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Constructing a Mini-Lesson: A 4 Part Framework
When my oldest daughter was four, she went through a dinosaur phase. All dinosaurs, all the time; it was impossible to discuss anything else. Throughout the year, we traveled as a family and she learned to read. Slowly, her interests began to broaden and develop, and now at the age of nine, while she is still fascinated by dinosaurs, she has an open mind about new information. New experiences and ideas allowed her to explore and, ultimately, find an appreciation for varying topics. Mini Lesson Framework: The same is true in our classrooms because students cannot think critically about nothing. Even in a learner-centered classroom, the teacher fills the critical…
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13 Tips To Improve Student Conferencing and Feedback #HackingPBL
I can’t clone you. I know you have 30 (sometimes more) kids in your class at a time and spending even 5 minutes with each individually would take an entire week of instructional time. What I can tell you, without reservation, is this time investment is worth it. Countless studies (especially the work of John Hattie) highlight the positive impact timely, specific feedback has on student self-efficacy and achievement. Even with this knowledge, finding the time to implement conferences remains a challenge. If you have spent any time thinking about student conferences, you have already come to realize that they must be brief – typically 3 to 5 minutes. A…
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Chaos Coordinator #HackingPBL
This weekend I return to Los Angeles to collaborate with the teachers of LA Unified School District. Last time I was there, they gifted me a shirt that says, “Chaos Coordinator.” This got me thinking about the ways we coordinate the chaos in a PBL classroom. Here are four quick strategies. Want to grab the guide to writing awesome directions for your PBL unit? Join the FREE online course. Listen to the Podcast
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Learning Lounge – PD The Relaxing Way
On a Sunday afternoon in early winter, you walk through the front door of your local bookstore. As you warm your hands and stomp the fresh snow off your feet, you glance around the store at your fellow patrons: a teenager curled up in a comfy chair reading a book, two men eagerly leaning over a laptop critiquing the contents on the screen, and a group of women actively engaged in a quick-paced debate. Each of these individuals, of course, with a delightful beverage in-hand. This cozy scene framed within in a bookstore truly encapsulates an authentic learning environment. The individuals in the store have identified conditions where they can…
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#PersonalizedLiteracy – Student Discussions
One of the things I find myself talking about a lot is our work to transition to Personalized Literacy classrooms. In classrooms where literacy is personalized, students spend time reading and writing in class. They also have the opportunity to talk about their reading and writing with teachers, classmates, and a global audience. The following is episode two in my #PersonalizedLiteracy series, where I will discuss ways to overcome some of the barriers to a learner centered literacy approach. Student Discussion Protocols Listen To The Podcast:
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Context is King
I have vivid memories of my high school chemistry class. I can almost feel the splintered wood chair beneath my legs and smell the sourish, sweet scent that filled the room (the origin of which, I never dared to ask). I was a fairly successful student, but chemistry left me flummoxed. After memorizing the elements on the periodic table and units of measurement (some of which may have been completely fabricated by our quirky teacher, as “Googling it” was at least 5 years in the future), it felt we spent the remainder of the year balancing equations and performing experiments completely disconnected from the work we completed at our seats.…
