Learning & Leading Through Technology

Connecting the Classroom One Relationship at a Time

T odd Nesloney works in a big school district. In fact, it’s one of the largest in Texas, but not for the reasons you might expect. It doesn’t have the most students, but it does cover a lot of ground. Waller Independent School District, located between Houston and Austin, spans 328 square miles. About 66% of students receive free or reduced-price lunches,

50% do not have internet at home, and some students spend nearly an hour on the bus just to get to school.

None of these hurdles, however, has stopped Nesloney from finding creative ways to engage his fifth graders.

By connecting with other educators on Twitter, Nesloney discovered tools such as Skype in the Classroom and Google Hangouts, which have opened doors to exciting opportunities, interesting people, and a lot of recognition.

In 2013, Classroom Champions ( classroomchampions.org) selected Nesloney’s class to connect with Olympic and Paralympic athletes. This year, Nesloney and his class spoke with Paralympian Joshua Sweeny, a member of the U.S. men’s sled hockey team that competed in Sochi, Russia.

“It has been such an incredible ex-
perience to watch my students, many
of whom may never even leave the
state of Texas, connect with Josh and
learn from him once a month—
especially when you hear Josh’s story
of perseverance after losing both of
his legs in Afghanistan a few years
ago,” he said. “Inspiring doesn’t even
begin to describe it.”
Creating relationships is a big part
of Nesloney’s teaching philosophy. His
students have had the opportunity to
meet many notable people, including
one of Intel’s recent International Sci-
ence and Engineering Fair winners,
Olympic bobsledder Steve Mesler, and
cycling champion Giddeon Massie.

“When you build those relationships that make kids feel safe, give kids a voice, give them choice, and allow them to create and share, they will blow your minds every time,” Nesloney said.

These teaching experiences are definitely inspiring, but Nesloney hasn’t always felt this way. The need to teach to the test nearly convinced him to give up teaching in 2012. That’s when he decided to flip his classroom, and since then everything has changed.

“I have fallen back in love with my career since choosing the flipped [project-based learning] path,” Nesloney said.

“We’re a team. It’s not my classroom,
it’s theirs, and they know that.”
The worksheets and test-formatted
questions are gone, but student test
scores are higher than ever. Through-
out the experience, Nesloney has
shared his success on Twitter and
through blogging (nesloneyflipped.
blogspot.com), and the world has
taken notice. In 2013, the National
School Boards Association selected
him as one of its 20 to Watch in
Education, and the Center for Digital
Education placed him on its list of
Top 40 Innovators. In December,
the Obama administration named
him a 2013 White House Champion
of Change.

“It just blows my mind,” Nesloney
said. “And the fact that I got to meet
the president and shake his hand—
it’s like, ‘Who am I?’ That will be
a memory I cherish for the rest of
my life.”
Nesloney has been busy since he
flipped his class. In 2013, he self-
published his first children’s book,
contributed to a book about flipping
the classroom, and co-created a pod-
cast series called EduAllStars (www.
eduallstars.com), which interviews in-
novative educators—several of whom
are ISTE members.

“My world has been rocked by the recognition, and I don’t for a second take any of it for granted,” Nesloney said. “I always say that the things I am getting recognized for are a true reflection of the people I surround myself with in person and online.”