Day 40 – Educators & Law Enforcement: Partnering to Serve Kids

October 9, 2014 / HSE_21

One of the most obvious win-win community partnerships for a public school district can be its collaboration with local law enforcement. The Fishers Police Department (FPD) and Hamilton Southeastern Schools have a well-established and vibrant partnership that serves our students on many fronts. From our School Resource Officers (SROs) to the DARE program, from Text-a-Tip to trainings/simulations with teachers and students, HSE Schools and the FPD work closely to promote the safety and well being of all.

Wednesday night’s HSE21 Parent Meeting was a wonderful case in point! iPad Safety & Restrictions was designed for parents of students in grades five and six—students who now have iPads as learning tools for use at school and home! HSE and FPD leaders spoke with parents in attendance about social media, iPad safety, and more, looking at these topics from social, educational, and developmental vantage points.

As our global society continues to connect digitally, HSE Schools & the FPD will work together to keep families aware the best resources for learning, communicating, and collaborating, as well as those that may pose threats to the safety of children. If you missed last night’s meeting, but are interested in the content–the presentation screencast is available here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2h4im4tDZU

Thanks to Lieutenant Mike Johnson (pictured), Sergeant Matt Simmonds, and HSE Educational Technologies Director Jeff Harrison for their expertise and time in presenting this material.

Day 39 – Passionate Teaching

October 8, 2014October 9, 2014 / HSE_21

Today’s HSE21 Short is written through the eyes of a high school student. It is included because it sheds light on one of the most important aspects of great teaching.

Over the years, I’ve had many different teachers. Some of them I have gotten along with more than others, and I prefer some of their teaching styles to others. But I will tell you, even when I’m not wild about the subject (like science), when I have teachers who are passionate about what they teach, it won’t matter. I will certainly respect them for it. I had a science teacher last year, and you could just tell that he loved what he was doing every single day. He loves chemistry; you could tell by how he has devoted his life to it, and how adamant he is about helping his students understand what he is teaching. Even though I did not enjoy the subject matter, I certainly loved him as a teacher because of the interest and joy he expressed towards what he was doing.

I have a few teachers this year that fall under the same category. My math teacher is so adorable! She gets so excited every time that she is teaching us something new, and smiles and thinks that math is so fun. Even though I don’t share the same passion toward calculus, it is nice knowing that the person teaching me truly loves what she is doing and will try with all of her power to help us understand and love math just as much as she does.

These teachers, I believe, will leave a lasting impression on me. Even if they don’t inspire me to love chemistry or calculus, they inspire me to be inspired. These teachers and a few others are the ones that make me want to go out and find career that I am passionate about and devote my life to it and love what I do with every fiber of my being. These are the teachers I will remember. Thank you to all of you teachers that have inspired me and everyone else to continue to pursue our passions.

-FHS Student, Class of 2016

Day 38 – 2nd Graders Report: Fishers HAS Changed!

October 7, 2014October 7, 2014 / HSE_21

On Day 19, HSE21 Shorts reported on Mrs. Hillman’s second-grade class and this driving question: “How has Fishers changed?” The query grew out of the second graders’ study of communities, and became a true inquiry project for the students. The students became investigators– researching, consulting experts, making comparisons, looking for connections, and drawing conclusions.

Several weeks later, the conclusions are drawn: Fishers HAS changed. It is a much different place for seven-years-olds than it was in the past! In business and employment, in education, and in size, Fishers has gone from small farming and railroad town to a bustling, busy (nearly) city. But don’t take my word for it. One key of problem-based learning is the authentic presentation of findings. Mrs. Hillman’s students created video presentations of their research that have been shared with families and friends. They even shared a couple with HSE21 Shorts. Enjoy!

Day 37 – Learning to Summarize…Using Tweets (#140charactersmax)

October 3, 2014 / HSE_21

Eighth grade English teacher Stephanie Dalton illustrates how creativity in lesson planning (along with some insight into what motivates young teens) can lead to deeper understanding and interaction with text.

Last night, my students read chapter two of The Hound of the Baskervilles. This early 20th century text presents a challenge for my students–especially in the beginning. The core of the piece is the dreaded curse cast upon the Baskerville Estate which is presented in chapter two–last night’s homework assignment.

In class today, it was important to revisit the curse in order to deepen our understanding of this core text element. So, we tweeted about it. I asked each student to create an imaginary Twitter handle to identify themselves, and to write a 140-character tweet about the first event of the curse. Then we passed our iPads to our neighbors and had them continue the fake Twitter feed. During this time, student were welcome to skim their text so their tweets were accurate with the text itself. After six passes, we had a great summary of the curse as well as some laughter about our chosen hashtags. The best part of this lesson was students’ deep and critical thinking. The summary is easy; making hilarious hashtags was the challenge!

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle would have been proud.

Submitted by Stephanie Dalton, Riverside Junior High, English

Day 36 – You Are a Genius, Part 2

October 3, 2014October 3, 2014 / HSE_21

In You Are a Genius, Part 1, we saw ways in which Genius Hour fosters creativity and student-centered inquiry in our youngest students. (If you missed it, visit HSE21 Shorts Day 35!) Today’s Genius Hour post–presented as a conversation with FHS English teacher Kyle Goodwin–illustrates the depth of student engagement, personalized learning, and 21st century skill development that exist when high school students are allowed to investigate their own curiosities in the context of English class.

HSE21: Start by describing the parameters of Genius Hour in your class.

Mr. Goodwin: Students begin by understanding the building blocks of Genius Hour to be autonomy, mastery, and purpose. From there, they follow five steps:

STEP 1: Choose something you’re passionate about…and pursue it.

As a Genius Hour session begins, Mr. Goodwin reminds his students of their goals for the day.

STEP 2: Pitch Your Project. The Pitch is a “three-slide” or presentation, followed by a Q & A from the class.

STEP 3: Blog Your Process. Students set up a blog and update readers on their progress. The first post should answer, “What are your goals for this project?” and “How will you measure your progress?” From there, other blog posts discuss progress, discoveries, and setbacks. Students should be able to answer, “What have you learned about your topic? What have you learned about yourself? Where do you go from here / what’s the next step?”

STEP 4: Vlog an Insight. Students are asked to create a video blog answering “What / who inspired you in relation to your specific project? How have your readings and resources informed your approach?”

STEP 5: Share Your Learning. Students write, design, and perform a meaningful TED talk. I give students a suggested organizational pattern for their talk (hook, transitions, logical order to your main points, effective conclusion), and suggest content (inspire your audience with your passion for your pursued activity; explain the process and show the products of your project; talk about your purpose or what the audience should learn from your product; include a meaningful take-away). Classes vote on the best couple of presentations, and the winners will be asked to deliver their TED talks in the FHS auditorium on a Saturday in May, where we invite an authentic audience: teachers, friends, parents / families, administrators, experts from the field, etc.

HSE21: Wow. The potential for creative invention seems huge! And what an opportunity to practice 21st century career skills: locating, evaluating and synthesizing information, managing time, reflecting on learning, and presenting to an audience in a variety of formats. Have there been any challenges in establishing Genius Hour for your students?

Mr. Goodwin: The greatest challenge we’ve seen so far with Genius Hour has been students feeling comfortable thinking for themselves and creating. I don’t say that to bash our students, by any means, but in the past, the overwhelming majority of their educational careers has been spent through a series of acts of compliance. They listen to teachers teach, they receive an assignment, and they complete the assignment. It’s like a gigantic factory. Genius Hour lets them be in control of their own learning.

HSE21: Absolutely! Through Genius Hour, learning becomes active instead of passive. What has been the greatest benefit of Genius Hour for your students thus far?

Mr. Goodwin: The greatest benefit to students has certainly been an opportunity for students to think for themselves. The students have already surpassed my expectations, and we’re only six weeks in! Their creativity has been “unlocked” in some sense, and every week I’m surprised with what some of my students are capable of. It’s been a challenge for me, as a teacher, to let go a little bit, but when I see what students are doing, creating, and walking away with, I know it’s for the best. My role has changed from “sage on the stage” to “instructional coach” on Genius Hour days, and it’s been a wonderful experience, to say the least.

In a later post, HSE21 Shorts will explore some of the individual Genius Hour projects that Mr. Goodwin’s students have undertaken this year. We’ll also check on students’ progress throughout the year. Stay tuned!

Day 35 – You Are a Genius, Part 1

October 1, 2014 / HSE_21 / 1 Comment

There is a genius in all of us, right? The teachers at Thorpe Creek Elementary think so too! Many TCE classrooms from kindergarten to fourth grade dedicate instructional time to Genius Hour each week. Students inquire, explore, and expand their wonderings and passions. They are given time to wonder and ask questions about their world, research and explore, and then students share their findings with the class and community! And it looks different in every classroom!

Mrs. Eby modeled her own inquiry for her kindergarten class when she shared how she discovered that her broken air conditioner had actually been struck by lightning! She shared how she asked questions, where she went to seek the answers, and how she shared her findings. Her students then started asking their own questions. Some first graders in Mrs. Potter’s class asked questions like, “Why do bees sting you?” and “Why do we have an attic in our house if we never use it.”

Mrs. Gibson’s fourth graders are finding that some of their wonderings are turning into projects! One group wondered how gluten-free ice cream is made, and now they are making their own and sharing it with the class! Another group of students in her class is learning about robots and attempting to build their own. Mrs. L. King’s second graders are making informative videos, including one about the dangers of poison ivy!

What do you wonder about? How do you find answers to your questions and share the information with others? We all do this every day! That’s what HSE21 instruction and Genius Hour is all about…purposely, creatively, and safely navigating our everyday inquiries!

-Submitted by Leslie Hopper, Thorpe Creek Elementary Media Specialist

Day 34 – The 7,825 Pound Partnership

October 1, 2014 / HSE_21

And the grand total is…7,825 pounds! That’s the amount of pasta that will be making its way to seven local food pantries in the coming weeks. It’s all part of PastaBowl, a joint effort between the HSE Schools Foundation and HSE school families to raise hunger awareness and build critical food donations for Hamilton County. The final collection numbers were revealed Tuesday in a joint announcement by the HSSF and Meijer, this year’s PastaBowl sponsor.

Many Hoosiers would not typically think of Hamilton County as a hungry place. Yet a recent Indianapolis Star article reported that nearly 12,000 children in Hamilton County struggle with hunger. Hamilton Southeastern Schools has observed this fact as well, through an increased need for free and reduced lunch support. And when students are hungry, it’s hard to learn. Eliminating this barrier to learning is the driving purpose behind PastaBowl.

When asked his thoughts on PastaBowl, HSE School Board President John DeLucia noted, “It is a fun way to bring the school community together to make a difference for the Fishers Community.” Exactly! Working together to solve real community problems–part of the HSE21 mission.

The mission of HSE21 is to equip students with the content knowledge, unique skills, and new literacies they will need to contribute positively in their communities and succeed in the 21st century global economy.

Reference:

Anthony, C. (2014, September 21) Need for food aid grows as donations drop. Indianapolis Star. Retrieved from http://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/hamilton-county/noblesville/2014/09/09/donated-food/15336171/

Day 33 – The Engagement Challenge

October 1, 2014 / HSE_21

You’ve heard of the Ice Bucket Challenge. Recently, the HSE21 pilot team at Riverside Junior High challenged their colleagues to the Engagement Challenge! As RJH looks toward August 2015 when students will be 1:1 with iPads as learning tools, the HSE21 team challenged their peers to visit others’ classes several times this year – to gain new teaching ideas and (in the pilot rooms) see one-to-one blended learning in action. Since an engagement challenge need to be engaging, they rolled out the Challenge here:

Following a peer-to-peer classroom visit, teachers are encouraged to share what they learned through a Google form. Pilot teacher Stephanie Dalton added this as she rolled out the Engagement Challenge in an email to staff: “After you complete the form, you can press ‘see previous responses’ to see all of the other great things happening here at the River!”

Day 32 – On the Move For All Students

September 29, 2014 / HSE_21

Most of us associate the role of ‘teacher’ with the full-time, daily instruction of children, i.e., a classroom teacher, and that is certainly the most direct teaching role! Other teachers, however, walk beside classroom teachers in support of student learning. One such teacher is Laura Rinderknecht, Academic Support Specialist in HSE’s Special Education department.

As a specialist in special education, Ms. Rinderknecht is full of energy and the passion to personalize learning for each individual student. She travels throughout the HSE district, conducting trainings for special education teachers, instructional assistants, high-ability teachers, English as a new language teachers, and others. Laura’s professional trainings focus on evidence-based classroom practices that support students in every demographic. Laura says that, currently, she is on a ‘visual supports rampage’, because of the power of visual supports to increase the understanding of language and environmental expectations.

Ms. Rinderknecht also stays on the move as a provider of coaching and support in HSE special education program classrooms, setting up structured teaching and implementing strategies based in research. She works with general education teachers as well, helping them to understand the particular disabilities of their students and to plan effective instruction. Woven through her many responsibilities and roles is Laura’s energy and passion for all students and teachers.

One more special note! While Ms. Rinderknecht’s HSE role keeps her traveling around Fishers each day, in the near future she’ll embark on a much longer journey. Laura was recently awarded a Lilly Creativity Fellowship to travel to Antarctica, where we believe her energy and passion will by necessity be divided between creative learning and –keeping warm!

Day 31 – Behind Every Great 21st Century Teacher…

September 27, 2014 / HSE_21

…is a smart and responsive technology department!

Document storage and access, communication tools, calendars — these are integral to most everyone’s 21st century work life. For teachers, though, technology integration doesn’t stop with email. Teachers use multiple digital applications and tools in their classrooms every day–to share content, integrate multimedia components, assess student comprehension. and solicit student feedback. None of this would be possible without computer systems experts, IT specialists and a dedicated support staff in place.

HSE Technology Department employees work tirelessly and creatively behind-the-scenes on behalf of teachers. Their overall goal is to support the curriculum and to enable responsive teaching and learning in HSE classrooms. HSE Technology…a vital part of the Hamilton Southeastern learning community!