#ditchbook – A Principal's Decree

Ditch that Textbook Book Study Review

December 31, 2016 Mrs. Ellis One comment

I read “Ditch that Textbook” by Matt Miller early in 2016. It was among several of the “Dave Burgess Consulting” titles that I had on my nightstand. It only took me a short time to finish the book, mark up the pages with post-its and notes and knew I had to share this book with my staff.

With our professional learning days accounted for and the end of the year approaching, I decided to launch a twitter based summer book study that teachers participated in on a voluntary basis. I sent out an email and was floored that the majority of my staff wanted in! We extended the invite to several other teachers and before we knew it we had our staff collaborating with teachers across the country on the topic of revolutionizing their classrooms!

The first week was simply introductions. Teachers shared their position and a selfie of themselves with the book. It was an easy way to get acquainted with the hashtag, meet the educators participating, and dip our toes into the twitter book study waters. The teachers below are just some of those that participated!

The remaining weeks of the book study focused on each chapter of the book. There were opportunities for goal setting, resource sharing, and celebration of success. Teachers shared their favorite educational book titles, hashtags, digital resources, and more. Staff set goals for integrating technology in meaningful ways in the fall. Mystery Skype Sessions, Twitter Chats with authors, Hyperdocs and digital badges were all shared as goals for teachers. It was uplifting to see many ‘likes’ and “retweets” of their posts as others validated their tweets and learned from their posts!

I embedded some digital badges in the study to recognize those that participated as well. A the conclusion of the study, they were awarded a participation certificate (linked below).

[embeddoc url=”https://dunlapgradeschool.edublogs.org/files/2016/12/Ditch-that-textbook-certificate-qi4rx8.docx” download=”all” viewer=”microsoft”]

It was empowering to see how many educators sought to be connected and learn through the summer months. In Matt’s book he indicates the importance of being connected for so many positive reasons: inspiration, motivation, challenge, camaraderie, apps, humor, and collaboration (pages 97-98). Each of those elements was evident during the book study. As teachers used their time on vacation to learn and grow, they were filling their teacher tool belts and making their classrooms better places to teach and learn!

5 Things You Didn’t Know About DGS

May 19, 2016 Mrs. Ellis 2 comments

The sunrises are beautiful. If you pull into the parking lot early enough, you can see some of the most beautiful light displays bouncing off the clouds and fields just in front of DGS. My favorite mornings are those that I can stand on the front walkway and take in the quiet splendor of the natural beauty before our day starts. Depending on the season, the colors range from vivid oranges and reds to glittering golds and yellows.

2. There is a DGS Costume Closet in our teacher workroom. After reading “Teach Like a Pirate,” staff have increasingly used props, hats, wigs and costumes to hook and engage students. Staff can be frequently seen wearing these in their classrooms and we got to a point that a central location was needed. Since the below picture was taken, it has even evolved to be a larger cupboard that houses anything from Pirate and Cat in the Hat Costumes to tiaras, tutus, and even a brain hat!

3. Our DGS technology device to student is currently 1:2. With the support of our Parent’s Club, we have been able to put a cart of devices at every grade level! Students and teachers use the device to enhance the educational experience for students and differentiate for their learners. Our devices consist of iPads, Chromebooks, and Touch Chromebooks. Our computer lab was also recently outfitted with new desktop to computers to ensure our students have access to the technology they need to support their learning! Our staff will participate in a summer book study of “Ditch that Textbook” by Matt Miller to learn additional ways to enhance their teaching to engage students in meaningful learning!

4. Staff meetings at Dunlap Grade aren’t always traditional, but they do provide opportunities for ample learning, participation, collaboration, and FUN! This past year, teachers have gone on Pirate Treasure Hunts to find important elements of learning, artifacts related to standards, and develop appreciation for each others’ classroom spaces. Teachers have also used twitter and Canvas to hold virtual discussions on the topics of student engagement, technology integration, and classroom learning environments. Teachers also participated in a Book Bingo meeting in which they shared the latest titles in children’s literature with each other to stay abreast of titles that are engaging and meaningful in the classroom.

5. Our staff shines! All of our classroom teachers and most of our specials areas teachers have a Master’s Degree or are currently enrolled in graduate programs. Our staff demonstrate the importance of lifelong learning by making their own professional growth and learning a priority. Many of our staff members have also been recognized as award recipients for their contributions to the education profession! Way to go DGS Staff!