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?
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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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