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The #elemchat on Dec. 17th, focusing on strategies and approaches for helping students become better writers, got me thinking about what writing looks like in 21st century learning.

What does 21st century learning look like?
Students engaged in authentic taskStudents are collaboratively problem solvingCollaboration -- students helping peersStudents are creating original work to represent their ideasTeacher is walking around the room facilitatingNoticeable routines and procedures for getting help and transitioning Learning is interactive and engagingStudents are on task and taking risks to learn Students are forgetting they're learningOngoing assessment/feedback/reflection All of the above can be with or without technology
What does 21st century learning sound like?
Teacher facilitating instead of directingFocused noise--it's not silent while they are on taskStudent led discussionsRespectful discussions and feedbackEnthusiastic conversations about their learningAll of the above can …

Ever wonder what math looks like in an one-to-one environment? Is it just worksheets and math problems online, or is there an advantage to learning math in one-to-one classrooms?

Math in one-to-one

When I was in Tina Jada's class, I saw students actively engaged, engrossed in their learning the standards at a deeper level, with a context for why they were learning and when they'd use these standards in the real world.

Here's a glimpse into her 7th grade class:



Different teachers, different approaches, great learning

When I was in Valinda Wells' class, I saw more great learning. Her class started with a quick review for students to start on their own. After a short amount of time, Ms. Wells' showed a Screenr video modeling her solving the problems, her metacognition throughout, and how she deduced the correct answer. While she played the video, Wells was free to walk around to provide feedback, check for understanding, or guide learners if needed.

Next, the student…

The nominations process has closed, and we are excited to see a few of our AJUSD blogs represented on the Edublogs Awards shortlist.

Please support our AJUSD blogging community. You can vote once a day, and if you are in our AJUSD district, please vote from your home computer (our school computers will have the same IP address, so it will only get one count a day). The voting will end on December 14th.

Here's who you can support in our AJUSD blogging community:
Em's Blog for best student blogEthan's Blog for best student blogJon Castelhano's "This and That" for best administrator blogMelissa Martinez (Mrs. Martinez's 4th Grade) for best class blogTracy Watanabe for best individual blog Here's how you vote:

To vote, click on this link, then use the drop down menu to choose the category, then select who you are voting for. You'll need to go back through the process to vote for the next category.

Final remarks

All of our blogs are new, so we are honore…

One of the lessons I've learned is a strong leader is someone who can start the momentum and will continue to carry it through. You see, just having the vision and getting it rolling is a step in the right direction, but to continue to nurture it and finish what you've started is what counts.

Professional Development and Project Based Learning

Project based learning  (PBL) and professional development (PD) require some effort to complete. I'm realizing that implementing successful PD is very much like facilitating PBL.

Each of the gears is a step in the process, and they rely on each other to be successful and complete. If you miss one of the gears, you are missing one of the essential elements in implementing PBL or PD. Furthermore, you're never really "done" with the cycle because it keeps going and keeps evolving into something better.

When the gears get jammed

Sometimes gears jam up, but don't throw it away or dismiss it when that happens. Assess the si…