Sunday, December 6, 2015


Monte Vista School
The Independent Learning Academy
Principal’s Message
December 7, 2015

"It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes or bags!... Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! "Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more!" ~Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

Monte Vista School is on Twitter! Become a follower and get all the last minute news, updates, and more!
@DrMVPsimivalley

This message as well as the past messages can be found on the Principal’s Blog:

Good morning and a pleasant Monday! The holiday season is upon us as well as the last few weeks of the Fall semester.  The next two weeks will be full of activities both in the classroom and in our various labs, not to mention a holiday party or two!

We’ll start of the week with the international project called “Hour of Code”.  Every classroom will have a couple of chrome books with coding projects downloaded and ready to start.  Also, the Maker Space Lab (room 3) will be opened throughout the week for hands on coding experiences.  We’ll cap the “Hour of Code” week on Thursday with numerous coding activities in the Maker Space Lab and for each coding project a student completes, they’ll be given a raffle ticket for our Hour of Code drawing!  For a great resource of Coding ideas check out this link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1X_0ounfMjieWfPEQTLp958w_AaJ0k1kJEPu8oLdys8s/edit

Congratulations to Tracie Garfinkle for being named the Simi Valley Ed Foundation teacher of the month!  And a big shout out to the SVEF for what they do for all of our schools and teachers throughout our district.

Give the Gift of Joy Today!  If you’re interested in donating a gift to a child in need this holiday season, please come to the office and pick an Angel Card off of our Angel Tree.  Bring your unwrapped gift (with the tag attached back to the office by December 16th. Our Angel Tree is in the front office.

Sign up now for this Thursday’s evening’s Floral class.  A floral holiday mug will be designed and create by each floral designer (that’s you!) As in the past classes, the class is opened for all students, parents and staff of SVUSD, just need to know by Tuesday evening if you’ll be attending. Class starts at 6pm in the MPR.

It’s rumored that Santa and Mrs Claus will make an appearance to the holiday breakfast party on December 17th in room 8.  Contact Tracie Garfinkle for more information…hope to see you there…Ho! Ho! Ho!

Mark your calendar for these upcoming events:
December 8 - Science Update!! Tuesday's Science exploration will be a STEM activity called "Gumdrop Bridge Building"! The students will be using all sorts of materials to build structures.

December 11 – Field trip to CPK. See behind the scenes how a pizza is made, and remember some of the ingredients so we can plant a pizza garden in the spring. 

December 11 – Staff Cookie exchange

December 16 – Care & Share Can Food Drive ends.  Bring a can or 2 into your classroom collection box before the 16th!

December 18 – Staff Holiday Party & Gift Exchange


The article below lists 15 Characteristics of a 21st –Century Teacher. Take a moment and respond back to the blog and posting which of the 15 traits you can relate the best and which of the 15 would you like to work on for next year.  If you think there some traits of the 21st Century teacher that aren’t listed, go ahead and add them to the list.  If you’re a parent, a student or a non-teaching staff member please post on the blog which of the 15 characteristics do you think is the most important to the learner and/or is there a trait that should be included in the list? Click on this link  (http://drmvpblog.blogspot.com/) to add your comment and earn a Point! 

Follow Monte Vista on Twitter*, keep smiling and let’s all make it a great week!

Steve  J

15 Characteristics of a 21st-Century Teacher
http://www.edutopia.org/discussion/15-characteristics-21st-century-teacher
Tsisana Palmer , ESL Instructor/Intensive English Program
Recent technological advances have affected many areas of our lives: the way we communicate, collaborate, learn, and, of course, teach. Along with that, those advances necessitated an expansion of our vocabulary, producing definitions such as digital natives, digital immigrants, and, the topic of this post -- "21st-century teacher."

As I am writing this post, I am trying to recall if I ever had heard phrases such as "20th-century teacher" or "19th-century teacher." Quick Google search reassures me that there is no such word combination. Changing the "20th" to "21st" brings different results: a 21st-century school, 21st-century education, 21st-century teacher, 21st-century skills -- all there! I then searched for Twitter hashtags and Amazon books, and the results were just the same; nothing for the "20th-century teacher" while a lot for the "21st": #teacher21, #21stcenturyskills, #21stCTeaching and no books with titles #containing "20th century" while quite a few on the 21st-century teaching and learning.
Obviously, teaching in the 21-century is an altogether different phenomenon; never before could learning be happening the way it is now -- everywhere, all the time, on any possible topic, supporting any possible learning style or preference. But what does being a 21st-century teacher really mean?
Below are 15 characteristics of a 21st-century teacher:

1. Learner-Centered Classroom and Personalized Instructions
As students have access to any information possible, there certainly is no need to "spoon-feed" the knowledge or teach "one-size fits all" content. As students have different personalities, goals, and needs, offering personalized instructions is not just possible but also desirable. When students are allowed to make their own choices, they own their learning, increase intrinsic motivation, and put in more effort -- an ideal recipe for better learning outcomes!

2. Students as Producers
Today's students have the latest and greatest tools, yet, the usage in many cases barely goes beyond communicating with family and friends via chat, text, or calls. Even though students are now viewed as digital natives, many are far from producing any digital content. While they do own expensive devices with capabilities to produce blogs, infographics, books, how-to videos, and tutorials, just to name a few, in many classes, they are still asked to turn those devices off and work with handouts and worksheets. Sadly, often times these papers are simply thrown away once graded. Many students don't even want to do them, let alone keep or return them later. When given a chance, students can produce beautiful and creative blogs, movies, or digital stories that they feel proud of and share with others.

3. Learn New Technologies
In order to be able to offer students choices, having one's own hands-on experience and expertise will be useful. Since technology keeps developing, learning a tool once and for all is not a option. The good news is that new technologies are new for the novice and and experienced teachers alike, so everyone can jump in at any time! I used a short-term subscription to www.lynda.com, which has many resources for learning new technologies.

4. Go Global
Today's tools make it possible to learn about other countries and people first hand. Of course, textbooks are still sufficient, yet, there is nothing like learning languages, cultures, and communication skills from actually talking to people from other parts of the world.
It's a shame that with all the tools available, we still learn about other cultures, people, and events from the media. Teaching students how to use the tools in their hands to "visit" any corner of this planet will hopefully make us more knowledgable and sympathetic.

5. Be Smart and Use Smart Phones
Once again -- when students are encouraged to view their devices as valuable tools that support knowledge (rather than distractions), they start using them as such. I remember my first years of teaching when I would not allow cell phones in class and I'd try to explain every new vocabulary word or answer any question myself -- something I would not even think of doing today!
I have learned that different students have different needs when it comes to help with new vocabulary or questions; therefore, there is no need to waste time and explain something that perhaps only one or two students would benefit from. Instead, teaching students to be independent and know how to find answers they need makes the class a different environment!
I have seen positive changes ever since I started viewing students' devices as useful aid. In fact, sometimes I even respond by saying "I don't know -- use Google and tell us all!" What a difference in their reactions and outcomes!

6. Blog
I have written on the importance of both student and teacher blogging. Even my beginners of English could see the value of writing for real audience and establishing their digital presence. To blog or not to blog should not be a question any more!
7. Go Digital
Another important attribute is to go paperless -- organizing teaching resources and activities on one's own website and integrating technology bring students learning experience to a different level. Sharing links and offering digital discussions as opposed to a constant paper flow allows students to access and share class resources in a more organized fashion.

8. Collaborate
Technology allows collaboration between teachers & students. Creating digital resources, presentations, and projects together with other educators and students will make classroom activities resemble the real world. Collaboration should go beyond sharing documents via e-mail or creating PowerPoint presentations. Many great ideas never go beyond a conversation or paper copy, which is a great loss! Collaboration globally can change our entire experience!
9. Use Twitter Chat
Participating in Twitter chat is the cheapest and most efficient way to organize one's own PD, share research and ideas, and stay current with issues and updates in the field. We can grow professionally and expand our knowledge as there is a great conversation happening every day, and going to conferences is no longer the only way to meet others and build professional learning networks.

10. Connect
Connect with like-minded individuals. Again, today's tools allow us to connect anyone, anywhere, anytime. Have a question for an expert or colleague? Simply connect via social media: follow, join, ask, or tell!

11. Project-Based Learning
As today's students have an access to authentic resources on the web, experts anywhere in the world, and peers learning the same subject somewhere else, teaching with textbooks is very "20th-century" (when the previously listed option were not available). Today's students should develop their own driving questions, conduct their research, contact experts, and create final projects to share all using devices already in their hands. All they need from their teacher is guidance!

12. Build Your Positive Digital Footprint
It might sound obvious, but it is for today's teachers to model how to appropriately use social media, how to produce and publish valuable content, and how to create sharable resources. Even though it's true that teachers are people, and they want to use social media and post their pictures and thoughts, we cannot ask our students not to do inappropriate things online if we ourselves do it. Maintaining professional behavior both in class and online will help build positive digital footprint and model appropriate actions for students.

13. Code
While this one might sound complicated, coding is nothing but today's literacy. As a pencil or pen were "the tools" of the 20th-century, making it impossible to picture a teacher not capable to operate with it, today's teacher must be able to operate with today's pen and pencil, i.e., computers. Coding is very interesting to learn -- the feeling of writing a page with HTML is amazing! Even though I have ways to go, just like in every other field, a step at a time can take go a long way. Again, lynda.com is a great resource to start with!

14. Innovate
I invite you to expand your teaching toolbox and try new ways you have not tried before, such as teaching with social media or replacing textbooks with web resources. Not for the sake of tools but for the sake of students!
Ever since I started using TED talks and my own activities based on those videos, my students have been giving a very different feedback. They love it! They love using Facebook for class discussions and announcements. They appreciate novelty -- not the new tools, but the new, more productive and interesting ways of using them.

15. Keep Learning
As new ways and new technology keep emerging, learning and adapting is essential. The good news is: it's fun, and even 20 min a day will take you a long way!



31 comments:

  1. Well, I commented on your last post and asked you some questions, let me know! I do think this is a great idea! Is this embedded on your school site?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ok, I'll deliver your point to MView...yes, it's embedded on our website as well as on our FB page...I think it's important that our community knows whats happening on our site...of course the trick is to keep it current!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Great article...I like the last one - "Keep learning" Technology is changing so quickly that we need to keep learning and adapting our teaching practices to stay current.

      Delete
    2. Great article...I like the last one - "Keep learning" Technology is changing so quickly that we need to keep learning and adapting our teaching practices to stay current.

      Delete
  3. Several good points were made in this article. I know the one that struck home to me personally is "Go digital." Monte Vista is beginning to go there with small baby steps. With more time and effort we will get there :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. As a 20th Century teacher I take issue with the basic premise of the author of 15 Characteristics of a 21st Century teacher. I argue that the PRINCIPLES are almost totally the same. The difference is in the technology and activities with which those principles are illustrated.

    Let me give some illustrations.

    Learner Center: My first 6 grades of school were in the stereotypical one-room schoolhouse with 11 students in the first six grades. Every student heard everything that was happening. What a great learning center, even if you were in 3rd grade and learned from the 5th grader "reciting" his lessons to the teacher.

    Students as Producers: my teachers through high school gave us the "opportunity" to write short stories, draw pencil sketches of our favorite fishing spot, and create and perform one-act plays. As a teacher, even in the ancient and archaic 20th century, I gave my students the opportunity to produce photography evidence of beta decay and build a Cavendish balance along with other similar projects.

    Blog: Interestingly, we talked with each other face-to-face, expressing our ideas without worrying about political correctness.

    Go digital: Hmmmmm... not digital equipment, but we did learn the binary number system which gave rise to digital devices. Then in the Apple II era we actually taught students how to program as we learned it along with them.

    Collaborate: Okay, see Blog above.

    Use Twitter Chat: One nice thing about writing letters to each other is that we weren't limited to 144 characters.

    Connect: See collaborate above.

    Use Social Media: Let's see... things we did, both as students and teachers, but also as students and teachers together. Went camping, played golf, went bowling, had book clubs and worked on some crazy projects. And, oh, we actually talked to each other about all sorts of things as we did those activities.

    Code: In the early days of computers our class offering included learning to program in Basic, Pascal and, for the really interested students, machine language. In fact, the first computer a student brought in had not screen, no keyboard, and we spent an entire day programming it in binary code to multiply two three-digit numbers.

    Innovative: Let's see. Building Tesla coils out of WWII surplus equipment, building power supplies from old radios, using old water pumps to make cloud chambers and dissecting fresh cow's eyes and pig hearts may have qualified for being innovative.

    Keep Learning: Based on my former students from the olden days of the 1963-1999 era who are now Facebook friends and have become doctors, lawyers, air force pilots, pharmacists, homeschoolers... I'm guessing they continued the learning process rather well.

    Am I disagreeing with the characteristics of teachers in the 21st Century? Not in the least. I'm simply saying the characteristics at the fundamental level are essentially the same. Just that the technology we enjoy has changed the method in which those characteristics are illustrated.

    ReplyDelete
  5. As a 20th Century teacher I take issue with the basic premise of the author of 15 Characteristics of a 21st Century teacher. I argue that the PRINCIPLES are almost totally the same. The difference is in the technology and activities with which those principles are illustrated.

    Let me give some illustrations.

    Learner Center: My first 6 grades of school were in the stereotypical one-room schoolhouse with 11 students in the first six grades. Every student heard everything that was happening. What a great learning center, even if you were in 3rd grade and learned from the 5th grader "reciting" his lessons to the teacher.

    Students as Producers: my teachers through high school gave us the "opportunity" to write short stories, draw pencil sketches of our favorite fishing spot, and create and perform one-act plays. As a teacher, even in the ancient and archaic 20th century, I gave my students the opportunity to produce photography evidence of beta decay and build a Cavendish balance along with other similar projects.

    Blog: Interestingly, we talked with each other face-to-face, expressing our ideas without worrying about political correctness.

    Go digital: Hmmmmm... not digital equipment, but we did learn the binary number system which gave rise to digital devices. Then in the Apple II era we actually taught students how to program as we learned it along with them.

    Collaborate: Okay, see Blog above.

    Use Twitter Chat: One nice thing about writing letters to each other is that we weren't limited to 144 characters.

    Connect: See collaborate above.

    Use Social Media: Let's see... things we did, both as students and teachers, but also as students and teachers together. Went camping, played golf, went bowling, had book clubs and worked on some crazy projects. And, oh, we actually talked to each other about all sorts of things as we did those activities.

    Code: In the early days of computers our class offering included learning to program in Basic, Pascal and, for the really interested students, machine language. In fact, the first computer a student brought in had not screen, no keyboard, and we spent an entire day programming it in binary code to multiply two three-digit numbers.

    Innovative: Let's see. Building Tesla coils out of WWII surplus equipment, building power supplies from old radios, using old water pumps to make cloud chambers and dissecting fresh cow's eyes and pig hearts may have qualified for being innovative.

    Keep Learning: Based on my former students from the olden days of the 1963-1999 era who are now Facebook friends and have become doctors, lawyers, air force pilots, pharmacists, homeschoolers... I'm guessing they continued the learning process rather well.

    Am I disagreeing with the characteristics of teachers in the 21st Century? Not in the least. I'm simply saying the characteristics at the fundamental level are essentially the same. Just that the technology we enjoy has changed the method in which those characteristics are illustrated.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Point well taken...and it's interesting how things go in cycles, Hands on training was the big thing back when I was in school...and now suddenly w/ Career Tech Ed, it's the new best thing since sliced bread.

      However, we do need to be cognizant on how we deliver our product to the students. The world we live in is so much different than the world I grew up in, yet often I go into classrooms and I feel like I'm still in that room back in the 60's

      Thanks for taking a few minutes and replying to the post!

      Delete
  6. Hello! I DEFINITELY relate to the idea of PROJECT BASED LEARNING!!! PBL is how we create thinkers, learners, doers, and innovators!! If we spoon-feed our kids everything and only ask them to "circle the noun" we are failing completely.

    I totally want to work on coding. I know very little about it........it's the future and I need to be ready!!

    (I actually could relate to many of the characteristics and I know I NEED to work on many of them. Teachers need to NEVER stop looking at themselves and learning and moving forward........how can we expect our students to do the same if we aren't modeling for them. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Being a life long learner is a perfect example (model) for our students. And I agree, it's all about PBL! Kids need an opportunity to get their hands dirty

      Delete
  7. Great post! In my free time I'm a gamer, and I was recently reading about how the game Minecraft is being used to model and teach in new innovative ways. Reminded me of some of the info posted here. Technology is amazing and opens up so many exciting options!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I think collaboration is incredibly important, no matter what the subject, for both students and teachers. The 21st Century workplace requires students to be innovative, leaders, and a team player. Through project based learning, students can develop the skills it takes to be successful. Over the next year, I'm looking forward to collaborating with our staff and writing digital curriculum. We are on our way, and I know that many of us have wonderful ideas!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Not sure why this came up as "unknown"... this is Ali.

      Delete
  9. How about... Students as Teachers!
    Sometimes students conceptualize differently from how the teachers are demonstrating, and sharing their methods with others is a good learning tool for both students... Carolyn (I'm an unknown, too!)

    ReplyDelete
  10. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I think the article was great! I would like to be a lifetime learner.
    I can't wait to learn how to use technology in the classroom.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I agree with the emphasis as student-focused learning where the students are the producers and allowed to make choices for learning. Students as teachers is ideal! My dilemma is motivating my students to be producers and desiring to learn - - to do more than the bare minimum!! Independent study gives a start to this as students need to be in charge of their learning, but so many do not show a desire to learn beyond and to produce or create. Maybe having secondary education more interest-based and not being so standards-based would be a start for students to pursue learning-focused. The parameters would need to be set up, but the students could plan a program that aligns with their interests and abilities.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Having worked with children with special needs, I connect with the first point of personalized instruction. Not every child will learn the same and teachers will need to tweak things and present ideas in different ways to make sure each student is having the material presented in a way they can understand and relate to. Specifically when it comes to special education, we need to be careful we are not depending on a "one-size fits all" teaching environment.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Excellent post! We absolutely need to leverage the networked nature of digital tools and integrate them into our daily curricula and pedagogical practices. The exponential growth in networked technology have dramatically shifted the way we access, process, and use information. We need to teach our students to use these tools in meaningful, productive ways, as the workforce they enter will expect them to be able to creatively and critically think with them.

    ReplyDelete
  15. See my extended comment here: http://rebeccaitow.com/2015/reflections-on-the-hour-of-code-in-my-classroom/

    ReplyDelete
  16. Interesting article! I believe collaboration has always been an important idea with teachers as we all hold specialties in various areas. We all not only learn from one another but we also can ask the questions and "experiment" by working on new ways to present information to our students. Presenting information through the use of technology is no longer a "thought" but a reality. Using it properly is the key!

    ReplyDelete
  17. I want my students to produce more using the technology that's available. This is difficult, as I haven't even been able to schedule days in the library much less to access the much-in-demand chromebooks that our school has, and wonderful as they are, cell phones aren't yet capable of doing everything. We had to do a webquest as a class on the big screen because they couldn't access it on their phones! That said, I have always prided myself on continuing to learn, and I am determined to learn ways of challenging my students to use tech to synthesize and create rather than to regurgitate. ~ Lauren Gallant, SVHS

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lauren, thank you for responding! Please let the rest of SVHS peeps know that there's a point involved (I'll be there Friday). I'm proud of how you tackle tech issues and aren't afraid to try (perhaps a little resistance at 1st,ie Twitter)and yes, its always learning the next 'new thing'

      Delete
  18. I really want to get my students to do more on the producing end as well. Trying to figure out ways to do it is my biggest hurdle. I enjoy having my students, especially my government students, use their phones in class as the information they can access is up-to-the-minute as opposed to outdated textbooks.

    I also love the twitter chats!

    Miss you Dr. P.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Andrew for responding...I'll see you on Friday w/a point! Teaching govt during an election has to be highlite as well, especially if the students can access up to the minute news and info via their smart phones

      Delete
  19. Replies
    1. Tracy, thank you for responding...I'm curious which of the 15 traits you can relate the best and which of the 15 would you like to work on for next year. Or are there traits that you think should be included in the list? And I'll get over to Katerine and deliver your 'point'

      Delete
  20. Learner centered classrooms are so important. Especially for Special Education students. They need to be taught in a way that meets their needs. I would like to start a classroom Blog! That would be such a great way for students, families and staff to communicate and get to know one another. From: Stefeni Navarro

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A classroom blog..thats a wonderful idea! I'll be happy to help you set one up!

      Delete