The Hive Summit 2018: When Professional Development is a click away!
By: Kriti Khare
Tags: Professional Development, Education, Sketchnote, Reflections, Teaching And Le

Day 1: Bee Resilient — Michael Cohen

#HiveSketch by Tisha

We know the Tech Rabbi, Michael Cohen, as a top influencer and ISTE keynote speaker. He kicked off the Hive Summit by saying that teachers are all designers of space, learning, lessons, and support. The idea that there is a real craft to teaching is exciting to hear and one we must all remind ourselves of from time to time.

Michael challenged the thinking that creativity can be planned out and orchestrated. He suggests that you have to give it time and let the students “become” creative through small victories. He mentioned functional fixedness which means we get so comfortable in our daily routines and way of things that we do not think outside the box. As teachers, we should take some time whenever possible to reflect on our practices and how we can make them better. We can use design thinking for this purpose to open creative doors.

Failure is necessary for growth and we learn more from our failures than from our successes. In that context, Michael taught us a new acronym: that for Failure.

F: First

A: Attempt

I: In

L: Learning

U: Unless

R: Reflection

E: Exists

Failure is just a step closer to being successful. It gives us room to grow and an opportunity to reflect on who we are and where we want to be. We have to model this behavior for our students to get them to be comfortable with risk-taking and failures, because ultimately this is what will unleash their creativity.

Day 2: Bee Creative— Carrie Baughcum

#HiveSketch by Monica

It’s not about “art” but about “ideas” — so check your mindset — anyone can do this!

For first time Sketchnoters, this session which featured the sketchnoting guru, Carrie Baughcum, was not to be missed! One of Josee’s favorite parts (and I second that!) was the fact that Carrie taught us how to introduce it into the classroom. She broke down the different elements of sketchnoting (colour, fonts, containers, icons) and encouraged teachers to sketchnote with their students. Carrie’s YouTube channel was a gem some of us had been missing out on! We also realized how some of our note-taking habits already had sketchnoting elements… just a few more touches were needed!

Carrie reminded us that when we are vulnerable and model risk-taking, our students feel more comfortable doing the same. I have been learning so much about Math and the fear of making mistakes. If I am afraid to get something wrong as I explain an answer or horrified when I make a mistake that the students can correct me on, I am confirming the belief that mistakes are bad and it is best to be in the safe zone — know everything, or don’t do it. Carrie encourages her students as well as educators to use sketchnoting as way to dive in and get ideas on paper — unapologetically. As I have tried to explain to anyone who would listen to me about sketchnoting — it’s about you, your understanding and the connections you make.

Related to Michael’s theme of creativity, Carrie too hones creativity amongst her students using sketchnotes and other activities like gamification. Creativity gives her students who don’t excel in traditional school an opportunity to really show what they know and develop into people that can do more than make an A on a test.

Day 3: Bee Thoughtful— Rick Wormeli

#HiveSketch by Kriti

I will be taking an assessments course coming Fall and I was particularly looking forward to Rick’s session. As a pioneer in assessment research and with over 30 years of experience in teaching, Rick talked about grading, quizzes, differentiated instruction and how to shift the school culture. I remember stopping the video when Rick and Michael were discussing quizzes.

I have been assessed this way throughout my university career. I have graded quizzes for students and their mark has contributed 5% of their overall grade. I have seen students fight for one more mark in a quiz or assignment as it is pulling their grade down because they submitted the assignment late and the 10% penalty had to be applied. Rick’s session helped me understand why: because we sometimes mistake assessments as the means to teach students to meet deadlines. This is true, whether one be in university or in school. If it wasn’t, why would we even have a late submission penalty?

Most recent evidence is the most accurate indicator of a student’s learning. — Rick Wormeli

Melissa and I agree that the one message we will never forget from his session was to be a part of the change.

I wish I had that advice when I was a new teacher years ago! — Melissa.

Encouraging teachers to be a part of the change, no matter where we are in our careers, is a step towards empowering us because we feel in control, we feel that we can make a difference and that our influence goes beyond the students we have. When I was making my sketchnote, it reminded me of water: it is the most powerful force in the world. It can erode mountains, break down trees that are deeply rooted in the ground and at the same time it is an agent for life because we need water to survive.

Teachers need to have the courage to be a part of the solution. We should be like water: Agents of change.

Day 4: Bee Real— Tara Martin

#HiveSketch by Valerie

Tara Martin is the one who founded BookSnaps: using Snapchat to get her students engaged in what they were reading.

For Valerie, Tara’s presentation was all about her style of teaching. As teachers, we have heard, read and felt this so many times (I was just reading something similar in The Growth Mindset Coach by Annie Brock):

If you want to make a connection to the brain, you have to connect with the heart first.

When you show your students the real “you”, they see you as a human, not a robot. They feel that you can understand them and often, it makes a huge difference. We evolve with every single day of teaching and learning with our students. Tara reminded us that when we bring us to the classroom, we give our very best. We are able to connect to everyone around us, which would not be possible with a veil of pretence.

To those who were not aware of the Ela Ben-Ur’s Innovator’s Compass, Tara introduced us to this people-centric way of thinking that involves working with who our students are: their dreams, their measures of feeling successful, what matters to them and what they want to try. This is possible by getting to know the students and then helping them meet the goals they have set. Asking non-judgemental questions and listening are key habits that will help us create a nurturing environment where our students feel welcomed and cared.

As educators we have to “jump in” with the people we serve in order for them to be empowered to jump in on their own. When Tara explained how she reached the epiphany “What if we all cannonballed into the deep end at the same time?! What a huge splash we would make!” it was almost as if we were reliving that moment with her.

Day 5: Bee Ready— Matt Miller

#HiveSketch by Tisha

While technology has the potential to encourage future driven thinking and learning, it also runs the risk of diluting the overall learning experience if it’s not more than a shiny new toy. Matt Miller, the author of Ditch that Textbook: Free Your Teaching and Revolutionize Your Classroom, eloquently shared that sometimes “technology is a thousand dollar pencil.” He used the analogy of building a house to explain why educators should resist the temptation of only using the one technology tool they learn. When we build a house, we utilize all the tools in the tool box by asking the question: “what tools do I need” for this project? To Hans, theory gives application it’s WHY. If we don’t understand when, how, and why to use a cool new piece of technology, strategy or program, we end up resembling a carpenter attempting to nail a screw with a hammer.

Inappropriate tool choice lends itself to disengagement, missed learning opportunities, and frustration.

While modeling a risk-taking classroom by jumping in on new technologies is a powerful and an incredible classroom strategy; it’s also critical for us to do our due diligence to understand the why behind the tools we implement. Matt points out a multitude of ideas to gather information globally through platforms like twitter, skype, face time, Instagram, etc. An added bonus of developing our PLN and/or taking the time to discover the theory behind a new piece of technology is that, as educators, we are then equipped to help students share, connect and explore their learning in creatively intentional ways.

Day 6: Bee Joyful — Michael Matera