Do you believe in the power of an idea?
Do you like to figure out what makes people do what they do?
Do you like to think there is a better way to do something?
Can you make people rally around you and accomplish something?
Are you brave enough to share an idea that you have that you think you people might laugh at?
"Go to college, be creative, keep learning every day, work hard, NEVER BE AFRAID TO BE WRONG"

Today was career day and I was fortunate enough to have Tom Leibhardt from marketing at Sherwin Williams.  Tom was a bit nervous about talking marketing to seventh graders.  We emailed back and fourth for a few days and I was able to get a good handle on what he wanted the students to understand about marketing.  The questions above were used by Tom to get the kids thinking about a career in marketing (or any career for that matter)..  He also spoke about Steven Jobs and the now famous "1984" Apple commercial.  Tom did a great job expressing to the students that it isn't just about being intelligent, it's being creative with your abilities. 

As I sat and listened to Tom's presentation I really began to see how what Garth and I do in the classroom really is helping prepare students for their future.  Creativity, not being afraid to take a risk, working with people and changing the world are concepts we hope our students understand when they leave our classrooms.  Tom helped express just how important those concepts are in the "real-world".  One reason that Tom enjoys his job is because everyday is different.  If we think about the current structure of education; most schools want students doing the same thing, at the same time, everyday.  It was great for the students to have a non-teacher express the idea that you can have an amazing career that includes variety.  Career day is definitely a great program created by our guidance department.  Every year our school exposes seventh graders to a myriad of career paths.  Every year the speakers express the importance of thinking outside the box and being passionate about what you do.

Below is a recorded version of Tom's presentation and his PowerPoint.  He had to do 5 presentations (in a row) and each was a bit different.  The one idea that was always mentioned, "don't be afraid to be wrong".

**Since Tom mentions his employer, it is important to say that the views expressed on this site and in this blog are not neccessarily the views of Tom or Sherwin Williams.  Although I must say the success of Sherwin Williams must be due in part because of passionate, intelligent and creative people like Tom.

As teachers, Garth and I have often commented on the problem we see with internet filters in public schools.  Today, several major websites (Wiki and Google included) are doing their part to protect their creative medium; the internet.  The government currently has two pieces of legislation in the works that will effectively censor the internet.  SOPA and PIPA may be disguised as protecting copyright, personal intellectual property and "economic creativity" but the scope of this legislation is much larger.  If you click on SOPA or PIPA above, it will take you to the government's website to track the process and read the entire text of each bill. 

Please take a moment to read up on these pieces of legislation and leave a comment.  MORE IMPORTANTLY, take a few moments to contact your local representative(s) and express your opinion of these bills.  After all, our elected officials represent us, do not be part of the silent majority.

Last week Garth and I began our collaborative, autonomous Middle Ages WebQuest.  Whew, that's a mouth full!  We have discussed this Middle Ages WebQuest before on this site, and it is still one of the best examples of 21st century skills and curriculum coming together to change teaching and learning.  We added two new elements to this years WebQuest: (1) Blog Buddies; and (2) the classroom digital window.

Since students at both schools are completing this WebQuest at the same time and were given a specific feudal social class to base their historical journey around; Garth and I thought it would add value to the total experience of the project if we could give the students at both schools even greater opportunities to collaborate.  The first new collaborative piece to the puzzle are Blog Buddies.  Students had the opportunity to talk to their parents and bring back a signed permission slip giving them permission to read, comment and learn directly with a student at the other school.  Garth and I both teach about 120 students and 95 students signed up to be Blog Buddies.  The goal is to give students the opportunity for peer review and collaboration.  Students were arranged via gender, so a large number of students are reading the work of students in different feudal social classes.  This idea is so student-centered, it was actually thought up by students.  Both Garth and I had students ask us if they could work specifically with a student, or students, from the other school.  Friday Garth and I handed out the url's to our students and allowed them to go explore the Blog Buddies web pages.  All day I heard comments from my students about how they had this or that in common with their new friend.  They didn't use the word classmate, or kid, or student, they continually used the word friend.  I also loved to see how being given the opportunity to read another students web site, made that student so much more real to them.  I tell my students all the time that Mr. Holman's students are just like them, but their is still some mystery about a seventh grader several cities away that my words cannot solve.

The second new avenue for collaboration is our digital window to the world.  Garth and I were able, with great school support, to procure an extra data projector for our classrooms.  We each mounted a camera and laptop in the corner of our classrooms and now leave our Skype connection on throughout our day.  On the wall of our classrooms we have built a window to the other school.  In my classroom our window to world is framed by the essential questions students developed at the beginning of the year.  Garth and I both added the phrase "Leave Digital Footprints Worth Following" to the wall, as well.  This was also a student suggestion!  We both told our students that any time they have a question and want to talk to the other school for help/conversation, they are free to walk up to the camera and start talking.  Both Garth and I leave the volume muted and have an Ohio State University souvenir signaling device (Go Bucks!).  We were not sure how successful this window would be; and the first few days students were so busy getting lost in their WebQuest that they didn't seem to notice that it was there.  Then, a few of Garth's students asked if any of my students used Minecraft.  As it turns out, Minecraft is pretty popular amongst seventh graders.  Because of the conversation via the window to the world, the students started a GoogleDoc and are currently in the process of organizing a combined feudal manor.   

Garth and I are very excited not only about the new ways we are allowing for students to control their learning, but at how many great ideas are being generated by the students.  Both the ideas above and countless other little ideas every week are brought to our attention.  I really feel that the students are starting to take the leading role in their learning (within our classrooms at least).  It is great to see such positive results.

-Mike

Sir Ken Robinson, international known expert on creativity, has a new book out "The Element".  In the short 3 minute clip below Sir Ken gives a brief overview of this book.  He brings up a few questions:
1.  What is your view of your own talents?  
2.  What do you think you can accomplish?
3.  Do you enjoy your work or endure it? 
4.  Are you in your element? 

Both Mike and I are big fans of Sir Ken's work.  I plan to head out and get this book in the next few days.  

The second little clip is about a analogy off teaching...Teachers Are Like Gardeners.
Do you think this analogy is correct and makes sense?  Mike loves to talk about education as organic.  I think I hear that here.  What are your thoughts on this idea? 

What comes around goes around.  Mr. Pennington came to my classroom two weeks ago during his Holiday break to meet the kids face to face.  They have seen him many times on Skype, but face to face is different.  Next week, Mr. P and I are opening our Window to each others schools, as we will have an all day live feed from the other classroom.  Therefore, when kids come it to Mr. P's room, they can see what is going on in my room--this will be a post as soon as we have some images and student reactions.  But back to our travels. 

So, on Wednesday I made the 65 minute drive to Chardon to spend the day with Mr. P's students during my Holiday break.  When I first arrived, the principal invited me in his office for a few minutes to talk.  It was nice to hear his excitement about our work.  Then he walked me to Mike's room.  He stayed in the room for some time and I was introduced and talked with the kids.  After a few minutes he and I talked some more about our plans and hopes for students, as students in the room worked on a google doc that my students had completed before our break began.  In each period, as students came in they said, "Hi Mr. Holman".  It was a treat to see them smile, as this was something new for them to see the real guy.  

At lunch time, Mike and I had a meeting with the superintendant.  This was a great discussion about family, education and our future plans.  He was a very insightful man with high hopes for what Mike and I are doing.   This meeting lasted about 55 minutes and then we headed back to class (Board office is right next door to his school).  During the last class, the director of Special Services was in the room for the whole period.  She had great things to say about the online book, differentiation used in our classrooms, skills we are teaching our students.  However, both she the superintendant talked a great deal about the experiences we are giving our kids.  The more I thought about that, the more I realized that experiences are an important part of education, something that will stick when the facts are gone.   

As Mike noted in his post, the kids really accepted me as a teacher from the minute they walked in.  It was a true joy to have sent the day, not virtually, but physically in Mike's classes.  It really hit home as we walked out of the school to our cars and a boy yelled, "Bye Mr. Holman, see ya soon!"