Last Week Reminders

It's the last week of school. The to do list is intense as we say good-bye to this year's students and hello to next year's class.  We're also saying good bye to some of our staff and welcoming new staff.  It is a celebratory time too with weddings, graduations, vacations, and Father's Day.  Then for those online, there's a group of educators starting their summer study with online book groups and summer courses. Hence, a busy, transition time.

As I begin the new week, I want to focus on the following:

• Staying class focused, children first!
• Attending to the finishing touches for our class presentation: final presentation edits, movie completion, ordering and paying for the food (if it's not too late), and sending parents a reminder.
• Field trip confirmation, review and participation.
• Paperwork: move-up letters/packets, Good-bye report cards/letters/certificates.

There will be many tugs to move in directions other than those listed above this week, but the week's success will depend on the time on task with children and care for their needs.  By writing this down, I'll be sure to follow through. As far as other matters that come my way, unless they're emergencies, I'll put them in the "parking lot" until next week.

Happy final week of school!

21st Century Learner Attributes

Who is the 21st Century Learner?  What attributes depict learners today?

I offer the following.  Please let me know what I've missed.

The 21st Century Learner:

• Asks Questions and allows questions to drive his/her learning.
• Perseveres and doesn't give up even when faced with a challenge.
• Discusses and debates with an open mind and a focus on goals, growth, and learning.
• Researches and composes using multiple resources such as video, music, text, and image.
• Speaks clearly and concisely.
• Reads critically and is able to target specific information.
• Synthesizes information in order to solve problems and create.
• Writes with clarity, expression, and voice.
• Investigates, explores and experiments.
• Engages with play to understand and learn.
• Collaborates with empathy, focus, confidence, and the awareness that "one person cannot do or be all things."
• Seeks out experts near and far, online and off, to assist with research, understanding, and assessment. 
• Learns 24-7 in diverse locations and structures. 
• Takes charge of his/her learning.
• Has a growth mindset.
• Makes mistakes and learns from those mistakes.
• Uses the arts to convey a message in pleasing, memorable, and inspiring ways. 
• Tells stories.
• Engages, interacts with, and focuses on the audience. 
• Develops metacognition, and allows passion and interest to lead learning. 
• Shares his/her learning readily, online and off, with transparency and effect.
• Is aware of the impact his/her work has on the larger context of class, community, and world.
• Knows that multiple tools and paths to learning exist, and uses that knowledge to choose the best paths and tools. 

What would you add to this list?  How is this list different from the learning goals of the past? 

As I think about report card comments and end-of-the-year student recognition, I am keenly aware of the 21st century skills, knowledge, and attitudes my students have developed and used this year as they developed greater knowledge, concept, and skill. 

While essential skills and polite attitudes and actions are important to student learning, it is integral that we develop 21st century learning attitudes and actions in order to launch our students toward success.

Note: Link to Bookmark Template for Student Distribution: Copy, sign, fold, laminate, punch hole in upper left corner, add ribbon, distribute. 

21st Century Classroom Communication

A blog serves as a great place to share student projects and creativity.
Sun Image Credit

What will your classroom communication loop look like next year?

As move-up day approaches, I’m organizing the many communication tools for systematic, responsive, two-way routine share for the learning community: students, families, teachers, leaders, and community members. Communication protocols and systems create an almost seamless structure which leaves room for more responsive student service and coaching.

Communication Protocols:

• Ask Questions, don’t let issues linger.
• Clear, concise, and targeted.
• Err on the side of sharing more than less.
• Let students lead the sharing whenever possible:
• Encourage students to ask questions in person or via email.
• Give students a chance to author newsletters, blog posts, and web information.
• Share almost all communications with students and elicit feedback.
• Teach children how to navigate the communication loop.

These are the classroom communication pieces we’ll incorporate into the learning program:

Daily:

• Twitter: daily schedule, news, and updates.
• Email: Announcements, important messages, and parent/student questions and information: maureen_devlin@wayland.k12.ma.us

Weekly:

• Google Home Study Doc: Chart of home study links, assignments, and resources.
• Weekly Newsletter Google Doc: Doc that is updated weekly with classroom news and events.

Always Available with Periodic Updates:

• Class Website: The Resource Center of Important Classroom Information.
• Class Blog: Showcase Place for Student Projects. (Last year’s blog example).
• Family Conferences (twice a year) and Coaching Sessions (upon request)
• Class Presentations of Signature Work and Projects: About two-three times a year.
• Guiding Websites for Signature Projects: Endangered Species Project Website and Math Program Examples.
• Student ePortfolios (Teacher Model of a Student ePortfolio), YouTube Channel
  
  

Professional Learning

• Professional Blog: Teach Children Well
• Twitter @lookforsun
• Professional ePortfolio

21st Century Project Expectations?

Soon I'll review students' project work and leave a badge on each presentation.  That has me thinking of what we should expect today with regard to project work.  I'm also wondering which project attributes lead to the best learning and long term gain with respect to skills, inspiration, and knowledge.

In days of old when materials and information were scarce, a good elementary school project was a bit of text and a few pictures or a diorama. I remember two sixth grade reports well. For our team project on Vancouver we found an old National Geographic and made a giant book of pictures and captions.  Similarly our Lincoln report included a giant picture of Lincoln and a number of facts.  Even though those projects pale in comparison to today's projects, I must say that the team aspect of the work, the information, and the visuals left me with a curiosity about both topics--essentially an open mind to learning about both Lincoln and Vancouver.

So today, with multiple tools available, what kinds of presentations are children creating, and what do we look for with regard to that work.  As you'll notice below students' work today includes the following:

• Google presentations with images, text, animation, video and multiple text structures.
• Short films with music, image, and text.
• Class film with voice and presentation.
• Hands-on murals and models.
• Crosswords puzzles, word finds.
• Family and school presentations. 
• Field Study.

With all of these learning structures, there is no doubt that students have had wonderful exposure to a topic as they research, write, create, assess, and present.  The next step is to make sure that the exposure leads to greater, beneficial inquiry, skill, and knowledge.

What kinds of projects are your students completing?  Which attributes of those projects have the greatest effect with respect to long-term learning gain?  How do we ensure that our project work with young students result in depth and breadth of learning rather than superficial exposure?  These are important questions as we design and embed learning endeavor today? 

Project Examples

The presentations reflect accurate research, multiple text structures, matching images, and other tools such as animation to teach the audience well.  Here's an example of a wonderful fourth grade presentation:



Movies synthesize image, music, and text to educate, entertain, and impact the audience.

iMovie YouTube Link


Save the Ring-Tailed Lemur by Nick

Hands-on models and murals translate fact and information into visual displays which allow both the researcher and the audience to experience the information learned. 

Students' Animal Habitat Murals

A class film gives every students a chance to voice their project learning, experience, and questions. The film is the main presentation piece for the family open house celebration and share. 

Learning Recipe?

What are the ingredients to optimal learning?

Does the best recipe include the traditional, mixed-focus schedule of math, reading, writing, science, and social studies with a sprinkling of art, music, gym, tech, and library?  Or does the best recipe for learning look different than that?

Would children's brains become more flexible and facile if art and music were main subjects in the curriculum--a daily dose?

Or is best learning the interdisciplinary, project approach that blends many disciplines together around a specific question, topic, or need?

What is the process of optimal learning?

Do we leave the room and time for approximations as children get closer to their learning goals?  Do we allow time for hyperfocus when it comes to learning something new?  How much time do we leave for questions, conversation, discussion, and exploration during the learning process?

What materials support learning best?  How do we use those materials to invigorate learning tasks and practice?

This summer I'll be taking a researched approach to learning. I'll be thinking about the process, tools, and ingredients of optimal learning endeavor?  Right now though, I'm thinking about the underlying structures and supports that exist and creating questions to lead my research.

PBL: Student, Teacher, and Parent Mentors and Models

The culminating stage of a big project is enhanced by student, teacher, and parent mentoring and modeling.

For example:
College and high school graduates volunteered time to edit presentations.

High school graduates mentored our fourth grade film crew with film production tips and tricks.

Colleagues welcomed and guided student presenters into their classrooms.

Our fourth grade presenters mentored our younger students by presenting their research, knowledge, and creativity.

Parents volunteered their time to edit, guide, and manage our young researchers.

Mentoring and modeling is a critical component of learning, one that students both look forward to and learn from.

Modeling and mentoring is an integral part of optimal project base learning.  How can our learning communities move to incorporate this practice with greater regularity and effect?

Today's Project Presentations: Best Approach?

What is the best way to share and recognize students' effort and care?

As I look forward to next week's endangered species presentation, I have the following thoughts.

Tech projects are not shared well in large, open house presentations.  The open house presentations find the family members more interested in talking with each other.  Plus the noise of the event makes it difficult for family members to thoughtfully interact with a detailed online presentation on a small computer screen. Yet, when you're sharing presentations for a large number of students, it is overwhelming to show all 25 at once.  In the past, teachers planned the presentation for a few students each day.  The parents of those children were invited, and it created a nice forum for student share with one another too.  I will have to think of the merits of an all-class share vs. the merits of a few-at-a-time share as I approach next year's program.

This year's share will include Google presentations, short movies, murals, a class film, and a short introduction. To make the presentation special, we'll include the following.

• We'll make use of the outside lab and inside lab (if available) for student tech share from 8:00-8:45.  That will give families space to pay attention to students' online presentations.
• At 8:45 we'll show the class film and I'll say a few words about the students' effort throughout the project as it is important to note all the learning details that go into a big project.  At that time I'll also pass out a small recognition of a job well done to each child because often in a big share, individual efforts are not recognized.
• Finally, family members will have a chance to visit and view the murals and displays.  

As education changes, our presentations and share will change too.  The key is to think about the multiple student shares you promote each year, and determine how to make those shares inspiring, motivating, and enriching for children and the audience too.