I started writing this blog post and then I hit save and thought I would finish it later.
So now is 'later'. I was talking to two other teachers about technology and here I am back on the blog finishing 'that' post I had started a few weeks back. So.... Originally we were talking about how we use technology and how technology is or isn't supported. The idea of one to one devices, shared devices, purpose of other peripherals, printers and on and on. We have come so far from when technology - or rather how to use technology had to be 'taught' in a lab and was not connected to the day-to-day learning. To be honest that situation was not that long ago but was certainly not in the 'school life-time' of my Grade 5 students. When technology becomes seamless as a functioning feature in the learning within the classroom it is powerful. We all have the horror lessons when 'it won't load' or 'it doesn't work' but when it does work and it is seamless it is one of those moments when you mentally go 'Yep.. this is all good!' Students expect technology to be part of their learning the same ways as it is part of their life. The question that still comes to mind is the fact that despite the occasional 'it won't load', and frustratingly slow internet. "Why are we still talking about integration of technology as if it is new?" I am not saying that technology isn't changing; the new gagets, apps, software and hardware are constantly changing. Will teachers ever 'know everything'? I hope not! But then teachers are not supposed to know everything. But technology is here to stay and those who embrace it as a tool to support teaching and learning will move forward with their students, in the 21st century (we are 17 years in now!) We need an environment of open-minded thinkers who are willing to look at technology as a tool to enhance learning opportunities. An environment where technology is a tool to enhance or enable or support learning, where people are all actively up-skilling themselves, inquiring into the what and how; working with students to find solutions, to be creative and to take opportunities to build understanding and consolidate knowledge. Before we know it we will be half way through the 21st century . . . so embrace the technology and work with students . . . technology integration in life is not new for our students, they were only born 11 years ago. Their parents use cell phones, digital cameras, they talk on Skype and Face-time, they use Facebook or email and they probably have bluetooth in their car and apple TV for Netflix.... and who knows what else! You have 'tec-sperts' in the room ... work with them! If you don't know who they are - Find Out! I spoke to a student recently who asked me what seemed like a simple question,
'What do you think about?' I didn't have an answer, I stopped and looked at him. Not sure how to answer him. I said, 'I think about lots of things, I think about the past, present and future; I think about my family and my work, my students, the list is so long; I think all the time." He looked at me, with wide wide eyes and said, "I knew you thought about us." I smiled and said 'Yes, I think about all of you." He nodded and smiled. end of conversation. The power of questions. That student doesn't know but his simple question has floated around in my head a lot since or conversation " What do you think about?' We have those internal conversations ... the ones where we are trying to make sense of a situation, to reason pro's and con's; to justify decisions, or just to make choices. Conversations that no one else hears but that drive us to think constantly. "What do you think about... really think about?' I started to think more about the question, did I miss what he was really getting at? Maybe he was asking what my interests or passions were? Maybe what current affairs interest me? maybe it was simply a question that was looking for reassurance that students were part of my 'thinking'. So what do we think about? What do you think about? By encouraging students to ask questions they provoke thinking and discussion, for themselves, each other and teachers. The more questions we ask the more opportunity we create to make connections, build links and foster a culture of wondering and inquiry. The next level really is when our students are asking the questions, driving learning and taking opportunities to find out, develop understanding and share knowledge through conversation, debate and discussion. This is the point where students feel safe, empowered and are engaged as learners. This is the point where teachers can engage with students, facilitating learning and provoking thought by asking questions, challenging ideas by sharing different perspectives and developing the understanding that learning is not 'done'. Often the end point is another question. " .... what do you think about?" How do we measure what happens in our classrooms?
We evaluate, assess, annotate and observe. We plan and create and discuss. We focus on learning and teaching and more learning. Last week, during an in-house PD (thanks @whatedsaid ) we were looking at our practices and were identifying if what we were doing inspired or enhanced learning for students. So do we inspire or enhance learning? I guess simply put the engagement worked 'cause it has made me think. To explain further... I am still thinking about this question! For me, learning is the centre point of what I do and this is underpinned by relationships. For me functioning healthy relationships with student require some 'tough times' but are, for the most part, a series of interesting conversations where we challenge each others thinking and have robust discussions. Where we both have responsibilities that centre around learning. So do I plan engagements that are inspiring? Do I say inspiring things? Is it even up to me to provide the inspiration? After all, will what I find inspiring be the same thing that will set the 'trigger' of something inspirational for another person or student? How can you know? Do you need to know? Ultimately developing a varied, balanced learning space that provides opportunities and choice and accepts ideas that excite my students is going to be the 'inspiration' - a teacher who see possibilities as a positive and sees learning as the centre of what we do. Is the fact that you think about learning as being inspirational enough? That you have the desire to create opportunities for possible interactions or experiences that may be inspirational. Is that, how, as teachers we 'inspire'? Maybe the fact that I am still questioning and thinking is demonstrating that there isn't an easy answer, but does there need to be an 'easy answer'? The enhancing of learning, on the surface seems to be quite easy. There were lots of examples of learning interactions and engagements that could clearly 'enhance' learning. However the more I think about it, the more I question this as well. If to enhance is to make learning 'better' to enable students to 'do more', to 'improve' or to develop thinking, to take learning further, then ultimately, doesn't that mean that the student is invested in their learning, they have been 'inspired' to take the 'enhanced' learning opportunity and inquire further? For now my thinking is to 'Inspire' and 'Enhance' means to be engaging, be open to possibilities, create a balanced, interesting learning environment where students have, choice, responsibility, can take risks, reflect, set goals and 'grow'. So... Inspire or Enhance ?? Creating opportunities to engage parent and students with a focus on learning is exciting for me. I love to see students sharing their learning, thinking and talking about their choices, what they understand and how they feel they can improve.
Watching parents come into the class to talk about learning and to ask there children questions is exciting. Looking at the students who really shine, the ones who are shy, speaking two or three different languages simultaneously as they communicate with parents. Inspiring me ... giving me the opportunity to see them in situations where they are really leading reflection of their learning and standing there ready to help if they need it but standing back and be an observer - what an honour. We are only six weeks into school and already our Grade 5 students have had so many different learning engagements and experiences; one student said to me 'Ms O - I really loved that Open House happened - it was like being free to fly through our world holding my parents hands' and another quipped 'I think my parents were happy - they were smiling - and that is always a good thing!' Definitely a window into the world of school and home and learning but most of all what a great opportunity to build relationships and conversations around learning that are student driven, focused and managed. Six weeks til 3 Way Conference . . . It is amazing how exciting this time of year is for me. Back to school I love the fact that we start with high expectations and embrace the possibilities for the year to come. Reflecting on the learning opportunities, discovering new things, making connections and uncovering the learning story of our students as we build relationships based on caring, trust and communication is the starting point for the year to come. Meeting and creating teaching teams. As we spend the first few days with out colleagues discussing school initiatives, spaces, budgets, changes and expectations the positive feeling is almost physical, the energy is electric, this is an exciting time. Next week our students will arrive. We are planning to spend time getting to know them, building relationships with them, learning how to communicate with those who have little English, ensuring each one of them feels welcome, and safe and that they belong. This is their final year in primary or elementary school, they come with big plans, ideas, hopes and expectations but they also come with fear, nerves and insecurities . . . it is ok so do their teachers. We are in this together, we will build a community together because we care, we have shared goals and that is what we are about. These students all have parents who will also have big plans, worries and hopes for their children as well. We take time to meet with our parents before school begins, not to tell them what we are going to do, but to sit and listen to them as they tell us about their child. As they talk about their strengths and areas that they worry about, the things they hope for. A window into their world, this is their child, and as teachers we are trusted with their child for the next year. So as we plan and prepare and wait; we need to remember that this class is a class of students who are all on individual learning journeys but who all have a hopes, dreams and worries that make them who they are. Together we will become a community, because together we are more and we are stronger. Questions, really good questions are crucial for learning. When students demonstrate curiosity their ability to really connect with texts, learning engagements and conversations is heightened. A curious learner asks questions, not always questions that need answers but questions. A teacher who responds with passion and curiosity allows the culture of inquiry to build in the classroom. Inquiry is so much more that a word, more than a chart on the wall, we don't 'do inquiry'. We engage in thinking and ask questions and find out something to ask more questions. We use authentic connected texts, resources and take time to reflect and connect. It is exciting. I love it. My students energise me and I hope my love of learning and the connected relationships with in the class helps to energise them. Students who understand that learning is not something someone does to you but something you do for yourself are empowered to take ownership for their own learning. Goal setting and looking forward need to be supported by the teacher but are largely driven by students recognising that there is a next step for them. Teaching is really an amazing opportunity to work with people. To collaborate with colleagues who are across the desk, down the hall or across the world. To learn and grow with others who are also trying to build positives in children, to encourage their creativity and curiosity, encouraging them to build inquiring mindsets that see the world as full of possibilities. When I look across the room full of students chatting and reading and writing and taking photos or video and drawing and building, I feel a sense of wonder that I have the job to facilitate the learning of these children. Their learning looks and sounds very different to the classrooms I sat in as a child and I am glad. I am not saying what I had was bad it was just different. The teachers who worked with me, no doubt were doing their best, times change and so does the way we teach. Children are still learning to read and write, to add and multiply, to learn and to think and to respond, it is just different. I love that my students notice my mistakes, that they question things that are said, they look for resources to support their learning. Student action can be so incredibly inspiring or it can slip past with no attention at all.
The challenge as a teacher is multifold. Should I know about student action? Should a student tell me about it? Should someone else be informing me? Should we expect a student to take action? Should students do 'it' independently? Should it make a difference? Lots of 'shoulds' but in the end; Is it about the teacher or the student? The IBPYP Making the PYP Happen (pg25) says: "An explicit expectation of the PYP is that successful inquiry will lead to responsible action, initiated by the student as a result of the learning process. This action will extend the student’s learning, or it may have a wider social impact. . ." It is always an interesting conversation when the concept of action is raised. I think that action is about student ownership of learning, it is taking the knowing and understanding and going further with it, for themselves, because it interests them, they are curious or have a natural connection to the learning. If engaging students is providing opportunities for them to connect, see possibilities, have choice and voice then the next step of really empowering students needs to link closely with purpose and ownership to enable a deep connection and on going learning. As a teacher I get excited when students share their thinking and the connections they make to their 'school based learning' and their 'home or outside based learning' and when the two facets of learning connect then it really is very satisfying, the challenge is giving students space and time to be able to take their learning to a new place. The challenge now for me is to create learning spaces and engagements that inspire thinking and encourage students to be empowered to take their learning further, to see the connections themselves and to make them work for them as they continue to learn and grow. At a team planning meeting this week I walked away feeling inspired. I can't ask for more than that!
The purpose of the meeting was to identify students who need academic monitoring. It could have been a 'create a list' and downward spiral of 'symptoms' type of discussion, instead it was a positive, energetic and uplifting with ideas, possibilities and solutions for all our students. I am lucky to work with an inspiring team of teachers who hold students at the front of their thinking, we have moved from certain students to all students. I am excited! We are looking at our student data to identify growth and development. What progress have they made from the data we collect? We know our students, we work with them all day every day, some have identified areas of concern but they all have educational needs. This is a start but we need and want more! It is not ok to say 'Oh X is fine, or Y is doing well' we need to dig deeper. We don't want to catch ourselves saying 'Fine, OK, Doing Well, Good' we want to KNOW how they are progressing, really KNOW. What evidence do we have that shows they are really progressing at the rate we expect? What are we doing with the data we have? Do we have the right Data? How can we use data to build programs and learning opportunities that will support each student to make progress and continue to learn, regardless of their 'level'. The evidence we need about our students is right in front of us, but the difficulty is often in slowing down and looking. I am not just talking about data being numbers from tests, far from it. What do we know about each student. What are their challenges? What worries them? What are they hoping will happen this year? What do they want to tell you? We are all busy, no one has enough time, teachers all say they are time poor! We could stay on that merry-go-around as long as we liked and nothing would change. We have decided to 'dig deeper' look for ways to connect, take 2 minutes with an 'extra' student, ask questions, look for opportunities to document more and reflect on what we know so we can plan for ways to really support, inspire and encourage each of our students as if they were our only student! It won't be easy, but that doesn't mean we won't try. Vacation time is always approached in different ways; there is the mad scramble to get everything 'checked off' the list, jobs done, bags packed, papers completed, 'stuff' sorted, taking time to check in that all members of the vacation team (my family) are ready and that everyone knows the time the taxi is booked to take us to the airport, no chance of misunderstandings - yes mild chaos! The lead up to holidays is always busy and filled with thoughts of 'why are we traveling'. I know I should be excited but I am a last minute organiser when it comes to travel. I like it like that, not being booked in advance means I have the option to change my mind at the last minute - and I do (change my mind)! The fact that I am going on holidays really only hits me in the departure lounge of said airport - I sit back with a smile, I have papers, money and my family we are ready to take on this adventure. I love traveling with my family, creating stories and adventure, never really knowing what the trip will hold, but knowing one thing for sure the trip will be a chance to connect as a family sharing experiences and opportunities. This holiday we met with friends who share 3 moments from their day as a reflection and appreciation during their dinner in the evenings. Our Mr.14 thought this was a great idea and has carried it on though our trip (even though we do at night time talk about something in our day we are grateful for ... this, he said was different.) I am amazed how quickly the appreciated moments went from the 'big or cool' events in the day, to moments that made us smile or laugh or grateful in a day. This has got me thinking . . . How can I use this idea as a powerful reflection with my students in class each day? Can I use 5 minutes at the end of the day for them to record 3 or 2 or even 1 moment on their day that they enjoyed, or were grateful for? Would it help? How could it benefit them? Well if in three weeks it can make a difference to my family I am guessing it can make a difference to my other family in school as well. As we start back to school tomorrow I will be modelling this strategy as a way to take 5 minutes to reflect and be grateful for small things. When I first starting teaching in an IBPYP school I was both excited and a little wary of my ability to 'perform' to the expectations. It wasn't long before I realised that everyone else was also on a journey and that actually my thinking and teaching pedagogies were 'inquiry based' already. That was just the beginning of an exciting adventure that changes and develops more each day. Lets fast forward 8 years . . .
I am a a teacher who works with students, I don't have 'the answers', I don't want 'the answers'. The longer I teach the more I understand that the journey I am on is one that will never have 'an answer' but will be filled with questions, wonderings and possibilities and that energises my thinking. If I think about the impact of having time to connect our thinking and learn and understand over time, one short story about a student in my class has made me think about how we make connections to take learning further. I have a girl in my class who was new to learning English, she was quiet and quiet understandably has been reluctant to engage on a whole class level unless she was 100% sure she was 100% correct. This is completely normal and as to be expected. We always say students show us in their own way when they are ready for the next step. So, a few weeks back she started asking questions, then she started initiating discussions with peers, all that was great and made me smile to see her development. Then last week when we were planning the final assembly for the semester with the students, they were brainstorming ideas to be more interactive with the school as well as how to give an 'overview' of our learning. Needless to say we were going around and around, when out of nowhere our newly confident Ms X says ' I think we should explain the big ideas while some students build a model on the stage so that everyone can understand what is going on'. The excitement that that one statement generated was tangible in the room, the other 36 students ran with it and came up with a great presentation, when Ms X says ' what about making connections?' We asked 'Can you explain more?' She said 'when I was in Grade 2 we learnt about what is good for eating for your body and in Grade 3 we learnt about food security and they connect.' We said 'Did you understand about nutrition in Grade 2 - you were new to learning English?' She said, 'No I didn't really understand what was going on but I could see what was happening' I said 'So how could we connect that to assembly.' Her response was simple ' I could say . . . "Can you make any connections between our learning and yours? We wonder what learning connections we will make next semester….. " Students when given time and space they need to learn make the connections. I wonder what connections we will make next semester as well. How do you value the connections you have with those you work with? The experience of working with teams of teachers is empowering for me, it challenges me to think about my teaching everyday. I am inspired by conversations in the coffee line, by enthusiastic recounts over lunch and even by the tired face I walk out the door with in the late afternoons.
As teachers we have the opportunity to constantly reflect and add value to the learning experiences of both our students and our colleagues - if we choose to. I am also discovering a whole new network of 'virtual' colleagues, educators from all over the world who are energised, interested and interesting, who inspire me to 'drop-in' on @twitter chats and to take conversations further. This new #PLN is growing and changing and I am continue to be amazed at the possibilities. So why did I name this post 'Get your game on...?' because that is exactly what the energy of enthusiastic educators does. It encourages us to have our head in the game, to challenge our thinking, to muse over new and challenging ideas, makes us open to possibilities and thinking. We have the amazing opportunity to connect with people we may never meet as well as those who are in the next room or building. Why does this matter? It matters because students matter. When teachers are talking and thinking about student learning. About students making progress not just focusing on their grades but about the progress they have made over a period of time. About the fact that teachers can impact change, they can make a difference then it is a celebration for students, for teachers and for learning. So 'Get your game on . . .' there is lots of play left for all of us. I had a great conversation with a some students earlier in this crazy busy week - about perfection.
If I am honest I was happy I had made the time to sit on the seat outside the class to connect and chat with them, but I seriously had so much work to do I was trying to keep the 'to do' list away from my 'front thinking' while I engaged with my delightful 8-9 year olds. The joy in their voices about being risk takers, and trying to learn was inspiring. One of the students said ' If I was perfect it would mean I can't get any better . . . but I want to keep getting better . . . so I am happy - I don't ever want to be perfect.' That single comment has been playing in my head like a track of a song, going round and round. Firstly, what a great self image this student has, a believe and a drive to want to continue to grow and improve - not to want to reach for perfect but to look for more than that. Her friends were less articulate but were open to the same thinking and expressed the idea that 'perfect' was not necessary. Secondly, I now challenge myself to think in the same way, I have a small stickie note on my laptop that says 'no need to be perfect', just a small reminder that it is ok to do the best I can and to be balanced. Sometimes allowing or giving ourselves permission is actually liberating, making yourself an agent of change. Most importantly it has me thinking about how I can build on this attitude and utilise the positive energy about learning, progress and improvement to impact the wider group of students in my Grade 3 class. We are currently inquiring into the idea that messages are created to target specific audiences with a focus on advertising, media and persuasion. So it is a perfect chance to create a provocation to start the students talking, thinking and questioning. I am quite excited about the possibilities . . . I have: - borrowed books - starting with literature and asking groups to discuss the concept of 'perfection' in the stories - created a puzzle of pieces for students to respond in a brainstorm to questions about being perfect - the question wall is ready to go . . . now I need students to fill it with questions - set up some small short videos for a viewing station to tune students into perfect verses not perfect and finally the entry pass for the morning is to answer the question on the board before they come into class. "Is being perfect important? Why? or Why not?" I know I have students who will say YES and others who will say NO but that is what makes this exciting, challenging thinking and maybe just maybe it will make a difference for one of my students, it has already made a difference to me. I saw this message printed on the side of a box that was let outside my classroom. It was there for a few days and every time I walked out the door I found myself smiling as I read the side of the box. I started to think about that phrase, 'Open a World of Possible' . . .
Then I had to take a photo, not sure what I was going to do with the image, but as it was playing in my head so that was enough reason to take a photograph! If I applied that simple idea to my students and their learning what could happen? My approach to student learning is individualised and I have to have a really good reason to stop self initiated learning ideas. This gives students ownership to drive their learning but comes with responsibilities and the expectation that they will set goals, have a clear purpose, reflect on learning and can demonstrate understanding through making connections and reflecting. So yes my thinking is already about making 'learning possible' but there more that I could be doing so now I need to open that question to a wider audience. So today I am going to ask the question . . . 'How can we open a world of possible?' Well it is the time of the semester when deadlines are set and people start talking about not having time and how busy they are.
The 'R' word is mentioned with either a groan or a number of how many are done or have to be done. Over my years of teaching in many different settings I have experienced the same thing. It makes me think . . . WHY? As teachers we are reflecting on the learning of our students, celebrating their achievements, big and small. Giving messages to parents about their child. The little people they worry about, they anxiously wonder if their child is doing ok; sometimes holding their breath, waiting for 'news'. No report should hold surprises, parents should be well informed,but still there are nervous moments before the report is read. Lets stop for a minute. Lets think about the report. We plan, we teach, we assess, we talk to each student, we give feedback, we feedforward for students to set goals and the improve their learning and understanding. The natural progression is that we report to parents. So what is that causes the stress? Is it the format? What are reporting on? Are we really giving a message that talks about each student and the achievements they have made? Reports are not a surprise. We know now we will be writing reports in June, and again next November/December. For me, talking about my students is something I love! Thinking about what they have achieved, the confidence they have when they share their thinking, or the way they respond when they answer questions and share their thinking. Remembering the goals they have achieved and how they have built one achievement on top of another. Thinking about the smile of satisfaction when they realise they finally understand something that has required them to think, practise, research, ask and think! Thinking of report writing as an opportunity to celebrate each student and their individual achievements as a message to the people who wait eagerly at home - wondering - are they doing ok? I would love to say to the parents of my students . . . "Of course they are, 'cause if not you and I would have had many conversations before now. I care about you child. I spend hours with them everyday. If there is a problem, know I worry about your child, I think about them day and night. I love their little conversations, I keep their little drawings and messages. There is NO way the first time you will hear about a problem is when you open the big yellow envelope, the one that sums up the last 5 months of school your child. Parents please know I am in this WITH you for YOUR child, the report celebrates where your child is at, but please remember you child is so much more than letters, numbers and words. Celebrate learning, celebrate understanding and keep the journey going. Reporting is a great opportunity to CELEBRATE. Through inquiry we make sense of the world we live in. Through inquiry we get our students thinking more of the time. We talk less, students ask more questions, relationships are vital and we use challenging and authentic resources to support inquiries. Thinking about reading brings me to my thinking. In a conversation with a colleague, a comment was made 'I don't have time to let them "just read" - if I don't have a reason for it then there just much time.' Well this got me thinking, in fact I made no comment at the time but I keep going back to the comment in my mind. If we are value reading, encouraging reading and challenging students to read then how can we not place value on the time we give students to read. Reading for pleasure is not wrong! we want students to enjoy reading, to engage with a text for the sheer pleasure of reading the book. I know it is a time juggling game in every class. 'How do we balance time for reading with everything else?' If the learning outcome is to improve the ability to read then students need to read, and if not with pleasure I challenge why? To improve at most things you need practise as well as support, advice and more practise. So while we teach reading using challenging authentic texts that connect to inquiry and give content and context we also need to value the time given for students to read. One group of Grade 3's told me yesterday just being able to read is the best part of the day 'cause in this class reading is important! Naturally I thought this was great so I wanted to know more. When I asked what they meant by 'just being able to read' they explained that having time to read the books they liked helped them. So being me I challenged that further . . . The first student said 'well I like reading fact books and when we can read on our own I learn so much about the things that interest me, and I can share that with my family and friends and maybe it will connect to other things in the class, and if not I can just read more to find out more.' The second student said ' I am a slow reader because I imagine pictures in my head and create the setting and I make the voices what I think the character sounds like while I read. I imagine all sorts of things and sometimes I need the dictionary or thesaurus so I can understand the words but that is great cause I use the words later when I am writing. It helps me to make my own stories when I write.' Finally the last boy said ' well I like the graphic novels and magazines, I like to draw and I love the pictures, for me reading is cool, I see the way they make the characters talk and I try to make books and stories like that myself. I really have to look at the pictures to know what is happening and I know that if they don't have the details in the image then the story doesn't work. I have books like this at home and some from the library, but we have cool ones in class - oh and I love sharing reading with my friends - we get really excited and sometimes we 'play' the stories later - you know outside.' I need no more justification (not that I was looking for any) to let my students read, read for pleasure the books they want to read. My challenge is now making sure that I take the time to have the conversations about what they read and why, if they want to share with me. At the same time we will continue to read authentic relevant connected text as we inquire our way through Grade 3, but with more confidence and belief in ourselves as readers who have a voice and are connected to reading. Reflecting and trying to move forward with approaches to teaching, being aware of student needs and meeting the program requirements in a way that is balanced and dynamic is something that I challenge myself with continually. Today I watched a video on youtube that was a timely reminder that teacher attitudes, expectations and classroom management are are closely linked. "Dear Teacher ... " I wonder what my students would say to me . . . ? Do you ever wonder that? Not all our students are the same, we know that. They don't all have the same needs, we get that. We know need to individualise and support students to see that we will give them what they need and will support them in their learning. Fair or equal doesn't mean the same for all, I get that. I know these things and I believe these to be true. I work to build a supportive classroom culture as much as I can. I work to build positive relationships with my students AND their parents. BUT is there more? How can I make a difference that is going to inspire, encourage and challenge my students. The challenge is time to listen to each individual. The challenge is to ensure each voice is heard and each need is met. There are so many challenges and they are constantly changing but that is the AMAZING part of being a teacher. The joy you get when a child smiles, or the student who never responds asks a question or answers one. The student who sits at the back starts to move closer to see what is happening because somehow today you have managed to make them curious, interested and not worried about what others think. All these challenges are what keeps me loving being a teacher. The funny moments when a student makes you giggle, the huge smile when they 'get it' now, the tears of frustration cause they really want to 'get it' and they are not quite there - YET. I am reflecting on the student voice in this video . . . How do we empower our students to have a voice? How to I respond? Often there are no words needed. Being aware of each student, not just their learning - but knowing them, thinking about them as people, working out what works for them - today . . . have empathy, demonstrate understanding. Be THAT teacher. Create a safe environment to empower students to share ideas and thoughts; to follow their passion, to demonstrate understanding and to feel they are valued. Sometimes we have a great experience that we really can't explain the way we want to. What made it so great? Trying to explain makes it sound less than it was but you just want to explain anyway. Not being one to shy away from a challenge I am going to try to explain regardless! As you know I teach a Grade 3 class in an IBPYP school with a fantastically diverse group of students. My ongoing challenge is making sure I connect with each student. I try to build relationships with students that are based on them as a person, this takes time and effort but everything I believe about learning and growth comes back to relationships. Taking time to ask questions about their new something, being available before school for a conversation or even just a 'Hello, how are you?' has a huge impact on the students and on me. (No statistical data here - just my observations)! Knowing my students, learning how they think and what works for them empowers me as a teacher, differentiation on a personal level. This is not about 'liking' students it is about 'knowing' them. Building relationships and trust in the learning environment has growing benefits, supporting students to be risk takers, asking questions and sharing ideas that may or may not connect, providing an avenue for thinking outside the box. Connection to students and their learning build community, encouraging parent engagement is a challenge. Empowering students to invite parents into the learning space to show, share and talk when they have something to share, not just when we have scheduled meetings really takes collaboration to a new level. The spring board for conversation between a student and their parent and the teacher is unlimited. This takes a level of risk taking from the teacher as well. As a teacher I have to demonstrate what I encourage students to be and do. It means accepting that it is a process of learning, we don't have to 'be ready' for parents, we can share at any point through the process. It means having confidence in my students that their passion and connection with their parents will encourage ongoing parent engagement in their child's learning. Having a growth mindset means that we are open to possibilities and opportunities, that we can fail and learn from the failure, that learning doesn't end it is an ongoing process that challenges us to think and build understanding. I am empowered by my students everyday, their wonderings and questions, connected or not, come in conversations that happen inside and out of the classroom, my challenge is prioritising my time and thinking so that those conversations happen. Great conversation happen when you least expect it. After the success of our 3WC this week I started thinking about the next item to be added to my think about it list and it led me to the topic of PYP assembly.
My Grade 3's cheered when we said "It is Grade 3 assembly in December" - ". . .Woo Hoo" Why? We, as teachers, sign up to 'host' assembly, we actively tried to choose a month that we could make connect with the classroom learning. In December we will be inquiring with a How we express ourselves focus, so December it was. At our school we have some general agreements about time and place and we are working on some of the physical elements of seating, stage and sound as well as procedures and they are evolving as a result of student action and inquiry. But I still wonder why students cheer? So the obvious thing was to ask them. Their responses were varied, however there were three main lines of response: 1. Our parents come to see us (Great a relevant and dedicated audience) 2. We decide what happens at assembly and can make it how we like it (Great student voice and control over what happens) 3. Other people in the school see us and know who we are (Back to relevant audience, coupled with a desire to be acknowledged). So now of course I am questioning what we are doing, once a year our class lead assembly, every month classes can and do sign up to be involved but there are many classes and students and only 30 minutes. Nothing unusual here but that the students can clearly see purpose and relevance for the experience. When I asked if they wanted assembly more often the majority of students said no! So I asked 'if you like sharing and having control and you like your parents to come why don' you want assembly more often?' the response was simple, you can only share some stuff - not what we are really doing. My reflective question is now . . . 'How do we create opportunities for students to have a relevant authentic audience where they have voice and control over events and provide an avenue for people to know who they are?' and ' . . . Should we?' YES! If we are engaging in purposeful inquiry that has relevance and meaning then it seems to me that the desire to want to share learning and responding to the learning of others connects naturally to what we are doing and makes logical sense, generally we are social beings. The challenge is looking for, or being open to, a range of possibilities, creating a culture of open discussion and reflection where opportunities to extend sharing to a wider audience become common place rather than an 'event'. We are lucky to have lots of collaborative meeting time so the next Grade 3 meeting discussion will be centred around this challenge. I work with an amazing team of educators who are open minded and creative so lets see where this takes us. I was in @twitter chat recently and noticed that lots of tweets were being made that made assessment seem like an 'extra' it is restricting pedagogy and then I decided I would ask some friends and fellow teachers what they thought. Well the words 'teaching and assessment' start teachers talking quicker than almost any other topic I can think of. Oh second to 'reports'!
Is it ok? Should it happen? What kind? For who? Is it just political? The questions and responses come flying thick and fast. Mostly with well argued thinking and justifications. It is really quite an amazing thing that there is so much passion connected to assessment. Passion that seems to evoke emotion and energy into why we should or shouldn't do it seems to me to be a wonderful thing. If the focus on assessment is on learning and identifying goals and opportunities to progress and extend thinking. I guess it comes down to purpose. As a teacher in an IBPYP school assessment is fluid and very much part of the inquiry pedagogy in my classes, checking for understanding, wanting students to improve, empowering students to take ownership of their learning, knowing what they know so they can move forward...what is wrong with any of that? I think the link between mindset and time management are very clear. When you see assessment as informing and supporting teaching and learning and not as something that is extra and takes more time then their is a shift that happens in classroom practice. Formative assessment in my mind is probably the single most helpful thing we as teachers can do with our students. It is not something new, great teachers have always done it, but for many it is a case of 'oh I do it when I have time'. What a missed opportunity. Knowing what my students are thinking and what they know, underpins the provocations and resources that we make available to facilitate inquiry, support understanding and encourage the connections that they make. When we check for understanding, we are doing so to ensure that students are successful, that students have an understanding of the concept. Formative assessments are for learning! By embracing formative assessment, teachers are aware of students through the whole learning engagement process. Formative assessment more accurately reflects student level competency of understanding. As a teacher, I do what I do. Every now again something happens that catches you by surprise. A student smiling at you when you don't expect it. A parent making a comment or being taken to tears when expressing their joy when listening to their child share their learning. We use 3WC's as a reporting tool, a component of our Reporting to Parents Policy that has been in place for the last 7 years. Each year my experience with students has been interesting and informative. This week we have 3 way Conferences (3WC). The last week leading up to it has been an amazing experience, busy, insanely busy but in a really positive way. Student energy in the rooms has been high, they are engaged, excited and a bit nervous about the prospect of having their parents come to school to talk 'just about me and my learning' The preparation was a wonderful inquiry into learning. Central Idea: Through REFLECTION we can create goals to target LEARNING Concepts: Function Perspective Reflection Using concepts to drive our inquiry was the natural progression when moving from thinking & reflecting to organisation. It is wonderful to see how excited the teaching team became when we had the opportunity to interact with students while they were identifying the learning in different things they wanted to use to support their conversations. Our students are very keen to talk about their work, show process and talk about how they can take their learning further. As one boys said 'I don't just want my parents to say 'good work' I want them to understand what I was thinking and then they might feed forward so I can keep learning.' I love the power of student voice. Looking forward to Wednesday . . . the next step forward. I work with some amazing educators, their open-minded attitude to current thinking is inspiring. The growth mind set in our PYP faculty is dynamic. The way we think and the way we approach teaching and learning opportunities reflects the mindset we have. Simply put - mindset is the way you think about things. The collection of thoughts and beliefs that shape your thought habits. Habits affect how you think, what you feel, and what you do. Your mind-set impacts how you make sense of the world, and how you make sense of you. In my mind it is about belief, if we believe that a student will succeed and we tell them that we believe in them, the difference in the attitude or mindset of the student is tangible. "In a growth mindset students understand that their talents and abilities can be developed through effort, good teaching and persistence." Dweck 2012 Once you have a growth mindset it becomes who you are, it is not a conscious thing. Look for the possibilities and expect to see continual change and grow with it. It is exciting! I have decided to embrace the world of Twitter olwen@notjustup2u Actually I signed up for Twitter a couple of years back but really didn't take the time to connect. It was one of those 'This looks interesting' moments that had no follow through. My PYP co-ordinator is a huge tweeter and was always talking about it so I finally decided to start exploring.
The realisation that I was a very small fish in a massive pond took me back to going from primary school to high school. That feeling of ' will I ever find my way' and 'every one else gets this - and I don't' struck home to me really quickly. I am an IBPYP teacher and am a huge advocate of inquiry based learning. So time came to step up and be an inquirer . . . learning never ends - I am now a few months into my active Twitter life and I am amazed at the opportunities for Professional Development, conversations across the world with like minded educators who challenge the boundaries and ask questions to encourage thought about what is possible. Having a PLN that is global is amazing. I find myself sitting in Vientiane, LaosPDR at 8.15am on Saturday morning taking to someone in Florida and Northern Canada about the possibilities for connecting learners in our respective schools. So coffee finished, chat finished and the weekend has just started, feeling inspired and connected, like I said 'Learning is contagious!' It is hard to believe we have been back at school for more than a month already. My intention was to blog regularly this year documenting the year as it unfolds. In our staff days before our students arrived we were asked to think of one focus word for the year and mine was DOCUMENTATION . . . so I my intent was to make this blog active and current.
Well the weeks had flown past and now as I sit and wonder about what to write I am feeling very blessed for the wonderful and talented team of teachers that I am working with this year. I am a passionate educator and having to privilege to work with other passionate educators fills me with excitement and wondering. So this is the first post of my new year, so lets see where this adventure goes.... So often we make assumptions that 'everybody' knows the meaning of a word, especially when we have all been using it for so long . . BUT most often they don't all have the same understanding!
Determine prior knowledge...yup we do that ... Check for understanding...yup we do that ... Record thinking . . . yup we do that . . . Do we all have the same understanding of what a word means . . . mmm But still some of our students will not have the same understanding as we do when we use words in the classroom. Same goes with our colleagues . . . the old saying of 'never assume' has never been so relevant particularly when our students come with such a diverse collection of personal experiences, languages and possible connections. So how do we ensure that we all have the same understanding of a word before we start attaching expectations connected to teaching and teaching and, at some stage possibly assessment to it. Develop a shared common definition or understanding. Taking time to develop a common understanding of what vocabulary we use and/or expect students to demonstrate is the first step. It must be explicit, if they know and understand then the next step is applying, using or doing. We can not expect students to do something if they don't understand what that is. Last week we did an inquiry into 'collaboration' after talking to a group of students who said said they didn't know how to explain what it was. So how do you create understanding and a common definition. Firstly we asked students to think about the word 'collaboration' and to record in some way what they thought it meant. We created a brainstorm with students to identify what we could do to find out. Then student chose a strategy that they were going to use to find out more, some interviewed others, some 'read-around-the-room' other checked dictionaries and some searched google images. The resulting conversations were amazing, students were clarifying and questioning and sharing information and eventually came up with a definition that they all agreed on, when one student said 'Actually collaboration is what we are doing now!' After long discussions about what action is, and what action isn't, with different teachers who all work in similar or the same PYP setting as me, I have come to some conclusions ... for now anyway! Action isn't always something big. Sometimes it is small, like changing how you think, or making subtle changes in behavior, or telling someone else something we've learned that we think is really important. Sometimes it is a bit bigger, like making a poster, or creating a survey to find out peoples opinions or arranging a bake sale to raise funds to help an identified cause. Of course there is always the action that is BIG, noticeable and WOW! The IB believes that a “successful inquiry will lead to responsible action, initiated by the students as a result of the learning process. This action will extend the student’s learning, or it may have a wider social impact, and will clearly look different within each age range.” Resource: Making the PYP Happen' There is a lot to think about in those two sentences. 'action should be initiated by the student' AND 'action should come as a result of the learning process' If action is a part of who we are and if we want to change the world we need to start with changing ourselves. But sometimes change can be hard. How do we make changes to the way we think, so we can help our students, to make changes to the way they think, so they can change the world? Personalising action and understanding that action is not a mandate from a teacher, is a mindset that our students develop when they have ownership of learning. Supporting students as they begin their journey to become 'agents of change' is what we strive to do in our classrooms everyday. Action can be powerful when students have motivation, knowledge, skills and understanding to undertake sustained challenges. Authentic action doesn't just happen, students need time, time to think, to imagine, to talk, to share, to create and to think some more. Does action have to be seen by a teacher for it to be valuable?... Does it need to directly connect to the unit of inquiry to be considered relevant? The challenge remains . . . How do we recognise student initiated action and understand the motivation that drives the student while at the same time acknowledge the connection to the learning process, without turning into a 'teacher pleasing' event. |
AuthorTeaching in an IBPYP school; interests: student agency, technology integration, growth mindset & the continuous cycle of improvement that is the world of education, learning and being! Archives
June 2018
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