Upgrade     

Upgrading is an interesting condition in our society today. Cell phone companies lock you into a contract for two years before they will give you the opportunity to "upgrade" your phone to a newer model. We can "upgrade" our computers with more memory and speed, "upgrade" our cable subscription with more channels and packages, "upgrade" our apps to the newest version to fix any bugs in the system or "upgrade" Adobe Acrobat every other month. There seems to be an endless amount of upgrades in our lives. I wonder how old the word upgrade is. I couldn't find that little trivia at the time of this writing, but it must be a relatively new word, don't you think? This week's "tuesdays" is an investigation into what upgrading has to do with teaching and learning.

In a recent professional development training that I experienced, we learn so much from Heidi Hayes Jacobs through her TED Talk from three years ago. "Dr. Jacobs is president of Curriculum Designers, Inc. and Executive Director of the Curriculum Mapping Institute. She has served as an education consultant to thousands of schools nationally and internationally. She works with schools and districts K-12, on issues and practices pertaining to: curriculum reform, instructional strategies to encourage critical thinking and strategic planning." (quoted from Wikipedia). She is the founder of Curriculum 21 helping thousands of educators to reflect on their practice for the good of all students. Dr. Jacobs struck a cord with me when she made a simple request of all teachers - Why not "upgrade" your assignments? Upgrading an assignment gives the students peaked interest and a real-world application of the skills essential to success in today's world. Dr. Jacobs has written many books and blogs and makes the case for rigorous disciplined action steps to identify new literacy terms, find points of curriculum intersection, learn how to acquaint faculty with new technologies, and explore case studies featuring teachers and students operating in 21st century classrooms.

First, I would encourage you to watch Dr. Jacobs TED Talk. She throws no punches about what she believes, but she is certainly a gifted professional who is passionate about teaching and learning. Next, review the TED Talk to look specifically for her take on what she had coined "upgrading assignments." Listen in for her suggestions to make the classroom more realistic and engaging. I love how she wants to "upgrade" assessments to performance tasks that match real-world situations. Finally, consider newest book, "The New Literacies," that promote:

• following a detailed, four-phase implementation model to integrate digital, media, and global literacies into the curriculum.
• teaching students to be self-aware, self-motivated, critical thinkers capable of thriving in the 21st century.
• examining the practices of real schools that incorporate the new literacies into their programs.
• reflecting on your own teaching and learning practices to construct 21st century classrooms and globally competent students.

Heidi Hayes Jacobs is on to something. I hope we have ears to hear.

How do you "upgrade" assessments? Dr. Jacobs has given us a step-by-step plan of action.

Step 1: Develop a pool of assessment replacements.

• possibilities can include: documentaries, podcasts, films, quarterly reports, blogs, video conferences, email correspondence, webcasts

Step 2: Identify existing technologies available at your building/district level.

• Interactive whiteboards, laptops, desktop computers, Web 2.0 sites, flip cameras, tablets, etc.

Step 3: Replace a dated assessment with a modern one. 

• Each teacher can commit to one replacement/upgrade per semester; baby steps rather than a complete overhaul at once.

Step 4: Share the assessment upgrades formally with colleagues and students.

• Don't overlook students as a great bank of ideas. This also models lifelong learning for students.

Step 5: Insert ongoing sessions for professional development.

• Give teachers specific professional development time for "upgrading."

Thank you Dr. Jacobs for your insight and boldness for today's students' needs.

"Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue."

The latest upgrade of my phone (It was a no-brainer, since they gave me $200 for my old phone!)  

ipadio   

LiveBinders 

Doceri 

NASA's Image Gallery 

Popplet 

Zoey's Room
Finance in the Classroom
Fotopedia 

The Common Good Forecaster  

Google Earth 

UJAM 

Symbaloo.edu 

Google Science Fair 

Stossel in the Classroom
Word Sift 

Lee Kolbert