Every year in March, Edutech-y fangirls and fanboys (this author included) descend upon
Palm Springs for the annual CUE conference hoping for an infusion of
inspiration to dazzle their classrooms and students. Without fail, one or two
buzz-worthy topics, ideas, or products emerge as the water cooler phenom of
that particular conference. While Flipped Learning, Augmented Reality, and
Desmos have all vied for the title of “most trendy” in past years, 2018 may
have been the year of The EduProtocol Field Guide by Jon Corippo and Marlena
Hebern (honorable mention to #FlipgridFever). The Field Guide itself is just
the beginning of what appears to be a whole movement including Conference
sessions, twitter chats, book signings, interviews, and hashtags all of which
contributed to a flurry of excitement around the new book, released by Dave
Burgess Consulting, Inc.
With so many big names associated with this new release it’s easy
to see why the masses flocked to it like the Last Jedi Panel at the 2017 Comic
Con. This skeptical author and tech fangirl, however, wondered...is there real
staying power behind the Alice Keeler Foreword, the Dave Burgess logo on the
spine, and the inner circle of tech Avengers lending their ideas to these
“Protocols” which claim to be “Student-Centered Lesson Frames for Infinite
Learning Possibilities?”
Spoiler alert: There is.
As an instructional coach, much of my most important work is
centered around the “how” of supporting meaningful instructional shifts.
Teachers may quickly jump on board with a philosophy or well-meaning text, but
implementation fails to see the light of day in the absence of meaningful “What
does this look like in a real classroom?” strategies. Enter The EduProtocol
Field Guide. Sandwiched between chunks of mic-drop-worthy real talk about
how to engage and connect students to content as well as classroom culture, are
delightful little Infinity Stones of classroom strategies that have the power
to convince even the most reluctant hero to try them with their students. This
book is practically daring anyone who reads it not to get excited about trying
one of the strategies in their classrooms tomorrow.
While the Oscar for this book definitely goes to its 16 Protocols
(a general framework for allowing students to explore content), the best
supporting actor award may be meant for the Smart Start activities which take
aim at cultivating a culture of joy and excitement around learning at the
beginning of any school year. Serving in a 1:1 district where many of our
students’ textbooks and content are now digital, a void similar to the one
typically experienced at the end of a school year, appears to be forming at the
beginning. Teachers may find themselves asking, “What am I supposed to do for 2
weeks with NO DEVICES?” The EduProtocol Field Guide has a masterful
plan: Use that time to enlist the Smart Start activities which will provide a
foundation for the rest of your school year. With catchy titles like “Frayer a
Friend” and “Worst Preso EVER!”, the guide gives every teacher multiple tools
to build expectations and foundations for an environment that puts students at
the center of the learning and culture at the center of the classroom.
After a foray into starting the year with the Smart Start
Protocols, teachers will find a gold mine of actual, fresh, inspiring
strategies to serve as a blueprint for ongoing growth, exploration, and
inspiration for their students. Protocols such as “The Iron Chef” and “The
Great American Race” allow teachers to get students active and excited about
learning in any content area, while managing to not come across as gimmicky or
fleeting. Throughout the book, the authors drive home several key philosophies
around successful teaching and learning which serve as potential mantras for
anyone feeling trepidation about ditching their filing cabinet full of
black-line masters for something a little more daring. Specifically, Hebern and
Corippo explore the idea of “reps” both for teacher and student, suggesting
that everything takes multiple scaffolded attempts and trials before mastery
can be achieved.
The structure of the book keeps things light with asides and
anecdotes from the trenches, while packing philosophy-shifting truth bombs such
as “The Suck” which explores how we might be sabotaging our students with
lengthy timelines, and “The Four C’s Throwdown” which provides side-by-side
examples of flat lessons (that seemed like a good idea at the time) in direct
contrast with rich, exciting, protocol-based activities. Additionally, the
authors brilliantly anticipated the millions of voices of our primary
colleagues suddenly crying out in terror, “But what about the littles?!” by adding
an “Adapting for Littles” addendum to each strategy presented. Furthermore,
after exploring each protocol in depth in a narrative fashion, the savvy
authors include key points to remember as well as possible ideas for
variations, all while encouraging teachers to bring their own flair, ideas, and
beloved practices into the fold.
Instructional coaches are often charged with bridging the gap
between the big ideas and the daily practices related to the art of teaching
and learning. Sometimes, despite having an arsenal of strategies, it can be
difficult to find the right balance of why and how in helping our
teachers reach maximum impact with students. It can also be tricky to find
EduInspiration that is attainable by our newest teachers, relevant to those who
already have a great bag of strategies, but powerful enough to to reach those
reluctant to shift. The EduProtocol Field Guide may be having a moment, but
based on its clever format, balance of big ideas and real-world strategies, and
powerful insights from the authors, it may be setting box office records for a
long time to come.
What are your thoughts? Have you read The EduProtocol Field Guide?
What did you think? Have you tried any protocols with your students? SDCUE
wants to hear from you!
-Tiffani Brown, 1st Vice President, SDCUE
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