How To See The Power of Post-It Notes

It’s time for spring break. By now, everyone’s brain is ready for a break too. So, for this week’s Talk-Oh-Tuesday, you will need a post-it note. Or a whole pad of post-it notes, it depends on how many ideas this week’s topic sparks for you!  Let’s start with the statement that post-it notes have power to make a day better. Maybe you have used post-its to remind you of an important task or to take your lunch.  That’s not what I am talking about here.  Post-its have just enough writing room to write one or two short sentences about what you appreciate about a colleague, a student, a family member, or a friend.  Then it can be placed on a door, a book, a monitor, a locker, a desk where it will be a little unexpected boost for their day!  A post-it can make your day too. Seeing a post-it with an affirmation can reset your mindset and help you focus on finding a creative solution, or persevering through a difficult task.  Consider putting an affirmation note someplace where you can see it when you are in need of some positive self-talk.  

Next, post-its can be used to ask the just right question or give the just right feedback when working with students.  It is so difficult to think of feedback on the fly during a class or a meeting. Instead, reflect on typical questions students ask, or common misconceptions they may have around an upcoming lesson or activity.  Then, on individual post-its, write guiding questions, or specific feedback that would help students to answer their own questions, nudge their thinking, refine their idea, or consider a new strategy. Put these pre-written post-its on a clipboard or in a notebook where they can be easily peeled off and placed on a paper or the corner of a student desk as you work with students throughout the day.  

Post-its are excellent for consensus building because their size forces people to be concise in stating their idea or opinion. Post-its are one way to be sure everyone’s voice is heard. 

 The individual post-its can then be added to a larger whiteboard or poster space.  From there, unless they are extra sticky, some tape is useful as the facilitator or group leader works with the group to find common themes, regroup the post-its, and begin to find commonalities.  Using two different colored post-its expands the discussion, helping to visually group pros and cons or problems and solutions. Post-its can also be used as a mind-mapping tool starting with the central idea or topic on a post-it, then adding related post-its to make connections on the map.  Post-its can be rearranged as the map expands and new connections are made. 

Post-it art shows are a more creative use of post-its.  Schools, non-profits, community libraries have hosted mini-art shows based on a post-it note. This would be especially creative if you integrate art and poetry, encouraging participants to create around a theme or a topic.  This results in a mosaic of diverse ideas. 

I did ask ChatGPT what creative ideas it had for post-it notes.  It came up with using post-it notes to create a shared story where everyone adds one or two sentences or actions to the story, then rearrange the notes to change the story.  ChatGPT also came up with a vision board using post-its to add goals, key words, and ideas.  Its most creative idea was to use post-its to create an escape room by writing the clues and puzzles on post-its and hiding them around the room.  

I hope all of you have some time to rest and recharge over the next few weeks as we start the last quarter of the academic year.  I will be attending the ASCD Convention in Denver this coming weekend, so be looking for new ideas and resources I will bring back to share in next week’s Talk-OH-Tuesday!  

Resources To Spark Your Thinking

• Tips for creating post-it pixel art 

• Ideas for Affirmation Notes 

• Teamwork - how to be an activator not a blocker 

A Personal Note: 
I have written quite a few Talk-OH-Tuesdays on the topic of generative AI over the past few months. As a result, I was invited to be part of a book project.  I was fortunate to be involved in editing and writing a few chapters for the book, written by over 25 US educators K-16, legal experts, and some international educators as well about generative AI.  It is now on Amazon as a Kindle eBook. The book is titled Chat(GPT): Navigating the Impact of Generative AI Technologies on Educational Theory and Practice.  There is a cost to this book, and I do not usually share resources that have a cost, but I feel that this book offers such a broad range of perspectives on the applications and the challenges of generative AI that it is worth sharing.

Why Being An Agile Educator Matters In 2023

Welcome spring.  Three years ago, I wrote this, “How are you? It is one thing to have conversations around future ready skills like adaptability, communication, perseverance, problem solving, learning to learn, creativity.  It is a whole different story when the future is now and an entire public school culture makes a shift to eLearning in a week, at the same time families adapt to social distancing and parents adjust to working at home, and a stay at home order is put in place... but what stories we are writing!”   

How are you now? What stories are we writing now?  When I listen to colleagues, I hear below the surface a few common threads. First, it is taking our batteries longer to recharge than it did pre-pandemic.  It is as if we hyperextended our capacity for change from 2020-2022 and now we need longer to make shifts in thinking or absorb new information.  Second, priorities have been realigned.  The balance between home and school has been reset. Building relationships with students, filling in learning gaps…and at the same time finding opportunities for students to explore their interests, and continue to apply critical thinking skills, and make room for creativity…and …and… has taken more energy than anyone really appreciates or realizes.  

Learning agility refers to the ability to adapt to new situations or to see problems from different perspectives.  What does this look like for educators? Educator Agility. It does not look like yoga after school.  Agility is the ability to be flexible in thinking.  This may actually be how to conserve energy, and thrive through the day to day changes that have become so difficult to absorb.  It takes a lot of energy to try to put things back the way they were and to do things the way we did them pre -2020.  It is like trying to stand in one place while the tide is pulling around you. Instead, if we have Educator Agility, we flex.  If students need additional time and practice to acquire knowledge and skills. Flex. Maybe this means thinking differently about what activities are really essential vs nice to do because you have done them in the past. Be open this spring to cleaning out your “always did this” closet and make room to dig deeper into their learning. ChatGPT can help you brainstorm, provide differentiated problems, or suggest additional learning activities.  If you want to focus on topic A, and students are really interested in topic B…and you don’t really know anything about it. Flex. Become a learner along with them and integrate the standards into the new activities. ChatGPT can help with this too. Ask it to provide background info for you, new vocabulary for students, inquiry questions to spark curiosity.

Generative AI tools, like ChatGPT, are an opportunity to apply Educator Agility in the world of ELA. Especially around essay writing. The conversations around cheating and plagiarism are certainly valid. Ethical use of any technology is a necessary skill that students need to know.  Citing sources is also important, and because of the way generative AI algorithms function, it is not possible to cite the original source of the product it returns in response to a prompt. Students need to learn how generative AI tools work so they understand this. Learning how to communicate ideas and think critically through writing is also important. And, it is also taking hours for teachers to run student writing through ChatGPT detectors. What if instead, we flex. It is important for students to value the process and the struggle of learning. If we continue to emphasize that what we value is the final product, students will continue to find ways to get to that final product as quickly as possible so they can spend time on other things.  How can we think differently about traditional essay assignments and show students that we value the learning process?  Generative AI tools can be used to generate model writing that students can then work together to revise and improve upon. ChatGPT can create outlines that students can write from. ChatGPT can provide feedback questions, suggest word clarity, provide background information, or alternative points of view. It can do so much more than crank out average essays.  As educators, who are modeling agility, how can we model ethical use of this new technology and teach students to use it effectively as part of the learning process as well?  And, if we can move past the conversations about cheating, as Agile Educators, we can begin to explore how generative AI tools can help us be more efficient, finding that time we are looking for to build strong relationships with students, and be flexible, providing lesson ideas to meet the needs of our students. 

Resources To Spark Your Thinking

• A Handbook For Collaborative Writing - Univ. of Wisconsin

• Group Writing - UNC  

• Ohio Personalized Learning Network

• Ohio STEM Learning Network

• Flexible Thinking -PBS Kids

• The Benefits of Flexible Thinking - BBC

Why It's Important To Walk Alongside Other Women In Leadership

Last week, I had the chance to spend a day with 535 creative, inspiring, and engaging women in education leadership roles across the state of Ohio.  What a better way to celebrate Women’s History Month, and to acknowledge that there is still work that needs to be done. Dr. Stephanie Siddens is the Interim Superintendent for the State of Ohio. Her message, “Ohio’s students are counting on us”.  The data she shared emphasized the urgent need to continue to invest our time and resources into the science of reading, career readiness, and physical and mental wellness.  The keynote speaker, Coach Sue Ramsey, introduced the idea of a transformational purpose statement.  This statement frames your “why” and helps you use your strengths and your core values to make decisions about what to say yes to and when it’s ok to back away.  I know that many leaders often feel like they have over committed, or are being pulled in many directions.  Having a transformative purpose statement can help you reflect on the role you want to play in the various work you are doing. Sometimes it is ok to not be the leader! Her second point was the idea that effective leaders make others around them better. It is hard to do this if you have lost sight of why you are doing the work to begin with, or are so exhausted that you can’t put your best self in the game.   Dr. Cynthia Moss emphasized the value of networking. Her activity, networking bingo, would be a great way to introduce students or staff to networking by providing an opportunity to meet a variety of peers with the knowledge or skills you may need to tap into now or in the future.  This year’s conference theme was Reflect, Reset, and Renew.  Dr. Rhonda Talford-Knight brought the word intentionality into the theme.  I am a sketch-noter, and I drew a stick figure turning down the volume on noise in our relationships. She challenged us to take a hard look at those around us. Who is on the walk behind and beside you? Who is a crutch that is keeping you from hitting your full stride?  Taking the time out of our day to reflect not just on the day, but on the outcomes of our actions. Were they what we expected? What is our desired future state?  This critical reflection can lead to a reset and reimagining of our journey. Who doesn’t want to hit reset or have a chance to reimagine themselves?  One of my passions is growing young women in leadership, so it was very exciting to hear from 10 year old Payton Obert, whose Lemonade Stand philanthropy project has grown in 4 years to 65+ stands across Ohio and 5 other states with a goal to raise more than $85000 this year to support children in need.  We have to stop telling our students they are the leaders of the future. They most definitely are the leaders of our present. 

The breakout sessions were an opportunity to learn from each other.  Here are my takeaways from the sessions I attended:

Book Studies - Dr. Laura Hebert, Natasha Adams, Dr. Kim Miller

Key takeaway :Book studies are a method of communication

• Choose books to match your outcome

• Books are frameworks for change discussions 

• Book talks create common language within a team

Courageous Leadership To Extend The Needs of All Students- Dawn Bridges 

Key takeaway: How do we create spaces where students and staff feel seen and can take off their armor? What an impactful image! 

• How can your passion become your armor - as a strength not a defense?

• What does leading and teaching with honesty, impact, courage and decisive action actually look like and sound like? 

Innovation Space - Dr. Terri Holden, Dr. Cynthia Hudson

Key Takeaway: Participants had a chance to share out innovative solutions they have implemented in their districts. What would you have shared? 

• Creation of a Student Advocate position 

• Creation of a single point of contact Care Coordinator

• Implementation of a Pre-School Life Skills Curriculum

• Safety plan audit, with regular safety focus in the staff bulletin

• Health lab - for teachers and for students

Courageous Conversations - Cari Buehler (Betsy Cowles Award) and Danbury Team

Key Takeaway: What story are you telling yourself? What facts is it actually based on? How is that story shaping how you are going to go into a challenging conversation? 

• Learn about yourself first. What are the conversational triggers that will prevent you from having a rational response? How do you recognize them and reschedule a conversation?

• Be curious vs being judgmental. This opens your mind to hearing the other person’s concerns or input. 

 It was uplifting to be among so many women who were so willing to share their own experiences and expertise.   I am encouraged by the number of teacher leaders who participated, and the number of new administrators who were there as well.  As Dr. Talford-Knight shared, we need to continue to reach a hand back to the women leaders who are on the journey behind us, and to walk alongside and in support of the women who are on the journey with us and ahead of us. 

Resources To Spark Your Thinking:

The booklist shared in the Book Study Session:

• Our Iceberg Is Melting - a fable  (change agent conversations) 

• The Power of Moments - a parent book study

• Multipliers - are you building capacity behind you?

• Boundaries For Leaders - breaking away from top down culture

• Trust and Inspire - shifting mindset to trust/inspire/empower

• Big Potential - the power of collaboration 

• Upstream - the importance of using systems to move out of reaction mode

• The Advantage - cohesive teams and clarity

• And one of my current favorites - Deep Change Leadership - Doug Reeves

Why It's Not About The Things You Own, But What You Know

Last week I was off the grid.  Traveling home, I had a chance to reflect on why we need to continue to fight for our public schools, and for the teachers, administrators and staff who are vital to the success of our students.  On my trip, I met Raymond.  He was our guide in Roatan, Honduras.  His mother is a 77 year old public school teacher there.  We drove by one of the few public schools, which are free, in Roatan. There are also private schools, which cost $200 a month. Children are only required to attend school through grade 6.  The children were coming out of the school to go home for lunch as we drove by. They do not provide school lunch or transportation to school.  The school was small with a dirt courtyard. Broken desks were piled in a corner of the courtyard.  Public schools in Roatan are not adequately funded.  Raymond took that moment to share what his mother told him when he was a little boy. “You can spend your life putting things in a bucket or spend your life putting things in your brain. People will take things from your bucket, but they can never take things from your brain.”  He went on to share that as a child growing up in Roatan, he never felt like he needed to have many things, because he had a chance to learn skills he could rely on when he grew older.  He went to school and learned to read.  He learned how to swim, because it might help him get a job when he was older. And it did. He has worked as a crew member on a catamaran. He learned how to speak English because it might help him get a job when he got older. And it did. He has been a tour guide. Raymond continues to look for opportunities to learn new things... and help us learn new things. He took great pride in telling us about the history of the island, and the natural resources and neighborhoods we were seeing. He shared stories of the Mayan culture and its influence on Roatan. And he reemphasized why education was important and how important the work of teachers like his mother is to the children of Roatan. And… how important tourism is because we are helping to bring income to the island and provide funding to the schools.   

I loved his mother’s advice to him.  Sometimes we become too focused on the day to day lesson planning, paperwork, and reporting.  We worry about what markers we need, what workbooks to order, how we will get through chapter 10. These are times we are busy filling buckets.  We lose sight of the children who are right in front of us who are looking for opportunities to learn a new skill that will help them solve a problem they see, or open a door to future learning or a future job. How do we keep our focus on helping them fill their brains instead of their buckets? 

1. Encourage students to become experts - use text sets, and self organized learning (SOLE)  This is also where generative AI can serve as a learning assistant to students.

2. Provide regular opportunities to engage in integrated science and math tasks that are relevant to the students.  Generative AI can be a teacher planning assistant and suggest tasks that are tied to standards and have relevance to student groups.

3. Use research based, systematic, explicit instruction in foundational reading.  Generative AI can create decodable texts, and identify essential vocabulary or background knowledge. 

4. Provide regular access to grade level appropriate informational and literary texts. Generative AI can be a teacher assistant to create book lists, create text dependent questions, and suggest  related materials. 

5. Provide access to STEAM labs where students can innovate and create, Generative AI can be a critical thinking bot asking open ended questions to help students explore ideas as they work through multiple iterations of solutions.

6. Establish mentor networks to connect students with other students and with adults who can help them be their best selves.  Generative AI can’t do this…but teachers can! 

Remember, public schools are a pillar of our democracy and our culture in America.  Our public school system is available to every child through the age of 18.  The work we do as educators is essential and our students will be successful because of the work we do! 

Resources To Spark Your Thinking

• ChatGPT has adjusted its user policy to allow 13 year old use with parent permission

• Women’s History Month - Resources from a variety of US Govt. organizations and museums

• National Women’s History Museum

• STEAM Activities - AIMS Resource Center

• Oregon State University STEM Lessons Gr 4-12

• Start SOLE website 

• ReadingRockets.org 

• INFOhio.org -- excellent source of grade level appropriate materials

Upcoming Opportunities:

• Free, on demand American Sign Language Courses https://courses.osd.k12.ok.us 

• 3/9 4:15 PM - Last SECO Science Teacher meet up for this year - Click here to register for the March Meetup. https://bit.ly/SECOmeetupMarch2023

• Registration is open for the spring session of Improving Reading For Older Students - with David and Meredith Liben.  I took this course last fall and it is excellent if you work with Middle School and High School students who have reading gaps or who would benefit from additional explicit reading instruction. (12 hours of seat time) https://achievethecore.org/page/3309/improving-reading-for-older-students 444444444