Category: General

by Brent Gilson

For an archive of the chat this week check out the Wakelet here.

So I am sitting down to reflect on both the chat this week and how we, the teachers of the world, are keeping things moving despite the challenges we face. I don’t want this post to come across as roses because this uncertain time we are in is anything but roses. Many of us are faced with new teaching situations that people call hybrid models or working online. Another group of us are in our buildings face to face with students. Wearing masks, behind plexiglass dividers. With our students but still so far away. It is hard not to feel as though it is all too much. So I don’t want this post to come across as some kind of “It will be great” rose coloured glasses mess because we don’t know if it will be and I don’t want to put that on teachers. I do want to reflect on why holding on to our passions and purpose can at least provide a bit of light in this time of uncertainty.

Passions

Before the school year started I wasn’t sure what it was going to look like. I knew that I was going to focus on reading and writing and sharing because that is what I am passionate about. This summer I did a lot of reading around equity, I read books and took online classes to further explore my own understandings around race. I started the year with a plan. I was passionate and put the learning I had done into my planning and the work I wanted my students to do. Now as we all know things never go according to plan so the beautiful work I had planned has turned out kind of like a DIY project that you find on Pinterest. Not a fail by any means but it sure is not as pretty as advertised. Here is the thing though, it is ok. We are faced with a challenge we have never had before and we are a passionate group teachers. We will work and push and strive to be the best because people have told us we are rockstars and superheroes and the best. We work and push and strive because we want to be. Not for ourselves, not most of us anyway, but for our students. We want to bring this energy to the craft we love because we know our students can feel that excitement. The passion is important but so is giving ourselves grace to rest when we are weary. None of us have unlimited tanks. Taking time to care for ourselves is important. Taking time to acknowledge that we are not rockstars, we are not superheroes, we are people how love what they do, are passionate about it BUT we also need time to regroup. We need to be given the chance to explore new ways of teaching that meet this challenge we face and when we fall, and we will, we need to let our passion lift us up when we are ready to try again.

Purpose

In the simplest of terms I think as teachers our purpose is to teach. I think in these uncertain times we often over think that. I have many times seen these types of images

and wondered to myself if just teaching, if just reading with and writing beside my students was enough. We are asked to be so much, expected to be so much, it can become so heavy. Lately I am seeing more and more seasoned, amazing educators considering stepping back. Leaving the profession they love because the purpose has become muddy and the passion burns out. I don’t blame them, I think it sometimes, too. It is ok. I came across a friend’s post that referred to themselves as a failure. I was struck in that moment because this teacher who serves the greatest purpose inspiring so many students and teachers felt this way, how many others are feeling it too? The uncertainty of our work right now is shaking us all but we also know a little secret. We will figure it out. One thing has not changed, our students. We don’t do this work to be rockstars or superheroes or champions or pirates or saviours. We do this work because we want to teach and inspire our scholars to seek out knowledge and create change. It might be muddy right now, we might be pushing our way through and we might stumble but holding on to what we have always known to be true, that our purpose is to teach, we will find our way out and back up. We might just need a hand.

Conclusion (Professionalism)

I think in the end if we can manage to keep our passion for this beautiful work we are blessed to do burning and keep our eyes on the purpose, the true purpose, we will weather this storm. There are so many distractions out there. Quick fixes, platitude spouting carnival barkers, door to door salesmen pushing the next book that doesn’t really address the work we do but says all these nice things. These all cloud our purpose. As teachers we sense these things and avoiding them is what that sense of professionalism is all about. Who are we working for? What is our purpose? Where is our passion for this work? Are we, despite the ever-changing landscape, holding true to who we are as teachers and keeping our students as the focus? In the end, I think we must look at the simple truths. Here are mine.

I got into teaching because I wanted to help my students think critically and find joy in learning. I am fuelled by that spark we see when those learning moments come alive. No pandemic can erase that, no uncertainty can wash it away. Will I need to take more breaks? Sure and that is ok.

What are yours?

by Mary Howard

On 9/3/20, I experienced what it feels like for a dream to come true twitter style when Debra Crouch and Brian Cambourne joined our #G2Great chat as guest hosts. This was certainly a day to honor their remarkable new book, Made for Learning: How the Conditions of Learning Guide Teaching Decisions. But it was also a dual celebration that Brian Cambourne’s Conditions of Learning would be introduced to a new generation of teachers. The fact that our chat was also Made for Learning publishing day was the celebratory icing on the cake. If you missed this chat live, you can revisit our Wakelet here.

Made for Learning represents a glorious new beginning based on Brian Cambournes sixty-year research journey. Brian’s book, The Whole Story, was published in 1988. As I anticipate the arrival of my copy of Made for Learning thirty-two years after The Whole Story was published, I can still recall holding his book in my hands knowing full well that it would forever change the way countless educators would look at teaching. Brian’s Conditions were born through many hours of thoughtful observations of children in their natural settings and this connection to the learning process is a testament of how The Conditions have changed how we view learning. 

What I love most about Brian’s hot off the press collaboration with Debra Crouch is that Made for Learning embraces this same spirit of teaching I read about over three decades ago. Like its predecessor, teaching and learning are thoughtfully intertwined and thus viewed not as what we do TO children but how we take advantage of in-the-moment responses to learners engaged in a learning experience as we honor them through professional decision-making FOR learners. Made for Learning elevates our understandings with classroom examples that Debra and Brian lovingly placed across the pages of their book. These powerful teaching-learning additions help us transition from theory to practice as we bring The Conditions to life for a new generation of children. 

You can read more about Brian and Debra here by clicking on the red boxes at the far left side. Since it’s always helpful to hear about the authors’ process from the authors, I’ll begin by sharing their motivation for writing Made for Learning in their words with the first of three questions we asked them: 

What motivated you to write this book? What impact did you hope that it would have in the professional world?

• If we want democracy as we know it to survive, schools must produce a critically literate citizenry. Therefore, we need to make learning to read and write as easy as possible. This, in turn, means using a pedagogy which does not complicate the process, and, importantly, results in durable learning.
• In classrooms, we see teachers trying to put constructivist pedagogy and associated teaching practices into place without a deep understanding of constructivist methodology. Many of these same educators are unaware of the Conditions of Learning, which provide a framework for applying a constructivist methodology. The Conditions of Learning theory serves as a framework for designing learning settings and for analyzing why learning is occurring—or not. 
• In her opening story, author Debra Crouch wrote, “My hope for readers of this book is that, through understanding the Conditions of Learning—whether it’s the first time hearing about them or it’s a revisit— educators will consider and reconsider what it is they believe about learning, decide whether and how their practices align with those beliefs, and, ultimately, trust themselves to make decisions that matter for their learners. To decide for themselves: What is the distinction between learning and teaching?” 

This distinction so beautifully captured in their words is also reflected in this book quote as we are reminded that our observations of children actively engaged in the process of learning both inform and guide rather than dictate our professional choices and thus those choices are changing and growing as our understandings of children change and grow. This is, of course, a stark contrast to the long-standing belief that teaching can be scripted and that outside sources can control this interplay of teaching and learning. It cannot!

Made for Learning offers a front row seat where Debra and Brian SHOW us how to accomplish this across the pages of the book with far more detail than I could possibly offer in a chat reflection. Instead, I captured the wise words of Debra Crouch and Brian Cambourne during our #G2Great chat to extend and support their book in a lovely merger of print and twitter chat fueled dialogue. I began by perusing their tweets during a fast-paced chat hour and then organized them looking for patterns, wanting to slow down our dialogue by sharing what we can glean from their words. And so, I offer Six Takeaways inspired by the collective wisdom of Debra and Brian:

Takeaway #1: Learners as Capable Beings

The very heart and soul of Made for Learning is the deep-rooted belief that every child is capable of learning. And when they are surrounded by those who demonstrate in actionable ways their unwavering commitment to this belief, it can become the tipping point to success. Brian points out that if what we say and do is contrary to this belief, it is likely to be passed on to children and how they perceive themselves as learners and humans. Debra reminds us that there is a vast difference between viewing teaching as a response to the child in front of us in the course of learning vs. viewing teaching as a process of “giving stuff” to children in the form of information, directives, products and dictates. How we view this teaching-learning connection is often apparent within minutes of stepping into a classroom.

Takeaway #2: Learning as Meaning-Making

One of the central features of learning spaces where The Conditions are alive and well is that the act of learning is viewed as a meaning-making process. This is largely reflected by the teacher’s language. By inviting children to think like scientists, mathematicians, explorers, historians, writers and so on, we change not only the way they perceive that learning but also the role they play within that learning. Debra extends this invitational process of learning by reminding us that learning is a collaborative experience where children are afforded the time and space to share and then refine their thinking in a culture of collective discourse. In this way, meaning making is viewed as an active process that best occurs by moving along a respectful pathway where children can share their thinking as they also are able to learn new ideas within the company of others. The idea that this is also how we best learn in the real world is no accident.

Takeaway #3: Learners as Trusted “Doers”

Debra highlights the Conditions of Engagement as a process where we view children as “doers,” or owners of their own learning. Both Debra and Brian remind us that creating a positive and supportive learning environment is critical. This allows us to respond to children as they are assuming increasing control of their own learning so we can ensure that we do not inadvertently promote dependence on the teacher. When this supportive environment offers tools and visual displays as scaffolds of what we see and hear within the learning process, this can provide a visible paper trail toward growing ownership of learning as we also increase students’ confidence in their own ability to do so. This is in contrast to compliant dissemination encouraged by programs, packages, boxes and mandates that rob children of their rightful place as doers and owners.

Takeaway #4: Learning as Approximations

Across the pages of Made for Learning, most of the student examples reflect learning through the lens of approximation. These approximations occur in on the spot learning that reflects the supportive noticings of an observant kidwatcher offering timely feedback that can move the learner ever closer to growing understanding and independence. Brian emphasizes how this begins by drawing from our own lives as a model who has engaged in this shifting process of approximating. Debra illustrates how thoughtful and responsive in the moment questions can reflect our own curiosity about their thinking in a way that extends this learner-centered process. Approximating is not about labeling responses as right or wrong but using those responses as a stepping stone to new learning that offer us new insights into student thinking at any given time from one approximation to the next.

Takeaway #5: Learners as Individuals 

Authentic learning is a key feature of Made for Learning but authenticity without time and opportunity to apply and practice that learning over time ignores the very purpose of authenticity. Brian reminds us to “identify and share student transformations” that occur within this application process vs merely replicating (and often regurgitating) what we have taught. Debra extends this transformative process of application by encouraging us to be intentional about sharing our explicit expectations for responding while also leaving ample room for student choice. If we want our students to engage in learning as doers and owners of that learning then leaving room to make the choices that best reflect them as the unique learners they are is essential. Their choices and how they respond to them will also deepen understandings we can gain about students each step of the way.

Takeaway #6: Learning as Passion-fueled

The #G2Great chat experience with Brian and Debra felt like a celebration of what learner-centered is all about so this us a fitting final takeaway. Brian’s suggestion to share stories that reflect our personal transformations as learner is such an important one. When children can see who we a learners and that this transformational process is unique to each individual, it will help them to reflect on and verbalize their own unique transformations. Debra adds that the “student/teacher bond allows us to truly “teach with a sense of awe. The choices we make as teachers within the course of student learning is far reaching. If we have any hope for learners to be passionate about their learning, then it makes sense to first model our passion about what we teach and what we see as teachers who are also learners. These connections create a teaching-learning environment where agency and inquiry work in tandem. And this has never been more important than at a time when the pandemic has shifted teaching-learning to a virtual setting.

Before I return for my closing reflection, I’d like to share our second question with a response from Debra and Brian:

What are your BIG takeaways from your book that you hope teachers will embrace in their teaching practices?

• Learning is not “stuff” given to a child. Learning is the totality of the meanings constructed, deconstructed and reconstructed by a learner. This learning drives teaching decisions, not the other way around.
• Nature has already worked out a “fail-safe” pedagogy for ensuring newborns will learn how to make meaning using oral language. This fail-safe pedagogy involves certain conditions being present which nurture oral language development. Written language is a different form of language and is learned under similar Conditions of Learning. 
• All learners have the potential to learn. When teachers structure an environment bringing the Conditions of Learning to life, they support this potential to develop. Teachers’ beliefs about learners, and learning in general, determine opportunities that are provide for those learners. 
• A shift in belief and language by teachers and students to one that aligns with constructivist pedagogy is necessary for ensuing student learning that is “fail-safe.” This shift necessitates moving from a Discourse of Acquisition, where learning viewed as “stuff” to be transferred from a teacher to a student, to a Discourse of Meaning-Making, where learning is viewed as meanings constructed by a learner.
• Teachers in constructivist classrooms organize time and resources in particular ways to encourage approximations of and responsibility for what is being learned. They respond to learners’ attempts in ways that communicate unconditional expectations and beliefs in the learner’s abilities. This in turn supports true student engagement. Constructivist learning settings support M. A. K. Halliday’s belief that we learn language, through language, and about language, SIMULTANEOUSLY.
• Unless we examine our own belief system and language, we will never fully understand why we do what we do in the way we do it. We will not understand why certain instruction works and, even more crucially, what to do when it doesn’t.  The Conditions of Learning can serve as a framework in this exploration of practice.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: An Insiders View of Made for Learning

My long-held deep appreciation for The Conditions of Learning detailed by Brian Cambourne in 1988 in The Whole Story has only been strengthened by this exquisite new collaboration with Debra Crouch. I am so grateful to them for writing this book that I know will breathe new life into The Conditions in classrooms everywhere where children will flourish through their wisdom.

In closing I’d like to share an unexpected revelation when I realized that it reflects the learner-centered view of Made for Learning. While I was working on the takeaways for this post, I suddenly felt like a poster child for what that learner centered teaching is all about. I contemplated over two dozen tweets from Brian and Debra, quickly realizing that I had to pare them down. I then began doing what I have done the better part of my adult life but rarely even thought about from an inside-out view as a learner. Yet today I felt as if I was gazing into a mirror where my status as unique learner that took years to exist and thrive suddenly made sense why my early years as a learner were less than successful. An essential part of my learning process is ample time for mental rehearsal before I can even consider starting a piece of writing. My unusual and often slow process was seen as an unacceptable path in my K-12 pursuits and a contradiction to long-standing teacher centered dictates that define acceptability. My teachers’ refusal to acknowledge my process as legitimate even though it seemed unusual to them led to many years of struggling through on-command writing. It was not until I began my undergraduate work to become a special education teacher that I was afforded the freedom to uncover the very process of learning that allowed me to be successful later in life than most and ultimately appreciate writing that I had abhorred for so many years.

While some of these steps I need to take may seem trivial, unnecessary and extraordinarily time consuming to others, they are a very essential part of my writing process that entails gathering, exploring, organizing, reorganizing envisioning, revising, moving, eliminating, adding, jotting and finally putting a first draft to paper in the form of scattered seeds of ideas that are in my head awaiting a writerly home. This leads to changes as my initial plan gradually morphs across the writing process I have found to be my saving grace. With each new step I begin to refine my thinking while I move ideas around again and again, which ultimately led me to change direction in the sixth takeaway and omit the seventh takeaway altogether.

It seems fitting to end a post about celebrating and supporting our learners in all their uniqueness and making room for choice both in what and how we engage in learning by sharing this from a personal perspective. I decided to capture the real-life images of someone who views learning as a slow path to discovery and acceptance and my deep belief as an educator that all children truly are capable, including this capable learner who was once described as a hopeless “non-conformant.” This is a perfect examples of what it means to be ‘made for learning’ and why our learners and their process to matter how different than our own should be celebrated rather than seen as an oddity to be “fixed.” Zooming in on my own process of meaning-making in technicolor view certainly put “made for learning” into perspective.

With that in mind, I’d like to close with individual reflections from Debra and Brain on our third and final question.  

What is a message from the heart you would like for every teacher to keep in mind?

Brian: Human children are made to learn by making and communicating meaning using a wide range of symbol systems. This learning will be more successful and durable if the Conditions of Learning can be applied to the learning settings teachers create.

Debra: Children come to us ‘made for learning’ and it’s up to their teachers to honor and teach from that perspective. Every child deserves a teacher who believes in them as learners—unconditionally. For, without that unreserved and unqualified conviction, children may learn in spite of us, but not because of us.

Finally, I’d like to express our deep gratitude to Debra Crouch and Brian Cambourne. We are so honored that they shared their immense wisdom on our #G2Great chat and gave us a very personal glimpse into their incredible new book, Made for Learning. This new beginning will long support our shifting perspective for current and future generations of children and impact the choices we make to ensure that we honor our children who are all Made for Learning through our actions. 

LINKS

Book Information

Matt Renwick Podcast with Debra Crouch and Brian Cambourne

Debra Crouch Website

By: Brent Gilson

The Wakelet of this chat can be found here

As I type this some teachers have returned to school for the new school year while others are beginning very soon in whatever capacity has been dictated by their local authorities. The 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 school experience will be one for the history books. The inequality that was so deeply woven into our education systems rose quickly to the surface when we could see nothing else. Don’t be fooled none of the inequity was new, it is just more widespread. There have been kids who did not have access to technology outside of the school since technology entered our schools. There have been students who did not have a safe place to go after school. There have been educational practices that oppress our students far before COVID-19.

Student advocacy is no more important now than it was before.

The difference is, of course, students that traditionally require less advocacy, because the circumstances of their life allowed for an easier path than others, now face hurdles they were ill-prepared for. In a search to find relief for that newfound discomfort we have renewed our calls for student advocacy. My hope, if anything good is to come of COVID impacted school systems is that the advocacy doesn’t fade away and we solve the discomfort for the privileged and that we continue working for all students.

It can be scary to speak up. I took part in the Institute for Racial Equity in Literacy this summer. There were elements that were fantastic, however when we broke out into affinity groups a common refrain from white educators was about the discomfort they felt pushing back against the system. Fears of being ostracized by their co-workers, perhaps being looked over for advancement in their schools for causing trouble. I was pissed. Here we were in an institute lead by some of the best educators I have had the pleasure to learn from and as soon as we are left to our own devices we take steps backwards. Our students can’t afford steps backwards. As educators, we must find our voice to advocate for ALL of our students. Stopping there is not much better than doing nothing. Voices don’t move things unless you are Blackbolt of the Inhumans (comic geek reference lets see who notices ? ). We gotta work, and our students need to see us doing it.

We also need to be aware of what students are facing, the systems that make up our schools were designed for white students, this might be uncomfortable news but it shouldn’t be new. So when we are looking at advocating for change away from “what has always been done” we must recognize that what has always been done is likely rooted in white supremacy and advocating against it is best for ALL students. To do nothing is to do harm and take part in curriculum violence. You can learn more about that here in a Teaching Tolerance article by Stephanie P.Jones (Thanks to the amazing Tricia Ebarvia and Dr. Kim Parker for sharing it with me)

It is funny because I am a part of the team and I wanted to push back on this question haha. I have been accused of being mean in my pushback often. I don’t always listen to understand because some people hold tight to dangerous views and I am not here to listen and learn, they won’t be teaching me anything. This is most certainly a closed mindset but I think of it as a filter, if my students’ wellbeing is the focus why allow the distractions of harmful practices to take up “thinking” space? If ideas are potentially harmful they do not deserve an equal voice or the freedom to express their feelings with me (I welcome pushback here, you all know where to find me ? )

Our students have so much stacked up against them and more often than not our BIPOC students have even more.

And with all of these roadblocks to success, these hurdles and hoops to jump through we see students falter. Kids pushback and face school discipline, perhaps retaliatory actions from teachers and administrators. So it really is up to us to do the pushing. There is no room for meeting a consensus if the end result is not the best possible option for students. Here Cornelius Minor reminds us where we need to be putting our energy.

Inequity in education is probably the most visible it has been in my lifetime but none of the issues is new. Racism, access to technology, poverty, limited community services, access to quality medical services, water quality, unsafe schools and homes, ZOOM rules ? , homework policies, discipline policies that unfairly target Black and Brown students. There are countless other hurdles that meet our students in the academic realm. The dire need our students have for teachers to advocate on their behave is immeasurable. Good intentions are not enough. We can peddle kindness like Ron Popiel selling a tabletop rotisserie for 4 easy payments of $99.99 but that is not going to address the systems. As teachers, we need to advocate with both our voice and our actions. We can’t keep putting bandaids on cracks in a dam hoping it will hold. We can’t sit back waiting for the day things change.

As I was writing this the words of Dena Simmons which you can find here came to mind. She talks about Social Emotional Learning and the need to address the issues caused by white supremacy and racism as we do that work or it is what she calls, “white supremacy with a hug”. As I wrote this I thought about how Advocacy without Action is just words with a smile. If we are not actively doing something to tear down the systems that cause inequity we give them permission to exist.

Well, this has been a post. As a final thought, I want to bring up a question Dr. Sonja Cherry-Paul brought up during IREL20 when speaking about ways we (white educators) can address racism and work towards equity,

“What are you willing to give up?”

This is another point that I think applies to advocacy work. What are we willing to give up?

Are we willing to put our students before our comfort? Are we willing to put our students before our work relationships? Before our standing in a school? Advocacy is rarely popular because it is pushing back against an established thing, but with students at the centre of our decision making we need to work for what is best for them and ride through the turbulence that this good work might cause in our school community.

by Fran McVeigh

So much change in the world. But as I listen to conversations about schools, I hear the phrases “reopening plans” and “reimagining learning” and a whole slew of “re-” words.

No.

No.

NO!

Words matter.

This is so NOT about “again” or ”again and again.” There is no “re-” prefix that fits these times. The decisions that are being made are about the best ways to OPEN for the 2020-2021 school year. There is no RE-OPEN if the schools are not already open for 2020-2021. In most places, the year has not yet begun. It cannot be starting AGAIN before the opening day on the calendar! Take that prefix out of your vocabulary, please!

Chill!

Breathe!

Listen!

Actions matter.

Our #G2Great chat on Thursday, July 30th was the fourth one in the past four months dealing with change and the archived Wakelet is here. You can review the chats through the archived Wakelets or the blog posts about April 2nd, May 14th and June 11th chats. All the chats literally dripped with positivity. Corresponding content on social media accounts varies as time progresses. Many teachers left brick and mortar classrooms on a Friday in March to pick up a form of Distance Learning the following Monday morning. That required weekend work. Work that has continued for months. States, districts and building staff had different visions for that distance learning. Full days of instruction? Support only? No new learning? The mandates varied. You may remember the word ultracrepidarian from that first April post but here it is again for your convenience.

Ultracrepidarian means “noting or pertaining to a person who criticizes, judges, or gives advice outside the area of his or her expertise: The play provides a classic, simplistic portrayal of an ultracrepidarian mother-in-law.” (dictionary.com link)

Everyone has an opinion about education whether they are a product of public education or not. Everyone has an opinion about the effectiveness of distance learning whether they participated or not. This post will focus on both lessons learned and planning for the future for the best opening for the upcoming 2020 school year.

What have we learned?

Cornelius Minor reminds us in We Got This. Equity, Access, and the Quest to Be Who Our Students Need Us to Be that “education should function to change outcomes for whole communities.” Changing outcomes for whole communities… Not just one section but whole communities. Continue to think about that as you read on and / or check out other wisdom from Cornelius here.

Focus on Students

Lesson Learned: As Aeriale Johnson stated in the quote above, our connections to students survived the transition to distance learning last March. We knew our students. We had their trust. We had this. Whatever boundaries were placed on our work, we were able to transcend them . . . for the students.

Planning for the Future: We have to figure out how to connect to our students’ hearts and minds. Immediately. Every second spent on connections is vital. Every second is time well spent because it is not going to be easy to begin a transition year – no matter what the transition is. The 2020-2021 school year is going to be difficult. In fact, it will take time and energy that will gnaw at our very fiber as we continually wonder “Is this enough?” Our answer will be, “It depends!” And educators will also need to nurture their collaboration partners, their teams, their communities in order to grow and learn together. #BetterTogether!

Name the Inequities and Plan to Overcome Them

Lesson Learned: It’s complicated. Making sure students are safe is priority one. Basic needs must be met before learning can occur. There is no one plan that fits for every district in a single state let alone a plan that meets the needs of every student in every state in the U.S.

Planning for the Future: Because this work is going to be school and community specific, please think about the following questions and their answers as you plan. How were needs met last spring? What did we accomplish? Who were our community partners? Where are resources aligned with needs? Where do resources need to be better allocated? Who and where are our continued allies in this work? Who are the folks in our community that need to lead the planning for wrap around resources that will enable families and communities to be successful?

Focus on the World

Lesson Learned: Shrinking our lives down to our households during mandatory quarantines and lockdowns served some basic prevention principles for Covid-19. And yet, students craved knowledge of others as well as the connections with their classmates that were previously listed.

Planning for the Future: It may seem like a huge contrast to go from a focus on the students, those beseeching eyes that will be peering out of boxes on screens, to focusing on the world. But the world is literally the future of the students. Our students can and will impact the world today, tomorrow and the future. They can and will create change that will reverberate around the world. Change may begin within ourselves, our schools, our communities, but it will be the shot fired across the bow that will be heard around the world. And how we respond will be the critical moments frozen in our timelines that we will revisit and reflect on the need to allow ourselves grace as we press onward!

Add in the Technology that Matches the Work

Lesson Learned: It doesn’t have to be cute. It doesn’t have to be fancy. It can’t be lessons that last for hours. Hard work pays off. And yet technology is wonderful when it works and the pits when it doesn’t!

Planning for the Future: Communication with families provided a window into their needs. Every child in the household cannot be using a different platform. Every child cannot be online for synchronous learning at the same time. Not enough devices. Not enough bandwidth for simultaneous streaming videos. And the added stress if adults in the house also need to be online for work! How can you provide flexibility in access to the learning work for students?

Now Write Your Curriculum

Lesson Learned: Priorities had to be set. What did you use for criteria? What was the response from your families and community? Capitalize on the overarching ideas from the previous lessons. Meet with parents/caregivers. Respond to their questions/concerns.

Planning for the Future: What are the big ideas that impact curricula? Delivery system is one aspect and the content is another. Student autonomy in working through the curricula / instruction at their own pace is critical. Not all work can be synchronous and meet the student, family and community needs. Remember Cornelius Minor’s words. “You are not the expert. You are positioned to find the answers.” Teachers everywhere are positioned to find the answers. You are free of the task of downloading knowledge. Your task is to provide time, choice and voice so that students can find the answers.

In conclusion . . .

Whatever you do or dream you can do – begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it. – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Begin the 2020-2021 school year with a plan. Focus on your dream. Build in all the flexibility that will allow you to respond to the needs of the students, their relationships, the world, the technology available as well as focus the curriculum. Construct the curricula with your students so it is relevant and engaging. Bring that beacon of light into your work with your students as you “change outcomes for whole communities.”

YOU GOT THIS.

Thank you, Valinda Kimmel, for this inspiring chat that showcased so many moments of success for educators that will inspire educators to the many possibilities for student learning!

Blog Post by Brent Gilson

Wakelet archive of this chat can be found here

“We must start their stories and identities with their excellence.”

Dr. Gholdy Muhammad

Why this book? Why now?

The problems and absences in education were my motivations to write this book. These problems and absences include the lack of mandates and policies responding to the needs of children of color. I am tired of seeing the same state standards and mandates for teaching and learning. These do not fully give all youth a chance to have a full and quality life. Often times, these same standards do not include a clear equity model for teachers or leaders. I was tired of all youth not getting what they deserve. I wanted to present what a different way could be—one that reframes education for all. This new model uses Black historical excellence as a way forward.  We have to create a new foundation and system for youth to be better educated—one that is anti-racist and anti-oppressive. The theories and practices offered in this book will rejuvenate teaching and learning practices and will benefit students, leaders, teachers and teacher educations.

Dr. Gholdy Muhammad

I am currently reading Cultivating Genius by Dr. Gholdy Muhammad. This week I was excited to participate in our chat on #G2Great about her book. The chat was electric but that is what happens when looking at such a powerful text. Growing up in Canada I have a very limited view of American History, and what I did receive was definitely the white washed version. I most certainly was never introduced to anything about Black Literary Societies which are a key focus of this powerful text. The rich literacy history was carried out largely away from the view of the white-controlled education system. As I sit reading I am constantly amazed at how little I really knew and also the fact that these Black Literary Societies were so far ahead of their time when we look at the practices of today. A key point that came up many times in the chat and the book, is the success of our Black and Brown students in the traditionally Euro-centric schools. How these systems were not created to celebrate their excellence but that traditionally schools were created to keep that excellence down.

A question has been stuck in my head since the first few pages of this text. Why did white decision-makers not embrace these early literacy practices? The short answer, of course, is white supremacy but I feel it goes beyond just that.

We have students who have been left out of the educational decision-making process because of a desire to have a one size fits all approach. This has left our Black and Brown students to struggle within a system that was not created for them to succeed.

As I read and learn about the Historically Responsive Literacy Framework I can’t help but wonder how following this would not be best for all students.

So where do we go from here? Accepting that we have been underserving our Black and Brown students, what are our next steps? How do we begin to repair the damage and begin to Cultivate Genius? Dr. Muhammad presents this path in embracing the Historically Responsive Literacy Framework.

The ideas we need to embrace

The biggest takeaway is to steer away from Eurocentric practices and ways of being and instead move toward teaching and learning grounded in the excellence of Blackness. Blackness is a diverse group and no other group of people have our histories. For this reason, it is key that we use models offered from these rich histories of Blackness. Teaching with the historically responsive model (identity, skills, intellectualism and criticality) offered in the book will enable teachers to teach the whole child. This model will enrich pedagogy and teach youth to know themselves, to know others and be socio-conscious beings in the world.

Dr. Gholdy Muhammad

As I read and learn more about Anti-racist pedagogy Identity keeps coming up. If it is in Tiffany Jewell’s This book is anti-racist, Sarah K. Ahmed’s Being the Change or in this AMAZING post by Dr. Erica Buchanan-Rivera which lays out steps for parents to teach their kids about racism and starts with identity work. Identity seems key and as we look at the work of Dr. Muhammad we see Identity is a key piece of the historically responsive framework.

Once we come to a better understanding of both our identity and that of our students we must begin looking at the ways we will approach the skills that our students need to learn. It is not secret that at #G2Great we are not advocates of the worksheet so we hope that all work students are given is worthy of their brilliance. Dr. Muhammad offers her thoughts,

Skills instruction is a necessary piece of the framework. As we shared we looked at how those skills were taught. As I read Cultivating Genius I see the authentic manner of which skills were approached, as a piece of authentic learning. Why is it that we can’t do that more? What is getting in our way as educators? Who benefits from skill work in isolation? Beyond Worksheet publishers? So how do we build our intellect? How do we build our skills? The answer is one we know but in this framework it seems so powerful.

We read. So simple and yet so powerful.

We can’t stop at reading. Lately, we see so many educators talking about the books they are reading often offering up lists but stopping there. The final pillar in this framework is Criticality. How we look at, think about and question what we read and the situations we are faced with. There are no better words than Dr. Muhammad’s here

With Cultivating Genius Dr. Gholdy Muhammad has provided us with a framework that honours the history of Black Literary Societies. In doing this we also have a pathway to helping not just our Black and Brown students but all of us reach our potential through following this work. To close, Dr. Muhammad reflects on what in her heart she would like teachers to keep in mind as they begin to reflect on her work.

Love our children. Love our Black children. Love the ways they are silent, loud, and all the spaces in between. Love their culture and Blackness. If you are going to teach Black lives, say the words, “Black Lives Matter” and authentically infuse activism and criticality into your teaching practices. Use Blackness as a model to understand other youth who have been marginalized or underserved. Don’t treat students of color as if they have deficiencies or as if you need to save them. We need to see the genius in them and start their stories off with genius and not with the things the system has created.

-Dr. Gholdy Muhammad

From the #G2Great Leadership Team

#G2Great will not hold its weekly chat, Thursday, June 4, 2020.

Vulnerability has been a part of our lives since the pandemic caused us to shelter in place and restricted our lives in March 2020. Because we, the #G2Great leadership team, live in different spaces across the US and Canada, our individual responses have varied. One shared truth is that we still don’t know how this will end. As a team we have celebrated our struggles and successes both personally and collectively. 

And then last week the murder of George Floyd with four police officers charged in Minneapolis became the tipping point as the video of eight minutes and 45 seconds of pleading by George and bystanders went viral. Breonna Taylor was murdered by police in her own home in Louisville. And Amy Cooper dialed 911 as she herself was breaking the leash law in Central Park in order to claim that she was being attacked by a Black man who calmly videoed the incident. It’s a world where being Black is dangerous. A world that our friends have always known as dangerous. A world of oppression that in our ignorance brought communities out into the streets in protest as the danger and sadness escalates daily. Violent. Senseless. Shameful.

Our #G2Great leadership team is broken-hearted over these recent events of racism in our world. Our collective grief leads us to think of actions that can help to nurture communities of support during a time of tragic loss of life from both violence and illness. Due to recent events and the need to elevate #BlackLivesMatter, we made the decision as a team to cancel our chat (June 4, 2020). We believe that our hearts are needed elsewhere and we knew that Kidlit Rally for Black Lives was a good place to start.  

In this time of overwhelming vulnerability we wonder: What can we do? What should we do? What are we doing? Are these questions weighing on you now? We are still trying to answer those questions for ourselves, but we hope that one of the following will spark your own ideas or actions because it is ultimately . . . up to each of us to determine what steps we will take in the coming days! 

What can we do?

• Seek the truth.
• Look inward.
• Reflect on our own beliefs
• Question. 
• Speak out.
• Align ourselves with our Black friends.
• Increase our “Ally” status.
• Strive to be anti-racist.
• Share the words of others
• Become Co-conspirators 

What should we do?

What are we doing?

• Continuing to study.
• Continuing to have conversations.
• Continuing to be vulnerable.
• Acknowledge that we don’t claim to have answers.
• Continuing to ask ourselves:  What am I doing?  Am I doing enough?
• We promise to stand with our Black colleagues in solidarity.

As a #G2Great leadership team we must express the range of emotions that we, like many of you, have felt:  heartfelt sadness, shock, anger, disgust, and rage. We recognize that as White educators we must do more to speak out against racism and the oppression and violence that it brings. But there is so much more to do and we are working to learn together to face these issues side by side with educators in their classrooms and communities to pushback and promote Antiracist practices. We know we must work together as a community. Yes, these events are current but they are not new and we have collectively as white educators chosen to remain comfortable rather than confront these inequities. We have a long way to go but we vow to look at our work and learn to be better allies on our journey to anti-racism.

Being vulnerable does not mean inaction. It does not mean certainty. It does mean taking a stance. We recognize that failure to act leaves one complicit in racist activities even as a witness. Historically, silence is violence.  We must take steps forward to improve the world by seeking change in our own communities..

We see you!

We stand beside you!

We love you! ❤️

by Brent Gilson

To see how the discussion played out check out the Wakelet here.

I hope I am not the only one that at times does not know why they are included in things. What their purpose is. I am not an academic writer. I write from my experience, sometimes my anger (ok most of the time my anger) and I celebrate my students, my friends and our learning together. I think that is why I am here writing for Literacy Lenses and on the #g2great team but my goodness this current pandemic and what our teaching has become has really clouded my thinking. While looking at this topic I had a hard time coming up with a thread that would bring the thoughts shared on Thursday into a cohesive piece. But here goes.

My wife Julie and I go and walk the trail systems in our tiny under 3000 people town every night. The trails weave through the old irrigation canal system that our town was build around. There is wildlife and beauty all around. The old spill gates still stand with their rusted old gears and cracked cement. I still remember when I was a kid and we would come down to my now home town and visit family friends and we would travel the creek in old inner tubes launching off from this same spill gate area. The landscape around it has certainly changed but the old dam is still there. Last summer or the summer before they put in a new bridge. This humongous spanning bridge that sways a bit as you cross the dam from one side of the creek to another. I am grown and I pick up my pace a bit to get over the bridge as quickly as I can.

On Friday as we crossed the bridge a young family, a coworker of Julie’s and her young boy approached the bridge. The boy dismounted his bike to walk the long expanse of the shaky bridge. His mother told us that the boy, I will call him Hank, was terrified of heights but he was going to try and cross this bridge to continue their bike ride. She had a younger child with her and took them across as Hank started his journey. We cheered him on as he slowly crept across the bridge. At one point Julie yelled out, “Hank you are doing it you are being so brave” to which he replied, “Yup I am doing it but I am SO SCARED!”

This event kept coming back to me this morning as I was pondering this post. We are living in a time right now where people are so scared. The uncertainty of health and safety, jobs and access to education are huge sources of anxiety and concern for many. But as we look at this bridge and the fact we must cross it to continue our journey we can only do so by taking those shaky steps.

Step 1: Relationships

I know it is said a lot and coming from some it is a cliché. I think we all know relationships are important. In this current situation I think we need to lean on them but not exploit them. Our students and parents trust us and we trust them. This relationship is the first step in success because we know we can count on each other.

Step 2: Sound Pedagogy

As we approach the return to schools in whatever form that might be we need to be doing so on the shoulders of research based practices that honour our students. Our assessment game needs to be built on equity for all students, our assignments need to take into account that our students have so much more they are thinking about than they were last year. It is the half and half it again approach. For myself I am looking at the work of Sarah Zerwin who will be a future guest of #g2great and the focus on learning versus scoring points. How that shift makes for a more equitable student centred approach.

Step 3: Learn from this and act.

There are a lot of folks out here on the teacher social media that at the start of the COVID closures were talking about inequity in education like it was a new thing. Those folks are for the most part already back to their old ways hocking some quick fix and flashy smile and slogan. Let’s not fall for that because it is a trick. We need to see these inequities and if they are new to us we need to expand our circle. Find folks that have been doing this work a long time learn from them. Spoiler: they likely are not out here trying to get you to buy things from them or join their brand. They are too busy doing real work. You want names? I am happy to share them you know where to find me. Now is the time to do more than HOPE for change. Now is the time to make it happen.

Where to next?

3 steps to bridge the gap. None of this will be easy. We are all learning as we go. Borrowing the words of Hank,

“Yup, I am doing it but I am SO SCARED!”

It is ok to be scared, it is ok to move with a little less confidence because walking into a fog can be scary, looking down and worrying about falling is scary but we have the tools to succeed. Step carefully but keep taking those steps.