Unpacking Idaho's 2017 Federal Programs Conference

 It's great to be back from the 2017 Federal Programs Conference in Boise! Now to unpack what I've learned. . . .

First some highlights for those of you who wonder what it's like to go to a conference like this.

• Keynote speakers Charlotte Danielson, Luis Cruz, Diane Staehr Fenner, and of course rapper MK Asante brought inspiring messages encouraging us to be "merchants of hope," to remember that "If you make an observation, you have an obligation," and to keep doing the work that makes such a difference in the lives of our neediest students. 

Amy with the great Charlotte Danielson

• Breakout sessions deepened our understanding of topics under the Federal Progams umbrella (and at this conference, special education). I learned about reaching English Learners, using multicultural literature for inclusion, leveraging score changes in WIDA Access 2.0, apps that support student accessibility, and Socratic Discussions with my friends Wendi and Kim from the Idaho Coaching Network.

• I presented Choose Your Own Adventure: Writing and Publishing Narratives Using Digital Technology to a great bunch of teachers. Want the slideshow? It's yours! Go to https://goo.gl/c49wS5. The hostess at my session gave me a goody bag with The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates by Wes Moore inside. Can't wait to read it!

Amy's presenter badge

• I got to catch up with some of the great folks from CSI who put on the P20 Educator Conference last summer. They're gearing up for this July, and I'll be presenting Choose Your Own Adventure and Faith and the Public School Teacher there again this year.

• Came home loaded up with freebies like animal-photo posters from Discovery Education, a coloring book for my daughter, and oodles of books from Stan Steiner's session, "What's New in Multicultural Children's Literature." More on that session another time!

Multicultural literature

• I got to explore Boise and meet new people. Networking is a huge part of why we go to conferences at all, and I try to take advantage of the chance to get help with issues I'm facing in the classroom, school, or in my district as a whole. (Okay, in my small community, the school and the district are one and the same. But you get what I'm saying).

View from the parking garage near the Boise Centre

What I'd like to see at next year's conference? A session called "Federal Programs 101." After all, some of us (me) are newbies to Fed Programs, and we need to know how to prepare for an audit, manage input from staff members, and make sure our school is doing the best it can to meet the needs of all learners.


More from the conference soon, but in the meantime, what do you think new Federal Programs Directors need to know about their job? Leave comments below! We newbies thank you!

Further Reading:
From eSchool News: 5 technologies to avoid in the classroom-and what to use instead
What Happened When I Interviewed Hip-Hop Artist MK Asante (And a Truck With a Confederate Flag Drove By)
From Dayspring.com: What's in Your Easter Basket?

Unstructured Play Week, Day 3: A Hike Up the Creek

"The earth is full of Thy lovingkindness, O Lord; Teach me Thy statutes." Psalm 119:64

The creek runs along the edge of an alfalfa field near town. Photos by Amy Ballard.

Welcome to Day 3 of Unstructured Play Week! Yesterday we played in the kitchen. Today we hike up the creek in rural Idaho for endless, unscripted play in the water, sand, mud, trees, and sun. Hope you brought your sun glasses and water shoes!

Recently, stories have circulated on Facebook and elsewhere asserting that American schools think recess is a waste of time, while schools in Europe often send students outdoors for unstructured, hands-on play time in nature. The stories smack of propaganda, but they are still a springboard for discussion.

There is an undeniable body of evidence that kids need to get outdoors and to have free play. One source that eloquently argues for getting kids out into nature is the Child Mind Institute. Cited benefits of time outdoors include building confidence and creativity, providing different stimulation, getting kids moving, making them think, and reducing stress and fatigue. All of this can happen through play, without adult-imposed structure or set learning objectives.

Here in southern Idaho, there are many creeks that run down out of the mountains toward larger streams and eventually to the Snake River and the Pacific. They provide a glorious playground for fishing, swimming, canoeing, kayaking, rafting, and other hobbies. But there are simpler ways to while away a sunny day at the creek, and kids know how to find them.

Makeshift minnow bucket

Recently, my children and I took two excursions up the creek near our home. We had so much fun the first time that we invited cousins on the second trip.

My daughter caught minnows in a bucket the first day, but when we forgot the bucket the next day, she had to make do with (ironically) a Swedish Fish bag. It worked just fine. She later released the little fishies back into the wild.

She and her cousins also made tiny houses out of rocks, mud, and decorative grass, moss, feathers, and flowers they found in the woods around our little beach. Each child expressed a different architectural bent and decorative flair.

Mud houses in the making

Meanwhile, the youngest two of our crew sat in a shady part of the creek and played with mud contentedly in their own private hot tub.

Cheeto the walking stick

Kids love playing creatively with sticks. On the first day at the creek, my youngest son adopted a walking stick and inexplicably named it "Cheeto." Later, he began digging for dinosaur bones (rocks) and identifying his finds. "This is a velociraptor tooth! Here's where it attaches to the gum, and here's where it cuts up the meat!"

We took time for simply enjoying nature, too. In the soft mud at the edge of the creek, duck and raccoon prints spoke of recent animal visits. The kids spotted birds in the air above us, including prairie falcons and yellow-headed blackbirds, and my daughter spied a duck hiding in a shady bend in the creek.

Wild flowers

There were wildflowers like yellow sweet-clover all around, and of course, the low, scrubby willows that are everywhere along Idaho's streams. What better place to spend a summer afternoon?

More wildflowers

Of course, not everyone lives in a rural area, so it can be more challenging to find a place for kids to play freely in nature. Chances are, you've already scouted out the local parks. Have you tried picnic areas beside rivers, streams, and lakes in or near your city?

Or maybe it's time to plan an outing just a few hours from home so the kids can sink their toes into the mud, hear the wind in the trees, and forget about technology for a while.

Fun by the creek

Although I'm not what you'd call a tree hugger or a hippie, I did grow up in the woods of Maine and can attest to the tranquility and happiness of time spent in the natural world. I hope that as parents and teachers and Christians we'll all head out into nature often, both to give children more and better opportunities for unstructured play and for our own reflection.

The Bible often speaks of the beauty of Creation and how everything that was made praises God. In just one example, Job 12:7-10 says,

“But now ask the beasts, and let them teach you; And the birds of the heavens, and let them tell you. Or speak to the earth, and let it teach you; And let the fish of the sea declare to you. Who among all these does not know That the hand of the Lord has done this, In whose hand is the life of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind?"

American naturalist John Burroughs reflected,

"I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order."

Today, kids and teachers alike are desperate for that kind of low-tech recharge.

Come back tomorrow for more on unstructured play, this time in the vivid world of art.

The Field and Forest Handy Book

STEM Bus USA

My school may be small, but we have an active PTO. This year, the parent-teacher organization brought the STEM Bus to visit and give K-12 students a chance to explore Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) in an upbeat, hands-on environment. Stembususa.org offers teacher resources, summer STEM camp information, and info on how to bring the 60-foot Mobile Discovery Lab to your school. I got to test out an Oculus Rift, something even the most avid gamers among my students had never done. The virtual reality OR was also my son Axel's favorite, though he spent a lot of time with the electronic circuit set. It wasn't just me and my kid geeking out, though, Every single person, students and teachers alike, was having the time of their lives. I highly recommend this experience as a spark of inspiration and just plain fun for all ages. Talk to your PTO about booking the STEM Bus for your school!

That Techy Kid

We haven't quite gotten to the point yet where every teacher in every school uses technology seamlessly. Okay, that's a gross exaggeration. We're all still learning. But it won't be long before teaching means tech and learning uses tech and kids are techy at all times, even those kids who see tech purely as a means to their own ends. While we're caught in the middle, older teachers who remember when there were no computers or when there was no Internet or when cell phones were the size of shoe boxes. . .let's just say we can struggle to connect our students to the tech they need. And they do need it--their world will require it as it requires air.

My own son has helped me push the limits of my tech knowledge. I believe in the Bible verse,

"Train up a child in the way he should go; Even when he is old he will not depart from it."

There are different interpretations of Proverbs 22:6, but I apply it in two of the main ones. First, I try to guide my children on the right path, the way to God, the way of righteousness. Second, I try to notice my children's natural inclinations, such as my middle son's inclination toward engineering and technology. Seeing his gifts, I can steer him toward resources, experiences, and opportunities that will encourage those gifts. The opposite of that would be pushing my child to pursue a career in business or some other field for purely financial reasons when he has no interest or affinity for that field.

My middle child reads well and excels in math, but has trouble seeing the value of those pursuits. Only through art and technology (think STEAM) does he lose himself in the joy of discovery and learning for love.

Without knowing much about animation, I have begun to steer my son toward computer animation in small steps. Recently, I told him about some stop-motion animations that the freshmen at school have created. We watched one called The Orange Mission that depicts Lego guys peeling an orange. I offered to help my son learn to do the same kind of animation; we would just have to learn how to put the photos together into a video. To my surprise, he said his Nintendo 3ds had a stop-motion animation feature, so it wouldn't be an issue. Over spring break, we tried it out at our hotel, animating a Beanie Boo owl turning on the faucet and pondering jumping into the sink. Then, without my help, my son made an animation of the owl diving into a bag of Doritos head first, tail twitching happily as he eats.

Next step? Free computer animation software. Last night we downloaded Pencil 2d after watching some Youtube videos for an overview. We tested the software out, not knowing what we were doing. Mostly it was a fail. I went to bed a little frustrated, but trusted that we'd figure it out soon by watching more tutorials. This morning, my son popped into my room. "Mom, I made an animation and it's really cool." Sure enough, he'd spent the early morning figuring out how Pencil 2d worked (by trial and error, the way we learn tech and many other things best) and animated a guy morphing into a cat. Leave it to the third-grader!

I want my son to know I believe in his need to journey. He will explore his way to a career that is right for him and that allows him to use the gifts God has given him. When he is old, he won't depart from it because he will find fulfillment in it. I can safely resist the urge to tell him he won't get paid to play video games all day because that line of "work" is too competitive. Instead, I can help him find what he is truly made to do. This purpose will be a positive gift from God for all his days.

Teachers can foster the same sense of journey toward fulfilling work in our students if we are in tune to their gifts and inclinations. It's one way we can live out a Christian world-view in our secular field.

Tech Quotes

"Science and technology revolutionize our lives, but memory, tradition and myth frame our response."

– Arthur Schlesinger (Historian)

Taken from Robert J. Szczerba's list of "20 Great Technology Quotes To Inspire, Amaze, And Amuse" on forbes.com.

Devotional Aids for Every Christian Teacher

When I worked at my previous teaching job, I had to get up at 5:40 at the latest in order to get ready in time for my morning commute. That included time for a shower, a bowl of cereal, twenty minutes or so reading my Bible, a quick routine with clothes, hair, and makeup, and a half-hour drive to work. On the drive, I would usually turn on the local Christian radio station of my preference (sermons, not songs) to put me in the right frame of mind for my day ahead. It was a hectic day no matter how early I got up, but setting the alarm any earlier would have cut into my mandatory sleep time.

Now, with my current teaching job, I live just four blocks from work. Needless to say, my alarm goes off later these days. Still, I try to spend time in the Word every morning. I'm not sure I ever thought technology would play such a big role in my devotional life! Right now I'm reading the book of Matthew on my phone. The way Jesus interacts with people--his disciples, his critics, his needy followers of all kinds--speaks volumes about how I should interact with people at my school.

I've also just begun reading Susan O'Carroll Drake's Morning Meetings With Jesus: 180 Devotions for Teachers, which focuses on the teaching approaches of Jesus and how they apply to our lives as Christian educators. There are many devotional books written with teachers in mind, but this one stood out from the crowd.

Over the years there have been many devotional aids that have helped me devote my days to God in the morning or evening. Here are a few that aren't specifically geared toward teachers:

1. Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon (sign up here for free emails from BibleGateway.com or to read online). It's old-fashioned and eloquent for those quiet moments with God.

2. My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers (visit utmost.org, which states, "Oswald Chambers sometimes startled audiences with his vigorous thinking and his vivid expression").

3. Blueletterbible.org and Biblegateway.com; both offer the text of the Bible online in several versions with numerous study helps and devotionals. I'm currently using Blueletterbible on my phone with the NASB in one column and the KJV in the other. I love being able to compare the two versions as I read. I also use it to check commentaries on the verses I'm struggling to understand.

4. Deserts of the Heart: Finding God During the Dry Times by Pamela Reeve; full of beautiful desert photography paired with devotional text geared toward surrender, contentment, and growth during life's wilderness experiences. My pastor recommended it to me, and now I recommend it to you.

5. Shadow of the Almighty: The Life and Testament of Jim Elliot by Elisabeth Elliot; a staple for me as I have mused about God's calling for me now and in the future. Jim Elliot knew God wanted him to preach to those who had never heard the good news of Jesus and His death on the cross. As a young man, he was often impatient for God's timing to take him to the mission field. Reading his wife Elisabeth's book, which consists mainly of Jim's diary entries and letters, I am comforted in the knowledge that God will be faithful to complete His work in my life.

Whatever devotional aids you choose to try, I hope you will make it your primary focus to read the Word of God every day and to meet with God in prayer. Even Jesus got up "a great while before day" and prayed. Let's strive toward the same pattern in our lives, even as busy teachers.

Best Practices for Integrating Chromebooks

Is your school thinking of adopting Chromebooks? Looking to write a grant for Chromebooks in your classroom? Here's a starting point: Best Practices for Integrating Chromebooks into Teaching and Learning.

Online Teacher Planners

Who doesn't love the old-fashioned, spiral-bound teacher plan books? They are the ultimate school supply, with their promise of order and accomplishment, their neat boxes ready to be inked in. But this is 2015 already. It's time to store that glorious planner in the Cloud.

So which digital planner is best? There are several viable, free options out there, and I've test-driven two of the major contenders. (I've also paid for an online planner, but it was not worth the investment).

Commoncurriculum.com
Pros: Some aspects user-friendly; attentive tech service; collaboration features

Cons: Glitchy in Chrome; difficult to figure out how to roll classes over to a new year; difficulty sharing unit plans by email

Planboard.chalk.com
Pros: User-friendly to the extreme; speedy tech service answers; easy to attach state standards, including CCSS, to lesson plans; new features added frequently, such as easy collaboration and date-free planning; works great in Chrome

Cons: Few; won't print unit plans (just daily plans), but I think this feature will be available soon

Conclusion: I switched from Commoncurriculum to Planboard gradually as I became frustrated by the limitations of the former. Both companies offer quality technical assistance, but too often the answer from Commoncurriculum was "Sorry, we don't have that feature." The clincher came when I bought a Chromebook and found that my old planner was incompatible with my new browser. I've never regretted the switch, though I can't wait for the ability to print my unit plans.

This is the first year I've done my planning completely online. Yes, I can sympathize with my fellow teachers who still love their paper planners, but there is something wonderful about knowing my plans are at my fingertips whether I'm at my desk at school, on my couch at home, or on my phone in the car. My sub plans look amazing, my adminstrator likes seeing the standards on my lessons, and, not the least of its benefits, my planner loses nothing when the school server crashes. Twice. In one year.

Try a free digital planner for a week. You'll be hooked.

Sadie Robertson "Live Original" 18-Month Agenda