From a group of teachers wanting to have a bigger conversation, grew yesterday's IB.PYP Exhibition sharing day for teachers of four schools across Germany. The conversations were great, sharing ideas of practise past and future. Talking with others rates so highly on my personal PD agenda and yesterday was no exception.
In our PYP classrooms we talk a lot about collaboration and sharing. The exhibition is designed to be a celebration of the learner, an opportunity to take ownership and lead an inquiry from beginning to end; an opportunity to design, construct, plan, develop and present their own unit of inquiry. Last year's exhibition went well, but there remains a lot of scope for improvement. The whys and how-tos of mentoring remain high on our agenda, action, performance and evidence elements are other areas of reinterpretation. For me though, these are not where my mind wonders off to the most.
What does the ideal exhibition look like? There are so many elements of exhibition open to interpretation, each requiring discussion and revisiting each year, one thing seems obvious though, connecting kids across classrooms. In the PYP we talk about making the world a smaller place, helping students to develop an understanding of our world through the lenses of six transdiciplinary themes. Can we truly do this within the confines of a classroom?
My ideal exhibition would have students collaborating with others from across the globe. Sharing in their learning and their approach to change with students beyond the walls of their own classroom. Our discussions yesterday helped me to realise that the initial focus for students would be on action, encouraging students to consider the areas in our world where they would like to help, to affect change. As these conversations continue, opening doors for discussions with others using tools like Edmodo, blogs and Voicethreads students in Europe can begin to share their ideas with students in Asia, the Nordic, Americas and the Pan-Pacific.
Last year our early focus was on moving students from topic to concept. I saw it then and I know it now, these 'topic to concept' discussions were very hard for the kids. They really didn't understand why. A colleague helped me to realise yesterday that by changing our approach the student would take themselves from topic to concept. So my ideal Exhibition would have students connecting with others who care about similar issues. As they connect with each other and talk about the action they can take their conversations will naturally lead them to the underlying concepts.
The combined inquiry will continue individually and together as the students build their knowledge, share their understanding and through their combined actions, affect change together. The ideal exhibition group will consist of students from multiple classrooms across multiple countries. Students will present and talk about their understandings in multiple languages, especially their home languages.
How do you encourage you students to consider other perspectives and collaborate during exhibition?
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Bloom's Web2.0
Taking my lead from Kelly Tenkely and other PLN friends I recently gave the students a selection of web2.0 tools to explore and consider. Their task was to uncover the purpose of the web2.0 application, how it might (or might not) fit into our classroom and to consider a way to connect it to their learning. The students worked individually at first, exploring the logo and URL address they had been given. After 15 minutes or so individuals were paired to share their apps with a partner and together discuss how these could (or not) be used to enhance their learning. Meanwhile a group of six students explored, discussed and prepared visual representations of the six levels of Bloom’s (remember, understand, apply, analyse, explain, create).
The following day we began our lesson with the ‘story’ of Benjamin Bloom. I introduced the six levels of thinking to the students in a narrative style overview. As I talked about each new level of thinking the student who had developed the ‘poster’ came to the front to add it to our overview and give a brief explanation from his or her own understanding.
From this, pairs then became groups of four. The students shared their web2.0 apps within their new group and discussed where on the Blooms taxonomy they might connect their applications. The discussions were rich and powerful as students debated not only the meaning of each level of thinking but also the purpose and potential use of the applications they were discussing.
Students then stuck their application icon onto the level of thinking they thought was a ‘best fit’. Finally we ended talking about how we can take our display to the next level and produce a more permanent visual display, quickly recognising they were using creative thinking skills as they brainstormed ideas the kids did have some very creative ideas (spiders, rainbows, hanging mobiles).We haven’t had the time over the past few days to come back to developing the more permanent display. The temporary display is still sitting around the white board, perhaps because of this, the students really are beginning to use the language in their discussions. As we use more and more technology in the classroom and more and more I ask the students to connect their use of technology to their learning the conversations are becoming increasingly insightful. Perhaps it’s not such a bad thing that we haven’t moved the display…
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Twitter and GoogleDocs
I must admit to being a little complacent with my tweeting and blogging of late. It’s not all my own doing, we encountered a little Media Imposed inquiry over the weekend as the excitement of a new iTV was very quickly replaced with the feelings of loss and confusion as our Internet was taken down. For three days we were without contact – my husband and I were left with little else to do than go for a walk!
As the new router box was delivered, three days later, needless to say we were all ecstatic and I was inspired. After reading @tombarrett ‘s post recently in edtech.ch I prepared myself for some Google data. Recognising I am not as popular on twitter as @tombarrett I decided to prepare my lesson a few hours earlier (the night before in-fact – hoping to hit time zones). On awaking I was overwhelmed with such a positive response. Oh; the powers of Twitter. I already was excited by the ways and benefits of a Twitter PLN, but now I think I’ve become evangelical. I skipped into work this morning with 98 responses to the survey and my smile a mile wide.
As I explained my process to the kids, I asked them to think about the types of questions they might like to ask people from all over the world – if they could – the realisation was extraordinary. I watched their eyes pop and their jaws drop as they truly began to realise where the data was coming from. They were inspired to create their own surveys – coming soon. They will be blogging tomorrow about their thoughts and ideas. Thank you to all who contributed to their inspiration. Without you their lesson would have been just another collection of ‘favourites’. As I work with the children I realise that they have a preconceived notion of data as something relating to favourites, my challenge is to help them shift their understanding into the real world. Help them to realise and begin to understand how understanding and analysing of data can help to develop and build deeper understanding of concepts.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
To iPad or not to iPad ...
At the end of last year I was tired of my planning book. In this day a d age there must be a more efficient way of recording what you're doing when. With a nine day rotating schedule I seemed to be forever erasing 'days' and pushing my program froward a single day. I found myself endlessly asking the question, " Why, in this day and age, am I using a pencil and eraser for this task?"
Even before school finished for the year, I was preparing my husband for the purchase of a laptop, of course school wasn't going to foot the bill, so I was laying the groundwork at home. I'll admit it was not so easy, he works out of the education industry. In his business if a piece of hardware is required for your work, then work purchases the equipment. Is this only in education where staff are expected to purchase their own hardware?
Alas, I digress. Over the summer the iPad was released, I watched eagerly considering the alternative of the iPad over a shiny new laptop - which was a always going to be an apple. After a bit of backward and forward, weighing up the pros and cons I went with an iPad. The compromise being if it didn't work for my planning and say-to-day at school, then it would become the lounge room iPad.
Well. It's been four months now since the beginning of the new school year. In the first few weeks I made the conscious choice not to carry a pen or pencil anywhere. At first it was hard. I felt as though I was arriving everywhere unprepared, although I took my iPad I took nothing else, I felt slightly naughty. Over time this element has become normal. I take. Y iPad only, everywhere that I go.
More importantly, in the classroom my general management has taken longer to feel comfortable with, and I will admit I'm not there yet. These are my apps:
iCal this was the only cal a deer app I could find to maintain my 9 day rotating schedule. I do have to do it manually but after an extensive search of the app storer I could find not better. One came close, Planbook, but reliability was a real issue. As you can imagine I was not prepared to gamble with my planning book. Synchronising between the iPad, iPhone and computer remains invaluable - I want it to be better, but I would pay money for what I have.
Bento Box this has been great, fileMaker pro in a neat little bucket. I'm still working my way through it, but o have a database file for general observations, language and maths anecdotal notes. I have separate files for general grade level meetings. Curricular meetings and elementary school meetings. It's nit the easiest thing to look at, bout it does allow me to organise a d re-organise my notes in a range of formats.
iBooks allows me to store all of those important PDF files. My next step here is to find the app that allows me to notate them. I know there are a lot our there, but one thing I've learned is to take my time and find what works for me.
Choosing an app too soon closes your mind to quickly to others that might fit better. I'm still looking for a better way to record my anecdotal notes and maintain my calendar. Ideally I'd like to integrate the two. I mustn't be the only one.
What do you use?
Even before school finished for the year, I was preparing my husband for the purchase of a laptop, of course school wasn't going to foot the bill, so I was laying the groundwork at home. I'll admit it was not so easy, he works out of the education industry. In his business if a piece of hardware is required for your work, then work purchases the equipment. Is this only in education where staff are expected to purchase their own hardware?
Alas, I digress. Over the summer the iPad was released, I watched eagerly considering the alternative of the iPad over a shiny new laptop - which was a always going to be an apple. After a bit of backward and forward, weighing up the pros and cons I went with an iPad. The compromise being if it didn't work for my planning and say-to-day at school, then it would become the lounge room iPad.
Well. It's been four months now since the beginning of the new school year. In the first few weeks I made the conscious choice not to carry a pen or pencil anywhere. At first it was hard. I felt as though I was arriving everywhere unprepared, although I took my iPad I took nothing else, I felt slightly naughty. Over time this element has become normal. I take. Y iPad only, everywhere that I go.
More importantly, in the classroom my general management has taken longer to feel comfortable with, and I will admit I'm not there yet. These are my apps:
iCal this was the only cal a deer app I could find to maintain my 9 day rotating schedule. I do have to do it manually but after an extensive search of the app storer I could find not better. One came close, Planbook, but reliability was a real issue. As you can imagine I was not prepared to gamble with my planning book. Synchronising between the iPad, iPhone and computer remains invaluable - I want it to be better, but I would pay money for what I have.
Bento Box this has been great, fileMaker pro in a neat little bucket. I'm still working my way through it, but o have a database file for general observations, language and maths anecdotal notes. I have separate files for general grade level meetings. Curricular meetings and elementary school meetings. It's nit the easiest thing to look at, bout it does allow me to organise a d re-organise my notes in a range of formats.
iBooks allows me to store all of those important PDF files. My next step here is to find the app that allows me to notate them. I know there are a lot our there, but one thing I've learned is to take my time and find what works for me.
Choosing an app too soon closes your mind to quickly to others that might fit better. I'm still looking for a better way to record my anecdotal notes and maintain my calendar. Ideally I'd like to integrate the two. I mustn't be the only one.
What do you use?
Monday, November 1, 2010
Walking the Talk: in the classroom and out
Lately I have forced myself to think through the reasons why I know that blogs and web2.0 tools are only the beginning of breaking down the barriers of classroom walls. At the same time I’ve been puzzling through the best way to talk to others about using twitter to develop a PLN.
It finally occurs to me the two are inter-related; obviously they are if you’re using twitter in the classroom with the students, but it took me a while to see how they are inter-related if twitter is used to develop one’s own PLN and if blogging and a host of web2.0 tools are used in the classroom with the students.
Blogging and web2.0 apps work in the classroom because we (teachers) are in the business of guiding our students through a learning journey that will prepare them for their world. For the students of today this world is inextricably interlaced with technology, as I was reminded recently, a world in which they exist digitally even before they are born. Today’s students have never lived in a world without the Internet, mobile phones or TV and video content – except in school.
As I see it, here are some of the benefits to student blogging:
- Sharing thoughts, learning & ideas beyond classroom walls – building a community which celebrates student learning
- Collaborating and Connecting with other like-minded learners – local, regional & global
- Opportunities for feedback between peers, families, teachers – globally
- Bringing learning into conversations outside of school walls
- Dissolving the line between learning in the classroom and life (isn’t this how we become life-long learners?)
- Engaging students by using the tools they have never been without
- Providing opportunities for learners to customise and differentiate their own learning
As I see it, the list looks very similar when thinking of the reasons to promote the use of twitter in developing one’s personal learning network:
- Sharing thoughts, learning & ideas beyond school buildings – building a community which celebrates learning together
- Collaborating and Connecting with other like-minded learners – local, regional & global
- Opportunities for feedback between peers, staff and colleagues – globally past, present and future
- Continue conversations about learning outside of school walls
- Dissolving the line between learning at school and life (isn’t this how we become life-long learners?)
- Engaging colleagues by using the tools students have never been without
- Providing opportunities for learners to customise and differentiate their own learning
If I am to have an impact on how my students’ approach learning, rather than looking at what the technology does to support learning in the classroom, I as a teacher, need to think about the potential these technologies can have in supporting the learners through their own journeys. These journeys will continue when they leave the classroom each day and will continue when they move on from my classroom at the end of the school year.
Engaging in the technology myself is key to having any chance of understanding the potential it offers. Using the technology to develop my own understanding of learning both supports my understanding of the technology and the potential of the technology, all the while engaging me in my own learning journey. I am walking the talk, engaging myself in a similar learning experience I am asking my students to engage in.
How do you walk your learning talk?
In thinking through these thoughts the following sources were invaluable:
http://www.learningwithoutfrontiers.com/
http://www.ibo.org/
http://www.classroom20.com/
http://edupln.ning.com/
and of course my slowly growing Twitter PLN
Saturday, October 30, 2010
I hadn't done enough ground work though. No real thinking or planning on how to effectively integrate it into my general practise, naively I expected Edmodo would develop it's own place in our room. Accordingly I was never able to take the next step and bring it into the learning environment. Further, I had no other audience for my kids to connect with beyond themselves; any of the ideas for use I arrived at seemed contrived if it were only between eachother. These tools can not replace face to face and all of my ideas seemed to be trying to do this. After a while the excitement died off and I became distracted by other things. Hence Edmodo died a slow death last year.
Edmodo was never very far from my thoughts as I began to plan the learning for the new school year. Then, when I found Twitter in October I began to realise that I had a new opportunity to make connections with people outside my classroom - bringing use of the technology into the real world, rather than the contrived uses I plagued myself with last year. Literacy seemed to be the place to start - talking about books, authors, specific genres or titles. With such diversity in reading material I have no way to keep up with everything that is being read - but others are reading, why not try to connect the kids with each other?
This week marked my real foray into the Edmodo world. I have connected with an experienced Edmodo teacher and the kids are writing more than ever. It's still early days, we've given them a chance to meet and greet and they are loving it. Discussions about books and learning have already begun. They've been learning about similarities and differences in school populations across continents (Europe and USA). As the kids left the classroom on Friday, for a long weekend holiday on Monday, they were making plans to connect to each other. Each time they connect they will be writing and publishing their ideas, they will be sharing their thoughts and developing relationships. They have already (after only 5 days) begun to use the group setting to ask for support or ideas. They are sharing their learning, a student on Thursday taking a photo of his planter box and uploading it to ask for adivice and feedback on the next steps - design and colour.
They will do all of this without complaining of the writing they are doing along the way. I can see that their expression, spelling, punctuation and grammar are all improving with each new day. They are writing for a purpose, connecting and extending the ideas which the individual connects with, it's self differentiating.
I'm excited to be a part of this style of learning, as kids take control of their own learning and develop deeper understandings of the the world around them. As they find real-world audiences for their writing. This would not be possible without the support from my PLN, where I was able to send out the request and find likeminded teachers who were willing to give me a chance. Thank you.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Maths, UOI, inquiry that just keeps on giving
You know you've stumbled across a great inquiry when the learning just starts to develop a life of it's own. Our planter boxes just keep getting better. Accuracy of measurement, comparing informal with formal notation, converting between inches and centimetres, length, width, height, volume, capacity and the list continues to grow.
After drafting then building their paper models, determining the volume in cm3 the students were ready to order the wood. All those who were building with wood that is, some have chosen to use clay. My visit to the hardware, in very broken German, managed to have all of the students requests fulfilled - five pieces of wood per box, three different sizes for each box. Quite a language lesson!
All this was planned and anticipated, fantastic discussions, motivation levels extremely high.
What I hadn't planned for were the discussions which have begun today as the students compare weight to dimensions. Each group knows clearly how much soil they want - in cm3 the problem is that soil is sold by the litre. How many litres of soil do you require to fill your 8750cm3 box? This discussion will lead nicely from the clay kids as they need to determine how much clay they need just to make the pot - sold by the kilo.
Collaboration, problem solving, collegiality, inquiring minds ... connecting maths to our unit of inquiry: the form and material of an object affects its use. Connecting oral procedural texts as students now begin to produce shared videos (diary room style) of the learning process ...
Thank you to my colleagues as we talked through bringing measurement into our real world. Thank you to those who shared their thinking with the group and helped transform the beginning of an idea into a rich and rewarding inquiry based learning experience.
After drafting then building their paper models, determining the volume in cm3 the students were ready to order the wood. All those who were building with wood that is, some have chosen to use clay. My visit to the hardware, in very broken German, managed to have all of the students requests fulfilled - five pieces of wood per box, three different sizes for each box. Quite a language lesson!
All this was planned and anticipated, fantastic discussions, motivation levels extremely high.
What I hadn't planned for were the discussions which have begun today as the students compare weight to dimensions. Each group knows clearly how much soil they want - in cm3 the problem is that soil is sold by the litre. How many litres of soil do you require to fill your 8750cm3 box? This discussion will lead nicely from the clay kids as they need to determine how much clay they need just to make the pot - sold by the kilo.
Collaboration, problem solving, collegiality, inquiring minds ... connecting maths to our unit of inquiry: the form and material of an object affects its use. Connecting oral procedural texts as students now begin to produce shared videos (diary room style) of the learning process ...
Thank you to my colleagues as we talked through bringing measurement into our real world. Thank you to those who shared their thinking with the group and helped transform the beginning of an idea into a rich and rewarding inquiry based learning experience.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Class Poll
Sometimes writing a blog post can be as simple as asking a question and getting everyone to give a simple answer. Example: What was your favorite part of the field trip? Scott: the giraffes Mary: the elephants or What did you learn today in reading? Melanie Holtsman's next blog challenge.
I polled my kids today. First, a bit of background.
The maths inquiry is going great guns, the kids are using all the language of measurement, they are converting between informal and formal measurements, they're converting between inches and centimetres. They've constructed scale models of their planters and tested them out on the windowsill to make sure they fit, won't fall off, that sort of thing. They've gone back and double checked the volume of their planted because "7,680 cm cubed sounds like way too big". It's all great learning but did they really want to carry on?
This afternoon I gave them the choice; to actually build their box or not, individual choice. 100% yes. Hmmm, now on to the next challenge, where do we find the resources?
I polled my kids today. First, a bit of background.
The maths inquiry is going great guns, the kids are using all the language of measurement, they are converting between informal and formal measurements, they're converting between inches and centimetres. They've constructed scale models of their planters and tested them out on the windowsill to make sure they fit, won't fall off, that sort of thing. They've gone back and double checked the volume of their planted because "7,680 cm cubed sounds like way too big". It's all great learning but did they really want to carry on?
This afternoon I gave them the choice; to actually build their box or not, individual choice. 100% yes. Hmmm, now on to the next challenge, where do we find the resources?
What is the exhibition supposed to look like?
Last year was my first turn at facilitating a PYPX, lots of things went well and the students really did develop their thinking and learning in diverse and creative ways. What follows are some wonderings and thoughts about how best to empower the students and truly allow them to take control of their own learning. Not just take control, but to also develop a truly enriching learning experience which is tailored to themselves.
How do we encourage the students to consider all six of the transdisciplinary themes in their own inquiry, when the models they have been exposed to in every other teacher developed central idea is explicitly linked to only one: Who We Are, How the World Works, Sharing the Planet, Where We Are in Space and Time or How We Organise Ourselves. Is it sufficient for them to consider each of these and then choose one which will become their overarching transdisciplinary theme? The key concepts offer a similar challenge, how to explicitly employ them all?
They've had some thinking time, engaged in loads of discussions, brainstormed and talked through ideas with each other, peers and classroom support teachers; they've decided that they want to spend the next 6 weeks learning about basketball. How do we help them think about basketball from a different perspective, how do we help them to see it's the sportsmanship, or the game strategies and quick decisions that players make. How do we help them to uncover these big ideas without putting words in their mouth or leading them with our own interpretations? How do we get them to inquire into fat central ideas?
This initial questioning time is where I felt most uncomfortable last year, worried that I was going to put words in the mouths of inquiring minds. Thinking of the questions to ask which allow students to develop their own ideas is the biggest challenge I think I have ahead of me as we begin to discuss PYPX at our school for 2011.
How do you prepare your learners to develop their own unit of inquiry?
How do we encourage the students to consider all six of the transdisciplinary themes in their own inquiry, when the models they have been exposed to in every other teacher developed central idea is explicitly linked to only one: Who We Are, How the World Works, Sharing the Planet, Where We Are in Space and Time or How We Organise Ourselves. Is it sufficient for them to consider each of these and then choose one which will become their overarching transdisciplinary theme? The key concepts offer a similar challenge, how to explicitly employ them all?
They've had some thinking time, engaged in loads of discussions, brainstormed and talked through ideas with each other, peers and classroom support teachers; they've decided that they want to spend the next 6 weeks learning about basketball. How do we help them think about basketball from a different perspective, how do we help them to see it's the sportsmanship, or the game strategies and quick decisions that players make. How do we help them to uncover these big ideas without putting words in their mouth or leading them with our own interpretations? How do we get them to inquire into fat central ideas?
This initial questioning time is where I felt most uncomfortable last year, worried that I was going to put words in the mouths of inquiring minds. Thinking of the questions to ask which allow students to develop their own ideas is the biggest challenge I think I have ahead of me as we begin to discuss PYPX at our school for 2011.
How do you prepare your learners to develop their own unit of inquiry?
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Help a Small School
Please help a small school get a staffroom make-over. My aunt, who is the Principal at Springbrook State School, a small 3 teacher, 30 student, government school in country Queensland (Australia), has recently asked for support in a competition.
One Queensland (Australia) school will recieve a $30,000 staffroom makeover. The winning school will be the one with the most votes, so this small school needs as much support as possible. Voting closes on Friday, 22 October 2010, please help Springbrook State School win the ultimate staffroom makeover.
If you'd like to help please click on the following link and vote for Springbrook State School
http://www.staffroomforimprovement.com.au/vote.aspx
Please feel free to forward this message to any other friends or colleagues whom you think would also be keen to support such a worthy cause.
One Queensland (Australia) school will recieve a $30,000 staffroom makeover. The winning school will be the one with the most votes, so this small school needs as much support as possible. Voting closes on Friday, 22 October 2010, please help Springbrook State School win the ultimate staffroom makeover.
If you'd like to help please click on the following link and vote for Springbrook State School
http://www.staffroomforimprovement.com.au/vote.aspx
Please feel free to forward this message to any other friends or colleagues whom you think would also be keen to support such a worthy cause.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Inquiring into Measurement
Well. I pitched my inquiry idea to the colleagues this morning and it lead to a fantastic conversation, needless to say it's a much better plan now. Rather than asking the kids to develop plans for fishtanks, sand boxes or swimming pools which will never be put into play, we're going to design and build planter boxes for the windows. This was an idea which grew from our discussion about connecting maths not only to the real world but to our unit of inquiry also - our central idea is "The material and form of an object affects it's use". Hello, makes perfect sense.
So, here's the task: Design, plan and build a planter box which can be stored on our windowsill. You will need to consider what materials you will use, how much of them you will need and how much soil you will require. You will need to prepare an accurate and detailed diagram as the plan for your planter box. All of the finished boxes will have a new home on our window.
How do you provide opportunities for kids to develop conceptual understandings in meaningful, real world situations?
So, here's the task: Design, plan and build a planter box which can be stored on our windowsill. You will need to consider what materials you will use, how much of them you will need and how much soil you will require. You will need to prepare an accurate and detailed diagram as the plan for your planter box. All of the finished boxes will have a new home on our window.
How do you provide opportunities for kids to develop conceptual understandings in meaningful, real world situations?
Sunday, October 17, 2010
My Life as a Mathematician
This week's prompt from Melanie is: Your Life as a Mathematician. When you're not at school are you still a mathematician? How do you use math to solve problems in your daily life? How did you use it today?
If you asked me 6 months ago the answer was unequivocally, “I am not”. As I looked around for ways to engage students in inquiring into maths concepts, rather than teaching them, I realised that we are all mathematicians. Perhaps not in the traditional Archimedes or Adam Spencer sense, but we all certainly use maths in our daily lives. As I looked for ways to improve my teaching of maths I forced myself to find reasons for knowing or understanding these concepts. If we aren’t going to use it in the world, or build on the understandings for some future purpose, than why learn it in the first place?
I started with the obvious … How much money will this cost, sometimes estimating, how much change will I receive? Walking through the isles of the supermarket shelves, which should I buy the big pack for $20 (56+6 dishwashing tablets) or the smaller one for $10 (22+8)? Calculating the time it will take to drive from home to the movies, what time should I leave to arrive with plenty of popcorn buying time to spare?
Then I moved on … I recently started running and wearing a Nike+ band, what distance did I run today, how long did it take me, how many calories was that, how many calories did I consume yesterday, am I in front or behind? Recently I’ve started twittering and blogging the stats I’m collecting are fantastic, Redesigning the kitchen and choosing the tiles I have been challenged with shape & space, patterns and measurement all in one – no wonder it is so hard to choose.
Grade five are working on volume and capacity, so I’m looking for areas in my own life where I am forced to apply these conceptual understandings: filling the fish tank or the pool, buying sand for the sand box, adding enough water to the saucepan to allow for the displacement of my artichokes (they were both enormous and delicious).
For me, the challenge to develop ways to facilitate inquiry has been resolved by looking for these concepts in the real world (which in turn becomes the challenge). From these real world examples I try to develop tasks that will give the students an opportunity to uncover the mathematical concepts through their discussions as they work collaboratively together. I agree it is hard, not to mention time consuming, but rewarding when you see the kids make sense of their learning. Learning about mathematical concepts in these ways, and understanding them myself, allows the students to develop their own purpose and application of the concepts. I always wondered how maths would be relevant to me outside of school – hopefully my students will develop this understanding while they are also developing the understanding of the concepts. Making the learning so much richer.
How do you use maths in your real world?
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Tweeting...
It’s almost the end of our October break. With my husband away and my daughter in and out doing her own thing, I’ve taken the opportunity to engage in a bit of personal professional development in the form of social networking.
Always one to pick up something new and give it a go, I don’t mind a bit of technology, but after creating my twitter account last year I couldn’t make it work for me. I just didn’t see how on earth I could begin talking to strangers over the Internet. So, like so many good things, I put it down and walked away. With a week in front of me, my shiny new iPad on my lap and no plans for anything else I decided that this was the week.
It’s been strangely comforting. A little weird at first, voyeuristic certainly, yet over the past few days I relaxed into it. Nervous about where and how to begin I read quite a few ’How To Twitter’ posts (sorry I have read so many blog posts in these last few days I would have no hope of finding them again to attribute) which all seemed to offer the same advice: find some people with similar interests to you and follow them. As I clicked and navigated my way around I found there were loads of teachers just like me! I realised, as I started flicking more and more through tweeters (is that what a twitter post is called?) and profiles and links to web sites or blogs that this was an opportunity for me to find like minded educators – not only find them, an opportunity to follow them and learn from them.
Always a little slow on the uptake I then found links and references to things called PLNs. Never big on acronyms I investigated a little further and realised just how ahead of the times my own realisation had been. Through all of my twittering I began to feel revitalised about my own teaching practises and develop so many new ideas and plans for learning opportunities for my students. I have been having lots fun these holidays thinking about work.
This week I embarked upon my own learning inquiry – perhaps stumbled is a little more accurate because I hadn’t gone out looking to begin an inquiry. I just wanted to see if Twitter could work for me. I realise of course this was an inquiry and for me a most valuable one at that. Sharing in the learning experiences of my students is not enough, I realise that I also need to learn in the ways I am expecting them to learn. Using technology is a big part of what I do in the classroom, finding new and innovative ways to express yourself is exciting. I believe that it’s this excitement that contributes to making learning fun. I need to do it too, not as a teacher, but as myself. This is how I will truly learn.
This week of fall break has been one of my most productive yet. I have made some new friends (is it appropriate to call people whom I follow or who follow me friends?). Friends whom I know will help me to understand more about education, about learning and about technology. Thank you to all of those who have let me follow them and especially thank you to those of you who now follow me. I sincerely look forward to the learning we will do together.
Always one to pick up something new and give it a go, I don’t mind a bit of technology, but after creating my twitter account last year I couldn’t make it work for me. I just didn’t see how on earth I could begin talking to strangers over the Internet. So, like so many good things, I put it down and walked away. With a week in front of me, my shiny new iPad on my lap and no plans for anything else I decided that this was the week.
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| attribution |
Always a little slow on the uptake I then found links and references to things called PLNs. Never big on acronyms I investigated a little further and realised just how ahead of the times my own realisation had been. Through all of my twittering I began to feel revitalised about my own teaching practises and develop so many new ideas and plans for learning opportunities for my students. I have been having lots fun these holidays thinking about work.
This week I embarked upon my own learning inquiry – perhaps stumbled is a little more accurate because I hadn’t gone out looking to begin an inquiry. I just wanted to see if Twitter could work for me. I realise of course this was an inquiry and for me a most valuable one at that. Sharing in the learning experiences of my students is not enough, I realise that I also need to learn in the ways I am expecting them to learn. Using technology is a big part of what I do in the classroom, finding new and innovative ways to express yourself is exciting. I believe that it’s this excitement that contributes to making learning fun. I need to do it too, not as a teacher, but as myself. This is how I will truly learn.
This week of fall break has been one of my most productive yet. I have made some new friends (is it appropriate to call people whom I follow or who follow me friends?). Friends whom I know will help me to understand more about education, about learning and about technology. Thank you to all of those who have let me follow them and especially thank you to those of you who now follow me. I sincerely look forward to the learning we will do together.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Reading in the Classroom
A while ago I found myself questioning the purpose of traditional literacy circle sessions in the classroom. Why do we split the kids into ability groups, give them three or four books to choose from and tell them how to organise themselves? I couldn’t justify continuing with this traditional approach as I watched the students become less and less enthusiastic about reading. A colleague suggested I read Nancie Atwell’s, In the Middle: New understandings about writing, reading and learning (1998). As I read through her ideas I found myself adapting the concepts to suit younger students and my own personal philosophy. I realised that my main (reading) objective as a 5th grade teacher was to have my kids leaving the classroom identifying as readers. I realised that the only way I was going to achieve this effectively was to give the kids control of their own reading. So, after quite an insightful (for me) and lengthy discussion with the kids, we all went down to the library where the students were invited to select the book they would like to read – no need to find multiple copies, no need to be fiction, no need to be a chapter book, no need for it to be a book (as long as you could borrow it from the library), there was no need words at all in fact.
The remainder of the year was one learning experience after another for me. As the students began to take control of the books they were reading during ‘literacy circle’ sessions they began to talk about books, unprompted, throughout the day. I often heard them talking about what they were reading as they walked in in the mornings and as they walked out on their way to lunch. They would compare and share authors, they recommended reading material of all different genres and styles. The students themselves initiated reading circles as they began to find like-minded readers – and sometimes in the most surprising of partnerships. As the year came to a close many parents commented on the diversity of reading material their child had been engaged in over the year, including holiday periods. The results could not have been more positive, as I said goodbye to last year’s grade five students I knew they were leaving the classroom not only as readers but identifying as readers.
It stands to reason then, at the beginning of this school year there were no literacy circle groups assigned, no books offered as a place to start. Our literacy sessions this year started with conversations about reading. Questions and conversations, which were very similar to those posted by Melanie in her blog, Once Upon a Teacher, because reading in the classroom should happen just as it does in the real world. In our classroom we developed a list of reader’s rights. These rights form the basis for our reading together:
What does reading look like in your classroom?
The remainder of the year was one learning experience after another for me. As the students began to take control of the books they were reading during ‘literacy circle’ sessions they began to talk about books, unprompted, throughout the day. I often heard them talking about what they were reading as they walked in in the mornings and as they walked out on their way to lunch. They would compare and share authors, they recommended reading material of all different genres and styles. The students themselves initiated reading circles as they began to find like-minded readers – and sometimes in the most surprising of partnerships. As the year came to a close many parents commented on the diversity of reading material their child had been engaged in over the year, including holiday periods. The results could not have been more positive, as I said goodbye to last year’s grade five students I knew they were leaving the classroom not only as readers but identifying as readers.
It stands to reason then, at the beginning of this school year there were no literacy circle groups assigned, no books offered as a place to start. Our literacy sessions this year started with conversations about reading. Questions and conversations, which were very similar to those posted by Melanie in her blog, Once Upon a Teacher, because reading in the classroom should happen just as it does in the real world. In our classroom we developed a list of reader’s rights. These rights form the basis for our reading together:
What does reading look like in your classroom?
My Life as a Reader
I am a reader. I don’t read everything all the time, nor do I read things quickly, although I don’t read slowly – I don’t think. In a conversation only recently I found myself explaining that if I read a book too quickly then I feel duped somehow, like the pleasure has been stolen from me for the rushing. I don’t have a favourite place to read, nor do I have a favourite thing to read. It depends on where I am or on my mood or how much time I have.
None of that really matters though does it? I identify as a reader. I like to browse through reading material; I like to walk through the bookstore at every airport I go through. Despite myself, I walk into the local bookstore to browse through the books, even though I don’t read the language many of them are written in. I don’t really like libraries because those books aren’t for keeping or collecting. I love to see the books growing in number on the shelves at home. I love the feeling of reading a book fresh from the bookshop, the way the spine hasn’t yet been tainted, the pages haven’t been turned by anyone but me.
My mother still jokes about the time I catalogued all of the books at home, Dewey decimal style, as a child. I don’t do that any more, but I do need to keep the genres together. It’s strangely calming to reorganise the books at times too, of course genre always comes first.
I read for work: young authors (at the moment they are 10 & 11 years of age), educational books, books about text type, teaching resource guides, journal articles, chapter books, picture books, comic books, graphic novels, web pages and emails. I read for pleasure: historical fiction (to understand more about Australia, where I grew up and Germany, where I live now), crime, thriller, travel, cooking, biographies and self help books, emails and magazines. I read for instructions when I get new stuff or when I want to learn without figuring it out myself first, when I am shopping to make informed choices and when I am travelling, driving or navigating public transport. I read without even thinking about it.
Isn’t this what reading is all about? Using the written word to make sense of our world and go further within it?
How do you read?
None of that really matters though does it? I identify as a reader. I like to browse through reading material; I like to walk through the bookstore at every airport I go through. Despite myself, I walk into the local bookstore to browse through the books, even though I don’t read the language many of them are written in. I don’t really like libraries because those books aren’t for keeping or collecting. I love to see the books growing in number on the shelves at home. I love the feeling of reading a book fresh from the bookshop, the way the spine hasn’t yet been tainted, the pages haven’t been turned by anyone but me.
My mother still jokes about the time I catalogued all of the books at home, Dewey decimal style, as a child. I don’t do that any more, but I do need to keep the genres together. It’s strangely calming to reorganise the books at times too, of course genre always comes first.
I read for work: young authors (at the moment they are 10 & 11 years of age), educational books, books about text type, teaching resource guides, journal articles, chapter books, picture books, comic books, graphic novels, web pages and emails. I read for pleasure: historical fiction (to understand more about Australia, where I grew up and Germany, where I live now), crime, thriller, travel, cooking, biographies and self help books, emails and magazines. I read for instructions when I get new stuff or when I want to learn without figuring it out myself first, when I am shopping to make informed choices and when I am travelling, driving or navigating public transport. I read without even thinking about it.
Isn’t this what reading is all about? Using the written word to make sense of our world and go further within it?
How do you read?
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