"Scaling" Up The Authentic Learning Opportunities

Authentic learning comes in many forms.  Check out all the ways we are beefing up rigor and relevance in our learning.

In science, student understanding is enhanced by scaled models of scientific events.  In the below two pictures, students are measuring the distance between planets.  Every ten million miles is measured in meters; what a great cross-curricular experience with mathematical conversions.

In this science activity, students were conceptualizing the Earth's lifespan by measuring time in distance.

Informative writing is relevant in every class; additionally, it adds to the rigor of the curriculum.  In this math class, the teacher was amazed by the development of student understanding as they shared their writing on the Ellmo and discussed/built their understanding of the mathematical term together.

Below, in the same class, are great examples of how this learning is furthered in homework and how the teacher and student teacher practice collaborative teaching strategies...way to "scale" it up!

Formative assessments are another tool that serve to engage students in rigor and relevance.  By knowing their understanding, we can better instruct them at their level.  The below picture is a great example of how to quickly gauge student understanding.

And, finally, here's a great example of increasing student engagement and collaboration to enhance learning.  Students collaborated to "write" their proof, effectively demonstrating their knowledge of geometrical principles.

Staying Engaged

In last week's Sparksnotes, I highlighted best practices for staying engaged with kids for the duration of the school year. Here are a couple of visual reminders of being vigilant in the halls and conferencing with students during instructional time.

Teachers are in the hall monitoring students and having instructional conversations.

A teacher is conferencing with a student who is problem-solving her high school schedule.

A teaches is conferencing with students on their thesis development.

A teacher works at the student's level to support independent practice.

A teacher conferences with a book club to assess their progress and support further learning.

And, We Are Off (Not School)....

Informational writing has begun.  Today, 6th graders in math began sharing their understanding of mean, median, mode, and range through writing.  Students chose one term and defined it within their paragraph. Next, they explained how to solve for the problem.  To enhance the writing, students also gave examples of their work in traditional, numerical form.

Clarifying Expectations

Conferencing with Kids

Relevant Writing in Math

What's Your New Year's Resolution?

This week in Flyertimes, we talked with students about goal-setting, but how much time have you spent reflecting on your own goals for 2014?  In the Sparks' household, it's the year of lean:  lean bodies and a lean budget (cross your fingers, and if you notice that I'm crabby, it's because I'm hungry and I haven't gone shopping ;)).

Here's a great (and short!) clip that reminds you how to make sustainable change, in as short as 30 days!

So, what are you doing for yourself in 2014?

In addition to your personal goals, what are your professional goals?  It's my goal this year to read more professional literature, that stack of magazines that I've piled on my nightstand.  If you haven't thought about a professional goal, here are some great ideas....

Develop an interdisciplinary lesson each quarter.

Math and Social Studies have collaborated on the Oregon trail, allowing students to develop their math skills as they purchase supplies for their wagon train.

Weekly, teach an authentic lesson.

Here, students in the class are seated within their "wagon" groups for their trip to along the Oregon Trail.  Through this unit, students learn about Westward Expansion by becoming pioneers.

Working on units of measurement and fractions, students determine the cost of grocery items by the unit instead of package and determine how much to save per month for a trip to Disney.

Add an inquiry-based activity to each unit.

Students discover rocks and minerals by exploring samples, identifying and charting their properties, and making an hypothesis about each item. 

Integrate technology daily.

Students demonstrate their comprehension by taking a one-question online quiz; this helps students process their reading, provides depth for further discussion, and identifies core learning objectives to students.

Or, take any combination of these goals.  The point is that you continue to expand your instructional repetoire with enriching and relevant learning opportunities for students.  

Here's to you in 2014!

Alternative Learning Opportunities

While I was in Tucson over Winter Break, I took some time to visit my nephew's school.  To give a little background, he attends a private school there. Arizona's educational system is very different from ours:  there, anyone who wants to contribute to a child's private education may do so and earn a tax credit for up to $2000.  If you're interested, I'm happy to give you my full opinion on what this does to diminish support for public education.

Tucson's schools are in a very large system, where there are many alternative charter options.  One of the charter schools is #2 in Newsweek's best schools because they allow only the highly academically motivated students and their numbers of AP exams give yearly is off the charts.

But, I digress...

Check out what Alex's school (St. Gregory's, but not parochial, with approximately 300 6-12th graders) hosts a community garden, provides leadership programming including their own high ropes course, collects their rain water for recycling, and manages their own livestock.  Check it out...

Their water collection system - wouldn't this be a great science project?

It's hard to see, but here's their high ropes course.  I don't expect we'll do anything like this, but what other ways can we foster student leadership?

The above two pics show the community garden:  families "rent" the space for $15/month and are responsible for maintaining their own plantings.  This is a partnership beyond the school, but wouldn't it be cool to work with Sunset Hills/Crestwood to do something similar.  Anyone have a passion?

Chickens and goats!  Doesn't that sound like fun?

You all know how much I love authentic learning, and these are great examples of authentic learning opportunities for students.  However, programs like this require a lot of dedication and passion -- I think there is a great opportunity within Flyertime to spearhead these types of learning activities, but that will be something that will evolve over time.

Welcome back!