March Musings 21: Amplifying #StuVoice

What happens when you hand the reins 

of an educational chat over to a group of student moderators? 

Student voice surges

and 

the hashtag, #KidsCANteachus, becomes, a reality.

************************

Last Night:

An amazing event occurred last night on Twitter. It was a first of its kind for #NYEDChat, the voice of New York State educators and beyond. Six student moderators, @CurranCentral, @thelivebits, and #BowTieBoys: Joe O'Such, Spencer Hill, Doug Unger, and Ryan Hur led a group of educators, parents, and students in a spirited conversation about #StuVoice. (Our seventh moderator, Sam Fremin, was detained due to an unexpected soccer practice but he was actively involved as the leader from the #BowTieBoys.) While I oversaw the process, I clearly noticed early on that the students needed no prompting during the chat. Their voices were strong, clear, and they efficiently maneuvered the ins and outs of a very fast-paced convo that trended early on Twitter (#40 on Trend USA Now).

Preparations:

Prior to the night's outstanding, epic event, Curran from #DigCitKids, Liv from #thelivbits, and Sam from the #BowTieBoys spent time preparing for the Twitter conversation via the Google Docs I set up for them. Each wrote 2 questions for participants' responses. Back-up support was offered by the moms, Marialice BFX Curran and Cynthia Merrill. Buncee provided the digital online tool to create the flyer and Participate, an active #NYEDChat partner, let us know that its online service would archive the chat and resources at the end of the convo. 

Questions:

Q1 Why is it so important to honor student voice? #StuVoice #NYEDChat

Q2 What role does establishing #StuVoice play in building positive rapport with students? #NYEDChat

Q3 How do you foster a classroom environment that encourages #StuVoice? #NYEDChat

Q4 How do #StuVoice opportunities connect and empower students to develop empathy for causes & movements outside of their comfort zone?  #NYEDChat

Q5 What role do parents play in monitoring and empowering their child’s #StuVoice? #NYEDChat

Reflaction (Reflection with Action) What can you do this week to promote more effective #StuVoice in classrooms, schools, or on social media? #NYEDChat

Highlights:

Mother & son #digcit story at 

http://www.digcitkids.com/uploads/4/1/8/4/4184069/glastonbury_life_digcitkids_december_2016.pdf

Spencer Hill A1- Honoring student voice is one of the most crucial things 

in the classroom bc, in the end, Ss choose what they want to learn #NYEDChat 

Kids need to be empowered, not engaged. @danieldmccabe

We need active classrooms guided by teachers who empower students.-Carol Varsalona

 

Reflactions:


My goal is to promote student voice and digital
citizenship for kids, by kids. -Marialice BFX Curran

Thank Yous:

At the start of the chat, Doug Unger said "Make sure to join in tonight's #NYEDChat. You won't be disappointed." He was right so I thank everyone who joined in the conversation last night. We amplified #StuVoice and trended early signifying that #KidsCANteachus! 

This post is the 21st in the series titled March Musings for Two Writing Teacher's March Slice of Life Story Challenge.