Tell Me Why You Do What You Do

On Wednesday, when I picked students up from art I was struck by the beautiful posters that the students made. Each poster described why and how students learn art. There was such overlap to our "Learning to Learn" and STEAM study. I asked the art teacher to write a post for this blog as I wanted to know more. I wanted to understand deeply how this teacher of almost 30 years of dedicated service understands and applies her beliefs, knowledge, and experience of art to her program for young students.

In fact, I'd like to know why each of my colleagues do what they do--I see their efforts every day and can conjecture about their priorities, choices, experience, and beliefs, but it would be great to get the real story as I know that would positively impact my efforts to teach children well.

Do we take the time to talk deeply about what we do and why we do it? Do we analyze problems and make decisions with depth to grow and develop our schools?

At this time in the education evolution, it is a time to embrace deeper structure and process with regard to all that we do. We've moved beyond the one-size-fits-all, that's-the-way-we've-always-done-it mindsets to a new age of we can do this better and tell me why you do what you do.

Graphing Patterns on a Coordinate Grid

Yesterday students and I watched a number of Khan Academy short videos and then applied what we learned to Khan's coordinate grid activities.

Today, we'll use this paper  to review the skill using the measurement conversion pattern of yards to feet. Later we'll review measurement conversions in a number of ways.

While watching Khan Academy, I noticed new vocabulary to review with students.

Khan emphasizes "horizontal axis" rather than "x-axis" so we'll review that term. Similarly "vertical axis" is used rather than "y-axis."  I'll also review the words term, sequence, conversion, variable, and rule with students.

We'll label the titles on the coordinate grid, complete the yards to feet pattern table, and discuss what we notice about the completed coordinate grid. Then we'll watch this silly, little student-friendly pattern video that emphasizes the vocabulary and concept of numerical patterns. This will give students a few minutes to digest the new learning, and take notes if they desire. I am one that needs to take notes while watching a video both to understand the video well, and to stay focused. That's why I offer this learning opportunity to students too.

Our coordinate grid unit has taken many wonderful directions in the past two weeks including the connections to latitude and longitude and video games, many wonderful, enriching questions, the introduction to Khan Academy's tremendous learning resources, and now, a review of patterns and measurement conversions.

Next week we'll apply the coordinate grid to our outdoor study as students graph the points of significant trees, water bodies, plants, animals, and human-made objects on our "wilderness" plot. We'll also connect the word "variable" with "variance" as we explore our outdoor area.

Students like this kind of integration as it connects math to the real world, and provides them with multiple ways to apply their learning to their everyday life.

Family Conference Week

What will children create with empty boxes
donated by Gentle Giant Moving Company

Next week, my partner teacher and I will meet with all the families from our teaching/learning teams.

We're looking forward to these conferences, a time when we'll pose the following questions and comments:

• Tell us about your child, what you hope for in the year ahead, and ask any questions you may have.
• We want to know, is your child happy at school? What can we do to support his/her engagement?
• We have a number of assessments, both formal and informal, we'd like to share with you.
• Let's create goals for the year ahead.

The information we collect from all families will impact the program delivery and design.

This weekend we'll review the data and prep the student folders as we prepare for these meetings.

To complement all these meetings, the classroom will find the students and I completing past projects, prepping for a unit math test, taking the test, reading Wonder, and continuing our life science studies and STEAM (including Monday's Global Cardboard Challenge) indoors and outdoors. 

The 2014-2015 fifth grade journey continues. 

Outdoor Education Advances

Today was our first day in the "wilderness" near our school.

Our "wilderness" plot is a woodsy area with trees, a small stream, rocks, multiple plants and more.

Students excitedly explored the area.

When I cautioned a few to quiet down so we could potentially see animals, the child replied, "I'm from the city, I don't get to do this," with a big smile on his face.  That was affirmation enough that the exploration was worthwhile.

Next week, we'll visit the "wilderness" again.  This time we'll meet in teams and practice the collaboration one class learned about today (the other will learn this next week). During each visit, rain, snow, or shine, we'll apply one of the new science standards.

It's great to have the time to learn outdoors.

Growing Programs

How do you grow your learning/teaching programs?

Here's the strategy I use.

1. Read and research.
2. Embed standards into student-centered curriculum units.
3. Identify a range of strategies, activities, tools, literature, and other resources to build content, knowledge, and skill with regard to the unit.
4. Design learning experiences with a movement from engaging introduction, new concept, time for practice, questions, answers, and share. 
5. Assess in multiple ways, revise and refine as we travel the unit learning path. 

How do you grow the learning/teaching programs you deliver?