March 23, 2012

March 23, 2012

Reflections on Design Principles:

Solitude and Reflection

Excitement is in the air as everyone anticipates the two weeks to 'sharpen the saw'...rest, rejuvenate and have some fun! It's important for that balance we have all been seeking to achieve all year! Looking at my small book that contains the 9 Design Principles of Expeditionary Learning, the design principle, Solitude and Reflection, resonates with me as we get ready to enjoy this break. No doubt, everyone will have some time to be alone, explore your thoughts and create new ideas. 

Did you know that while quiet reflection is an individual process, it also has the ability to strengthen community ties? "People often return from quiet reflection or solitude with a renewed appreciation for the people around them." 

How fortunate our students are that we are developing this 'habit of mind' by intentionally structuring this important routine into our learning environment. No doubt, our students will also return with a renewed appreciation for their crew and school community.

Solitude, reflection, and silence replenish

our energies and open our minds.

Be sure students have time alone

to explore their own thoughts,

make their own connections,

and create their own ideas.

Then give them the opportunity

to exchange their reflections with each other

and with adults.

"I don't retreat from the world to escape," Robert Frost say, "but return stronger."

Calendar

Rather than two weeks at a glance, here are some dates to be sure to record on your calendar:

* We return from Spring Break to a work day on Monday, April 9th

Wednesday calendar of Professional Development for April and May:

April 11th:  Discussion and decision making for math

April 18th:  Plan time for Learning Expeditions, Service Learning, Genre studies, Portfolios

April 25th:  Plan time for Learning Expeditions, Service Learning, Genre studies, Portfolios

May 9th:  Third Grade Portfolio Showcases (everyone will serve on panels) 

May 16th: Look to Next Year

May 23rd: Compensation afternoon for evening time for 6th grade Portfolios and Closing Ceremony

May 30th:  Compensation afternoon- return at 6:30 for Closing Ceremony

Portfolio Dates:

May  9th:  3rd Grade Portfolio Showcases from 1:45 until 4:00 p.m.

May 17th: 6th Grade Portfolio Reviews 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. (Thursday)

May 24th: 6th Grade Portfolio Showcases 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. (Thursday)

Life Is Art:

Friday, April 27th 6:00 p.m. (personal choice - you get two for one on the price of a ticket)

***PLEASE be sure to mention Life Is Art on your personal blogs and communication to parents. Please share with parents that the proceeds from this fund raiser will go towards a turf field.

Sal Kahn Math Presentation:

Friday, May 4th 6:00-7:15 Denver University

Tointon Leadership Academy:

June 14th 18th

Staff Backpacking Trip:

July 27th - 29th (leave Friday, return Sunday evening)

Cody will be leading the trip and we will do a section of the Colorado Trail. This will be a wonderful team building opportunity! I recognize that not everyone will be able to participate and want to share the date with you early so you can be aware of this opportunity as you schedule your summer fun! More information to come.

Back to school in August 2012:

New teachers report Wednesday, August 1st.

All teacher report Thursday, August 2nd. 

We will meet as a staff on the mornings of Thursday and Friday (Aug. 2nd & 3rd) and you will have the afternoons to work in your rooms.

Love and Logic

Teacher-isms: Wise Words for Teachers

Wise educators never expect a cafeteria full of students

to be quieter than a cafeteria full of teachers.

Students will always need the same number of reminders

 or warnings they are given.

Smart teachers set the limit once and follow through

with actions instead of lectures.


Featured Folks:
Perhaps a few of you will have a bit of time or feel inspired to write something
 for this portion of Friday Flash. It is a favorite and we all miss it!



Peek Into the Life of Our School:

Bill, Elisha, Josie and Noreene have been facilitating small groups, every Monday, for four weeks
with our fifth graders to give them added support in self discovery and developing self-esteem. 

Third graders have a rich literature discussion!

Student's in 4th grade are loving their comic's genre study!
Look at the integration of technology to support the learning.
 All the students could easily tell me what was challenging about both the writing of the comic strips and the tech tools!

4th grade students who finished their genre work were using their writing skills

 to work on Expert pieces for Expedition.

Cup stacking competition!
42+ students headed for the National Competition!!!
It was suspenseful!!

Ipad cameras aren't created for action photos!

Sixth grade students appeal to the community to support  a meaningful service learning project that emerged from what they were discovering within their Learning Expedition case study.

Mary Sue's Crew led All School Meeting and treated us all to a wonderful performance. Wonderful message!
I overheard first grade students asking at the conclusion of the performance
if we could 'rewind' and watch it again!

Circle to debrief the performance.

4th grade students looking good!
The 4th grade went to the Art Museum dressed for success to represent our school!



What I am not going to do over break:
* Worry about the budget
* Check email every day
* Think about the list of things to do in April and May

What I am going to do over break:
* Have fun with family and friends
* Enjoy nature and play outside
* Read a book
* Savor the days
* Sniff and hug my grandson...a lot
* Explore my thoughts and create new ideas

Have a WONDERFUL Spring Break!
Deborah

March 16, 2012

March 16, 2012


Reflections on Design Principles:
Success and Failure


"Your disability is your opportunity." - Kurt Hahn

"All students must be assured a fair measure of success in learning in order to nurture the confidence to take risks and rise to increasingly difficult challenges.

But it is also important to experience failure, to overcome negative inclinations, to prevail against adversity, and to learn to turn disabilities into opportunities."

Expeditionary classrooms nurture perseverance. Success without the experience of some level of failure, brings only a limited sense of accomplishment. How many times have you tried something and known it was 'okay' but if you gave it one more try, it might be amazing? 

It's difficult, as a teacher, to watch a student headed for failure without intervening. And yet, just as we facilitate team building in Adventure Education, we must allow students to experience the struggle because as students experience a few setbacks, the greatest learning occurs. 

As our students are engaged in their student-led conferencing are they sharing their successes and their failures? Are they reflecting on the struggle? Are they recognizing their accomplishments because they persevered? 
What about you...are you reflecting on where the struggles are for you and how this can be an opportunity? Do we reflect on our lessons and learn what it will take to make this lesson succeed the next time around? Isn't being a responsive teacher all about being a risk-taker, unafraid to acknowledge what was successful and what still needs improvement? Isn't this how we, indeed, improve our teaching? We forgo being defensive; we embrace the opportunity to learn again and again. We keep at it, we learn from each other and from our students, and we embrace this as a wonderful opportunity.

Calendar

Week of March 19th -23rd:

Student Led Conferences this week!

Fourth grade and Mr. Bill have made other arrangements and will be doing conferences the week after Spring Break.

Tuesday, 20th:

*RTI meeting 7:15 a.m.

Wednesday, 21st:

* All School Meeting

(post card, SAVE THE DATE, for Life is Art will be given out to kids to take home)

*4th grade field work to Art Museum

* Afternoon devoted to student-led conferences

Thursday, 22nd:

* 9:00 Evacuation Drill

* 6:00 Love and Logic Parent Night

* 6:30 2/3 Discovery Musical

Friday, 23rd:

* School IS in session

REMINDER to parents!

Please be sure to communicate to parents that our calendar was changed and we swapped a non-student contact day from Friday, March 23rd to Tuesday, April 8th. On Friday, March 23rd students WILL come to school. They will not come to school until Tuesday, April 8th following Spring Break. It's time to start reminding them!

Love and Logic

Teacher-isms: Wise Words for Teachers

Pencils are never lost...they're always "stolen".

And it's always somebody else who "started it."

Great teachers know the difference between what they can and cannot control. We can't make kids have good "attitudes," but we stand a good chance of instilling them with ours.


An email inspiration from one of our own:
Ms. Lindsey shared this email with me...

Hi Deborah-

So I have been thinking about the conversation our staff had about motivating the kids to care about the T-CAP/CSAP. I was on Facebook the other night and a friend of mine posted this you tube video. I guess her husband's staff has create music videos to motivate/encourage the kids at his school. Below are the links for the videos for this year and last year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g92olDuMsak&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mf6fXSf_V5w&feature=g-vrec&context=G27f17ebRVAAAAAAAAAA&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1

I think this is an awesome idea Lindsey! I wonder what a video, with a spin based on the culture of Renaissance, made by Renaissance teachers and students might look like? What a great idea for integrating technology and motivating students! 

Any takers who might want to take this on??

As we talked about how to raise student investment in the TCAP, I love Lindsey's approach to increasing engagement in an authentic and compelling way! This approach is so in line with our philosophies.

Thanks for a great idea Lindsey!

Garden Reminder

Loving this spring weather! I took a walk after school to clear my head and enjoy the outdoors. I noticed green sprigs poking through the dry, dead underbrush. (Why is it that weeds are the first to 'bloom'?) It was a good reminder that we need to keep our garden plans on our radar. I've received some responses from first and fifth grade about being involved in our garden. We'll need to solidify those plans soon.

Peek Into the Life of Our School:

4th grade practices for the Colorado History Musical

The master teacher!

It looks like Triage... it's sixth grade making plaster molds of one another's faces!

Josh had some explanation for this:)
Maybe he just needed the sensory integration?

Words to Ponder




Instruction in a subject matter that does not fit into any problem already stirring in the student's own experience, 
or that is not presented in such a way as to arouse a problem,
 is worse than useless for intellectual purposes.
- John Dewey


(Hmmm...wonder if this is what we observe when we say engagement is low??
How does this statement impact planning?)






The True Meaning Of Life
 Is To Plant Trees 
Under Whose Shade You Do Not Expect To Sit.
-Nelson Henderson


Have a great weekend!
Deborah

March 9, 2012

Reflections on Design Principles:

The Responsibility For Learning

As I reflect on the design principles I am usually thinking about the learning experiences we are creating for the students in our school. However, this time, I kept coming back to the adult learners in our school - all of us. As I read about The Responsibility for Learning it talks about  teaching students how to learn, rather than a set amount of material. We are establishing a 'habit of mind' they will never forget. Hmmm? What exactly is that? What does that mean to you?
Teachers in an Expeditionary Learning school are relieved of the burden of having to pretend to know it all. They learn along side their students. They explore, research, reflect, revise and construct new understandings with the support of their colleagues. "If I had to know everything before taking the first step in teaching this expedition, I would never have undertaken it." shares a teacher in an EL school. Shared learning. What exactly is that?
Encouraging students to steer their own learning does not free them from high expectations. Clearly articulated learning targets keep the expectations high, focused and intentional. How is this statement reflected in the creation of Learning Expeditions? Are teachers in an Expeditionary Learning school participating in the same learning as their students when they sit down to write their Expeditions?
A sense of pride and investment is high when the learner is discovering things for themselves and creating their own demonstrations of their learning. Is this why it is so important that teachers create their own Learning Expeditions? A sense of achievement is the most lasting when a student (whether that be you or your students) knows that they are responsible for the creation. 


As you read the design principle below, join me in celebrating that Expeditionary Learning has been and is so aligned with the current research and philosophies for best practices for learning AND the 21st Century! We've been waiting for everyone else to catch up!


The Responsibility for Learning:
* Learning is both a personal, individually specific process of discovery and a social activity.
* Each of us learns within and for ourselves and as part of a group.
* Every aspect of a school must encourage children, young people, and adults to become increasingly responsible for directing their own personal and collective learning.

Calendar

Week of March 12  - 16th:

CSAP Window

Tuesday, 13th:

*RTI meeting 7:15 a.m.

Wednesday 14th:

* Sarah and Hanni's Crew to Snow Mtn for Winter Voyage

* You may use this afternoon for student-led conferences

Thursday 15th:

*Love and Logic Parent Training 6 pm. library

Saturday, 17th:

* Apple Award Ceremony

Yeah Mary Sue and Dolores!!!

Week of March 19th -23rd:

Student Led Conferences this week!

Fourth grade and Mr. Bill have made other arrangements and will be doing conferences the week after Spring Break.

Tuesday, 20th:

*RTI meeting 7:15 a.m.

Wednesday, 21st:

* All School Meeting

(post card, SAVE THE DATE, for Life is Art will be given out to kids to take home)

*4th grade field work to Art Museum

* Afternoon devoted to student-led conferences

Thursday, 22nd:

* 9:15 Lockdown Drill

* 6:00 Love and Logic Parent Night

* 6:30 2/3 Discovery Musical

Friday, 23rd:

* School IS in session

REMINDER to parents!

Please be sure to communicate to parents that our calendar was changed and we swapped a non-student contact day from Friday, March 23rd to Tuesday, April 8th. On Friday, March 23rd students WILL come to school. They will not come to school until Tuesday, April 8th following Spring Break. It's time to start reminding them!

Student Led Conferences

We will be conducting student-led conferences the week before Spring Break, unless other arrangements have been made. You will have the afternoon on both March 14th and  the 21st to use for conferences.

Douglas County School District Art Show 
Take a look at Pam's blog where she shares information and photos about the student's and their art featured at the district Art Show.
Thanks Pam for all of your hard work to coordinate the entire Douglas County School District Art Show! Talk about leadership!
http://artteacherc.blogspot.com/

Save the Date!

Life is Art!

Friday, April 27th

Love and Logic

Teacher-isms: Wise Words for Teachers

When a student leaves you speechless,

experiment with saying, 

"I'm going to have to do something about this. We'll talk tomorrow."

Wise teachers know they can do everything right with a student

and still not see that student succeed in their class.

A Peek Into the Life of Our School:

Just look how smiley the first grade team is as they embark on their winter voyage!

Dee giving that extra help that learners need to grow.

Jill shares a new series that has her first grade readers very excited!

Kathy works with a small group of writer's who need a little extra before she releases them to work independently. Gradual release of responsibility.

Who says great learning doesn't still go on during TCAP testing?
It does at Renaissance!

Linda teaches sixth graders to tell time....in Spanish!

Lisa uses realistic fiction to build background for their Learning Expedition.

With only 30 minutes between lunch recess and afternoon TCAP, Rebecca conducts a science experiment in her crew.
This is a visual representation of the water on earth and where it is. Hard to tell in this photo, but easy to see that the vast amount of water is in the ocean.
Below is a chart they created.

Neil's crew took advantage of the nice weather and took their learning outside.
They were 'playing' a game to learn!

'Playing' also includes recording, reflecting, revising and trying it again!
Learn by personal experience...not being told.

Words to Ponder:

"I believe you've got to do what's right, every single day of your life, even if the rest of the crowd isn't. Teaching is about honor and goodness and mercy. You either live up to the calling of this profession or you don't, and most likely no one will ever know but you." - Penny Kittle

Have a great weekend!
Deborah

March 2, 2012

March 2, 2012

Reflections on Design Principles:

Diversity and Inclusivity

I recently started a new course titled "Online Collaboration and Connected Learning", and the roots of this course is the learning theory of Connectivism. Mary Sue is also taking this course!
Behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism are the three broad learning theories most often utilized in the creation of instructional environments. These theories, however, were developed in a time when learning was not impacted through technology. Over the last twenty years, technology has reorganized how we live, how we communicate, and how we learn. 

 Karen Stephenson states:

“Experience has long been considered the best teacher of knowledge. Since we cannot experience everything, other people’s experiences, and hence other people, become the surrogate for knowledge. ‘I store my knowledge in my friends’ is an axiom for collecting knowledge through collecting people (undated).”

That's a pretty good statement for explaining Connectivism!

Here is a link if you're interested in learning more.http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm

Reading and learning about Connectivism provided understanding into the changes that we, as learners, all face in the current world. There is a strong partnership between the Constructivist approach to learning and Connectivism...building a personal network.  Connectivism provides a learning theory that explains how the learning one undergoes, TRANSFERS to a larger group or organization.  We no longer have to deeply understand all that we are 'learning', we just need to know where to plug into the flow of information.  The strength of an organization will be in the flow of information.
I was also stuck by this: "Connectivism is driven by the understanding that decisions are based on rapidly altering foundations." This is our daily life! There has been a huge shift for me in focusing not so much on information I can learn, but rather the ability to draw distinctions between important and unimportant information. I use this distinction every day in making decisions for our organization. I wonder how your work has been impact by the information flow? What about the students?
So how are we using this learning theory of 'connectivism'? How are we preparing our students for the information flow and how to interact in this larger group or organization where the information must flow?

My recent experiences (and homework!) have led me to ponder the design principle: Collaboration and Competition.

"By mutual confidence and mutual aid, great deeds are done, and great discoveries made." (Homer)

Rather than going at it alone, Expeditionary Learning schools, develop students to turn to their peers for encouragement and support. Competition is for their own personal best to achieve higher goals. More collaboration and less competition raises the level of learning through 'connectivism'. "In addition to individual work, small group cooperative projects are at the heart of learning expeditions." Collaboration in action. The work that you do with students everyday is preparing them to collaborate so that they can easily build a personal network and understand the power of that collaboration.

"Taking care is perhaps one of the most important values behind the principle of Collaboration and Competition.  When students take care with their work, they defy low expectations and challenge themselves to do their best.  When they take care with their responsibilities to team members, they create an antidote to isolation and selfishness. They discover the bonds of shared commitment that strengthen the school community."

Calendar

Week of March 5 -9th:

CSAP Window

Tuesday 6th:

* RTI meeting 7:15 a.m.

Thursday 8th:

*Love and Logic Parent Training 6 pm. library

Week of March 12  - 16th:

CSAP Window

Tuesday, 13th:

*RTI meeting 7:15 a.m.

Wednesday 14th:

* 4th grade Musical practice 9:30 a.m.

* Sarah and Hanni's Crew to Snow Mtn for Winter Voyage

Thursday 15th:

*Love and Logic Parent Training 6 pm. library

Love and Logic

Teacher-isms:

"Is this the right place for that behavior?" creates thinking -

"Stop that or you're going to have to leave" creates resistance.

When a student is having a bad day, experiment with asking,

"I forgot to give this overdue book to the librarian. Will you do me 

a favor and run it back for me?"

 Apple Award Classified Representative: Yeah Dolores!
Dolores Moore has been chosen to be our Apple Award Representative for our classified staff!
Dolores, you are so deserving of this recognition!
Thank you for all you have given to our community!



Apple Award Ceremony

The Apple Award Ceremony to recognize Mary Sue and Dolores is on Saturday, March 17th.
We have four tickets available for staff. Please let me know by Monday, if you would like one of the tickets as we will need to RSVP immediately (one of those things I'm a bit behind on....)

Featured Folks:

Sniff, sniff....no feature.

Peek Into the Life of Our School:

Early Beetles?

Did you know that Cheryl is the least comfortable with the guitar? Who would know!
However, Cheryl leaves her comfort zone to meet the interests and needs of students.
Model demonstration along with guided practice.
Maybe we'll get a demonstration at an All School Meeting!!!
(Please, not 'Smoke on the Water!')

Observation & Assessment lead to...

 more model - demonstration.
Small 'bite size' pieces to build to mastery.
Responding to student actions to inform our next teaching move.

Independent practice!

Model demonstration/guided learning.
What would we do without our beloved document cameras!

The process of thoughtful reflection.
A process we build in to all that we do.

Reflect!
A powerful tool for learning!

Networking while constructing their product for Expedition.
(Ronald and Ole are willing to take over the school so that Brittany and I can have a spa day.)

Third graders headed out to Snow Mountain for their Winter Voyage.
Is that Brittany trying to sneak off the bus???

Okay....we we were all wondering what might happen at recess on Wednesday!

Ms. Jill's Crew did an awesome job leading All School Meeting
I think they must watch  American Idol, because
some of them sure were singing into the microphone!

Dr. Seuss's Birthday in Ms. Sarah's Crew

Best part of my Thursday!

Jackson, "A Server"
Did you get some of those green eggs and ham?

Sarah provides an opportunity for parents, grandparents and significant adults
in the lives of her students to join her learning community.

DAM great trip!
(Denver Art Museum)
6th grade Field Work

Love these shots of kids deeply engaged in learning and collaborating.

Expert Speaker for 6th grade Learning Expedition


Isn't it incredible how much goes on every week!
Isn't it exciting what great learning experiences we have created for our kids!
Wow!

"Nothing is ever done beautifully which is done in rivalship;
or nobly, which is done in pride."
However, when the challenge of competition is channeled toward
surpassing one's own personal best, competition can be a positive and inspiring force.

Have a great weekend!
Deborah