Sunday, September 8, 2019

Syllabus Project-Week 4

This week, I worked to do the adjustment of the original plan. Two days out was a hit especially since we were going to have two weeks where we would have four days of school. However, I felt like we could recover well. As I reflected over the holiday weekend, I thought students would only need 2 days to do elimination and substitution instead of 3 as I planned. I will keep the deadline of Friday for the individual plan but be willing to move since we have a lot of time to finish the unit. Even when you make adjustments because of days missed at school. Students understanding will make you adjust your plans as well. I thought continuing a familiar situation to introduce substitution would be a great way to start the week. I was WRONG.

The lesson on Tuesday was a complete flop. I decided to do a guided discussion since the last time we did this situation was a seminar. We first reviewed the prior situation and talked about their strengths. I then mentioned how algebraic representation is a skill they need because table and graphs are not always able to get you the answer. As we worked on the scenario together, each hour was a different type of pain. In all hours, only a couple of people could write the equation for question 1. When we worked to solve the equation by substitution, the faces of the students changed every hour. 

At the end of the day as I thought about all of those faces, I realized I needed to reset my plans for the week. Substitution and elimination is essential for them to complete the individual learning plan but it was clear we would need to take more time. I decided to wait a week to set new deadline dates. Thank God the unit doesn't end till the end of the month so I can be flexible with the project. Graphing which is a strength can be a great bridge to substitution. I decided I would take Wednesday to go over graphing and then have them do a graded assignment on that skill. Graphing would allow me to fill in gaps or remind them of previously learned skills. In this post for this week, I want to share my assessment cycle and great interaction with one of the student groups.  

Assessment Cycle

Assessment is my jam as a teacher. One of my philosophies of teaching is from Alvin Toffler (see below). It means so much to me that I place it on the syllabus as one of the learning objectives for the course. I believe it is the main skill all teachers need to help students develop. You can practice the skill on any content. I have found that assessment is the tool that makes this skill possible and therefore it is my constant pursuit to get better at assessment. 

Several years ago, I moved to following an assessment cycle. It is a staple to the learning process of my class whether we are doing a project or not. It was a result of reading several books on assessment. None of the books directly gave this advice but this format is my way of accomplishing what they said is best for students. Below is a graphic I shared with students this week to help explain the cycle. I basically call the cycle 2 for 1. Students get at least two days before a formal assessment is taken on any learning objective. The first assessment is low stakes and if placed in the gradebook it is a student work category. This category is worth 30% of their grade (school required category and weight). The students reflect on the learning and work at least another two days before the next assessment which is an individual assessment and worth 50% of their grade. This cycle repeats until the unit is complete.

One of the key aspects to doing this cycle is the students reflecting. They must really analyze their work especially after a class assessment. As you can see in the nearpod lesson, students began by connecting their work to the rubric. We then reviewed the answers to the paper with students being able to ask me questions about each problem. Before I had them write a reflection, I had them think about the previous day and look at their work. I asked them to think about how much they had to lean on someone the previous day, how much technology did they use to answer the question and what do they actually know and don't know. Students often don't reflect well at first which you can see from the answers below. You have to keep working on it by increasing the modeling and consistently having it as a practice. 
  

Graded Assignment Day 

On Wednesday, students worked to understand graphing using a situation and table (which is their strength) and then moved to just graphing from an equation (Here is the handout). Typically, this would be 2 back to back days of practice but since we looked at graphing from a situation starting day 8, I felt one day of heavy review is all that was needed before the graded assignment.

The next day they did the graded assignment. It is what I call the first type of assessment in the cycle. To help them know when I am grading, I add the word graded at the end of the assignment title. When it is a graded assignment, they work together to get the answers. They work with the teams they already are sitting with or they can go to other teams to get help. I do a lot of observing to see what students know and are able to do. Below are pictures I posted on Thursday to show the working day. 

The best aspect of the day was a conversation about question 2 from a group in 5th hour. They really wanted me to give the answer which I couldn't, I can only clarify directions. One of the students in the group did her best to try to ask a clarifying question without it being connected to what was the answer. She kept starting the question with "Can you clarify...". I had to hug her and laugh because it was a great attempt at following my guidelines. I instead choose to help by guiding their discussion with each other. Let's call them student 1, 2 and 3 with student 1 being the person asking the clarifying questions. Below is problem and their answers.
This is the original Problem
Student 2 and 3's Answer
Student 1's Answer
I started the guidance by acknowledging that student 1 is needing the help because her answer is different than student 2. At this point, student 3 chimed in and said they also got the same answer as student 2. I said okay let's explain to each other what occurred and see if we can convince the team of our answer. I said student 2 can you explain how you got the answer 4 for the Walmart cost. He explains but I can see student 1 is not following. I then instruct him to go to a whiteboard that is near the group and demonstrate what he is saying with pictures. He explains with words on the board and student 3 said yes that is right. Student 1 says he can't be right because there are not four cans for Walmart there is only 2 which is what the statement says. The other students then explain there isn't 2 but four cans which means there is another $1 that must be added. This still perplexes student 1. I then try to explain what student 2 and 3 are saying but in a different way. Student 1 still shakes their head and admits they want to quit. This is when productive struggle is over so I decide to end the conversation and the struggle. I explain to her that student 2 and 3 are correct. We will work on her getting why they are right another day.

I love when groups start to disagree and discuss their answers like this group. I hope I get all the groups to get to this level of dialogue but without the breakdown. I have never had everyone in the class get to this level but there is always significant improvement. Can't wait for next week.

You can find a day to day look at the resources for this project at this link.

Monday, September 2, 2019

Syllabus Project-Week 3

Robert Burns, To A Mouse, is often quoted: The best laid schemes o'mice an' men/Gang aft a-gley. This is so fitting for this week. We did not have school Tuesday or Wednesday due to a huge storm. Most of the city lost power including many of the schools in my district. I lost power for one day and internet for another day. It was a blessing and a curse to my week. Blessing in that I was able to catch up on some much needed rest but curse in that it interrupted my flow. This is not a good interruption given we are also coming up on two weeks of four day weeks. I thought my reflection of this past week was going to be about all of what I was excited about happening. Now my sharing is about how do you adjust for the unexpected. This is probably a better post after all.

Original Plan

Monday started the process of students experiencing some of the rituals and routines now that schedules would not be changed as much. The first two weeks of school includes a lot of movement and enrollment of students. Given this constant change, I use it as an opportunity for students to experience different settings with temporary seating assignments. I change the classroom desks into two configurations so that students can experience possible classroom layouts they want to recommend. This week is the last configuration change until the students vote on the final classroom layout. See the three different configurations below.

This is also the first week students start to experience some of the set procedures of the class. There are only a few non-negotiables and even within these procedures, they have some voice and choice. The set procedures are:


  • You must be in the room before the bell rings to not be considered tardy. This is how students earn the minimum hero point allotment that is a school wide implementation.
  • Grab devices (iPad/Chromebook and Graphing Calculator) that matches their assigned number, pick up a handout if applicable, pull out their paper or notebook and complete roses and thorns within the first 5 minutes of class (Students have voice in regards to what they share with the small group or entire class for rose/thorn and students have a choice of where the materials will be placed in the room).
  • Put away all classroom materials neatly before the bell rings. This could occur during the work time or the last five minutes of class which is another choice option for students. 
  • Selected students share their understanding with the class and complete a reflection or exit slip.
In addition to starting to practice these routines, Monday was designed to review their graded assignments and reflect on how they need to alter some of their strategies for learning. Students found out I realize my class is not a structure they are used to so they have an opportunity to improve their grade. We reviewed their graded assignments and I modeled basic reflection of an assignment and use of time to learn. I shared how they would be given another opportunity to improve their grade in a couple of days. The concluded the day with updating their zoom sheet with questions they have and began to work on the actual individual learning plan. They turned in the zoom sheet so that I can see  evidence of better questions as a result of the reflection done as a class.  

Pick Up Where We Left Off??? 

I had originally planned to give them two more days of practice while also asking them questions through nearpod to see if their thinking had been refined on certain skills. The missing of two days required me to make some adjustments. I needed to do the reassessment so that their grade could improve and I couldn't ask them as many questions as I planned to see into their thinking. I decided to just give them one day of practice instead of two and emphasize how much they need to really use this day to be ready for a quiz the following day. I decided just to ask if they felt they needed a lesson on note taking to help them learn the material better. I reminded them that saying no is okay. I would do pull out lessons just for those who want the help. This allowed me to see if some students who I think are fine also felt they didn't need the help. I was pleasantly surprised when a student in one hour said they are going to say yes even though they think they are good at taking notes. They said "it can't hurt to learn some more things." Below is a picture of one of the classes results.


You can find the resources I used for this project at this link.

Syllabus Project-Week 2

I am still exhausted from the first week of school. At first, I thought it was just me but I was relieved when two of my coworkers shared the same feeling. We started to realize why schools start in the middle or end of the week. Going a full five days after having a long break is brutal. My second week of the project begins the messy middle of a project. It is the start of doing a dance between the second and third layer of the project path. PBLWorks project path describes the second layer as building knowledge, understanding and skills to answer the driving question. The third layer is develop and critique products and answers to the driving question. There is a wonderful arrow between these two layers that says revision. This circular process is an ongoing process of improvement. Let me share how I worked students through this process this week with my curriculum and success skills goals in mind.

Building Knowledge and Understanding

Because this is my students first project, there are some knowledge building that is not connected to my content. This is because in order for them to learn my content without me being the main source, I have to teach them how to be independent learners. This requires knowledge and skills that are not content based. Therefore, this particular project has more non-content goals then content. It is nice that my Algebra II class doesn't have a heavy content goal the first month of the school year. Many schools have at least a week or two of review of content that will allow you to be more skills based at first too. Below is my content versus my success skills goals for the unit.

This week, I focused several of the success skills and two content goals. The main reason for the focus was because it was driven by the students. They had a lot of questions around norms, reassessment, goals and learning strategies. One of the key strategies of projects is to allow the project to be driven by their questions. As a teacher, I can manipulate this situation to a degree by planting questions or offering a suggestion of how to organize their work. For example, I always tell students they should probably work on the questions that would best help them meet the first deadline. Since I make all the deadlines, I am able to help move them in a direction I need.

As a result, students experienced different learning strategies, created causes and solutions to their common problems as well as possible norms to test out as a class before they make a final decision. In regards to content knowledge, they started learning about calculating grades and systems of equations. Some of the teaching strategies I used to help promote learning included Paideia seminar, practice of note taking from a paper or video and general practice time. The seminar was not effective in my 2nd and 3rd hour as the map below shows. However, it was great in my 5th and 7th classes. I am tempted to drop the strategy given how quiet my first two class periods are but the tool is so powerful. I am wondering how I can get them to open up. Would love suggestions :).
One of my success of the week was to plant seeds to help students realize their weaknesses in terms of learning. I made sure students completed a couple of class graded assignments that would help me to accomplish the following:

  • Point out the challenges with grading based upon points rather than a rubric
  • Help them to see their need to ask more questions when given the opportunity
  • Help them to see the need to use their time more wisely during work time
  • The need to have a good note taking strategy along with a memory technique

Students ended the week with two graded assignments where they could not get help from me and had to use each other. I was able to see they were discovering their lack of preparation for the task as I hoped. This will make the discussion next week so much more fruitful. 

Developing & Critique Products 

Moving between the building of knowledge and the development of the products is still my most challenging area of planning and implementing projects. The difficult part is deciding what aspects of the product needs to be broken into a small piece that folds into the bigger piece. It needs to be a piece that is worthy of revision as well as capable of occurring without the bigger whole. Once you figure out this part, then you need a plan on how students will revise the work. This is another area where I am always debating because the people involved in the revision is more than me. I have to think about when is it best to be me, students or an outside expert. There is no perfect way. I have found the following questions do help me. I hope they help you as well.

  • How many projects have my students completed?
  • What do my students need to improve on the most in terms of being "critical friends"?
  • Is it really essential for me to see the work at this stage?
  • Given this stage of the process, who and what tool would best move the work forward?

This year, I am trying to break down the ideal self goals section of the individual learning page (see image below) better and to include revision loops. This is only the second time I used this tool in the project. I got the SINC portion from my good friend Kelly Reseigh. I love the insight it gives me about my students as learners. The goals and learning strategies section was inspired by Robert Cash's book Self-Regulation in the Classroom: Helping Students Learn How to Learn. The final section is the application side of the plan with the incorporation of my content.

Last year, I did a terrible job of revising the product. As I think about it, I think I didn't do any revision at all which is probably why it was not used well the remainder of the year. This year, I want to make sure the understanding gained is applicable to the classroom. I realized the revision and reflection process will help this happen. I decided to have one of the revision loops be their knowledge of the goals. I have found revision loops are best if there is at least two occurrences.

I decided I would be the first revision loop and it would be on their knowledge. I had as a part of their first graded assignment (day 9) a section where they wrote their goals. They received a point for having the appropriate type of goal in each section and a reason why. Most students didn't get to this section. For those who did, they rarely wrote the appropriate type of goal. I liked having this revision loop because it enables me to show how they are not truly using their notes which would help them with this area and reteach the need to have clear goals in each area that fits them. It will enable them to be better learners if they have a plan for learning.

Next Week 

I can't wait until next week because we will really begin to incorporate some of the other elements of project based learning as described by PBLWorks and High Quality PBL. Reflection is an element I have always had as a weakness. I am glad I am finally getting a handle on the element and excited to try out some changes I wanted to make from last year. I am also going to really be able to dive into collaboration and sustained inquiry. I have grown in these areas as well as can't wait to try out some things I found. One of my favorite aspects of teaching is that you never reach a destination. You get comfortable with aspects but you never truly master most aspects of the classroom. I just keep getting better like aged wine.

You can find the resources I used for this project at this link.

Syllabus Project-Week 1

It is the first week of school and I was mixed with nervousness, dread and anticipation. It is common feelings. The nervousness and anticipation is because I over wonder what students I will have this year. The dread is from not resting enough in the summer but sometimes it is just a feeling that is there for no rhyme or reason. I start off this blog post with this honesty to help paint a picture of my postings about my classroom. I am going to share the good, the bad and the ugly. I hope in my candid sharing you can find relief and hope for your own practice. As you are renewed, I then pray my words build you up in your practice. Now, let me tell you what happened this week.

It's All About Getting to Know Them

A lot of times the first week of school is focused on getting students settled into your rituals and routines. Several years ago while attending a National Board Certification training, I realized many of my classroom structures would be better followed if students helped me create them. I also realized it is hard to do a project if I don't kick off the year with one. As a result, the syllabus project was born and the first week of school changed. One of the changes is a focus on building community. Each day, students found their seat by completing a different challenge for the first 5 minutes of class. This allowed students to get to know each other but I also got to see various aspects of students. Here are the challenges for the five days:
  • Alphabetical order by last name without talking
  • Shortest to tallest
  • Least amount of siblings to most without talking
  • Alternating heights without talking
  • Birthday day (not year)
I was able to discover the leaders of the class, the personality of several students, the demeanor of the class, friendships and challenging matches. For example, my 2nd hour completed the challenges with ease. They are extremely quiet with only a few vocal people. They automatically listened to them which made the challenge complete faster. On the other hand, my 5th hour is very vibrant and lots of leaders who clash. Below are pictures I captured to help me remember the different revelations of personalities occuring in the class.


Entry Event

The project launch occurred over the first two days of the week. This launch is called an Entry Event. It is the first step of the project path described in PBLWorks' PBL 101 Workshops. After completing a notecard about themselves, students completed a chalk talk answering the question "What is the ultimate classroom?" This was my second time launching the project with this activity. Unlike last year, the students did not get into writing their dreams on the paper. Even after I prompted them that they could dream as big as they wanted, their was still little writing each hour (See the posters below). I should have changed the activity after two class periods did not show excitement, I choose to cut it short and move on to the second intake instead. My students showed later they really didn't believe me which caused them to not be all in.

As a transition to the second part of the entry event, I reviewed some key classroom items like they experienced in other classes such as my course objectives, one rule and materials needed. I then worked to capture their emotions again by having them share problems they have encountered with other students and teachers. The class wrapped up with a close look at a a syllabus with missing parts to have one more heart capturing moment. They used a popular technique of notice and wonder to review the syllabus. Many wondered about the blank spots of the syllabus like I hoped. They then write their burning question about the project before the first day of the entry event ended.

The second day of the entry event was an assessment day and execution of a problem solving process I developed a few years ago. The assessment day was another way to show my class was not like others. It is not "gotchas", lacking proper preparation and void of proper support. We played grabbers and escape artists before taking a 3 question quiz. It was a way to review the essential components of the class while also reinforcing how my class is a place for them to create their community. They also used the syllabus which included some reminders of the answers to the test. We starting to work on the zoom sheet. This form is used to support the thinking process of making sense of a problem.

Making Sense of a Problem

The remainder of the week was working on the building their skill set of making sense of a problem and persevere in solving a problem which is mathematical practice from the common core as well as a skill identified by National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. They worked on following the process I modeled to find more items to fill into the three sections. The final section is my favorite because students not only create their own questions but also decide a method in which they will find the answer. I gave some class time during the 3rd and 4th day of the week for me to answer their questions since it was also their deadline day. The week ended with class meetings which always throws off the instructional day when you have classes with mixed grades. You basically lose an instructional day all together so I just allowed students another day to complete the three sections of the zoom sheet and those who were present to decide how we will work next week.

My biggest regret

I have always loved an individual project work report created by PBLWorks' years ago. I tried to use it when I first was learned about it in 2008. It was an epic fail. I want to try and use it again this year. I have already incorporated it in the wrong way for this project. I should have introduced it when I was going to give them a long length of time to work on something without my guidance. I introduced it with too many new things. I am now three weeks into school and still trying to find a way to apologize for introducing it to my students to early and when it would be a better time to introduce it. Even when you have been doing projects for years (I started in 2005), you still make mistakes and things don't go like you thought.

You can find the resources I used for this project at this link.