Earlier this year we had a pretty cool opportunity to connect with Mount Royal University professor Dr. David Bird to co-present on Plant Growth and Changes for the Calgary Science Network. We were most eager for an opportunity to ask Dr. Bird what one one thing he wished his university students came in with that we might be able to foster in elementary school. His answer was unhesitatingly curiosity. He wished his students arrived at university with a desire, confidence and ability to ask scientific questions. Overwhelmingly, many of them arrived reluctant to explore, preferring instead to wait for instructions on what to think or how to deliver in order to "pass the course".
We were excited to be able to share the following (recently completed) video with Dr. Bird and to have a conversation about the kind of thinking we tried to cultivate in our students throughout the process. Having effectively guided them toward deeper understanding of scientific research earlier in the year with our Rotten Tomatoes Decomposition Lab, our inquiry into plant growth invited students' to use their experience with the 'Game of Science' to develop their own questions this time around. They were free to choose how to structure and represent their research autonomously, based on their previous experience.
The results were messy and in some cases, disorganized. Maintaining controlled conditions was difficult, keeping outdoor plants alive in May was a challenge. Many students discovered on their own why quantitative observations are typically separated from qualitative data, how organizing information makes analyses much simpler, and which variables should be most carefully observed when documenting plant growth. Though some conclusions were surprising or skewed by human error, the real value was that our students wrapped up these experiments with an insatiable desire to discover more about plants, undeterred by the awareness that everything might fail.
And just like that, 30 days have come and gone. Our first PD challenge is complete and
although the process of doing something everyday for 30 days was extremely
beneficial, it’s in the reflection that we are truly able to understand and
appreciate what we have learned along the way. Analyzing and questioning the
events and experiences that have unfolded allows us to decide which things we
plan on keeping, modifying, or getting rid of completely as part of our practice and daily
lives.
Our first school-related challenge involved video recording
our students as they discuss, share, and reflect on their
learning/understanding. This was an
extremely relevant and insightful challenge.
Through these short clips, we were able to gather evidence of learning
in a non-traditional way. This served as
formative assessment for both the students and us, as their teachers. By playing back the clips, we were able to
identify what students were thinking and why.
We also were able to address any misunderstandings that the students may
have had. Based on these conversations we reflected on how we taught or addressed certain topics and made
adjustments as needed. Using an app called Evernote, we were also able to tag (identify) which students were
recorded and the topic they were talking about. Organizing the clips in this fashion, serves as a digital record for us to access at a later date.
Also, we have shared the link to the Evernote files with parents, which
allow them to see a glimpse of their child as a learner in our class.
Because at any given time we have 50 kids in our class, our
next challenge was to keep track of whom we called on during discussions.
There was a time when we felt that we were calling upon the same kids over and
over again. By being more cognizant of
whom we call on, we were able to involve more students in the conversations. Although not always easy to
track, our heightened awareness brought attention to those kids who sometimes
seem to get lost in the shuffle. When more kids participate, the entire class
benefits and the sense of community further expands. As teachers, we want to ensure
that all kids feel safe and comfortable sharing their ideas and thinking. We also wants our students to understand that all
ideas are valued and all voices should have the opportunity to be heard. It is often during these class discussions that our students share their most powerful learning.
Our final two challenges were directly related to our physical health. We are all aware of how important it is to live a balanced life. We have made a consorted effort this year to incorporate active living in our personal lives, as well as to model this for our students. The #3kaday challenge helped us to not only become more physically fit, it also served as an opportunity for us to debrief, reflect, and plan collaboratively while we ran. Our jogs became valued time for us at the end of each day. The #plankaday challenge was an added bonus to our running. To be honest, what motivated us to get through 3 minutes of planking was knowing that the @plankpolice would be after us if we didn't! Planking each day also served as a metaphor for this form of PD, in the sense that although we started small (i.e. less than a minute) we saw tremendous improvement by the end of the month - our perseverance, commitment, and pure determination paid off.
As team-teaching partners, it was incredibly valuable to go through this challenge together. It opened up even more avenues for conversation (and sometimes debate), as well as provided opportunities to reflect on our journey along the way. We intend to continue filming our students (check out our class website to see some of our videos) and being constantly aware of who we engage in classroom discussions. Despite a recent fractured hand suffered by Deirdre, we are continuing to log many kilometres on the running trails near our school. As for planking, well let's put it this way, we have blocked the @plankpolice from our twitter profiles.
As teachers we regularly attend and participate in various professional learning opportunities. Great ideas are presented, teachers feel inspired, and yet more often than not, come Monday, nothing changes. Reasons for this might include lack of support for effective implementation or insufficient documentation providing evidence of how proposed changes will, if at all, impact student learning. One of the most complex and highly debated aspects of teacher professional development lies within the evaluation of its merit.
The historical assumption amongst educators that professional learning directly and positively impacts student performance and learning (Birman, et al., 2000; Darling-Hammond, et al., 2009) has led to the belief that more is better (Guskey & Sparks, 2002). Herein lies the problem. Much of what is assumed to be quality professional development (PD) cannot be explicitly linked back to improvements in the classroom. Teachers may have enjoyed PD opportunities but it is irrelevant, as that enjoyment alone is not indicative of change or improvements to teaching practice or student learning. Matt Cutts' 30 Day Challenge may pose as a solution to this problem.
When Amy first tossed around the idea of incorporating Matt Cutts' TED Talk video into a presentation on the evaluation of PD for her masters' class, we were instantly excited. As we discussed what made the idea appealing and valuable, it became evident that there is a reason the concept has taken off in popular media and culture. It is because it feels possible. Often resistance to change comes from a fear of losing a comfort level associated with the status quo or the confidence gained from repeating or re-doing what we have already done. It is undeniably easier to continue doing what one has always done than it is to change and try something new. The beauty of a 30 day challenge as an impetus for change is that it doesn't ask you to permanently revolutionize your life or to wave goodbye to your previous self. It is easier to try something new if you know it's not forever, whether it be a new diet, hairstyle or classroom practice.
Another exciting possibility for the 30 day challenge is the potential for leaving something behind for 30 days. As classroom teachers, we often feel bombarded by the number of things on our plate. What if we took something off the plate for a month and monitored its effect? What if for 30 days we didn't give a single worksheet? What if we stopped giving homework? Monitoring how students react and observing the changes we see will undoubtedly provide an opportunity to evaluate the pros and cons of change without making a permanent commitment. Through reflection, we can evaluate whether there is value in making smaller changes long term.
Our own 30 Day Challenge brainstorm resulted in an overwhelming list of activities we might adopt, habits we could drop or ideas we could test both professionally and personally for the month of May. It was difficult, but for we've narrowed it down to four. Two are education related and two are focused on personal wellness. We intend to use social media to hold us accountable along the way by blogging and tweeting our progress at the following hashtags:
#kidvid - We will interview one student a day looking for evidence of learning and understanding in both math and science. We will compile the data collected in Evernote and use it to help inform our instructional practices.
#classchat - As we teach 50 kids in an inquiry-based setting, a big part of our learning is through in-class communication, either in large or small groups. For 30 days we hope to document who participates in class discussions, who we call on, etc. which will allow us to ensure we are actively aware of involving and encouraging all students to participate during class discussions.
#plankaday - @theheartyheart is a friend, nutritionist and blogger based in Vancouver and posted about the Plank-a-Day Challenge back in March. We are are using the Plank-a-Day Challenge to try to improve our core strength.
#3Kaday - To improve our cardiovascular endurance, we are going to be running a minimum of 3km a day. Although we often run further than 3K, for those days when life is overwhelming, we are hoping that 3k will get us out the door. While running together, not only are we becoming more fit, we are able to collaborate, brainstorm, and reflect on our day - bonus PD!
A 30 Day Challenge allows teachers to not only personalize their PD by making it relevant to their needs, but to also see immediate changes in their practice. Isn't that really the whole purpose of PD?
Over the next 30 days, we encourage you to join us or follow along with the hashtag #30daychallenge as we document our progress and results. We are excited to hear about your challenges and the potential impact that 30 days of something different might have on you!
Darling-Hammond, L., Wei, C. R., Andree, A., Richardson, N., &
Orpanos, S. (2009). State of the profession: Study measures status of
professional development. National Staff Development
Council, 30(2), 42-50. Retrieved from www.learningforward.org/news/getDocument.cfm?articleID=1844
Inquiry takes time.
This has been a recurring theme, and one we have discussed at length, in our math/science class over the past
few months. If we want students to
become proficient in any aspect of their learning, or life for that matter, we
must give them time. Time to wrestle with challenging issues.
Time to celebrate small successes. Time to learn from mistakes. Time to listen to each other and time to
grow. When we rush kids through the
learning process we deny them the necessary foundational blocks needed to
develop into successful, self-directed learners. The curriculum is filled with content and at
times can seem overwhelming. If we focus
on “covering” each strand, then we lose sight of the big picture. By pushing through the curriculum, we change
the focus from being student centered to teacher centred. This is not to say that the curriculum is not an
important document. It is. However, as a professional, I see it as my
responsibility to carefully read through the curriculum and determine what are
the “need to know”, “nice to know” and “worth being familiar with” components –
a model based on Wiggins and McTighe research.
We discovered through our recent Science inquiry into decomposition, that in order for kids to demonstrate depth of understanding, we
need to be on their schedule, not ours.
We have invested hours of work into building background knowledge,
conducting research, experimenting in the science lab, and finally documenting
the entire learning process. Now that we can see the light at the end of the
tunnel, we have been struggling with wanting to wrap things up.
But the learning process can’t always be
wrapped up in nice, neat, little packages. Just because we want to move on,
doesn’t mean our students are ready to. Listening to their voices and actually
internalizing what they are saying (or not saying) has caused us to rethink our
desire to "keep on keeping on". Taking that little bit of extra time to really listen has helped us realize how much our students are learning about
being true scientists, mathematicians, technologists, writers, producers, artists,
and more. They are also developing
strengths and skills as collaborators, problem solvers, critical thinkers,
reflective thinkers, and they are increasingly able to interpret all different kinds of data in order
to create meaning. These curious and confident nine-year-olds prove to us
everyday that being committed to the goal of learning and inquiring is far more
important than being able to recall mundane facts that will be forgotten the
moment they step out of our room at the end of June. We are hopeful that the
skills, competencies, and attitudes that our students will be leaving with will
serve them well as they venture into higher grades. Effectively developing these simply wouldn't be possible without time.
Professor Lilliane McDermott further emphasizes this point.
She states, “Meaningful learning…requires that students be intellectually
active… To be able to transfer a skill learned in one context to another,
students need multiple opportunities to use that same skill in different
contexts. The entire process requires time”.
McDermott, L. (1993). How we teach and how students learn: A mismatch? American Journal of Physics, 61(4). University of Washington.
Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (2005) Understanding by design. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)
It began with a conversation on how best to develop deep understanding of biological cycles. When we considered simply slicing fruit and vegetables in half and leaving them out in the open to observe the resulting changes, we never anticipated the smells, the new life, or the learning that would ensue.
The suggestion that we use Google Docs to facilitate collaboration and data management through the scientific process provided an excellent opportunity for introducing students to the incredible value of facilitating collaborative research and documentation through technology. Have a look at our students' work, linked directly to our classes' Science Lab Website.
Although our decomposed specimens are now carefully buried in soil, the memory of the experiment is alive and well among our grade 4 students. From Day 1 to Day 12, these young scientists were engaged, excited, and passionate about their discoveries. Throughout the process, students developed deep understanding of decomposition, the scientific process, collaboration, problem solving, data analysis, and so much more.
The following video outlines the entire process and the amazing learning that resulted.
Our Grade 4 classes have spent the past three months inquiring into the topic of "Waste and Our World" with the goal of developing an appreciation and understanding of their roles and responsibilities as global citizens of this environmentally fragile and increasingly endangered planet. We had hoped that our inquiry would help students feel empowered to sustain environmentally conscious action as part of their everyday lives.
Our first mission was to collect garbage from the school ground. Students were shocked to discover that we had collected over 4lbs of lunch-related waste in one day and that this amount was repeated by the following class the next day! This activity made it clear that action for the environment was needed and could have a very real effect in our immediate community. As a group, we concluded that one minute public service announcements highlighting a need for change in our daily practices would be the best way to inform our school peers and inspire action.
In order to build understanding and knowledge prior to designing their PSA's, students worked through a variety of tasks which included:
creating a decomposition timeline using human waste collected in the immediate area
discussing the composition of various human waste items and the factors affecting their breakdown
digitally documenting human waste samples from our school grounds
completing a retrieval chart with hypotheses on their specimen's origin and ultimate destination
Once students had a good understanding of the impact our human waste can have on the environment, we turned our attention to natural waste and consideration of how our natural world discards, reuses and recycles. As part of our exploration we:
Armed with a new understanding of how human and natural waste fit in our world, students watched some exemplar PSAs and advertisements aimed at communicating powerful environmental messages. We then worked together to build a rubric outlining what exemplary work might look like!
CATEGORIES
Lots to improve, keep working/trying.
(Kindergarten-ish)
You’re okay but...
Good job, met expectations
Excellent!
THIS IS YOUR TARGET!!!
Content
Research
Boring and meaningless facts! Used only a single source. Copied!
Partially researched, lacking information, “is that it?” incomplete
Well researched, descriptive, relevant.
Interesting and helpful facts! Engaging! Has obviously used multiple sources. Original and in own words.
Content
Script
Uses “tired” words. Lacks description. Information is unclear. Off topic and confusing. Unconvincing. Audience is bored...
Unconvincing, “I’m confused”
Sufficient, concise, competent, clear message.
Uses juicy words. Descriptive. Is clear on the facts. On topic and makes sense. Persuasive. Exciting - captivates the audience’s attention.
Images
Inappropriate, fuzzy, irrelevant, unrealistic, doesn’t go with the subject/script/topic
Lacks expression, boring, mumbly, too quiet or too loud, “notalkinglikethis” and “no.... talking.... like.... this.....”
A little mumbly, a hard time following, muddly, needs practice
Clear, nice, good expression.
Lots of expression, enthusiastic, good volume, enunciated well, speaks at a great pace
Groupwork
Making one person do all the work, “me first”, hoarding, arguing, fighting, using only one person’s idea, nobody is cooperating, bossing, poor communication, all talking at once, “my idea is better”, not sharing, off task
Inefficient, needs help and support, argumentative,
Nice to people, shares, demonstrates positive body language
Cooperative, inclusive, everybody has a voice, communicative, compromising, taking turns, no arguing, incorporating everyone’s ideas, on task, “you first” mentality
FInally, students supplemented what they had learned with the info on their retrieval sheets and internet resources to create one-page storyboards communicating their ideas effectively and concisely. Once their storyboards had been approved, they worked in collaborative groups to add voice to their own images creating short movies highlighting differences between human and natural waste and the impact they both have on our world.
Students had the opportunity to showcase their first products in front of their classmates, after which they were provided with constructive feedback that was related to the rubric and based on the work. Throughout this process, students learned how to give feedback as well as how to receive it, and use it to improve. They were able to learn by reflecting on the work they and their classmates had created, and were then given an opportunity to use what they'd learned to refine their final movie project.
Here's an overview of the process:
Of the 22 projects, our group selected the best of the best to represent our learning and the message we hope to convey. Please help us get the word out by commenting below, sharing your feedback and your ideas on how we might be able to share these with a broader audience. Thanks for listening!
I mentioned the Candy Problem in a previous post in which I alluded to having provided the kids with a challenging math problem that even teachers had been taking a significant chunk of time to solve. We presented the problem as part of an end-of-semester formative assessment. We had had many conversations previous to presenting them with this problem about multiples, factors, common factors, number patterns and multiplicative relationships. Our goal was not to evaluate the kids based on whether or not they could complete the problem but to provide them with a means of generating conjectures and demonstrating their thinking process.
Having started the year with a diverse group from very different mathematical backgrounds, we were inspired by their concentration, perseverance, and the unique strategies they developed in order to solve the problem. What most impressed us was the number of students that approached us to share tentative solutions at the end of the period. They each had individual interpretations of how the problem should be solved and were eager to share the conjectures that had led them to their solutions. Since first introducing the problem, we have taken it up more in depth as a larger group. Kids have been working in teams based on original ideas they had in common for how a solution might be reached. They are excited, motivated, and eager for our next math class so that they can continue to develop and connect their understanding. Our Grade 7 and Grade 9 students have also since taken up the problem, inspired by the mathematical reasoning skills of their younger peers. If there was ever any doubt about the power of inquiry in a math classroom, these last few weeks have put it to rest for our team. Check out our video!! We'd love your feedback...
As the school year began, I was excited not only to be teaching at CSS again and teaching a new grade, but to wear the moniker "mentor." I thought, albeit naively, that I had a great deal to offer my new teaching partner, who with just one year under her belt was considered a newcomer to the profession. After nine years in the classroom, I assumed I would share all that I know about teaching and in return, she would learn. I have never made a worse assumption in all of my career. My belief about "mentoring" and what my role would be was completely outdated. From various academic journals and through countless discussions, I quickly realized how wrong I was.
The "old school" mentorship model partners an experienced teacher, me, with a ‘protégé’ teacher, Deirdre. It places all knowledge and expertise in the hands of the mentor, while discounting any expertise the protégé may have to offer. This relationship is based solely on a passing of knowledge, which means new strategies and approaches are not being developed, discovered, or explored. After our first couple of days of planning, I began to recognize the many faults in my assumptions about mentorship. Deirdrehas a wealth of knowledge, a plethora of ideas, and an enthusiasm for teaching that is nothing short of contagious. Combined.In partnership. As equals - we have so much more to offer. This is when I began reading and researching more on the concept of "communities of practice".
A community of practice, according to Crafton and Kaiser (2011), occurs when teachers interact with each other on a regular basis; they participate in something that matters and because of this, their practice improves and often changes. It also requires teachers’ willingness to share, develop and adapt in the company of others. Examining the relationship between teacher practice and student learning is essential. Especially if teachers want to develop and have an even greater impact on the students who show up in classrooms every day. Establishing collaborative, learning cultures for teachers is necessary in order to meet the ever-changing needs of students. Deirdre and I, as a team, have created a community of practice where together, we are far more effective than we would be alone.
“When teachers participate as knowledgeable professionals, capable of engaging in reflective practice and collaborative inquiry, that is who they become” (Crafton and Kaiser, 2011, p. 212). This, in and of itself, is the essence of the model and it accurately describes our professional relationship. If more first year teachers had the opportunity to engage in this form of quality professional development, I think the result would be far reaching; in that fewer teachers would feel isolated, the attrition rate would be significantly reduced, and teachers would have increased job satisfaction (both experienced and beginning). In my opinion, the practicality, strengths and benefits of communities of practice, if done properly, are endless.
I have been in the classroom for nine years, yet this is one of the first times where I have felt competent and confident of having a positive and significant impact on other teachers’ practices, while simultaneously improving my own practice. Through team-teaching, collaborative planning and ongoing, reflective conversations with Deirdre, I am - correction - WE are learning and growing as educators. Through digitally documenting the process of learning (for both our students and ourselves), I am confident we will gain a great deal, both personally and professionally and additionally, we will be able to share the process with others. Communities of practice are clearly a critical component to sustaining a collaborative culture at my school or at any school for that matter.
The journey we are on is one that is hard to describe. It is why I became a teacher and why I wake up every morning excited and happy to be going to "work."
References
Crafton, L. & Kaiser, E. (2011). The language of
collaboration: Dialogue and identity in teacher professional development. Improving Schools, 14(2), p. 104-116.
DOI: 10.1177/1365480211410437
The process of inquiry can seem "undefinable" at times, however, through the process of documentation, it becomes clearer and more tangible - for students, teachers, and parents. This week, we spent a significant amount of time producing a documentary showing the journey students went on in developing deeper mathematical understanding. Although hours have been spent creating this, the process has deepened our own understanding of teaching and learning. Through reflection and conversation, we as teachers, are able to determine next steps in our practice and how to enrich the learning for all of our students - regardless of ability.
By posting our work to the greater community, we are hopeful that parents will continue the learning at home with their children. We are also hopeful to give evidence of powerful learning and teaching using inquiry, to the education community at large.
