Below are just several examples of student work, explanations from our amazing teachers, and anecdotes about learning from our incredible students. What you will see is that learning can be deeper, more exciting, and real when we empower our  students. Our challenge is to remember what is working and carry that momentum into the next school year. 

The examples below are a representation of amazing things going on in our "virtual" classrooms and in the homes of our students. Intrinsic motivation increases, when students own their own learning... Our clubs are meeting as well as, as is our student organization and class officers. School buildings may be closed, but we continue to seize the opportunity to making learning real!

One of the things that I worried about over the past couple of months doing remote learning was how to still be able to take "performance" classes and still keep them exciting. I think the fact that my students are able to be so vulnerable, and that they trust each other, is what allowed our classes to still do similar things on video as opposed to in school. 
I really wanted them to be comfortable in front of the camera and the trust we built as a class really helped. The students are presenting, acting scenes, doing improv activities, working out, and dancing together! 
One thing I really wanted to give them was choice. By giving them choices for projects, such as choreographing a dance number, writing a proposal to put on a show, set/costume and lighting design, creating theatre lesson plans (for our future teachers) and writing scripts/monologues, this allowed them to choose what they wanted to focus on and they were excited to create and share with us! 
It makes me so happy and excited to see their faces and know that their passion for theatre and dance can still be exciting- even through a screen. Can't wait to be back together again!
-Ms. Oliveri (@AislinnOliveri)

Science Research
The Webex (face-to-face) meetings with students have been awesome.  The attendance has been great. I am constantly inspired by the students.  They are present and willing to share. Of course some are having difficulties but even those students 'show up' for the class meetings.
Here are few of my and my students favorite assignments. 
​Please check out the link below.
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/04/scientists-have-turned-structure-coronavirus-music (Links to an external site.)
Scientist set the structure of Coronavirus protein to music. Which protein did they use?
What aspect of the structure did they use to set to music? Give some details.
But why would you set a virus to music?
I am looking forward to hear your impressions of music in our next class meeting.  Please answer the above three questions either as text or upload your answers in a pdf file.  
Many students were surprised at how calming the music was.  The students were surprised to see that by combining totally different fields (music and science) that scientist could learn about the structure of this protein.

Chemistry & Physics
​​Physics and Chemistry teachers collaborated to create a group project for students to complete in lieu of a final exam. Students could choose who they would like to work with as well as what they wanted to do and how they were going to demonstrate their understanding.  The groups choose a topic that they learned about this year (see project description below). Then they choose ONE of the following media (see project description below) to express the information and concepts from the assigned unit. There is a grading rubric attached as well. 
-Mr. Musumeci (@Mrmusumeci_MHS)
​-Mrs. Adamski (@mrsadamski1)

Project examples include a children's story, demonstration videos, comic strips, and a song.

Below is my Choice Week Project and some of the assignments I received from my student's. I wish I could send them all, it was the most responsive project to date and I was so impressed, and entertained while viewing their submissions! 
- Ms. Gross (@MsGross_MHS)

The student and teacher work included in this post are a result of good questions, coupled with a lot of creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking... and this is only a sample. It is time to keep the momentum going and continue to seize the opportunity to make learning real. These skills, along with a sense of community, are the ones that students need right now. 

Finally, I leave you with a quote from Tom Murray (@thomascmurray) and a tweet from Mrs. Erika Meza (@MrsMezaMHS) to remind you that as we continue to push toward modern learning and the important skills our students need, we must always remember that remote or live, teaching and learning is all about relationships... 

A picture is worth a thousand words.  During these unprecendented times, I started to crowd source images from around my community that not only depict the difficulties and extreme struggles felt by many, but also the amazing way our region has come together and helped each other. There is still a lot of good to see in the world... help me add to this journal with pictures from your community!
Be Safe & Stay Healthy! 

#WeAreInThisTogether

​In high schools across New York State there is always talk of the Regents Exam. This exam has been the focus of teachers since 1878 when the first high school exams were given. On April 6, 2020, that changed... at least for the time being. 

Now what?  I think we now have the unique opportunity to focus on learning, not the test anymore.  While we rely soley on remote learning opportunities... our ability to leverage technology will certainly accelarate our ability to focus on student agency. Some cynics will say that without a Regents Exam, the students will not be motivated anymore, they're going to "check out." I don't think so. Instead, I believe we need to seize this opportunity and engage our students.  Remember that first and foremost we teach students, then we teach content... and remember, children are naturally curious, want to make connections, and desire learning things that are relevant to them; things that are real. 

Now is the time to leverage creation tools. Whether it is a product to create or a problem to solve, allow students to determine how they demonstrate and share their learning. 

Now is the the time to shift the paradigm  as we are  not going to take high stakes, multiple choice tests! Lets do what we've always wanted to do... make learning fun!

Remote learning (also called distance learning) requires increased student agency where students will work on their own and at their own pace. Digital technology gives students the ability to continue learning outside of the classroom as well as opportunities to learn from peers, share thoughts, read, watch videos, and interact virtually.  Furthermore, it allows the teacher to take on more of a facilitative role while empowering students through self-paced, self-directed learning. 

On Your Own & Guided Learning Time (Asynchronous)
 Asynchronous learning will occupy the majority of learning for students. This will occur through Canvas, our Learning Management System. Students will receive lessons, videos, assignments and learning activities through this platform that will be supplemented with the use of Mathspace and Actively Learn. Additionally, teachers may employ the use of the "tools to increase engagement" listed below.
Canvas - our Learning Management System (LMS) will house and distribute announcements, content, assignments, discussions, and videos.  Watch the video here to learn how to stay organized with remote learning.
​Actively Learn - subject area reading resources with built in supports and progress monitoring tools for teachers
Mathspace - Interactive, standards and topic aligned math work with built in supports

Tools to Increase Engagement
​We are well poised to continue to use the tools that we have become accustomed to that increase student engagement and promote collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking. 
The Google suite of apps (Docs, Sheets, Slides) that are part of our workspace accounts in addition to the apps below are just some of the ways our students will continue to stay connected and engaged in the learning process. All of our students have access to our KidOYO platform as well. Computer science students will have assignments and all others are welcome to contiue working on their digital portfolios and additional learning pathways. Of course, this is not an inclusive list, rather just some of the ways that learning will continue to be meaningful for students. 

pParent Letters:
​3/17/20 - Remote Learning Letter to Families
3/20/20 - Update
​3/27/20 - Update
4/4/20 - Update
​4/7/20 - Update
4/9/20 - AP Testing Updates
​4/10/20 - Update
4/17/20 - AP Update #2
​4/17/20 - Update
4/24/20 - Update
4/30/20 -  AP Update #3 (AP Testing Guide / Exam Day Checklist for Students)
 5/2/20 - Update
​5/9/20 - Update
​5/16/20 - Update
5/18/20 - AP Update #4
5/22/20 - Update

To sum up my time at Ted-Ed, I am always inspired by our students when we give them the opportunity to explore their passions. We must continue to amplify student voice and provide increased opportunities to provide choice in terms of learning.  Congratulations to Jennifer Moglia and thank you to Lindsay Audiino, Bette Sloane, and the entire Ted-Ed team for cultivating a rich student centered program that celebrates the power of our youth. As our hosts from Ted-Ed reminded us, “The youth are changing the world... now.”

Below are my notes and takeaways from my learning at EDspaces2019. The conference, held in Milwaukee, WI this year,  "the place where technology, space, and pedagogy converge." It was a great opportunity to see learning environments and hear from expert designers, architects, and educators.

Outdoor Learning in an Early Childhood setting 
Nate Bosch - Landscape architect with GMB 

1. Playing / Learning 
2. Outside / Inside
3. Unstructured / Structured 
4. Natural / Constructed 

Time in nature, whether structured or unstructured, can blur the lines between play and learning 
European Forest schools - in Chicago Illinois as well 
Richard Louv - Pioneer of connecting back to nature 
academic environments becoming treatment spaces 
Little Hawks school - Holland, MI

• robust playground area
• Connect to the water

Strategies to incorporate nature in education:

1. Nature is the primary classroom - connecting people to nature as soon as they arrive; make formal spaces feel informal; building is secondary to the site
2. Maximize outdoor experience by simplifying indoor spaces - simple spaces promote active learning; space conservation / smaller footprint; utility functions can be educational and play space; mud room experience
3. Holistic approach to nature-based education - natural materials in built environment; expansive views to outside environment; openness to outside; natural sunlight / effects on student behavior (south orientation)
4. Create Dynamic outdoor environments - allow kids to be creators & self-directed; promote nature inclusion and invite the native (wild) in; flexible spaces for educators to engage students; allow room for the unpredictable

“Do what you can, with what you have.” ~ Teddy Roosevelt 
Tips: 

• 10 different spaces for play/learning 
• Looping walk ways 
• Open grass area - to just run / roll 
• Trees and shade - inclusivity / skin cancer / cool down 
• Plant material - dynamic textures; edible items 
• Outdoor storage 
• Sheltered space - protected from elements 

21st Century Workplace Competencies: How can design shape student success? 
Gould Evans 

• Inside higher ed survey - great graphic 
• Arizona, Association of Colleges and Employers - Employer v. Student perception 
• Lasso Bock - GPAs are worthless... 
• Enterprise skills or transversal skills 
• Gouldevans-edco.com 
• Gen Z 
• Alpha 
• Competencies and Profile of a Graduate 
• Human adaptability in relation to technology and change 
• Missouri Innovation Campus - https://youtu.be/041UqIV9QgA
• Adaptive and modular space
• STEAM studio - in the office at Gould Evans - work with Rutgers University - Laura Evans
• Power Skills and attributes - integrity, drive, ability to communicate
• Come out of school doing nothing real
• Portraits of a graduate - toolkit - 16 activity types
• Lee Summitt School district has 5 competencies as part of their portrait of a graduate
• Enterprise skill development ‘the competency project’ —— beta 
• Connectingcredentials.org 

mentoring influences) brought him to several conclusions, among them were that the skills you need to succeed in a competitive academic environment are not related to innovation era. 
What must we do differently to prepare students for the innovation era?

• Ask for evidence of a problem solved or failure and learning associated with it. 
• Look for creative problem solving abilities - we are born this way - young children ask 500 questions or more and everyone is an artist .Then something happens... school. 

In fact, the students identified as creative innovators became innovative despite university and educators who were influencers were outliers in their educational institutions.

Next, Wagner identified 5 contradictions in education:

1. Measuring and rewarding individual achievement - innovation is a team sport 
2. Silos of knowledge - Not a single real problem can be solved within an individual academic discipline 
3. Culture and structure of the classroom where knowledge of an indivual, compliance, are valued and students are consumers - The world demands that you seek out information 
4. F- Word (failure) We grade kids on the mistakes they make - Innovation demands failure; iteration - this is fundamentally how we learn - we learn more from our mistakes than our successes; we learn from trial and error; use A, B, and Incomplete (B is performance standard as evidenced by a body of work; A is reserved for real human excellence) - How many want to fly with a C- airline pilot?
5. Motivation. We use fear (failing, embarrassment, not getting....) - This does not bring out the best in us. The innovators had intrinsic motivation. - both parents and teachers focused on play, passion, and purpose.

Next steps/food for thought:

• Does state have an educational R & D budget?
• Accountability 2.0 - selective assessments every 3 years with demographically similar students 
• Every student has a digital portfolio that shows progress over time
• Every student demonstrates mastery badges on a transcript — what can they do
• What content are kids learning? What skills are they learning? How are they being motivated to do their best work?
• What if we make our work public? 
• Statewide profile of a graduate - what is the assessment for the attributes on the profile? 
• Develop local performance assessments 
• What are our recent graduates doing? What did we do right? What would have helped you?
• Internships
• Have students keep question journals? Or concerns?  - then give them time & space to explore those questions 
• College admissions process does not encourage innovation - consortium transcript; test optional 
• The skills you need for work today are the same ones you need for active citizenship, life long learning, and creative leisure ​

So... back to Sunday evening.  The  Special Olympics opened the evening with a reception that featured a series of writable glass walls in aa large conference room space where participants could add their response to the question, "What does inclusion mean to you?"  We also had the opportunity to talk to representatives and teachers who explained the Unified Chamption Schools program.  After the reception, it was time to start planning the week.  Just to put this conference into perspective,  the schedule is a 164 page with a table of contents.  There are so many choices, it is overwhelming.  There is even an app to help you organize your day.  

Day 1:
I started the day with a walking tour of Austin.  It began early and we saw several sites such as William Sydney Porter's home. For those of you who don't know him, he has written many stories including The Gift of the Magi and The Ransom of Red Chief to name two under the name O. Henry. It was cold and I cut the tour short... but not before learning that the guide works for a company called Tipster Tours.  This company takes people on free, no reservation, walking tours in cities around the country. From their website, "You pay what you like after the walk. You decide. We truly believe that if we do our best to create a great experience for people…without demanding anything in return…good things happen. Positive energy is created, which is beneficial to all!" So Cool!

Back at the conference, I decided that a good place to start was at the "First Time to SXSW EDU Meet Up."  This session was packed and led by Dan Ryder (@WickedDecent) and Lakita Edwards (@ArtsHumana).  The session was packed with newcomers like me and the facilitators provided opportunities for us to meet and talk.
Additionally, they shared tips like:

• Explore the Festival
• Experience Austin
• Prepare to be amazed and catch #onlyatSXSWEDU moments
• Share the Spark / Tell your story 
• Ask your fellow attendees what brings them to SXSWEDU
• Honor the power of the personal connection
• Embrace the Arts 
• and much more... 

   I was ready... at least I thought so. Lakita left us with several thoughts: I filled my schedule (remember it is 164 pages long) and off I went.  The exhibit hall, AI and Machine Learning, Remixing Virtual Reality (VR), OnRamps to College Success, Using Technology to drive Pre-AP success, and Timeless Learning, a Campfire formatted conversation with Pam Moran (@pammoran) and Ira Socol (@irasocol).  What a whirlwind of a take... I was completely overwhelmed and felt like I was running from workshop to workshop so as not to miss anything that looked interesting... While that was not effective, I did reflect on many takeaways:

1. ​​​Students who take dual credit classes are 2x more likely to enroll in college
2. There are about 300,000 AI practitioners and researchers worldwide, but millions of roles available (Forbes, June 2018)
3. We must leverage and improve our academic networks with colleges.  Football coaches and Band directors do it,  show should we.
4. Pre AP courses will be available to all schools in 2020.  
5. VUCA stands for Volatile, Unpredictable, Complex, and Ambiguous, and it descibes the world we live in.  This world requires us to be open, embrace possibilites, be transformative, and be imaginative.
6. Noise attracts kids, and repels [some] adults.
7. No two schools should replicate the exact same thing as there are not the same.
8. Children from poverty know different, not less.

Day 2
Well, after a crazy day one, I did some reflection.  I perused the catalog and scaled down my expectations... not my expectattions for learning, but rather than breadth, I wanted depth. 
​My Day Two Schedule:

• Keynote: Turning Challenges Into Opportunities: The Ashesi Way
  • Patrick Awuah Jr., delivered the morning keynote where he described his return to Africa to create a new future there with a focus on changing the leadership core.  His focus was on student government and creating ownership of the mission.  Identifying the problems that existed an enacting an honor pedge that would not tolerated corruption and unethical behavior was where they began and transparency and collaboration with institutions outside of Africa using technology to amplify human behavior.There focus has become the need to teach love, compassion, ethics and how to ask questions - how to learn for a lifetime.    

This attitude led him to become an at NASA, an organization he said, works really well together.  From there, he experienced tremendous challenges, including losing his hearing in a pool training exercise, that he overcame to be able to make several space flights.  He encouraged the audience to use what kids love in order to teach them more effectively.  His website, lelandmelvin.com has more about his current work as well as many inspiring videos.  Don't forget to check out the "stupid astronaut tricks." And finally, don't forget the "man in the yellow hat" from Curious George who symbolically represents the people in your life you constant lift you up and are there for you. ​

• The Science of Science Podcasts 
  • Nate Butkus, an 8-year old young man has developed a passion for inspiring kids with his science based podcasts. His show is called "The Show About Science" He does his research on YouTube and has done interviews with many current scientist while also appearing on national television. He too reminded the audience to never let anything stand in your way.  https://soundcloud.com/the-show-about-science

i Stands for Experiential Entrepreneurial Semester

• Ranked #10 by The Princeton Review, Tec de Monterrey College in Mexico focuses on entrepreneurial development. The focus for students is to start a business, using their passions, in a semester long effort where the class meeting times are modified to facilitate this model of learning.  There is also a strong mentoring component that has led to success. It follows the Tec21 Model that assures the development of solid, comprehensive exit competencies that will help to solve, in a creative, strategic manner, the challenges of the present and those the student will face in the future.  The exit competencies are:​
  1. Evaluate - the coherence, relevance and risk of the business model
  2. Integrate - necessary resources for the development of a product or functional service
  3. Specify - the value proposition through the development of a product or functional service
  4. Implement - customer acquisition strategies
  5. Communicate - entrepreneurial project effectively to clients, investors, mentors, and work team 
  6. Integrate - personal and entrepreneurial team strengths 

Day 3
Day 3 was going to be a day of networking with educators, visiting the vast exhibit hall, seeing several speakers , and then engaging in two hands-on workshops.

• Young People Win: Rethinking Advocacy in a New Era
  • This presentation was a conversation between news reporter Dan Rather (@danrather), and David Hogg (@davidhogg111), co-founder of March for Our Lives. The conversation focused around what David called "sensible gun control" and community based violence intervention, two of the goals of the March for Our Lives Movement.  He pointed out several facts that included regulations on toy guns being more regulated than the real ones as well as the lack of research funding around guns and laws that protect gun manufacturers.  When asked to be objective about what he has accomplished as well as what he is most proud of, David pointed new laws that enable courts to disarm people as well as the rise of youth voter turnout.  Dan Rather ended the meeting with a favorite quote of his, "Hearts can inspire other hearts with their fire."
• A Gift of Literacy: A Conversation with LeVar Burton
  • Reading and literacy are a birthright according to LeVar Burton (@levarburton)as he talked about the importance of reading in his home growing up.  Not only did his mom read to him, but she modeled reading for him. "If a child can read, they can accomplish anything," said Burton. Skybrary, a newly released app is a supplement to the reading experience available in the app store, developed by LeVar and his team and now part of the Reading is Fundamental network. Our love of reading is cultivated and connected to our passions. and we need to give all students both choice and access.  
• Using Tattoos to Teach the Essay Writing Process
  • This workshop, presented by Jonathan Chin was intended to teach the group exactly what the title indicated... 
  • The Task: with your group, please design a meaningful tattoo for me.  It will go on my forearm and/or hand.  It can be any size you feel appropriate, and any color among the sharpies we have, etc.
  • Ground Rules: (1) you can use your smart phone or device to look me up.  Note: I go by both Jon Chin and Jonathan Chin. (2) Your group can ask me two questions total.  Make sure they are worth asking. (3) You can use scrap paper to sketch and develop your ides.  In the last 10 minutes, nominate one artist to transfer the tattoo to me.  
  • The idea behind the task was to introduce students to low and high stakes tasks, asking questions, using primary sources, online research and source credibility, engaging creativity and the visual sense, and symbolism, all while empowering students by changing the power dynamic
• Developing Creativity in Every Classroom (Presented by Adobe) 
  • This workshop, was a hands-on workshop around design thinking.  The design challenge was: How might educators encourage students to identify creative solutions to real world problems in their community? We were reminded that 72% of hiring managers say that students aren't prepared, lacking communication, creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration skills (Adecco's "State of the Economy and Employment Survey) 
  • Visit the Stanford d.School 
  • Stoke Deck
  • The Ever Forward Club
  • The Masks We All Wear - Ashanti Branch TexMarin
  • Additionally, explore the following Apps... Spark Post, Spark Video, and Spark Page

Jennifer's full presentation can be seen here: https://youtu.be/3s_NkSEWJZg 

I have been a firm believer in the power of social media for quite some time now. I am an avid Twitter and Instagram user in both my personal and professional lives and have encouraged my colleagues to "tell their story" via Twitter at our high school.
We have been very successful at telling our story and "virtually" opening up our school to our community... and world. We have also made connections... the purpose of this post.
I love hearing from our teachers about the professional learning networks (PLNs) they have become a part of. I love my own PLN and have grown so much from the connections I have made. It is easy to stay isolated, but we are better together.
In our school, we are connected! We are able to share our own work, values, interests, celebrations, and the amazing accomplishments of our students both inside and outside of the classroom. We are able to connect our community to our school in ways that were previously inconvceivable... that is redefining learning.
We can also grow professionally in real time. By following each other as well as other practitioners and researchers we no longer have to wait for professional development to come to us. We can create our own, anytime, anywhere. And... when you meet new people, because face to face connections are equally if not more important, you are able to keep that connection active through social media... all the time.
So... if you are not on Twitter (or Instagram for that matter), it’s time to connect. Social media is powerful!

follow me @whittneysmith_ and our high school @mineolahs


​