Rubric Reading 101

While onsite at Winton Woods Intermediate School last Thursday, I was fortunate enough to be present for the warm-up in Matthew George's 6th grade science class. I knew students were just beginning to study Newton's Laws of Motion, and as students were getting settled, I noticed them taking a document out of their folders that had instructions at the top with pre-printed lines below them. Students had clearly spent some time writing a response on these lines since I could see half-filled pages on most student papers within eye-shot. It seems that they were responding to a prompt about "force."

Mr. George had two sentences projected for students to see and discuss as they began class:

"Jake do need to wear his seatbelt. If he don’t the force might knock him out the car."

He asked students to find their NTN Written Communication rubrics (of which, the last row entitled "Language and Conventions" was circled on student copies). 

The class discussion that followed was designed to support student understanding of the grammar and mechanics of the two sentences projected on the board, as well as bring a focused understanding to what the language of the rubric meant. Here are some of the conversation points that occurred:

• Teacher: Do you see any Science terms in his writing?
• Students: FORCE!
• Teacher: What do you notice about the way he writes about force? 
• Students: He should say "doesn't" instead of "don't"
• Teacher: If you want to be in the advanced category, you can’t always write the same way that you speak. Sometimes it’s a bit different. What are some of the basic conventions of writing?
• Student: Proper grammar, capital letters, proper punctuation
• Student: He has the words with capital letters and periods at the end of both sentences.
• Student: But he he should say "doesn't" not "don't".
• Student: The word "do" doesn't sound right in the first sentence.
• Teacher: Good catch. Those are grammar errors. (He continues to talk more about these with class.) These would move him down to Proficient from Advanced. Does he cite sources? Do you see anywhere that he got his information?
• Student: No...so maybe not advanced. Let’s bump him back down to proficient.
• Teacher: Maybe there are some grammar errors but I can see what he means. Bump down one...it says there’s “limited” control...”  Is that happening?
• Students say yes and he asks them to point out what it’s limited to
• Teacher: We already said those grammar errors don’t really distract
• Teacher: Sounds like we’ve decided together we might be somewhere between "Developing" and "Proficient," so not a 1, not a 2, not a 3, maybe a 2.5.
• Teacher: This is an example of what a sort of developing response might look like.

TELL ME THAT'S NOT ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL RUBRIC CONVERSATIONS YOU'VE EVER SEEN!!!!! Students transitioned from this class warm-up by moving into a partner feedback session on their own writing. They were charged with the task of sharing their writing with a partner and determining where they felt they might currently fall on the rubric. Students were then asked to make the necessary corrections so they could achieve a Proficient or Advanced score (based on what their next level of growth was). I wanted to give Mr. George a hug for creating the space and conversation for such a thoughtful learning experience for his students, but he was busy....so I'm celebrating with all of you now instead.

I often hear from teachers during the project design phase, "My students won't understand the language on the rubric" and/or "I'm not an english teacher, so how do I teach written communication?"  Here's one, very simple, easy to implement example of how.  Mr. George used this time to teach/reinforce written communication skills by deconstructing text... text related to his current subject area.... and he didn't assume students knew the rubric language. Instead, he took on the responsibility of teaching it to them by helping them make sense of the vocabulary on that document. Did you spend 60min. on the whole document? No! He focused on ONE row... one important domain which is recurring in the project work and spent his normal 10min. of warm-up time on this group conversation which flawlessly transitioned into "work time" which was structured as a partner reflection and refinement session. OH, I JUST LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS! (Including conversations I had with students as I listened in on their feedback sessions).

So, no more excuses. You obviously have a rubric that you're using to guide students toward proficiency of skills for your current project (and if you don't, then talk to me... we need to make sure you do)!!! What domain and/or indicators (i.e. bullet points) will you focus on supporting students with this week? How will you bring their attention to the level of proficiency they are currently operating at? And most importantly..... what will your warm-up be that is time efficient and content effective!?!

Peace, love, and student dialogue,

Sarah

P.S.... I am REALLY regretting not whipping out a recording device to capture these beautiful conversations. If you're up for the challenge (and your students have signed media release forms), would you mind audio/video recording the rubric conversations you have this week and next and send them my way??? I'd love to build a little library of simple activities such as this once that elicit such great skill building opportunities for students! 

Teamwork makes the dream work...

Every Saturday at CrossFit on the River, we have a Team Workout of the Day (WOD). As 50+ people walk into the gym, we anxiously look at the whiteboard to see what movements the WOD will require us to do, then folks scan the room to see who lifts similar weight as they do (so we can share a barbell), or who moves at a similar pace (so no one is resting or working more than the other). Most team workouts, we're asked to find a partner mostly because there are so many of us and so few pieces of equipment to go around. Yesterday's WOD, though, required us to have a partner to complete the movements (not just share equipment and space). The outcome? Teammates that worked equally as hard for the entirety of the WOD and supporting each other to genuinely "keep pushing through the rough spots" because if they didn't, then neither did you!!!

I can't help but think of the conversation I have with many of the teachers and instructional leaders I support. Why would you have students work in groups to complete project work, if the project doesn't necessitate more than one person to complete the work? So please.... look at your current and upcoming project design(s). Are you anticipating students working in teams to complete the project work? If "yes"... are they only in groups for the sake of sharing equipment (computers, books, folders, etc.) and space (physical floor space, to make life easier on you for individual check-ins with students throughout the project work)? Or, will they actually be in groups because they couldn't possibly complete the research and "ask" of the project without a teammate?

Bottom line, if you're going to ask students to work in teams, then be sure to design a project which requires thought partnership from teammates (not just splitting up research for the sake of completing work faster). If you'd like some help with this part of project design, please.... let me know!

Once you've figured out where and how collaboration will support student learning in your project design, it's important that you scaffold collaborative skills in your classroom and school-wide. Here are a few best practices, tips, and resources that you might find useful:

• Hear some of the common pros and cons of group work in this Fires in the Mind blog post, feating a few short video clips of students talking about collaboration.
• Use inquiry -- show students an example of effective collaboration and ask students to generate guidelines for collaboration.
• Invite a parent, business partner, mentor, etc. in to share their experiences with collaboration
• Hold short workshops on effective communication, conflict resolution, and/or holding someone accountable (or use students who excel in these areas to lead those workshops)
• Build Patrick Lencioni's The Five Dysfunctions of a Team into your curriculum (for the quick low down, check out this .pdf )
• Have students self-evaluate and reflect using a team effectiveness survey.

What have you tried? How often do you build in opportunities to support the development of collaboration skills? Feel free to comment on the blog to continue the conversation!

Peace, love, and TeamWODs,

Sarah

12....

... That's the number of ornaments I put on my Christmas tree before my li'l guy started hanging his toys on the lower branches like they were ornaments. He first tried laying the ring-like pieces onto branches of the tree and laughed as they fell through onto the floor. After 10-15min of those failed attempts, he was able to the branch through the center of the ring. And, just like Mom, once he knew it wasn't falling through, he grabbed another toy and hung it on the tree too.

If a one year old can mimic movements so fluidly, don't you think your eleven, thirteen, or seventeen year old kids (students) can too? Frequently, when I ask teachers, principals and instructional coaches how they're going to facilitate _____ skill, they respond with, "I'm going to model it." While I know that what you're implying with that statement is, "I'm going to intentionally demonstrate a new concept to approach to learning and students will learn by observing," but I need you to know that your students see you "hanging Christmas ornaments" too!

I think about the key learning outcomes we intentionally address across NTN (Agency, Collaboration, Written Communication, Oral Communication, and Knowledge & Thinking) and wonder what students are actually seeing and hearing in the skill development of these outcomes on a daily basis. For example, if we really ARE trying to teach out students that collaboration is about being a productive member of a diverse team through strong interpersonal communication, commitment to shared success, leadership & initiative, then shouldn't they see us wrestle with a dilemma with our colleagues? Shouldn't you be attending feedback sessions which support one another's growth as educators...and shouldn't students know that you all take the time to give and receive feedback to one another!?!? So many of you do such great things already that are MODELS of the outcomes you're trying to reach with your students, but when asked how you're going to support students in developing these skills, it's very rare that "make my own learning visible to students" is part of that response.

Had I waited until Owen was in bed to hang the ornaments on the tree this year, then yes, I assume I'd be teaching him how to put a ring on a branch in the next few years. Instead of that intentional demonstration, however,  I just did my thing and made it visible to him and IT STUCK! I didn't even know he was watching, but suddenly...there they were! Toys hanging on my tree and now I kind of don't want to take them down. 

As you look at the definitions of the NTN Learning Outcomes and/or the specific indicators on the rubrics, what will you do in your own work as an educator that will make your learning and your practices visible to your students? When you reflect on your actions and interactions with adults and students this semester, what were you REALLY modeling for your students? ...was it the skills and best practices you were hoping to model!? If not...what will you do differently next semester?

Peace, love, & "be the change you want to see in the world,"
Sarah

Reflections....

And then it happened.... 

As of Friday afternoon, I've officially been parenting for one year. WHAAAAT!? Yes, I'm still trying to let that sink in. My own birthdays have always been natural times for reflection, but I found myself reflecting even more on Owen's birthday than I typically do on my own. 

One of my colleagues, Jim May, introduced me to his own family birthday tradition of asking two simple questions. (1) What's the most memorable part of the past year? (2) What are you looking forward to in the year ahead? (i.e. What do you want to be saying is the most memorable part at this time next year?)   That's it... nothing over the top, just a simple reflection for celebration and forward thinking. 

This also led me to think about the reflections that are often led at the conclusion of a project with your students. (YES, you should be reflecting with your students THROUGHOUT the project.... every benchmark is a good check-point, quite honestly!) But for the moment, I'm just going to speak to questions you might consider asking yourself, your team teacher, and/or your students to reflect on with you post-project implementation.

• Where was I this time last project? Forecasting is both the most & least important part of planning. To get an accurate picture of where you are, you need to check where you were at the same time last project. Are you still on the right path? If not, what threw you off course, and what can you do to get back up and moving in the right direction?
• Am I the learner and/or project designer I want to be? When you and/or your students started your PBL journey, you had dreams of the creative designer and problem solver you wanted to be. Are you that person? You may not be at your vision of "perfect", but are you the type of person you wished for?
• Have I lost/gained knowledge since last project? What does your skill set for PBL design and implementation look like compared to last project? How have your students grown across the learning outcomes? Are you/they the same or worse? There's no better time than now to strengthen your resolve to take on a new learning challenge.
• Did I accomplish my goals for this project? It's not just for the new project; everyone makes goals and resolutions throughout the project. Did you accomplish your goals for the last project? What did you wish for when you launched this project with your students? What did you do to make it happen?
• Do I need to change any routines? At certain points in your educational career, you become susceptible to stagnancy depending on the support of your department, grade level team, leadership position, etc. If you need to push beyond a current routine to freshen up your current state in education, now's the time!
• What do I have to be grateful for?  You have survived the longevity of this project, your students and colleagues are still talking to you, and you're still employed. If you're breathing and walking into your classroom post-project, you have something to be grateful for. Show your gratitude to the world!
• What good can I do next project? Now that you have a firm grasp on what type of designer/problem solver you've been, it's time to decide who you're going to be. You may want to strive to up the authenticity in your next project, or refine your assessment practices. Time isn't stopping, so why not (re)visit the NTN project quality checklist, choose a focus area and get after it!

Even if you just use these questions for you, don't forget that it's a great time for a "birthday" reflection for your students too. You might check out BIE's "Self-reflection on Project Work" to get you started. 

Peace, love, and cake smashing celebrations!

Sarah

Checkers or Chess?

Let’s be honest… when you see these two game boards, you have a certain reaction to each one, don’t you?!

     

   

Checkers gives you that "ahhh yes... I'll take them down one piece at a time and after they 'King Me', I'll get them TWO at a time!" (Don't pretend like you don't have a malicious laugh as you sit down to a game of checkers. We all know you do...)

Chess is a different reaction though. Sure, you still get that sense of "Alright! GO TIME!" But instead of trying to take your opponent down one piece at a time, you pause a bit longer before each move. You sloooowly release your hand from the chess piece after each move wondering if you'll be proud of yourself in 2 seconds or experience instant regret. (It's like I've seen you play before, isn't it!?) 

So which game are you playing in this life you live? Do you take one day at a time, hoping to make it to the other side of the board....to a new accomplishment... and once you do, then you'll regroup and re-strategize for more winning moves? OR, are you in this for the long haul... knowing what you're out to accomplish and creating a plan for the day-to-day to help you reach that longer term goal? 

One is clearly more mentally exhausting than the other. To know your current mission in life (personal or professional) and then develop a path for accomplishing that mission means a lot of intentional time for reflection, analysis/evaluation of each situation, as well as refining your short-term goals to help you stay the course. GEEZ! I'm a little worn out just thinking about it! But I guarantee at the end of your project (at home or at work), assuming you've carefully moved every Pawn, Rook, and Knight on the board... you and those around you are more clearly able to speak to the individual moves you made throughout the project which helped you accomplish your goal and either replicate, or avoid, certain paths towards success in the near future. There's clarity in strategy, my friends. 

So what's it going to be as you think about the last 41 days of 2016? Are you going to jump in with your first diagonal move or carefully choose the pawn that will lead the charge?

Peace, love, and Checkmate!

Sarah

And the winner is......

Let's face it, friends.... this is a big week. I'd be remiss to blog this week and not get us thinking about those ballot boxes on Wednesday.... but I'd rather do it in a way that let's you get in touch with your own attitudes, beliefs, emotions, and dispositions. No, no... not about the election, but about what you hold at your core that truly drives your daily (inter)actions!

During a really great project ideation session at Winton Woods MS Friday morning, SS facilitator, Mr. Clinton Beck, spoke about his desire to design a project with "diversity" at its core. Specifically, a project which allowed students to look at diversity from the lens of what made them who they are and why they see the world that they do. All I could think of during that time was "YES! If only our students....and if only WE.... truly knew our core beliefs (i.e. the essence of how we see ourselves, other people, the world, & the future...thanks for that explanation, Google....), we would be able to productively manage our behaviors influenced by our attitudes, beliefs, emotions, and dispositions during any interaction we may have in our daily life.

I wish I could take credit for this brilliant li'l exercise, but I cannot. Instead, let's thank the author of The Art of Coaching, Elaine Aguilar, for this closer look at ourselves and our core beliefs. (Give yourself 15-20min to give this exercise a go!)

1. Read through this list of Core Values  (Note: it's not exhaustive, so feel free to add your own) and identify 10 values which you feel are most important to you.
2. Now, cross off five of those values, leaving you with the five that are most important to you.
3. Now, from your list of five values, cross off two, leaving you with the three values that are most important to you. These are most likely your core values. 

WHOOO!!! You made it!!! Now talk to me about this.... 

• What feelings come up for you when you read your short list? How does your energy shift?
• Consider how the actions you take reflect your core values. Are there values that show up more often in your actions at work? At home? In social circles? With family? Do you ever notice a discrepancy between what you consider to be a "value" and actions that you take?
• Write your three core values on a piece of paper and post them somewhere prominent. Reflect on them for a week or two. See if they still feel like "core" values.
• Reflect on them every year! Are they the same? Have they changed? Do you think these would have been your core values 10 years ago?

Whether you're entering the polls this week, engaging in a conversation with a friend/ colleague/ student, or going about your daily business, I hope you take time to celebrate YOU. Celebrate the way that YOU make decisions that will impact your own present and future realities as a result of being true to what's in your core.

Peace, love, and live with purpose,
Sarah

Here I am... 20 hours before our first official "trick or treat" experience as parents and I'm quickly realizing that I'm doomed for the next few years ahead of frantic, down-to-the-wire crafting (which we all know my son will probably resent me for later in life...it's cool... I owned that reality the day I found out I was pregnant). :) Regardless, Jared and I were both SUPER excited to come up with a halloween costume for Owen that met our solution criteria: "has to be unique, not too much trouble to make, and has to be recognizable."  Then we threw out tons of options that we thought might meet our criteria (James Naismith, the Pope, the li'l boy who entered Harambe's exhibit....) then obviously had to choose one that met the criteria (AND didn't push the boundaries of "too soon"... one of us has to be the moral compass in our household... oyi)!   Unfortunately, I can't tell you what costume we chose... we've decided to keep it top secret until tomorrow's unveiling... BUT I can tell you that after we spent time putting it all together over the last few weeks, we are SUPER EXCITED to get him out there for his first Halloween night. Let's be honest.... we're excited to see if other people recognize our solution criteria in action, without us telling them all about it! (Do they think it's unique? Does it even matter that it was handcrafted? Do they recognize what/who he's supposed to be?)  It has been a crazy month of embracing the process, so we'll see how our final presentation turns out tomorrow night!

While Halloween isn't every day for you or your students, this has been a great reminder for me of the excitingly stressful process you venture into with your students at the beginning of each project design & the launch with students.  For you as you design projects, it probably feels a little like this:

• Phase 1: Define your goal - What big ideas will students tackle in the discipline? What question(s) will drive student learning?
• Phase 2: Identify solution criteria - What targeted standards & skills will students need to develop in order to be successful in the project?
• Phase 3: Generate possible solutions - What type of authentic tasks could students engage in to deepen their understanding of the discipline?
• Phase 4: Make a decision  - What are the pro's and con's of each possibility? Which is the most feasible and still meets the solution criteria?
• Phase 5: Create, design, implement  - 
• What need-to-knows might students generate and how can those questions drive the learning?
• What project benchmarks will help guide the learning? What should students be doing in the various phases of the project (early, middle, and late)?
• How will students engage in inquiry throughout the phases of the project?
• What scaffolding activities will help to address students' need-to-knows & the targeted knowledge & skills?
• What opportunities will there be for feedback & critique, reflection, & revision of work?
• How will creativity & student choice be incorporated throughout the project?
• Phase 6: Evaluate its success - Does this project meet my goal and address the solution criteria? Where are your Critical Friends when ya need 'em!? Do I need to move back through any of these phases re-address areas of this project's design?

And for your students, the 3-4 weeks of your PBL unit, or 3-5 days of your PBL problem should feel like a Halloween blitz as well! "What's the problem I'm trying to solve?" (This is when they might write/articulate the problem statement)? followed by "What will it look/sound like if I've successfully solved the problem?" (This is when they'll revisit the Entry Event for "criteria" and probably be introduced to the rubric which will guide them as well.) They will then begin to dream up all the things they can & want to do to solve this problem (This often means you, as the teacher, are creating time for them to do that and guiding them to keep solution criteria in mind while not jumping straight to making ONE decision.) Students will choose one of their many ideas and start bringing it to life (Students will need support in making decisions with many on the table, and if they're making a collaborative decision... they'll need some guiding prompts/templates/matrices to help them in this process as well). With a decision "made" (knowing they may come back to this phase and select another option after they start researching, applying knowledge, and creating towards their decision), students will begin diving even more deeply into questions they need-to-know to support them in reaching their goal (so get those workshops ready)!!!!  And as they gain solid momentum on their research, they'll want to ask their peers, or other teams, if it seems like they're on the right track. If so, they'll cycle back to phase 5 and keep pushing on. If not, maybe they move back to phase 3! Either way.... this excitedly, stressful process is certainly one that supports their ability to problem solve but also gives them voice and ownership in the project as well. 

Here's to many more project designs and weeks of implementation which eb and flow resulting in plenty of creative treats and not so many disconnected tricks in your classroom!

Peace, love, and Happy Halloween!!!

Sarah