Ashley Blackwelder, Blog Post 5: Monarch Elementary

I really enjoyed our visit to Monarch! I loved how they organized their PBL visit event, and it was nice to start the day talking to our young hosts. It was impressive to see what this school has accomplished, and also very validating to see that we are doing some similar things in our own school. I loved the handout we got explaining their PBL approach (something we could EASILY whip up and start distributing here!), and my wheels, of course, started spinning on how we could host a similar event to showcase what's happening at FES...and offer support to other teachers/schools who are wanting to try it.
As we have grown in our STEM/PBL approach at FES, I've been much more willing (read: insistent) to put some effort into letting people know what's happening at our school. I'm all for keeping it real and avoiding the whole dog-and-pony show, but I also become more and more convinced each year that we are doing things that a) are not typical and b) others would actually be interested to know more about. So I really liked their 2-day setup of sharing each grade level's projects. It was a short enough visit to not take much time out of the kids' day, but they had definitely put in the effort to make that particular showcase shine. What was also great was that they weren't trying to be perfect. I think that idea of "we've figured out how to do it RIGHT" is so intimidating to teachers, and a big reason why so many are still intimidated by things like STEM and PBL. They're afraid of getting it "wrong." I felt like the teachers and principal at Monarch showed that their PBL approach is always in progress; they are constantly learning and growing, just like the students do. It was exciting, but also very real--and I liked that.
As always, I did find a couple of ideas that I would like to build on and attempt with teachers at our school. It was an exciting and encouraging visit, and well worth the drive over to Greenville!

Ashley Blackwelder, Blog Post 4: PBL Workshop

For my PBL workshop, I had the opportunity to present with our literacy coach and ESOL teacher at this year's SCIRA conference in February. We were very excited for this chance to spotlight some of the great student-driven, STEM, and PBL instruction taking place at our school. As a whole, our teachers do a fantastic job of integrating literacy with content to create inquiry-based experiences; we're strong in STEM and taking some great steps in designing/implementing full PBL units. Our teachers are also amazing when it comes to meeting the very diverse needs of our students. Mrs. Harris, our ESOL teacher, has made huge gains by bringing inquiry, student choice, and project-based experiences to her English language learners.

Our presentation was a showcase of some of our standout projects from each grade level. We shared an overview of how STEM and literacy are woven together in all classrooms--including ESOL--and then set up a gallery of videos from each grade level, explaining their particular projects.
It was exciting to have the chance to basically brag on our school for a state-wide audience, and their responses were very encouraging and validating. One teacher approached us afterward and said our session was "one of the most informative ones" she'd attended at the conference. It was a nice reminder that we are doing some great things at our school, and it's worth sharing with others. We had a couple of others reach out to us, and one school from our audience actually visited us at FES a few weeks later.

Presentation link: 2019 SCIRA Presentation

Ashley Blackwelder, Blog Post 3: Coaching Cycle

Confession: Our coaching cycle was scheduled for what turned into an extremely busy day, and something that I had written down in my plans but forgot about until almost the last minute. When I flipped to that day's page in my planner, my first thought was, "Oh man...that's TODAY?!" And while I always look forward to talking and reflecting with Dawn, it felt like it would be one more thing to check off the list on a day when I was already drowning in to-dos. We were planning to work on assessment, but I did not feel like I was prepared to be all that productive when Dawn showed up.

But as usual, our time together ended up being productive, inspiring, and motivating (I now have a much longer list of to-dos to begin working on for the upcoming year!). After discussing my reflections of our first PBL trip, we discussed some ideas for how this could translate into the work I could do with our teachers next year. I am eager to bring a stronger emphasis on PBL, coaching cycles, and an emphasis on personalized learning into my work with students and teachers. This is the time of year when I finally start to come up for air, as teachers are generally in test-prep mode and don't demand much of my time again until later on in May. So it's when my wheels start spinning about what we could attempt and accomplish in the next school year. Dawn and I worked out some rough plans that could bring about some really big and exciting changes, and it was SO worth taking that time out of my day to bounce my ideas off of her, and get some great feedback and encouragement as well.

I've taken a lot of great classes with Dawn, but this course--and the creativity, encouragement, and excitement that have gone along with it--has been my favorite by far. My coaching cycle with Dawn helped to set an example for me of the kind of supportive, validating coach that I want to be for our teachers at FES--and our students, as I work with them on PBL experiences.This was such a valuable experience for me, and I am excited to see what comes of our brainstorming and planning session in the next year!

Tina Sanders: Puttering Around the Pond PBL Reflection

Puttering About The Pond Journal

Week 1: We began this unit with a question: How do you know something is living? We took a walk outside to observe the nature around us. As we walked, I asked students to notice what they saw. One student noticed a bird flying overhead. Another saw a leaf of a tree move. Another noticed a limb on the ground. One last students saw several rocks lying around. I asked the question again, “How do you know something is living.” There were the typical responses: “The bird is living because it moves.” “The limb is still so it is not living.”

As we walked around I began to sing this Living/Non-Living Song: It is living, It is living, I know why! I know why! It breathes and grows and changes, It breathes and grows and changes, It’s alive! It’s alive!

It’s not living, It’s not living, I know why! I know why! It stays the same forever, It stays the same forever, It can’t change! It can’t change!

Once we sang the song, students began to realize what it takes for something to be considered living. We went inside and I used the Secret of the Pond video to further ignite student’s interest to learn about the pond ecosystem.
The students worked in pairs to draw 3 things that are living and 3 things that are not living.

Reflection: I have always wanted to visit a pond at the beginning of this unit. However, I am limited to when I can take the field trip because we can only take so many trips and at the time of year Greenville County makes us teach this unit, not many animals are out yet. The other aspects of the introduction worked out.

Week 2:  Plant Introduction – What Do Plants Need To Survive?

What Happens When Plants Don’t Get What They Need? We had 4 plants. Each one was used to demonstrate what happens when a plant doesn’t get what it needs. One Plant was given everything. A second Plant was given everything except water. A third Plant was placed in a closet filing cabinet so that it could not get any light. Finally, the last Plant was placed in a Zip-Lock bag (no air).  Plants were observed throughout this unit for changes. The last week of the unit, we will look at them one final time and note our observations. 

We sang the following song to teach students about plant needs.                                                                                                                

Watch them Grow By: Vera Corbett to the tune of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”                                                                                  

Plants need soil, water and sun. We can watch them grow, it’s fun!                                                                                                          

First, we will plant a seed. Make sure it has the soil it needs                                                                                                                   

Then we sprinkle water on top. Count to 10, then you stop.                                                                                                                   

 Place it somewhere not too hot. If you do, you’ll need another spot.                                                                                                         

Plants need soil, water and sun. We can watch them grow, it’s fun!

Week 3:  Curriculum Groups This week, students picked which animal they wanted to learn more about. There were 40 animals for them to choose from, so every student was able to pick an animal they were interested in. I facilitated the discussion about the 3 areas of the pond animals could exist in while my assistant allowed students to look at pictures of the pond animals and choose their favorite. This week, we began systematic research of animals in their natural habitats. We watched 2-3 minute videos each day that taught about the animals students chose to learn about. For the next 25 days, we researched in this manner. This allowed all students to get more involved in the learning process even if their parents could not/would not help them. It also allowed other students to learn about all of the animals. Students were eager each day to learn which of their animals we would learn about that day. Also, we drew the animal of the day using a Youtube site arthubforkids.com  This artist teaches students to draw the animal with step by step directions. Students used the drawings to help them as they wrote the book of the day. Students wrote 2-6 facts about the animal and then read it to their teacher.

Week 4: Students will begin work on their 3D Animal Project. They will draw, research, and create a 3-D model of the animal. We continued to watch 2-3 minute videos each day that taught about the animals students chose to learn about. For the next 25 days, we researched in this manner. We also used arthub for kids to continue their learning growth. As projects come in, students will teach the class about their animal. We read non-fiction books about life at the pond. Students and teachers began building the pond habitat. Students painted rocks, grass, plants, etc. Then they placed their animal in the correct level of the habitat.

Week 5: Diorama Project Work Students will review what they have learned about their chosen animal. They will create a Diorama that shows what they know about the animal’s dietary and environmental needs. Final Project Work - Students complete work on their final project. They had the choice and voice of which of their projects to present to the class. They can use any of the following:  Video, Chatterpix, Draw & Tell, Poster, Puppet Show, Diorama, or a choice of their own to share what they learned.

Week 6: Food Chains Project Work: Students discussed with their parents what their animal eats and what eats their animal. Then come to school and tell about their animal’s place in the food chain. Food Chain Game: Students acted out a living food chain by pretending to be one of the characters in the chain. Food Chain Link: Students completed the page showing where their animal fits on the food chain. We sang a song to help students remember how the food chain works:

Food Chain Song:                                                                                                                                                                                               

I’ve been working in the food chain all the live long day.                                                                                                                                 

In the middle of the food chain, I’ve got no time to play.                                                                                                                             

Can’t you see the green plants growing, that’ energy okay.                                                                                                                       

Consumer eats up the producer. Predator eats prey.                                                                                                                                   

 Who’s for lunch today? Who’s for lunch today?                                                                                                                                               

 Eat or be eaten, that’s the only way.

Week 7: Habitat Share Out: We had 7 classrooms who studied 7 different habitats. We rotated students around over a period of 7 days where they learned about the 7 habitats. They completed 1 page a day in a book where students wrote some facts about each of the ecosystems including temperature, plants and animals that thrive there and a fun fact. The teacher stayed in their habitat to teach about the facts. The teacher assistant traveled with the class. New students came in and viewed the created habitat and the student’s projects.  Then they were better able to absorb the new knowledge they were given.

Ashley Blackwelder Blog Post 2: PBL Reflection

My PBL unit was actually completed in March, and I was really happy with how it turned out for our 4th grade students. While I was a little worried that nothing could top our PBL experience from the fall, I also knew that there was no need to expect that--every experience is going to be different, and I don't have to design every PBL unit with the goal of a public book release and newspaper coverage in mind. There were a lot of successes to celebrate with my science/music/math PBL unit this spring, and it gave me a lot to think about for future units and projects.

1. For this unit, I targeted the areas of ongoing assessment, scheduling, and modifications for our self-contained special education class for improvement. One of the biggest challenges of my fall unit was ensuring that the project would keep moving forward, even when I was not able to be in the classroom with the students. It turned out, that didn't really happen, so it gave me a lot to think about and discuss with my cooperating teachers when I started planning this spring unit. I explained to the teachers that I wanted to be respectful of their time, and didn't want to "leave them hanging" with random days throughout the week that I wasn't available for instruction. So, we started off with a set block of time for a full 3 weeks that I would be working with these classes. We still had to make adjustments here and there, but having a start and end date set made things run much more smoothly for everyone involved. Assessments were an area I really wanted to focus on in this unit as well, because I know that for some teachers to really buy in, I've got to show them that this is "real work" that we can take "real grades" for each week--really each day, if we wanted to. So, I made sure to plan out all of the formative and summative assessments before we even started teaching the unit, including all standards addressed, and provided the teachers with them ahead of time. They were encouraged to use at their discretion--but everything they needed to validate the time we spent or have something to send home to parents was there and ready to go. Finally, I really wanted to include our special ed students, who are not always included in PBL experiences like this. I felt that the music aspect would be really fun and non-threatening for struggling students, and I talked a lot with their teacher in advance about what 4th grade standards were going to be addressed, what she needed her students to get out of each session, and how I could make sure that they were included in the same way as everyone else.
2. For our 4th grade students, this type of learning experience and project was very different from what they have become accustomed to in the classroom, and I knew that the management would be a challenge. From the start, I was clear about the excitement I had about this project--but also about the high expectations that I had for them. As far as content was concerned, they surprised me; they mastered the science standards very quickly, and ended up needing much more time to focus on the mathematical side of composing music. We spent a lot more time working with fractions--but in a real and purposeful way, which was exciting!--than science, but it was what they needed in order to be successful...and HOPEFULLY, that confidence in math will carry over now that the unit is finished!
3. Honestly, behavior ended up being our biggest obstacle. The students had some very good, productive conversations in a small- and large-group setting as they were composing their pieces. I was encouraged, and at times surprised, by this. However, we faced a new challenge once we started practicing in the auditorium with everyone. I had to have several conversations with the group about the time they had spent on this, and the fact that we simply would not get on stage to embarrass ourselves in front of an audience. The other, unspoken obstacle was the fact that we had set a deadline and I could tell that the classroom teachers were frustrated with their students and ready to move on. With a little bit of flexibility added into the schedule, and a LOT of encouragement of positive performer/audience member behavior, we were able to pull it together and present our work as professionals.
4. and 5. Once we got through the initial practice and planning with rhythms, most of our work time was focused on groups practicing, reflecting on what they liked/what needed work, and sharing their work in progress with the whole group to receive feedback. Looking back, I could have incorporated more journaling/quick writing as a form of daily reflection; this may have even helped with the behavior issues we dealt with towards the end. I think several of our students could have learned something from reflecting more consistently on their individual contributions (or lack thereof) to the group. But for the most part, I was pleased with how much feedback and reflection time I was able to provide for the students. The fun part of the project was that we were working as scientists, mathematicians, and artists--and as artists, we needed that time to think critically about the works we were creating. I think we were able to make that happen.

Our special ed students did a fantastic job with this project, and it was great to see them get excited about working on a special project like this--which only a select few 4th grade classes were invited to be a part of. We also managed to choose the perfect audience: the other 4th grade classes, who were curious about what this group had been working on, and our 4K and kindergarten students. The younger kids were amazed by what the 4th graders put together--and it was just the validation that our 4th graders needed to take themselves and their work seriously.

Overall, I felt like this second PBL unit was a success, and actually an experience that I needed after the huge celebration of our fall one. While that final, public product is important, it doesn't need to become more important than the experience the kids have while they're learning. I think our 4th graders had a great experience in using math and science for a real purpose, they enjoyed it, and in the end, their performance was exactly what they needed it to be. As teachers, we don't have to put any crazy pressure on ourselves or our students to make PBL this incredible, news-worthy production. It's great when that happens, but it's not the ultimate goal. There are a million different ways to give students memorable PBL experiences, and I feel like this one was vastly different, but just as successful, as my fall one. It wasn't perfect--and it never will be--but it was a great and fun way to show our students and teachers that we could enjoy learning, challenge ourselves, and create something that other people would love to see.

Alana McSharry- Blog 1- Reflection on Spring PBL

1. What components of your second pbl plan did you target for improvement?
For the second pbl plan I wanted to improve the inquiry process for the students. In this plan students will have the opportunity to participate in different activities throughout the unit. One inquiry based activity was a demonstration on how water evaporates over time. We began by reading books about rain and the water cycle. Then we filled a container with blue water. We drew a line on the container and wrote the date next to the line. We discussed that the water would evaporate and add moisture to the air and that the moisture would become rain if we were outside. We placed the container on top of the refrigerator and would look at the water throughout the unit. We checked the water level in the container after eleven days, twenty-three days and thirty-two days. The students observed the evaporation of the water and had a better understanding of the water cycle and how rain is connected to it. The plan was to incorporate similar demonstrations throughout the unit.

2. What components do you feel your students will be more successful? Least successful? Why?
The students will be successful creating the artistic representation of their chosen weather. My K4 students enjoy art and will successfully navigate this part of the project.
The students will have a harder time with writing about the weather. The students will have the knowledge but the difficult part for them will be writing about the weather. They will need guidance and help from the adults in the classroom.

3. What will your students need to overcome any anticipated obstacles?
Many students will not have experienced some of the weather such as tornadoes, hurricanes and floods. The students will have to gather information through listening to books or watching a video about the listed weather. The students will also need the opportunity to observe a demonstration of the weather. All of these activities will help the students gain knowledge and overcome the anticipated obstacles.

4. How will students be provided opportunities for feedback and revision on their process and product from you, from peers and from outside audiences?
The students can receive feedback through conferencing with the teacher. After the conference the students can revise their work.
I need to improve the area of feedback especially from other adults and their peers.

5. Are there opportunities for you and for students to self-reflect on their learning throughout the pbl?
After looking at the plan I noticed that I needed to add a self-reflection component for the students. The students can reflect on how much information that they learned from the first half of the pbl unit. The students can also reflect on their artistic representation of their chosen weather. They can think about the weather and consider if their representation matches their chosen weather.

Rachael Le Mee, Post #1: PBL... from zero to hero?!

So, I've gone a little off the deep end with my PBL excitement. I'm shooting for THREE PBLs this semester! (Hence the zero to hero title....)

Because I am lucky enough to have a whole new group of kids second semester, I got to reteach my Pieces of Me identity unit, and it was AWESOME round two! The highlight was definitely getting to have our authentic audience.... parents and teachers came to each exhibit in a gallery walk, and kids got to be the curators and explain their pieces, and there was just so much more pride and agency this time around because they knew this was going to be REAL! I was able to get an audience in by having a set, more rigid schedule this time around, and there was no surprise of sex ed. Students reflections were thoughtful, and most shared that they really enjoyed the process and independence they got while working on the project. My plan was for this project to be independent, and then our following two projects are going to build.... a partner project next, then a small group project!

Starting next week, we're sort of doing a mini-PBL as part of a workshop/personalized learning pathway. We are studying growth mindset, and students are going to be charged with creating a prototype for a planner/agenda/journal for a specific group of middle schoolers of their choice.... Ex: kids who have a lot of extracurriculars, kids who have a hard time staying organized, kids who like daily inspiration, entrepreneur kids, etc. They will work with a partner to research what's currently available for teens, choose a "target market" group, design the planner, and then create a prototype of it. Throughout the process, students will get to give each other feedback and ask questions in a shark tank kind of way. To wrap up the project, the prototypes will be set up in our school lobby or a learning community, and other middle schoolers will be given tickets to visit and vote for their top three most desired journals based on appearance, practicality, and how useful the design is for them as middle schoolers. I think this will be a great tie to the real world of business and drive/growth mindset. 

Our final PBL will be the one Dawn comes to see my implement that you guys know about... my "What's Going On?" social action project. We've started reading current events and will use the events we've learned about to get started with generating specific project ideas and finding mentors March Madness bracket style. I can't wait for all that's to come. I'm feeling high with the success of the Pieces of Me revamp, and looking forward to having the kids feed off that energy of authenticity!

Hope everyone is enjoying this time with their kids too! :)