Are technology and scary synonyms in your vocabulary? Does change make your heart race? Have you ever been overwhelmed with all the technology out there, but weren’t quite sure how to meaningfully implement it in your classroom? If the answer is yes, then Shake Up Learning: Practical Ideas to Move from Static to Dynamic by Kasey Bell is for you!
Shake Up Learning provides ideas, examples and a step-by-step guide to embracing and integrating technology into meaningful classroom activities. Bell focuses on moving teachers from static (the old, boring way of teaching) to dynamic. However, she makes sure you know that dynamic learning is not focused on technology. Dynamic takes student learning beyond the assignment and provides opportunity for growth through the four C’s (collaboration, critical thinking, communication, and creativity). Bell integrates technology to transform and support dynamic learning in a meaningful way. Bell holds your hand as she guides you to transforming your thinking, planning, and teaching. Even the most timid of technology users will understand how digital learning can improve instruction and student engagement.
Kasey Bell is a former middle school teacher who is passionate about helping classroom teachers transform learning through the use of digital learning and instructional technology. She promotes the idea that technology itself is not the answer, but is an opportunity to enhance learning. After getting her master’s degree in educational technology, she found ways to help other teachers impact students by teaching teachers. Bell is a well respected blogger with her own website that is chock-full of resources, support, and ideas. Bell wrote Shake Up Learning which is a digitally interactive book that is packed with links to support teachers through their technology journeys.
Shake Up Learning takes you on a exploration through three questions. Bell pushes her readers to understand and answer the why, the what, and the how in the three main parts of her book. In Part One, she explains in detail why it is time to shake up learning in classrooms across America. Technology is always changing, and so is our world. Teachers must embrace change with a positive attitude. Teachers must also realize that technology itself is not the answer - it is what students do with technology that matters. Technology should be a tool that inspires and supports learning. In Part Two, Bell provides teachers with a breakdown of dynamic learning. She makes sure that teachers understand that they must “Get comfortable with being uncomfortable,” and value mistakes because “Failure is a necessary part of success.” She reminds us that being afraid should not keep us from trying new things, and earning should be continuous for teachers and students. Thus, she encourages us to teach ourselves curation through trial and error. Teachers must model, cultivate and share their story so that students will follow. Students are engaged when learning is student-centered and they have choice. In Part Three, Bell walks teachers through how to implement meaningful dynamic planning, facilitating, and reflection. “Dynamic Learning is not about having technology in your lesson. It is about bringing your learning to life and letting it grow and evolve in new ways.” Planning must be intentional and involve students. Learning goals but come first, and students need to have a voice in order for it to be meaningful. Bell encourages teachers to think beyond the tools to encourage creativity, and she says that we should always have a plan B. In this last section, Bell walks teachers step-by-step through the process of planning and implementing a lesson. It is written as an explicit how to, complete with sample lessons, tips, and additional ideas.
I absolutely loved this book. Shake Up Learning what exactly what I needed. I am one of those teachers that gets anxious with change, and is often scared of the new technology. One of the strengths of this book is how Bell not only explains her thinking, but also backs it up with concrete examples and ideas. I did not feel overwhelmed, especially because she explained everything thoroughly and simply. It is obvious that she puts learning and what is best for children first. Technology is used to enhance the learning. Another strength of this book is the step-by-step directions that she gives for planning lessons. Again, the examples helped, especially the 4th grade lesson using the book The Wild Robot, a book I use in my own classroom. The format was completely doable, and the questions she provided promoted reflection.
The only weakness of this book would be that she does not explain how the tools work. Although she gives examples and ideas of how to integrate certain tools, directions for the tools are not in this book (they are however in another book I recently read!). As she stated earlier though, teachers must learn to use these tools through trial and error because it helps enhance our own learning.
I would highly recommend this book to any classroom teacher. Whether you are a novice or an expert at technology, Bell has put learning front and center. Ask yourself, “Am I using technology for the sake of technology, or is it supporting the learning going on in my classroom?”
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Shaking up teaching to let kids truly learn!
I’m ready to shake up Learning in my classroom! Enough of grading compliance and always doing the same thing. Time to use Kasey’s words as well as other amazing ed leaders’ advice, and take teaching to the next level! From setting the scene to giving practical next steps, this book has it all. I love all the action steps and added resources and videos aligned with each chapter. More than a book, it’s a journey!
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Le numérique comme outil de transformation des pratiques de classe
Reviewed in France on December 22, 2019