's pride as they show me what they can do, but they really need to have this skill mastered before they come to second grade. Unless there is a child with special needs, they should be able to master this task before second grade, but they are going to need to practice at home, so I think I am going to make shoe tying part of my Back-to-School Night conversation with parents this year. It is a MUST that children become independent in terms of taking care of themselves and their basic needs, and part of that is being able to tie shoes. A funny story is that one time I told a little boy he needed to learn how to tie his shoes so when he was a daddy he could teach his children to tie their shoes. His reply, "No, I don't. I will get them velcro shoes." Smarty-pants!! (Click here for an interesting shoe tying discussion.)

2. Snacking vs. Grazing: We have snack time in our classroom. The children are encouraged to bring in healthy snacks, and we discuss what is healthy and what is not healthy. I am very impressed by many of the snacks I see the children eating, such as fruit, cut-up vegetables, cheese. Of course, not everyone chooses healthy snacks, and some children will bring in MANY snacks (a buffet perhaps). I have noticed over the last two years that the children have taken to bringing in snacks and storing them in their desks. They take them out at snack time (we eat while working) but then snack time seems to continue for the rest of the day. That turns a snack time into "grazing" - simply munching at will. Since I am working with the children all day, I feel that I must catch behaviors before they become bad habits. I have had to set limits with eating and explain why it is not good to eat snacks all day, even if they are available. I try to find ways to include the topic of healthy eating in our math, science, and social studies discussions. My favorite thing to do is to show the children (and adults if they are in the room) during a math lesson what a serving of ice cream is. (It is 1/2 cup if you are wondering.) It is a shocking demonstration!!

3. Clean Up Your Mess: Oh, yes. Whatever century it is, if you make a mess, you clean it up. If you see a mess, you can help clean it up. And taking ownership of your classroom is just as important as math, reading, and technology skills. This lesson does need to be taught to most of my second graders. But, those little ones just LOVE cleaning. Give them a baby wipe and they are good to go!!

If you really think about it, these basics skills are really tied into the important 21st Century Skills that are everywhere these days (It is responsibility, collaboration, problem solving.) We cannot skip over these essential learning moments, even if they are "old news."

EraserTown USA

Welcome to EraserTown USA - The New Primary Classroom Blog! Here is a place to discuss and share the many ways to promote creativity in the primary classroom--whether it is by using technology in a developmentally appropriate way, designing long-term projects as a way of integrating the curriculum, integrating the arts into other subject areas, or any other way your imagination allows.

If you teach in a primary-level classroom, you might have experienced the EraserTown phenomenon yourself. Now that it is summer, EraserTown is funny--not so much when you are trying to teach a math lesson. Let me explain...

My second graders have desks. They sometimes sit at their desks. I sometimes try to teach a lesson while they are at their desks. They don't like that. So, they find ways of amusing themselves while I am "doing my thing." Sometimes the children will read a book, sometimes they chat, sometimes they gaze out the window, sometimes they go ahead in their math workbook. I have taken to observing this behavior and following up on what is really happening and not just correcting the children who seem to be not paying attention to the lesson. Often times, they know exactly what is going on with the lesson. Good for them, they are learning to multitask!? And at such a young age!! This year's class was exceptionally creative. There were a handful of children who collected small erasers. During desk lessons, they constructed (yes, constructed) small towns in their desks with whatever they could find, and the erasers were the people of the town. The sides of the desks had signs and pictures (via PostIt notes). They had little plastic containers (from the cafeteria) with everything from pencil shavings to small plastic bears. At the end of the day, while the children waited for their busses, the towns were still bustling with activity. While EraserTown does not match our district standards, you have to admit, it is quite clever! And as many times as I de-constructed the towns, those little builders kept building.

Luckily for me, I had many other ways of amusing my students that were academically sound as well as creative, motivating, and cooperative in nature. Even though I work with young children, I have found that they can do very "grown up" things. We were fortunate this year to have the technology tools available in our classroom to engage these creative learners in projects and lessons that would meet their needs, although not all of our projects required the use of technology. Here are some things they were able to do this year:

• Learn how to set up and use a SmartBoard


• Use MacBooks and software - right in the classroom - HOORAY


• Troubleshoot when there were problems with technology equipment (imagine 25 troubleshooters talking at once - something I had to fix)


• Use digital cameras for classroom projects and act as the "press" at school events (photos were used on our school's Web site)


• Write, direct, produce videos--one was even featured on our district's cable channel, and we even managed a mini film festival at the end of the year


• Write their own science textbooks


• Participate in webinar and videoconference events - they love the back channel (chat) feature during webinars


• Put together a circus in one week - performed for other students, staff, and family members
  

The biggest surprise for me this year was when I came back from a technology meeting with what I thought was a funny story for my class. Some of the adults at the meeting thought that second graders would not be able to use a SmartBoard. I chuckled to myself knowing that my students were not only using the SmartBoard, but they were also orienting it (a prized job) and troubleshooting (correctly) when it wasn't working. I told my class what the adults said thinking they would laugh (ha-ha they think we can't use it). Instead, my students responded with words like, "That is insulting." "That was mean." "Why do they think we are dumb?" When given the responsibility, they really do take it seriously and do their job well AND they learn some very valuable skills at a young age.

During the summer months I reflect on the past years of teaching and I make plans for how I want the next year to look. I fear that if I don't respond to the EraserTown phenomenon directly, I will be missing the chance to harness that wonderful creativity for learning and growing. And, now that I have some valuable technology available right in the classroom and know how these young children shine when they are given the chance to use these tools, I know that I will continue to develop projects that include such things as making movies, participating in interactive video conferences, and learning outside the classroom and away from those desks!

Now that I think about it, maybe we could have created EraserTown - The Movie!! Oh well, you never know what next year will bring.