PLE at Your Fingertips
Personalizing Learning at Lincoln Academy/Hairston Middle
cheer PLEF's Pep Talk! This time of the year without FOOTBALL!
The Reason for the Season - Reflective Practice
His pause to reflect may have saved hundreds, if not thousands of lives. As a teacher, you impact just as many lives throughout the course of your career. Daily reflective practice should be a common part of your day, especially as it relates to a personalized learning environment. What is reflective practice? According to the Virginia Journal of Education, "Reflection is about critically examining oneself, and it is a facet of effective teachers." When connected to a PLE, it is important to take into account:
- analyzing a the events of the day: how did your formative assessment impact how you adjusted your teaching to meet the needs of all learners?
- changing course as an event unfolds such that the outcome is altered: how effectively did you adjust your teaching practice to allow for differentiation/personalization? Did you move your students into small groups, offer showcase a video instead of lecture?...
- seeking an explanation to how students are learning (i.e., problem-solving): if you could not reach a student, is it because you don't know their learning style? If not, assign a learning style inventory.
February 1 - A day Greensboro will never forget.
Not sure what the Greensboro Four means to you, if anything but to me it means to do something with passion that you believe in. One of the biggest things that I used to talk to my students about was how the GSO4 were only FRESHMAN in college. They were young, but they did something that have evitable left a mark on history. After viewing SELMA during the MLK,Jr. Holiday my passionate was ignited once again. Daily we need those reminder on why we are in this profession, but once we get it, RUN with it! Stay motivated! Stay passionate about the things that mean the most to you and your students.
Warmoth T. Gibbs Sr. - A&T president during the sit-ins. During the sit-ins in 1960, city leaders asked Gibbs to keep students on campus. Gibbs replied, "We teach our students how to think, not what to think."
Since this is the month of Love, LOVE what you do!
Strategy Spotlight - "Backchanneling" Silent Talking
Do your students have side conversations during direct instruction, group work or independent work? Why not use that side conversation to your advantage? Let students backchannel, a digital conversation occurring in the background of a live event! You have probably participated in some form of backchannel. Have you tweeted about a session while you are in that session at a conference? Have you posted to Facebook a reaction you had to a scene or the comment a character made on your favorite television episode while it is still on? These are forms of backchanneling!
Backchanneling in education can happen in multiple forms. Having students post questions on Today's Meet while you are lecturing. Then you can answer them without disruption or let other students answer them. While students are watching a video, have them post comments and questions and let them respond to other comments and questions using 81dash.com or Padlet. This is a great opportunity to let students learn and grow from each other as well as implement formative assessment.
Below are different forms of backchannels:
1. Discussion feature on Tablet
2. Edmodo
3. Today's Meet
4. Padlet
5. 81dash.com
THIS SECTION IS ONLY FOR THE SUPERSTARS!
Amplify Market Spotlight - SyncSpace
Just a small adjustment in applying aspects of personalized learning can be the difference in moving from a proficient to distinguished educator.
Remember, we're all just one small adjustment away from making personalized learning work. Refer to the PLE Navigator and identify the modification you need to be successful in this venture.
Go on, I won't rush you.
Flip Snack
I have shared this before but I can not get enough of it. This is what we will be using to create our electronic portfolios! Why wait, start playing with it now!
Flipsnack is an application used to convert PDF files into a flipping book that is easy to use. Simply upload a PDF file, customize the book, and share. The online flip books are designed to resemble regular print books. You can choose a classic, hardcover, coil, or interactive flip format for your book, as well as a book size. Color options for the cover and background are also offered. Finished flip books can be published privately or publicly and edited at any time. The final flip book is attractive and professional-looking. Books can be shared on Facebook and Twitter or emailed and embedded with a watermark. Grades K-12.
Tip: Students can combine reports or creative writing with pictures and graphics to create flip books that can be shared with parents.
Pinterest in the Classroom?????
Pinterest
Create connections, encourage collaboration, ignite discussions, or simply share mutual interests through Pinterest. Uploaded or “pin” images and videos from websites, blogs, or your own computer, smartphone, or tablet to create boards. These boards can be private or public, and others can be invited to pin on any of your boards. Any “pin” can be "repinned", and all pins will link back to their source. Grades 6-12.
Tip: Have students work in groups to create research projects and share their sources visually
Feel free to contact me!
I am truly passionate about this thing called Persoanlize Learning, if you truly want to get there, I can help! Let me know what and when and I'm there!
Wenalyn S. Bell Glenn
~Glenn
Email: bellglw@gcsnc.com
Website: ple.gcsnc.com
Facebook: facebook.com/theplefs
Twitter: @cheerplef