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.