I’ve been awarded the Particularly Helpful Moodler 2021 badge by Moodle. I’m very happy about this as the genesis is really on helping people.
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I’ve been talking up the concept of self-assessment for students. I have a couple of posts on this (Self-Assessment and Self-Assessment (Again)). I passionately believe that there is a strong benefit in students reflecting and self-assessing.
Well, it turns out that there is real value in personal connections. I’ve been mentioning my quest in lots of places. I’ve posted on the Moodle Forums. I’ve chatted with people.
One of the things that developed from conferences was a Cross-State Moodle Group. (Mostly, this was started by the wonderful Jess Bryant, now at Moodle US). The group has representation from Bismark, N.D., Dearborn, MI, Rhode Island, Montana, and Maine.
So, I brought my quest up with the group. Bingo! One of the members sent me a link with a possible solution.
This looks like exactly what I’m looking for. I haven’t installed it yet, so I’m not positive that it will do all that it says. It also hasn’t been updated in a few years.
Still, the power of a network is strong. I’m very grateful to those who have assisted.
Research shows that students assessing each other and self-assessing is powerful. Moodle has a good way of doing peer assessment (it would be great with a little bit of time flexibility). Part of the Peer Assessment (through the Workshop Module) allows for self-assessment. Students can self-assess just like they assess others in the class.
However, what if a teacher wants students to self-assess prior to (or at the same time) as turning in the work? Or, what if the work exists in the real world and is not a digital essay? How can teachers support students being reflective about their learning?
So, I did a search for the answer. Turns out, I wrote a lengthy post about students self-assessing a couple of years ago.
Today me is really happy that past me wrote that up as clearly as I did.
I’m continuing on the quest to truly answer develop a graceful answer for this. I’d really love for Moodle to provide a cleaner way of handling this. However, I don’t want to wait for that.
One of the teachers that I’m working with has developed a Google Spreadsheet that does allow the student to complete a self-assessment. However, the teacher then also has to manage several copies of the assessment (a spreadsheet done by each student, plus a spreadsheet for each student by the teacher).
Moodle comes so close with several different options, which I wrote up in detail, but doesn’t quite get across the finish line.
My research uncovered quite a bit of “it can be easily”, but no actual examples of how to actually have the students do the self-assessment. (Short of paper. Lots of examples of paper copies, but the same, multiple instances to manage and now you have to be in the same place.)
I’m open for thoughts.
Today’s thought revolves around “performative arts” and how that may impact education.
What does teaching look like? I’m wondering if when we think of teaching, we think of a teacher doing “performative arts”. That is, we think of what the teacher is doing. This fits well with the model of lecture (or worksheets, the teacher has created the “performance” that students will complete).
I’m wondering how much of teacher evaluation relates back to “performative arts” of the teacher.
The real power in learning comes from the learner doing the work and reflecting on what they are doing (and why).
It can be harder to assess and quantify students doing and reflecting. It is far easier to assess what a teacher is “performing”.
As with most things, this thought came from outside of education. I was listening to a discussion about Zoom and why conversation is different when we aren’t in the same room (i.e. missing physical cues, bad lighting, bad sound, delayed sound, etc.)
Just the thought for the day.
Well, it’s been much more than a week.
Cape
There has been TONS going on. I’ve started the new job at Cape Elizabeth. I’m loving the job and the people. I’ve still got a lot to learn, but I’m enjoying the process of getting to know everyone.
I’ve been busy. I’m conscious of not pushing “we did this way back where I was”. Every place is different. Culture, skills, needs, and more dictate the right responses. So, I’ve been busy learning. Busy meeting people. Busy asking questions.
Maine
I do greatly enjoy the roundabouts. There is an elegance to these. An artfulness. I get why some people don’t like them, but I do. It seems like there needs to be a bit of communication. A bit of connection with the other drivers. (Speaking of which, Maine drivers are not exactly the best drivers.)
The House
Hopefully, we are making progress on the garage. The permit has been pulled. I’m meeting with the inspector tomorrow to hopefully get approval and start things rolling. No additional painting.
Shelves
I did get an opportunity to help Kristin build some shelves. I think that she is very happy. We got 5 out of the 8 shelves installed. Now that we have the process down, things are going well. Naturally, this will encourage additional book purchases.
9-11 Anniversary
This year is the 20 year anniversary of the attacks on the US on 9-11. I was an Assistant Principal at Woodworth Middle School when this happened. We had a half-day of school that year. I remember pulling TV’s out to watch the news. We were struggling to understand what was happening (as was everyone else).
I really remember our concern about the community and the kids. There were people threatening to come to Dearborn to “blow up the Arabs”. The community was on high alert. Thing is, the members of the community were actually more “American” than those making threats.
The kids were terrific. They were able to focus on school even with everything else going on. I’d ask, and many of these middle school kids would respond, “It’s cool Mr. Patterson. School is different. We’re safe here. We’re here to learn.” Talk about maturity and rising to the occasion.
The future is now clear. In Past, Present, Future, I discussed my decision to leave Dearborn Public Schools in order to be closer to my family. At the time, I didn’t know what the future would hold. I now have some clarity about the future (which is now).
I’m extremely excited to join Cape Elizabeth Schools as their Director of Educational Technology. Cape Elizabeth is a fantastic school district. Already high achieving, the school is looking to move forward with technology implementation that goes beyond test scores.
In Cape Elizabeth, I’ll be joining a new team. The Superintedent, Dr. Chris Record, is joining the district from Gorham, after being awarded Maine’s Assistant Superintendent of the year. There will also be a new Assistant Superintendent as well. We’ll be focusing on student learning.
Personally, I look forward to building an excellent technology team that will put student learning first and foremost. Lots of new and exciting relationships to build. Incredible people to meet. New systems to learn. But in the end, my focus will stay the same: how can we help students learn.
This will be a very different experience for me. The size of the district is much smaller than my previous district. This is also a new position for Cape Elizabeth. In my previous district, I knew pretty much where the department was and where it needed to go. I’ll need to catch up on where we are now, but I’m confident that we’ll move forward together. One of the great things about education (and specifically, technology in education) is that things are constantly changing. No matter how good we are right now, we can get better. We can do better. We can be better.
I’m looking forward to starting this journey with Cape Elizabeth Schools.
This is an open letter. I’ve been hearing of a couple of potential state-wide committees (or task forces) to look at continuing the work of learning online. (I’ve even been asked to participate in a couple of them.) Essentially, they want to look at several things:
- OER
- Effectiveness of Online Learning
- Success of students
- District sharing
These are all things that I’ve been advocating for years. I understand that these are changes that are hard, require vision, and lots of work. The payoff (increased student learning) is definitely worth the work.
Although I’ll be leaving the State of Michigan soon, I hope to continue this work (with a renewed focus, perspective, and connections). Thus, my work will move to another state and/or nation-wide.
Here though is my request. Please take up the mantle. Someone will be replacing me in my current position. I’m hoping that that person will continue on with the work. But, we need a real movement. We need lots of educators participating.
There are a variety of steps that you can take. Learn about OER (Open Education Resources). Learn about effective teaching on-line (this is very different than using “shiny” tools.) Ask how your district is sharing materials (hopefully OER) with other districts. Once you are ready, advocate!
I appreciate all the work that so many educators have undertaken. We have a unique opportunity to make some real changes. These are changes that were appropriate before COVID changed things. These are things that will be appropriate after we return from the COVID restrictions.
*Image from the The U.S. National Archives: https://catalog.archives.gov/ (Link to original image).
Alice Keeler is a very well known presenter, teacher, and technologist. She has a blog post “DOK 0: Reflecting on My Lesson Today” that I found refreshingly honest and important.
In the post, she mentions that she posts the DOK (Depth of Knowledge) on all her posts for her students to see.
Terrific. Letting kids know what they are learning and what level that is helps with metacognition. This is a terrific example of a good teacher doing good teacher work.
Alice Keeler is also reflective. She realized that there was a standard that she hadn’t addressed. So, she addressed it. Here is the important part:
I Did ALL the Talking
That line says so much. Alice Keeler had the right intent (the kids are missing something, I’ll make sure that they don’t). A few more quotes from the post:
What did I ask my students to recall? NOTHING
What did I ask them to figure out? NOTHING
What did I ask them to apply? NOTHINGWhat did my students learn in this lesson? NOTHING. But hey, I checked off the standard.
Really, please go read the whole post, “DOK 0: Reflecting on My Lesson Today”.
Here’s the thing. I’ve seen this process happen so often (but without the all important reflection). I’ve seen teachers working extremely hard. Teachers have poured hours and hours into activities and lessons with the very best intent. Yet, at the end of the lesson, what the students did, processed, and learned was nothing. Students may have mindlessly completed a worksheet, an activity, or even “created” a project, but they didn’t actually learn anything. They weren’t asked to recall. They were asked to “figure out”. They weren’t asked to apply.
I frequently see this with technology. Technology is used to “engage” kids. No recall. No application. No application.
Kudos to Alice Keeler. We should all be as reflective and thoughtful.
Accepting Kudos is something that I’m working on. I was taught as a leader to accept blame and share successes. Moving on from my current position to somewhere new, I’ve received some positive feedback.
One always wants to make a difference in a positive way. I believe that I have made a difference. I’m going to share some of the feedback that I’ve received below. I am truly blessed to have worked with a wide variety of really great people.
I saw the title come in my email but didn’t read it at the time. I went back and read it when I saw the posting. Such a great walk down memory lane.
Truly your impact has been HUGE at all levels of DPS.
I’m getting teary eyed thinking about it. ?
Thank you so much for being the guide during this storm! I read your article! I think that my 6 years here at Fordson High have helped my students and me and continue to excel in this technological world. Keep cruising and keep making a difference!! If you ever need testimony my classroom is always open!
Congratulations on your retirement! I’ve always appreciated the perspective you’ve brought in Technology and in MISTAR discussions.
Seeing the post makes me sad. I am happy for you and hope you enjoy your new adventure. It has been a pleasure working with you. I know you’re still around but want to reach out. Thanks Troy for all your did for the River Oaks community and the district.
Congratulations. Thank you for pushing us forward and graciously managing the growing pains. Well done, well deserved.
I am so selfishly sad for us and me…….can’t imagine you not being with us but so happy for you. This year has to have felt like 10 years for you. You deserve to slow your pace down and enjoy your girls. Can’t imagine who could ever fill your shoes.
Congratulations Troy! It has been great working with you and wishing you the best going forward!
Just a quick note to say congratulations on your retirement and good luck in your future endeavors.
You were a great person to work with.
Many of you have gotten to know Troy from Dearborn. He has been a regular contributor to the ITL meetings. I am grateful for the 10+ years of his involvement with ITL where he challenged us to be better, pushed for inter-district collaboration, and always advocated for effective use of technology rather than chasing “shiny tools”. His contributions to Dearborn Public Schools and Wayne County are immeasurable.
I got a text message the other day. The message read “You raised us right”. This got me thinking.
Since making the recent life changing announcement that I’m changing jobs and moving, I’ve been thinking about whether or not I made a difference. I have been very fortunate to have many opportunities. I hope that I’ve made the best of those opportunities. But I still wonder. Have I made a difference?
I received the text from one of my wonderful Tech Coaches. They are scheduled to be interviewed by Mitch Albom. They will be talking about student-centered learning. Student-centered learning is something that we’ve talked about consistently over the last five years. It is one of my drum beats.
The Tech Coaches are fantastic teachers. (That was the major criteria for selecting them long ago.) Obviously, I didn’t “raise” them. I interviewed and selected them for the position, sure. But they are self-starting, highly effective, teacher leaders. We talk every week so that they know my vision (OK, so that I get to talk about teaching and learning) of education. Oh, and how technology fits into that vision.
At the heart of the last few years has been that working together, we’ve created, adjusted, monitored, adjusted, developed, adjusted, and, well, adjusted the Tech Coach position. We talk regularly, but the crux of the situation is that both Amy and Bob are excellent teachers, great learners, and powerful leaders. They have developed the Tech Coach position into a potent instructional role. I can only hope that I’ve played some small role in that.
Now, I will say that the Tech Coaches have shared positive stories with me. They have been up front about telling me that I’ve made a differnce for them. I do truly appreciate their kind thoughts and feedback.
But, I also wonder about my time throughout the district. What about my time as a principal? As an assistant principal? As a teacher? Could I have made a bigger impact?
I’ve been fortunate to work with great teachers and great teams. Seriously, I hardly touched the great people and impressive work that they did on my long screed. I’m honored to have been a small part of that.
It’s human nature to look back occassionally and wonder “how you did”. Teachers frequently aren’t told about the number of lives that they’ve changed (and saved).
For now, I’m taking the “You raised us right” as the highest of compliments.
Digital Card
Troy Patterson
Middle School Matters; Troy Patterson Consulting
troy@troypatterson.me
+1832-378-7697
Moodle, Education, Open-Source
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Middle School Matters Content
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