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Welcome to the Let Them Learn blog page! While you may have perused through some of the old content, everything from her on out is completely new. I created this site when I was studying for my Master’s Program in digital learning and leading at Lamar University. However, that was about four years ago and time has passed since I used this site. I decided to convert this site from that, to this new site that I can share with others.

A lot of the content from the Master’s Program is still useful in today’s ever changing, but still the same education system and a lot of the ideas I learned about make up who I am today as an educator which is part of the reason I wanted to reimagine this site. I have seen many educators create wonderful content to share with others such as podcasts, social media accounts, videos and so much more so I figured why not join that space as well and share what you believe and have learned? So here we are.

This has been two years in the making where it all started when I presented at the TCCA conference in Aldine ISD. That was followed by the Region 4 DLC as well where I presented on Using Video Games to Build student Literacy. I have tweaked and refined this presentation for the last two years and again presented at the TCCA and Region 4 DLC. But it wasn’t until recently where my proposal to present was accepted at the TCEA conference which just passed two weeks ago and at the ISTE Conference happening this June, 2023 in Philadelphia. When I applied to these conferences last year, both declined and I was distraught thinking that my idea would never pick up. But look at me now, a year removed and I am presenting at both!

TCEA was a bitter sweet presentation. My family had recently suffered a loss to a family member who lived in San Antonio, where the conference was being held. While I was excited to present, I was dealing with emotional turmoil as well as being away from my family for a few days. San Antonio also decided that it wanted to be a cold city for those few days and attendees were definitely not ready for the madness that happened with the change in weather.

Nonetheless, we adapted, made due, and enjoyed four days of great learning. I’ll talk about the conference in another post, but all-in-all it was a great experience and my colleague and I will hope to be back next year with much more to show!

I am excited for this journey into a space where I can share the many ideas I have had and learned in my so far, 8 years of educational experience, plus my experiences as a student that I can recall. While some thoughts may be controversial, they are a means to implement change in educators, administrators, students, parents, and all other parties involved. At the core of it all, we are people in a capacity to serve young adults and help mold them into productive citizens.

Education needs to shift to a much different format because the traditional ways of teaching and learning have not been effective especially in these last three years during and post pandemic. There was a great opportunity to implement change, but yet, we as an education system mostly went back to the old ways which has created more new problems. Things need to change, educators need to adapt to different mindsets, parents need to be more involved and students need to take control of their learning.

Thank you for joining me on this journey and I hope we can learn from each other.

I’ve greatly enjoyed seeing how my innovation plan started and progressed throughout these last 18 months. From not knowing where to begin, to seeing it pan-out differently in my classroom, to having the principal on my campus talking about it at our meetings. I am leading change on my campus and it’s all thanks to the skills I’ve built in the DLL program.

It didn’t work out the exact way I planned, and that’s okay. I created several renditions of my plan, found numerous examples of research,  and reflected on the progress. Things don’t always work out the way we want them to, but if we adapt and roll with the punches, it could turnout to be a different, yet positive experience. While there are some adjustments that need to be made with some changes to the innovation plan, I am more than excited to see how it plays out over the next year or two.

If anything, I am more confident with speaking my mind, trying new things, planning, and asking/answering those important questions. While this program is coming to an end, it is only the beginning in my continued journey to learning and leading change.

Look at my video below to see all that I’ve been through in my innovation plan journey:

Being in the DLL program at Lamar University has been a journey I never thought I would take, let alone succeed in, however here I am only a few weeks away from graduation and saddened at the fact that this chapter of my life is coming to an end. There is so much to say, share, think, feel and so little space to write it in but I shall do my best to say all great things about this program, it’s unique COVA approach and how creating a significant learning environment plays an important part in learning.

I always think back to the first course and how we started with the Growth Mindset. I remember thinking to myself “that’s it? That’s all it takes to be successful is to think a different way and know that I can continue learning even at an old age?” But it wasn’t that simple as I would come to learn through that first course. The idea was simple yes, however, applying the ideologies that Carol Dweck stated to us were far from each. I had to continue to practice the Growth Mindset each and every day. Even during the tough times of learning, teaching, work, and being a husband and father to three, it did get rough many times and I thought about quitting. Once I was able to compose myself, talk to my wife and reflect things would get better and that’s when I later realized how the Growth Mindset worked.

It wasn’t until course 5305 were I was in control of all that I did and was seeing the benefits of a COVA approach. 5305 for me was probably the toughest course that I encountered yet one of my favorites. Being able to decided what would be be my innovation plan was amazing and there were plenty of ideas going through my head. I wanted to ask Dr. Harapnuik what he though would be a good plan, but he would always go back to the same idea. I remember him saying it’s my plan, I can make it whatever I want, however I want, and he was there to help guide my thinking. This, although a shock to most, was a small shock to me but it was important and was something I’d been looking for rather than a traditional model of teaching.

My innovation plan for the most part has played out differently then expected. I was terrified to present the plan and even more terrified at putting it into action, so you could say I did it just because it was required for this course. However, eventually I found the right moment and put it into play. The outcome was good, although it could have been better planned out. Students were to create an ePortfolio and reflect on their learning experience over the school year. Students had choice in how they presented the information and what platform they would present it on.

Some chose to do a physical portfolio and others created a digital one. I reflected on the process on my blog post, “Student Created ePortfolios”. What I loved most about the experience is that it was different for students, and they didn’t expect it. A lot of them said “can we just take a test?” and my response would be what would a test be measuring? One of my favorite quotes from Dr. Harapnuik is “get comfortable with being uncomfortable” so I wanted to challenge the students and have them do something completely different than what they were used to.

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Surprisingly, our ePortfolio project made waves throughout the school and my Principal even had me present the project at one of our  meetings in September where I talked about what we did, and how it was different. I talked about how it gave students choice and put the learning in their hands while giving them an authentic learning experience. This is different then what I initially wanted for my plan, although it has gotten the ball rolling. I could definitely see myself leading a professional development on ePortfolio design.

On my campus, it’s been a journey trying to implement positive change. There are many teachers who I hear say things about “new initiatives” and how on our campus, they come and go. While putting the ePortfolio plan into play has been a struggle, I am working on creating a significant learning environment. Students do not learn through a “sit and get” method. They need to interact, collaborate, engage, think, fail and succeed in order to truly learn.

I recently have opened my classroom for my peers to come and observe several lessons that I’ve implemented such as a blended-learning method, and a Socratic seminar. I would have never even thought to open up my room and have peers give feedback, but here I am at the end of the DLL program, and am more confident than ever in creating these fun environments, engaging in learning and even facilitating professional development opportunities.

I remember where I started, and I am proud of how far I’ve come. I’ve learned and created so much and it seems like this is just the beginning. I created an ePortfolio that I can use forever. I learned new tools and strategies to help make change on my campus through crucial conversations, 4DX model, BHAG, and created several outlines for planning. I put my plan into action and looked at research to support it. I researched my plan in global aspects and compared it to what’s happening in education today. I became a digital citizen and created videos to teach others how to become digital citizens while making sure they use online resources effectively. I also worked on getting an article published that focuses on Project Based Learning and working on wrapping it all up.

I’ve been met with some push back on my ideas and even push back within myself, lacking confidence I need. All I can do is continue to work towards positive change while continuing to work on myself to build that confidence and continue to open up my classroom for others to come observe. I must be doing something right if my principal and admin staff are asking about our ePortfolio project from last year, moving towards more Project Based Learning.

I’m eager to continue my journey as a learner and change my students’ mindsets about learning. It is a tough process to shift their thinking and not look for what I want, rather what helps them best learn while moving away from getting a perfect grade. If I can continue to challenge these traditional models of learning, then I feel I’m moving in the right direction. I also will continue pursuing leadership opportunities, pushing myself out of my comfort zone then taking what I learned and sharing it with my colleagues,.

While this course is close to an end, it is only a part in my continuous journey while being a life-long learner. I plan to take and utilize all that I’ve learned and hopefully share my learning with others. I’m thankful for all the relationships I’ve built, the time and work I’ve put into this program, because I never thought I would go back to school, and hopeful for the future opportunities I will encounter. I know I am ready for anything that comes my way.

References:

Dweck. C (2016) Mindset The New Psychology of Success Updated Edition Ballantine Books

Dweck. C (2006-2010) Change your mindset: How can you change from a fixed-mindset to a growth-mindset? Retrieved from http://mindsetonline.com/changeyourmindset/firststeps/

Fink, L. D. (2013). Creating significant learning experiences: An integrated approach to designing college courses. John Wiley & Sons.

Harapnuik, D., Thibodeaux, T., & Cummings, C. (2018). Choice, Ownership, and Voice through Authentic Learning

I learned a lot more then what I thought I would have been capable of learning. I have a better understanding of what copyright law is, the difference between copyright and plagiarism, and have a grasp on transformative. I also got to dive into cyberbullying and how it is the ongoing act of bullying online, on social media, through email and text message.

Looking at those that have been impacted took a great toll on me, but I think I’m better prepared to handle any cyberbulling/bullying situations because I know now that when I see something, I say something. I know better ways to get students, teachers, and parents involved when it comes to bullying and how as an educator, we are obligated to step in and help those in need.

My biggest accomplishment was creating the presentation videos because I usually do a Power Point presentation. This time, I used WeVideo which has way more features. Once I played around with it though and utilized the tools, it was easier to use. I was so proud of it that when it was done, I felt a wave of joy as if I were a little kid and discovered something amazing. I shared it with my wife and even shared it with some of my co-workers to use for our upcoming digital citizenship lesson. Some things I struggled with were the copyright cases because there are a lot of laws, jargon and gray areas when it comes to copyright use, but overall, I think I handled them effectively after I stepped back, looked at the definitions, and saw how resources were being used. It even led me to questions proper use in my classroom and campus.

There is a lot to take from this course and apply to my own teachings. Specifically the cyberbullying, proper use of materials and giving proper attribution, the idea of failing, and succeeding and working to create a positive climate so students feel safe and secure. These are things I will continue to work on to ensure that we are learning and being respectful to one another, and hopefully we’ll create positive social change to where it’s second nature.

What I liked most about this course was that we got to play with a variety of tools while putting everything together. Essentially, there was a little bit of everything involved in this course. Working on the reflections, creating digital presentations, blog posts, and discussions all played a crucial part in helping our learning. Everything that we did wasn’t something simple, but instead required deeper-level thinking and applying to real-life situations.

I would tell others going through the course to work on something daily and take their time, do not wait until the last minute because they will get overwhelmed. It did take some time to adjust to the workload, but once you get used to it, it isn’t so bad. It was interesting reading the two books about digital citizenship and bullying. They were easy reads, just required a bit of thinking and applying. So as long as you stay on top of the readings, assignments and discussions and not let them pile up, you’ll be fine. You will however learn a lot.

While the course was informative, something I would change is the mini-reflections that seemed as if they could have been compiled with either the discussions or the weekly reflections. Rather than doing a 3-4 paragraph essay, it would have made more sense to apply those questions to the weekly reflections. But again, now that we are at the end of this course, and although I struggled at first, this has probably been my top 3 favorite classes in the DLL program. As we get one step closer to graduation, it all seems surreal.

Cyberbullying is no easy task to talk about, yet it is one of the most talked about things in our society. It has the power to make people feel insignificant, small, and unloved. It has the power to embarrass, belittle, and take the lives of those we love, leaving us shattered and in pain wondering why we didn’t notice the signs. But, if we help to spread awareness, in our schools, and in our communities, while having strong support groups of parents, teachers, and students, then maybe we can change the impact cyberbullying has on others.

During the early part of each school year, we teachers are required to teach some form of cyberbullying and let students know that it is not cool to do. We share videos of those who have taken their lives because of it, and we have discussions in our Advisory class to talk about those tough conversations. We define it, look at examples of it, and sometimes there are tears shed for those we’ve lost. The Principal even comes on over the intercom to talk about it as well. It is something that is difficult to talk about because we all know it’s wrong, but yet still do it without even noticing.

According to Hinduja and Patchin (2015) many educators feel that they aren’t fit to teach this type of stuff nor do they even know where to place it in the curriculum. But, even though a lot of school don’t have the resources (Hinduja & Patchin, 2015) it is up to us to teach it. In today’s society, students will eventually come across the dark corners of the web, and what they do next, depends on the education they receive (Hinduja & Patchin, 2015).

31% of students get bullied in the classroom, while 11.4% are bullied outside of school (Brewer & Kerslake, 2015) and 11.5% are bullied by multiple sources while 40% don’t even know the identity of their of the bully. If we as teachers and parents, by getting them involved, can find ways to promote safe, online practices by teaching and informing students by establishing clear rules and guidelines, then we can maintain a safe and respectful school climate (Hindjua & Patchin, 2015). There are also many ways to promote proper use while getting the students involved as well.

By law, it is required that we get involved immediately when cyberbullying is presented. But we as educators can only do so much. By doing other things like teaching students to think before they post, tell relatable stories to have them connect, and seek help from professionals, then we can be on the right track towards positive online interaction.

As previously stated, cyberbullying is one of, if not the toughest conversation to have with your children and students in education. But if we can continue to spread awareness online, in our communities and schools, and get the support of parents while getting other students involved, then hopefully we can save the lives of those who don’t think it is worth living. Hopefully there we can make positive social change, and make cyberbullying a thing of the past.

References

Brewer, G., & Kerslake, J. (2015) Cyberbullying, self-esteem, empathy and loneliness. Computers in Human Behavior Retrieved from Brewer_Cyberbullying_Self-esteem_Empathy_Loneliness.pdf

Hinduja, S. & Patchin, J.W. (2015) Bullying beyond the school yard Preventing and responding to cyberbullying Chp. 6 Preventing Cyberbullying 143-184

Week three of the Digital Citizenship course focused on the information of copyright, plagiarism, transformation and any other forms of ensuring proper use. Throughout the readings, there is a lot of information about defining each one, examples/case studies, and a lot of jargon that can be confusing, but if you understand the gist of it, and properly cite resources and attribute, then you’ll be safe.

The first thing that was interesting in this weeks learnings was the news story about a monkey that took a selfie with a photographer’s camera. The issue that came up was whether or not the rights to that picture belong to the cameraman because the picture garnered a lot of attention from the media. The photographer was fighting for the copyrights to it, but according to the law, since the monkey took the picture, it doesn’t belong to the cameraman.

Another article that came up was Hudson Institute White paper that deals with the idea of the U.S. Copyright office either staying with the Library of Congress, or separating due to the retirement of James Billington. In the article there are a lot of main points for why it should be separated and I strongly believe based on the claims provided, it should be separated. Having a separate office that can focus solely on copyright issues should be important because in the Library of Congress, it is not. In fact, it’s not even a top priority in the Library of Congress, and even in the Copyright office, their focus isn’t even on copyright issues, rather they do other tedious jobs.

Lastly was the information about transformative and fair use copyright, which I am still confused on both topics and what constitutes as me using stuff in the right way. I was able to use a website that guides me through the process of finding out what fair use is, so I believe for the most part what I use in my classroom is in compliance. I do have to reflect, especially when I used videos or outside sources to make sure it is being properly used. Also, my understanding of transformative is that if you’re using something of someone else’s, then as long as you’re not using the whole thing, rather a snip-it of it to help you create something on your own, then that is okay. Now that I think about it, I’ve seen several cases of this in the music industry and how they “sample” work from other artists, to help create their new songs, so that must mean they are using it properly.

These key points were difficult to understand in this week’s assignments, but with continuous practice, and continuous teaching, then I believe that I can stay in legal compliance. This will also help be continuing to be an effective teacher. Then when it comes time to teach these ideas to students, they will be better prepared for the future.

References

Stim, R. (2019) Fair use: What is Transformative? Retrieved from https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/fair-use-what-transformative.html

Tepp S. and Oman, R. (2015, October). A 21^st century copyright office: The conservative case for reform. Hudson Institute. Retrieved from https://www.hudson.org/research/11772-a-21st-century-copyright-office-the-conservative-case-for-reform

Net Neutrality and Digital Citizenship

Week two of the Digital Citizenship course focused heavily on the ideas of net neutrality and its need, especially in the field of education and focusing more on digital citizenship and how it’s important to continue to teach students the importance of accepting their digital identity and how to leave behind a good digital footprint.

Many of reads focused on net neutrality, it’s ideas and how it is beneficial for all. According to an article from Marshall Data, net neutrality is the idea that the internet is neutral, and should be free for all. While this is important, there were many pros and cons for net neutrality, which ultimately left me on the side of being for net neutrality although it hasn’t really affected me. What really won me over to their argument was the idea that net neutrality is needed in education for those students that don’t have internet, or simply can’t afford it. It is also necessary for those students who have an internet but their carrier isn’t that great with internet service, or they don’t have a good enough plan for good internet. 

In another article written by Cindy Long, “What Net Neutrality means for Students and Educators” she opens up with an example of two students. One has an advantage of accessing good internet speeds because of their provider, and the other student doesn’t because they do not have open internet access. While there is a lot of gray areas with these two scenarios, the idea remains the same in that there should be equality when it comes to the two students and accessing information for their research purposes. Long also talks about the lack of internet access limits students’ creativity, something that not only teachers preach, but society as well which is one of the main points of education. Who are we to limit their potential and creativity? While there may be those opposed to net neutrality, this argument should be in support of it.

Jason Ohler’s article, “Character Education for the Digital Age” Ohler makes a strong case for how we try to have students live two lives. One life being traditional, unplugged and at school and another digitally infused outside of school (Ohler, 2015). Ultimately he states that rather than having the students live their two lives, and keeping technology out of school, we need to merge the two together and teach students how to coincide with the two, but in order to do that we have to teach them how to be good digital citizens. In order to do this, Ohler states that school boards would have to open the lines of internet and communication, and provide training for faculty and staff to become “ethical coaches” and “help students navigate the many ethically issues associated with digital lifestyle.” (Ohler, 2015)

These two key points were crucial in this weeks learnings. By applying and teaching them to our students regularly, we can help them become better digital citizens, and hopefully provide them the tools they need to find their potential and unleash their creativity. 

References 

An introduction to net neutrality. (2014) Retrieved from 

http://www.marshalldata.com/2014/05/an-introduction-to-net-neutrality-what-it-is-what-it-means-for-you-and-what-you-can-do-about-it/ 

Long, C. (2015). What net neutrality means for students and Educators. Retrieved from 

http://neatoday.org/2015/03/11/net-neutrality-means-students-educators/

Ohler, J. (2011). Character education for the digital age. Educational Leadership, 68(5), 187-205. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/feb11/vol68/num05/Character-Education-for-the-Digital-Age.aspx

This digital citizenship course has me excited and nervous to learn about being an effective digital citizen. Through reflections, learning, and exploring  this week, I’ve learned about the nine elements and the importance of developing a digital citizen environment for students.

Before this course began I looked at the information that was presented when I was enrolled into the course. Looking at the activities and reflections, I thought that the course was going to be one of my favorites.  The general gist I got from it made me extremely excited to be taking the course. Learning information about the laws, rules, and guidelines may seem disinteresting to others, but I find it enjoyable, and the idea to create something that allows me to express myself is always a plus.

Then came the first meeting that we had this past Monday, and like usual, I got extremely worried and nervous. There was a lot of information being thrown at us, there are a lot of assignments for just week one and the information presented wasn’t all too clear. But just like every course, I refer back to my growth mindset just after I panic a bit, I get myself together and I take it one day at a time. Now, that I’ve gotten to catch my breath, I’ve been able to look at the content and better prepare for it.

Around  the same time that this course was beginning, my journalism/yearbook teacher on campus was teaching her students about digital citizenship and the importance of creating their digital footprint. She sent out an email about how she’s incorporating blended learning in her classroom, and for teachers to come and observe to see it in action.

I decided to go earlier this week, and as I went to her room I noticed students recording themselves using the Flipgrid app. They were talking about the importance of being a  digital citizen and I asked the teacher some questions as well to see how they are owning what they’re learning. It’s great that she is teaching them this stuff as it is evident in Ribble’s  text, Digital Citizenship in Schools, how important it is to give individuals  the tools they need to communicate and build a community (2015). I even asked her for any resources and she’s allowed me to join the Schoology course she’s created that has a unit dedicated to digital citizenship.

I’ve read a few chapter’s from Ribble’s text Digital Citizenship in Schools, and  while I’ve gotten to read about the nine elements, what really caught my eye was the information about the iCitizenship study Ribble wrote about. The study followed the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, Connecticut and how them connected digitally with high school juniors in Birmingham, Alabama (Ribble, 2015). Seeing how they worked collaboratively to bridge the gap between the two schools and battle against cyberbullying, a problem that is in any school, was extremely emotional Ribble, 2015). Looking at the positives that came from the study helps better understand how the issue of teaching digital citizenship, rather than banning technology, can be beneficial for the learners.

While it is only the first week, I’ve made a lot of connections at work seeing digital citizenship in play, and better understand the value of it from this weeks readings. I’m eager to see how the laws of digital citizenship work, see some more studies put into motion, and hopefully start implementing my own teaching into my classroom and throughout our campus.

Ribble, M. (2015). Digital citizenship in schools: Nine elements all students should know (3^rd ed.). Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education