As we continue to strengthen our middle school focus on communication skills, I have found myself zeroed in on the first rubric category - "Engaging in Conversation and Discussions." This is a logical focus considering conversations and discussions should be a normal part of our daily classroom routines. I've really started listening to the students as I visit lessons.
Although the article, "How To Ask the Right Questions", speaks specifically to the science classroom, the skill of questioning is relevant to all teachers. The article particularly focused my thoughts on the first two areas of the "Engaging in Conversations and Discussions" portion of the communication rubric. The student: a) asks questions that force others to defend their ideas or conclusions b) asks higher level questions about the topic for discussion. These questions lead to a greater understanding. For me, the article raised the question - Do we, as teachers, model the types of questions we want our students to ask? In order to get our students asking questions of each other, they need to know what those questions sound like. The article states that the "wording of questions is important" (p.4) in order to stimulate thinking. We have to plan in advance and write out the questions we want to ask! The article provides an explanation of different question types teachers typically ask: managerial, rhetorical, closed, open. How often do we think about the types of questions we pose to students? This is a great reflection, if a teacher wants to improve the quality of questions they ask and model for students. During planning, consider what you want the student conversations to sound like. How will your questions stimulate the thinking and discussion you want? You can deliberately plan open-ended questions to encourage more meaningful discussion and peer to peer communication. Engaging in conversation to answer an open-ended question may be uncomfortable for students at first. The article states that "students have become comfortable with trying to come up with right answers" (p.5). They are often afraid of being wrong or asking questions! This is exactly why we have to create an environment where students are comfortable practicing the skills and encouraged to take risks. Since I have started to focus on truly listening to our students' conversations I notice that they rarely challenge or question each others' ideas. Most of the time they are agreeable. Why is this? Are they afraid to take the risk of sharing their ideas? Do they trust the other students more than they trust their own thoughts? Is there always a right answer, so conversation in unnecessary? Perhaps, our questions or tasks don't truly require in-depth discussion. There is not one correct answer here. Again, just some questions to consider as you listen to your students and plan intentionally. One last point I found valuable in this article and just have to comment on - the VALUE OF SILENCE (p. 6). I often say teachers talk TOO much! Ha. I'm guilty. When reflecting on questioning, ask yourself - Who is asking the questions in your classroom? Who is answering the questions? How many times do you repeat or reword a question while students are trying to THINK about an answer? If you're not sure - call in the coach! I can collect data to support your reflection. The article supports that silence works! A few highlights of increased wait time include:
In summary, if one of our goals for communication skills is to promote student questioning, we have to model asking good questions. We also have to create an environment which encourages thinking, questioning, and peer to peer conversation. As a coach, I am happy to gather data to support your reflection. Please reach out! Extra eyes and ears in classroom are always beneficial. Please share your thoughts in the comments! What did you take away from the article? What connections did you find to our focus on communication? How did the article challenge your thinking or practice? Reference: "How to Ask the Right Questions." Patricia E. Blosser. National Science Teachers Association. 2000.
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Chapter 8 - Part 2 (Self-Reflection)"It Doesn't Have Meaning" is challenge #6 outlined in chapter 8 of Launch. The focus: Purpose! Purpose needs to be established to hook students and engage them deeply in creating. Spencer and Juliani stress that the purpose CANNOT be GRADES! And, we all know, that it so often is. As teachers we tend to use grades to "motivate" students. However, without an authentic purpose students lose motivation, they lack passion. "What happens to learners who don't care about grades, and workers who want more purpose in their job than just a pay check?" (p. 168) We need to help students find purpose in the activities, lessons, projects we expect them to engage in. Help them to see connections to the real-world, the world as it is relevant to them, connections to their interests, and ultimately spark their passion for creativity in some form.
So, what is your purpose? Your passion? I would like you to join me in the activity Spencer and Juliani propose in chapter 8. The authors encourage readers to "sift through the noise and all [our] interests" (p. 168). Reflect and explore your own interests using the strategies in chapter 8, pages 169-172. Then, share your purpose and passions in the comments. 1. What kinds of activities do you choose to do when you are free from expectations and requirements Things to consider:
3. What do you read and watch? 4. Create a bracket of your interests and eliminate interests. 5. Focus on your "Final Four" interests and engage in those activities. Narrow down to your true passion. 6. Understand your purpose. Why is that "thing" your passion? This why = purpose. Click here to access a bracket template. Chapter 8 - CreatingAs I read this quote at the beginning of chapter 8 I immediately thought of our "Attributes of a Big Spring Graduate." We need to keep this list of attributes in mind as we revise curriculum, plan lessons, and continue to strengthen our focus on the 4 Cs at the middle school. Our district has created a list of attributes we feel are critical for our Big Spring students' success in the 'real-world.' How do our classrooms and instruction reflect these skills and provide students opportunities improve upon them? These skills we expect our students to have upon graduation take practice. It is our responsibility to provide experiences for students where they can engage in creative problem solving, community involvement, global awareness, collaboration, communication (to an authentic audience) and various levels of responsibility and ownership in their learning. I know. It's a lot! Overwhelming, perhaps? It's not easy. I appreciate the honesty expressed in chapter 8 of Launch - "Creativity is not easy. It's not fast. It's not perfect. It's emotionally draining. It requires hard work and patience...[but] when we create, we come alive" (p.153). Within this are additional skills our students need; perseverance, patience, hard work, failure. It will take time to build these characteristics within our students. But, we need to start somewhere! We have to stop avoiding what we think our students "can't do" or "won't do" and face the challenges. This is why our STEM committee agreed to begin with a focus on the 4 Cs at the middle school. We are aware we have to start now! Again, I appreciate the honesty of chapter 8 as Spencer and Juliani create a list of challenges that come with an emphasis on creating. Let's not make these excuses, but instead acknowledge that the challenges are real and find solutions to overcoming the obstacles...let's think creatively! #1 - Time #2- Fear #3 - Chaos #4 - Resources #5 - Boredom #6 - Purpose (Passion) To end, this chapter was full of quotes I just had to highlight! Great food for thought as we plan lessons and "projects" for the 2017-18 school year. Please consider: purpose, product, process, interests, possible audiences, the challenges, and the level at which students will truly and authentically engage in practicing the 4 Cs and/or the skills we have identified as the "Attributes of a Big Spring Graduate." In the comments, please share...(you choose)
A reflection to the quote(s). How you would like to foster the "Attributes of a Big Spring Graduate" in your classroom this school year. Any other notes, reactions, comments from chapter 8. Chapter 7 - Navigating IdeasVideo From: John Spencer's Blog - "Brainstorming is Broken. Here's How You Can Fix It." http://www.spencerauthor.com/a-different-approach-to-brainstorming/ I appreciate the focus of chapter 7 and the depth of "Navigating Ideas." I often feel we don't spend enough time in the brainstorming/pre-writing/planning phases of writing, research, and projects. In many cases, students are expected to work through the writing process or complete a project in a limited time frame. We also emphasize completion rather than focusing on the importance of each stage of the process. In the Launch Cycle, Phase Four: Navigating Ideas emphasizes the value of providing students time to brainstorm, share and explore ideas, and plan before creating.
Spencer and Juliani outline a brainstorming process (shown in the video clip) with a focus on the power of independent and collaborative brainstorming. The time students spend in this phase can strengthen their interest and desire to dig deeper into an idea or topic. Steps 3-5 add a new level of engagement and critical thinking to the brainstorming phase: Step #3: Make connections to other students' ideas. Step #4: Add "bad ideas" to the consolidated list. Step #5: Combine unrelated ideas. These last three steps engage students even deeper in what Spencer and Juliani define as "Divergent Thinking - a process of seeing multiple options and viewing solutions in a different way." I love this idea of thinking outside of the box to include bad ideas and look for connections. This process makes it more comfortable for students to share their ideas with less fear of being "wrong!" It gives them the opportunity to toss around creative, odd, different thoughts. Different and crazy ideas are good! Spencer and Juliani explain that it's in these moments that often times solutions to problems or creative ideas arise. The brainstorming and collaborative process lead to great ideas! To connect to our focus on the 4 Cs, this process practices communication skills, collaborative learning, critical thinking, and creative thinking! Chapter 5 - Ask Tons of Questions!While on vacation, I found myself sitting on the beach pondering the wonder of the ocean and asking lots of questions! We do this often while on vacation - have intriguing conversations that begin with a question that may lead us down a rabbit hole of more questions about the mysteries of our world!
Questions such as;
These are all questions we've asked, pondered, discussed and eventually research to find some answers...while on vacation! We're intrigued, curious, and want to know MORE. These moments of intrigue come when we have time to sit, observe and wonder in silence. We're not afraid to ask questions of each other and learn from one another. So how do we create this environment, these situations in our classrooms? I like the image that John Spencer creates of his classroom with "students sitting silently...tapping into their natural curiosity." He provides time for students to think, question and write. It's as simple as setting the class time aside to allow students this opportunity. Spencer follows this 10 minute independent time with collaborative learning opportunities. Students share their questions in a comfortable environment. Asking questions becomes routine and part of the learning process. As a STEM committee we have discussed and agree that our students lack the skills they need to truly and effectively engage in the 4 Cs - collaboration, creativity, critical thinking and communication. That's why we need to create routine opportunities for students to practice these skills. In 10-15 minutes, students think critically about what questions they have, then communicate in a collaborative learning situation to discuss their questions and possible answers with their peers. Spencer and Juliani state specifically that, "...asking good questions is a skill that requires practice, training, and mentoring." Spencer shares from his own personal experiences that students do not come to his science classroom with the skills they need to ask deep, meaningful questions. It takes time and explicit practice. Unfortunately, the wonder we all have as young children becomes inhibited. We have to make it comfortable, natural and normal again for students to ask questions about our world! In chapter 5, Ask Tons of Questions, Spencer and Juliani list 14 different strategies we can use to engage students in questioning. I know some of our MS teams are considering a Genius Hour for the 2017-2018 school year. Number 2 on the list of strategies - Do Wonder Days - reminds me of this Genius Hour concept where we allow students to explore anything they are interested in! They have the choice to learn about something that intrigues them. The topic doesn't matter because the practice of the 4 C skills is what's critical. I also like number 7 on the list - Provide Support - where they discuss the use of guiding questions and sentence stems. This is an easy strategy our STEM committee can share with teachers for daily use across all subject areas. We can provide teachers with a list of sentence stems and some ways to incorporate them into daily lessons. To end, my current thoughts for where to begin with STEM training at the middle school include 1) Clarifying and defining creative thinking, so we all have a common language and vision. 2) Stressing the importance of engaging students in asking questions - in all subject areas. As Spencer and Juliani quote (p. 106), "You cannot empower students to be self-directed, responsible, critical-thinking people if they can't ask their own questions. At that point, you're teaching compliance rather than responsibility." In other words, asking questions is probably the most critical skill for success in engaging students in the critical thinking, collaborative learning, creative thinking and communication (4 Cs). Share your thoughts! Do you agree? Disagree? Do you have a different vision of where to begin our training with staff? Chapter 3: The Launch Cycle"Unleashing our inner creativity is like so many things we try; the more we practice the easier it gets." This quote from the beginning of chapter 3, by Tom and David Kelley, focuses us on the importance of practicing the 4 C skills. As teachers, we are responsible for providing students with opportunities to practice creative thinking, in addition to communication, critical thinking, and collaboration skills. If we combine efforts and make practice part of our daily routines across the content areas, the more easily and effectively our students will engage when asked to use these skills.
I appreciate that Spencer and Juliani mention that "design thinking is bigger than STEM." It comes back to the idea of inquiry - peaking student interests, allowing them to ask questions, and explore possible answers and solutions. Spencer and Juliani define Design Thinking as a way to encourage risk-taking and creativity in a positive environment. We can create these environments in classrooms of all content areas. Some subjects lend more easily and naturally to problem solving, design thinking and creativity, so explicitly teaching and practicing these skills in those areas is a good place to begin. I envision teachers sharing their experiences as we take risks in instruction. This way, we can learn and grow together as we build a culture for both staff and students where positive risk-taking is welcomed and encouraged. Having a process, like LAUNCH, creates a common language and approach for teachers and students. The process becomes habit - or like Spencer and Juliani mention - "the process is common to everyone," while the "end products [are] unique." I envision explicit instruction of the different stages of the process, particularly the initial steps in the LAUNCH Cycle as we begin. Engaging students in building awareness, asking questions, and researching can easily be implemented into our regular classroom routines. Brainstorming and creating are also important when appropriate in the classroom. I don't want to overwhelm teachers with the idea that the entire LAUNCH Cycle needs to happen all the time in every classroom. Share your thoughts: How do you envision the LAUNCH Cycle, or something similar, working in your classroom? I know the science department has agreed to use the 5 Es - Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate. How do these approaches relate or do they serve different purposes? Chapter 1: Creative Classrooms & Chapter 2: Finding Your Creative ApproachThe first two chapters of Launch, by John Spencer and A.J. Juliani, have me reconsidering where to begin at BSMS in regard to the 4 Cs. Originally, we thought collaboration was a good place to begin, but maybe it's creativity. I say that because I believe that an awareness of ones own creative approach, as well as valuing others' creative approaches, is critical in successful collaborative learning environments. I'm eager to read more about the "Launch Cycle" to see how Spencer and Juliani propose launching these ideas in our school. At this point, I'm thinking our first step with professional development focused on creativity is redefining the term "creative" with staff. I'm positive that when we say "creativity" teachers think along the lines of making something -posters, brochures, videos - those sorts of tasks or as we call them projects. What we really need to be saying is "creative thinking" and "creative design." In the first chapters of Launch, it's clearly explained that creativity is so much more than an extra (artsy) project. Creative thinking and design can easily become part of our daily routines across all content areas. It's a matter of engaging students in situations that require creative problem solving, creative solutions, creative approaches, creative designs, and creative roles. It's explicitly teaching students that WE ALL have different creative approaches and each member of a team and the classroom has valuable creative ideas to offer. The classroom culture has to foster this creativity by allowing students (and teachers) to fail and try again! We have to change the mindset that there is a right answer or a correct way to a solution. In reality, there can be many solutions in most situations. I truly believe this is where creativity falls apart for both teachers and students. We're afraid to take risks and put ourselves out there with new ideas or innovative approaches because we have been conditioned that there is a right way! In my role as an instructional coach I often hear teachers say, "I'm not creative." I appreciate that Spencer and Julliani address the idea that some teachers feel they are not creative. They clearly state, "Not creating is a choice." They give perfect examples of how teachers are creative every day by solving problems on the fly, collaborating to create solutions, and managing the many personalities we encounter on a daily basis. Again, this comes back to how we define and understand what creativity is! We each have a different approach to creativity. So what's your approach? I'm eager to hear how each of us relates to the approaches explained in the book. Please share in the comments! Can you guess what my approach is? Hint: I'm a combination of two!
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Crystal GrossmanI love... reading, learning, instructional planning, brainstorming, being creative, working with young adults, collaborating with teachers, teaching. I love my job. Archives
February 2018
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