Angie's Video Selfie Reflection

		Score
Identifying What’s Important	·        This lesson was a pre-cursor to my PBL. The students were grouped and had to solve clues using content they had already learned ·        Before I began the video, I had reviewed group work expectations, and the students watched an introductory video from Blabberize explaining the task. ·        I asked students to work together to figure something out before asking for help from me or my co-teacher. ·         The students work well collaboratively at the beginning, but lost some steam before the end of class	Proficient
Making Connections	8.EEI.1 Understand and apply the laws of exponents (i.e. product rule, quotient rule, power to a power, product to a power, quotient to a power, zero power property, negative exponents) to simplify numerical expressions that include integer exponents. 8.EEI.2 Investigate concepts of square and cube roots.  8.EEI.3 Explore the relationship between quantities in decimal and scientific notation. 8.NS.1 Explore the real number system and its appropriate usage in real-world situations. 8.NS.1a Recognize the differences between rational and irrational numbers. 8.NS.1b Understand that all real numbers have a decimal expansion. 8.NS.1c Model the hierarchy of the real number system, including natural, whole, integer, rational, and irrational numbers. 8.NS.2 Estimate and compare the value of irrational numbers by plotting them on a number line. 8.NS.3 Extend prior knowledge to translate among multiple representations of rational numbers (fractions, decimal numbers, percentages). Include the conversion of repeating decimal numbers to fractions.	Proficient
Context	·        Students were extremely engaged in the beginning, but several lost team before 30 minutes has passed. ·        The low level of mathematical understanding effects the sustained inquiry	Proficient
Drafting Next Steps	·        I definitely need to practice sustained inquiry in longer increments and more frequently ·        Need to spend more time “hands off”. My students are used to having their hands held and need more time to become independent	Proficient

Kathy Feigenbaum - Blog Post 5

Kathy Feigenbaum

Blog 5: What I thought I knew/ What I know about PBL

Somehow, I was oblivious to PBL.  Last year I got an email about a PBL convocation at Furman at the end of the school year, and I asked around. “Buzzword” was the response I got. So, I signed up for the program to see if I might learn anything that would help me in teaching middle school Spanish. After the one -day event I was convince enough to sign up for the endorsement classes. It still seemed like it applies more to math and science, but I really liked some of the aspects. At least I can bring some of these (like student-driven learning) to my classes.

What I know now is that PBL is amazingly effective. My students were more engaged than ever when we were working through the We Need to Learn Spanish-Why? project.

I also know that there is a lot of time and work involved in planning such a unit. We need to have an authentic engaging question or problem to solve, student buy-in and sustained inquiry at a challenging level of work, technology, collaboration, choices, reflection, and opportunity for revision and the chance to show the product beyond the classroom. So much work that I think it will take much of my summer to prepare PBLs for the upcoming school year.

I would love to share this PBL experience with a colleague – either by level or by subject matter. I still feel isolated, and that makes the challenge more daunting. If I can overcome the hurdle of how to apply PBL to teaching a foreign language, I think I can handle the work that goes into preparing these invaluable experiences.

Tina Sanders - Genius Hour Reflection

Genius Hour Project- Reflection

By: Tina Sanders

I was really anxious about this project. I don’t think I really understood it before I felt like I had to get into it. Researching the process itself, made me a little intimidated because it seemed like most places I found projects were in older student settings.  But, when I started talking it over with Alana, it began to make a little more sense and a plan began to form.  It is very helpful to have someone to bounce ideas off of. That is one reason I fell in love with the IB program and once our school decided not to renew it, I began to search for some other inquiry based teacher method. 

Each year that we share with students about what trash does to the animals when it’s left in their habitats, they take it to heart. They are saddened by what it does to the animals. They become very aware of their footprint on the environment. (We often hear a tale or two about their parents throwing trash out the window while going down the road.)  Then, we discuss how everyone makes mistakes and what we do next, is just promise not to do it again. We take a walk around the school and pick up trash to show how they can make a difference in the lives of living things. 

Then, we introduced the idea of them bringing in recyclable items to reduce our footprint on the environment. They really got into bringing things in so much so that we had to stop it early because  of the ant issue (due to parents not rinsing things out) we talked about in class.  Once everything was in, the creative process began. Students chose which pieces they wanted to use and the masterpieces came to be. Students shared their creations with their classmates. Then, they proudly took them home.  I believe this made a difference in their lives and the lives of the animals that could have been impacted by trash they could have thrown away.

Kelsey Grant Blog #5

What I Used to Think...
There is no way Project-Based Learning can be used in an orchestral setting.  It will take way too much time away from performing on instruments.  I won't be able to directly connect it to anything we are doing in class, especially in a beginner classroom where my focus is on learning how to hold, take care of, and play an instrument for the majority of the first year.  The students won't want to do it because they aren't playing their instruments.  It will be so much work for me and will bog down my planning because it's so new to me.
But Now I Know...
Project-Based Learning can be fairly seamlessly incorporated in to my curriculum, even with beginner orchestra students.  I am now able to cover the non-performance based standards, such as composition and making connections to culture and other content areas, much more thoroughly than I was before, and in a way that is meaningful and memorable to my students.  Though it did take time away from playing, it forced me to become more efficient in my teaching and time management.  The students took ownership of their learning.  It was a rough start, and honestly there are a lot of things I will change for my next unit, but I really did enjoy the process.  I know now that the weekly schedule did not work for my classes.  When we condensed it down to several days or partial class period of work in a row, the work was much more efficient and I spent less time reviewing and redirecting.  I was able to identify several weaknesses in my own teaching and instruction, such as reflection, effective assessments outside of performing, and personal time management and organization.  My next project will not be focused around a concert performance either.  It was too much of a time crunch once we got down to focusing on performances and PBL projects.
I am looking forward to developing a cross-curricular PBL for next semester!

Alana McSharry- Course 2- Blog 5

What I Used to Think/ But Now I Know

I thought project-based learning was about students deciding on a topic and learning about it. It seemed to happen without the standards that we all have to teach in South Carolina. During the summer I learned that the project has to relate to the South Carolina standards and be authentic and relevant as well as producing a final project and a public project. The project Exercise, Eat, Sleep and Be Clean is authentic and relevant to young students because they learn healthy habits that might last a life time. The final project was the My Health Plan book. In this project the students drew a picture of each healthy habit, dictated a sentence to match the picture and read the sentence on the bottom of the page. Most of the students drew a picture and dictated a sentence in their My Health Plan book that showed them participating in healthy habits. For the final project students created videos and a book to present to the public. They chose the content of the videos and book. My assistant and I guided them through the creation of the videos and book. The public project was a great showcase of what they learned during the project.

Before implementing the project I knew students enjoyed learning from speakers or guests but I rarely have them in the classroom. At the beginning of the project I invited the nurse, the physical education teachers and the cafeteria manager to speak about their area of expertise to the students. The students enjoyed listening to them and learning from them. It helped to maintain their interest in the project of healthy habits. At the end of the project the experts came back to the classroom so they could view the videos and book produce by the students. Both the experts and the students enjoyed the presentation and the whole process. The students were eager to share what they learned with the experts. Ending the project with this activity closed the circle of learning for the students and the experts. This part of the project was the best and in some ways the easiest to implement because of the generosity and availability of the experts. It takes other people to help implement a project well.

During the summer I understood that the students need to drive the learning with my guidance. Throughout the project I had a difficult time balancing between teaching students and allowing them to explore the topic. I know that K4 students can drive their own learning because I observe them doing it every day during work time but it is still hard to let go of that part of my teaching. I hope to teach more student driven lessons as well as allowing students to explore the information during the next project-based learning unit plan.

In the next project I am thinking about having the students work on exploring the weather. I will develop a project that has a driving question and is authentic and relevant. I would like to ask the parents and the administrative staff to attend the public project. I will give students more opportunity to make choices about their learning and their final projects.

Kelsey Grant Number 4: Individualized Instruction

Instead of a Genius Hour, I chose to focus on individualized instruction.  I have a class period with a wide variety of skill levels.  My students were struggling with the concert music for the most part, so I decided to offer an individualized instruction unit.  Students were assessed based on their most recent playing test scores.  I grade them with a rubric, so it was easy to see their strengths and weaknesses.  I used a template to sort out the students that needed assistance and the ones that could use some extra activities for motivation.
Based on my results, I decided to review a few topics in class, but also offered intervention time group lessons on things like rhythm, note reading, bow hold, and tone production.  Students were assigned to the group lesson they most needed, but could also choose one of the their liking.  Students that are excelling were given extra suggestions for advancement such as position work, vibrato exercises, and tone improvement.
Overall, I like the way this worked in my classroom.  I can see where creating a unit like this for everything I do in class could be too labor intensive and disruptive to a common rehearsal, but I could definitely offer sessions like this throughout the year to ensure that everyone is showing growth at their level, not the group average.

Kelsey Grant Number 3: Agency

A large portion of my job as an orchestra teacher is helping my students understand where they are and where they are able to improve.  By allowing them to make mistakes and accept that this is where they are RIGHT NOW, then helping them find a path to improvement, they take ownership of what they are doing and are so much more likely to follow up.
I love the rubrics and would like to figure out a way to modify them to fit my needs in the classroom.  Reflection is one of my weakest spots, so opportunities to improve on that are welcome.  One way I have done this in the past is by having students set a learning goal at the beginning of the semester, and then at the end of the semester, I give them their goal sheet back for review.  I can expand on this by giving goal reminders multiple times throughout the semester.  This way, if they have already reached their goal, they have the opportunity to set a new one.  If they are still working towards their goal, they have a reminder and can reevaluate where they are.
By reminding students that they are on a constant road of progress instead of making everything about passing or failing, we give them a chance to learn from their mistakes and grow.  A growth mindset can be much healthier and much more opportunistic for students.

Rachael Le Mee Post #5

I Used to Think, But Now I Know...

I don't know if this exactly fits the framework of the statement above, but what I've learned is that inquiry is the thread that connects many different PBL-type experiences. Things like personalized learning, genius hour, PBL units, and even our protocols are all interwoven by this thread of inquiry. The most important thing for our students in today's world is to provide them the chance to engage in sustained inquiry regardless of the format it takes on.

One huge takeaway is that all these inquiry-based models are TOUGH!!! No matter which form you use, there is a ton of prep work that has to be done up-front by teachers, and if we really want students to be in the driver's seat, then we have to have the groundwork laid and provide scaffolding for them. We have to have thought out every inch of the road ahead, but also be willing to monitor and adjust for the bumps in the road we didn't see. (And, my goodness! There were a LOT of unexpected bumps!) They need us to prepare and show up as our best selves every day, ready to facilitate and be there guide throughout the journey. As much as middle schoolers want to act like they don't need grown-ups, they definitely show (in a million quiet ways) how much they do actually need our support and encouragement.

What I know for sure is that when my students have been engaged in inquiry-based PBL units, using protocols, trying out personalized learning, and being given a chance to drive over this past semester, they are just so much more excited about learning and they are taking on a great deal more ownership for what they learn. There is a new sense of pride and they are slowly but surely developing the agency they crave...especially as middle schoolers who just want a chance to prove themselves!

I can't wait to see where this PBL journey takes us next, and I am seasoned enough now to make SURE I don't forget to buckle my seatbelt for the bumpy road ahead! :D

Ashley Blackwelder Blog Post 5

I used to think:

• It's so easy to do PBL. So many of our teachers are probably doing PBL and they don't even know it. Give the kids some ownership over their learning and let the magic happen. 
• If I could have my own classroom again, we would have AMAZING PBL units happening all year long! My whole approach would be different from what it was a few years ago.
• I'll handle it. I can do it all myself.

Now I know:

• Inquiry is not the same as PBL. Student-driven learning is not the same as PBL. It takes a huge amount of planning, prep, and oftentimes dumb luck to make the magic happen. Also, no matter how exciting the project is, there are still students who will need to be prodded along every step of the way.
• If I were back in my classroom, I WOULD do things differently than I did even when I was discovering STEM/inquiry/PBL...but it would be extremely difficult to keep the intensity of our most recent PBL unit going all year long. It was special, and different, and--while worth all of the effort and frustration--exhausting. It also took a rather large team of us to pull it off. It's easy to bring in aspects of PBL to everything that happens in a classroom, but it's also important to give ourselves and our colleagues a little grace. Real life steps in and makes things so much more difficult than they seem in the summer, when we're relaxed and idealistic :)
• The last lesson is one that I've slowly learned over the past few years, but have to remind myself of every time I take on a big project like this one. We can all pull off a PBL unit on our own, but we can provide much more realistic, meaningful experiences for our students if we can find our TEAM. Every teacher, every school, every community is going to have different resources, and it's important to make the most of them. One activity with a parent "expert," one donation from a local business, one administrator who's willing to let us take risks...these people can make such a huge impact on our students' experiences. In my last few years in the classroom, I FINALLY figured out how much better things were when I stopped trying to do it all myself and took an "all hands on deck" approach. We are stronger when we work together and support each other, and while our teams may look very different depending on what we're hoping to accomplish with our students, they are SO important if we want to give our kids (and ourselves!) the best possible learning experiences.

Tieraney G. Rice
Course #2:  Blog #5

WHAT I USED TO THINK:
Before implementing and completing my first PBL experience, I thought the PBL approach was only most effective in the upper grades.  I thought giving preschool aged children choices and a voice about what they want to learn about would cause utter chaos!  It seemed so much easier to choose the topics/units ahead of time.  This way, I would have plenty of time to gather materials/resources to teach the topic or unit.  In preschool, we have centers/stations and the children get to choose which areas they want to be engaged in everyday, but I never considered how powerful it could be to allow children to have a choice about topics to learn about.  Honestly, I've always had a list of topics that we would cover throughout the school year already planned at the beginning of each year.  File cabinets FULL of activities that I'd done every year (how embarrassing) but oh so easy!  And, I don't think I had ever thought about doing things any other way............UNTIL NOW!

BUT NOW I KNOW:
I was TEACHING while doing things the "traditional way" in my classroom, but now I can truly say that while implementing my PBL experience, I was TRULY EDUCATING.  Now I know that my preschoolers are capable of deep critical thinking when given the opportunity to do so.  I know that they have so many different interests worthy of  studying and diving into.  I now know that my students' creations should not look exactly alike!  They can show what they've learned through creations or demonstrations that are unique and different.  I have learned that other questions can derive from the main driving question, which encourages students to do some further investigations.  Visits from experts on the topic we were studying and a field trip are vital to the real world connection in this learning process, and being able to touch and taste various fruits and veggies was crucial to the students understanding of what the project was all about.  My students surprised me in so many ways during this project as I observed them and facilitated while they were engaged in activities.  They were able to articulate what they were learning to others, which was evident from conversations I had with parents on a daily basis, as well as during our end of the project presentation.  Their learning was also evident in what was packed in their lunchboxes only 2 days after starting the project!  They learned how to handle working with a little more independence on activities, and they are becoming stronger in their ability to work with a partner or in groups.  Having them bring various examples of fruits and veggies to present for "Show & Tell" worked out great!  I will spend a longer amount of time on the next PBL experience so that we have more time to investigate other questions that may come up related to the topic.  I will also have many more books available for the kids to use during their investigations.  We looked at many videos during our investigations, but for the next PBL experience I'll incorporate technology in other ways.
My assistant is "old school."  She has worked with teachers in "traditional" classrooms for 25 years.  Honestly, I was a little anxious thinking she was going to be a hard nut to crack!  However, after being a part of this PBL experience, she as well as the parents see the value in this teaching approach for ALL children!  I'm looking forward to officially being a preschool that uses the PBL approach!

Tina Sander's Final Blog Post 5

Tina Sanders Reflection of PBL Magnet Mania Unit: Upon completion of your first pbl project, include your culminating summative data in your plan and analyze growth from baseline to culminating product. What did your students learn? How did they grow?  Students were eager to demonstrate their learning in regards to magnets, magnetic force, opposite poles, etc.   There was not enough time for them to show growth in regards to writing at this time. 

Do these data impact my Learning Goal(s)?  Yes, they definitely did not have the skills to perform the required tasks in reading and/or writing. If I do this again at this time of year, I will adjust my plan.

Include this as a component in your revised pbl unit plan for this semester.  This can also be used as part of your last Blog Post 5 – What I Used To Think / But Now I Know reflection.  After designing, implementing, and reflecting on your first pbl practice consider what your students have learned as evidenced by your data analysis above, and also what you’ve learned as a result of this implementation. What worked?/What didn’t?/How will this new learning be evidenced in your next pbl unit plan?

What Worked Student Engagement was high & I was able to convince my grade level to engage in the unit with me. So, our entire grade level performed the magnet unit together. I was concerned that the magnetic slime might not work, so I purchased some premade magnetic slime to have on hand.  The cylinder magnets were extremely strong and pulled the magnetic slime toward them.

What Didn’t Work? I had difficulty getting other stakeholders to come help us with the unit. So, the magician did not happen. The Magnetic Slime formula did not work very well. The ingredients were purchased and mixed according to the recipe. It did not congeal correctly. While the cylinder magnets were strong in regard to attracting the magnetic filings, they were also brittle and broke very easily. In my next unit, I will ensure that all stakeholders are at my disposal long prior to the preplanning, planning, and implementing of any portion of the unit.

What I Used To Think / But Now I Know

I used to think that PBL and IB were more alike than they are.  While I knew that IB and PBL both involved a thorough pre-planning, I didn’t think about the fact that I would be doing the PBL planning completely alone.  Now I know that I need to plan way ahead and allow myself time to research and gather all materials to make it happen.

Kathy Feigenbaum Blog #4

Genius Hour Reflection

The Genius Hour that we did with a family introduction has helped me get to know my students better and has given them an opportunity to use their voice in describing their families. They got to choose which family members they want to include (at least 5 people - one decided to include 18!) and what kind of visual they want to help them remember what to say. There have been sock puppets and popsicle stick puppets, slide shows, scrapbooks, flip posters and plain old hard copy photos. Kids got to follow a work contract to learn the vocabulary they would need to be able to introduce family members in Spanish. Within the work contract they could choose from a variety of games, creating a quizlet, and making a word cloud.  We also read a short story about a Mexican family event and used the story (with picture) to illustrate our own family event on a personal level. We worked on a "rap" song with the vocabulary, and one boy considered rapping his presentation. (He since changed his mind.)

Students got to preview each other’s presentations and give each other “I like” and “I wonder” feedback before presenting in front of the class. We are still in the middle of presentations, but I am encouraged by the work and enthusiasm demonstrated by my students.

As far as challenges, I encountered the predictable: technology issues and a few unmotivated students. These are obstacles that we work through with most any activity, and I am always open to suggestions. :)

Over all I think the Genius Hour had a positive impact on my family unit, and students have learned more with the Work Contract and presentation than they have in previous years

Alana McSharry- Course 2- Blog 4- Genius Hour

Tina and I collaborated on our Genius Hour Project. We decided to implement a project that deals with recycling. In order for the project to be successful we needed our students' families to collect and send into school recyclable trash. I had many families participate in this activity.

We began the project by having the students watching different videos and discussing the information in the videos with the students. After those discussions the students looked at pictures of landfills, pictures of trash in the oceans and pictures of animals impacted by trash. The students described the details in the pictures and shared them with each other. Then the students looked at pictures of objects created from recyclable materials. They discussed what they might want to make with those materials. Finally the students created their own object using recyclable materials. The students decided on their object and created it with the help of me or my assistant. Some students were more independent in their creativity and implementation of their idea while other students needed more guidance and help from us.

My students enjoyed this project. They made necklaces, robots, cars, a dinosaur, a flower vase, a bracelet and earrings. I was impressed with their enthusiasm and creativity while they worked on their object. My students were also engaged in the activity and a few of them spent more than thirty minutes working on their object. It was interesting to observe how their interest in the activity increased their focus and engagement. This project could be made into a longer project. My students and I had a great time creating different objects with recyclable trash.

Ashley Blackwelder Blog Post 4: Genius Hour

I have really enjoyed, and continue to enjoy, my experience with the Genius Hour project. I have been working with a 3rd grade class, and it has been challenging, eye-opening, and a great reminder of ALL that goes into managing an entire class of extremely diverse learners. While I have become pretty comfortable with the idea of "organized chaos" in my own classroom, I know that this idea of learning about WHATEVER you want is very foreign to most of our teachers as well as students. We have grown by leaps and bounds in terms of student choice and authentic inquiry, but many of our students are still overwhelmed by the idea of having complete control over their learning, despite the fact that they are excited about having that kind of freedom and time. In order to let them know that this was actually expected to be a productive time--and to provide some guidance to the students who were completely stuck on an idea--I started them off with a Symbaloo of websites that are great for questioning or related to specific topics and gadgets that I knew they would want to explore. Once they had chosen a topic, I gave them a proposal form and Design Process handout that they would use to plan their projects. It's been fun to see them explore their interests, and also a great reality check for me, as I am reminded that 3rd graders are needy and not necessarily comfortable with taking risks on a project like this. It's been very difficult to conference with an individual or small group without having the rest of the class start to cluster around me as they wait for help. I've spent a lot of time saying, "Just give it a try...I promise it's going to be OK!"
My goal is to have them ready to present some works in progress the week before Christmas Break, and allow them to share their (likely unfinished) product, as well as information on what they have learned and where they want to go next in their investigation. I've provided one checklist for the classroom teacher so far, so she can see how to get valid grades from all this work time (and also to hopefully help her see that her kids are actually getting something out of this). It has taken longer than I had hoped, but with only 45 min. a week, with a class that doesn't know me as THEIR teacher, and a lot of insecurity that they are trying to overcome...progress has been slow. But I think they're going to have some things to be really proud of--and hopefully some things that they are inspired to continue learning about--once we present to our audience.
I'm attaching all of the handouts we've used so far, in case they can be helpful to anyone:
Symbaloo Link
Design Process
Project Planning
Planning Checklist:

Name ____________________

Genius Hour Checklist: Planning and Research

I have written WHAT I want to learn about on my proposal form.
I have explained WHY I am interested in this topic.
I have written an idea for how to share my learning on my proposal form.
I have clearly DEFINED my challenge.
I have written clear and relevant research questions to guide my learning.
I have written my resources on the frame of my circle map.
I have written my topic and important information/ideas in the appropriate places on my circle map.

Total: _______ Points           Grade:

Grading Scale:

7 Points = 100        6 Points = 90         5 Points = 80         4 Points = 70         0-3 Points = 60

Tina Sanders Blog Post 3: Student Agency

Not Yet… The Power of Yet

I have seen Professor Dweck’s TED Talk “The Power of Yet” before but it was still just as inspiring as the first time. The Power of Yet and the change from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset is one of the reasons I chose to take this class.  I wanted to find new ways to keep my students engaged from the beginning to the end of the learning experience.  As Professor Dweck said, in a fixed mindset students run from the error. But in a growth mindset, in an engaged state, students run toward errors or at least aren’t running away from them. Their brains react as if they are on fire.  They learn as much from the process as from the final outcome of learning. 

We have raised a generation of kids who expect to be rewarded for everything.  My own children were some of the first who received Little League trophies for playing T-Ball when, in all reality, all they ever did was pick flowers and throw their baseball gloves in the air.  So, do we continue to raise kids who are only looking for their next reward that they have not earned? Do we make the final letter grade of A more important than what they learn along the way or do we begin to praise the process itself?

Building the bridge to yet includes praising the process that kids engage in their effort and perseverance. This means that we need to grade process praise instead of just the final praise. This could mean having multiple grades for one project.  In other words, you would have one grade for each section of the project.  For example, one grade for an outline – one grade for the project write up - one grade for pictures that support the project write up – one grade for the reflection. 

The ultimate reward should be the “yet” grade instead of the final grade. The yet grade rewards the efforts, strategies and processes. Those students who struggle are more likely to be more engaged and persevere if they are rewarded for their effort toward and the resulting final project.

I work in a former Title 1 school that even though we aren’t technically a named Title 1 school, we still have the same criterion of students. Their only chance is that we as teachers create a path to the future that changes their mindsets as well as the mindsets of their parents. I actually have experienced that it  is more difficult to change a parents mindset than that of their parents. Just because people think their failure is inevitable, doesn’t mean it has to be.  A good teacher can push them out of their confidence level toward a brighter future.

I like the look of the group work norms and think I will use them in my Genius Hour Project.

Group Work Norms

Be Purposeful                                Be Productive

Stay on task                                   Get a lot done

Focused on our work                    Meeting my goal

Work the whole time                    Collaborative help

Set a goal                                         Work Smarter - Get what I need & I get going

Rating Scale

0 Not yet  1 Started to  2 Almost finished    3 So Close  4 Yes!          Ways to Show What  You Know

Kathy Feigenbaum

Blog #3 Student Agency

I love the idea of building student agency; it gives them life-long skills for learning across the board. When my sixth graders begin middle school, they come excited about a new experience. They buy into learning as we talk about how the brain is affected by language learning. We set goals for the academic year (as well as middle school in general), discuss different strategies for learning (vocabulary especially), and for New Years I always have my students review their goals and write a letter that tells me about how they feel they are doing as far as learning Spanish. I enjoy reading through them, as many are very optimistic. (One boy told me he felt “almost Mexican” because he had learned so much in half a year.)

I am motivated by the video about Believing You Can Improve. Dweck presents ideas that I can definitely use to build student agency in my classes. Middle school students are empowered by the idea that they can scientifically make some changes within themselves. They are at a stage in life where many things are still beyond their control. Giving them some authority over their learning provides them the satisfaction of some control. Growth mindset is extremely beneficial at this time of transition.

I also like the rubrics provided, and plan to adapt them for use in my class. I will still need to come up with numerical grades, of course, but I believe that the rubrics will be useful in engaging my students to work toward improvement. The “power of yet” is also very useful for me. I don’t see how students can move forward without achieving the necessary learning in a unit of study. This is particularly concerning in a class in which material builds upon itself (like math and foreign language.) If I have a student that fails an assignment, I have them “re-do” it after better preparing and/or individual help. I like the idea of using the term “not yet” in place of a low grade. By saying “not yet,” I can let my student know that help is available and it’s just a continuation of the process.

Angie Siegfried - Blog #4 - Genius Hour Reflection

I incorporated Genius Hour with my 8th-period class during On Track time, which is about an hour per week. I initiated Genius Hour on October 23, 2018, and we have continued every Tuesday since then.  I had the students plan an 8^th grade trip to Disney World, and compile the information into a presentation that they will present to administration. We have discussed a group of students on the trip if they meet certain criteria that will be set forth by the administration. The students were extremely excited and dove in head first!  Some students decided to work on fundraising ideas while others focused on the specifics of the trip.  I appointed groups leaders who then delegated responsibilities to the rest of the group. The students are still working to complete the assignment; two groups are almost there!

Next time I may allow the students to choose their groups. One of the groups contained students that had issues with each other, and I was not aware of the issue. I learned that students will work hard for something they are interested in! My challenge is how to make all mathematical concepts as interesting. I am very hopeful as I gear up to introduce the Pythagorean Theorem PBL. 

Tieraney Rice Course 2 Post #4: Genius Hour Reflection

For my Genius Hour, I chose to do a STEM activity AND a LEGO Build with the students in my after school program.  My afterschool students are in K/5-4th grades.  The STEM activity was determining the difference an acid and a base.  The LEGO Build was building structures with LEGOS using task cards.  The student works in groups the STEM activity, and worked individually with the LEGOS (they could help each other if needed).  They recorded results and presented their LEGO creations.
Since we only have a little over two hours together, it seemed to be enough time to complete the tasks.  The STEM activity was one day, and the LEGO build was another day.  For the acid/base activity, I would had them test more liquids than we did.  For the LEGO Build, I would have provided more task cards.
Overall, the students learned the importance of working together during a group activity, how to figure out if a liquid is an acid or a base, and how to be creative with LEGOS.  They were fully engaged in both activities, and they asked many questions.  After giving instructions at the beginning of both tasks, I was able to facilitate while they worked.  

Tieraney Rice Course 2-Post #3: Student Agency

I reviewed the New Tech Rubric for fifth graders.  Being that my students are 3 and 4 years old, they are at the beginning stages in most areas.  For most of my students, my school is the first school environment they've experienced.  Therefore, structure and routine is very important to establish.  They are learning many skills for the first time, so some of them are not willing right away to try new things.  However, that changes quickly when they see other children excited about a new task.  One of the best things about having a multi-age class is that the younger students begin to want to do what the older students do.
I was inspired by Carol Dwek's TED Talk:  The Power of Yet as a parent, as well as an educator.  I'm guilty of encouraging my sons to make all A's because for one, I know they can do it.  Two, I guess we've been conditioned to believe that an "A" symbolizes excellence.  But, I'm inspired by Dwek's research into "growth mindset" vs. "fixed mindset."  I really want my biological children, as well as my students, to always put maximum effort into learning, especially when it comes to taking on new and challenging tasks.  I also want them to know that it's really not about the grade, but what you've learned. This is what I understood "growth mindset" to be after listening to the Talk.  I never want them to feel like they have failed at something and there's no hope, but simply to know that they have not arrived at that point "yet."  This lets them know that they can still get there with perserverance and hard work; and will excel as a result.  I will definitely be mindful of "the power of yet" when interacting with All children.
Early childhood classrooms lend themselves to many ways of providing students with opportunities and experiences that can foster a growth mindset.  Centers or stations is one of these opportunities.  Centers/Stations give students a chance to engage in various activities daily, allowing them to be challenged in many ways. They are really challenged when they are encouraged to spend time in areas that are not their favorite areas.  One Center that comes to mind is the Art Center.  Students tend to approach coloring pictures on a coloring sheet with little to no reservations.  However, some of my students shy away from drawing their own picture of something because they want it to look exactly like the real thing.  Trying to draw your own picture of a house is definitely going to grow the brain's capacity more than just coloring in a house that has already been drawn for you.
I love this......."Are you not smart enough to solve it, or have you just not solved it yet?"

Ashley Blackwelder Blog Post #3: Student Agency

I wasn't expecting to really be blown away by the TED Talk, as I assumed I had the gist of the "growth mindset" idea that we hear so much about these days. I 100% agree that it's a vital mindset to foster in our students--I just didn't expect to really get anything new out of it. Instead, I paused the video halfway through to interrupt my husband who was watching TV, to tell him A GROWTH MINDSET CAN CHANGE THE WAY YOUR BRAIN WORKS! What more evidence do we need that our students need to be encouraged and celebrated when they take risks (and experience setbacks), that the practice of judging based on "success" or "failure" is completely damaging to our students?
I am lucky, because my whole job is really to encourage this mindset in our students. It's a challenge--and it's a slow process when all they've ever known is a fixed mindset. But I'm encouraged by the small steps that I can see in our school, and maybe even more so by the changes that I can see in the mindsets of many of our teachers. Trying to push for PBL, STEM/STEAM, Genius Hour, or student-led ANYthing can be incredibly difficult when the teacher is the one with the fixed mindset, and likely the one who is working with his/her own fears of failure. I've had the opportunity to bring them to my lab (or visit their classrooms), help the kids work on something that's typically messy, noisy, and completely out of their comfort zones, and then point out the ways that their kids succeeded when it appeared to be a giant mess. Bringing attention to the process over the product is huge--and something that many of us still struggle with. But it is starting to happen, slowly but surely. I've seen many students who never excelled at anything--even good behavior--start to stand out in a STEM classroom, because of their willingness to think creatively and RISK failure. Kids who have never experienced failure, on the other hand, struggle at times, because they aren't comfortable with any scenario that has an option other than "right" or "wrong."
Now that we're a few years into our STEM journey, growth mindset is coming, and we definitely have some bright spots already. We still have a long way to go, though, and our grading/testing system doesn't help the situation. I get the pressure that classroom teachers face when it's time to turn in grades and the kids haven't "finished" enough to assess. I also get the pressure of having your "success" determined by the scores your students receive on one test at the end of the year. No matter how supportive your administration is, it's hard to not feel like a failure when things don't go as well as you hoped. It's an exciting but also incredibly difficult time to be an educator. There are SO many great ideas and opportunities for our students right now, but we're limited by a system that doesn't actually put our students' needs first.
So we all just keep doing what we can to encourage the students in our care every day. We allow students to share/present projects that are still in progress, so that they can get feedback from their peers. We celebrate a creative approach to solving a problem, even if the first (or second, or third) attempt isn't quite what we were looking for. We see students' setbacks and frustrations as learning opportunities, and help them to build perseverance and encourage each other. We let them see US make and recover from our own mistakes. Growth mindset is a huge shift for a lot of students and teachers, but there are little things we can do every day to help encourage it.

Alana McSharry- Course 2: Post 3

I read the NTN Agency Rubric for fifth grade. My students are in four-year old kindergarten. After reading the document I recognize that most of my students are between the emerging and developing stage. In four-year old kindergarten students need much more guidance and help at the beginning of the school year. Many students are reluctant to try a new task because they lack the experience or the situation intimidates them. Everything is new to them from lining up to writing their names to playing in centers. As the year proceeds many students will move to proficient and advanced. The process takes time and patience on the part of the students and teachers.

During the Carol Dweck TedTalk I reviewed the idea of a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. A fixed mindset is when a student believes that they cannot improve or a student feels defeated by an assignment or problem before they even start working on it. A growth mindset is when a student believes that they can improve or a student feels challenged by an assignment or a problem but they are willing to work on it. Involved in the growth mindset is the idea of "not yet." The idea of using the words "not yet" to describe a student's learning is interesting and innovative. I will use it when I am talking with my students about their learning. Carol Dweck mentioned that the importance of praising the process and not the results. While I agree with her that the process is as important as the results much of our society gives more value to the results. How do we balance what is good for students with what society expects from them? 

My final thought is that teachers would benefit from a growth mindset because the administration, school districts and state are always giving us new procedures, standards, curriculum and guidelines to learn every year.

Blog Post #4, Genius Hour Reflections

My Genius Hour journey ended up somewhere very different from where I started. Having missed TEN classes with my students (2 weeks of sex ed, a full 6th grade PBL immersion week, me being on a trip for 12 days), I had no clue what I was going to do. In desperation, I emailed Dawn, who recommended trying the individualized learning/personal learning pathways type unit. Once I saw some examples of what that looked like, I was on-board.

After refining the resources I'd been collecting, I designed a hyperdoc for my students on Growth vs. Fixed Mindset. (What I had been planning on teaching anyway!) They have only started the journey this week, but here are some great things I'm seeing: they're engaged, they're motivated, and they are learning with a purpose in mind having found out what their mindsets were before beginning. Those with a fixed mindset are learning in hopes of becoming growth mindset thinkers, and those with growth mindsets are learning about why this matters so much in their lives as students and in their future lives and roles and careers. They are going at their own pace, and choosing the order of the activities they do. They don't feel like they're waiting around for their peers or being dragged along when they really wanted to spend more time diving into something.

What was tricky was not having foreseen how much technological difficulty I would face at the beginning. Some of the video links worked, others didn't. What was cool was that I got to say to my students: "Hey, PBL happening RIGHT HERE!" as I figured out other ways to share the video with them and learned a better way to provide personalized learning pathways via EdPuzzle. (You can make ANY video a lesson with questions, voiceovers, etc!!!) Another thing I'm wondering about is how it will be trying to get everyone to a somewhat approximate finish line when they work at their own pace....

For now, enjoying the process, and looking forward to learning more about PLP and using it in my classroom more frequently.

P.S. In my quest to wrap my head around Genius Hour, I joined the Master Course about it from AJ Juliani. Really good so far, but I'm only a third of the way through. Anyway, worth looking into, and I will definitely use this in my Character Ed class next semester! :)

Blog Post #3, Student Agency

When watching Carol Dweck speak about mindset and reviewing the New Tech rubric for agency in Middle School, I am just shaking my head in wonder. This stuff is so good, but HOW DO WE GET THERE?

I think that a lot of a students' educational experiences are revolving around being "fed" information all day. It's how I learned, and I often notice, I can be guilty of teaching that way when I'm not on my game. Giving too much direct instruction without providing opportunities for students to struggle. The truth is, it's when something is just beyond our reach that we do our best learning. Since we know that, we need to engage students in inquiry by building curiosity. They need to fail, and then get feedback, and then try again. They need to use their relationships with others and actively participate to truly take ownership. We have to make TIME for kids to sink into these experiences and learn by doing.

Even at my school, which has a STEAM/PBL focus, I think many of my students can make it through a good part of their day without having to think critically. Today's students don't particularly like to struggle either, and often shut down. But once they start to see how much they are growing from the struggle, I always notice that they begin to embrace it more.

Many of my own students scored in the strong growth mindset range when they took a quiz on it this week. They realize that they can grow and that intelligence isn't set at birth, but they feel frustrated in the intermediate.

For our students to develop agency, it comes down to one thing. WE (their teachers) have to give them the OPPORTUNITY. That's what comes to me more than anything when I look at this rubric and think about growth mindset. They know they can grow, I know they can grow...now I've gotta let them fail and struggle so they will succeed later.

Rachael Le Mee's Video Analysis

Rachael’s Video Selfie

Piece of Evidence	Importance	Context	Connections	Next Steps
The majority of my students seemed engaged during the independent work time. (This surprised me, but I was glad to see it!)	The fact that the students were engaged means that they are learning and confident about what to do.	-Kids are working on Growth vs. Fixed mindset hyperdocs on their personal laptops. -Students are at tables, so typically a whole table is off-track or on-track, and the kids influence each other quite a bit in their efforts. -Another important element is that this activity had a lot of novelty for them. Novelty leads to higher engagement.	Student engagement and opportunities for active learning are necessary for students to grow and process new information. By letting students explore a curated set of resources about growth mindset, they could learn about themselves, their mindset, and reflect on how it is similar to or different from the mindset of others. ELA Communication Standard 1.5 Review and reflect upon the main ideas expressed to demonstrate an understanding of diverse perspectives.	Plan more hyperdoc and workshop type lessons for my students. They are proving to me that they can not only handle these types of personalized learning pathways, but they also enjoy them and engage them. Plan seats very deliberately so that students can boost each other’s efforts to stay on-track and engaged in learning.
I got in a lot of questions and one-on-one time touching base with students, but it was almost always the “squeaky wheel” students.	I am neglecting huge portions of my class because they are quiet!!! The students with their hands raised are in obvious need. Many others probably struggled quietly (like my boy who barely speaks English). Others could have used the check-in of me just swinging by and asking, “How’s it going?”	There are a whole lot of us in one “fluid” room, and with kids moving at different paces (which is a great thing for them), I wasn’t as in-touch as I could have been. Also, with their technology, I found several navigating between gaming screens and the hyperdoc, and probably would have caught it sooner if I were checking in with EVERYone, not just the vocal kids.	Strong teachers “manage by wandering around.” I was wandering around, but not intentionally enough. I was being more reactive than proactive.	I need to come up with some sort of plan for ensuring that I’m touching base with every student every block, not just my vocal students. Maybe a checklist of sorts on a clipboard I could carry! I could also write the names of my quietest students at the top of the list to make SURE I get to them each class.
My mini-lesson was mini, and my kids still “got it.”	I talk WAY TOO MUCH most of the time, and this proves that, even with a short intro, the kids can get rolling!	I’m often so worried about everyone “getting it” that I beat a dead horse. Less is more when it comes to direct instruction, and in this video I see the proof of that.	The workshop model WORKS for my class. My lengthy lectures and explanations do not. I have been trying to figure out how to harness the power of workshops in Character Ed, and when I devoted this profuse amount of time up front to planning how it would work using hyperdocs, it did!	More mini, less maxi when lesson planning! Devote more time up front in planning to increase time spent with students in the driver seat after.

Initial notes and observations:

1. My kids (for the most part) were very engaged with the Hyperdoc/workshop-type model of learning. That is encouraging and validates that I need to be creating more personalized learning pathways for my students.
2.  
3. Utilizing district technology/knowing its limits is new for me having been in private school the past three years. I realized in class that some videos were viewable by my students, and others weren’t. While I don’t know the rhyme or reason for this, I was able to regroup on the fly before the next block, set up classes in EdPuzzle where I could collect the videos for my kids to see without difficulty, and prepare my next group accordingly. I also took steps to keep my kids informed and explicitly posted what they could/couldn’t work on in the moment so they could stay on track.
4.  
5. I talk to a LOT of kids and answer a LOT of questions in a relatively short time.
6.  
7. I’m getting there….. #justkeepswimming
8.  

Goals:

1. Check in with the quiet kids.
2.  
3. Keep it short and sweet when it comes to direct instruction.
4.  
5. Try to technology troubleshoot as much as possible in advance, and have a backup plan.
6.  
7. Plan more time for students to be in the driver seat via hyperdocs and personalized learning pathways.
8.  

Rachael’s Noticing Rubric

	Needs Improvement	Proficient	Advanced
Identifying What’s Important			I identified what was most important in my classroom and instruction.
Making Connections			I made connections between important parts of classroom instruction and principles of effective teaching.
Incorporating Contextual Knowledge		I incorporated some contextual knowledge into my analysis.
Drafting Next Steps		I generated some next steps in my analysis and plan to implement them.