Happy TGIF to everyone as we launch into the final week of the year before we kick off 2016! I would like to begin by wishing everyone a HAPPY NEW YEAR (this is the final Fast Friday Focus of 2015) and may the new year be filled with health, happiness and only wonderful things for each of you and your loved ones - you all deserve the best because you pour your collectives hearts and souls into this space! 2015 was an awesome year for me, both professionally and personally (finishing the doctorate, doing lots of public speaking across the country and finding happiness in my personal life) and during many moments of craziness over the last year (there is never a dull moment), the one constant and certain thing in my life was #Cantiague - the kids, families and most importantly, each of you. Thank you for your support, patience and compassion over the last year. I know that I am kicking off 2016 as a better person, educator and father because of this space and the impact each of you has on me... THANK YOU for the #YearOfHappy!
Recently I have been thinking a lot about planning and how that impacts teaching and learning in our building each day. Much of my thinking has been anchored in our recent literacy check-in meetings where we have been discussing the integration of the new TC Units of Study and how these resources are impacting planning for literacy instruction and actual implementation.
This notion of "planning" is one I have struggled with my entire career as an educator... I could never quite plan far enough ahead yet I always over planned to make sure every minute was accounted for in my classroom. I have run the spectrum of planning... planning week to week using a plan book; planning an entire unit of study in advance using a template; and planning day to day on sheets of loose leaf paper based on what I actually got accomplished on any given day with my students. The following graphic accurately captures what the "planning" experience looked like for me as a classroom teacher and even sometimes as a principal (be honest - how many of you can relate??)...
Fortunately, with almost 20 years experience as an educator I can confidently say that although I may have yet to master the whole planning situation, I have come to understand how important it really is to plan for learning and teaching within our classrooms. Regardless of what style or approach or format an educator uses, the bottom line is that we must plan in advance to have some sort of trajectory for the learning we hope to see unfold in our classrooms. The way I see it, there are three stages of planning we could be engaging in that could have a positive impact on our students.
The first stage of planning, and the one that I think is most effective and beneficial to maximizing the learning and teaching experience is unit planning. What do I mean by unit planning? I don't mean picking up the new TC Units of Study (reading or writing) and necessarily following them verbatim (although that may work for many educators). No, I mean thinking about a unit of study that would be most beneficial to students... YOUR students. Think about what you want your students to have accomplished at the end of the unit of study. What are the essential (big & overarching) questions they should be able to answer? What knowledge and skills should students have acquired at the end of a unit? (Could the TC Units of Study be the resource an educator uses as the anchor for a unit? Yes! But, the end goals should be established for the current group of students... TC Units of Study are a resource - they are not the curriculum). After identifying the essential questions and specific knowledge and skills, now take a few steps back and think about what evidence could be "collected" during a unit to show what children have learned. This is the time to think about how the learning during a unit of study will be assessed because starting with the assessment in mind and planning backwards from that point only increases the chances of academic success for learners. The final step in unit planning is thinking about the day to day learning experiences and the instruction that need to take place in order for the children to be able to answer the essential questions at the end of the unit.
A resource that is often used to facilitate this type of unit planning is the Understanding By Design model. The graphic below provides a great visual for the thinking that goes into this type of planning. What we know about systems thinking is that we plan ahead for our end goal - basically planning for our ideal situation - and working back from there.
The final stage of planning is based on the data we collect from our students on a daily basis and this impacts the day to day instruction that unfolds in our classrooms. Yes, we may have planned a six week unit of study in writing workshop that focuses on poetry but if we notice that the majority of our students are struggling with a strategy or skill on any given day, then that should impact, and even dictate, the next day's mini-lesson. It might throw the unit of study slightly off course but ultimately, we must use data to guide and plan our instruction so that we are meeting the needs of our students and helping them work towards mastery of specific skills. The learning and teaching that unfolds in a classroom on a daily basis should not be solely based on a unit that was planned weeks in advance - it needs to be shaped and impacted by our students.
Although there is not one size fits all approach to planning, I do believe these three stages of planning will ultimately have the most positive impact on the teaching and learning that unfolds in our classrooms each day. Definitely a conversation we will continue moving forward and I hope that you will all join me in reflecting on your individual planning style and how we can collaborate to enhance our skills in this area!
#EDUWINS for the week included...
- Joe P. was working with the 5th graders in the second computer lab with the LEGO Robotics and the results were pretty awesome! First of all, the energy in the room was so positive and the buzz was indicative of the children being excited and interested in the activity at hand. After attempting to code the robots to do specific things, the children were beyond excited to try them out - it was amazing to watch!
- Jen had her children working in small group math stations with each one being facilitated by an adult. The focus of the activities were place value and it was impressive to watch the children navigate most of the games and activities on their own. I watched two girls who had a blast playing a game to see who could get to 20 cubes (two 10 rods) first. Math stations are definitely spreading in our building... AWESOMENESS!
- I was in Ally's room during reading workshop and the children were doing an amazing job. Their ability to sustain engagement for partner reading (see saw reading to be specific) for an extended period time was really impressive. I also had the chance to interview one of her kids, Michael, about the workshop experience and you can listen to that short clip here!
Tech Tip of the Week...
Check this list of 9 interesting tech resources: 9 Digital Tools For Your Classroom Toolbelt! It features some resources that work really nicely with Google so I thought it was worth a share. Let me know if you try anything out and how it goes!
Blogs Worth Reading...
5 Reasons To Throw Out Mandatory Lesson Plans by Ross Cooper
Inspiration: An Educator's Fuel by Elena Aguilar
Responding To The NYS Common Core Task Force Report by Tim Dawkins & Lisa Meade
Staff Reflection/Blog...
Our latest post comes from our second grade team who shares their tips for implementing a thorough and meaningful Genius Hour experience (as an outsider, I think it is an excellent step-by-step guide for any grade level to use for Genius Hour)...
Genius Hour Experience (Second Grade Style)
Last year, we launched our Genius Hour experience in second grade. After the first “go around” we reflected on our experience. We realized what we loved, but also what we wanted to make better. This year is off to a great start! Here is what Genius Hour looks like in our room the second time around...
1. We started our first session by discussing our passions. We gave each child a piece of paper with 2 dots. We asked them to draw something from those two dots that they love. Students wrote the topic of their drawing/idea on an index card. Each student filed the index card in their Genius Hour index card box. Some topics included beaches, nature, American Girl Dolls, hockey etc.
2. In our next session, we gave each child a piece of paper with a squiggly line and challenged them to turn that line into something they love or feel passionate about, completely different from the last session. Students drew cars, Pandas, Hawaii, diamonds etc. Just like the last session, students wrote this new topic on a different colored index card and filed it in their Genius Hour box.
3. In the next session, we revisited their drawings and cards. We asked them to make a decision about which topic they would like to stick with for this round of Genius Hour. They spent some time thinking and deciding. Students selected the card they chose to further research. We collected this card.
4. In the next session, we gave back their topic index cards and asked students to brainstorm what he/she already knows about this topic, in the “K” section of KWL. They had to really think about everything they knew and jot it down.
5. Next session, we asked students to generate questions he/she has on their topic of choice. It was a great lesson to show students that we may still have questions on things we already love. They wrote down everything they are curious about or want to know more about! We also explained that “good” questions are not yes or no question; it needs to be something that you can find lots of information on.
6. After that, each child needed to reflect on all their questions and pick the 5 they wanted to take through the process of researching. We spent a lot of time focusing on the kinds of questions they should ask.
7. In our next session, students wrote down their five questions (one on each index cards) and teachers stapled their topic card on top, followed by the five index cards into a booklet. Students filed this booklet into their Genius Hour box.
8. Before the next Genius Hour, we sent a note home to each family with their child’s topic and asked parents to help us prepare students by sending in materials that their children can use for researching. We also encouraged the kids to check out books for the library on their topic. We asked for things like books, magazines, websites, articles, apps, or anything else that would help his/her child learn more on this passion topic.
9. After that, the kids were ready to start their research in class. Students were provided with several sessions to find answers to their questions. Some students realized that the materials they brought in were either very helpful or not helpful at all for the questions he/she have on their topic. Students were given opportunities to look for other materials in school or at home before the next Genius Hour session. At this point, most students have completed their research and are ready for the next step!
10. Future sessions: From there, we will give children the opportunity to pick how they would like to present their information and findings. Last year, we had students make books, scrap books, dioramas, posters, video presentations, PowerPoints, Sock Puppet, and Show Me presentations. This year, we have so many more ideas on ways for the students to present. QR codes, Google Slides, new Apps, coding, and so many other cool ways to present findings. We tell the kids…..The Sky is the Limit!
11. Finally, we will allow time for each child to share their passion project with the class. This is such a wonderful opportunity for the students to build confidence and feel proud of all their hard work. We can’t wait to see how it all turns out this year! Stay tuned on Twitter to see the final presentations!
Monday, December 21
"A" Week
Happy Manga Monday... Please join me for the Holiday Luncheon starting at 11am in the Faculty Room... a little THANK YOU from me to you!
Happy Manga Monday... Please join me for the Holiday Luncheon starting at 11am in the Faculty Room... a little THANK YOU from me to you!
Tuesday, December 22
F.E.O. for all staff - articulation between grade levels about literacy instruction
Surprise Grade 5 Staff vs. Student Volleyball Game at 1:30pm
DRESS DOWN and be comfy!
Wednesday, December 23
DRESS DOWN and be comfy!
HAPPY HOLIDAY BREAK!!!!
Monday, January 4
"B" Week
Happy New Year... May 2016 be AMAZING! Welcome Back!
Happy New Year... May 2016 be AMAZING! Welcome Back!
Tuesday, January 5
F.E.O. facilitated by CAs!
Wednesday, January 6
Happy Wednesday!
Thursday, January 7
CST at 1:20pm
Cultural Arts
Cultural Arts
Friday, January 8
Happy TGIF!
Reminders...
- F&P Testing will begin the week of Jan. 11 and will continue through the February break;
- Co-teachers should sign up for 2 full days of testing; all other teachers should sign up for 3 full days of testing;
- Jan. 12th will be a DOUBLE FEO, till about 4:30pm and it will be our first ever #EdCampFEO... think about any sessions you want to facilitate!
