Revising Hands-On Assessments (Science 9)

Original test set-up (circuit stations at front of room)

This week we finally had our first physics test on current electricity.  The students were required as part of their test to create a simple circuit from a diagram provided.  I made 2 major changes to this lab question from previous years.  First, instead of using the front 4 tables as lab stations, I used the side counters.  The reason for this was that last year's students complained of feeling the pressure of performing in front of their peers even though no one was actually watching them (see photo).  I noticed that the less confident kids did indeed choose to wait for the lab stations near the back corners of the room.  I could tell this since these 2 were the stations that required the most support.

This brings me to the 2nd change.  I made circuit question out of 11 marks.  Sensing apprehension, I told the students that building the circuit was only worth 5 of the 11.  If they couldn't figure out how the components went together I explained that after they attempted to build the circuit I would come and fix anything that they did wrong, obviously subtracting 1 point per error.  So,  in worst case scenario, they might get 0/5 but in reality the lowest score (in this class) was 3/5.  However, knowing that their circuit was going to be perfect before they made their readings on the ammeter, voltmeter and resistor (which they needed to perform the calculations required for the other 6 marks), they felt good about getting at least 6/11 possible marks.  This also made my marking much more authentic. Last year I was giving out zero marks for their calculations since their answers were wrong due to errors on reading their meters.  I feel better now about not giving marks for construction and rewarding proper calculations since their raw data is now accurate.  Of course if their calculations were wrong, now I knew that they didn't know the formulas instead of not knowing how to build the circuit.  Both are important and I like having separated the two and the students felt this was very fair and actually reduced some of their anxiety.

Post Courtesy of Tim Haberstock

Five Senses Search

As an introduction to descriptive paragraph writing, I had students search for descriptions of the five senses in a paragraph.  Each sense was colour coded and corresponded to different coloured sticky notes.  I had them take turns grabbing a sticky note and sticking it on the screen.  As we discussed and agreed on their findings, I highlighted them in the same colour on my computer (mostly because they didn't stick very well).  Afterwards, they were to write their own descriptive paragraphs that included all five senses.  They really enjoyed this activity!

Post courtesy of Lauren Vallis

Outdoor Adventures and "Doodling" in Science

We're into another science unit, this one is simple machines.  Again, being years since I've taught science, I didn't want to do the same old, even if it did involve more hands on than other topics.  Our first task was to explain force, with reference to friction, slope and load.  We spoke briefly, putting the terms on the board and telling the kids we would be having a lesson outside.  Afterwards, they would be using the given terms to label a 'doodle' illustrating the lesson.

We took the kids to the sliding hill with a sled and a mat.  With students making predictions and observations along the way, we had one child, then two, slide from a marked point where another teacher and I held them back.  This also gave us an opportunity to introduce potential and kinetic energy.  We repeated this with the slide, the smooth side of the mat and the woven side of the mat.  They could easily predict what would happen so they were just getting the science behind what they already knew. Below is an example of a student illustration of the outdoor experience.

Post Courtesy of Judy Schneider 

Interest and Relevance (Humanities 8)

I would like to share a one-day-at-a-time story about the bright, young, kindhearted, frustrated, disengaged and sometimes (very) difficult, student on whom I am focusing my "lens". He and I are learning alongside of each other in English and Social Studies (am realizing he is teaching me as much as I him). As I try new strategies to engage the class (and... hush... him too), our class CEA, Mrs. P, has quietly inquired as to how he is "feeling about his learning".  5= very good!  1= would rather poke out my eyeballs than experience this lesson again. You can probably see where this is going...  We did a hands on activity using playdoe in Social Studies... 2.5. (not bad).  We did a "stretch your sentence" exercise in English (he wrote a great sentence and I heaped on the accolades)...1.  We did a "scary story" exercise where students borrowed sentence structure to form their own sentence (he again wrote a great sentence)...1.  When asked why a "1", he responded, "That's just how I am used to feeling." So there it is... learned defeatism?  Whatever the case, I understood that the road that is the classroom experience was going to have to look different for this fellow.

    Enter Minecraft.  In an effort to find a medium of engagement, my student and I came up with a project that was a good fit for him. In lieu of the essay writing/public speaking assignment that was the final summative assignment of Term 1, he would teach me (his old lady English teacher) how to play Minecraft via a directive video. That very night he completed the assignment. Using a microphone and a program he found and set up, he proudly, comfortably and confidently, walked me through "Minecraft". I had never heard him say so many words with such enthusiasm! Very cool.
    This actually happened awhile ago - we celebrated the success of the assignment, and my student had an opportunity to feel success. I decided to hold off on assessment, partially because I was not quite sure how to go about it.  We returned to  "one-day-at-a-time" pace, but this afternoon I had a bit of an epiphany about the assessment of this assignment. In taking a 2nd look at Holly Colquhoun's blog on the competencies (or "21st Century Fluencies")  she had been exploring, I realized that this is what the Minecraft assignment was able to demonstrate, which is actually quite a lot!

1. Problem solving
2. Creativity
3. Analytical Thinking
4. Collaborate ( a bit less of this, but I understand when he plays regularly, he often must negotiate with other players...)
5. Communicate
Clearly - this student is part of the digital generation.

So - next the step for me is to sit down with my student, review his video, and see how the skills he is able to show in his assignment connect with the above elements. I am hoping he will see what a talented, capable person he is!

I'm shooting for a "3.5" on this one!  Will let you know how it goes!

Post courtesy of Andrea DeVito

This Isn't Rocket Science

I remember growing up enjoying helping others (and being helped), but I also remember that there was a certain prescribed way through which problems were approached and addressed.  Of course, I am talking about school life here and when I went through school throughout the 80s and early 90s there really wasn't a lot of room for divergent thought.  I accepted that, and I was especially comfortable with that because I was also raised in a home where there wasn't a lot of room for interpretation of things - especially school.  "If the teacher said so, then I believe it happened", I could almost hear my dad say.  (My parents were good advocates for me, but they also believed the teacher).  Largely, my history is reflected in how I currently approach my own life, including in the professional realm.

Is it wrong, then, for me to forge a different path through education when I turned out fine (I think) using the old ways?

Not really, because I think specifically about one student I am teaching right now and how his history as a child, let alone as a student, could be called dysfunctional at best.   I think about how this student would not have survived past grade 8 in my school growing up because the philosophy that prevailed was somewhat of a hardnosed one.  It served its purpose for that time period, but these days with students arriving with increasing "baggage" it is hardly fair to expect such kids to succeed in life when they are tossed from school because they don't meld with the type of kids schools would like to cater to.  My student needs to be handled differently.

Really, back when I was growing up the cool teachers were the ones who could connect with anyone.  They weren't aloof, or untouchable thinkers, or judgemental, they were the opposite.  They were conversational, they were approachable, they were genuinely concerned about all the kids they came across.  This is what made the teachers cool - the fact that they cared.  Now, fast forward to now.  How many teachers are like this now?  A lot (at least at our school!).  Teachers work exceptionally hard to meeting the needs of a great diversity of kids, not because we have to, not because of any school or provincial programs or initiatives, but because we understand that kids need to be cared about.  And when kids feel cared about they are more likely to respond favourably when it comes to learning something about school.  I can speak to this first hand.

The point is this: my student shows signs of commitment to the school and his progress.  I will be honest, there have been a couple of times when I was not expecting the good work that was done, yet he was given the expectations, he "showed up" and completed it, and he indicated growth and maturity beyond what he had previously demonstrated.  Something's working (and it has to do with school).

Building rapport through showing sincere interest in a student will get you a lot more mileage than playing "catch-up" with counsellor and LAT intervention, student suspensions, and district discipline hearings.  And the best part is it's a whole lot more rewarding.  This isn't rocket science.

Scavenger Hunt (Grade 4/5)

Before the winter break, I introduced my class to a novel, "The Breadwinner" by Deborah Ellis.
This story takes place in Afghanistan and before we began discussing the novel I wanted my students to know a little bit about Afghanistan.

So how could I introduce material about Afghanistan in away that was exciting and engaging for my students? I turned to my "Different Lens" support team and with a lot of support and encouragement we developed an Afghanistan Scavenger Hunt!

And WE ARE OFF!

It does take time to set up a Scavenger hunt. It is not something you can do in just 1 hour. However, once you have it organized and sorted out, it is much more worth while than having students read out of a text book or from a handout.

My students were active and excited and they remembered the information that they learned through the scavenger hunt.


Not all activities were written activities either. I wanted to make sure the information was accessible for different types of learners. Students had to cut and glue, sort pictures, take pictures, uses maps, find information in a timeline, and read short paragraphs.

 The stations were set up all over the school so students were able to move around and interact with a partner.

Students worked in groups of 2 or 3 so that there was room at each station.

Students worked together to solve the clues and they had a great time doing it. We met up in the gym afterword and went over our answers and discussed the scavenger hunt. It was a wonderful experience and I will do it again!

This was engaging for all students, however, I found that this was especially encouraging for my students who usually struggle with reading skills. Those particular students could use their partner's strengths, and though they were not as strong academically, they shone as leaders, helping to navigate from clue to clue. They used the variety of tasks to their advantage, and they didn't get overwhelmed by the different tasks, as some of my academically strong students did.

This was very successful for my first time and I will definitely adapt the scavenger hunt and use it again to introduce other material to my students.

I strongly recommend trying a scavenger hunt prior to a unit or as a unit end review. Very powerful!

Post Courtesy of Kendall Kulak

Start Somewhere and Move Forward: Learning About First Nations

Last week I had the opportunity to listen to a group of six First Nations educators who work in various districts around the province, with the Ministry of Education, and at the VIU.  They were speaking to a group of teachers involved in the Provincial Reading Project “Changing Results for Young Readers”.  The question they were addressing was “Many of us are wanting to make our classrooms, schools, and districts more inviting to our Aboriginal students.  We want to make our teaching more relevant and connected to their lives.  But … we really don’t know what to do.  Can you help us?”  Some of us in our project “Through a Different Lens” have been asking this very question.  We are losing too many of our Aboriginal students from our schools.  We are trying to make a difference but there are big gaps in our knowledge – and many of us don’t know what to do.

Here are 8 things they talked about:

1.  Acknowledge traditional territory around the province.  Put up a map of BC that shows the territories and have students in the classroom talk about the territory they were born in, the territory they currently live in, and any other territories they have lived in.  Imagine if all of our students knew even that much.  The Ministry of Education has a poster map that can be ordered on line.  I have just ordered 15 copies for any teachers in the project who would like to have one in their classroom.  (Suggestion:  Ask someone from your local First Nation Community, or one of our Aboriginal teachers or support workers how to do a proper acknowledgement of the local territory.  For an example see SD61 website, or an example on the Changing Results for Young Readers website – see “resources” and then “Indigenous Principles of Learning”.)

2.  Love Reading:  Read texts as an adult.  Read them to learn.  Have book clubs so that more educators begin to understand the issues, thoughts, feelings… become more aware.  Here are a few texts you might begin with:

            Indian Horse - Richard Wagamese
            The Truth About Stories – Thomas King
            Three Day Road – Joseph Boyden
            The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian - Sherman Alexie
            Smoke Signals – Screenplay / film:  Sherman Alexie
         
3.  Model Reading using Picture Books with First Nations texts.  Use First Nations text for reading strategies and think alouds in class.  See FNESC k-3 and K-7 for authentic First People’s texts.

4.  Watch 8th Fire.  It is said that it takes 7 generations to heal from trauma.  8th Fire is a four part series produced by CBC.  It “is a provocative, high-energy journey through Aboriginal country showing you why we need to fix Canada’s 500 year-old relationship with Indigenous peoples; a relationship mired in colonialism, conflict and denial.” The four episodes are called:  Indigenous in the City; It’s Time!; Whose Land is It Anyway?; At the Crossroads.  It is being aired on Sunday mornings at 11:00, and began on January 13.  For more information go to the CBC website.  (This originally aired in 2011; all 4 episodes are available on line).

5.  Strong Nations (www.strongnations.com) is a website that you can go to find resources.  Terry Mack, who began Strong Nations, vetoes Aboriginal resources so that people who go to the website will know which materials are good resources for teachers and classrooms.  There are resources for young children, teens and adults.  It is a great website.

6.  Bring Aboriginal people into your classroom.  Many schools are now asking elders to be present in their schools.  Invite people in.  (Check with your local community or member of the district Aboriginal staff for guest speaker protocol.)

7.  Build relationships with Aboriginal students and families.  Building relationships with our students and families is a given.  We know how important this is.  But these women went on to suggest that you build relationships with Aboriginal people who you can ask questions to, who can help you understand.

8.  Learn about First Nations.  Learn more through the organization called “FNESC”

Start somewhere and move forward:

The Time is Now

Thanks to Anne Tenning and Dustin Hyde for reading this blog and giving feedback.  More to come!

Post Courtesy of Judith King

The Edible Fraction/Percent/Decimal

Often fractions to decimals to percents can be one of those topics that students who struggle with poor number sense find challenging.  Because of this, I often resort to teacher-led instruction on this unit.  I was finding that my traditional mode of delivery for this unit is mainly lecture, board examples, and worksheets.  As much as you can try to make the worksheet questions entertaining and fun, I thought that I would tackle this concept by a hands-on activity this year.  Their mission: to visually show using any objects they wanted, a fraction, and then show how they convert to a decimal and a percent.  They then had to take a photo of it and submit the photo as the mark.  The idea came from the "Twizzlers" math picture book where they show licorice in fractions, the conversion to decimals, and then percents.

This project let me to some very interesting observations.  My stronger students in class were very creative in their representation of the fractions/decimals/percents, but some of them ran into issues as they were trying to get too fancy.  Some of the students that I would say had a weaker number sense took on a great leadership role in this activity.  Their pictures were clear and concise, and often were easier to follow.

Another bit of a risk that I took with this activity, is that in other photo-based activities in either Math or Science I have been using the school cameras.  This time I allowed the students to bring in their own camera and they needed to email them to me once they were done.  The excitment was huge that they were allowed to use their own devices.  And the maturity around using the devices was also impressive.  The students were working in groups of 4 for this activity.  Again, I was very pleased to see that in many of the groups, the leader of the group was not who I would have anticipated.  Leadership and confidence came out of the woodwork on this one.  And lots and lots of having fun!  Since we were using the larger white boards as the background, the students could still show their work and their thinking behind their conversions, which is important.  And with each group very much engaged, it was easy for me to get around to each group and make sure that their thinking was correct and on the right track.  It was a fun couple of days and I was impressed with the learning and practice of the topic.

Post courtesy of Shona Becker