Mrs. McAlister's Blog

Social Awareness QFT

12/2/2018

We’re moving right along with our social awareness inquiry. So far, we’ve generated a lengthy list of social concerns, engaged in a #SmashboardEdu session, and regrouped based on student interest.

Our next step is to generate our essential questions. In order to facilitate students asking their own questions, we utilized the Question Formulation Technique. The work of The Right Question Institute website along with the book, Make Just One Change by Dan Rothstein and Luz Santana, has greatly influenced my practice.

Join me as I share our QFT session.

We started off watching this video of a fourth grade class navigating through the stages of QFT. The teacher’s thinking process and her student’s collaboration was motivating to both my students and me.

Our QFT session had 10 different groups varying from 2 to 5 students. The purpose of the inquiry is to learn about solutions to problems young people are facing today. In order to do that, students need to narrow down their focus. The QFT questioning process with help students determine essential questions to research and answer. The social concerns of my sixth graders are: immigration, face to face bullying, cyberbullying, making wrong choices, depression, self-harm, anxiety, drugs and alcohol, disabilities, and homelessness.

During the session, we used this slide deck to guide us. We engaged in all components of the QFT process which include:

   1.   A Question Focus (Q-Focus)
   2.   The Rules for Producing Questions
   3.   Producing Questions
   4.    Categorizing Questions
   5.   Prioritizing Questions
   6.   Next Steps
   7.   Reflection

This is the second time my class worked through the process. Our school has a very tight team. In fifth grade, students used the QFT process so it isn’t a new procedure. Honoring each step of the process is very important. It seems deceptively simple but the thinking and student empowerment is huge. Because students are doing the heavy lifting, they take ownership of their questions and learning. The timers embedded in the slide deck keep students on task and focused.

Take a look at some of the questions below. And this video of students collaborating.

The final component of the QFT process is a reflection. Students reflected in their digital journal. Their digi journal is an integral part of the inquiry. They’ll be returning to it throughout the next couple of months.

Take a look at some student reflections.

Student 1: "I learned that when doing a QFT, you can’t really worry about grammar at that point. You have to hurry up and write down your questions in the time you are given. I will use the questions we chose for further research in my anxiety inquiry, and to have more understanding with it. I can improve as a learner by expanding and tweaking my questions to make them better, and by taking my thinking into a deeper level. I also learned that making up questions in a limited time is not really easy, and you have to be a fast thinker. In a QFT, you aren’t really learning about your topic, but about your group and how good it collaborates. In my group, we needed a little bit more collaboration with the new member. We, of course had to help him a little with his understanding. Hopefully he improves with his collaboration and thinking. It was a little awkward considering he was uncomfortable with us since he barely knew us. The QFT really did help us with our thinking, and helped us get a better understanding on the questions we want to research on. All in all, the QFT helped us get a little more comfortable, and also gave us a good start because we thought of many good questions we would like to do further research on."
Student 2: "During our QFT time there was so much learning and engaging going on. I learned a lot about my group and the questions they had. AH (a group member) seemed to be really interested on the effect of making wrong choices. On the other hand ADH (another group member) was mainly interested on the origins and the consequences. We all asked many questions. Many were open. I feel that’s good because we could engage more in the topic. I also learned that we can all work as a well mannered team. We all took turns and gave the questions we felt were important. As a group we all felt we needed a voice. ADH was making sure that everyone got to share their perspective on the questions and what was more important. I feel that I can use the questions in many ways. I feel that it is best for me to use more or less the open questions to help me engage more in the subject. I will use the questions as a way to research and go deeper into the awareness in a scholarly way. The questions will improve my knowledge on the subject and can help throughout the process. There are many ways I can improve as a learner. I feel that maybe asking different questions such as deeper questions can improve the way I research. I like to reach for a scholarly act so the deeper question can engage me more. It will help my thoughts on the awareness. I should start thinking outside of the box. It’ll help my me and my groups ideas. After all this QFT session was really good and will help me learn new things, think of ways to use my questions, and help me try to improve my learning."
Student 3: "My QFT topic was Drug and Alcohol Abuse. My reflection of this topic helped me learn that there are more to drugs and alcohol than them just being bad. Something else that I learned during this session is that drugs and alcohol have many more questions to them then you think. We usually thought that drugs and alcohol were just things that we shouldn’t do, after what seemed about six minutes we realized there was still more questions about drugs and alcohol that us four were still wondering. Another thing that I can reflect on is that our group were not exactly comfortable with our topic, but mostly because we didn’t know how to explain this topic to others and how to put all the things together as a group. Something that I will do with my groups and my own questions are by trying to explain to others and more importantly why drugs and alcohol are things that people shouldn’t even try not even one time in life because after who knows if you’ll end up getting addicted to either of them. Another way that I can use these questions is by researching each different facts about them and how to help me understand these questions on my own and again after explain it to others to help them understand as well. A way I can improve as a learner is by giving more questions in my group and by helping other people find another question to give either me or themselves another thought about theirs or another about mine. I can also improve myself as a learner by thinking a little deeper in my questions. Something else that I think that I really can improve on as a learner is that I think I can be more open to others and yo my own ideas and to be able to share my ideas."

We culminated the session by going on a gallery walk. Students were able to read each groups questions and discuss with their peers along the way.

Our next steps are to focus on the three priority questions from each group. Students will be learning about their self-selected topic with a particular focus on solutions to their social concern.

The QFT process is a powerful questioning technique that can be used at all grade levels. Here is a GFT slide deck guide that you can modify to meet your particular needs. Feel free to insert your Q-focus into the slide deck.

If you’re already using QFT or are just starting your journey, I’d love to see what you’re doing. If you have questions, feel free to DM me.

#MuchLove . . . Marilyn ❤

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#MyRelaxing5

12/1/2018

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The beginning of the school year has come and gone. So why am I still working so much? Honestly, I love what I do. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not bringing work home but I am thinking about it all the time. And I do mean, all the time! Thank goodness for my Twitter friend, Mari, and my teaching partner, Jesus, for reminding me to have balance. Jesus and I made a pact at the beginning of the year to keep our balance in check. We’re doing pretty good going home at a decent hour. And Mari gave a group of us a challenge to write a blog post about called #MyRelaxing5.

So here they are, in no particular order.

1.   Geocaching - My current passion is geocaching. (Shout to Mari for writing a blog post about it.) I caught the geocaching bug in July and I have 182 caches to my name. I’ve found 7 travel bugs and have hid two caches of my own. It is seriously soooo much fun! Think Pokemon Go but with real items and logs to find and sign. Today we took a Boy Scouts group out geocaching in the desert. Talk about fun! Geocaching keeps my mind off work, gets me outside, and satisfies the competitive nature in me. If you’re interested, DM me and I’ll help you get started or check out the site geocaching.com.

2.   Exercise - One of the best ways for me to decompress is to exercise. It’s always been part of my life. Currently, I love weight lifting, rowing, and running. Just this morning I was challenged to run 3 miles or 30 minutes each day for the month of December. The timing is perfect. I immediately said “yes”. The weather here in southern California this time of year is perfect for afternoon runs and walks. But I have to admit, I will often come home from a run with some really good ideas to implement in my classroom. The white space is perfect for ideas to come and go. I used to run with music. Now I track my runs with my Garmin and enjoy the white space.

3.   Binge Watching Netflix and DVR Shows - This is my Friday night. I let my shows accumulate, I get into my comfy clothes and blanket, and snuggle in for the night. This probably sounds really boring to some but I love it!!! It’s probably the only time that I’m truly relaxed. One of our dogs is really old . . . 17 years. Her name is Lady. I call her my Old Lady now. I make sure to give her lots of lovin’ during Friday night binges.

4.   Visit Friends - I have two best friends. One is my best friend from college, Elena. I love visiting her during holidays. When I visit her and her family, it’s just like being home. Her daughters called me Tia Loca. We have so much fun together! The best part of our visit is that their kitchen gets a thorough cleaning. Super weird, but I love cleaning kitchens . . . so relaxing. I will definitely be visiting them soon. My other friend is Joan. We started out as running buddies. Now we’re geocaching buddies. We’ve done dozens of 5Ks together and a couple of Vegas half marathons. We don’t run too fast, but we sure have fun. A geocaching adventure is definitely on our calendar.

5.   Weekends with Family - Both of our children are in college in Orange County. We’ve taken to weekend trips with the kids. Sometimes we meet for the weekend in San Diego or Palm Springs. Other times we go see them. Of course, my daughter’s kitchen gets a good cleaning! We were at our son’s last weekend. This may be gross but I’m dying to clean his bathroom! Getting away to see our children makes me so happy and really is relaxing.

These are my #MyRelaxing5. I’m feeling a little guilty for not putting reading on my list. But, to be honest, I have a really hard time reading for pleasure during the school year. I always have an education related book that I’m working on. My recreational reading will have to wait until summer.

What are your relaxing 5? I challenge you to write them up and share them with us on Twitter. Even if you don’t write them up, the reflective process is well worth it.

#MuchLove . . . Marilyn ❤

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Social Awareness #SmashboardEdu

11/21/2018

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We’ve been busy in sixth grade. Our year long Passionate Kids Project (PKP) journey is moving right along. During the first quarter, students shared a particular passion of theirs and brought in an artifact to pin to our Passion Wall. For our second quarter, we will be working collaboratively to identify and solve issues facing young people today.

Join us on our journey.

Identify the Problem

We started with the essential question, “What are some issues young people face today?”. We gathered around our chart paper and two student leaders lead the brainstorming session. We talked about trust, privacy, and maturity as the topics got deeper and deeper. I have to be honest, I was surprised at the level of knowledge, empathy, and self-awareness the group had.

Narrow Down the Topics

During Station Rotation, we revisited the topics and discussed issues that students were drawn to. At the end of each 20 minute session, students wrote down 3 topics on index cards they were interested in diving into deeper. From there, students were grouped by interest. The topics included immigration, face to face bullying, cyberbullying, racism, gaming and too much internet, making wrong choices, depression, self-harm, and anxiety.

#SmashboardEdu

One of our favorite problem solving structures is #SmashboardEdu. It is a gamified process for solving problems. Over the course of two class periods, students identify the problem, research, solve, share, and reflect. Shout out to Ed Tech Team leader, @DeeLanier, for his fabulous bank of resources here. We used this slide deck to guide our sessions. With the use of cards, a timer, and a student reflection sheet, students were guided through the problem solving process. The culmination was a gallery walk with groups sharing their digital creations and solutions with the class.

The amount of engagement and collaboration was high during the sessions. Because the topics were student driven, their discussions became personal and reflective. With the use of the cards, discussions stayed on topic. The timer kept the pace moving and the reflection sheet provided accountability. The protocol for creating calls for 15 minutes. We did 15 minutes the first day then allow 10 minutes the second day for final touches and inserting their creations onto this collaborative slide deck.

Moving Forward

After our initial exposure to social awareness concerns, students were introduced to our bigger project. Students will continue to research a concern and give a 10 minute seminar to our 5th and 6th grade classes focusing on solutions. Students were given the opportunity to stick with the topic they have or change the topic. The majority of students kept their current topic, with a handful changing topics. New topics include homelessness and students with disabilities.

I’m so excited to see where their projects take them. The Social Awareness Seminar will be EdCamp style and will include a hands-on activity. Groups will be able to write a proposal for supplies for their activity. As part of the research process, groups will be asked to interview a professional in the field or a person that has personal experience with the concern. If you are able to be a resource, or know of a someone that would be willing to be interviewed, please let me know. We are working on learning and collaborating with others outside our four walls.

Thank you so much for joining us on our social awareness journey.

#MuchLove . . . Marilyn ❤

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Biomes Inquiry Project

10/28/2018

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We’ve had a great start to sixth grade. I’m excited to share our first inquiry project. In science, we’re studying ecology. As an extension, we dove into a biome inquiry project.

We started by discussing the “Types of Student Inquiry” poster by Trevor MacKenzie and Rebecca Bathurst-Hunt. At the end of the year, we conduct a free inquiry on our personal passions. I really wanted students to see inquiry as a journey, something that is process as well as a product. The student’s perceptions and discussions about the poster were deep and targeted. They left the session feeling confident and supported. I was pleased with their level of engagement and understanding.

I introduced biomes through this video. After watching the video, we developed questions using the Question Formulation Technique. (The Right Question Institute at rightquestion.org is a valuable resource.)

Here is the sequence that we followed.

-Students wrote questions individually.
-In groups, students compiled their questions onto a poster.
-I created a Google doc with all the class questions.
-In groups, students categorized the questions as open or closed. (Document here.)
-In groups, students changed several open ended questions to closed questions and vise versa.
-Students finished the process by choosing three questions they were most interested in answering individually.

It was such a powerful experience watching students interact with their peers and ask questions. Their collaboration skills were excellent.

I created my own tally sheet of questions students were interested in answering. With student interests and content standards in mind, I created a choice board of essential questions for students to use for their inquiry.

When we introduced the inquiry project, students were instructed to choose four questions from the choice board to research. (Document here.) Because this was a controlled inquiry, I provided three templates for students to use. (Templates here, here, and here.) Each template had the same components: title page, four essential questions, captivating image, quote, map, and resource page. The required components were the title page, four questions, and resource page. The image, quote, and map were available for students that wanted to “level up”. Most students completed some or all of the additional options.

Part of my workflow to monitor students and their progress was for students to fill in the cells of the questions they would answer on their choice board and send me their Google slide link using a Google form. We also created a crowd sourced resource page for students to use. Additionally, I had a poster of the choice board where students wrote their names by the questions they would be answering. This became a support when students needed assistance with a particular question.

Students spent about 5 class periods researching, taking notes, writing their responses, and completing their slide deck. Experts in particular areas emerged during the week and became valuable resources to classmates. Some students shared how to insert links and images, other students were eager to share sites they found, while others shared how to use text boxes and word art on the map.

The final products were informative and scholarly. Just as important was the amount of student agency that developed during the unit. Because students were involved in determining the questions being used and choosing their own template, their engagement was high. We have a flexible seating environment and students regularly collaborate with peers. These structures amplified student success.

Take a look at some of our inquiry projects. (Links here, here, and here.)

Next on our agenda is a guided ancient civilizations inquiry. If you’re on an inquiry journey, I’d love to be tagged in your posts. Trevor and Rebecca have an active community using the #InquiryMindset hashtag. Be sure to give it and them a follow.

#MuchLove . . . Marilyn ❤

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Inquiry Mindset . . . Sharing the Love

10/6/2018

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Wow! It’s been a busy but great start to the school year. My new group of sixth graders have settled in nicely and my partners and I are finding our flow. Not only that, I’ve been able to share my love for inquiry at two EdTechTeam summits, with our district GATE teachers, and at our school site Inquiry Mindset book study.

Here’s a quick recap.

High Desert EdTechTeam Summit

The teachers in Hesperia, California are amazing and passionate. I presented two sessions on inquiry, “Getting Started with an Inquiry Mindset” and “Leveraging Voice and Choice by Diving into Inquiry”. This was my first time sharing inquiry with others. I was honestly a bit nervous. Fortunately, the teachers were kind and eager to learn. The best part was meeting a couple of teachers that are equally as passionate about inquiry, @TechCoachGraham, @nunes_edventure, and @itsmrsking. Their knowledge and excitement for inquiry is contagious. Be sure to give them a follow. You’re sure to learn a lot.

Imperial Valley EdTechTeam Summit

Our local summit was a blast. After feedback from the first summit (thank you @MsVenturino and @meagan_e_kelly) I made some modifications on the sessions, particularly building in more collaboration and time for creation. (Links to the sessions here and here.) We focused on provocations, the inquiry map, and authentic pieces using Adobe Spark and GooLinks. I had so much fun watching teachers interact with the inquiry content, plan their next steps, and collaborate with peers. This is our third summit and the educators were ready to take their experience to the next level. Not only are teachers interested in technology, but how to use it meaningfully within their content areas. I’m excited to see where the #IVEducators go on their journey.

Sunflower School Inquiry Mindset Book Study

This has to be what I’m most excited about. It’s an honor to facilitate our school site in an Inquiry Mindset book study. At our first meeting, we covered chapters 1 and 2, characteristics of the inquiry teacher and 10 reasons to use inquiry-based learning. Our discussions were deep, meaningful, and student centered. One powerful experience was reflecting on the 10 reasons sketchnote, created by @rbathursthunt, using the stoplight strategy. It was a powerful reflective piece. We ended the session by visiting classrooms and having teachers share some of their inquiry spaces. One teacher has a rock collection as an inquiry provocation, a first grade teacher is conducting inquiry of plants, and two teachers share a library for both classes. Our next session will cover provocations and the Questions Formulation Technique. Here's the book study slide deck that we'll be adding to.

ECESD GATE Teacher Training

In our district, we have three elementary schools that have GATE programs for gifted and talented students. We started by reflecting on where we are in the inquiry pool. As part of the program, students participate in Passionate Kids Project. Students find their passion, connect their passion to society, research, write, create authentic pieces, and share at a celebration of learning. I used @trev_mackenzie’s inquiry map to guide my class last year. It was a phenomenal experience. For the teacher training, we followed two students on their journey. It was an effective way for teachers to see the implementation of the process and view student work firsthand.

Teachers had many targeted questions throughout the 6 sessions. My honest answer to any inquiry question is to honor your students. Know where you want to go, but let your students choose the path. They will take you on adventures you may have never dreamed of.

I'm excited to see where the inquiry journey takes all of us!

#MuchLove . . . Marilyn ❤

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2018-2019 Goals

8/10/2018

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It’s that time of year again . . . Back to School. I don’t know about you, but I love the excitement of setting up my room, organizing student supplies (new packs of crayons are the best), and setting goals for the year. In the past, I’ve written my goals as a list, as infographics, and even a Google Keep note. This year, I’m documenting my goals on my blog.

Soooo, here goes. I have three major goals for the 2018-2019 school year.

Student Voice and Leadership
Last year, once of my goals was to implement a student-led classroom and flexible seating. I have to say, we nailed it. This year, I want to continue with both of these, but also ramp up student voice and leadership.

For student voice, I’d like to amplify the voices of my students both literally and figuratively. I purchased a super cool karaoke microphone from Bonaok. I plan to introduce it during Smart Start so that it is a regular routine in the room. Of course, Flipgrid will be an integral part of class. My students loved it last year. This year I hope to go beyond our classroom and interact with a larger audience. Hopefully, we’ll have the opportunity to connect with other classes during the Global Read Aloud and through members of my PLN.

For student leadership, I have two venues. One, I run the campus ASB. This is a great opportunity for students to hone their leadership skills. My principal and I have been working for the past four years creating opportunities for leadership including assemblies, school wide events, and self-selected projects. The other way I’d like to honor students as leaders is through our Passionate Kids Project. Last year, students navigated through their passion projects with great enthusiasm and produced phenomenal artifacts. This year, the sixth graders will be encouraged to give back to the community. I’m excited to see what they decide to do. I grew so much last year learning how to step aside and let students lead and make decisions. Their community projects will surely provide an opportunity to hone their voice and leadership skills.

Inquiry Based Learning
I’ve been on an inquiry journey for two years now. I have learned so much!!! The two books that have influenced me are “Dive into Inquiry” and “Inquiry Mindset”. I have truly been transformed as an educator. I’m going to continue to use “The Inquiry Process” for our passion projects. Additionally, I have 3 more goals to deepen our use of inquiry based learning.

First, I plan to use more provocations with students. Engaging video clips, picture books, images, and hands-on artifacts will be perfect. Last year, I dabbled with the “What do you notice, wonder, and know?” questioning strategy. This year, I’d like students to document and lead the discussions.

Second, I’d like to incorporate inquiry into our Wonders ELA curriculum. As part of our grade level unit openers, we can create a culture of fostering student questions. With the use of provocations, the unit theme, and student experiences, powerful learning can take place honoring both mandated curriculum and student interests. Students can take their initial wonderings and turn them into mini inquiry projects. I’m excited to see where our sixth graders will take us through their research and creation of artifacts.

Third, I plan to implement SmashboardEdu into my inquiry units and design thinking challenges. I’ve watched the progression of the concept grow and am excited to give it a try. The structure of SmashboardEdu starts off with an authentic problem and students progress through a thinking process that culminates by solving and sharing their solution. For more information, here is the creator’s slide deck. Thank you, Dee, for the fantastic resource!

Finally, I’m hoping to share my passion for inquiry with others. I have a few possible opportunities on the horizon. Fingers crossed that they work out.

Balance
I have to be completely honest here. I am awful with balance. I’m an all-in kind of person. Whatever it is that I’m doing, I give 110%. With that being said, I’m going to “try” really hard to have a reasonable work-life balance. My main goal is to have a completely work free day on Sunday and limit my time working at night. I especially have a tendency to “think” about work. I call it my percolating time, but I do need to limit that as well. I feel confident that I’ll make huge strides in this area. I have a supportive PLN that will encourage accountability throughout the year.

As we start the new school year, many of us are setting goals to help us stay focused and be purposeful. Let’s encourage and uplift each other along way. May each of you have a blessed and productive 2018-2019 with your staff, colleagues, and students.

#MuchLove . . . Marilyn ❤

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#BetterTogether California Teacher's Summit

7/25/2018

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It was an honor to be an EdTalk speaker at the San Diego State University - Imperial Valley campus #BetterTogether California Teacher’s Summit. I had so much fun writing and presenting to Imperial Valley educators.

#RelationshipsMatter by Marilyn McAlister

It’s an honor to be here today. Thank you so much for the opportunity to share a topic that I’m passionate about. The Better Together Teacher’s Summit is a great place to learn, share, and grow.

This year’s theme, It’s Personal, is near and dear to my heart. You see, both of my parents were educators and administrators. I learned valuable lessons from both of them about the importance of relationships. Back in the day, when my dad was an elementary principal, he would drive students down to our local Circle K to pick up a soda. Boy, I bet those teachers were mad at him. They sent a student to the principal and what did the student get, a soda!! My dad was onto something. He knew the importance of relationships. Join me this morning as I share #RelationshipsMatter.

As we start to think about the new school year, we put up bulletin boards, review our pacing guides, and set up our new lesson plan templates. I’d like you to consider this quote by James Comer as we prepare for the new year, “No significant learning occurs without a significant relationship.” Take a moment. Let that sink in. “No significant learning occurs without a significant relationship.”

Let me tell you a story. It’s about my student Albert. I call him, “My Albert”. Albert was my student 10 years ago. He was shy, he was quiet, and he had the best smile ever. During our Civil War unit, students were asked to delve into an aspect that interested them and create an artifact to showcase their learning. Albert was really interested in the battlefields. When it was Albert’s day to share his learning, he brought in a detailed pencil drawing of a battlefield. It had a legend, paths, and the Confederate and Union flags. The drawing was immaculate. The class oohed and awed. At that moment, Albert was the star. His passion was revealed.

But that’s not really the story. The story is that from that year on Albert has come by my classroom during Open House every single year. He opens the door, I’m giving my presentation, and every single year I walk over and give him a big hug. Right in the middle of Open House. Everything and everyone pauses for that moment. You see, Albert and I have a relationship. It was nurtured 10 years ago.

I’d like you think about your Albert. Each one of us has one. Picture that student in your head and close to your heart.

This morning I’d like to share 3 ways we can connect with our learners. Get to know your students, offer voice, and provide choice because #RelationshipsMatter.

Last year, I started the year by asking my students six questions. These questions allowed me to get to know my students, but also allowed my students to get to know themselves.

Students reflected and wrote their responses on a hyperdoc.

I found out that I had a lot of gamers. One even wants to be a gaming YouTube star. This inspired me to ramp up my use of game based learning.
I found out that I had students that love sports. From gymnastics, travel softball, to BMX racing. This helped me weave these activities into my math lessons.
I found out that many students felt confident in language arts, but revealed signs of math anxiety. This encouraged me to approach our math lessons with a bit more empathy.
I found out that some students preferred to work alone. This assisted me in supporting those students during collaborative work time.

Towards the middle of the year, I felt like I hadn’t really connected with a few students. I knew that I needed to be intentional about those relationships. I dug into my computer and pulled out the responses. In moments, I had discussion topics at my fingertips. The interest survey came to my rescue. I was able to nurture a few more relationships. Give it a try, because #RelationshipsMatter.

When we offer students a voice in their learning, relationships are built not only with the teacher, but also their classmates. Many of you probably already know about Flipgrid. But did you know that it’s now free? The power of Flipgrid is that students are able to record their thinking, reflect on their learning, and respond to each other from the Flipgrid dashboard. Let me tell you, this would have been a perfect tool for Albert. I’ve found that my shyest, quietest students are the ones that enjoy Flipgrid the most. I just smile when students post video reflections from their bedrooms and even funnier from their bathroom. Hey, it’s a quiet spot. Giving students a voice in their learning is effortless with Flipgrid and connects students to each other and their classmates. Give it a try, because #RelationshipsMatter.

Providing choice helps students build relationships with the curriculum. Last year, my students and I dove into our passions. We created essential questions, researched, wrote, and presented authentic pieces. We even had a student-led edcamp. The amount of learning that took place was phenomenal. By allowing our students to choose topics and how they will showcase their learning, we honor each individual learner. You can see our Passion Board here. This is just a snippet of the learning. To you, the board might seem like a big mess, but to me, it’s a showcase of the students in my class. Each artifact tells a story.

April is a very talented artist. She researched the psychological effect of art.
Danica had a champion pig at the fair. She researched bonds between animals and humans.
And Rhiannon’s passion helped teach others of the importance of beach clean-up.

Our Passion Board is our 6th grade version of Show and Tell. Yep, Show and Tell. We’re bringing it back! Providing choice allows learners to have agency over their learning. By honoring the interests of each individual student, they feel valued and respected, which nurtures the relationships in the classroom. Give it a try, because #RelationshipsMatter.

I was really worried at the end of the year. Albert’s brother was in the sixth grade class next door. I had a moment of panic thinking that I wouldn’t see Albert again. But his brother told me that they have a younger brother that is still at our school. Phew! I still get to see “My Albert” during Open House.

As we embark on a new school year, think about your Albert. We all have one. Who’s your Albert?

Make a commitment to get to know each learner in your classroom, offer voice, and provide choice. May you have the best school year ever! Give it a try, because #RelationshipsMatter.

I’ve gathered some resources for you to continue your learning with the topics I’ve shared. Feel free to snap a picture and log into the link on the bottom right. I’d love to continue the journey with you. Because . . . #RelationshipsMatter.

Shout out to Alex Kajitani for his expert speech writing guidance, Emily Davis for welcoming me into the #BetterTogetherCA community, and Sara Pate for her positivity and organization skills.. Big hugs to Annette Rea and Andrew Arevalo for being my biggest cheerleaders. And a special thanks to Mari Venturino and my husband, Vance, for asking the right questions during the editing process. We are truly #BetterTogether.

#MuchLove . . . Marilyn

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PKP . . . Reflection

6/30/2018

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Phew! Now that I’ve had a couple of weeks to decompress from the school year, my mind is starting to think about next year. Reflection is a vital component to effective lesson design. Shoutout to my precious friend, Silvia, for encouraging me to write this post. I was touched to know that you’ve been implementing along with me. You’re a rock star!

The success of our Passionate Kids Project experience could not have been possible without the buy in from my incredible students. We took the journey together and I’m honored to be their teacher. The class of 2017-2018 will forever be remembered for being part of the start of being an inquiry teacher.

Let’s get started on the reflection!

My biggest take away is that I need to start earlier and go slower. Next year, I need to think big, but start small. I started our inquiry unit in February with Caine’s Arcade, by March we were narrowing down our passions, April was spent writing article reviews, and May culminated our unit with Demo Slams and our Student-Led EdCamp.

I dove right into the deep end with free inquiry. We absolutely did it, but I had to pull back the reins at times because I needed to get my head around where we were going, conduct quite a few mini-lessons because we were embarking on new territory with new procedures, and I found that some students just weren’t ready for the immense amount of freedom that free inquiry allows.

Considering the types of student inquiry, I’d like to conduct two smaller units before the big passion project unit. In October, we spend six weeks studying Ancient Civilizations. I can see this being a perfect time to introduce structured and controlled inquiry. I plan to propose to students the option of working through an inquiry topic with me or choose from a short list of topics. The beauty of next year is that about half of the class was introduced to inquiry the previous year. I’m excited to take those students deeper. After the Ancient Civilizations unit, we have an Ecology unit of study. At this point, mid-November and December, I’m hopeful that some students will be ready for guided inquiry. Students needing more support will continue with controlled inquiry. I’m visualizing a menu for authentic pieces to help bridge the jump from controlled to guided inquiry.

I’ve been tinkering with game-based learning and I love creating hyperdocs. Google Innovator and Trainer, Dee Lanier, created SmashboardEdu. At the core, SmashboardEdu is instilling empathy in our students. Students begin by identifying a real world problem, research and solve the problem, share the solution, then reflect on their learning. I can see SmashboardEdu being a perfect fit with our Ecology unit. Several of the passion projects last year actually focused on endangered animals, pollution, and other environmental concerns. I’m excited to tap into the power of Dee’s resources and provide a fun way for students to answer their essential questions relating to Ecology.

As an educator, I’ve been using essential questions for years. But as I started implementing student inquiry, I’ve realized that I have a lot more to learn. I’ve ordered the book “Essential Questions: Opening Doors to Student Understanding” by Jay McTighe and Grant Wiggins. I’m looking forward to deepening my understanding of essential questions. Additionally, I plan to teach my students the Question Formulation Technique, QFT, outlined in “Inquiry Mindset.” The gist of QFT is brainstorming a list of questions, sorting them into open and closed questions, changing closed questions to open questions and vice-a-versa, then selecting a powerful question for inquiry. I implement Station Rotation every Monday to introduce our week. I can see QFT being an engaging and meaningful collaborative station that we revisit throughout the year.

As part of our gifted program, the sixth graders are asked to give back to the community. Considering the Four Pillars of Inquiry, the fourth pillar, “Take on a New Challenge,” is a perfect fit. I’d like to have students work in groups to identify a community concern and develop a community action project to help address the issue. In the past, students have held a Thanksgiving food drive, given gratitude bags to teachers and staff, donated dog and cat food to the local humane society, and more. I’m excited to go deeper with our service learning.

I dabbled a bit with provocations this year. I love the idea of sparking interest through an image, video, picture book, or artifact. We used provocations in our student-led station during Station Rotation using YouTube videos and with Google Drawings using images and the what do you wonder, what do you notice, what do you know strategy. I plan to start using provocations and phenomena earlier in the year. I want my students to tap into their emotions, curiosity, and engagement.

Because we live in an era of standardized testing, this was always in the back of my mind. I was intentional about keeping my state standards in mind during the journey. Writing, researching, close reading, public speaking and so much more were part of the experience. I'm pleased to say that our test scores were outstanding. I'm a huge data nerd and charted comparisons for each student. I strongly believe that the independence that free inquiry allows, along with our whole class and individual reflections, was a huge part of our success.

I’m looking forward to continuing my journey as an inquiry teacher during the 2018-2019 school year with my students, as well as other passionate educators ready to start their own journey. It’s been an exciting and rewarding year diving into inquiry. If you’d like to continue the journey with us, pick up the book(s) “Dive Into Inquiry” and/or “Inquiry Mindset”. Both books have been a continued source of inspiration. Both Trevor and Rebecca are passionate educators that love sharing their expertise in the field of inquiry. Be sure to give them a follow on Twitter. Better yet, join their July book club using Flipgrid. Join here.

I can’t wait to continue my inquiry learning and bring phenomenal, open-ended experiences to my students that promote student agency, empathy, and authentic voice. If you have any questions or want to brianstorm, I've love to collaborate. I'm just a DM away.

#MuchLove . . . Marilyn

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#ISTE18

6/29/2018

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ISTE18 has come and gone. It was everything I had hoped for and more. Chicago is a fantastic, bustling city with fabulous architecture, great food, and friendly people. Four days of engaging sessions, well-run playgrounds, and memorable meetups. As I started drafting this post (in my head), I did a play-by-play of each day. I could definitely do that, but instead, I’d like to share some big ideas.

First and foremost, I want to thank my loving husband for experiencing Chicago and ISTE with me. For two years I’ve wanted the experience. He encouraged me go. “Do it, Marilyn.” We did. My husband lived near Chicago during high school so of course he knew all the history. Riding the train into the city, he talked about the buildings, the early origins of Chicago, and the iconic food. While I spent my days at ISTE, he enjoyed the sites of the city. At night, we ate at restaurants he had pinned, relaxed with coffee, and did some sightseeing.

My big ideas . . .

ISTE is so big that each individual needs to make their experience what they want. ISTE is like the Mall of America. There are so many people, so many sights to see, and only so many hours in the day. But just like shopping, each one of us has our own purpose. Some attendees want to meander and be pulled in on a whim, some want to shop around for the right session, and some want the experience of being there. The beauty is that each of us can make the experience what we want it to be. There’s no “right way” to do ISTE.

There was so much passion at ISTE. At every session I attended, poster board I stopped at, or vendor I talked to, you could feel their passion. As I’m on my own journey to infuse passion projects into my classroom, I noticed that educators at ISTE were following their passions as well. Gamification, social media, emojis, Adobe Spark, Google, and more were some passions that I saw. At the crux of them all was building relationships. Tools and strategies come and go, but the human factor of education will always be there. At the heart of almost every session or interaction at ISTE, was knowing our students so that we can better meet their needs both educationally and socially. Being passionate about students is something we can all support.

Educators at ISTE are full of empathy. With 21,000 estimated participants, this may have been the largest gathering to date. Attendees showed tons of empathy waiting in lines for sessions, shuttles, and of course, the bathroom. With that many people, we had to be understanding. But what an opportunity to talk to new people. Line conversations are great! They’re so organic and real. I liked to ask what they were taking back to their classrooms. Answers would include tools, strategies, or ideas. But the reason was always the students. Educators have big hearts!

I’m a hugger. And boy were there lots of hugs at ISTE. I had quite a few Twitter meetups. They all started with a hug. I did a little research on the power of hugs. Hugs are for comfort in times of need, communicate “I’ve missed you,” and release oxytocin, the body’s happy hormone. I can honestly say, ISTE was a phenomenal 4 day event, and the hugs were by far the best part of it. I’m laughing now thinking of all the hugs. Hugs to presenters, hugs to Uber drivers, hugs to the PLN, and even help desk attendants. To everyone that was part of the hug fest, you are all very special. Your hugs filled me up. 2128 hugs were especially memorable. I want to bottle them up!

ISTE18 has come and gone. I’m a better educator and person because of it. I know. I absolutely know that great things are on the horizon. For each of you that attended ISTE, go back and make a difference. Build those relationships, encourage your neighbor, reach out and ask, “How can I help you?” That question was posed to me. I was caught off guard. I had to think. The question is so simple, yet so powerful. Let’s use it with students, parents, colleagues, and even ourselves this coming year.

Thank you, ISTE, for the amazing experience.

#MuchLove . . . Marilyn

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PKP . . . Student-Led EdCamp

5/27/2018

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What a journey. I’m excited to say that my class and I have navigated through the entire inquiry process. It’s been three months of hard work, dedication, and focused learning.

Let’s get started on our final Passionate Kids Project post. Our student-led EdCamp was a blast!

We started by creating our session board. Each student was given an 8 by 8 piece of construction paper. Instructions were to create an advertisement for their session. Some students wrote their essential question while others focused on the topic. I made a strategic choice for the piece to be analog rather than digital. I wanted the personal connection. Students had so much fun creating their square. There was a feeling of excitement in the room. Because the EdCamp was going to be held in the cafeteria, we used one of the bulletin boards to display the session board. It turned out great.

Our class has 29 students. This was a perfect number to work with. We ended up having three sessions with 10, 10 and 9 table presentations. Each table had 8 seats available. When we set up the sessions, we were conscious of having a variety of topics available. We strategically made sure that each session had a balance of topics. For example, we had several sports, environment, and art/music topics. Additionally, several of the students used technology during their presentations (Kahoot, Quizlet Live, digital piano, Google Classroom, etc.). We made sure that each session had at least one of these options available. It ended up being a big chess game as we set up the sessions. Here is a digital version of the session board that was available to participants.

The three sessions were color coded and numbered. My 6th graders were the presenters and our 4th and 5th grade GATE classes were the participants. The two classes were given an even number of red, blue, and green name tags. We used a traditional color rotation for participating students to pick their sessions. We really wanted to focus on equity and allow all students to have a first pick of sessions. Here is the rotation schedule. Tables were numbered to match the session board displays. Each table had two balloons on them with the table number written on the balloons. (If you know me, an event isn’t complete without balloons.)

Now for the EdCamp. We have a foyer leading into the cafeteria. We used this as our storage area. Our students were in teams based on their presentation table number. Each team was responsible for helping each other set up and break down their supplies. (We called this the “quick change”.) Can I say that I was one proud teacher?!? Each team was completely in sync. Because we run a student-led classroom, working together is the norm. Before each session began, students organized their tables with supplies for eight students. One student had her supplies in individual baggies. I will definitely use that as a tip for next year’s EdCamp. Take a look at some of the table set-ups.

We invited our parents, school board members, district personnel, and a couple other special guests. They were invited to participate in the sessions and enjoy the day with us. One special guest was my fifth grade teacher Yes, you read that right . . . my fifth grade teacher! I absolutely adore and cherish the relationship I have with this precious man. He has been my cheerleader my whole life. My dad was an elementary school principal. Mr. Minnix was one of the first teachers he hired. Now that my dad has passed, Mr. Minnix is the man that shares my successes. I will cherish this man forever! Another special guest was my Twitter friend Brisa. Yes!!! We met on Twitter and have only recently met in real life. I adore Brisa and her desire to bring engaging experiences to the hundreds of students in her after school program. I was so happy that she shared the day with me!

Once the EdCamp started, participants chose their sessions and got settled in their seats, then we started a 10 minute timer. Because our class had already presented their demo slams the previous week, they rocked their sessions. (Demo slam post here.) Presenters were confident, informative, and so proud of what they had to share. There was a buzz of engagement as students taught students. The adults were genuinely impressed with the level of confidence, expertise, and maturity that the presenters exhibited. Sessions started with introductions, answered their essential question through an authentic piece, conducted a hands-on activity, and finally closed with a reflection and thanking their participants. Some students even gave away swag. So cute! There was quite a bit of movement and productive noise during the hands-on portions of the EdCamp. Students participated in a science experiment, soccer and softball drills, created cards, bookmarks, and mini posters, played the piano and recorder, found clues in a scavenger hunt, created artistic pieces with oil pastels, colored pencils, and even play doh. One might think this was distracting but it actually enhanced the engagement of the event. Take a peek.

As each student finished up their presentation, they instructed their participants to complete a rubric. The participating classes had previously reviewed the rubric and were instructed on how to fill it out. This was used as part of the discussion between my students and me when determining their final EdCamp grade.

The three sessions took about an hour to implement. With welcoming remarks by students, the 10 minute sessions, about 5-7 minutes for the quick changes, and closing remarks by students, the event ran smoothly. My students were so excited and exhausted after the event. We went back to class, debriefed orally, then had “free choice” for about an hour. (They deserved it!) We came back the next day and reflected in our digital journals. (Post here.) The responses were extremely positive. Many students thanked me for providing the opportunity to do passion projects.

As part of the grading process for student’s authentic piece and EdCamp presentation, I held one-on-one conferences. Prior to the meeting, students completed a self-assessment using a single-point rubric inspired by Jennifer Gonzalez. (Read her blog post here.) The purpose of the self-assessment was for students to articulate what they created for their authentic piece, consider how they can enhance the product, and defend why they thought they exceeded the standard. With the document in front of us, the student and I had a conversation about their product and determined their grade. I had students suggest their grade first, then we negotiated from there. It was actually really fun. We did the same for the EdCamp grade but centered the discussion around the participant rubrics. (Click here for the single-point rubric and here for the EdCamp rubric.) Everyone left really happy and satisfied with their grades.

Phew! It’s hard to believe that it’s over. We’ve lived the inquiry process and PKP for three months. This has been a wonderful journey. Thank you for sharing the experience with us!

If you’re interested in any part of the process, do not hesitate to reach out. I’m only a DM away! I would LOVE to share and brainstorm with you. I’d like to give one final shout out to Trevor for guiding me through this journey and to Rebecca that I met during the journey. The two of you are truly inspirational as you share your passion for inquiry and especially for showing us how to nurture all of our learners no matter the grade level. Readers, if you haven't picked up their newest book, Inquiry Mindset, pick it up here.

Have a great summer, rest up, and be ready to rock the 2018-2019 school year!

#MuchLove
Marilyn

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PKP . . . Reflection

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PKP . . . Student-Led EdCamp

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