Student Directed Learning
My memory of my elementary years is spotted at best. I seemed to have blocked out most of my k-5 experience. Having been clear on my lack of memory, I don’t remember ever creating something that was used by my classmates or even shown to the entire class. Rightly so, most teachers I know now have plenty of share time in their classrooms. I am no different. I love it when my students bring something in to share. I wanted to take that student eagerness and use it as a tool in the classroom. About 3 weeks ago, I was doing a word study lesson when 2 students came up to me and said they wanted to do a specific worksheet that they did the year before. I thought about it for a second then told them to make it for the class. That split second decision has rocked my classroom. I am not a worksheet teacher. I use worksheets in the classroom at times but I tend to shy away using them too often. But, worksheets created by students is a whole different ballgame. Not only did those students create that worksheet, I now have a folder filled with worksheets created by almost everyone in my class. That is right. My students are making their own worksheets and are smiling from ear to ear when their classmates complete them. Here are a few (click on the pics to get a better view):
As of today, I have 47 student created worksheets. In addition to the 47 worksheets, I have a simple machine review packet developed by 3 students. They are not perfect. They have spelling mistakes. Some have had to re-evaluate the purpose of the activity. But this is real. This is authentic. They are applying the knowledge they have learned by reconstructing it to help their fellow classmates. The students are directing all of this on their own. I did not make a rubric. I did not assign them to do this. They want to do it. They have slowly built a rubric of their own. They are holding each other accountable for the work that is being created. They are grading the sheets on their own. They are helping one another complete the assignments. They are directing their own learning. They are completing these on their own at home, during recess, lunchtime, enrichment time, and class time.
I am always trying to make classroom activities more engaging and authentic. The problem was it should not be me solely trying to do that. I continue to learn that it is a joint effort between the teacher and the students. And more importantly it is a collaborative effort by the students with the teacher there to facilitate the magic.
Collaboration
I believe collaboration is ageless.
I have 3 beautiful children. My first 2 kids are only 17 months apart. Having 2 toddlers and an infant can be a challenge but I love it. One thing that has helped me as a teacher is witnessing what I call natural collaboration. My toddlers love to collaborate. It is awesome to see them problem solve together, build together and create art or imaginary stories together. They are not forced to do so. They are not even asked to do so. They want to. They naturally feed off each other. They watch each other, learn from each other and for the most part are happy together.
As an educator, I think collaboration fosters creativity, engagement, and happiness in the classroom. In any given day, there are not many moments when my students are not collaborating. Whether it is partner writing, creating assessments, developing textbooks, or simply reading I see and they see the value in working together. Not only do they learn more from each other but time and time again I have seen the power of student collaboration.
In addition to teaching 3rd grade, I also teach at PVCC. Last night was my first class of the spring semester. Literally within 5 minutes of being in the class, the students were working together on a project. I introduced myself, and then introduced an activity. They chose a partner and started to work on deciphering 10 riddles. I gave them about 10 minutes to try to complete the assignment. Besides seeing creativity and critical thought, I also witnessed laughter, happiness, and connections. When they walked into the room they were quiet and uncomfortable. 15 minutes later, they were smiling, comfortable and ready to learn. When I started teaching college courses 7 years ago, I was told that they would not want to communicate or collaborate with each other. That advice went in one ear and out the other. Not only do college students enjoy collaborating, I truly believe they are yearning to do so. My students enjoy coming to class. I know because they attend class, and I know because they say so on the class evaluation every semester.
I truly believe collaboration is ageless. It should be a focus in every classroom no matter age or level.
Cave Paintings
In college I took two Art History courses. I enjoyed them very much. As a history major, I enjoyed learning about the purpose and historical significance of paintings, architecture, pottery, etc. After receiving my undergraduate degree in History, I was seriously considering going to graduate school to study Art History. Instead, I decided to become a teacher. A decision I am happy I made. But I have never lost my interest in art. The cave paintings from Lascaux have always resonated with me. Fast forward to today, I am still very interested in writing, communication, and learning spaces. Inevitably, Lascaux is a great example of a learning space. Lascaux was a place for communication, collaboration, creativity, and sharing.
Over the last year, I have completely re-evaluated how my students present their work. My students covet the opportunity to share their work. It is a priority for each of them so it is a priority of mine. One sharing method in my classroom that is very popular is writing. We have begun to write on the floor, the desks, the walls, and the bulletin boards. They love it! Their engagement level is high, and because their work is so transparent they really focus on working hard. When I see my students crawling on the floor working on a poem, writing on the walls or collaborating on math problems at desks, I can’t help but think of the Lascaux Paintings.
The Floor, Walls and Desks
Welcome to the Future
As a 21st century classroom teacher, I believe it is imperative for my students to recognize that the classroom is just a base for learning. The four walls of the classroom are no longer constraining students from the outside world. With the advent of social media, the landscape of education changed. It is now possible and necessary for students in the United States to be communicating and collaborating with students all across the world.
Last year, I began to use Skype more in the classroom. I quickly learned that my students really loved seeing other classes or talking directly with other educators. By the end of last year, my students had traveled all over the world. We learned about an ipad initiative while Skyping to @fisher1000 in China. We did a joint read aloud with a class in New York. We walked the streets of Scotland and watched it go from day to night in Rome. Every Skype had a purpose. Here is a Prezi 3 of my 3rd grade students made last year on our Skype adventure.
This year I have a goal to Skype to every continent. We are now 1 and half weeks into our school year, and we have already had two great Skypes to England and Sydney, Australia. Our first social studies unit is geography. We are studying maps, globes, the continents, oceans etc. To help guide our study we are reading Letters from Felix.
Felix travels all around the world and reports back to his owner via letters. It is a great book. Felix travels to London and learns about the culture and attractions. My students got the chance to Skype with @largerama. My students created questions based on their research of England and Nick answered them. Their engagement level and enthusiastic desire to learn more was awesome. I am currently working with my PLN to find a Skype in Kenya because Felix will be making his way there next week.
Last week, we also Skyped with @edusum. This was a real treat because Summer lives in Sydney, Australia. As she said so eloquently to my students, “Welcome to the Future”. Sydney is 14 hours ahead of us so my students were just getting to school in the morning while Summer was getting ready for bed. We discussed Australian geography, animals, food, culture, and seasons. Later in the year, we will study seasons, day/night and tilt of the Earth. I know that my students will refer back to this Skype to help them learn about those topics.
For me, I want this year to be another great learning experience as I continue to grow as an educator and learner. For my students, I want them to understand that they are not alone in their educational journey. There are students, educators, professionals etc. all over the world willing to help them along. I cannot wait to introduce the many other forms of social media I use to my new students. But for right now, Skype has paved the way for another exciting year in Mr. T’s class.
The Last Three days of School
The last 3 days of school is reserved for assemblies, parties, Field Day, and unfortunately last-minute testing (but that is going to be another less positive post). I love the last few days of school. Traditionally, I have my students complete an autobiographical writing assignment that also involves them creating a poster of pictures that go along with their autobiography. This year was different.
Wednesday June 8th
Earlier this year, I was asked to present on Web 2.0 tools at TeachMeet Nashville by @2footgiraffe. I asked Adam if my students could present instead of me. Adam, and I agreed that this would be an awesome opportunity for my students, and the teachers. In my humble opinion, we need more students presenting at conferences. Their voice is not heard enough. Once SOL testing was complete, my students began developing their presentation. They chose to present on Skype, @LiveBinders, and Twitter. In order to make this completely student centered, I only helped them with their presentation when asked. I kept my ideas and my thoughts to a minimal. They split into three groups and made an amazing 30 minute presentation. There were over 300 teachers in attendance, and many watching via Ustream. Unfortunately, the video did not record but here is an audio of their presentation (it starts about 10 minutes in). http://bit.ly/jU11zR
We ended Wednesday on a high after reading all the great tweets we got from #TMnash participates. What an awesome experience.
Thursday June 9
On Thursday my third grade team decided to do a grade level rotation so that we could all see the students one last time. That was a fun experience but not worth a mention in a blog. After we finished the 3 rotations, we had a few minutes before lunch. That is when Jenny came up to me and said she had something to share. Jenny is an ESOL student who is smart and intuitive, but is very shy when it comes to presenting in front of the class. I was excited that she had something to share. It turns out she had created a poster with many facts about the different types of dolphins in the world. Here is a pic of her poster. http://yfrog.com/h4keaxxoj
It was truly inspiring to see how interest based learning can engage a student. While most classes were probably doing arbitrary activities, which I have done plenty of times, my student was still engaged, and teaching her classmates. #Awesome
Friday June 10
The last day of school was only a half day and it was filled to the brim. We had a scheduled breakfast/party first thing in the morning. Then a school wide assembly. After all of that we had about 30 minutes of free time. Well, I thought it was going to be free time but a few of the students had another idea. Two students decided to present a poster they had been working on at home. They had created an amazing poster about volcanoes throughout the world. The remaining 20 students sat there engaged and listening to this presentation that went on for about 15 minutes.
I am going to end this post with a speech one of my students shared. She wrote this to the class as a final farewell.
Riley G”s last day of school speech- 6/10/11
This year we have had very many good times..sadly we lost Bryce (moved to New Jersey) but we finally got over it.
I think of each of you as family. In this class we met three new people but they fit in all along. We are all so lucky to have had Mr. T (the best). 22 great students I have to leave for the summer. I know Josh and Liam are going to different schools and I hope you enjoy it but it won’t be the same without you two. Not seeing you just for the summer puts me in tears. It seems like just yesterday that I was the new girl but after today I will be a rising 4th grader. You have all helped me along the way.
Student Confidence
As a teacher, I see the stark difference between confident and non-confident students. A confident student answers questions with pride. The non-confident student answers with doubt. The confident student does not hesitant to ask a question in class. While the non-confident student keeps questions inside.
What can a teacher do to create an environment that feeds student confidence? I will not pretend to know the answer to that question but I will state what has worked for me. One of my main goals this year was to offer my students more choice in the classroom. This has completely changed the environment. My students are hungry to learn. They want to do more and learn more. This year has taught me that more choice leads to student passion, and in turn student confidence.
As we are nearing the end of the year, each week I have a few of my third grade students volunteer to teach my class. Last week, I had a student create his own Standards of Learning review math LiveBinder. He went through the Livebinder on the Interactive White Board leading the class in a math review session. The students were engaged. I was impressed. And the student teaching had his moment. Two weeks ago, I had a two students teach a twenty-minute lesson on the Tsunami in Japan. They created a poster with fliers. They had data and pictures. Now they are collecting money to donate to the Red Cross for the victims of the Japanese tsunami. Again, the class was engaged. I was impressed and the two students teaching had their moment.
The last example I will give is one that truly moved me as an educator and learner. Last quarter, each of my students completed an independent research project. They did an amazing job. But, it is what happened afterward that has truly moved me. The day the students finished presenting their project, I had two students go home and create a whole new research project. The two students arranged to meet so that they could complete an additional research project on shark attacks. They came back to school the next day with an amazing poster and presentation. Again, the class was engaged. I was impressed and the two students teaching had their moment. Amazingly, one of those two students is shy, sheepish, and for the most part lacks confidence. Or did. Since she had her moment, she is turning over a new leaf.
@irasocol once said to me that a classroom should be similar to the Apple store in New York City. All year, my students have been transparent with their work. They have not been ashamed to share, and they want to collaborate. So now I have a class where confidence is feeding confidence all because I gave them choice, a voice and an opportunity to have that shining “moment”.
Give your students their moment.
Lost and Unengaged
“Writing eases my suffering… writing is my way of reaffirming my own existence.” Gao Xingjian
I have never considered myself a writer. I find writing to be therapeutic, and gratifying. I look back on my youth and realize that I did not enjoy writing. In school if it was time to write, I would find something to get in the way of my assignment. My pencil needed sharpening. My eraser would not work, etc. I was a lost writer. I was an unengaged writer. I was rarely given an authentic writing assignment that truly brought out my enthusiasm for writing.
The NWPs vision statement is, “Writing in its many forms is the signature means of communication in the 21st century. The NWP envisions a future where every person is an accomplished writer, engaged learner, and active participant in a digital, interconnected world.”
My 3rd grade class is filled with all different types of writers. I have passionate writers, imaginative writers, comic book writers, lost writers, unengaged writers and free thinking writers. My goal is to not just have a “writing time” or a “writing assignment” but engage my students by growing their thirst for writing. It is not easy. Our educational system has swept writing under the rug. I have seen and participated in this. When time is limited in the classroom, writing is one of the first activities to go. The NWP was trying to change this. The NWP was working to include writing in all disciplines. Research has proven, http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/3208 , that the NWP was winning its battle with lost and unengaged writers. Let them live to fight another day.
What I learned
About a month ago, my students began independent research projects. Each student chose a topic that interests them. As they researched, they had to complete a journal, and their final product was a poster. The topics went from Bob Marley to Gila Monsters to Thomas Jefferson. I learned a lot from this experience. I would like to share what I learned as a teacher, and what I learned as a student.
What I learned as a Teacher: The students loved doing this assignment. Allowing them to choose their own topic gave each student ownership over their project. When they presented their poster to the class, they displayed pride in their work. I created a rubric that each student used as a guideline for the project. I am always trying to give my students more choice in the classroom. This assignment is an example of why it is so important. They did an amazing job. In most cases, they went beyond the frame of the rubric to create a poster that included more than what was “necessary”. This is an assignment that I will do for years to come. Lastly, since we finished presenting last Thursday, I have had 3 students tell me they are working on a second project at home.
What I learned as a Student:
1. Beluga Whale: Beluga whales have 34 teeth but the teeth are not used for chewing. The whale uses the teeth to tear its prey apart and then swallow whole. 2. Emperor Tamarin: They only a pound or so. 3. Fish: Fish first appeared n earth over 500 million years ago. 4. Danny Way: World’s best skateboarder and once jumped over the Great Wall of China. 5. Thomas Jefferson: Jefferson grew 24 different types of peas in his garden. 6. Volcanoes: A volcano in Indonesia in 1815 killed over 92,000 people because of starvation. 7. Constellations: The ancient Egyptians viewed Libra as a feather not a scale. 8. The Great White Shark: The fins of a Great White are used to make soap. 9. Video Games: Mario is the #1 character in the video game universe. 10. Art and Artist: Helen Franklin Haler had a great art teacher while a child in New York. This teacher inspired her to become an artist. 11. Rattle Snake: A rattlesnake strikes at the speed of ten feet per second. 12. Belcher’s Sea Snake: It is the most toxic snake in the world. 13. Killer Whales: Killer whales are travel about 30 mph. 14. Golden Retrievers: There are three different types of Golden retrievers (British, Canadian, American). 15. Skateboarding: Learned what a Ollie is and how to do one. 16. Turkey Vultures: Their head is bald so they can keep clean as they eat. 17. Seals and Sea Lions: The biggest difference between these two mammals is having and not having ears. 18. Tigers: Excluding the tail, a tiger can get up to 9 feet in length. 19. Poison Dart Frog: Baby frogs are carried by their mother. 20. The Grand Canyon: There are no dinosaur fossils in the Grand Canyon. 21. Gila Monster: The Gila Monster is the largest lizard in the United States. 22. NBA Basketball: The Nuggets and Pistons scored a total of 370 points (most all-time) in 1983. 23. Bob Marley: Marley continues to influence music today. His music is universally liked.
I asked the students how much they like this assignment, and one student responded by saying, “I have wanted to study this for a while but never had the chance at school.” Enough said.
“Connecting Communities”
This last fall, @BeckyFisher73 gave me some great advice. She said I should consider having my students write on the floor. After getting over the idea that writing on the floor is taboo, I went for it. This year my students have become accustomed to using the floor as another creative space in the classroom.
About three weeks ago, during our annual unit on communities, I decided to have my students draw their depiction of a community on the floor. The day before, we had read about communities, and discussed what makes a community. We also discussed common characteristics within a community.
I have a wonderfully creative, and collaborative class. I split them into 5 groups, and let them go to town (pun intended). Right away they began to discuss common characteristics of communities. Each of the five groups was given an allotment of floor space. Within 3 minutes of the groups working, I had a student come up to me and say, “We should connect all the communities together after each group has finished.” I was blown away. This thought had not even crossed by mind. I tell my fellow teachers all the time to let the students have the wheel and see where they take you. This was a great example why this is so important.
The activity I had envisioned was much more teacher centered. Driving to work that day, I thought about giving each group a 4 x 4 space on the floor. Give them the boundaries of their community and let them draw. I was concerned about drawing too much on the floor, and things of that nature. After the students piled into the class that morning, I decided to change my mind and not give them a set boundary. It was the best decision I could have made.
If I had limited their space, I would have also limited their creativity. By giving them the space they needed, they had the freedom to draw what they really thought a community should have. That same day, @irasocol and @pammoran were visiting my school. I was looking forward to their visit because they consistently inspire me to be better. I was able to complete about 30 minutes of the lesson prior to leaving for my meetings. Every hour of so, I would go by my room and see how the class was doing. Each time I came by, the communities were getting larger and larger. They each had churches, schools, elaborate road systems, houses, parks (skate parks), pools, post offices, police stations, fire stations, libraries, etc. At one point, two communities were slowly merging together. This caused a dispute between “Smileville” and “Sunset Town”. One representative from each community came to me and asked me to solve their “land” dispute. I told them that they needed to figure out a solution between themselves. Eventually, they drew a line dividing the two communities. Toward the end of the day, we had a great class discussion on land distribution and school districts.
Rarely have I seen a class so proud of their work. They were asking students from other classes to come by and look at their work. Their engagement level was high. They had a quiz later that week on communities, and every student did well. I wish I could take the credit for this lesson, but truly the credit goes to my students. This blog is written as a dedication to their commitment to learning.
My elementary years
I occasionally think back to my elementary days. I was consistently in trouble. I did not focus. I did not sit in my seat. I did not stay on task. I did not follow the “good student” model. Let’s just say that I knew the principal, and office staff very well. Looking back, it seems that it was easier to just get me out of the classroom than actually try to figure out what I needed to learn. My teachers thought I should be medicated. Really all I needed was a classroom that allowed me to be myself.
Why was I such a menace in the classroom? I was bored with school. I was bored with the traditional classroom. I truly felt like my teachers did not even try to get to know me. Now let’s move forward 20 years, and I am still bored with the traditional classroom. The difference is that now I can do something about it. I empathize with the students in my classroom because I see myself in them. Of course, I have students that are trained in the traditional classroom, and they do great in school. But the students who struggle to stay focused or stay in their seat, I hope have found comfort in my classroom.
I yearn to create a student environment that truly enables ALL my students an equal chance to be successful.
