Student Led Learning
Well, I'm finally putting my two cents in on our blog.
Hi, I'm the other writer of these blog posts. Here is my first of my many contributing blog posts.
.
For two years now we have been doing our own version of Genius Hour. (I call it Passion Projects and Mindy calls hers G60). This is because the original idea from Google allowed their employees one hour (60 minutes) a week to focus their time on a topic of interest, helping the company in someway.
Let me start by saying this is one of my favorite things to do with my students and one of their favorite memories of the entire year!
We start with something they are motivated to learn more about, anything that drives them, that interests them. It's an amazing thing to see them light up when they get to CHOOSE what they want to learn about - it's so motivating for me and the students. After all, don't we all like taking time to learn more about those things that truly interest us? Why should young children be any different? Aren't we, as educators, meant to continue to foster this love of learning and curiosity? Well, I have found our Passion Projects do that and more.
Here's what they look like in our room:
1. Students chose a teacher approved topic. We often need to refine the size of the topic as to not get overwhelmed with the amount of information students can find.
2. Students then take notes (something that helps to have taught prior to the research- just my personal experience)
3. Students work to prepare a presentation of the information they have learned. This too is as individual as each student. It can be helpful to create a rubric to monitor their progress through the entire project.
Our student created projects have incorporated QR codes, iMovie trailers, hand crafted "models" of their topic, traditional posters, demonstrations and many more, but all have included a verbal presentation/explanation as well. Yes this is all done in 1st/2nd grade. You too can do this- just take that first step and watch how things start to roll.
4. Final presentation/sharing of the new knowledge they learn. We invite our parents to come see the presentations if possible or share them on our portfolio night.
Does this take time and energy?- sure it does. But the learning, excitement and amazing presentation that come out of this make it well worth any extra effort, time and chaos that may occur.
I have links below to a few of the sites we use for our research. We also use as our local AEA online site and don't forget about books from our school and local libraries. Our school librarian has been a great asset and is so willing to help gather books on the topics we are pursuing.
Links for safer searching:
http://www.safesearchkids.com
http://kidtopia.info
http://www.kidrex.org
We would LOVE to hear of any other kid safe search engines you use as this can be one of the trickiest parts of putting technology in the hands of our students.
As a side note, we have also created our own sites for some projects we do in our rooms by gathering information for the students and then sending them to those teacher created safe sites for their learning. This is a lot of work for the teacher but can help calm any fears of students ending up on the wrong site. Sounds like another future blog post.
I have typically done my Passion Projects at the end of the year but am planning to use it through out the school year as the 2015-16 approaches. I have BIG plans with some new technology- look for that post to come soon!
As crazy as Passion Projects can be, you can make it work with whatever organizational style you already have in your room and did I mention the long lasting benefits and intrinsic learning are unbelievable? Not only will your students remember this project and what they have learned but parents will be AMAZED at the excitement for learning and student products that come from this!
Let the Mayhem begin!!!!!!
-Lynn
#leadwithtaillights
#provethemwrong
#indeed
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Change the Way You Teach Using Proficiency Scales
I've never been one to be satisfied. But I'm not really one of those 'grass is always greener' people either. The truth is I've just always known that I could do better. Be better. Try harder. Be more.
My time at All Saints Catholic School has given me the opportunity to pursue so many professional development goals. I've been allowed to be creative with my teaching, to be a risk-taker, to fail, to reflect, and to try again. But nothing changed the way I teach more than being part of a leadership team that focused on Competency Based Education based on this book.
To move towards a more competency based classroom, we took a hard look at the Iowa Common Core and began to focus on prioritizing our standards. As a first and second grade team, we decided on the standards that we thought were most important to us and to our students. This doesn't mean that we don't teach all the standards, it only means that we have chosen standards that we think require the most of our time and effort. These standards became the driving force for our instruction for the school year. The remainder of the standards still received our attention but with less emphasis.
The next step was to create a proficiency scale for each of these prioritized standards. A proficiency scale shows the steps, describers, and student behaviors observed on the road to proficiency based on a scoring scale of 1-4. A score of one refers to students who still need assistance ranging to a score of four--exceeding expectations. The proficiency scales that we created are unique to our team and to our teaching needs. Other proficiency scales you find might look different and have different score ranges.
As we started to use the scales, we realized how relevant they were to our teaching. The scales described exactly where the students were without second guessing ourselves or allowing our emotions to get in the way, for example, "But Johnny works so hard and is so on task, I'm going to give him a B instead of a C." A proficiency scale gave us a defined expectation that our team agreed upon and was the same, regardless of which classroom the student was in. Our expectations were the same. Every minute of our instruction was focused and purposeful (Using this amazing website as a resource.). Our formative and summative assessments were written to ask questions that got to the meat of the proficiency. (Check out these brilliant folks for first and second grade assessments and 'I can' statements.) I also started to share the proficiency scales with parents. They were able to see where the student was and what they needed to do to achieve proficiency.
But, not being satisfied, we realized that even our non-priority standards needed to have a proficiency scale. So we created those as well. Oh, wait and checklists to help keep track of the 'I can' statements.
But even then, there's more to explain.
As we looked at the standards, we realized that the big picture for our first and second graders was really about place value and problem solving. We started to group proficiencies together because with one we had to have the other. You will notice that these scales are grouped by a competency, or 'umbrella,' and have more than one standard attached. Some of these standards were used as 'building blocks' at the beginning of the year and lead to, what we felt, was the goal by the end of the year. What you see below is the final product.
I can't take all the credit for this work. Our principal and school board supported this work and gave us time to complete the task. Our Grant Wood AEA consultant, Jeremiah, helped us understand math so much more, did all of the recording and creating of this data while we spun 'round and 'round, and made us laugh while we did it. And the other part of the 'we' is one of my teammates and fellow bloggers, Lynn, who has been at my side, in the trenches, the whole way. We are so very proud of this work and hope it helps you get started on something we believe is great. Better. MORE.
First Grade Math
Second Grade Math
Be the change,
Mindy
#leadwithtaillights
My time at All Saints Catholic School has given me the opportunity to pursue so many professional development goals. I've been allowed to be creative with my teaching, to be a risk-taker, to fail, to reflect, and to try again. But nothing changed the way I teach more than being part of a leadership team that focused on Competency Based Education based on this book.
To move towards a more competency based classroom, we took a hard look at the Iowa Common Core and began to focus on prioritizing our standards. As a first and second grade team, we decided on the standards that we thought were most important to us and to our students. This doesn't mean that we don't teach all the standards, it only means that we have chosen standards that we think require the most of our time and effort. These standards became the driving force for our instruction for the school year. The remainder of the standards still received our attention but with less emphasis.
The next step was to create a proficiency scale for each of these prioritized standards. A proficiency scale shows the steps, describers, and student behaviors observed on the road to proficiency based on a scoring scale of 1-4. A score of one refers to students who still need assistance ranging to a score of four--exceeding expectations. The proficiency scales that we created are unique to our team and to our teaching needs. Other proficiency scales you find might look different and have different score ranges.
As we started to use the scales, we realized how relevant they were to our teaching. The scales described exactly where the students were without second guessing ourselves or allowing our emotions to get in the way, for example, "But Johnny works so hard and is so on task, I'm going to give him a B instead of a C." A proficiency scale gave us a defined expectation that our team agreed upon and was the same, regardless of which classroom the student was in. Our expectations were the same. Every minute of our instruction was focused and purposeful (Using this amazing website as a resource.). Our formative and summative assessments were written to ask questions that got to the meat of the proficiency. (Check out these brilliant folks for first and second grade assessments and 'I can' statements.) I also started to share the proficiency scales with parents. They were able to see where the student was and what they needed to do to achieve proficiency.
But, not being satisfied, we realized that even our non-priority standards needed to have a proficiency scale. So we created those as well. Oh, wait and checklists to help keep track of the 'I can' statements.
But even then, there's more to explain.
As we looked at the standards, we realized that the big picture for our first and second graders was really about place value and problem solving. We started to group proficiencies together because with one we had to have the other. You will notice that these scales are grouped by a competency, or 'umbrella,' and have more than one standard attached. Some of these standards were used as 'building blocks' at the beginning of the year and lead to, what we felt, was the goal by the end of the year. What you see below is the final product.
I can't take all the credit for this work. Our principal and school board supported this work and gave us time to complete the task. Our Grant Wood AEA consultant, Jeremiah, helped us understand math so much more, did all of the recording and creating of this data while we spun 'round and 'round, and made us laugh while we did it. And the other part of the 'we' is one of my teammates and fellow bloggers, Lynn, who has been at my side, in the trenches, the whole way. We are so very proud of this work and hope it helps you get started on something we believe is great. Better. MORE.
First Grade Math
Second Grade Math
Be the change,
Mindy
#leadwithtaillights
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