All Star Edition of #oklaed #studentsask Chat

Here are my favorite responses to tonight’s chat questions, all in Twitter form. Since I had the chance to sit with three high school seniors while co-moderating the chat, their reactions are a factor in my choices. Drew Price, I think you were the fan favorite at my table at Starbucks.

Q1 How can schools balance the need for increased security measures with having a welcome climate for students and parents?

A1) Be transparent to students & parents about need for increased security measures #OklaEd

— Nathalie M Henderson (@DrNHenderson) October 26, 2015

A1) All #cpsreds sites are working on "curb appeal" Planting flowers, fixing sidewalks, trimming trees etc #oklaed

— Kevin Hime (@coach57) October 26, 2015

A2: Maybe more of a college approach to class schedules is in order for high school? or at least 11th and 12th grade? #oklaed

— Drew Price (@drewprice11) October 26, 2015

Q2 What has your school or district done to make high school schedules align with research on teenage sleep patterns?

A2) 8:30-9:00 sounds amazing #oklaed

— Alex McBride (@Teenservant) October 26, 2015

A2) Unfortunately, not enough has been done to align HS schedules with teen sleep patterns. #oklaed

— Jack Reed (@jlreed2011) October 26, 2015

Q3 What should schools do to help students use technology more effectively and responsibly?

A3) teach students how to work use computers. Contrary to popular belief not all S's are proficient with computers #oklaed

— Alex McBride (@Teenservant) October 26, 2015

A3) Quit banning it from classrooms.Do you leave your phone/iPad behind when you go to staff meetings or PD? Use class for teaching. #OklaEd

— ChrisParadise (@ChrisParadise) October 26, 2015

A3: 1st things 1st. Stop outlawing it. put tech to good use or redirect. A student has yet to refuse to put away phone when asked #oklaed

— Mindy Dennison (@MrsDSings) October 26, 2015

Q4 How can schools give students more academic choices and autonomy?

A4: Allow more things to be student led. I posed a ? and a Ss gave such a brilliant answer that I let him come teach it. #oklaed

— Kimberly Blodgett (@KimberBlodgett) October 26, 2015

A4: Need to model HS after college. More loosely formed study groups, informal collaboration time, #oklaed #SuccessTPS

— Valarie Farrow (@valariefarrow) October 26, 2015

Q4b How can schools make electives as important as core classes?

A4b: Take out lockers replace w/ benches/charging stations. A new study hour where Ss collaborate on proj. #oklaed #SuccessTPS

— Valarie Farrow (@valariefarrow) October 26, 2015

A4: stop taking away electives for remediation. Kids who do poorly in math won't do better when you make them take 2 math classes! #oklaed

— Mindy Dennison (@MrsDSings) October 26, 2015

A4B: @Teenservant, alot of electives ARE core classes, and we need to give them core status at our schools. #oklaed #music #arts #languages

— Kathy Dunn (@KathySDunn) October 26, 2015

Q5 Should high schools students be asked to select a major or area of academic emphasis?

@middelsupt A5 HS students should be allowed to follow their passions. To find their passions. Major in an academic area? Nah #oklaed.

— Claudia Swisher (@ClaudiaSwisher) October 26, 2015

A5 No, but schools should offer lots of courses to cultivate curious and creative students. #oklaed #alliteration

— Jason Stephenson (@teacherman82) October 26, 2015

A5: Allow Ss to follow their passions. But they only get one HS experience. Explore it all! #oklaed

— Meghan Loyd (@meghanloyd) October 26, 2015

Q6 What can we do to make teachers feel less rushed and less focused on testing?

A6 — It's a leap of faith…know the testing does not define our kids or our schools. Teaching and learning should. Takes courage. #oklaed

— Claudia Swisher (@ClaudiaSwisher) October 26, 2015

A6) focus more on learning and why what we are learning actually matters instead of just filling our heads with facts #oklaed

— Alex McBride (@Teenservant) October 26, 2015

A6- I think that EOI's should stop. Bc thats what teachers stress about the most. Colleges don't even look at these test. #oklaed

— PRI (@_Patel18) October 26, 2015

Q7 How can schools help students with testing anxiety?

A7: Students-you are not a piece of data. You have a heart, soul, and dreams. You are way more than a test. #oklaed

— Meghan Loyd (@meghanloyd) October 26, 2015

Q7 The same way a good coach does the same for players: normalize mistakes – and use assess to provide feedback not to rank and sort #oklaed

— Drew Price (@drewprice11) October 26, 2015

A7: Don't have school assemblies about state-mandated tests. #oklaed

— Jason Stephenson (@teacherman82) October 26, 2015

Q8 How can schools hold teachers and coaches accountable for the balance between homework, activities, and life in general?

A8) Homework is overrated! Progress monitor in class & minimize excess busy work! #oklaed

— Angela Wages (@awages1) October 26, 2015

Maybe if we didn't spend so much $ on testing, we could hire more teachers and lower class size, which gives more instruction time. #oklaed

— Jeanie Moore (@MrsMooreEnglish) October 26, 2015

A8) Great question As a former coach We sometimes forgot that we were doing may not have been the center of the universe #oklaed

— Kevin Hime (@coach57) October 26, 2015

@grendelrick idk. I'm still trying to figure that out for my own life #oklaed

— Amy Bednarz (@AmyBBednarz) October 26, 2015

Q9 Should all students have a career path chosen by the end of high school?  

A9 No. HS should be a chance to explore options, but it should not be forced. #OklaEd

— Mrs. Waters (@watersenglish) October 26, 2015

A9: Seriously, I can retire in 2 years and I have no idea what I want to be when I grow up! Too many possibilities! #oklaed

— Susan Stansberry (@susanstansberry) October 26, 2015

Q9b What should schools do to help students explore careers?  

A9b: I always thought that HS should do more college tours, more career days, more catering to the college preparedness. #oklaed

— Kimberly Blodgett (@KimberBlodgett) October 26, 2015

Q9) my new mantra, "let Ss make choices for themselves" #OklaEd

— Mark Officer (@MarkofficerBA) October 26, 2015

Q10 Should schools limit the number of AP classes students take at any one time? Why or why not?

@davjsav A10 I encourage kids to take AP classes in fields for which they have a passion. Not just take 'em 'cause they're AP. #oklaed 1/2

— Claudia Swisher (@ClaudiaSwisher) October 26, 2015

10A ask the students what they want, not what their parents want. The kids are taking the classes not the parents #oklaed

— David Savage (@davjsav) October 26, 2015

A10) It has happened on occasion where a student bit off more than they could chew…but….this idea intrigues me…. #oklaed

— Scott Haselwood M.Ed (@TeachFromHere) October 26, 2015

If you want to review the entire chat, it’s up on Storify. Thanks to all who participated!

10.25.15 #oklaed chat questions

I hope you can join me tonight for the weekly #oklaed chat from 8:00 to 9:00. I will have three co-moderators: leadership students from each of the high schools in the Mid-Del school district.

We have a group of 24 students – juniors and seniors, eight from each school – who meet monthly to discuss a variety of issues. They are nice enough to invite me to join them, so I’ve spent a couple of days asking them to come up with questions they’d like to ask us.

The Superintendent's Student Advisory "In the Mix" is meeting now. #middelmomentum #oklaed @middelsupt #inthemix pic.twitter.com/zBhLfPerQ4

— Mid-Del News (@middelnews) October 13, 2015

Here’s where we’re headed tonight:

Q1 How can schools balance the need for increased security measures with having a welcome climate for students and parents? #oklaed

Q2 What has your school or district done to make high school schedules align with research on teenage sleep patterns? #oklaed

Q3 What should schools do to help students use technology more effectively and responsibly? #oklaed

Q4 How can schools give students more academic choices and autonomy? #oklaed

Q4b How can schools make electives as important as core classes? #oklaed

Q5 Should high schools students be asked to select a major or area of academic emphasis? #oklaed

Q6 What can we do to make teachers feel less rushed and less focused on testing? #oklaed

Q7 How can schools help students with testing anxiety? #oklaed

Q8 How can schools hold teachers and coaches accountable for the balance between homework, activities, and life in general? #oklaed

Q9 Should all students have a career path chosen by the end of high school? #oklaed

Q9b What should schools do to help students explore careers? #oklaed

Q10 Should schools limit the number of AP classes students take at any one time? Why or why not? #oklaed

We’ll start promptly at 8:00 with introductions, and begin with the questions at 8:04. About every 5 minutes, we’ll add a new question, but as always, feel free to keep the conversation going on anything that you feel remains unfinished.

And get your own students to participate, if you can. We need to hear their voices too.

See you tonight!