BLOG: What’s on your mind this week? Feel free to step back and be philosophical about where you are going with your thinking - what ideas are evolving or percolating? The main thing that is on my mind is my Action Research Project and getting all the surveys approved and parent permissions so I can begin collecting data. I am feeling excited to “jump in” with the collecting of data. Another feeling I keep having is some doubts about the driving question I have chosen to explore. There are some days when I am researching and reflecting and I get intimidated by the complicated studies I am finding in my research. I start to think, “Is this question too simple? Is my data going to be worth reporting about?” But there is also another idea growing in my brain and seeping into my thoughts. What if the accumulation of very small changes in teaching techniques and learning habits actually add up to tectonic educational shifts in learning for students? Part of the reason my brain is dwelling on this is because I recently reread a book called Atomic Habits by James Clear. It has been #1 on the NY Times best seller list for two months. Clear uses the analogy that all things are made of smaller particles, atoms, and that our habits are made of many tiny choices and micro-habits that can accumulate into life promoting results or life destroying results depending on our actions. Education has so many variables and it is difficult to control many of the variables that influence student learning. But what if successful student learning is dependent on an accumulation of these microhabits? Is it possible that a small change like spending your science group time with people that share the same passion as you could increase your feeling of belonging and cause you feel more inspired and comfortable engaging in classroom activities? The second idea that is amusing me is that ARP is omnipresent. Have you had this experience? You learn a new word or idea and over the next few months you encounter it everywhere. This is my experience with ARP. I did not know what an Action Research Project was until September 2020 and now I encounter it everywhere. I recently ordered a book on classroom strategies and the first chapter was explaining how action research was the creative source behind each of the strategies in the book. I went to an information meeting about a science opportunity for girls called, “Girls Think Green”, organized by the Soroptimist organization. The project they want girls to do is essentially a mini ARP. Every time I think about some new way to teach something or a new tool to try, my brain thinks, “Hey maybe that would be a good idea for an action research project!” This has been very validating for me as an educator presently about to embark on my first ARP. The last thoughts I have had about ARP is the massive work to be done once we have collected our data, analyzed it and completed the next cycle or hopefully two. I looked at past cohorts projects on the Napa Learns website to see if anyone had done a project that related to mine. I did not see one surprisingly because I think other people probably felt as inspired by James Gee’s book, Good Video Games + Good Learning, as I did. The projects I read through were interesting and helpful. I was able to pick out the steps in their projects that we have been working on and learning about over these last six months. It was intimidating to see it all put together, but I also feel that I can trust the process we are using. It was encouraging to see the completed work of so many previous cohorts.
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BLOG 701 My Journey to 21st Century Teaching
In your blog, consider reflecting on your journey towards 21st century teaching practices (or leading them). After reading about what is expected (in terms of the standards, 4Cs, etc) and the path the journey takes, what are you feeling? What can you do in your classroom/school to engender 21st century teaching and learning? What do you need to learn? Include your thoughts related to the Darling-Hammond readings, too, as they apply. My journey towards 21st century teaching practices has greatly accelerated in the last few years. I remember those learning walks that Mark Morrison described in the video. It was an exciting time in our district. We were all getting trained in PBL, we were observing other teachers and trying new ideas. We had a lot of coaching on how to write PBL units and how to use the ECHO platform to launch our PBLs. At the time our school was not one-to-one devices. We had classroom sets of computers. It seems so long ago but I do remember all the trouble shooting involved in kids sharing computers, the wifi being very unreliable, and yes it felt very overwhelming most of the time. There were some really magical moments when kids connected with the real aspect of a problem and shared their passion in creating a solution. There were also some almost comical moments when my lack of skill and experience in teaching within the PBL model resulted in a bunch of very fun and creative board games made by my 7th graders that taught almost zero of the science concepts that were the whole purpose of the project. I learned the value of project checkpoints in that PBL. PBL is not really the focus at our school anymore. Michael McDowell loosened the reins it seems on what PBL could look like, how it could be organized, and what the outcomes could be. Critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, communication, and creativity are all still the legs that PBL stands on, but the PBL creature has many more forms depending on the content, the grade level, and the individual teacher and school’s personality, community needs, and philosophy. I have found that doing shorter problem based projects with some engaging phenomena / mystery to start the unit off, works well for my students, and follows the NGSS guidelines. NGSS has been adopted now by our state and is being implemented in our district with a new curriculum from Lawrence Hall of Science. These new science standards include not only the content (disciplinary core ideas) but also the performance skills (science and engineering practices) and cross cutting concepts. The 4 C’s are built into the DCIs and practices. The new curriculum has critical thinking / problem solving activities, collaboration, and communication built into the lessons. The one area that I feel like I have to keep providing more opportunity for is creativity. The students get to do a lot of model and design thinking, but I sense that some of them still need to just create and explore with the supplies and tools in each unit. Especially during this Covid time, I can just feel the need for kids to release some of their stress and anxiety through creative outlets. Everytime we use Kami (love Kami!), I see it. They take the time to color code parts of their lab and illustrate ideas. I just know they are taking their time on it because it feels so good to create. I think what I need to learn is how to use a strategic number of tools really well. I think this idea is supported by Linda Darling-Hammond’s data about the need for highly qualified teachers and ongoing teacher development. Right now I know so many more digital tools than I did one year ago. I am having so much fun creating ways to deliver my lessons that are enjoyable and effective for my students, and I’m always trying to find that hook for engagement. But I remember learning in Scott’s class that for me and for my kids there can be cognitive overload. Edu Protocols is the way to go. Get really good at a few new tools, teach my kids how to use them so they can do it without stress and without too much thought about HOW to use the tool. Then we can all move to deeper thinking. It is a journey after all, not a race, and we need some time to stop and enjoy the flowers along the path. I am grateful for Mishra’s permission to develop a “thoughtfully playful attitude towards understanding the landscape being created by these new technologies. “ I read that and thought, “I need to get back into Canva and play!” It was just what I needed to get my brain going again. BLOG 790 #3 Literature Review Reflection
At least half of the sources I reviewed about affinity groups were about college level education and using these groups to support students of color so they can connect with other students of color at universities where they are in the minority. This is an interesting idea but did not quite fit what I am hoping to discover by using affinity groups. In one example at the community college level, Cheryl Stokke used affinity groups to base an internship style experience for students, focusing on collaborative skills and “soft skills” in the business environment. Another theory related to affinity groups is Small Learning Groups (SLG). This seemed to be a fruitful line of research for me and included work by Linda Darling-Hammond (can you say “Bingo!”) titled “Teaching The Way Students Learn Best”. This study is about a high school in the Bronx that tried to adjust every aspect of the school to create the very best learning environment for students. They have been very successful with administration, teachers, students and families all getting “on board” with their new plan, even though it is located in a gang ridden part of the Bronx. Some of the key components include: small school (445 students), small class sizes (22ish), advisory 2-3 times per week, interdisciplinary teams, and distributed counseling. The last one was a new term to me and I came across it in several studies. It is the idea that every teacher takes a piece of the SEL pie and uses it to support students within their content area instead of all that responsibility falling on the school counselor. This study was reviewed by Zaretta Hammond. This study and one by Paul Astin titled “Personalization Through Small Learning Communities” all support my idea that creating connections between students by getting them into small collaborative groups increases their engagement and overall success in school. I was surprised to find one study that said that teaming created an increase in victimization because students were in the same little pods all day with no way to escape the presence of a bully. Several of the teaming studies also were much more focused on what teachers gained from this structure vs. the benefits to student learning. These studies were mostly older ones from the 1990s when teaming at the middle school level was the norm. Like everything in education, you need the right people on the bus to make things work successfully. I had such a great teaming experience at Redwood, but was fortunate to work with very collaborative people. Reflect upon this week’s content and how it relates to your daily practice: Include the key elements you believe must be included in your classroom/school to prepare your students and colleagues for the future.
Certainly our future in education includes some form of technology. After spending almost a year teaching and learning online because of the pandemic, most students and teachers have ventured deeper into the Technological Sea of Learning than they had ever been before. Even when we are able to be in person again, the tools that we have learned to implement for new ways of instructing and learning will continue to be useful. I don’t think Matt Miller will be writing Ditch That Chromebook anytime soon. So how do we prepare our students for the future? Jen Ellison, NCOE Teacher of the year and technology specialist, was interviewed by Mario Piombo at the start of the pandemic. Mario asked her what our kids would need in order for education to continue. Her answer was so quick and wise, “I think the biggest need right now is access. Everybody needs access to technology no matter where they live. ... The number one we need to make sure that the whole town has wifi and then making sure that that everyone has a device that can connect to that wifi. That would transform our community.” Equal access to technology has to be a priority in our future because it will make it possible for students to learn in a variety of ways. Another key to being ready for the future is that students have to have problem solving skills. The future and the present are always going to be filled with problems that need to be solved. Some problems will be small and easily solved, some will be personal, some will be county, statewide, national or even global problems. We need creative thinking kids that can collaborate with others and solve very complicated problems. Sir Ken Robinson stressed in all of his videos that diverse education where creativity of all kinds is honored and curiosity is encouraged, is crucial to making school relevant and engaging for kids. Technology is one way to make learning engaging. So many of the tools that my students and I are exploring add a fun, creative element to the learning process. My students are crazy about all the gaming platforms I have been using to review key concepts and vocabulary. For modeling and diagramming science lab data we all appreciate the creativity that Kami provides. Mote is super fast and easy for feedback and questions. Simulations in Amplify, Gizmos, and Phet allow us to generate data using technology and to that can be analyzed as we problem solve. Google sheets provides graphs of our data in just a few simple clicks. Now and in the future, connecting with people will still be a priority. Several of the videos I watched on The Teaching Channel about teaching online were hosted by Doug LeMov, author of Teach Like A Champion. He kept stressing the importance of the teacher connecting with her kids through that screen. A lot of it was the simple act of smiling, greeting, saying their name, having a positive vibe, encouraging them, sharing a story or joke so everyone can laugh together. Connecting with people and making them feel like they are a part of the team will always be an important element in all walks of life. The corporate world calls this “soft skills” and they also spend time teaching people the skill of connecting people. I do have to share a couple of examples I found of inspiring teachers in case you want to check them out. Every Student Deserves A Great Teacher Be A Mr. Jensen Jen Ellison- Overcoming DL |
AuthorHello! Welcome to my blog! This will be a fun place to share thoughts about teaching and learning. I am a middle school science teacher at Redwood. When I'm not teaching, I'm hanging out at home with my family or enjoying nature somewhere in the valley. Archives
March 2021
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