TNT: Teaching, not Technology

TNT: Teaching, not Technology

“It’s not the tool, genius.

-Horace Mandroid

WEBS aka

Plainclothes Thanos

It’s the mind behind the tool.”

Chocolate

Teacher

aka

Horace Mandroid

DROPPIN’ BOMBS “Technology is nothing. What's important is that you have a faith in people, that they're basically good and smart, and if you give them tools, they'll do wonderful things with them.”

- Steve Jobs “Computers are magnificent tools for the realization of our dreams, but no machine can replace the human spark of spirit, compassion, love, and understanding.”

-Louis V. Gerstner, Jr.

“The future is already here — it's just not very evenly distributed.”

-William Gibson

You are the Weapon…

“Technology is like money. It doesn’t change you, it just makes you more of what you already were.”

-Horace Mandroid Think of any action movie you’ve ever seen. At some point, the hero or heroine, in a desperate attempt to get back a loved one, free the president, or save the world, loads up on all kinds of weapons, musters all their courage, and then tells all who are listening that they mean to do serious harm to any that oppose them. We are often more impressed by the savage tools of destruction they carry than with the sheer determination of their will. We are led to believe that the Colt .45 armed with uranium tipped bullets is a more important part of the equation than the person who wields it. The same is true of technology in classrooms.

Like a gun for an action hero, digital tools are just vessels for your genius. They don’t make you greater. The opposite is true. The use of digital tools in your classroom becomes a partnership in which you extert control over an implement to accomplish a task more efficiently. The tools don’t create ideas or innovation. They can’t ‘imagine’ anything.

Only you and the grey supercomputer in your head are capable of that. You are the largest contributor to any success you’ll have with any tool that you’ll ever use. Don’t forget that.

Leonardo Da Vinci with an iPad would still be Leonardo Da Vinci. Marie Curie with internet access would still be Marie Curie. George Washington Carver with a smartphone would still be George Washington Carver. They would no doubt utilize the advancements in technology, but not because the technology had advanced, but because THAT IS WHO THEY WERE. This document does indeed feature some “digital tools” for you to utilize in your classroom. But remember, you’re the action hero and you lead a band of future Stallones who need your tutelage. And Stallone could kill you with a toothpick and some dental floss.

The Super Computer you were born with

Target your Standards

“I could have killed 'em all, I could've killed you. In town you're the law, out here it's me. Don't push it! Don't push it or I'll give you a war you won't believe. Let it go. Let it go!” -Rambo Your first focus is student outcomes, young grasshopper. Before taking out the fancy app, website, or device you are so keen to use, you have to know what your students are expected to do. THINK ACTION HERO. You need to know your target before you pick your weapons. You don’t launch an ICBM if you just need to get one guy and you don’t run into a den of zombie Nazi Super soldiers armed with just a pencil and without something on your head.

Many states are utilizing the Common Core and most online planning tools have those built in.

If you teach in a Common Core state and if you’re not familar with these standards, that’s the first order of business. It’s also worth looking at the grade level standards a year below and a year above the grade level you’re instructing.

This will give you an accurate idea on the skills students would have optimally both entering and leaving your classroom.

Being Backwards

Michael Jennings: There's no way I got out of that Extraction Room without the cigarettes and the glasses. I would have never gotten on that bus without the bus ticket. If I didn't have the diamond ring, I wouldn't have followed that kid to Reddy Grant.

Shorty: Right.

Michael Jennings: [excited] I gave up that money just to make sure that I would pay attention to these items.

Shorty: Why? Michael Jennings: [whispering intensely] Because I know what you'd spend 500 billion dollars to see. The future.

-Paycheck In the movie, Paycheck, Ben Affleck plays Michael Jennings, a man who illegally reverse engineers technology for companies, agrees to have his memories of the deeds erased, and is paid handsomely for doing so. I won’t give away too much more of the plot, (it’s on Netflix!) but on his last job he leaves himself some clues to lead him back to the beginning.

The standards give you what the outcome should be. Backwardly assessing gives you an idea of what a product of the outcome could look like as well as the steps to reaching the outcome. Standards are a destination. Backward assessment is the journey. Content objectives, language objectives, strategies, and rubrics are the breadcrumbs that lead you away from your destination and back to your home, allowing you to plan incrementally to achieve your gosls.

Your objectives and strategies you can come up with, but ForAllRubrics and ThemeSpark are tools you can use to make your rubrics far more potent.

Choosing Your Weapons…

Dr. Ichiro Serizawa: In 1954, the first time that a nuclear submarine ever reached the lower depths, it awakened something...

Vivienne Graham: The Americans first thought that it was the Russians. The Russians thought that it was them. All those nuclear tests in the 50s? Not tests.

Dr. Ichiro Serizawa: They were trying to kill it.

-Godzilla (2014)

So, your target is determined and you’ve done a little planning. Now, you need to head to the your armory in order to figure out the best weapons for the job. Here are some questions to ask yourself when choosing the right weapon for the right job.

Is this the right tool for the job?

What is my current level of expertise with this tool?

Again, think of student

You need to set your students up for success.

If this is a

outcomes. The tool might be totally new tool, then you might need to either have some really cool, but it might not experience using it or find tutorials that will speak to what speak to the outcome you desire.you’d like to have students accomplish with the tool. Make sure Picking the right tool for the your rubric or instructions set expectations for student right job is incredibly outcomes so they will know when and where they can innovate important as this won’t confuse with the product. you or or your students as to the purpose of the tool in your classroom.

How will I manage the use of the tool in my There could be an even more efficient or a more creative way to the outcome you desire as well. Tools are usually a GOOGLE search away. Let your fingers be your guide.

classroom?

Classroom management doesn’t disappear when you go digital, it’s actually far more important. Make sure you practice and establish routines for computer/tablet use and digital citizenship before delving into the jungle.

Sometimes, you might not even need a digital alternative.

THIS IS OKAY. If you can get a What’s my Zombie Apocalypse plan? job done efficiently without use of the technology, then whyYou shouldn’t be screwed if the WiFi goes out. Why? Because include it? you’re the hero and heroes solve problems…even the unexpected

variety. Think of a Plan Z, especially on especially tech heavy lessons when loss of Wifi or electricity would be disastrous.

What are alternatives? How could you regroup? Make sure you have 26 ways to get paid.

Dr. King Schultz: [aiming .45-70 rifle at fleeing Ellis Brittle] You sure that's him?

Django: Yeah.

Dr. King Schultz: Positive?

Django: I don't know.

Dr. King Schultz: You don't know if you're positive?

Django: I don't know what 'positive' means.

Dr. King Schultz: It means you're sure.

Django: Yes. Dr. King Schultz: Yes, what?

Django: Yes, I'm sure that's Ellis Brittle.

[Schultz shoots Brittle off his horse] Django: I'm positive he dead.

-Django Unchained

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The Bombing Run Major John Smith: Lieutenant, in the next 15 minutes we have to create enough confusion to get out of here alive.

Lt. Morris Schaffer: Major, right now you got me about as confused as I ever hope to be.

-Where Eagles Dare, (1968)

So…are you ready to cause some mayhem? You look like the type that would bungee jump out of a 747 holding a bazooka in attempt to save the world. Below, you find some instructions for a test drive of your planning skills.

1. Log into your online planning tool, visit your state standards, or Corestandards.org in order view your grade level standards. If you don’t have a planning tool, one is provided in this document.

2. Identify up to two standards that you have or will present to your class.

3. Create a concept for a sample lesson that speaks toward mastery of the standards you have chosen. This should include possible objectives, materials, procedures, assessment and the length of the lesson(s), but can include any differentiation and/or extensions you’d like.

4. Meaningfully integrate at least one of the tools found on the list of 101 Free Tech tools into the sample lesson you are creating. (Click on the number 101 to be sent to the site.)

5. Try out this lesson in your classroom and be reflective about the things that made you look like a Arnold in “Predator” and the stuff that you could use a little practice on.

Be as creative as you can. Teaching is a contact sport. Take risks. Embrace failure and learn from it. Remember that a hero is only as good as the villain he’s battling so if you’re constantly defeating the challenges in front of you, it might be time to step up the competition.

Planning like an Action Hero...

Title of Lesson: Date

Standard :

Standard:

Content Objective(s):

Language Objective(s):

Materials Needed

Links to Digital Resources

Will you need tablets?

If yes, is there one for each student

Will you need computers ?

If yes, is there one for each student?

Yes

yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

No

No

How will you differentiate your lesson?

Procedures for Instruction

What went well?

Other Notes, Comments, Thoughts or Observations

Are there things you'd change?

The InTelliGent HOodlums www.intelligenthoodlums.com

WEBS

CHOCOLATE

TEACHER

AS

PLaincLothes ThaNos

AS

HOrace MandRoid

Government Name: Stephanie Weber

Government Name: Mike Lang

Current Occupation: Chief Officer of Awesome

Current Occupation: Head Insane Person

Affiliations: Intelligent Hoodlums

Affiliations: Intelligent Hoodlums

First Appearance: Intelligent Hoodlums #1

First Appearance: Intelligent Hoodlums #1

Daytime Gig: Project Facilitator, IDPL

Daytime Gig: Project Facilitator, IDPL

Universe: 220

Universe: His own

Aliases: Webs, Q, Chi, The Quits, Vegas Aliases: Pedagogical Super Villain, Chen Lau Citzenship: USA (possibly Canada) Hu, Employee 1552, Chocolate Boy Wonder Skills: Turning dreams into plans into reality, Citizenship: Elysium bringing the world into the classroom and the Place of Birth: Unrevealed classroom into the world, super villainy, thinking outside of the box Bio: If Kim Possible and Wade were all one

Skills: Facilitating of Educational Experiences, Super Villainy, Thinking Outside of the Box Bio: A little Endeavour Morse, a little Dr. Doom, and a whole lot of practice.

person, that would be Webs.

chclteteacher

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