PLN in Action

Mr. Lazaro

Using a Kindle in the Classroom

Today I spent a period in a classroom where strategies learned through training during the PT Summer Academy for Teachers was effectively used.  This summer Mr. Roger Sullivan spearheaded a program to bring Pennsylvania Literacy Network training to the school district.  To read more about this initiative, please click here.  This morning Mr. Sullivan and I were in Mr. Lazaro's room at Trafford Middle School.  Mr. Lazaro teaches 8th grade Language Arts and also went to the summer PLN training.  Mr. Lazaro had the students work in groups of two and incorporated the following PLN strategies: Students making notes t-chart, Main ideas/questions/terms Read, write, discuss Whole class discussion- relevance & connections, Human lens, social lens, Language lens, meaning (4 lenses of learning), "Type 1" Writing, Some students read aloud, some quietly.  I want to thank Mr. Sullivan for providing me with his notes.  Additionally, Mr. Lazaro incorporated the Smart Board into his classroom and used it to help generate a discussion about the topic.  Finally, I watched the "BYOD" policy at work.  Students were using their smart phones and Kindles to help them research answers based on the work that Mr. Lazaro was asking them to do.  I was really impressed with the lesson because the students were engaged and were collaborating with each other.  It is easy for people to say that education must be collaborative and engaging, it is quite another thing to develop a lesson that actually accomplishes the task.  Mr. Lazaro succeeded at creating a lesson that was engaging and collaborative.  I am encouraged that training the district held in the summer is being put to use in the classroom.  That is a positive return on investment.