What's happening in 6th grade?
Hold up! This is not an economic or philosophy blog.One of the things I love most about my PLN is that I have so many dear friends who constantly push me to be better and learn more about the world around me and the human condition. The world is hurting right now. Our hearts are heavy for those in pain around us. I wanted to take a little time to just get some thoughts down on paper after a great conversation with a friend of mine. A couple friends and I were talking about the effects of individualism and collectivism in the classroom. Full Disclaimer: I found great benefit from this conversation as I grew both professionally and spiritually in my understanding of the world around me. Not sure if those I was speaking with me found the same solace, but I'm thankful for this oft-challenging dialogue. Collectivism or Individualism?Collectivism is the idea that "the practice or principle of giving a group priority over each individual in it." If it is good for the whole, it must be good for the parts. Whereas individualism is defined as "a social theory favoring freedom of action for individuals over collective or state control." Individual autonomy and personal liberties are paramount here. Naturally, I tend to lean more toward an individualism mindset as my personal philosophies align more toward these ideals of personal freedoms and liberties, but after hearing my friend speak of ideals of collectivism challenged me to give it a second thought. As a Catholic, I've heard several Catholic speak of collectivism as an ideal before. I did some amateur research coming upon some thoughts by economist Mises, who proposes that socialism, or collectivism, tends to restrict the views of one group in favor of one ideal, which is seen as a net positive for the whole. (Economics nor philosophy are my forte, therefore I apologize for any stupidity in this writing. These are simple reflections in my learning.) If the views of part of the collective whole are seen as not valued, peace cannot be reached by the collective whole as one group or viewpoint is oppressed. Keep reading. Not done. :) Faith PerspectiveThose who know me know that I try to see things through a Catholic moral lens of respect of human life and dignity as all have been created in the image and goodness of God. I love the Catholic Church because, believe it or not, takes pretty sensible positions In some of these social and moral issues, and often not at either extreme. Jimmy Aiken, Catholic apologist, warns against the dangers of adopting one of the two systems (collectivism or individualism) in any extreme as their are dangers which could put individuals at risk. There are aforementioned dangers of collectivist ideals. On the other hand, individualism comes with its own dangers. For example, individualists can become so self-absorbed that they forget about charity toward neighbors around them. If one becomes so selfish and competitive in his or her own accomplishments, it risks taking away opportunity for others among other dangers. Aiken reminds us of the "golden rule" found in scripture, "'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' There is no other commandment greater than these" (Mark 12:31). I see this as a great balance between both collectivism and individualism. God commands that we must love our neighbor as we look out for our own needs. Just as we look out for our own needs (individualism), this similar love and care should also be directed toward our neighbor in charity and love (collectivism). So... How does this apply to teaching?Up front, I'm going to say that I don't have macro-solutions for the world, but I can try to apply these thoughts of moderation to my own practices in the classroom. First of all, thanks to my dear friend for reminding me of collectivist ideas in the classroom. Many educators claim to build "families" (I know some don't like this application of the term.) or community within the classroom. This friend proposed the anecdote of community school supplies shared by the whole of students in the classroom. When students bring in school supplies, there's always kid who brings in the Ultimate Crayola Collection ($14.88) and also the student who brings in the traditional pack of 8 ($0.99). Some argue that this is just how it is while others will not see the harm in this practice. (Honestly - bring in the pack of 8! No teacher wants these monstrous boxes of superfluous colors which will never be used!) My concern is... why should we introduce this level of competition amongst our students? We should want our students to foster supportive relationships amongst one another in which they are not fighting for status. This happens enough already. Unfortunately, students are already going to understand these socioeconomic dimensions. Why exacerbate the problem by propagating this practice in the classroom? Community supplies are not a bad idea! I've definitely started to do more of this in my classroom. (The only problem is that I have spent too much of my own money contributing to this supply.) We build community through morning meetings and cooperative learning throughout the school day. We build empathy and compassion for others through culturally responsive practices in the classroom. Individualism should not be discounted, when building these empathetic classroom cultures and environments. I'm not referring to the individualism which promotes unhealthy competitive achievement of grades which pits students against one another. This is not a healthy dynamic and one I fully support abandoning in favor of more mastery and standards-based-assessment. One of my earliest passions as a "progressive educator" was in providing student voice and choice in the classroom. Specifically, in blended learning the core tenets of student choice include choice of pace, path, product, among others. By allowing this choice in students, we empower individual students to build their individual passions and skills. The passions of a child should not be decided by the collective whole or even the teacher. So, what's the takeaway?Now that I have written for far too long with more economic jargon than I have probably ever used but, I guess the takeaway is simple. Our classrooms should employ a balance of both facets of collectivism and individualism in order to create empathetic classroom environments in which students are empowered to become skilled and independent learners using their own gifts to make the world a better place than the one they were born into.
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New NormalJust stopping in to give a quick update, or not. We will see where this goes! The world is - quite frankly - in a place we have never seen before. I'm riding out this craziness with my family in rural Lancaster, PA away from the craziness of city-living during a pandemic. I've been here for more than two weeks. While it has its ups and downs, there is no place I'd rather be. My apartment will be there when I get back to the city. Things are a bit surreal right now as an urban educator. I miss my kids. I get extremely excited when I get the occasional comment on Google Classroom or response on Flipgrid. Via social media, It has been tough to watch the dichotomy of the haves and have-nots. There have been concerns about equity and access to technology since the beginning of this situation, but we are now seeing the (bad) fruits of a societal issue. Our last "regular" school day was March 13, and there has been no new structured learning since. At first, the state mandated no instruction could occur unless all concerns related to equity in regard to access and special education could be met. (See here.) Recently, the state Secretary of Education has clarified this stance in order to continue remote education across the state. (See here.) It's a confusing time. Things are happening we would have never predicted, but there are issues which must be addressed once we get past this pandemic. So, what inspired this blog?I was listening to another great episode of Podcast PD in which teachers and other educators were sharing their experiences in teaching during this pandemic. Kasey Bell made a "cameo" appearance during the episode, and shared some of her thoughts about the situation. SO MUCH RESOUNDED WITH ME! It also re-grounded my thoughts and feelings related to this whole situation. (Full disclosure: These are not all original thoughts and thanks to Kasey for inspiring me to do better!) "This is not our time to shine."Or something to that effect. I'm going to be honest. Part of my frustration over the past weeks has been a result of selfishness. As someone who loves bringing new ideas into my own classroom and school building, especially in regard to technology, I felt my gifts and passions were being wasted. I felt left out. I was listening (on Voxer) and reading (on Twitter) the many "amazing" things teachers are doing around the world to stay connected with their students. I was feeling left out. Woah! Slow down, cowboy! Get out of your own head. Let's be real. This is a time of survival for many of us. Many have lost jobs and income to support their families. (Thankfully, this is not me.) This is not a time to do amazing things using technology. Not a time for innovation. ...Surely - it would have been relatively simple to transition my "self-paced classroom" onto a solely virtual setting, but that's not the point!! Families are experiencing changes in their routines and lives, not only because school is closed, but because of unemployment, sickness, and death. Yes - despite the relatively small numbers, people are still being impacted by death related to CoVid-19. How are those students and families being supported during this push for seamless transition to remote learning and teaching? Nevertheless, I'm trying to move past the selfishness, and thanks to Kasey, gaining a more empathetic perspective in all this. So, when is it "my time?"If there is ever going to be a time to use my gifts and talents, it will be after this crisis. When we return to schools, some will hopefully ask, "How will this inequity be addressed? Will it be addressed?" How can I be part of this communication?
Despite the relatively low amount of distance learning occurring in my situation, some teachers are finding it easier to connect in more powerful ways than others. I think of teachers around me who were continually hesitant to try Flipgrid, who are now trying to figure it all out. Flipgrid has been the best tool to remain connected to as many students as are able. Hopefully, when we get back, teachers will be more open to the possibilities that technology offers us to connect to students. But, now is not that time. Now is a time to be safe. Time to be with the ones that we love. Any positive growth in this time should be celebrated, but the priority must be on supporting those in our communities who are suffering, for any variety of reasons, and support those who are working in hospitals, grocery stores, and keeping us safe through law enforcement or firefighting. Not my time. In short, we are living in a time unlike any other. The country and world have succomb to COVID-19. All schools are out. Our nation is taking the necessary precautions in order to protect thousands of Americans at risk by shutting down "non-essential" businesses and schools across the nation. What better time to reflect?! How were things going?Before the craziness, there was a lot going on in Room 314! Remember? Earlier this year, we dove into self-paced learning in the classroom! Many good things have been happening! In this journey, many students have been empowered to learn at their own pace in the classroom! (No - students, when working independently through materials, are not parusing Youtube!) Through instructional videos and formative & summative assessments, students are showing mastery of the content. Students have shown great ownership as they are working through working their way through modules. I have stuck with with Google Classroom as our home base for self-paced instruction for a while, based on student feedback. Another important change is that I am now teaching BOTH fifth grade math classes in our school. I introduced self-paced learning to the other group as well soon after becoming their teacher experiencing similar successes. One continued concern I have is prioritizing... DEPTH OVER BREADTHMy students have been excelling in the assessments that are provided by the school-chosen curriculum. They have done well on benchmark assessments! They were making significant headway in being very prepared for the PSSA testing. (Not sure that is going to happen at this point!) Still, there is not as much depth of knowledge as I want! With the pressure to perform on benchmark assessments, and having covered the "scope and sequence" in order to be prepared for the benchmark assessments, there is is little time to really go in depth with any topic (despite knowing best practices). With an amazing group of learners this year, we are only "on target" with the scope and sequence. (This did not happen last year. There were many more diverse learners! We needed more time with some skills and concepts.) I get it... I get it... What's your point?One of my goals is to build in more opportunity for depth of knowledge throughout the year - especially for those who are self-paced. Spiraling concepts while learning new concepts provides depth (more than I realized last year), but I want to introduce authentic mathematical tasks or projects that challenge my students to use the mathematical concepts in the real-world throughout the year - not as an end-of-the-year enrichment. No - a real-world word problem is not enough. (I mean... word problems like, "Mr. Soper has 1/2 pot of soup left. He divides it among he and four friends. What fraction of the pot will each get?" get really old!!) My goal, most likely for the next year given the craziness of the end of this year, is to build in authentic tasks to build a depth (over breadth) of knowledge throughout the course of the year. Afterall... Depth over breadth.Thank you. Thank you to a good friend of mine who helped me to see a strange situation as an opportunity to grow and understand the world around me in a deeper way. You know who you are. You prompted this reflection.
Earlier this week, while finishing a voice message on Voxer at around 6:30am outside my school building. (Yes - I'm an early riser these days.) To my surprise I looked up to see a woman about five feet away from my car window. She was wearing a dirty winter coat and was not particularly well put-together. She had a big strange smile on her face. I knew what she was doing and I immediately waved my hands, saying, "Nooo!!!" She left and I quickly gathered my materials and went into the building relatively traumatized by this surprising encounter. In retrospect, I probably could have played it more cool, but this was a learning experience, I suppose. I shared this story with my beloved #4OCFPLN voxer group and my mom later in the day getting a few laughs and giggles. After talking to a dear friend of mine today, she put this entire experience through a new lens for me. I teach in the inner city of Philadelphia - "far" from where I grew up in Amish Country, or Lancaster, PA. I've seen many things I had never expereinced before moving to the urban jungle. I now realize that my experience that morning this week was part of my students' everyday reality growing up this neighborhood. Unfortunately, there are women selling themselves as prostitutes near and around my school at all hours of the day, My students, from their earliest years have known this reality as normal. Those women have life experiences. They are daughters. Sisters. They have been mothers themselves, sending their children to our school. I'm still not quite sure how I see this situation now, but I certainly see it differently - not as an opportunity to share a goofy embarrassing moment for myself, but an opportunity to try to understand the human condition in a new way. This is an opportunity to know and understand my students' lives in a different way. An empathetic moment. Thanks, friend. You help me to see the world through a more compassionate set of eyes. I'm learning right along with my students in this self-paced classroom. Today, I gave a little survey along with the exit ticket. So much value in this feedback. I responded right away with a video I posted to Google Classroom! Let's catch up!Over the past several years, I have been researching and investigating blended learning as a way to boost student engagement while integrating technology intentionally in the classroom. This year, I have implemented a more true station rotation in my classroom, where an online intervention doesn't feel like as much of a babysitter, but an important part of the rotations. Changes I have made along the way!There have been several changes made to the initial role out of the station rotation:
Goals for Now:I plan to give updates on this journey periodically, but here are some goals I have until next time:
Going to make this quick. I commit to COMMITMENT in 2020. Follow-through. I hope to frame my year with the word, "commit." If I set a goal, I aim to commit until the end, or until it is complete. Admittedly, I struggle with some of that stereotypical young adult non-commital mentality. Maybe, it's not as bad as others, but I know I can improve. I have some ideas in mind for what I am committing to, but I will update you later.
Thankful for a wonderful and challenging 2019, and an even better 2020. Ebb and FlowMy first year in my new district was among the most challenging experiences I have ever experienced. That former American Idol rings true again in my head... What doesn't kill you makes you stronger! After extreme challenges in my first year, I'm back at it for year two here (seventh year teaching overall). I've always known classes to have different personalities, but my current class is perhaps my favorite class I have every taught in my years. There are many eager learners and simply kind kids! It's amazing how far kindness go. It's the ebb and flow of what I love to do: teach. Changes?
More About this Station Rotation BusinessStation Rotation is nothing new in education, nor is blended learning. Unlike Troy's popular song lyric, "This could be the start of something new," there have been and are going to be some huge paradigm shifts in my math classroom this year. Since I started in my new urban district last year, I have been event moreso reminded of the disparities between high and low achievers in the classroom. In my classroom, math abilities may span three to four (plus) grade levels, whatever that may mean. I've always known that students best respond in small groups but just haven't been able to figure out how to implement these effectively given the time allotted and materials available. The truth is... the materials were there. I needed to be creative in how my class was structured. The changes started with small group of high achievers in math. I was noticing that they were constantly working ahead on assignments and wanting to do more. I decided that the best way to meet these students' needs was to let them work ahead at their own pace. I started to create videos for these students and housing them inside Google Sites. The basic formula for a lesson is:
These four students have responded extremely well so far. They are very motivated to keep working along in the process. They are engaged and in a rhythm of learning. They also performed exceptionally on the assessments throughout. At the end of the day, if they aren't learning, I would need to reevaluate what was happening. They really enjoy this new structure! Keep in mind: this is a work in progress and a living thing... I hope to grow and change with the process as the kids provide feedback knowingly and unknowingly. Disclaimer: My goal is REALLY to provide more depth opposed to breadth to these students. Solely acceleration for the sake will not benefit these students. I hope to build in more authentic challenging learning opportunities as we progress throughout the year. That's it... Right? I've been learning about blended instruction for several years now and have adopted many blended practices such as hyperdocs and the playlist model. The playlist model worked very nicely in a middle school social studies classroom. It isn't quite what I'm looking for in my fifth grade classroom. This past Friday, the day after Halloween (You might be thinking... WHAT WAS I THINKING?!?), I decided to implement station rotation in Math. It was amazing! Granted, the students are already familiar with rotating in reading workshop, so it was not completely novel. yThe rotation was swell. I met with two groups of students who need more direct instruction while two of my groups worked on the self-paced learning lessons. The two small groups were great. Both of these small groups showed higher engagement in the small groups as more ownership of the material and instruction was placed on their shoulders.
This next week, I plan to add a third rotation where students are working on extension and collaborative projects with their small groups. I also plan to mix up the groups that see me for small group instruction. In this first attempt, I had them "ability" grouped which is probably not best for my struggling learners in the long run. Lastly, I plan to use ClassroomQ as a way to meet the needs of those working independently. While students are working and have questions, they can sign up to be in the Q, or queue. This is a work in progress, but also several years in the making. I've been learning about the station rotation model, but also using many of these tools over the years, therefore it has been a natural flow of events. Stay tuned. I'm currently running on adrenaline! Gave in my building keys this morning with a huge sigh of relief. I'm going to continue my reflections on this year. Aside from beginning in a whole new district, my favorite and most exciting project for the year has been gamification. After some self-assessment, I'll grade myself as: There were many facets of this project that I tried and implemented this year, some with success and many with room for improvement.
I want to preface this by reminding you (and myself) that I was starting a whole lot of NEW this year. I was beginning in a new district, school, grade level, curriculum, going from being a middle school oriented teacher back to a self-contained classroom. In retrospect, while my goals were lofty, the year was challenging, and there is much room for improvement. Successes:
Biggest Area for Growth:
One year of gamification down, "x" number to go. I'm so excited to see where next year goes. I would call this year of gamification a success, but a work in progress. Didn't crash and burn, but didn't thrive. Cheers to growth! Well, it's been quite a while since actually posting something on here. I actually have three posts in the queue that I have not yet posted. There is much to share, but I won't go into tremendous detail here. Not going to add any frills to the post. Just thoughts. I need to get it out, or it won't happen.
Whew! This past year was my first year in an urban high-need district, after teaching five years in Catholic school in a more rural setting. I won't compare the two because there is no need to do so. This year was challenging, to say the least. I won't say I was completely naive before moving to the inner city, but I certainly learned more about life, myself, and the human condition after teaching here. There were so many tough tough moments of dealing with some really difficult sad behaviors, but also many amazing moments that empowered me to keep going. Today was the last day of school, and I was able to sit down at the end of the day with one of my students who had really struggled all year with behavior and disengagement. After several weeks of very defiant behavior, he seemed to be a bit "in the dumps" and out of character for him toward the end of the day. I pulled him aside to have the last of many many talks we had this year. My goal was to leave the year on a positive note, no matter how it looked. I told him that he could come back whenever he wanted and we could talk, or he could just take time. He was a bit taken aback by this, and said I was only going to remember the bad things from the year. I explained to him that in life, you tend to look back positively on many experiences and in more or less words, time heals wounds. I vaguely shared some experiences from college that I look back on very fondly today, and was surprised to look back in my journal and see what I was really thinking in my journal those years. I had forgotten about some really difficult people I was dealing with. Nevertheless, time heals many wounds, and my door is always open. He had this interesting comforted look on his face. It was not the cure-all conversation, but it was one of many in a series I'm sure will continue beyond this year. Is he transformed and empowered to go change the world right now? Probably not, he would rather play Fortnite or watch Youtube, but he knows I'm still here for him. Still. In this neighborhood, many students lack stability in their lives. I struggled to understand that my classroom, while seeming hectic at times this year, was a place of stability and safety for many students. I only pray that I can be somewhat of an anchor for this student, and others, in the coming year(s) beyond this year. This is why building relationships is the core of education. It is not about checking boxes, writing objectives, or standardized testing. It is about being a champion for students, through the thick and thin. There are so many more thoughts that are running through my mind, but I'll take the summer to reflect and get ready to go for a new year. I'll also take this time to rejuvenate and rest. I'm so thankful for this year, the most challenging year of teaching yet. |
About MeLouie here! 5th Grade Teacher. Level 2 Google Educator. Love all things Google. 1:1 Chromebooks. Archives
June 2020
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