Oct
6
A cross-post from my other blog
October 6, 2009 | | Leave a Comment
I just popped this up on my other blog (maintaining two because I think I have readers here) – http://27Jpraxis.org/edugeek
My blog has fallen victim to a fast-paced start of the school year mixed with the addition of some new programs and on a personal note, the anticipation of my second son (who is now officially two days late – my poor wife – she feels like she’s put in her time and is officially done). I have, however, been doing a lot of thinking and learning, learning and thinking.
As we’ve been moving forward with <a href=”http://www.amazon.com/Classroom-Assessment-Student-Learning-Right-Using/dp/0135134161/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254843723&sr=8-1″>Classroom Formative Assessment</a> here in 27J as a means to implement our <a href=”http://sa.sd27j.org/modules/cms/pages.phtml?pageid=73975&sessionid=4f3abb4f7196720ef168f8fd1059dc1e”>instructional model</a>, I’ve been thinking to myself, “so what relevant and appropriate technology would be helpful to support this initiative?” I think maybe I’ve been asking the wrong question. Is the question, “what tools?” or “what systems?” I think the latter provides teachers with the support needed to truly create a 21st Century classroom that both utilizes the tools of today (many of them web-based) and the “<a href=”http://shop.assessmentinst.com/servlet/ProductView?command=cp&supplierID=649&commodityID=23836&searchIndex=2″>Seven Strategies</a>” for classroom formative assessment (<a href=”http://teachingss.pbworks.com/f/Helping+Students+Understand+Assessment.pdf”>a good overview here</a>).
Yesterday, in our Student Achievement team meeting, Kelly Corbett and Leslie Vickers (neither of whom have I been able to pull to the 27J blogosphere yet; so sorry no links), immersed us in a fantastic simulation (which I saw them deliver at <a href=”http://pvhs.sd27j.org/”>PVHS</a>) that really demonstrated the practical side of integrating the Seven Strategies into a realistic classroom setting. The unit was simple – 4th grade Art class – a study of repeating patterns, but the strategies they used were complex. After each “day” of class, every small group was engaged in conversation about what strategies we saw demonstrated. You would think this would be a pretty cut-and-dry conversation, but I found a few of my colleagues in debates about what they actually saw occurring.
One thing we all agreed on was that we saw the instructor providing a clear target each and every day (and reviewing the overall target for the unit) – the main focus of last year for all of our schools. I can see why this is seen as most important because, if student don’t know where they’re going, they can’t possibly get there. One thing that this presentation confirmed is that utilizing the “Seven Strategies” is a systems approach to instructional design, not specific activities that teachers and students “do” on any particular day. This leads me to my original question, “have I been asking the wrong questions?,” when I talk to teachers and instructional leaders?
I think the right questions for these folks is, “what systems do you put in place in your classrooms that . . . “:
<li>Help students to completely understand the target and know what it will take to get there – how do you present and discuss your target?;
<li>Provide them with with examples of strong and weak work – where can they go to see these examples (are they physical or digital)?
<li>Give them feedback on their work against the target – where do you provide feedback and how are they able to confirm that they know what to do with it?
<li>Give them strategies and space to self-assess their work against the strongest model or the ideals that will help them reach the target – what systems are in place to scaffold students’ self-assessment?
<li>Establish avenues where they are able to access focused direct instruction that will help them meet the target either when introducing a new concept or reviewing based on feedback – is this face-to-face instruction, links to online resources or a combination of both? When is appropriate for each to be used?
<li>Promote revision so that they can see their own progression of learning – what tool or approach most effectively helps students do this for your concept area – is it a notebook, a re-write/re-do of the work, or a digital space such as a wiki (just an example) where they can see the changes they’ve made over a period of time?
<li>Engage them in reflecting upon the progress they’ve made that is focused on the specific skills that have been learned and are relevant to the target – what do you use to encourage metacognitive reflection (of course, I’m partial to the blog; some teachers like the black and white journal)? How do you teach them to reflect in this manner? Can they see how this learning fits into the overall scheme of things?
I think a lot of our “tech-savvy” teachers fall victim to a common pitfall that I <a href=”http://27jpraxis.org/edugeek/2009/03/13/over-networking-the-teacher/”>blogged about last year</a>. This was definitely me in my first years teaching and as an instructional technologist. With the sheer number of tools and resources available, it is an easy trap – tool/resource overload. My conclusion – we, as teachers, should be very careful about what systems we implement into our classrooms. A strategy to combat this is to frame all decisions regarding the use of digital tools into the classroom with the Seven Strategies. That way, we are clear on what we are using, why we are using what we are using and what information we can get from these tools to make the best decisions about our students’ learning.
While I’m not suggesting a district model of what tools will and will not be used in the classroom, I am suggesting that we are very clear about the use of these tools before directing our students to them – careful and deliberate choices. This, I believe, is the key to effectively using the relevant and appropriate tools that the Web has to offer. Once you select systems, use them, teach your students to use them and don’t be persuaded to change (no matter what cool thing I may show you) until a natural break (i.e. Winter break, summer). In choosing your classroom tools, keep the right frame of mind (Seven Strategies) and think to yourself, “What do my students need to do in my class, and how can I put something in place to help them do it just as well, while teaching them skills that will help them succeed in a 21st Century environment?” I’d love to start this conversation here and throw some of my own metacognition onto your radar. Let’s think through this . . .
