Thanks to some supportive conversations with several MGI staff from my Team I am feeling more competent about designing my Action Research. Through the workshops today on my strand I got another dose of the importance of giving students choice and personalized paths, and that should fit in nicely with my idea of bringing that to the PLP process. Students are not liking them, and I am wondering if they would more if they had more say in what gets posted and how evidence is documented. I think that is connected to competency...not liking something does not tend to make one feel competent at it.
I am impressed with how my Team works together. I have known them as building colleagues for years, but only started working with them in the last week. They/we set goals well and share the workload to get things accomplished. They listen to me and are patient with my newness to this particular job. I think that listening is key to building competence in students. Listen to their ideas, concerns, fears and successes.
Showing posts with label Personal Reflections. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Personal Reflections. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 27, 2018
Monday, June 25, 2018
Setting Up Identity - Reflection Day 1
The idea of intentional creation of student identity was modeled well today as we started our own Identity Wheels. I think that facilitating lessons around helping students be able to express their identity is key, especially as I work on expressing my own identity as a new member of this 5/6 Team. Variations on an Identity Wheel and integrating it with Team wide literature groups around developing and expressing identity is a way we have talked about starting the year. I am personally thinking about creating my action research around increasing student engagement in their PLPs by giving them more creative choice in what they post and how they post it. This focus on engaging students authentically is how I identify as a practioner!
Identity to Reflection - Identi-tree and the PLP
I loved the idea of the imagery of a tree to build a student identity
Starting with the roots that support and nourish the tree - fill the roots with phrases and words that make them unique
Habits of Work and Learning (HOWL) - self assessing character goals
Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan (WOOP) - a way of self assessing a goal
Starting with the roots that support and nourish the tree - fill the roots with phrases and words that make them unique
Habits of Work and Learning (HOWL) - self assessing character goals
Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan (WOOP) - a way of self assessing a goal
Saturday, January 27, 2018
PLP in the Elementary Classroom
PLP Template
- I didn't use this!
- I was focusing on reflections and not as much a formalized PLP plan
Started with All About Me projects
- Multiple forms of presenting this
Goal Creation
- was not a new activity but there hadn't been the reflection part
- What are you good at?
- What is challenging for you?
- Academic and Personal goals
Reflection
- Proud moments and Epic Fails
- Designed some questions and sentence starters - was still challenging for this age group
Student led Conferences
- Using their sites as a guide for the conference
- Fall is goal sharing
- Spring is progress, reflection and evidence on those goals
There is a need to teach Reflection skills specifically!
Reducing the number of goals and the frequency of which they set new ones is a key
Self-direction and independence is the direction to head and that will bring about engagement!
- I didn't use this!
- I was focusing on reflections and not as much a formalized PLP plan
Started with All About Me projects
- Multiple forms of presenting this
Goal Creation
- was not a new activity but there hadn't been the reflection part
- What are you good at?
- What is challenging for you?
- Academic and Personal goals
Reflection
- Proud moments and Epic Fails
- Designed some questions and sentence starters - was still challenging for this age group
Student led Conferences
- Using their sites as a guide for the conference
- Fall is goal sharing
- Spring is progress, reflection and evidence on those goals
There is a need to teach Reflection skills specifically!
Reducing the number of goals and the frequency of which they set new ones is a key
Self-direction and independence is the direction to head and that will bring about engagement!
Flexible Pathways in the Writer's Workshop
This interested me because I teach writing using Lucy Calkins.
They noticed "teachers were working harder than the writers" and needed to move the responsibility back on to the students
Allowing students to self choose their persuasive pieces is giving more ownership. What really impressed me was how the letters students write are actually mailed to their targeted audience!
How do we help students engage in the revision process?
- use shorter pieces and self generated topics
- "don't get too attached to your pieces!"
Hoping to see a change in student mindset around writing as Lucy get's implemented in elementary grades
They noticed "teachers were working harder than the writers" and needed to move the responsibility back on to the students
Allowing students to self choose their persuasive pieces is giving more ownership. What really impressed me was how the letters students write are actually mailed to their targeted audience!
How do we help students engage in the revision process?
- use shorter pieces and self generated topics
- "don't get too attached to your pieces!"
Hoping to see a change in student mindset around writing as Lucy get's implemented in elementary grades
What Do YOU Want to Know?
Pre Assessing the interest of students and the knowledge they have
- found lots of interest but not a lot of in depth knowledge
Survey to get at their common interests and how they like to work
Survey to assess the areas that wanted to work on, including content and work habits
Survey to assess the types of projects that they wanted to make
- not much interest in writing...
Needed to address student sense of identity to prepare them for going beyond their current world
- history of the town can help broaden their sense of self
- found lots of interest but not a lot of in depth knowledge
Survey to get at their common interests and how they like to work
Survey to assess the areas that wanted to work on, including content and work habits
Survey to assess the types of projects that they wanted to make
- not much interest in writing...
Needed to address student sense of identity to prepare them for going beyond their current world
- history of the town can help broaden their sense of self
Personalization in a 6th grade math class
Giving more voice, choice and personalization
How did this impact motivation and learning?
Surveyed students who would be coming into 6th grade
"I was looking for less talking and more hands on"
"I was looking to be able to work at my own pace"
"I was one of the smartest in my class and would get quickly bored"
"I hated blah, blah days. Spacing out and not listening"
How does this work when you have a program to implement?
Homework
Offers self selected options as well as an assignment for students who don't want to have to choose
Reflection on Work Habits - self reflect using a rubric and a written question section
Perhaps useful before student led conferences
How do you motivate students to work and keep pace when it's self directed?
These seem like self directed students
"I want to work with a partner so I had to keep moving"
"I don't need motivation because I want to do the work I'm choosing"
How did this impact motivation and learning?
Surveyed students who would be coming into 6th grade
"I was looking for less talking and more hands on"
"I was looking to be able to work at my own pace"
"I was one of the smartest in my class and would get quickly bored"
"I hated blah, blah days. Spacing out and not listening"
How does this work when you have a program to implement?
Homework
Offers self selected options as well as an assignment for students who don't want to have to choose
Reflection on Work Habits - self reflect using a rubric and a written question section
Perhaps useful before student led conferences
How do you motivate students to work and keep pace when it's self directed?
These seem like self directed students
"I want to work with a partner so I had to keep moving"
"I don't need motivation because I want to do the work I'm choosing"
Table Talk Day 5
Questions asked of me...
What is my purpose for this work?
What strategies will be rolled out to the students? What is the pace and what is the language that I will roll it out?
Listen to your body - identify what you need
"I don't know" is an ok answer but I need a thumbs up or down
We are conditioned to not listen to our bodies
Ideas for instruction
- non-fiction articles to get at the science
- people study of those that use mindfulness for success
Headspace
What is my purpose for this work?
What strategies will be rolled out to the students? What is the pace and what is the language that I will roll it out?
Listen to your body - identify what you need
"I don't know" is an ok answer but I need a thumbs up or down
We are conditioned to not listen to our bodies
Ideas for instruction
- non-fiction articles to get at the science
- people study of those that use mindfulness for success
Headspace
Tuesday, July 18, 2017
Negotiated Curriculum
I'm choosing to highlight this conversation that I had with a staff member because of this unique name put to a topic that is not entirely new. Providing students with some academic choice, especially around project based learning, is something that I have tried to do in my classroom for years. My understanding of this idea of negotiated curriculum is giving students say in where this mindfulness planning goes. At first I was explaining how I was going to provide the list of techniques for students to draw from for mindfulness times. I was asked about how I could include students' current wonderings and knowledge? How could they help drive what is taught based on what they know and express the need for?
This use of current student knowledge can be a connection to the diverse experiences that students bring to class from their families. What do families already do that could be used in class? What conversations and language do families have already in place that could be connected to the learning in class? How can family needs be connected to the planning for this work?
This use of current student knowledge can be a connection to the diverse experiences that students bring to class from their families. What do families already do that could be used in class? What conversations and language do families have already in place that could be connected to the learning in class? How can family needs be connected to the planning for this work?
Thursday, June 29, 2017
MGI 2017 Reflection Day 4
Day Four at the Institute
To quote the good ol' Grateful Dead, "Once in a while you get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right!" After the Team Meeting I found myself feeling like I had learned from talking and sharing with my partner. I realize I am quick to take on something, only to find myself at some point later falling short of my vision that I started with. Out of fear? Lack of commitment? Because I took on something else interesting? I stop before taking the new task to a higher level. How does that relate to this project this year? Last year I fell short of being able to present my project in January. Sure there were lots of factors...but how can I do things differently this year? With the project and with my personal life? No answers at this point. Is that realization enough as a starting point?
Another "getting shown the light" time happened soon after that "a ha" this morning. I started talking with a teacher who works in the same SU. We spent a good deal of time processing the year and talking about what went down in our respective schools, celebrations and challenges. Eventually the conversation turned to our project ideas, and when I mentioned mindfulness she lit up! She said she has been intentionally doing that for several years in her classroom. I began asking lots of questions and summarize here:
- Yoga For Classrooms - This card deck has a large number and variety of mindfulness meets yoga activities. She swears by it!
- How does she build this intentional practice in? Morning Meeting. After recess. I see it happening after our snack and movement break.
- Sounds like we had a similar year with the dispositions of our students. What to do with the disengaged? They can desk rest or do another quiet mindful task
- Mindfulness in her classroom can be doodling, drawing, writing. That was refreshing and helps me understand the importance I realized yesterday that I need to let the students design this curriculum with me!
- Are other students distracting you? Ignore them and remind the others that is why we are practicing this! To be able to focus amidst the distractions!
- Books for resources! - Taming Your Dragons and other anxiety and stress reduction books for children
1:15 Workshop
I decided I needed some hands on time in the Maker Space so I went to Lucie's workshop. I had to take my foot out of my mouth first after yesterday when I shared out that I hated Maker Space stuff. That was surely me showing off my discomfort with the idea of working with such tools. It also was evidence of my fear in that I have no idea how to incorporate something like this into my classroom. Luckily at my school we have a whole room with a teacher dedicated to this kind of enrichment. But I realize after this session that Maker Materials, like technology or science, needs to be integrated and not a stand alone event. Well, this is not in the near future for me perhaps, but I see the need to meet the variety of learners in my classroom. Students with a variety of interests and means of expression of their knowledge should have this access. Students come from a diversity of backgrounds and learn in countless ways, so giving them access to makes sense, it's now a question of where to start. Lucie advocated strongly for having the "Makey Makey" kits if you had to start someplace!
Afternoon Work Session
I found yet another sweet nook to work in. It was quiet for most of the time...I feel I made good progress on my Research Plan. I decided to leave the reading and rationale part for now and really hash out a calendar of implementation. I feel very different from previous years in that I feel I have so many ideas of lessons and tools to implement for this plan. I didn't want to put all of it in September for fear of overload. I made a conscious decision to use some newer resources and instruction earlier, and then include the resources that I have used in the past later in the semester. I decided to do that because if I force myself to do the instruction that is new to me first, I feel that I will be more accountable to my plan.
Take a look at the Research Plan
To quote the good ol' Grateful Dead, "Once in a while you get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right!" After the Team Meeting I found myself feeling like I had learned from talking and sharing with my partner. I realize I am quick to take on something, only to find myself at some point later falling short of my vision that I started with. Out of fear? Lack of commitment? Because I took on something else interesting? I stop before taking the new task to a higher level. How does that relate to this project this year? Last year I fell short of being able to present my project in January. Sure there were lots of factors...but how can I do things differently this year? With the project and with my personal life? No answers at this point. Is that realization enough as a starting point?
Another "getting shown the light" time happened soon after that "a ha" this morning. I started talking with a teacher who works in the same SU. We spent a good deal of time processing the year and talking about what went down in our respective schools, celebrations and challenges. Eventually the conversation turned to our project ideas, and when I mentioned mindfulness she lit up! She said she has been intentionally doing that for several years in her classroom. I began asking lots of questions and summarize here:
- Yoga For Classrooms - This card deck has a large number and variety of mindfulness meets yoga activities. She swears by it!
- How does she build this intentional practice in? Morning Meeting. After recess. I see it happening after our snack and movement break.
- Sounds like we had a similar year with the dispositions of our students. What to do with the disengaged? They can desk rest or do another quiet mindful task
- Mindfulness in her classroom can be doodling, drawing, writing. That was refreshing and helps me understand the importance I realized yesterday that I need to let the students design this curriculum with me!
- Are other students distracting you? Ignore them and remind the others that is why we are practicing this! To be able to focus amidst the distractions!
- Books for resources! - Taming Your Dragons and other anxiety and stress reduction books for children
1:15 Workshop
I decided I needed some hands on time in the Maker Space so I went to Lucie's workshop. I had to take my foot out of my mouth first after yesterday when I shared out that I hated Maker Space stuff. That was surely me showing off my discomfort with the idea of working with such tools. It also was evidence of my fear in that I have no idea how to incorporate something like this into my classroom. Luckily at my school we have a whole room with a teacher dedicated to this kind of enrichment. But I realize after this session that Maker Materials, like technology or science, needs to be integrated and not a stand alone event. Well, this is not in the near future for me perhaps, but I see the need to meet the variety of learners in my classroom. Students with a variety of interests and means of expression of their knowledge should have this access. Students come from a diversity of backgrounds and learn in countless ways, so giving them access to makes sense, it's now a question of where to start. Lucie advocated strongly for having the "Makey Makey" kits if you had to start someplace!
Afternoon Work Session
I found yet another sweet nook to work in. It was quiet for most of the time...I feel I made good progress on my Research Plan. I decided to leave the reading and rationale part for now and really hash out a calendar of implementation. I feel very different from previous years in that I feel I have so many ideas of lessons and tools to implement for this plan. I didn't want to put all of it in September for fear of overload. I made a conscious decision to use some newer resources and instruction earlier, and then include the resources that I have used in the past later in the semester. I decided to do that because if I force myself to do the instruction that is new to me first, I feel that I will be more accountable to my plan.
Take a look at the Research Plan
Wednesday, June 28, 2017
MGI 2017 Day 3
Starting to feel the pressure a bit of getting some serious reading done. Looking forward to more student consults as yesterday really gave me some ideas about implementation of mindfulness in the classroom. Here we go...
Morning Work Session
I'm glad to have bookmarked articles from a module that I wanted to read. I feel that they supported my thinking about why I wanted to go in this direction with my research. It feels more comfortable to have dabbled in this previous years, and encouraging to think that I am going to be more intentional about it this Fall. I have written several paragraphs of the rationale and need to move into the Mindfulness module soon...student conferring is first.
Student Conferring
Kind of a different session... I think I went in looking for some specific answers from the students and I didn't get it. I am thinking that was information enough in the end! I was hoping to hear what those students had been taught about mindfulness and what tools they had to use when the need arose. One student talked about guided sessions, while the others didn't have much to add. That leads me to think that perhaps they hadn't been taught. More justification for my plan...?
I found it interesting that the students did have something to add about what they wanted. Breathing times, music being played by the teacher, listening to music of their own choice, a break table with relaxing options.
Short Conversation with Pete
We planned time for a quick chat. Hadn't shared my plan with him yet. I shared the evolution of my plan from mindfulness and resiliency towards my current plan of intentional mindfulness. I have been thinking of doing lots of direct instruction of techniques hoping that it would help them create a menu of options for use as needed. He came at me with the idea of starting the "unit" by asking the students to generate questions that would ultimately lead THEM to designing their own set of tools. I made this visual:
Lunch
No, this is not about the food. The usual "Where do I sit" feeling hits right after I filled my plate. I headed to a familiar face from the Team and got to meet another person. That seems to be the theme here and what keeps me coming back. The unexpected conversations you have that help add clarity. This time it was not just for me, but for helping others find clarity. We got on the mindfulness theme and I shared my idea, and it was so interesting to hear what the others had to say. I am thinking of mindfulness for my age group as a way to bring the energy down. That is still engagement, right? One of the other people was taking the stance that mindfulness was to CREATE energy. To help students look deeper at themselves. In the end...that's kind of the same thing?
1:15 Workshop - Using Digital Media with Pete
mediatools.vt.weebly.com
Path of creation - give many roles
What are you trying to say...
Storyboard...
Media...
Music...
Creation...
Edit...
I tend to gravitate towards video workshops. I have done a bit in my classes. I have done more using digital tools for students to create screencast videos that explain learning. How will I include video making next year? Can I branch away from familiar tools and go towards full video? Could they be creating video about their mindfulness tools and practice?
Project Status
I'm feeling in a good place about my project. I have a concise question to research and I'm believing that there is a concrete space for it next year in my curriculum. My teammates are on board, and we have made time in our day for this explicit instruction. I have been wading through the brain research readings, adding them to my rationale. I need to get moving towards the mindfulness work, using both the module and the presentation that was shared with me today (Thanks Life). Here's a link to the project plan
Take a look if you wish...
Morning Work Session
I'm glad to have bookmarked articles from a module that I wanted to read. I feel that they supported my thinking about why I wanted to go in this direction with my research. It feels more comfortable to have dabbled in this previous years, and encouraging to think that I am going to be more intentional about it this Fall. I have written several paragraphs of the rationale and need to move into the Mindfulness module soon...student conferring is first.
Student Conferring
Kind of a different session... I think I went in looking for some specific answers from the students and I didn't get it. I am thinking that was information enough in the end! I was hoping to hear what those students had been taught about mindfulness and what tools they had to use when the need arose. One student talked about guided sessions, while the others didn't have much to add. That leads me to think that perhaps they hadn't been taught. More justification for my plan...?
I found it interesting that the students did have something to add about what they wanted. Breathing times, music being played by the teacher, listening to music of their own choice, a break table with relaxing options.
Short Conversation with Pete
We planned time for a quick chat. Hadn't shared my plan with him yet. I shared the evolution of my plan from mindfulness and resiliency towards my current plan of intentional mindfulness. I have been thinking of doing lots of direct instruction of techniques hoping that it would help them create a menu of options for use as needed. He came at me with the idea of starting the "unit" by asking the students to generate questions that would ultimately lead THEM to designing their own set of tools. I made this visual:
Lunch
No, this is not about the food. The usual "Where do I sit" feeling hits right after I filled my plate. I headed to a familiar face from the Team and got to meet another person. That seems to be the theme here and what keeps me coming back. The unexpected conversations you have that help add clarity. This time it was not just for me, but for helping others find clarity. We got on the mindfulness theme and I shared my idea, and it was so interesting to hear what the others had to say. I am thinking of mindfulness for my age group as a way to bring the energy down. That is still engagement, right? One of the other people was taking the stance that mindfulness was to CREATE energy. To help students look deeper at themselves. In the end...that's kind of the same thing?
1:15 Workshop - Using Digital Media with Pete
mediatools.vt.weebly.com
Path of creation - give many roles
What are you trying to say...
Storyboard...
Media...
Music...
Creation...
Edit...
I tend to gravitate towards video workshops. I have done a bit in my classes. I have done more using digital tools for students to create screencast videos that explain learning. How will I include video making next year? Can I branch away from familiar tools and go towards full video? Could they be creating video about their mindfulness tools and practice?
Project Status
I'm feeling in a good place about my project. I have a concise question to research and I'm believing that there is a concrete space for it next year in my curriculum. My teammates are on board, and we have made time in our day for this explicit instruction. I have been wading through the brain research readings, adding them to my rationale. I need to get moving towards the mindfulness work, using both the module and the presentation that was shared with me today (Thanks Life). Here's a link to the project plan
Take a look if you wish...
Tuesday, June 27, 2017
MGI 17 Day Two
Town Meeting/Team Meeting
As I continue day 2 of thinking about this mindfulness and resiliency idea, I am happy that my existing structure in my classroom includes Morning Meeting. I have a personal love of music, and I have enjoyed the way each morning starts with music. I need to do more music in my classroom. As I ease students into the idea that mindfulness is not meditation (why do kids feel the need to get in the meditation pose?), music seems like a great way to start the process.
Growth Mindset Post from last year - I'm including this so I have the notes on Growth Mindset but I still really want to identify and focus on the word Resiliency. Ok, so now at the end of the day this has changed. I have addressed this at the end of this post!
Student Chat
I met with 3 students, Tulasha, Skylar, and Cameron about how mindfulness and growth mindset happened in their schools. Some highlights:
Resources they mentioned: Second Step, Mind Yeti, Class Dojo - I have used Mind Yeti though my class was more fond of GoNoodle which has a mindfulness channel
Sitting or lying down for mindfulness was most common. Music was used in some of the cases. I joked about how my students seem to have to get in a meditation pose, and only one of them joked about it, the others said their classmates don't do that.
One student talked about the benefit of music during assessments - that seems like a good extension to cue relaxation.
I asked them if they felt that it helped them or if they had even been given surveys or done writing about it. They said they hadn't. That led me to telling them that I was going to have to do that, so what should I ask?
Does it help you stay focused? Relaxed? Sleepy? Calm?
I need to do some survey creation later this week
I asked them if they used Mindfulness strategies when they felt frustrated about work or friends. They said they did not.
I asked them what they knew about Growth Mindset. I got the response that I had been expecting since it is so commonly used in schools. They had the answers about it but not the interest and enthusiasm about it helping them through stuck points.
Sooo...does that support my idea of using resiliency? They didn't even know what it meant!
I think that connecting mindfulness strategies to their social and academic world would be a good next step since it seems they hadn't internalized that.
1:15 Strand Session - What Young Adolescents Need Most
Nancy started with having us recall specific memories from Middle School - all but one of us shared social interactions and social stressors
There is no such thing as a 12 year old...meaning the growth and development is so drastically different and incredibly asynchronous
The importance of building relationships
Article from Session - Listening to the voices of young adolescents
- don't single us out
- get to know how I learn and how I want to present what I know
- not ready to think of others and the greater community yet
- create trust and safety for us
- hands on learning
I feel that my work in Elementary School has me understanding this idea of meeting students where they are and building relationships very well. I take great pride in my ability to build relationships with children and their families and meet their individual needs. I realize there are big differences in where the students are developmentally, but I was struck by how the voices of the students in the article match what I strive to do in my class.
Closing Team Meeting
The Table Talk really helped me narrow my thinking for my Action Research. I was thinking big as I usually do when it comes to these things, and combining two big topics. I was thinking that I would teach mindfulness strategies in an effort to increase the "menu" of tools students could use to refocus. I was then thinking of connecting that to resiliency, in hopes that mindfulness activities could be used to help a student be more resilient. Thanks again, Life, for helping me narrow my focus to one topic that can be researched. I have now changed my question to be how mindfulness can improve student engagement. I hope to connect it to the Growth Mindset work I do, but it won't be included in the research.
As I continue day 2 of thinking about this mindfulness and resiliency idea, I am happy that my existing structure in my classroom includes Morning Meeting. I have a personal love of music, and I have enjoyed the way each morning starts with music. I need to do more music in my classroom. As I ease students into the idea that mindfulness is not meditation (why do kids feel the need to get in the meditation pose?), music seems like a great way to start the process.
Growth Mindset Post from last year - I'm including this so I have the notes on Growth Mindset but I still really want to identify and focus on the word Resiliency. Ok, so now at the end of the day this has changed. I have addressed this at the end of this post!
Student Chat
I met with 3 students, Tulasha, Skylar, and Cameron about how mindfulness and growth mindset happened in their schools. Some highlights:
Resources they mentioned: Second Step, Mind Yeti, Class Dojo - I have used Mind Yeti though my class was more fond of GoNoodle which has a mindfulness channel
Sitting or lying down for mindfulness was most common. Music was used in some of the cases. I joked about how my students seem to have to get in a meditation pose, and only one of them joked about it, the others said their classmates don't do that.
One student talked about the benefit of music during assessments - that seems like a good extension to cue relaxation.
I asked them if they felt that it helped them or if they had even been given surveys or done writing about it. They said they hadn't. That led me to telling them that I was going to have to do that, so what should I ask?
Does it help you stay focused? Relaxed? Sleepy? Calm?
I need to do some survey creation later this week
I asked them if they used Mindfulness strategies when they felt frustrated about work or friends. They said they did not.
I asked them what they knew about Growth Mindset. I got the response that I had been expecting since it is so commonly used in schools. They had the answers about it but not the interest and enthusiasm about it helping them through stuck points.
Sooo...does that support my idea of using resiliency? They didn't even know what it meant!
I think that connecting mindfulness strategies to their social and academic world would be a good next step since it seems they hadn't internalized that.
1:15 Strand Session - What Young Adolescents Need Most
Nancy started with having us recall specific memories from Middle School - all but one of us shared social interactions and social stressors
There is no such thing as a 12 year old...meaning the growth and development is so drastically different and incredibly asynchronous
The importance of building relationships
Article from Session - Listening to the voices of young adolescents
- don't single us out
- get to know how I learn and how I want to present what I know
- not ready to think of others and the greater community yet
- create trust and safety for us
- hands on learning
I feel that my work in Elementary School has me understanding this idea of meeting students where they are and building relationships very well. I take great pride in my ability to build relationships with children and their families and meet their individual needs. I realize there are big differences in where the students are developmentally, but I was struck by how the voices of the students in the article match what I strive to do in my class.
Closing Team Meeting
The Table Talk really helped me narrow my thinking for my Action Research. I was thinking big as I usually do when it comes to these things, and combining two big topics. I was thinking that I would teach mindfulness strategies in an effort to increase the "menu" of tools students could use to refocus. I was then thinking of connecting that to resiliency, in hopes that mindfulness activities could be used to help a student be more resilient. Thanks again, Life, for helping me narrow my focus to one topic that can be researched. I have now changed my question to be how mindfulness can improve student engagement. I hope to connect it to the Growth Mindset work I do, but it won't be included in the research.
Monday, June 26, 2017
MGI 17 Day 1
It's nice to be local this year, although it has a different feel than the "college-like" institutes of the previous years where I was staying in the dorms. It will be nice to have my own bed! I look forward to continuing the connections that have evolved over the past few years.
My strand this year is Nature and Needs of the Young Adolescent. I chose this one because of the Vision work we did as a evolving Team this spring. Having come out of a very difficult year with a large number of socially and emotionally needy students, I brought up to my teaching partners that we put in our Vision/Philosophy to explicitly teach movement, mindfulness, and resiliency strategies. So much of the work I did last school year was in managing that aspect of my students, even more than the academic content. I successfully brought intentional movement into the classroom, but bringing students down in preparation for learning proved more difficult. I tried a number of resources, some I learned about at the MGI share out in January, but with a lack of structure, plan and approach. I found that it is easy to get children moving, but how best to get them mentally and physically ready remains a challenge. I had a large number of students who were new to my classroom, which was different for me in a multi-age classroom. The amount of social anxiety was large, and these situations often interrupted learning. As a result of the challenging year I had, I have decided on this strand and want to focus on investigating the effect of intentional teaching of mindfulness and growth mindset on children's ability to move through uncomfortable learning situations, both socially and academically.
I started my thinking here at MGI by visiting the Brain Based Learning module and quickly found these articles:
Brain Science 1 - Tweens' brains are just that, in between with too little control over what they get to do in their lives. Teach them about brain science and give them some control!
Brain Science Article 2 - this was the article linked in the module but it quickly took me to the two others. This is the science. The vocabulary that identifies the regions and what they do.
Brain Science 3 - this article gives a number of interesting strategies for keeping the brains of students ready
I can see making a map of the brain and labeling...
I can see creating flowcharts that show the path of information - where could it go? Where do you want it to go?
I can see pushing the idea that the brain is malleable - like a car we can style it out! What will we make your brain look like?
This is not my first time getting into this concept, and I do look forward tomorrow to doing more reading and starting to hash out a timeline of how to teach this. Then next step is to find out more about how to build flexibility and resiliency.
My strand this year is Nature and Needs of the Young Adolescent. I chose this one because of the Vision work we did as a evolving Team this spring. Having come out of a very difficult year with a large number of socially and emotionally needy students, I brought up to my teaching partners that we put in our Vision/Philosophy to explicitly teach movement, mindfulness, and resiliency strategies. So much of the work I did last school year was in managing that aspect of my students, even more than the academic content. I successfully brought intentional movement into the classroom, but bringing students down in preparation for learning proved more difficult. I tried a number of resources, some I learned about at the MGI share out in January, but with a lack of structure, plan and approach. I found that it is easy to get children moving, but how best to get them mentally and physically ready remains a challenge. I had a large number of students who were new to my classroom, which was different for me in a multi-age classroom. The amount of social anxiety was large, and these situations often interrupted learning. As a result of the challenging year I had, I have decided on this strand and want to focus on investigating the effect of intentional teaching of mindfulness and growth mindset on children's ability to move through uncomfortable learning situations, both socially and academically.
I started my thinking here at MGI by visiting the Brain Based Learning module and quickly found these articles:
Brain Science 1 - Tweens' brains are just that, in between with too little control over what they get to do in their lives. Teach them about brain science and give them some control!
Brain Science Article 2 - this was the article linked in the module but it quickly took me to the two others. This is the science. The vocabulary that identifies the regions and what they do.
Brain Science 3 - this article gives a number of interesting strategies for keeping the brains of students ready
I can see making a map of the brain and labeling...
I can see creating flowcharts that show the path of information - where could it go? Where do you want it to go?
I can see pushing the idea that the brain is malleable - like a car we can style it out! What will we make your brain look like?
This is not my first time getting into this concept, and I do look forward tomorrow to doing more reading and starting to hash out a timeline of how to teach this. Then next step is to find out more about how to build flexibility and resiliency.
Saturday, January 7, 2017
Mindfulness Matters - Winter MGI Conference Session 1
In an attempt to find something that may be immediately useful in my current teaching with my current class, I have passed over the PLP session and ended up here.
Secular Mindfulness - not attached to religion and religious practices?
Mind Full vs Mindful!
Mindful Schools - http://www.mindfulschools.org/
Create Space! Stop and Breathe!
Emotional Traffic Jam!
Calm.com
Students reported they liked the guided mindfulness better than self directed.
Do it a min or so at the end of each class to assist with the transition
Secular Mindfulness - not attached to religion and religious practices?
Mind Full vs Mindful!
Mindful Schools - http://www.mindfulschools.org/
Create Space! Stop and Breathe!
Emotional Traffic Jam!
Calm.com
Students reported they liked the guided mindfulness better than self directed.
Do it a min or so at the end of each class to assist with the transition
Monday, July 11, 2016
Growth Mindset and Goal Setting
Growth Mindset and Goal Setting Presentation
Slides 22-26. While the whole presentation has some amazing content for why we take on goal setting, which I plan to use as early as summer school, I found the reflection slides useful. The prompts of how to get students started, key elements, and a benchmark example. This kind of visual example is better learning for me and I plan on using it with students.
Slides 22-26. While the whole presentation has some amazing content for why we take on goal setting, which I plan to use as early as summer school, I found the reflection slides useful. The prompts of how to get students started, key elements, and a benchmark example. This kind of visual example is better learning for me and I plan on using it with students.
Thursday, June 30, 2016
Readings Links and Ideas
Self-awareness plays a critical role in improved learning because it helps students become more efficient at focusing on what they still need to learn. The ability to think about one's thinking increases with age. Research shows that most growth of metacognitive ability happens between ages 12 and 15(PDF, 199KB). When teachers cultivate students' abilities to reflect on, monitor, and evaluate their learning strategies, young people become more self-reliant, flexible, and productive. Students improve their capacity to weigh choices and evaluate options, particularly when answers are not obvious. When students have difficulty understanding, they rely on reflective strategies to recognize their difficulties and attempt to rectify them. Improving metacognitive strategies related to students' schoolwork also provides young people with tools to reflect and grow in their emotional and social lives.
7 Strategies That Improve Metacognition
1. Teach students how their brains are wired for growth.
The beliefs that students adopt about learning and their own brains will affect their performance. Research shows that when students develop a growth mindset vs. a fixed mindset, they are more likely to engage in reflective thinking about how they learn and grow. Teaching kids about the science of metacognition can be an empowering tool, helping students to understand how they can literally grow their own brains.
2. Give students practice recognizing what they don't understand.
The act of being confused and identifying one's lack of understanding is an important part of developing self-awareness. Take time at the end of a challenging class to ask, "What was most confusing about the material we explored today?" This not only jumpstarts metacognitive processing, but also creates a classroom culture that acknowledges confusion as an integral part of learning.
3. Provide opportunities to reflect on coursework.
Higher-order thinking skills are fostered as students learn to recognize their own cognitive growth. Questions that help this process might include:
4. Have students keep learning journals.
One way to help students monitor their own thinking is through the use of personal learning journals. Assign weekly questions that help students reflect on how rather than what they learned. Questions might include:
Encourage creative expression through whatever journal formats work best for learners, including mind maps, blogs, wikis, diaries, lists, e-tools, etc.
Reflection Link to article
- comment on why specific samples were selected or
- comment on what they liked and did not like in the samples or
- comment on or identify the processes involved in developing specific products or performances or
- describe and point to examples of how specific skills or knowledge improved (or did not) or
- identify strengths and weaknesses in samples of work or
- set goals for themselves corresponding to the strengths and weaknesses or
- identify strategies for reaching those goals or
- assess their past and current self-efficacy for a task or skill or
- complete a checklist or survey about their work or
- some combination of the aboveReflection sheets
Selection questions/prompts
- Why did you select this piece?
- Why should this sample be included in your portfolio?
- How does this sample meet the criteria for selection for your portfolio?
- I chose this piece because ....
Growth questions/prompts
- What are the strengths of this work? Weaknesses?
- What would you work on more if you had additional time?
- How has your ______ (e.g., writing) changed since last year?
- What do you know about ______ (e.g., the scientific method) that you did not know at the beginning of the year (or semester, etc.)?
- Looking at (or thinking about) an earlier piece of similar work, how does this new piece of work compare? How is it better or worse? Where can you see progress or improvement?
- How did you get "stuck" working on this task? How did you get "unstuck"?
- One skill I could not perform very well but now I can is ....
- From reviewing this piece I learned ....
Goal-setting questions/prompts
- What is one thing you can improve upon in this piece?
- What is a realistic goal for the end of the quarter (semester, year)?
- What is one way you will try to improve your ____ (e.g., writing)?
- One thing I still need to work on is ....
- I will work toward my goal by ....
Evaluation questions/prompts
- If you were a teacher and grading your work, what grade would you give it and why?
- Using the appropriate rubric, give yourself a score and justify it with specific traits from the rubric.
- What do you like or not like about this piece of work?
- I like this piece of work because ....
Effort questions/prompts
- How much time did you spend on this product/performance?
- The work would have been better if I had spent more time on ....
- I am pleased that I put significant effort into ....
Overall portfolio questions/prompts
- What would you like your _____ (e.g., parents) to know about or see in your portfolio?
- What does the portfolio as a whole reveal about you as a learner (writer, thinker, etc.)?
- A feature of this portfolio I particularly like is ....
- In this portfolio I see evidence of ....
Other reflection methodsIn addition to reflection sheets, teachers have devised a myriad of means of inducing reflection from students and others about the collection of work included in the portfolio. For example, those engaging in reflection can
- write a letter to a specific audience about the story the portfolio communicates
- write a "biography" of a piece of work tracing its development and the learning that resulted
- write periodic journal entries about the progress of the portfolio
- compose an imaginary new "chapter" that picks up where the story of the portfolio leaves off
Goal Setting Session
Blogging on a regular basis to keep track of progress on work towards goals then the formal PLP reflection
Goals need to be about the process and continuous improvement, NOT achieving a specific thing that they either make or don't, and that they may not have enough control over to make it happen.
Team Summit 802>PLP link
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Student Conversation About PLPs #2
I had another great opportunity to chat with four students about their PLPs this morning. This was very telling once again for me to get the authentic student input to balance out the theory we get in class. Once again the vibe from several of the students was that their PLP process was missing the opportunity for putting in their authentic creativity. I heard them say that the success of their PLPs was impacted by the amount of time they had to work on them and the investment of their teachers in sticking to the process. One of the students who shared their work had a great deal of success in creating their own individualized PLP. What I take away from this is:
- provide ample time for students to write and add evidence
- stick with it as a teacher! Don't let the time on the calendar disappear
- allow student creativity and individualizing
- listen to the students! They have ideas about what they want to do and how they want to do it. You need their investment and their energy around this
- it's the process of the work and not the finished product that matters most
- provide ample time for students to write and add evidence
- stick with it as a teacher! Don't let the time on the calendar disappear
- allow student creativity and individualizing
- listen to the students! They have ideas about what they want to do and how they want to do it. You need their investment and their energy around this
- it's the process of the work and not the finished product that matters most
Designing PLPs Module Session
It was helpful to have an introduction to the PLP legislation which I had not read before. Here is a quote from the State Doc that I found particularly interesting:
While the requirement for PLPs applies to grades 7 through 12, Act 77 also makes it clear that the Legislature believes that “personalized learning and personalized instructional approaches are critical to students in kindergarten through grade 6 as well.” It is also clear that the Legislature has placed the emphasis not on the plan as documentation, but on the planning process. The definition of PLP includes “documentation of an evolving plan developed on behalf of a student in an ongoing process involving a secondary student, a representative of the school, and, if the student is a minor, the student’s parents or legal guardian and updated at least annually by November 30 … ”.
I chose this to pull out of the document because I like the way it addresses the lower grades. That is support for me and my work as I think that the earlier this work starts the better off the students will be when the stakes get higher. It has also helped me think of how this is reducing the divide between Elementary and Middle levels in our building.
It's not about what the PLP will look like but always keeping in mind what it is for! This quote from the session is meaningful as I get more clarity about the work I want students doing. I'm moving away from the format and the idea that it is a portfolio process, and learning to keep in mind the important work that thinking about your thinking is.
Keep in mind the 3 key pieces of the PLP puzzle...About Me, Goals, Reflection
Transferable Skills get covered with authentic activities
I did not have intentional sharing of goals with families last year. Nor did I encourage conversation with parents and their children to the extent that it could have happened. The fact that sharing PLPs with parents is in the law...it needs to be a bigger part of my relationships with parents not just for the law but for increasing individualized teaching.
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Student Conference about PLPs
Very refreshing to have a conversation with two students about their PLPs. I had to laugh as they both started with not liking them...they get in the way of us getting to do other things! Well, that is not surprising I guess as schools roll out new ways of doing things. What I did take away from this part was that it could be better to integrate PLPs into other blocks at first instead of making a set time when students feel like they are losing other time (to do homework and chat!)
Another highlight was the way they wanted to have more creative say in what their PLP looked like. Makes sense if we are asking for personal thinking then they should have the chance to be personal! Provide an expected set of parts to include, like happened here, and let students have some say in making it their own. Seems like that might have helped with these students.
A complaint they both had was that during the roll out of the PLP, they were asked "What do you want to be when you grow up?" That was the leading question to inspire what they wanted to study. They both said this was very overwhelming for them. They said just ask us what we were interested in and wanted to learn more about. Good advice.
For my purpose this week though I heard them say that teachers needed to make sure that they allowed more time for the reflection and collection of evidence. Also, make it more consistent as they found long gaps of time between goal setting and documenting their work. So much so that they forgot what they were working on! Neither of them seemed very concerned about the platform they were asked to use - good to know as I can think about the work of improving reflection and not the format.
Another highlight was the way they wanted to have more creative say in what their PLP looked like. Makes sense if we are asking for personal thinking then they should have the chance to be personal! Provide an expected set of parts to include, like happened here, and let students have some say in making it their own. Seems like that might have helped with these students.
A complaint they both had was that during the roll out of the PLP, they were asked "What do you want to be when you grow up?" That was the leading question to inspire what they wanted to study. They both said this was very overwhelming for them. They said just ask us what we were interested in and wanted to learn more about. Good advice.
For my purpose this week though I heard them say that teachers needed to make sure that they allowed more time for the reflection and collection of evidence. Also, make it more consistent as they found long gaps of time between goal setting and documenting their work. So much so that they forgot what they were working on! Neither of them seemed very concerned about the platform they were asked to use - good to know as I can think about the work of improving reflection and not the format.
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