Friday's Five: Summer Reading Books

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Friday's Five is a feature every week where I pick a new topic and list five items that I think fit best.  Then I ask you, my readers, to share your thoughts in the comment section.  For an archive of past topics, check the Friday's Five Page.  If you'd like to make suggestions about future topics or discuss topics I bring up on the blog with others, make sure you click the "like" button on the right hand side of the page to join A Teacher's Life for Me on Facebook.  Don't be shy about sharing the blog and Facebook Page with others.  Each post has a "Tweet" button on top and buttons on the bottom that allow you to share in several ways, including e-mail, Facebook, and Twitter.

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Since today marks the last day of the school year and the beginning of summer vacation for me, I thought I'd share five books that I plan to read over the summer.  After all, summer is the time when we, as teachers, finally get the chance to read and go to the bathroom.  Not all of the books are education based, but that's OK.  Being well-rounded is one of the things that makes us good teachers.

After reading my list, please share a book or two that you plan to read or that you suggest in the comment section.  I'm always looking for a good book, and I'm sure others who read the blog would appreciate suggestions and/or recommendations.

1. The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch - This book was highly recommended and loaned to me by a colleague.  It's the story of Randy Pausch's last lecture at Carnegie Mellon University, where he was a professor, just before he died of pancreatic cancer.  
2. The Vault of Walt by Jim Korkis - I admit it.  I'm a Disney Geek.  I love the stories behind the parks, stories of Walt's life, and stories about the company that very few people know or remember.  That's what this book is filled with.  It's a collection of short anecdotes from the memory and research of Jim Korkis, former Disney employee and respected Disney historian.  The forward is written by Diane Disney Miller, Walt's daughter.   
3. Why We Do What We Do:  Understanding Self-Motivation by Edward L. Deci - The High School principal in our district loaned this book to me a while back.  It's time that I read it and gave it back to him.  When he gave it to me there was a sticky note on the cover that said, "Mike, Read with caution.  This one has made me rethink everything we do in education."  Sounds like my kind of book!
4. Galen Rowell's Inner Game of Outdoor Photography - When people find out that I am a photographer, or see my portfolio, I often get asked, "Who is your favorite photographer?"  The answer is Galen Rowell.  The guy was an amazing photographer, writer, and person.  His passion for outdoor adventure photography is evident in his work, and contagious.  It's unfortunate that he died in a plane crash in 2002 because the world lost one of it's great creative minds and artists.
5. A World in Transition:  Finding Spiritual Security in Times of Change - This anthology of essays and talks has been sitting on my shelf for many years, but I have yet to read it cover to cover.  I have found the parts I have read to be inspirational, thought provoking, and enlightening.  The inside of the book jacket claims, "Today there is a great emphasis on external solutions to our problems.  Yet, peace, happiness, and prosperity all come from within."  That message is similar to Gandhi's "Be the Change" quote that I referenced in a previous post.  

Now it's your turn.  What books do you plan to read this summer?  What books would you suggest to others?  Have you read any of the above books?  What did you think?  Let us know in the comment section.

Also, don't forget to share the blog with others by clicking on the "Tweet" button up top, sharing on Facebook, sending a plurk to your PLN, or all of the above!

Friday's Five: Continue Your Learning This Summer

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This week's Friday's Five is a special cross-post on summer learning that also appeared on Lee Kolbert's "A GeekyMamma's Blog." Friday's Five is a feature every week where I pick a new topic and list five items that I think fit best.  Then I ask you, my readers, to share your thoughts in the comment section.  For an archive of past topics, check the Friday's Five page.  If you'd like to make suggestions about future topics or discuss topics I bring up on the blog with other readers, make sure you click the "like" button on the right hand side of this page to join A Teacher's Life for Me on Facebook.  Don't be shy about sharing the blog and Facebook page with others.  Each post has buttons on the bottom that allow you to share several ways, including e-mail, Facebook, and Twitter.

www.freedigitalphotos.net / graur razvan ionut  

When summer comes, many of the sources of stress that drain your physical and emotional energy during the school year disappear.  Along with having some extra time to do some of the things you love other than teaching, it’s a fantastic time to learn, share, and find new inspiration that will make your classroom more enjoyable for yourself and your students.  So, when you are not taking a little time to enjoy camping in the woods, lounging on a beach somewhere, or whatever it is that you do to relax, here are five ways to continue your learning during the summer:

1. Participate in a Professional Learning Network (PLN) – Nothing that I have experienced in my career has taught me more or inspired me as much as my PLN.  Whether through collaboration using social networks like Facebook, Plurk, and Twitter, seeing different points of view on the blogs that I follow, interacting with those that follow my blog, or learning through my membership in professional organizations, I am constantly gaining insight as to how to better do my job.  During the summer, all of those resources are still available.  
2. Read a Book – It’s often hard to find the time to read during the school year.  During the summer, though, I’ve been able to read some great books that helped me grow as a teacher.  If you’re not sure what to read, ask your PLN. I’m sure they’ll have great ideas.  Another option is to join a book group on a site like Goodreads.  Two of the more influential books on education I’ve read are The Element by Sir Ken Robinson and Lies My Teacher Told Me by James W. Loewen.
3. Attend and/or Present at a Conference – Educational conferences are fantastic places to both pick up new ideas for your classroom and network with other professionals.  Many take place during the summer months to make it easier for educators to attend.  Presenting is an extremely rewarding experience that often comes with the benefit of a free or reduced registration fee.
4. Browse Through Bookmarks - During the school year I am flooded with great new websites and web 2.0 tools that are shared by my PLN.  Many I save in my Delicious account and never get the chance to play around with to see if they are useful in my 5th grade classroom.  There’s just not enough time.  Summer is a perfect opportunity to spend some time playing with these tools.  You might discover something you love. 
5. Download Content from iTunes U - Many people don’t realize how much free content is available on iTunes for teachers.  There are over 350,000 free lectures, videos, and films available covering just about every possible topic.  The best part is that you can listen or watch them while you go for a run, garden, lounge by the pool, or even while you stick your feet in the sand on the beach.  

Now it's your turn. In the comment section, please share how you continue your professional learning. What books do you plan to read this summer? What conferences are you attending? Do you have any great ways to continue your learning that I didn't mention? What's your favorite iTunes podcast? Please share!

Friday's Five: Ways to Use Formative Assessment

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Friday's Five is a feature every week where I pick a new topic and list five items that I think fit best.  Then I ask you, my readers, to share your thoughts in the comment section.  For an archive of past topics, check the Friday's Five page.  If you'd like to make suggestions about future topics or discuss topics I bring up on the blog with other readers, make sure you click the "like" button on the right hand side of this page to join A Teacher's Life for Me on Facebook.  Don't be shy about sharing the blog and Facebook page with others.  Each post has buttons on the bottom that allow you to share several ways, including e-mail, Facebook, and Twitter.


We've all had students that try blend into the background.  They are the students who never raise their hand, sit there silently when you call on them until you choose someone else, and go through the school year determined to participate as little as possible.

We've also all been in the situation where several of our students have failed a test when we thought they knew the content.  Even though we recognize that they haven't learned what they were supposed to, we often feel we have to move on because of the amount of material that needs to be taught in a school year.

Is there an easy way that we can make sure all of our students, even the ones who try not to participate, are learning?  Is there an easy way to determine whether our students really know content before testing them?

The answer to both of those questions is a unequivocal "YES!"  There are several types of formative assessment - long term (like semester or end-of-year), medium term (end-of-unit, etc), and immediate (in-lesson).  It's the daily, in-lesson, formative assessment that is most important to increase learning for all of your students.  It also allows you to diagnose where you need to change your instruction so that your students learn what they are supposed to before they are tested.

Formative assessment is a way to diagnose the patient, instead of waiting for the autopsy.

Here are five simple ways to start using formative assessment to ensure all of your students are learning:

1. Get a set of individual white boards and have your students use them.  Have your students constantly show you that they understand what you are teaching them by showing you on their white board.  A quick glance around the room will tell you who understands and who doesn't.  Make sure the students that need more help get it.  
2. Stop having your students raise their hand to answer a question.  When that happens, you only get an answer from one student.  Instead, have every student write the answer to the question in their notebook or on an individual white board.  Maybe have them share their answer with a partner, and let the partner write it down, or have each student record an answer in a VoiceThread or Blabber.  It doesn't matter how they answer, just make sure that every student is responsible for giving an answer and justifying it.
3. Use exit cards.  At the end of a lesson, pose one short question to the class that deals with the day's lesson.  Have them answer the question on an index card and hand it to you before they leave.  Take a quick look at the cards.  If all the students knew the material move on to something else the next day.  If many couldn't answer the question correctly, start the next day's lesson with a review.  If some of the students need more help, build in an intervention into the next day's lesson.
4. Demand that students tell you when they don't understand.  I've found that colored cups work well for this.  I stack a green, yellow, and red cup on each student's desk.  If they understand what I am teaching, they show a green cup.  If the cup is yellow, they need me to slow down.  If the cup is red, I need to stop and re-teach something.  How do I make sure that they are telling me the truth? If someone has a red cup, I choose someone with a green cup to do the re-teaching. 
5. Let them give you a "thumbs-up."  During your lesson, ask a few yes-or-no questions of the class. Have them respond with a thumbs-up or thumbs-down.  You'll be able to quickly assess which students are not understanding your lesson.  

Lately we've heard a lot about "Data Driven Instruction."  Too often it means sifting through standardized test data.  The data we need to be using to drive our instruction is the data we get from formative assessment techniques like the ones listed above.  That data is easy to understand quickly and allows us to make changes immediately to ensure that our students learn.  Dylan Wiliam had a great way of putting it when I saw him speak.  His quote went something like this:  "Teachers who do not use formative assessment and then wonder why their students failed a test are like pilots that never make course corrections and then wonder why they ended up in Cleveland instead of Miami."

Now it's your turn to share.  Do you use formative assessment in your classroom?  How?  Do you have other techniques or ideas to share?  Leave your thoughts on these questions, or anything else you want to add in the comment section below.

Friday's Five: Reasons I Love My Job

This week I asked for Friday's Five topic suggestions on the blog's Facebook page.  100% of those who responded asked me to list reasons why I love my job.  (We'll ignore for now that only one person responded.)  When faced with such an overwhelming percentage, I really have no choice but to give the people what they want.

If you'd like to make suggestions about future topics, discuss topics I bring up on the blog, or just make me happy that someone's on the other end reading my ramblings, make sure you click the "like" button on the right hand side of this page.  Also, don't be shy about sharing the blog and Facebook page with others.  Each post has buttons on the bottom that allow you to share several ways, including e-mail, Facebook, and Twitter.

For those of you unfamiliar with "Friday's Five", every week I'll be picking a new topic and listing five items that I think fit best.  Then I'll be asking you to share your thoughts in the comment section.  For past topics, check the Friday's Five page.

So, here they are:  5 reasons I love my job.

1. I know I'm making a difference.  Without a doubt, this is the number one reason why I love teaching.  By teaching kids to think critically, by handling discipline situations with firmness and empathy, by having high expectations of all of my students, and by modeling professionalism and life-long learning, I truly believe I am giving my students the tools they will need to be successful. Notice that I didn't mention math and reading skills.  They are important, but, as I mentioned in my last post, they're not the most important thing that I teach, and they are certainly not what makes my job rewarding. 
2. I get to serve my community.  Teaching in a small, rural town is much different than teaching in the suburbs or in the city.  I can't go anywhere in town without running into students, former students, parents of students, or others that know me as Mr. Soskil or Coach Soskil.  Despite the fact that our district has some of the lowest school taxes in the state, the economics of the area mean that our residents give a higher percentage of their income in school tax than most others in the state.  For these reasons, I enjoy being able to give back my neighbors.  I also feel extremely fortunate that almost all of the teachers I work with feel the same way, which is why most of them are involved in either volunteering, fund raising, or donating to non-profit organizations that help our community.  
3. I enjoy my colleagues.  With very few exceptions, they share my passion for collaborating, learning, and helping the community.  I'd be lying if I said there were never any disagreements among the staff, but for the most part, our school is a very enjoyable place to work.  Plus, they put up with me, and nobody has keyed my car or slashed my tires yet.
4. I get to spend a lot of time with my family.  If I had become a photographer, or chosen some office job instead of teaching, it's hard to imagine that I would get to spend the same amount of time with my wife and kids.  I get to spend most afternoons with my children.  Since my wife is a high school science teacher, we all have summers off together.  With the same vacations, we get to travel.  I know that years down the road when my kids are grown that this may not matter as much, but for now, I'm very appreciative that we get so much time together.  
5. I'm constantly inspired by those around me.  The natural curiosity of my students inspires me to wonder about the world around me and learn.  Members of my Professional Learning Network (PLN), especially those in my Plurk network, inspire me to use new methods and technology in my lessons.  My colleagues' compassion inspires me to give more of myself to my students and the community.   It's a rare day that I'm not moved or impacted in some way by the comments or actions of someone I am in contact with because I am an educator.  

I could list many more reasons.  I'm blessed to have a job to which I look forward to going every day.

Now it's your turn.  Tell me in the comment section below why you love what you do.  Then share the blog with your colleagues and friends by using one (or more) of the buttons on the bottom of the post or re-plurking.  I'd love to hear from them as well.  

Friday's Five: People Who Have Influenced Me

There have been many individuals that have had a great impact on my development as a teacher.  I can think of many colleagues, administrators, conference speakers, and educational leaders who have helped me to shape my personal philosophies, pedagogy, and practices.  Since our growth as professionals is something that never ends, I wanted to take some space on this week's Friday's Five to share some of the people that I have found inspirational.  I hope that you will take a moment to share some who have impacted you either in the comment section, or on the blog's Facebook page.

For those who missed last week's Friday's Five, every week I'll be picking a topic dealing with education and listing 5 things that I think fit that topic.  Last week's topic was web 2.0 tools.  If you've got suggestions for future topics, please share them with me on Plurk, Twitter, or Facebook.  After I give you my list, I'd like you to participate by sharing your ideas on the week's topic in the comment section.

As I said before, there have been many who have made an impact on me in my career.  Below are five, in no particular order.

1.  Dylan Wiliam - A few years ago I spent a week in Hershey, PA at the Governor's Institute for Data Driven Instruction.  One of the keynote speakers was Dylan Wiliam.  To say that his presentation influenced me would be a great understatement.  He convinced me of the need to change my lessons to include in-lesson formative assessment, and showed me ways how it could be done.  He introduced me to the concept of professional learning communities, and showed why they are so important.  He helped me to solidify my belief that the pedagogy we use in our classrooms is more important than any other factor in boosting student learning, and that putting focus on other areas just distracts us from what's important.

2.  Sir Ken Robinson - If tomorrow I was asked to choose the new United States Secretary of Education, SKR would be my choice.  I saw him deliver a keynote last year at the Pennsylvania Educational Technology Expo & Conference (PETE & C).  I don't think I've ever had the pleasure of listening to anyone else that understands the shortfalls of what we're doing in education and the direction we need to be headed in more that him.  Some of you may have seen the clip of a SKR talk that's been floating around the internet from RSA Animate.  If so, it's worth watching again.  If not, I promise it's worth watching.

If you want more SKR, watch his TED talk on how school kills creativity, or consider reading his book, The Element:  How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything.

3.  Patti Duncan - Before attending a session she was giving at PETE & C in 2009, Patti and I had worked in the same district but only communicated via e-mail.  I wanted to meet her face-to-face and introduce myself, so I decided to drop in on her presentation on "Building a Professional Learning Network (PLN)."  It is probably the most important hour of my teaching career to this point.  Dylan Wiliam convinced me that collaborating w/ other teachers was important.  Patti showed me how to expand that collaboration globally through social networking.  Since that point, my PLN has become invaluable - a source of new ideas, inspiration, support, discussion of educational topics, and a place to get feedback on activities I try in my classroom.  Having a PLN of hundreds of teachers all over the globe has made me grow as a teacher in ways of which I never could have dreamed.  You can read Patti's DEN Blog here.

4.  Steve Leinwand - When my district was exploring ways to improve high school math achievement a few years ago, they brought Steve Leinwand in for a few hours in the summer to talk to the high school teachers about ways to change pedagogical practices in their classes.  I don't remember how I ended up in that session (since I teach 5th grade), but I'm sure glad that I did.  This is where I discovered the power of asking "why?" Steve's talk started me on the path toward demanding understanding from my students, and not just the correct answer.

5.  Dan Meyer - I came across Dan Meyer's blog about a year and a half ago when a member of my PLN shared one of his posts on Plurk.  His views on teaching math are visionary.  Many of the activities I have done with my math classes in the past year have been inspired by his posts.  To get an idea of his vision for how to change our math classes, take a look at his TED talk: Math Class Needs a Makeover.




Now it's your turn to share.  Who is someone that had an impact on your growth as a professional?  Let us know by leaving a comment.

Don't forget to re-Tweet, re-Plurk, or share this post on Facebook.  Like many of you, I love being exposed to new ideas and people who can help me grow.  The more people we can get contributing, the more amazing educators we can find to help us on our journey.

Friday's Five - Web 2.0 Tools

Today I'm going to start a new feature on the blog:  Friday's Five.  As a way to give readers more input and make this space a bit more collaborative, each Friday I'm going to pick a category and list 5 things that I think best fit.  Categories will vary widely, but will all be education-based.  We may explore favorite resources, best educational books, most memorable teaching experiences, reasons to use social-networking, or any other topic we happen to stumble upon.

I'd like you to help out in three ways.  First, I'd love to hear your ideas on the topic, so please leave your list in the comment section.  You don't need to list five, but give me your thoughts on my list and anything you think I missed.  Second, spread the word.  The more people we get collaborating, the more comprehensive our coverage of the topic will be.  Re-tweet or re-plurk the blog post, share the link on Facebook, or e-mail other educators that you think would be interested.  Third, please share ideas for future topics.  You can leave your ideas in the comment section, contact me on plurk, facebook, or twitter, or drop me an e-mail.

Today's topic is web 2.0 tools for the classroom.  The definition for web 2.0 varies depending on who you talk to, but basically these are free, easy to use internet-based tools that allow for innovation and collaboration in your classroom.  There are lots of great tools out there, so it's tough to narrow it down to just five.  Here's my five:

1. Wikispaces - Wikis are an easy to use way to share student work, post information for your students, give students a chance to collaborate, and have a place to embed many other web 2.0 applications that you use in your classroom.  In the past few years my students have shared everything from videos explaining math concepts to research on current events in the Middle East on our class wiki.  One of my favorite uses is to post a picture of the notes on my white-board for students who were absent.  Basically, having this tool available for free has revolutionized how I teach and how my students learn. 
2. VoiceThread - VoiceThread is a "collaborative, multi-media slideshow"according to its website, but that doesn't begin to describe the versatility of this tool.  It allows you to upload files ranging from pictures, to documents, to videos.  Then you, your students, and people all over the world (if you wish) can comment on them.  You can even upload your Powerpoint presentations and allow others to comment on each slide.
3. Blabberize - This one's just plain fun.  Take a picture w/ a mouth and make it talk.  Want Thomas Jefferson to explain the Declaration of Independence, Pythagoras to explain his theorem, or a pig to explain how bacon is made?  This is your tool.  A favorite of my students.  
4. Animoto - Animoto allows you to take pictures, add music, and create an incredible, edgy, slideshow of just about any topic you'd like in a matter of minutes.  The beauty here is that the finished product is extremely visually appealing and that creating a video is amazingly easy.  It has quickly become a favorite in my school.  Second graders have created videos for their math class, 3rd graders showed their progress in studies of Native American Culture, music students have created videos for Jazz Appreciation Month, and 5th graders have used it so show their knowledge of American History and Geometry.  
5. Google Docs - Very similar to Microsoft Office, but free and collaborative!  Students can create documents, spreadsheets, and presentations just like they can in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, however they can share those creations with each other and work collaboratively on them.  Have them share their work with you, and you can see their progress and leave them notes on their work.

Now it's your turn.  What are your favorite Web 2.0 tools?  What are your thoughts on the ones I shared?  Leave me your ideas in the comment section, and please spread the word so that we can get as many educators sharing as possible.