Reimagining "School" for all learners

I'm reading about a new way to think about "school", here are some of my takeaways: 

Key question:

If we don't "Teach" it to the students how will they know they learned it?  And how will we know?

• Any change, such as this brings "excitement and momentum, mixed with discomfort and disequilibrium."
• Moving away from classrooms that function in isolation, and toward collective intentionality and a team committed to thinking and learning collaboratively within a shared framework.

What does it mean to developing intentionality:

• Type, condition and placement of furniture
• Values, roles, organization of materials
• Use of wall space
• Way aesthetics invite learning
• Ways we can share ownership

All furniture is evaluated based on condition, purpose and placement

Materials were questioned as to age and condition.  Looked at for potential for formal instruction and open-ended learning.

Careful selection of materials and placement of furniture supported creation of spaces within the classroom for:

• Publishing areas with writing utensils, book making supplies
• construction areas with block, moldings, ramps, pulleys, etc
• mini-ateliers with wire, clay, paint, sewing
• dramatic play areas full of costumes

Teachers and students work together to develop environments responding to interests, desires, expectations and possibilities.

Entryways to spaces are purposeful and reflect the students and teachers in the room.

Replacing of pre-made items with student generated materials.

Physical shifts are easy, conversations must be had to transition spaces from teacher-centered to child-centered, teaching to learning, every choice reflecting our values and our identity.

Shifts in time must also reflect these values:

• Minimize large group lessons and replace them with small group, collaborative and individual work.
• Differentiate for children
• Create time and space to analyze the BIG questions
• Balance formal instruction with inquiry
• Reinforce collaboration
• Develop strategies to encourage on-going projects
• Analyze standards in borader more informed ways
• Nurture interests and intrinsic motivation toward relevant meaningful work

Professional development must reflect these values.

Change is not always pervasive or linear.  Each teacher has the right to have space and encouragement to construct their own shift.

HOW we learn far outweighs WHAT we learn.

What we learn has to stretch far beyond memorization and google-able results.

A space where our learning Includes:

• Critical thinking
• Collaboration
• Communication
• Creativity
• Research
• Innovation

As children seek to answer their questions their autonomy, ownership, collaboration, and engagement increases.  Excitement momentum and accomplishment also grows.

Inquiry and projects are not separate from rigor or releveance but interwoven.

Challenge:  making this learning visible and making the process transparent

Does this sound amazing!?  

Exactly where I would want to work and what I want for every one of my students.  I think I work EXTREMELY HARD to make this space real for my students.  I teach middle school.  Did I mention that all the above descriptors were for a pre-school.  That makes it even more amazing.

Our school is investigating what is called the Reggio Emilia model for primary school students.  With all the latests and greatest research surrounding our earliest learners we are investigating what works best. (more research here: http://www.reaie.org.au/)

This investigation got me to thinking about the personalization we give every student in their learning.  Why can this model not only make for a great preschool, but for a great ANY school.

Here's an interview from a school right here in St. Louis: Maplewood

Background info:

Here's what we're reading: Article

Here's where we are going to visit: http://www.riverfield.org/

What if a High School modeled itself after this model?  What about a corporation?

Modern companies are working hard to make DESIGN be an essential part of the learning and collaboration of 21st century workplace.

Design with Intent: http://www.danlockton.com/dwi/Main_Page

Influence behavior through design: http://www.slideshare.net/makeramen/design-with-intent

Office Designs: http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/creative-modern-office-designs/

Collaborative Work spaces: http://design-milk.com/modern-coworking-weld-collaborative-work-studio-space/

I Pay My Students.

So what?  Who cares.  They do what they are suppose to do I pay them.  Just like my job, I do what I'm suppose to do and my bank account grows.  This is the same for my students.

I pay my students in the currency that matters for them.  Part of getting to know my students is determining what they value, what their "currency" is.  I seek to pay every kid in their currency.

For some students that's free time to play video games by letting them complete their practice in class.  For others it's one-on-one attention when they need it so their voice is heard.  Building a strong relationship with your students, knowing them as individuals allows me to pay them the way that matters to them.

As a part of our 2nd and 3rd year teacher professional development we are currently reading Robyn R. Jackson's book Never Work Harder Than Your Students.

As I am preparing for my meeting with them I though I would wrap up my top ideas from chapter 1.

Master Teacher Mindset:

• Having all the answers isn't as important as know what questions to ask
• Spend more time thinking about WHY the problem is occurring than trying to find solutions
• Effective teaching happens in a myriad of ways
• We all must be masters of our subject areas

Key Questions to consider:

• Do you have an image in your head of what a "good student" looks like?
• Are you able to see beyond the attitude and uncover their abilities?
• What classroom currencies are we accepting and what currencies are students spending?
• How are we teaching the language of the dominant culture, while also giving credit to the language of the students' culture?
• How can you establish a classroom culture where collectivism trumps individualism?

Concepts from the chapter:

• There is a currency in your classroom of intellectual and cultural proportion.
• Every student is navigating the waters of how to acquire, negotiate and trade currency in your classroom.
• If students ACT the way we expect or like, they are more likely to receive favorable treatment.
• Favorable treatment includes extra help, high expectations, and access to opportunities.
• Students that ACT the way we want them to are more likely to learn.
• Students have the currency to spend in the classroom but don't see the product as valuable.
• Students have different values than teachers that impact classroom behavior.
• Beliefs and values drive behavior.
• If you don't dress the part and talk the part, you lose street cred, regardless of the neighborhood you are in Southeast or Wall Street.
• Want to be rich in life? Speak the language of the dominant culture.
• Acquiring the language of the dominant culture allows students to become more "mobile."
• Teachers need to be master "code switchers" taking curriculum and adapting/translating it to students' lives.
• Students will not spend their own currencies if they do not believe that what they will get in return is valuable.
• If you want to reward students, do it in a way that they value.
• It's not the sticker that matters, it's the fact that you cared enough to give it to them and it's from you.

Dr. Sedlacek's eight non-cognitive characteristics that are predictive of academic success (in college):

1. Positive self-concept: The confidence that leads to the determination to succeed.
2. Realistic self-appraisal: The ability to accurately assess your own strengths and weaknesses and to use this assessment to further your own development.
3. Successful navigation of the system: Knowing how to access resources and how to use the system to help you achieve your goals.
4. Preference for long-term goals: Knowing how to set and achieve long-term goals, delay gratification, and persevere in spite of obstacles.
5. Availability of a strong support person: Finding someone to confer advice, particularly in times of crisis.
6. Leadership experience: Having the ability to organize and influence others.
7. Community involvement: Being involved in a community.
8. Knowledge acquired in and about a field: Having the explicit and implicit knowledge of a particular field of study.

Developing lessons throughout your year that works to build these 8 characteristics will benefit students past your grade level.

Conclusion

Every student looks at the agenda or learning goal and says:

1.  Is it important in my life to do well on this?

2.  Will it be fun/enjoyable to do well on it?

How are you paying your students?  Think about the currencies that students trade in your classroom and ask yourself, am I consistent with what the students value?

Whole chapter available here.

What we all can learn from Caine's Arcade

I saw a video today that just went viral. WARNING:  Inspiration will follow!

Okay, I cried!  Did you?

How often as teachers do we miss out on this opportunity because we have to meet the next objective or plan the next activity.  How often to we miss out on opportunities to change the lives of students?  How often do we not seek to inspire?

Seth Godin's amazing FREE ebook "Stop Stealing Dreams" asks us as educators to imagine a world we we can capitalize on students interests and passions and eliminate destroying them.

Dan Pink's book Drive and TED talk on motivation inspires us as teachers to create opportunities for students to increase the autonomy they have inside the walls of our school day.

I have been wrestling with personalized learning in my classroom.  I've been doing 20% time all year.

This video confirms that what I've been working on, When we as educators focus on the individual student.  When we are able AND WILLING to capitalize on the passion and interest of a student we can find our goals and objectives, we can find our curriculum, we can find more than just test answers but life-long skills.  The key to student learning is truly personalization.

I'm happy and excited for Caine, I'm more excited for my teachers and students that I can share this story with, maybe we can help create more opportunities for imagination, innovation, and creativity in our days ahead.

@stumpteacher Rocked My World!

I went into the profession to be the best teacher a student could have.

I've done pretty good through innovations in classroom management, data-based decisions, flip-teaching, and Standards-based grading.  I feel like I'm on the cutting edge of educational pedagogy.  Then Josh came along.

I interact often with Josh Stumpenhorst often via twitter.  I watch what he does from afar and support his efforts with questions, praise and support from 500+ miles away.  His blog post changed my thinking process and really ROCKED my world.

First he created a day of innovation then he resigned from teaching.  These two posts started me thinking, why does every kid have to do the labs or activities I choose, on the day I choose them?  Why do they all have to take the same quiz, on the same day.  Were these constructs I put in place for me, or is this truly what is best for students?

So I started infusing choice into my classroom more and more.  I started the year allowing students to choose how they did their homework.  Since I flip-teach there's videos involved.  I also allowed students who don't like that style for learning, I gave them access to my google docs I use for my presentations and linked the assignments to the section of either the online or checked-out textbook.  Basically giving students choice over how they learned the new material.  I called it "acquiring new information."

Since the start of the year I have been including choice in every class and allowing students within my parameters to choose what they do, but not when they do it.  It's time to change that.

Because Josh ROCKED my world I'm worked with my 6th graders to develop a personalized learning plan.  I spent last class helping them set up the plan.

First I helped them set up a plan of action:

We walked through the steps together and answered each of these scenarios.

Then we planned out the calendar:

Students recognized we had 12 classes until the end of the quarter, and they had 4 goals they needed to learn about.

We then looked at a specific goal, in yesterday's case that was Goal 6:

Students used their Goal planning sheet below to plan out how they were going to Acquire new learning, Practice what they learned, and then a time to show me what they learned in the form of a formative assessment.

They then planned that by putting their plans on their calendar.

This whole process of planning took about an hour of class time to set them up with a plan for Goals 6, 7, 8, and 9.

I'm hoping this will increase student performance and free me up to meet and work with those that need my attention the most.  I will need Josh's help, and I'm sure the Illinois Teacher of the year will once again ROCK MY WORLD!

Image adapted from: http://wallsofla.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/img_michael_jackson.jpg