Jammin' Between @ignotofsky (Rifting, Actually) and Ann E. Burg in a Graduate Course. Houston. We Have Success

The course is actually a content literacy course for middle and secondary educators, where the goal is to highlight best practices for teaching reading, writing, and critical thinking. Each year I choose a different YA text and, as anyone who reads me knows, I'm currently obsessed with Ann E. Burg.

Anyone paying attention the last couple of days, too, would realize I'm enthralled by Rachel Ignotofsky's non-fiction children's books. I'm a literary guy (who loves reading) but also a fan of visual communication who found himself to Ignotofsky's work (she hates reading). She's just fantastic for scholars like me trying to make points.

This post is about two great writers who I love teaching write now, but also a flipped class assignment I did to begin class. Rather that talk toward my students, I had them (a) watch a great TedX talk hosted by Rachel Ignotofsky, and (b) read What's Inside a Flower? The first 30 minutes of class was given to them to be offline (but online) doing just that, then meeting me in a Google Jamboard, where I gave each a page to construct their thinking. My question was, "What did you connect with in the video and book? Additionally, how does this knowledge connect with Flood by Ann E. Burg.

I rolled the die. I didn't know what to expect.

What I received are several collages of thinking, which resulted in an additional 30-minutes of presentation and conversation which (I pay attention) resulted in much note-taking by the educators. They were making connections to their own practices (which I love). Each student made unique, remarkable observations and I was amazed at how science, math, 2nd language, language arts, special education, and history teachers could make such brilliant insight. If we were face-to-face, and they drew (which was the connection to Goudvis and Harvey, and Beers and Probst), I'm not sure we would have received the quality. 

Seriously...for this work, being digital and online was actually more effective. In fact, the 2.5 hours flew by like a snap of a finger, which is exactly what everyone talked about at the end of class. Interactive. Engaging. Thought-Provoking. Inspiring.

Then I hit them with the secret..."Notice how little I had to do with the amazing - I created the learning processes, yes, but I said little. I simply shaped the epiphanies I hoped you'd get to." 

And they did. And I thank great writers for this. And I thank digital tools.

I simply loved every second of last night's class and the scholar in me wants to go back and name all that happened. We are experimenting here...and when it works...

BOOM...

it works.