Episode 304: Bonnie Nieves

Episode 304: Amplifying Student Voices with Bonnie Nieves

Fonz: Hello everybody. I'm welcome to another great episode of my ed tech life. Thank you so much for joining us on this wonderful day and wherever it is, you're joining us from around the world.

Thank you as always for making us part of your day. We appreciate all the likes, the shares, the follows. Thank you so much to our, all our new YouTube subscribers, all our followers and everyone that engages with our content. We really appreciate it. As you know, we do what we do. For you to bring you some amazing [00:01:00] conversations and amazing guests, like the one that we have today.

And I am so excited to catch up with my great, great friend, Bonnie Nieves, who's joining us and Bonnie, how are you doing today?

Bonnie: Oh, I'm fantastic. How are you? I'm so happy to be talking with you today. It's been way too long.

Fonz: Well, I'm fantastic too. Um, I'm excited. First of all, also, thank you so much for reaching out.

And guys, I always say whenever you've been a guest on the show, you always have an open invite. And I just loved that you reached out to me so we can definitely catch up because I know we were just talking right now pre chat and I was like, Oh my gosh, Bonnie, the last time that you were on the show was episode 164, January 7th, 2023.

So it's been a hot minute, they say, but it just, it hasn't felt like it's been that long, but I'm definitely glad to be catching up with you, my friend.

Bonnie: Yeah. Thank you. Isn't that [00:02:00] wild? How fast. Two years can just go by, right? Yes. Yeah.

Fonz: Yes, absolutely. That's for sure. But again, I'm glad that you're here and we definitely have a lot to catch up on.

So let's go ahead and dive in. And before we get started with the meat of the conversation, there may be some listeners out there who may not be familiar with your work. Yet, and haven't connected with you yet, but after today's show, I'm sure that you will definitely have a lot new, a lot more new followers.

So Bonnie, before we dive in, can you give us a little brief introduction and what your context is in the education space?

Bonnie: Yeah, for sure. So I, um, I've been a science teacher for 15 years, found that ed tech makes my life so much easier. So, um, I am, I'm one of those people who, when I find a tool that I like, I can't, I go straight to the source.

I contact the developers, the [00:03:00] ambassadors, all those folks get really involved in that kind of stuff and find the best ways to use it for. My students and then love social media. So I get on social media and talk to people about ways that I've used tech and make suggestions, but then take suggestions from other people as well.

And let's see, I've, I've. I've got a newsletter that I put out on LinkedIn every week. And just like, um, oh my gosh, I'm going to ramble, but the, I wrote a book for edge match years ago called be awesome on purpose. And the purpose of writing the book was to get the thoughts in my head out. And now I'm finding my weekly newsletter.

Is much the same where I just reflect on the things that I've done over the last week and it really [00:04:00] is Helpful to me to put it out to people and I have found that it's resonating with people I get a lot of dms and things Um, i'm up to Week 56, which means it's been over a year. So, um, that means it must be a pretty good habit.

So, um, yeah, that's pretty much it really.

Fonz: And you know what, that newsletter is definitely gold and we'll make, we'll definitely make sure that we link it all in our show notes, because I know that you packed so much in there and. Talk about getting the ideas out of your head and sharing them with educators and building community, not only with the education, the educators, I should say that do read your newsletter, but it's also great to read your newsletter letter and see.

The community that you build within your students as well. And just to hear about their progress here, how they're learning here, how [00:05:00] they're enthusiastic about trying new things. Now, speaking of trying new things, I know the last time that you were here, you were doing high school science. Now I know that there was a change.

So tell us a little bit about that change and where it is that you landed now.

Bonnie: Oh, it's so exciting. So I've been teaching high level, um, biotechnology and anatomy and physiology to juniors and seniors for years. And this year I decided it was time for a switch. So I'm teaching general science to sixth graders, which is the most fun I've had ever.

In the classroom in a long time, and I always have fun. I'm always interacting with students and we're we're finding joy everywhere. We are the these sixth graders exude joy, right? That's so they come into the classroom with so much [00:06:00] ambition, so much curiosity, and it's it really has been good for my heart to work with students at this level.

Fonz: That is great. Oh my gosh. That comment right there, that last one, you know, it really hits because like we were talking a little bit pre chat, I mean, I did sixth grade for a couple of years also, and then moved down to fifth and I started as a high school teacher also, I did a high school algebra. But then I moved down to elementary and like I mentioned, he did sixth grade and then moved down to fifth.

There was just something about elementary that I, it definitely, I had so much fun. And the students at that age, you know, they really do come in with a lot of curiosity, a lot of energy. And it's almost like, I loved it because I was able, as a teacher, I was able to take risks. And they were right there, right along with me, and we were all taking [00:07:00] that risk as far as introducing new tech or doing things differently, doing presentations in a different way.

And one of the big things that I do want to talk about before we get into all the other wonderful stuff to, you know, hitting more your newsletter and some of the things that are upcoming in this next year in January that you'll be presenting, but, you know, amplifying, Student voices, you know, when they come in, giving them a voice, giving them an opportunity to share in a safe space in a way that.

Is just, again, something for me, it's so powerful because just to get their thought process, see the way they think either visually, or if they give it to you in a presentation, like just speaking it, it's so powerful. So tell me a little bit about, you know, just some of the, those transitions or maybe some of the new things that you're able to do and, and how you're able to help your students to develop that passion like [00:08:00] you did in high school as well.

Bonnie: Yeah, so the, the thing that I'm doing now that I'm excited about with these sixth graders is the way we introduce topics and talk about them together and the way that the students are doing the work. So, For example, we're learning about weather right now, and we did an experiment, not an experiment, but an activity with a soda bottle with soap on the rim.

So when you put it in cold water, the soap, um, decreases and goes down into the bottle, but then when you put it in warm water, it forms a bubble at the top. So, this is the first time students have seen a bubbled form by itself in that type of way. Super excited, everyone's, the energy level is through the roof.

So, I had them talk through one [00:09:00] another to put their ideas on the board and make it into a giant poster. So we've got everyone's ideas on a poster, I did no talking at all, but they're explaining what's happening to the molecules in the air as that's happening. So we're just markers marking it up, making mistakes, scratching them off, starting over, sixth graders actually discussing like, Are you sure you want that there?

Can we have a second opinion? It's just I hate to say it's the cutest thing, but it's the cutest thing because I'm, these kids are half the age of the kids I'm used to working with. So they're really collaborating and learning how to value one another's voices, but also to be confident enough to speak up even when they're not sure they're right, right?

Just to throw an idea out there. So that's been an important thing to do. [00:10:00] An interesting thing is that I've I have been a technology first person for a long time, and these students are just now getting their Chromebooks, so they just got them at the start of the school year, and they're not, they're not trying to use technology for everything yet.

So it's going to be really interesting to take them from drawing that thing on the board and collaborating to doing something like collaborative Google Slides and things like that. But for right now, I really just want to work on more of the conversational in person stuff before we dig into layering the tech on top of it.

So, yeah, that's, that's another interesting piece of this grade level for me.

Fonz: Yeah. And you know, and that's really cool to kind of see, but at the same time, like you said, [00:11:00] just working hands on and then also now, The transfer of that skill onto the Chromebook and onto some platforms now where they can visualize in a digital way, they're learning as well.

And of course, building portfolios or you have evidence of learning. And that was one of my. Favorite things to do with the students when they would work on something hands on. And because I did teach science too, I, they absolutely love the hands on aspect of it. And, um, they had their little journals, but then, you know, transferring that into a digital learning artifact and then just to have something.

To be able to share not only with parents, but also to share, you know, within our learning community there at the school. And then of course they get to keep it and have it and build up, build on that for the next year and so on. That's something that is great and wonderful. So that's really exciting. And I'm just so glad that they're just so pumped about that and just amplifying, like you said, their [00:12:00] voices, they're being heard.

And one of the things that I love that you mentioned is. You, you, you absolutely haven't done, or during that activity, maybe very minimal talking because they took ownership and they were engaged. So that's something that I know you mentioned in your most recent newsletter too, as far as student engagement and ownership.

So I want to ask you, you know, and I know that we're well into the year, middle of the year and so on. But for any teachers that are out there that are still maybe just Maybe feel a little bit of a struggle with that aspect as far as kind of letting go a little bit and having the students, uh, be engaged and just taking ownership.

What are some of the things that you do to help them blossom in that aspect?

Bonnie: The first, there, hmm, there are a couple of first steps, depending on what you're most comfortable with. So, as far as [00:13:00] conversations, when you're, when you want students to share their ideas openly in the class, but they're not comfortable with being incorrect or they're not sure they're correct, start with the groups, so even a think pair share, and have the kids talk to each other.

And then choose their best idea to share with the class, right? Or the thing they're most confident about with the class. That way, it takes the pressure off of being called on or having to offer to raise their hand. If you tell them right up front, you're going to think pair share and you're going to come up with one idea to share with the class.

And then the pair is more confident doing it together than they would be independently. The only thing that I've had even just this, um, last week that is a little hiccup with that is when you have eight pairs of students and you come around to [00:14:00] like the sixth pair and they say, well, I was going to share something, but group number two did that.

And that's a perfect time to say, see, now we're reaching a consensus. If more than one person says it, then there must be some importance to that. So please share why you think that's important, right? So we're always adding to instead of replacing other people's opinions or letting our opinions being replaced by other people's.

And for things like written work, giving students choices about which option they want to do. Like, something as simple as, would you like to do this in a Google Doc or would you like to do this in a Google Slides? And giving them options, letting them come, become familiar with options before we give them complete ownership of what they're doing.

And It, it really becomes less complicated the [00:15:00] more you do it because you can see where your kids are going with it. And because they're working not completely independently, but, um, more independently than before, it gives you more time to spend talking to the kids about what they're doing, why they made those decisions.

And then you can start thinking about the tools that you have in your toolbox that you can offer as an additional option next time.

Fonz: Oh, I love it. I love it. And, you know, it's like you said, I think the importance of just giving options and whatever the student feels most comfortable with and with that media to present and that I can attest to being so powerful, especially, you know, again, in my experience to as well, you know, being able to have a student and You know, emergent bilingual student who may not feel comfortable speaking or presenting, but being able to hand them maybe a Chromebook or, um, just a piece of butcher paper where they can draw and [00:16:00] show me visually, you know, that they're mastering content sometimes, you know, the, one of the students that I'll always remember, I mean, she spoke loudly through her drawings and through her presentations that she would do that, although she didn't.

Um, verbally, um, speak because she was very shy and she was very self conscious. The, the content, uh, mastery was there because of her learning artifacts that she submitted. But later as the year progressed, her language acquisition, her Was just wonderful. She was able to exit from our bilingual program and she just went on to be very successful.

And that's one thing that I love. And that's something that I wanted to ask you too, about your, and I know you mentioned it a little bit in, in your newsletter too, as far as giving options, but you talked a little bit about podcasting too. So I'm just curious about that. Tell me a little bit about the podcast that you're doing.

Bonnie: Oh, Oh my gosh. So our podcast, it's, um, [00:17:00] It was started by students and it was because it was one of those options. Say, would you rather do this or would you rather do that? Some chose podcast and they had to give it a name. They have to give it cover art and then they have to do episode art for everyone.

So now it helps because it has, brings in the students that would rather, um, communicate visually. There are the students that can write the script or write the question prompts. And then there are the students that are comfortable getting in front of the camera or the mic and saying, um, you know, recording the episode.

So our podcast is on Spotify and it's called I love your guts, which I just love it because that's, that's me. That's them picking up my vibe, right? Like we're, we were trying to take everything negative [00:18:00] and find some positivity in it. So, um, it's, I love your guts and they are in complete control of the content.

So the only thing I do is record, uh, Five or 10 second introduction at the beginning. And, um, then I just, um, put the mostly unedited content. Oh, on Spotify. One thing that's incredibly interesting is that. There was one student that recorded his own podcast and his voice was just so good for audio and he was so comfortable.

And when I asked him if he ever considered being a host of a podcast he hadn't. So I gave him a mic and had him go around interviewing people around the school. So there is a like a chapter of the podcast which is all this kid [00:19:00] doing interviews of students and giving them an opportunity to talk about their work in other classes.

And it turned out that he really liked it. He went off to college and one of the things that he's considering is broadcasting. So you just never know until you ask.

Fonz: Yeah. No, that's absolutely wonderful. And that's something that I love too. I, I know that for a lot of students, I think, and even myself, I think if, if I were to go back in time, you know, when my formative years in elementary or high school, because I was, I just had such a fear of writing and I don't know if it was just, maybe I just didn't have a good experience in the writing aspect.

And also being a, an English language learner, like I didn't learn English. Until I was in second grade. And so I think it was just, you know, just that trauma or something, but voicing I could definitely do. So I just love the fact that, you know, the students feel [00:20:00] comfortable that although they may not feel comfortable with the writing aspect, or maybe just Being able to get their ideas out.

Like you mentioned earlier in the show with the newsletter, you're able to get your ideas out while they're able to get their ideas out through that podcast that that later can transfer or translate into just written text into a blog and so on. So it's still great because you can hit on so many wonderful.

modalities there and, and ways of learning and all those skills are completely transferable. And I think I absolutely love that. So that is wonderful that they get to document their podcast and is it all students they get to participate, uh, you know, in the class, do the, how do you work it out to where each student gets an opportunity or is it only specific students that really want to share their learning through the podcast?

How does that work in your classroom?

Bonnie: Oh, no, it's open to anyone who'd like to try it. And um, that's evident in the podcast because they're [00:21:00] proud of the work. They listen to it before it goes out before I hit publish and They're they're proud of the work that's being put out and there's all different levels of work but They're, they're happy to have the opportunity to share it, and it's really important to amplify student voices whenever you have an opportunity, which is something I learned years ago from friends on Twitter back in the OG Twitter days, when, um, people used to say, it doesn't have to be perfect.

Just let it go. Let that go. That's only going to stop you from progress. Just it's okay if it's not perfect. Someday you'll look at it and you'll giggle and you'll see how far you've come. So that's what I tell the kids and that's what we, um, what we push out. So it's open to any student who [00:22:00] wants to give it a try.

Fonz: Love it. That is wonderful. And like you said, too, it also helps the students understand that even though it may not be quite polished, the content that you're putting out there is still something that's valuable. And like you said, that's something that you still work on because I can assure you, you know, looking back on, you know, year one, episode one of pot of this podcast, and even going back to episode one 64, when you were on back in 2023, Till now, I mean, a lot has changed, but you know, for the most part, it's just keeping that essence of just still being imperfect, but it's all about the content and the conversation and so on.

But, you know, it's just wonderful. You putting yourself out there and I think that's great. And, and again, going back to. Uh, the amplifying student voices. I think maybe that's why I, I loved doing that with my students because I know I struggled with maybe just the written word, but being able to speak it and share my thought process really was very easy.

And [00:23:00] to this day, that's why I just absolutely love amplifying educator voices too, as well. So that's the great thing about it. So thank you so much for sharing that. And we'll definitely be linking that in the show notes as well. So all our audience members. And your new followers too can definitely go and subscribe there on Spotify.

All right, Bonnie. Well, let's, uh, kind of switch gears a little bit because as you know, January is right around the corner and January for, for a lot of people is like conference season is starting, you know? So I know that you mentioned a little bit about FETC and you've got some great things going on there.

So tell us a little bit about that. Some of the things that you'll be presenting on, and then we'll kind of dive in a little bit too, as far as how that experience has been, you know, as far as you being using or being used in your classroom and so on. So tell us about that wonderful adventure coming up in January.

Bonnie: Yeah, it is going to be an adventure. So I'm doing, I have to double check. It's four [00:24:00] sessions, but they're not, um, they're not all traditional sessions, which at first, this isn't my first time doing the non traditional sessions. At first I was uncomfortable with it, but now I really enjoy the things like the round tables and the mega shares, because you get to see so many.

And really have the back and forth conversations about how to use things, which is really for, for some things it's more beneficial to do it that way than a traditional, uh, traditional session. And the, the need to have the, the fancy canvas slides and all of the gifts and things because. As much as I say it doesn't have to be perfect, just push it out.

I, I have a problem. I like everything to be immaculately polished, especially for FETC, which, you know, is [00:25:00] upper level stuff. But I have a session that I'm going to do on DFIT, and another one on Bloom's taxonomy, and beyond, and how to, Amplify that with AI, then personalized AI assistance, which I'm hoping is going to be a really hot topic because with all of this AI chat bot news going on as educators, we need to be incredibly careful, incredibly careful about what we're putting in front of students.

Not only what we're putting in front of students, but understanding that these are children who don't fully understand what they're getting into, and they could look at an AI chat bot that's outside of the classroom and think it's the same as something we're putting in front of them [00:26:00] in the classroom.

So with all of the teachers. And all of the educators talking about how important it is to teach AI, like, let this be our lesson. It is important to teach AI. So I'm hoping that personalized AI assistance conversation will be really in depth one. And then I have developed a three element formative assessment strategy that I've been, um, doing sessions around New England.

On and finding ways like getting feedback from educators, finding ways to improve it. And so I will be rolling that out at FETC and I believe that's it, uh, a share a thon. So I'll be able to see a lot of people and get a lot of feedback from them too about how they feel about this, um, this [00:27:00] new formative assessment strategy.

And of course I'll be in the expo hall. I'll be at the smart school booth, which is, I don't know how many times I've said exciting today, but I am elated to be able to spend some time with, um, Matt and Paul and Agatha at. The, at the booth, because they're doing some amazing stuff with math and AI. So, excellent,

Fonz: man, you will, you definitely, you definitely have your schedule filled up and I mean, you're definitely going to be doing a lot of work there, but it's wonderful to have you be able to share your experiences.

And one of the things that you talked about too, especially, you know, nowadays where. Uh, we're talking about the AI chatbots and really just the difference that there can be. And I'm glad that you mentioned it too, because I think for, uh, for [00:28:00] myself, you know, just being very cautious where like, I don't, I don't want students to confuse what they will use in the classroom to what is outside.

Because I know I've seen a lot on the news and especially on LinkedIn. And obviously we talked about character AI, you know, and some of those, uh, previous episodes too, as well, where the students go in and they're really. Aren't uh, you know any Protections, any guardrails per se, as opposed to something that you would see in the education space.

So they may take like, Hey, well, this would be the same thing. So just to be able to help the students distinguish and even help parents too, as well, distinguish the, you know, the differences between an education platform and a non education platform, because we definitely don't want our students to. You know, get hurt in any way, shape or form, whether it's emotionally and definitely we don't want them to get hurt physically either as well.

So that's something that's great, you know, to talk about. So I want to ask you [00:29:00] in, in your personal practice and, or, you know, in the experience that you had, maybe just in your transition, I know right now you said that you're, you're, they barely getting the Chromebooks and so on. So maybe you haven't hit.

Uh, you know, a couple of platforms or so on yet, but maybe in the previous year, while you were still doing high school, what were some of your key ways, you know, when using some of the, um, AI platforms in education?

Bonnie: Oh, so for research, my favorite has always been perplexity. And when I have students do, um, for example, a healthcare project for biotechnology class, where we're trying to tie in sustainable development goals, typically they choose number three because that's the good health and wellbeing.

So, um, instead of just accepting that that's the one they'll use, because it makes, it seems to make the most sense. I asked them to [00:30:00] go to perplexity and ask. What SDG would be most applicable to a student who's doing a project on and then whatever their topic is, and then it would give some suggestions.

They'd have a short conversation, um, with the AI and then they'd ask it to build out an outline for research paper and make suggestions for places to look. And then they would take that and find their own research. Like we still would go to the library. We would still use the Gale databases in conjunction with perplexity.

And. As much as I reinforced like you're doing 80 percent of the work, AI is just helping to lighten the load so that it's easier to find your information and make connections between these two [00:31:00] things that you're trying to put together. Still. In another class, one of my students completely plagiarized something and grabbed something straight off of perplexity and then said, well, Mrs.

Nieves said we could use perplexity, but not in that way, right? So even as intentional as we are. We still need to do better, right? And it's, it's really, it's frustrating for me when I heard that I was so frustrated because I thought, first of all, I don't want my colleague to think that that's the kind of thing that I accept in my classroom.

And second of all, I, I don't know how I can make it more explicit, but I need to find a way to make it more explicit. So, um, Yeah. Perplexity has been a real, [00:32:00] uh, I won't say game changer, but it has been something that has helped to expedite research by a lot, and even though we have these hiccups with kids, not using it appropriately, it's still worth the learning curve to be able to get it right.

And to provide examples to students of how people in industry. I'm using these tools to help speed their research and development processes, I think is really useful.

Fonz: No, and I agree with you. I think with also with some of that, the, like you said, the student just completely, you know, taking word for word.

You know, that it just goes back to just needing just more of the digital literacy, you know, digital citizenship and just, uh, you know, maybe through the librarian or library resources, just, you know, just the way that we learn how to cite when we're doing some of our research for us that, you know, in the university, you have to cite your sources, same thing here.

It's [00:33:00] like you mentioned, this is a resource that you have. Yeah. That you can cite, but make sure you cite it appropriately and not just take the whole thing and say, Hey, here you go. I'm submitting this, but as you know, and like you mentioned, you know, those are some of the things that right now, a lot of the students.

Need that help and need those skills and understanding those things. And like you mentioned too, I think maybe that's what some of the bigger frustrations from educators too, as well as not being, or like, how can I be explicit enough for them to understand? But like you said, it's sometimes it's just that.

That one or two, or those three students that, you know, um, but then, you know, for the others, they understand like right off the bat, it's like, okay, here's my research here, my articles, here's my outline. Okay. Now I need to, you know, make sure that I put this together. And like you said, it's great use case there that they're learning that research aspect.

And I mean, I still remember when I was doing research and I [00:34:00] was using. Is it, I forget what it's called. It's the microfiche. Oh my God. Having to look through film. Yes. That I I'm dating myself here. I mean, at my university, I mean, it's like going through microfiche here and now you can pull something up through perplexity and just say, okay, here's my research topic and then you get your research papers and oh my gosh, you know, what a game changer, but yeah, definitely.

Like I said, gave my agent a little bit.

Bonnie: Yeah, I've been there, too. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, just think about how sometimes I think we're we're cheating kids out of the experience of and probably excluding 90 percent of the people who are listening and watching right now. But If you're, if you're in the library and you're going through that microfeature and you're looking for an article from 40 years ago and you're flipping and flipping and flipping through and then you find it and you're like, wow, like that [00:35:00] excitement, like you can't match that AI can't match that because now you can just add to it.

Like create an image of something or search something up really quick There's the gratification of working hard for something But we still need to make sure kids get right that that's important

Fonz: Yes, and then I remember like you mentioned You find that article and now it's like, okay, I got to go pay like the little 10 cents, just like, and make that copy of it.

And now I have it. I have a physical copy of that article in those pages. And now I can go and finish my research paper and so on. And, and again, not that internet was not around yet. But so it just was a lot easier at that time, you know, for us to do those things. And I mean, it worked out great, you know, but like you said, it's just being able to search and just have those skills and just have that productive struggle.

Like you said, it just really pays off. And even now, you know, working through, uh, my [00:36:00] doctoral research and having to read article through article and finding those things. I mean, it's just, uh, it. Yes, it's a lot of work, but at the end of the day, when you start forming your paper and your writing, and you've got your outline and then you're submitting to your prof and they're giving you like good feedback, it's like, all right.

Like it just builds that momentum, which is great. You know, and just being able, one of the biggest things for me is just getting feedback. I've, I've always get anxiety. Like when I get my paper back and I almost. Wait almost a day just to see it because I don't know, like either my social battery can't take it or I'll get drained, but I'll open it up and then I'll be like, okay, let's take it one step at a time, you know, cause that's just the way that I work.

But like you said, uh, it's, it's a little struggle there, but now, you know, you're able to get your resources a little bit quicker. And of course, just making sure that we cite things properly. That's wonderful. Oh my gosh, buddy. Microfish. It was back then. It was, it was just awesome. [00:37:00]

Bonnie: It was, it was amazing.

Yes. It was frustrating at the time, but it's one of those things. I'm glad. I'm glad I had to do that.

Fonz: Yeah. Hey, Bonnie, before we start wrapping up, I know I just want to ask you a little bit more about your presentations, but specifically the one that you were talking about, you know, I just, I'm curious if you can just share a little bit.

I know. I wanted to talk about the formative assessment piece that, um, you know, it was the three point formative assessment piece that you yourself came up with. And I'm just a little curious if you don't mind sharing that with our audience members, because I know for a lot of listeners too, that might be something beneficial for them.

And that could be that little gem for them that can really help out, you know, for out the rest of the year. So if you can give us a little bit of background on that, I'd appreciate that.

Bonnie: Yeah. So I. Um, of course research, all I do, I love doing the research and I love good educational assessments. So I've, through what I have [00:38:00] found, there are three things that I include in every formative assessment.

And that is, I think about what is the purpose of this assessment. So is it in order to reteach something? Is it in order just to put students in groups? Or is it for students to lead their own learning? So, you put that together with what type of formative assessment do you want to have? So, are you just going to be listening to students?

Are they going to self evaluate or are you just watching? And then the third thing, which is the, the thing that is a little unconventional, and I think is the new thing is a practical measure for, are they being able to identify with the content, [00:39:00] right? How have they been able to put themselves in this position or use This information for themselves.

Are the kids engaging with it at the level that you would like them to, or maybe there's, it was the activity that they were doing that just didn't connect. So they, they have the purpose, right? They understand the content. They are having conversations, but for some reason, there's some engagement. There's something that's limiting the engagement.

So I triangulate those things and, um, to just try to always inform my instruction and improve my activities and, um, delivery. So the three prongs are the purpose, the type. And the [00:40:00] practical measure,

Fonz: I love that, that, that, you know, that's, those are some great action steps for educators to really follow on just the fact that, you know, in these three steps, they're not very difficult.

And it just seems like it's just a natural progression. From, you know, the assessments as we know it, but just to be able to see those things and, and visually capture them or through an artifact. And like you mentioned, coming back and reassessing and seeing, you know, where the students are at. I think that's something that is very powerful.

So that is great. And is this something that you worked on? I know you, you said you do the research on it, but is this something that you worked on, you know, while you were working with the high school students, you know, and then. Um, how did the, how did it come about?

Bonnie: It came about through building my next generation science standards courses and finding these bits and pieces scattered in different parts of literature, [00:41:00] but not having it been.

really put together. So I just, um, finagled with it when I was working with my students in my learning laboratory and, um, figured out that these are the, the components that I need to focus on to make instruction move more smoothly. Right, because you can have the best, the best slides in the world. You can have wonderful activities for kids, but if they're not identifying with it and they're not engaging with it, then it's, it's not.

It's all for nothing. So you really have to include that piece in your formative assessment as well.

Fonz: Well, I love it. I love it, Bonnie. That is wonderful. And that's great. And for all of you that are going to be at FETC, don't miss out on these presentations because Bonnie is great. And she's definitely going to be bringing.[00:42:00]

The heat. So thank you so much, Bonnie. I really appreciate you being here and just sharing just all these amazing things. But before we jump into the, the last three questions, I forgot to tell you that I do something a little bit new now too. And I just asked my guests for, you know, just some action steps, uh, you know, for student, for teachers, I should say.

Uh, you know, little tips that they can implement maybe tomorrow, little takeaways, little gems and nuggets that they can use. So I want to go back to the very beginning where we talked a little bit about amplifying student voices. And I mean, I just love the way that you described your. Your classroom at this moment, it's very low tech.

I know that some of that tech implementation will come in now that your students, you know, have received their Chromebooks and, you know, that'll come in, in later in, well, you know, probably in this next second half of the year and so on, or maybe this coming week. And, but I just want to ask you, you know, as far as amplifying student voices, [00:43:00] what might be two.

Actionable steps or two action steps that teachers can easily turn around and maybe use within the next two days or maybe the next week or so that they, you know, just to get started.

Bonnie: So do the think, pair, share, have students share their ideas with the class, but then make a poster that they can put out into the hallway with everyone's big ideas.

Right. So that can be even, even if you don't have a poster printer available to you, you can have students make slides and then just put all of those slides on one big sheet of paper and put that out into the hallway. It's super fast, low prep, kids do all the work. You just hit print and let it go. So that's one thing.

And another one I say is have [00:44:00] students record audio and, um, you know, send it, send it to parents, send it to the administrators, have students listen to one another. And it. Of course, the best thing to do is really just publish it, just put it out, but that takes a little bit of time and a whole lot of confidence.

So, I would say just record some audio and have the kids listen to one another's audio and then send that out to someone outside of your classroom. So people can listen to it.

Fonz: I love it. And I think there's something to gain too, as well for the students to, when they know that there's going to be an authentic audience, you know, somebody that's maybe not within their classroom, but just outside, whether, you know, it's maybe community, like you said, other grade levels and administrator and so on.

I think that also like really helps the students and pumps them up to know that somebody. Outside of [00:45:00] their their four walls there in the classroom that might just say, oh, yeah, that was great And you know, they have their own hypement but now you get some genuine feedback and authentic feedback from an admin or maybe a previous year teacher or next year's teacher or Somebody there at the school or just somebody from the community.

I think that's very powerful for them. I love it Yeah,

Bonnie: it kind of makes academics like at the level of Athletics, right? Cause you know, when there's a good basketball, soccer game, good athletic game, kids are getting high fives in the hallway, but we don't have that same thing for academics yet. So this is one way to help accomplish that.

Fonz: Love it. That is wonderful. All right, Bonnie. Well, now let's go ahead and get into our last three questions. And I know, like I mentioned to you, since the last time you were here, I have changed just one question, but. We talked a little bit about it. So I'm a little excited about what you're going to say.

Cause I know you're like, well, I'm going to save it till the end. And it's supposed to be, you know, pretty [00:46:00] hot take there. Maybe possibly, I don't know. We'll see, but here we go. Question number one by in the current state of education, what would you say is your current edu kryptonite?

Bonnie: Mine is pacing. I always want to do everything all the time.

So I need to pull back and do things. Well, make a decision and then move on to the next thing and not keep rushing ahead all the time.

Fonz: All right. There you go. That's a good one. Pacing. All right. Question number two. If you could have a billboard with anything on it, what would it be and why?

Bonnie: It would say, be a decent person because we just always need to consider how we, we feel about ourselves.

And how that [00:47:00] is, um, projected. So always try to be a decent person first.

Fonz: Excellent. Great advice. Great billboard. And my last question to you, Bonnie, is if you could trade places with someone for a day, Who would it be and why?

Bonnie: Right. This is the one. Um, I think it would be Elon Musk because I, first I want to see what it's like to be in that environment where I am sure he is completely detached from any sort of normal lifestyle whatsoever.

And I just can't imagine what it's like to have these. ideas, some of them crazy, some of them not, but to be unrestricted in that way where he's either the richest or one of the richest people in the earth and no [00:48:00] one's really going to ever tell him no. So how, what is that like to have no restraint? He doesn't, he doesn't need to anymore.

I, I just, I can't imagine not having anyone in the whole universe to answer to. That's why

Fonz: great, great, great answer, Bonnie. Well, thank you so much, Bonnie. It has been an honor and a pleasure to have you back here. And I just thank you so much for making this episode just extra special. And just again, getting to hang out with you again.

It's been almost two years since the last time that you were on the show. And it's just great to hear. All the great things that you're doing, but most importantly to still seeing that spark and that passion, you know, even though you've moved to a different grade level, but you're just still bringing that same heart to your students, and I think that is going to be wonderful for them and something so beneficial.

So keep doing what you're doing, my friend. Thank you for what you do and [00:49:00] thank you for everything you share in your newsletter. And of course that will be linked in the show notes too, as well. So again, thank you as always just for being an amazing person and an amazing guest and an amazing friend.

Thank you so much.

Bonnie: Thank you. Thank you for everything you do for everyone for the field of education. We appreciate you.

Fonz: Thank you so much, my friend. And for all our audience members, thank you for joining us here for this wonderful episode. Please don't forget to visit our website at my at tech dot life, my at tech dot life.

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Thank you so much. I really appreciate everything that you do and in believing in our show and just helping us continue to bring you some amazing episodes and amazing conversations. So thank you as always from the bottom of my heart and my friends until next time. Don't forget. Stay techie.