Shine On!

Last Friday I was fortunate to be invited to ECET2 or Elevating and Celebrating Effective Teachers and Teaching at Kendall College in Chicago.  Created by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Friday was dedicated to connecting with teacher leaders in the Chicagoland area, celebrating the great work we all do as educators, learning from amazing keynote speakers and breakout sessions, and creating an action plan for the future.

I was inspired to start "gush writing" or writing for a set period time (like five minutes) without deleting, editing, or stopping--something hard for the language arts teacher in me who cringes at the sight of those little red squiggly lines under my text but something I highly recommend after having experienced it through my breakout session!  It's amazing how many great ideas come out of five minutes of straight thinking and writing--especially since my mind is typically running a mile a minute on a consistent basis.

I was given the opportunity to have a bit of fun and make a Bitmoji to share with the world.  Word.

I was asked why I teach--something I didn't really have to think about it because it's engrained in who I am.  I enjoyed adding my answer to the community board and seeing others' responses.  It was clear that I was surrounded by positive energy, people filled with passion, and educators who hoped to inspire our students for the future!  The enthusiasm in the room was contagious! 

And who doesn't love having a little fun in the photo booth?

But through this experience--connecting with others to learn and share, indulging in the amazing food prepared for us, and just celebrating how awesome it is to be an educator today--the one everlasting message from the day came out in that final hour of our day together.

We were asked to work with colleagues to figure out how we could fix education today.  After all, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation believes that in education, you should ask the experts--the teachers--for their valuable input.  After brainstorming and valuable discussion, it was pretty clear: mindset.  In this age of vilification of teachers, pressure to get students to perform well on tests, and teacher burnout, it's easy to get caught up in the negativity around us.  And that's exactly why we must shine on.  There are always going to be those people that are the naysayers, the ones who don't want to think outside the box or take risks, the ones who will stifle our excellence.  Sadly, we all know these people.  If we want to move forward in education, and in life, we can't let the negativity get us down.  We must keep an open mind, stay true to our calling, and let our light shine.

  

Let Go

Since I was a mere toddler, I have always been the rule follower, the Type A personality, the perfectionist.  I always knew how to "play school" well and found success fairly easily as long as I put in hard work and followed the expectations and rules set forth by my teachers and professors.  Even in my early years as a teacher, I wanted to play it safe.  Listen more than speak.  Don't make waves.  Don't ruffle feathers.  The irony is that as I get older, I've realized that the real success comes when you're willing to break the mold, color outside the lines, think outside the box, and LET GO--something that goes against everything I know and have done for decades.

Today I spent my day off of school for Columbus Day down at Belmont Harbor in Chicago at Trapeze School New York.  It's an outdoor facility that allows you to try out trapeze while soaking up sunshine and the cool Chicago air.  After practicing several positions in the air for over an hour and a half, we had the opportunity for a catch.  It's at this point one of the instructors gets up on the other bar and, if the timing and form is right, we make contact and complete the catch.  Being the Type A person I am, I was hung up on getting my knees up, timing my arms correctly, and getting my hands out in time.  Quite simply, I was overthinking it, and my instructors weren't afraid to tell me so.  On my final try, the instructor on the ground reminded me how to hold my hands and, just before I started, suggested, "Close your eyes and just let go.  Let Jason [my instructor on the bar] do the work."  Let go.  Those words are the kiss of death for a Type A, control freak such as myself.   However, the part of me craving success in this catch had grown even stronger than my need for control, so I went out there on my last try and I let go.  Letting go became the most exhilarating feeling--especially since I made the catch.

On the drive home and while floating on my post-catch, Cloud 9 bliss, I couldn't help but think about our recent Global Cardboard Challenge in the Learning Commons. Here was another experience that was all about letting go and finding success--even when you don't quite expect it.

For three days, the kids and lots and lots and lots of cardboard took over the space I work in each day.  It was creative.  It was fun.  It was messy.  As much as a younger version of me would have loved to control this experience, the wiser, more creative and confident version of me realized that letting go was the only way this challenge was going to find success.  Students ruled the space, creating whatever they wanted using all of the tools and materials available to them.  We had roller coasters and robots and Starbucks and forts and even a bed with a chandelier.  But it didn't stop there.  Even teachers were plopped down on the floor, scissors and tape in hand, creating all sorts of cool creations and getting in on the action.

As I walked around to survey all of these marvelous cardboard sculptures,  I knew we found success when students were begging for more time or begging to miss their next class.  Even the eighth graders, who I thought might struggle with buying into this experience, were smiling and giggling and having the time of the lives.  My heart sang when students from all different grade levels told me that this was the best experience they had ever had in the library and that this was their favorite place in the school.

The Global Cardboard Challenge was a magical three days in the Learning Commons, and our space was transformed into this ultra-cool and imaginative cardboard world.  (I honestly feel a small sense of sadness tomorrow since I know it's been cleaned up over the weekend.)  Could this world have existed if we came in teacher-centered, controlling, and focused on rules?  Probably not.

So in trapeze, in teaching, and in life, it's important to just let go.

Eighth graders assemble a roller coaster.

Addison the bulldog with Mrs. Brown & Mrs. Tye.

Batter up in this cardboard baseball stadium!

This robot sings and dances for all to see.

The aftermath--and this is just one small pile of many!

Maker Faire Milwaukee (9/27/15)

                                                         
As much as I hoped I would post at the start of this new school year, it just didn't happen. Adjusting to this new role has been positively amazing, but it's also been quite time-consuming in order to do it right.  As a result, the blog had to go on the back burner. That said, I just HAD to take a moment to share my experience at Maker Faire Milwaukee.  In Washington DC this past summer, I was fortunate to meet Dale Dougherty, the founder of MAKE Magazine and the creator of Maker Faires. After meeting him, subscribing to MAKE, watching middle school students giving up part of their lunch period to create in my Learning Commons makerspace, and seeing all sorts of video about Maker Faires, I knew I just had to set aside time to visit a Faire myself.  Fortunately, I live with fellow makers and tech geeks, my husband and two sons, so it wasn't hard to talk them into joining me for this excursion on Sunday.

Before I dig into what all we saw and did, it's important for you to know exactly what a Maker Faire is.  According to their site, a "Maker Faire is the Greatest Show (and Tell) on Earth—a family-friendly festival of invention, creativity and resourcefulness, and a celebration of the movement." If you ask me, it was all that and more! 

The very entrance to the Maker Faire was pretty enticing--a flying machine, an iron "Toothless" from How to Train Your Dragon, and a flame thrower.  Who doesn't like all of this crazy cool stuff in one place?  And that was just the start!  Upon entering the Faire, we were whisked into a world of joy, wonder, and interaction. This wasn't about competing to be the best; it was truly a display of individuals' and groups' wild imaginations and innovation and having the chance to get in on the action.  At times, I felt like I was walking into the workshop of Doc Brown from Back to the Future or Dick Van Dyke's character from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; it was truly that wacky, surreal, and awe-inspiring. There were robots moving around and talking to (and insulting) passing individuals, Tesla coils lighting up to "Let It Go", a small space home in the midst of renovation on display, kid rocket creation and launching, a makeshift Operation game using the MAKE robot, a cardboard city that begged for participants' additions, and even a sewing station where you could sew whatever your heart desired.  It was about arts. It was about crafts.  It was about technology.  Most importantly, it was about interacting with others, learning, creating, and having a good time.   All of us--my husband, my 9- and 11-year-old sons, and I--enjoyed four hours of exploring and learning and creating with one another.  

Thank you, Maker Faire Milwaukee, for creating an everlasting memory my family and I will never forget.  Thank you for creating a safe environment that encourages people to learn from one another, tinker, and create.  Thank you for inspiring my sons to hash out their battles with Magnatag and to build a robot from scratch with their dad and papa.  Lastly, thank you for giving me plenty of ideas to bring back to my own little makerspace at Shepard Middle School.  Now if only I could get principal approval for a Tesla coil! 

A flying machine greeted us at the entrance!

A moving digital clock

Well, hello there, Makerbot!

Very cool 3D printed objects

My son's rocket launch

Recreated robot from Lost in Space

3D printed chocolates?  Yes, please!

Fantastic whittled art

My new LED nametag!

Makerbot Operation

The heart from Operation

My son Gavin attempting to play Operation. (It was tough!)

A cardboard city

Sew to your heart's content!

Plastic cap mosaic art

Talking/moving robot

My sons with Stars Wars droids

The Tesla coil!

See the Tesla coil in action!

Learning is Noisy, Messy, and Fun!

Since I am a public educator, I am grateful to have my summers "off."  And like any public educator, I know that "off" really means that I'm working off and on throughout June, July, and August, but I am just not as pressured, necessarily, to meet any deadlines--except the ones I create for myself.  I'm one of those people who thrives on keeping busy, so I enjoy summer as a chance to explore and learn and develop myself professionally and personally.

With my new role as a school library information specialist in the fall, I can't help but spend quite a bit of time at my public library to soak up ideas.  They recently completed a renovation that includes what I'd like to see in my learning commons: flexible and comfortable seating, open space, great lighting, hands-on and interactive activities, and cool colors.  It's no wonder that I see kids, including my own, dash into the library and make a beeline right for Forge (the makerspace) or the renovated kids' section.  They clearly are excited to spend time there.  And who am I kidding?  I'm giddy to go there, too!  I can't say that my library when I was growing up ever made me this excited. Sure, I loved picking out books or going to a story time, but modern libraries are just so cool now.

As a result, it was a bit disheartening today when my boys and I were just about to leave, energized from our visit that included Ollie, checking out Make magazines, and discussing 3d printing, when we saw what appeared to be a day camp group turn the corner, full of smiles and happy chatter and making that familiar beeline to the children's department, only to be scolded by their counselor.  Sternly, she said, "We are in a library.  We must be quiet!"  I couldn't help but be stopped in my tracks. I felt bad for the kids.  There they were completely thrilled for their visit to the library only to be told that their enthusiasm was inappropriate and must stop.

Hold up.  Don't we want kids to be excited about learning?  Don't we want them to spend time in their library, learning new ideas, reading books, and trying out new technology?  It seems to me that we have reached a point when there are two strands of thinking about libraries.  Some still hold on to the fact that they are these sacred warehouses of books where everyone must be quiet and sit in uncomfortable wooden chairs that are lined up in rows.  A more recent philosophy is focused on the patron and 21st century skills, making the space comfortable, fun, and interactive.  So what does this mean?  It means that libraries are noisy.  Libraries are messy.  Libraries are fun.  This is exactly why I'm so thrilled for my new role because there is just so much more out there.  So much potential. So much to learn!  I'm just as excited as the kids entering the space, and, like them, have a hard time containing it!

Learning and Leading at EdCamp

Since as far back as I can remember, I have been one of those people who just can't get enough of learning about the world around me.  I was the kid who was excited for the first day of school, who loved visiting museums in downtown Chicago, and who even made my little brother play school with me when we weren't actually attending one.  It's no surprise, then, that I decided to become an educator.  For someone like me, it's truly a dream come true to spend my days learning and growing.  Today I spent my day learning and leading at #EdCampLdr, an unconventional conference, or "unconference", with several locations around our nation all on the same day.  EdCamp allows education leaders to come together and share ideas in an informal setting.  There are no planned or pre-scheduled presentations--just come with an idea and be ready to discuss it.  The responsibilities of attendees for a session are simple: lead or contribute.  If you don't feel you can do either, you are welcome to get up and check out a different session.  I was fortunate to attend several sessions today that invigorated me--especially as I think about my new role in the fall.

Session 1: Redesigning Learning Spaces
This session focused on learning space design.  I found that a great deal of it coincided with my May visit to Steelcase University in Grand Rapids, Michigan--an experience I HIGHLY recommend to anyone in education.  As a team of teachers and administrators, our group created what we considered to be the ideal learning space.  Using triangulation of learning and the X-formation of moveable tables and desks, we created a space that was flexible, collaborative, and student-centered:

One take-away for me from this session is we don't have to wait for a big budget to redesign our space.  We can move furniture into formations that best meet our students' needs.  We can declutter our space and remove items no longer needed. (This was certainly I was forced to do leaving the classroom and moving to the Learning Commons; I was shocked by how little I actually needed!) Lastly, we can think about what we put on our walls and consider students' perspectives about the classroom, and ask them what they would like in their learning space!  I know I can't wait to get into my Learning Commons in August and move a few things around.  I also plan to explore one of the websites that was suggested to us: Classroom Cribs.

Session 2: Digital Badging for Professional Development
This session was led by both Marcie Faust and Jeff Zoul, innovative, amazing administrators from our district office.  The focus here was examining PD and tying it to obtaining badges along with perks for so many points/badges along the way.  With education moving as rapidly as it is, it's important for school districts to provide opportunities for teachers to learn and grow.  I feel fortunate to work in a district that current uses something called Deerfield College.  Anyone can sign up to teach a Deerfield College class.  There are several optional classes held each month from 3:45-5:00, and it's a great opportunity to share your expertise or learn from a colleague.  Badges will take this experience to a whole new level.  To learn more about what badges are, check out this informative video on YouTube.  It's clear to me that the badging system will create a sort of digital portfolio for teachers where each badge will represent a skill he/she has.  The badging system also plays on the fact that we, as humans, love those extrinsic motivators.  It was scratch 'n sniff stickers on my papers as an elementary student and now it's digital badges as an adult!  Who doesn't like to be recognized for their hard work?

Session 3: #Edudrone Challenge
Drones and droids?  Yes, please!  This session gave us the chance to examine several drones and droids and consider how they could be used in the classroom.  It was one of the coolest conference sessions I've ever attended because we were given the chance to play!  Who doesn't like to play with these cool remote-controlled tech toys?

And I even had a chance to fly one!

(Thanks to Maria Galanis for providing this video of my first flight!)

We also checked Sphero, a super cool little sphere that can do all sorts of neat tricks!

After playing, we got down to business.  There were many cool suggestions for the use of these tools. For the droids, we considered the video capabilities as a real plus; this would allow users to create a great video of a school to show to incoming students or a video that surveys the school property to set up geocaching.  For the Spheros, it was recommended to create a golf course, where students have to code the droid to make it in under par.  It also could be used to create shapes or to do some fun math work--an obstacle course/race where students would collect all of the finish times in order to figure out mean, mode, and range.

I know two more things on my growing wish list!

Session 4: Encouraging Blogging
The title of this blog entry is "Learning and Leading at EdCamp", so this is the part where I stepped up to lead.  Alongside the brilliant and inspiring Maria Galanis, an instructional coach at my school, we led a session about encouraging teachers to blog.  The purpose was to try to overcome the hurdle of the fear and hesitancy that some teachers feel in regards to blogging. Our hope was that by getting more teachers to blog and reflect, they would see the power of this tool and be more inclined to use it with their students.  We certainly didn't have all of the answers coming into our session and used it as an opportunity to have a roundtable discussion.

In the end, there were two major take-aways for me. Since teachers hesitate to blog, perhaps we start with micro-blogging, otherwise known as Twitter.  If teachers become more comfortable jotting down quick thoughts and links, they would be more willing to graduate to full-fledged blogging.  When ready for the next step, perhaps we don't dive in head-first.  Perhaps they buddy up to co-author a blog or we start something like Leyden HS or like Bettendorf did, which gives ownership to everyone in the school; in these blogs, all members of a school community (teachers, administrators, parents, students, support staff, janitors, etc.) share the responsibility of a blog through assigned/self-selected dates.  This approach gives everyone a voice and helps remove some of the fear of blogging--all while showing an authentic audience, the world, what great things are happening within a school!

I know now that Maria and I can't wait to have a Twitter party at school (the second at our school actually) and discuss the idea of a Shepard 360 blog, where we get all different viewpoints of the amazing things happening at our school!


A final thought...
Wow, what a busy day it was at #EdCampLdr!  I highly recommend that any educator or administrator attend an edcamp when you have the opportunity;  you won't regret it!  It was fun to connect with friends and colleagues from my district--past and present.  It was amazing to learn about some of the engaging activities teachers are using in their classrooms.   And it was such an inspiring experience--one that truly left me thinking about the upcoming school year and what sort of changes I hope to evoke in my Learning Commons and in my school.  I can't wait to get started!

Lego Brickworld: Inspiration for Making

Over Father's Day Weekend, my husband was a trooper to take part of "his" weekend to spend with his geeked-out wife and two sons at the Lego Brickworld expo in Schaumburg, Illinois.  As an an older sister to a Lego fanatic, I have grown up with a deep respect for all things Lego--except for that awful moment when you step on a Lego in bare feet!  We visited the expo as a treat for our kids, who love this toy immensely, growing up first with Duplos and then graduating to the regular bricks.  I immediately discovered that this experience wasn't going to be just about my boys; it clearly was going to be a way for me to collect ideas and inspiration for my makerspace.

When we stepped into the expo, it was something akin to Charlie walking into the Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory--visually dazzling, buzzing, alive.  My jaw dropped, and I couldn't help but feel excited as well as a bit overwhelmed.  My family and I walked from table to table, each new innovative creation inspiring and amazing us--so many small details taken into account even in the largest of displays.  There was also something there for everyone; even if you weren't a fan of Legos, you left with a new-found respect for this toy.  What I also found interesting is the expo was much like a Maker Faire with an emphasis on Legos.  There were people from all different walks of life and skill levels there to share what they had created with the world.  Since I was there with my sons, who have finally reached the age when they will put aside the booklet for a kit and just build something from their imaginations, we saw this as an opportunity to get ideas, seek advice, and think about possibly showcasing some of their work at this expo in the future.  (My older son asks me if he can do this just about every day now.)

As much as I can try to describe what I saw, it's much better to share it through photos.  Of course there is no way to really truly capture the experience in photos either, but you'll see some of the cool things I observed while visiting the Brickworld expo.  All of these, as well as many others, have become true inspirations for me as I think about the Maker Movement and designing the makerspace in my learning commons.

There were many large cityscapes.

A QR Code made out of Legos--and it worked of course!  Super neat.

Lego Wall--How fun to leave your mark or create graffiti using Legos!

Lego flowers

Lego art--I would love several of these hanging from my learning commons' ceiling.

Paying homage to the popular '80s cartoon, The Smurfs!

A childhood classic: Where the Wild Things Are

Storybooks come to life with Lego characters

Lego art

Lego patterns

Lego mosaics

Lego Pop Art

As a Chicagoan, I love this one since it's a favorite of mine at the Art Institute and part of one of my favorite scenes in Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

Since attending this expo, my kids have been playing with their Legos daily, and I can't help but tinker a bit as well--especially with the idea of creating mosaics and QR codes!  I'm excited to find ways to bring Legos into my learning commons and help kids get charged up just as my family and I did at Brickworld.

A Chance of a Lifetime

It's taken me about a week to digest the fact that one week ago on Monday I was in the White House among leading American school districts discussing the Maker Movement and the future for students in our nation.  I was extremely fortunate to invited by my school district's innovative and inspiring superintendent, Dr. Mike Lubelfeld, as someone who would help lead our district in bringing more opportunities for making in our district.  I am forever grateful to him for this experience, which is, hands-down, a pinnacle in my 17 years in education.

Our two-day stint in D.C. began at a Maker Ed event.  I'll be honest here and confess that I had never heard of Maker Ed before attending this workshop on a Sunday afternoon.  After spending time with individuals from this organization for two days, I can't imagine not using their website and materials for help.   If you, too, haven't heard of them, Maker Ed is committed to supporting teachers and has a wealth of ideas and resources available on their website: http://makered.org/

(Definitely check them out!)  Besides finding this great group, I really enjoyed this Sunday afternoon committed to an authentic experience.  Sure, we read all about makerspaces and give our students experiences, but how often to educators get to sit down and play and experiment?  We were given close to an hour with our "Possibility Box" full of all kinds of doodads:

There were other items on our table as well--sheets of origami paper, LED lights, batteries, paper, poster board, etc.  There were also tables set up in the room with extra supplies as well as fun tools such as hammers and electric drills.

As creative as I think I am, I found myself a bit frozen when this started.  What was I going to make? There were so many materials available to me.  What inspired me?  I quickly found myself drawn to the lights and batteries and given that I had just spent time weeding and mulching my garden back at home, I felt the need to create my own little garden:

 

"How Does Your Garden Glow?"

And it got messy--messy and creative and collaborative and fun.  

It was interesting not only to work with these materials on my own, but also to watch others experiment and create.  Each table showcased such diverse, innovative, and amazing items--all from the same set of materials and options I had.  

What I found truly exceptional was experiencing a maker experience firsthand.  Not reading about it in some educator journal or observing students doing it.  I was doing it. And I was having a blast while solving problems and using my creativity making whatever I liked.

It's no surprise that I entered Day 2, the highlight of the trip with our visit to the White House, still floating from the day before.  I was revved up from the Maker Ed workshop and ready to discuss and learn more.  And, we certainly did just that!

The White House event was all I expected and more. (But, no, my dream of getting a selfie with President Obama didn't quite happen!) This roundtable event was the result of President Obama's call to action the year before:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/06/18/fact-sheet-president-obama-host-first-ever-white-house-maker-faire

Representatives from different school districts around the nation shared highlights of the amazing makerspaces they have as well as the projects they were completing--truly an inspiration as I ponder what I would like my makerspace to look like come August and September.

We also had a chance to mingle and network.  I met people all across the nation from all walks of life--teachers in the trenches like me, district superintendents, representatives from museums and public libraries, President Obama's advisors, and even the creator of MAKE Magazine and Maker Faires around the globe.  These valuable interactions gave me even more ideas and helped me identify individuals I can turn to and rely on when I'm seeking resources or support.

The part I found most interesting were the lightning roundtable discussions.  We signed up for topics based on our interests.  I immediately chose community partnership because I felt this is an area we could improve upon in our district.  Quite frankly, we aren't connecting with our community members and community businesses, so I wanted to get some ideas in order to do so.  I left with two pages of notes and all kinds of great ideas to get me started. 

In the end, this was a two-day trip to D.C. I will never forget--a chance of a lifetime.  It truly was an honor and a privilege to represent Deerfield District 109 along with my superintendent at the workshop and roundtable discussion.  Most importantly, I feel equipped with connections, ideas, and resources to get started.  It's time to make my makerspace!

And So It Begins...

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."  ~Lao-tzu

Today marks the first day of summer break.  For many, this is a time to enjoy with family and friends, catch up on some reading or films, travel the world, or sit on a beach or by a pool. For me, it marks my first step in preparing for my new role as a library information specialist at my middle school in the fall.

My journey to this point began almost four years ago.  I was an eighth grade language arts teacher at the time and was itching for a challenge.  Every few years I find myself in this place, craving some change and professional development.  As I sat in my school's LMC that morning, listening to another one of dozens of book talks I had heard over the years, the answer fell from the sky and landed in my lap.  School librarian!  I would love to be a school librarian! With my English literature degree and over 12 years of teaching eighth grade language arts under my belt, it seemed like the perfect position for me.  And it just so happened that our amazing LMC Director had put in retirement that previous spring with a plan to retire in four years.

That afternoon, I called my husband and my parents.  "I'm going to be a librarian!" I declared, never more sure of anything in my life.  To my surprise, they all responded with, "You'll get bored."  

Bored?!? Gone are the days of librarians sitting at desks sshing patrons and checking out books. School libraries, or learning commons, are active learning spaces.  They are patron-centered, flexible, noisy, messy, creative places.  They are fun, inspiring, and full of energy.  They are the heart of the school.

So here I am on the first day of my summer break, taking my first step by envisioning the learning commons I want to create--not just this year but in one year, three years, five years.  And while I may not have it all figured out on this Saturday evening, I can tell you this: I will not get bored.  I'm ready to dive in to this new, exciting age of librarianship and help transform learning at my school.  I just can't wait to get started.