Kaulbach's Modern World

I would be remiss if I did not gleefully gloat about the one thing the teaching profession offers in comparison to similarly ranked careers. Of course I'm referring to vacation time. I absolutely love having vacations during holidays. My equally elated spouse insists on taking in new ventures, enjoying each full minute of an unstructured afternoon. As you can see, I have discovered, the thrill of riding a fat tire bike on winter snow. A four inch tire hugged by a heavy wide frame, race ready shifters and derailleur. It rolled harmlessly over woods terrain leaving a tread but no ruts. I climbed easily over  the recent snowfall that wasn't deep enough for skiing but too wet for walking.  Tentative speeds were replaced with aggressive cornering, bridge climbing and downhill plunges. The aptly named Surly, Moonlander, did not skid out from under me. So confident was I that I aimed straight up and over that small rock ledge that had deterred me all summer. My brother in law caugh...

Like most teachers in New England I start the school year off sprinting and then lose energy at the same time the students do, right after high school playoffs and Halloween.  Our first report cards are sent home at this time and I only mention this because it is also timed well with our third annual haunted high. Kids scare the pants off each other and scream a little too loudly. It seems that they are not so much as frightened as they are releasing steam. Are they screaming at teachers? Screaming at low grades? Or is is teen angst, Nirvana style? What is important is that this tradition continues because it is engaging. Jumping off such enthusiasm is hard and "where to go from here" is constantly on my mind.  In my 20 year career I have seldom had an easy year. Every new administration has pushed for reforms that add hours to my work day. I am one of those educators who follows the rules and works as much as can be expected.  This push to prepare for the Common Core ...

I'm tying up loose ends, teaching this zombi apocalypse unit and I have to say... it was fun. The game of keeping up points along with intentional studies petered out.  Next year, I should hold a culminating event, a zombie prom or a zombie run but sometimes life get's in the way.  Right now students are invested in their performances in Shrek, The Musical, deer hunting season and the upcoming November holiday. My quick assessment of success in teaching this unit: Students have developed a habit of paying attention to news events.  The impact of disaster became very real for some of our students following news events and the typhoon in the Philippines.  The idea of disaster preparedness was no longer focused on killing zombies but saving lives.  Two of my students fulfilled the unit requirement to bring attention to a global issue by putting up flyers about the typhoon.  These students also overheard both teachers and students in a meteorology course refer...

vita-learn.org   Technology Professional Development It was snowing at Killington, Vermont as we gathered at the hotel near the foot of the mountain. I love professional developments like this.  Most of us attend workshops all day and then swim in the heated pool with snow coming down.  We leisurely discuss ideas learned or tech tools that we have never considered.  And we gather in common spaces helping each other relearn with our devices while sipping lovely beverages.  We move from intensity to creativity to playtime and back in a workflow not offered during the daily grind of teaching in a school. So first, let me shout out to colleague who presented with me at Vermont Fest : Here's our presentation- After Hours Social Studies - Using Haiku LMS to Promote 24/7 Learning - HS   Whitney Kaulbach and Peter Lavigne  For this session two high school social studies teachers will demonstrate how they use Haiku LMS to  conduct dynamic ...

Link to published article   At TER While it can't be said for all professions everyone I know remembers a teacher who changed their world in a positive way. It was a teacher who helped me love learning and who made me think I was going to fantastic when I grew up. For most people that teacher was someone they encountered in their youth but for me it happened to be my daughter's kindergarten teacher. She is organized, enthusiastic, creative and kind. She had a reputation of being a stable force in education because of her forty one years of experience yet was one of the first to embrace 21st century digital technologies.  I was questioning my own educational practices when I first met her and was struck by this thought:  while every child in kindergarten was excited to learn the same can't be said for every student in my high school classroom. Curiosity got the best of me so I studied my daughter's experiences. I took notes on how this teacher hooked students on math a...

Incentives are the reason people learn because incentives drive choices. I could never admit this to my fair trade coffee drinkers, but I love Starbucks.  Every time I buy a coffee I receive a free app or song download.  My app allows me to earn stars that eventually gain me a free coffee.  And when I am lost driving x-country the map app points me in the direction of the nearest Starbucks and the nearest wifi.  But this is not a blog about Starbucks, it is a blog about incentives.  None of these incentives are really amazing.  I could find those same apps for free on line, the free coffee never applies until I spend + $15.00.  And I live in rural Vermont with the nearest Starbucks 50 miles away. Incentives are fun, I take advantage of them which makes me a bit happier to take time to spend money on a cup of jo.   Education works the same way.  Most of my students attend school because they have to not because they want to.  If we...

My Wall of Discussion at    Padlet Outline of Presentation Introduction- What is Haiku?   (Peter) management structure for 24 hour access engaged from anywhere in the world (teacher & student) Why we use discussion boards in a learning platform Problems of Democracy Haiku- add responses to discussion posts assignment list Assessment-  AP US History Assessment retakes Usage Statistics Data Wiki Projects Common Core  RH.11-12.4  Craft & Structure  WHST.11-12.6  Production & Distribution of writing. selecting a topic- collaborating and writing-  RH.11-12.7  Integration of Knowledge & Ideas Assessment Rubrics- Zombies & Asynchronous learning Video Discussion- NAFTA, Peer Editing (no picture!) student input- the Pen Pal Project -Possibilities video chats while gaming (Google Chats)  twitter publish   ie- theeducatorsroom.com Overview- I am a social constructivist. I beli...

Last night I was flipping through old photo albums, reminiscing about my first years in teaching which seem so sunny and bright. I know that I have gained efficiency, patience and organization since I first began yet forced changes in education have me questioning my assurances. Change insinuates that everything I have been doing was somehow wrong. Or in means that the vision I have promoted is suddenly coming to fruition. Those who institute change I regard warily since they are likely to move on in their careers without looking back. It makes sense to turn some attention to the veterans of education who still arrive to work with smiles, take on new challenges and converse without cynicism.  These veterans of education have also been coaches who  took me under wing when I was still a high school student. I adored them as individuals could not tell you where coaching began and where the teaching ended. They devoted endless time to us. Later, under their tutelage I began...

The sounds of my daughter and her dear friend chatting in the kitchen gives me great comfort. I know that while I work away the hours each weekend on school related projects she is not being ignored, she is engaged and thoughtful. She is happy. But this weekend was different. Her dear friend was actually 1,500 miles away in West Palm Beach even as they baked apple crisp in the kitchen. FaceTime chat changes everything. Sunday was a slow day for us. I was cooking and baking to get ahead on weekly meals. A frost was on its way so I quickly harvested our backyard garden. Plums, apples, squash, tomatoes were piled around me when Kata's friend from Florida called. They play all summer while on vacation in Vermont. Kata set up the FaceTime and we all gathered around to wave and say hello. Usually the girls entertain each other by holding up their pets or zooming in on facial features. They both occupied themselves with coloring until Kata took out a kitchen knife and some of my apples. S...

Find What Works: What Works Clearinghouse Useful for why and how of reading assessment

Who is with me? I jumped at the opportunity to volunteer for a Google Hangout   with The Educator's Room ( TER ). Hoping to see follow up discussion #lancer1 on twitter too. Username: @WhitneyKaulbach. Here is a quick overview of how our schools- grades 7-12 will offer each student personal access to digital devices, the majority being iPads. Yes, I am spending oodles of time gaming, using apps and some official summertime professional development on my school campus.  Don't all teachers find a way to squeeze hours of work during vacation time?  It is a terrible disease- this devotion to learning. As teachers we need to prepare for the phase in period and then the full access period.  Fortunately I am part of an amazing social studies department or PLC. We get along,  we agree to commonalities while embracing our individuality.  Our principal supports teacher led professional development which is why we all showed up in a good mood today. My husb...

Ok, so we checked with NP at Fruita before we took off. They never say this but the rangers gave us a 100% assurance of no rain. The absolutely perfect day for slot canyons, novice style.  Consulting three maps, notes of a reliable biology teacher and tour guides, we pulled off onto Hole in The Rock Road and proceeded to navigate the 26.1 miles of straight dirt road to nowhere. Every write up assures that this is a rough paved road. By rough, they mean, no pavement. Our rental Kia jostled along without complaining. I eyed the 6 gallon reserve of water in the back seat and crossed my fingers as we passed a broken down jeep with a flat. We waved enthusiastically when a Ford pickup flew by with a tailgate of young bucks. It even lightened the mood when the road hump was hit dead on and the boys bounced up and into each other with great whoops and yeehaa. Devout Mormons built this road and it intrigued me from the moment I read its name. It does dump into a river but let's faced it, it...

Somewhere,enroute to Moab, I began to breathe easier. not only because the air is purportedly clearer but because the open sky, the long ribbon of highway gave me the perspective that, once again, my collected problems were small. The world is a big place and zipping 80 mph through Spanish Forks to Price, Utah helped remind me of this. 8 days of camping was a gift I could give my family. I worked for a week in Salt Lake City grading essays for the Collegeboard to pay for the trip. Other graders wondered if they should take on a similar venture next year. I say, go for it. We drove nonstop to Moab but camping along the Green River or in Price appeared tempting. Vermont friends on a similar trip two days ahead did not enjoy their campsite on the Green River but I still would try it if driving at night was a problem. Price was greener and less crowded, yet Moab was calling. We only drove the last 20 miles in waning light at 9 pm, heading right to our air conditioned cabin. Air conditionin...