When you're embracing a learning/teaching module for the first time, you really don't know what to expect.
Today will find me with two new learning experiences. The first is our outdoor "wilderness" exploration. I've chosen a woodsy piece of land near our school to explore rain or shine. The second new venture is modeling Khan Academy.
I'll apply what I learned earlier in the week with the STEAM lab to our first "wilderness" exploration. I'll give students time to playfully explore the plot of land before we dig in. They are going to want to tip rocks, touch the water, shake a tree, echo, and explore the land. Rather than the constant reminder that we're here to study, I'll let this first exploration be a fun one, a time to get used to being outdoors on a drizzly, wet day. Some will have had this experience at summer camp, on a family vacation, or in their backyard, but others will not have had this experience so I'm anticipating a range of reactions.
As for the Khan Academy exercise, the modeling will take patience on behalf of some children. Yet, last year, I skipped this lesson and found that several needed explicit instruction with the program. Hence, I'll provide explicit instruction. All students will have a laptop on their desk. I'll be on my laptop at the front of the room using my student address. I'll log on and they'll long on. Then I'll pretend to be a fifth grader using Khan Academy to learn. Using the SRSD approach, I'll coach myself aloud in front of the students with statements such as the following:
- I know I'm capable of learning anything I put my mind to.
- I know Khan has the tools I need to learn the material.
- I know Khan offers a process of watching a video, then trying out the new learning.
- I also know that I listen to videos best when I take notes, so I'll get some note paper and my favorite writing pens.
Then we'll all listen to the video. I'll take notes on the easel as the video plays--visual notes and written notes. I'll encourage students to take notes too. Then I'll try the exercises. I'll show them how to use the hints and the writing pad. I'll make mistakes and learn from them.
After the modeling, I'll let them try out the same exercise, an exercise that matches our current math focus. I'll observe their efforts, listen to their comments, and respond accordingly.
It will be a day of new learning, and anticipating the day's challenges and efforts in a blog post helps me to wear the right clothes (today that means shoes that can get muddy, and outdoor explore wear), have the best materials ready, and most importantly, a matching mindset and attitude to start the day with.
What new learning/teaching have you recently embraced? How do you prepare for it, and grow from it? Making the fact that the learning/teaching is new explicit for children also helps to build a community of learners and make the endeavors a shared challenge. Let's see what happens.
