Blog Posts

#BetterTogether California Teacher's Summit

7/25/2018

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 . . . Demo Slams

5/12/2018

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Wow! The demo slams were great! We’ve been on our Passionate Kids Project journey for over two months. Discovering our passions, researching, connecting to society, writing, creating, and now presenting have been part of the process. The concept behind the demo slam is that students “practice” their 10 minute presentation for the Student-Led EdCamp which is the culminating public display of learning.

Students created lesson plans for their demo slam on a planner (here). The requirements were to welcome and introduce themselves, present and answer their essential question, share their authentic piece, conduct a hands-on activity, and close out the session. As educators, we know the value of having solid, well-thought out plans. As student presenters, I wanted them to go through the same process. Students collaborated with their peers when they developed their plans, then met with me for a one-on-one session. Some of the plans were approved quickly, while others needed some refinement. Here’s a peek at some of their lesson plans.

We set aside a whole week for demo slams. I also offered the Friday before as a bonus session. Three very brave students volunteered to demo their lessons early. The rest of the class signed up for sessions the next week. (Click here for the template.) Because we were testing, we fit our demo slam sessions in as time permitted.

The structure of the demo slams was that three students would be presenting at the same time. The rest of the class were participants. Presenters set up their stations with project boards, computers, art supplies, reflection sheets, swag, and more. Because each student had control of their session, we got to be surprised each time. As presenters were setting up their lessons, the class and I would wait outside. Once presenters were ready, the class would come back in and choose which session to attend. We had a 10 minute timer to start the sessions. Oooh, we also had students taking pictures and filming on our GoPro. (We’re working on setting up a YouTube channel.) During the sessions, presenters engaged their audience both inside the classroom and out. Some of the demos involved Adobe Spark videos, creating art, playing the piano, soccer drills, scavenger hunts, a Kahoot, Quilzet Live, and even how to show a pig.

Many students created reflection sheets for students to share what they learned as part of their closing. Because the sessions were timed, students tried to close their lesson with the participants clapping as the timer went off. (So fun!) After each session, participants filled out a scoring rubric (here) and provided narrative comments. As a class, we debriefed the rubrics and comments. Because the demo slams were in preparation for EdCamp, the comments and feedback will help students adjust their lessons to be even better! This process took a lot of bravery! Shout out to the @SixthGradeSuns for being awesome! Here’s a look at at some reflection sheets and rubrics.

After all the demo slams were presented, we ended the week with a reflection in our digital journals. Here are a couple of student reflections.

Demo slam week was pretty cool and fun. I liked the presentations of many students. They were all very scholarly and some were great but others needed a little more work. For my presentation, I need to have more confidence in myself and talk louder. I also need to practice more since I didn’t have note cards. I was also very nervous and I need to make sure to answer my essential question more thoroughly. This experience has shown me my strengths and weaknesses and how I can improve and become better at what I love to do. I can tell I was not the only nervous one though many people were. For my presentation I have decided that I will have the kids do a little drawing and than have put stickers of animals on the paper. The drawing they will be doing is about their perfect earth. -SD

The day before the demo slam I was very nervous. I felt that I wasn’t prepared but yet really was. I had everything ready and was practicing how long every little thing was going to be. For example, if I had something too long then I had to start from the beginning and find a way to make it shorter. On the day of the demo slam I was still very nervous but I still got very good scores. The way that I had set up my presentation was by starting of by introducing myself. Then I said my EQ and answer it. So I answer my essential question with the 4 different benefits and then explained. Once I was done explaining I took the group of kids outside and was explaining at the same time. We came inside and I had told them to to write in their reflection sheet. -ZM

As the student above said, demo slam week was so much fun! Honestly, it could have been our public display. But, we still need to share with our parents and the other GATE classes on campus. Next week . . . Student-Led EdCamp.

#MuchLove
Marilyn

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PKP . . . Article Review, Authentic Piece, and Digital Journal

5/6/2018

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Phew! The students have been working hard on their Passionate Kids Project! They finished up their article reviews, most students have their authentic pieces complete, and they are continuing to reflect in their digital journals. Let’s see what we’ve been up to. (If you’re just starting out with this blog, we’re on post 7 of our journey with passion projects.)

As part of our Gifted and Talented (GATE) program, students are expected to complete an article review. In the past, we’ve had a given topic to focus our research around. With the implementation of passion projects, we now have a wide range of topics. For the article reviews, students are asked to have two reliable sources that relate specifically to answering their essential question. I used a Google form for students to send me the article links. I would peruse the articles to see if they were appropriate. If students needed assistance, I would get them back on track or even suggest an article or two.

Once students had their articles, we wrote thesis statements. The statements would guide the structure of their article reviews. If you’re an ELA teachers, you’ll know that this was no easy task. We literally spent a week drafting thesis statements. The main challenge was redirecting students back to their essential question and asking if the thesis statement led to the answer. We compiled our thesis statements on a collaborative Google doc. Take a look at some of the statements.

Once students had their thesis statements approved, they began writing their article reviews. During the process, students collaborated on organization, content, and how to cite their sources. Once students wrote their article reviews and edited with a peer, they turned them into me through Google Classroom. At that point, each student and I would engage in a conversation on “how to make it better.” We used the comment and suggestion features in Google docs. Some students were cleared quickly, while others needed more guidance. Click here for a student’s article review on how Greek culture inspired modern culture. Click here for a student’s sample article review of the relationship between animals and humans. This student (and several others) created a Google form questionnaire to deepen her inquiry.

After student’s article reviews were submitted and cleared, they moved on to creating their authentic pieces. (Side note . . . it was a juggling act at times during the process. With students at different places in the inquiry process, I had to keep track of where everyone was. I ended up creating a progress chart to aide in the process. Take a peek at it here.)

The class really had some fun creating their authentic pieces. To be honest, I was worried that they would all do a slide deck. I challenged students to try something new. We ended up with Goolinks, (Think Google version of a Thing Link), iMovies, Adobe Spark presentations, tri-fold boards, a digital comic, two Google sites, a Google Classroom that included a Quizlet, and even a Kahoot. Let’s take a look at a few samples.

Here’s a Goolink on the benefits of softball.

Here’s an Adobe Spark glide slide on air pollution.

Along our passion project journey, students have been asked to reflect on the process, their work, and their progress. We created digital journals. (Shoutout to Jessica Ortega for introducing me to them! For her PD link, click here.)

Another "to be honest" . . . I thought we would reflect more, but we would be so engaged in our work sessions that we would lose track of time. Next year I will be more intentional about reflecting. With that being said, students took the reflection process very seriously. As an AVID school, reflection is part of our procedures. The metacognition involved in reflecting helps us derive deeper understanding in what we do and why we do it. To create intentional scholars, reflection is vital.

Our digital journals included a Google Drawing passion board and individual posts. I provide the general topic, then students reflect in a meaningful way. Students write for about 10 minutes then we share our reflections in small groups. Often times, students will add more after sharing. As you can see, the reflection process takes about 30 minutes. Deep thinking truly takes place. Take a look at some student samples here and here. Looking at them now, I can almost visualize our PKP journey. My students don’t know it, but they’ve really been blogging their own personal journeys. Wait, wait . . . Blogger!!! Yes! We’ll level up next year!

Next week students are doing their demo slams. They will be conducting a 10 minute lesson that answers their essential question, shares their authentic piece, and includes a hands-on activity relating to their passion. Students must successfully complete the demo slam in order to present at our student-led edcamp on May 16th.

Let’s leave with some great smiles!

#MuchLove
Marilyn

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PKP . . . Curiosity Journal and Gathering Evidence

4/13/2018

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Our Passionate Kids Projects is running at full speed. We’ve been exploring “what if” questions in our Curiosity Journals and gathering evidence about our essential questions and passions.

Curiosity Journal
One of my goals for our PKP unit is to provide time for students to ponder and express their curiosities. As primary students, many are still discovering themselves and the community/world around them. The journal provides the opportunity for students to self-reflect, consider empathy, and consider their future in a safe environment.

Our Curiosity Journal (here) is comprised of 10 questions inspired by Trevor MacKenzie’s book, “Dive into Inquiry” on page 60. I launched the journal during Station Rotation. Each rotation is 20 minutes and is comprised of 8 students. The journal was pushed out in Google Classroom. Students are given five minutes to write about a prompt of their choosing. We actually use a timer. Over time, student’s writing stamina has increased. After the five minutes expires, students orally share their responses. Because of the small group structure, students are able to expand on their thinking and have informal discussions. The relationships building for both students and me has been phenomenal. A welcome bonus for sure!

Take a look at some of their entries . . .

Gathering Evidence
At this point in the Inquiry Process (map here), students have their essential question, have created their proposal, and have at least two trustworthy sources. Students are now ready to start collecting evidence. In the past, I would have provided a specific structure for students to follow. I’ve been on a journey for a couple of years now to have a student-led classroom. Part of the inquiry process is to redesign the role of the teacher and the student. As the teacher, I am trusting my students to be mature and responsible with their time, talents, and academic endeavors. Students understand the structure and are provided tools to tap into student agency. (“Dive into Inquiry” page 10)

As students started gathering evidence of their research, we brainstormed collection tools. To be honest, I was met with blank stares. The shift of being “told” what to do to having “choice” was confounding. Student’s initial list was spiral notebooks, Google docs and slides, index cards, and writing in the margins of printed articles. I had students create a Google folder to collect their evidence. Google tools are easily stored in the folder while other collection methods involve taking pictures. As research sessions continued, their collection methods being more varied.

Let’s take a look at some collection methods . . .

I have to say, I am so proud of my students. Their level of engagement, creativity, and scholarliness has me in awe almost daily. The foundation of trust and collaboration was set early in the year and they’ve now soared. We have a class mission statement that helps drive us. It’s posted on our door as a reminder of who we are.

The time, intention, and willingness to “let go” is enabling my students to soar. May each of you find success in your journey discovering your passions and encouraging your students to delve into theirs.

Currently, we are creating thesis statements and writing multi-paragraph article reviews. Ooooh, and some students have been creating Google form surveys for their peers to respond to. It’s been a fun side-quest.

#MuchLove
Marilyn

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PKP . . . Essential Questions, Passion Board, and Proposals

3/31/2018

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We’re moving right along with our Passionate Kids Project. For the past couple of weeks, we’ve developed our essential questions, displayed them on our Passion Board, worked on our inquiry proposal, and started gathering evidence.

Developing the essential questions was quite a process. Once students were able to pinpoint their passions, I wanted them to connected it with society. Our class overarching essential question is “What ignites your passion and how can your passion have a positive impact on society?”. My goal is for students to take their passion to a deeper level, connect it with society, and develop empathy.

To begin, I used a handout created by my colleague, Susie Whipple. She gathered information from Trevor MacKenzie’s book “Dive into Inquiry.” (Handout here.)

Trevor says, “Essential questions are not answered in a quick, simple Google search. They are not answered in a single lesson or in a discussion with a friend. They do not have a single answer and, in fact, our understanding of the essential question may change over time.”

This quote led to a discussion on the need for an open-ended questions that require multiple sources to answer. I shared my experience as a graduate student. When we draft our master’s thesis, many of us have to revise our focus once we start looking for information. For others, the question may be too direct and easy to answer. At this point, layers of depth and complexity must be added. As adults, we understand that this is part of the process. Our young learners are just starting out with inquiry. All these steps need to be discussed.

Students wrote a possible essential question on a note-card. They held onto it for a couple of days to ponder. We came back to the questions during one-on-one conferencing. I met with each student individually and we confirmed or modified their question. After discussion, most questions remained very similar to the original question. Some students needed probing to take the questions deeper. Most students were able to make a connection to society.

For example, two student like dogs. Their connection to society is K-9 dogs. Several students are interested in sports. Their connection to society is health benefits of sports. Another student is interested in Greek mythology. Her connection to society are the influences of mythology on modern products. Another student is interested in science experiments. His connection to society is how inventions that are harmful can be made safe. Take a look at our questions here.

What is the cycle of a K-9 dog including training, service, and retirement?
How are K9 dogs trained to detect drugs, weapons, or people?
What are the health benefits of playing soccer and how can players maximize their potential?
If Greek mythology and culture didn’t exist, what items would we not have today?
What are the details of harmful inventions and what can we do to be safer around them?

Once students developed their essential questions, they created a card to be displayed on our Passion Board. The board is a living piece that students are adding to. Students are encouraged to bring in artifacts that relate to their question. We are having so much fun with this! It’s like an upper grade version of “Show and Tell.” When students share an artifact, they first tell us their essential question, share their item and how it connects with their question, then we have a QandA session.

I’ll share a few of their stories.

One students’ question is, “How can the bond between animals and humans be beneficial?” This student has been raising pigs in 4H for several years. It is a passion that the whole family shares. She’s interested in the relationship between animals and their owners. Through her personal experience raising animals, and research that she is finding, she is able to tie academic research into her passion. At our county fair, she earned Grand Champion for her market swine. She brought in her ribbon as her artifact along with an iMovie she created during her fair experience.

Another students’ essential question is “How are people harming beaches including the physical beach and animals along the shoreline? What actions can be taken to restore our beaches?” This student created a sorting box. She included items that are natural to beaches and items that are harmful to beaches. She plans on having students sort items when she presents her research at our student-led edcamp.

Still another question is “How did holidays originate and how do people celebrate them today?” This student has been bringing in a variety of artifacts relating to holidays. We had to extend our board to include a desk for her artifacts. Her enthusiasm for holidays is contagious. Along with her research, she plans to create a Google form for fellow students to complete about their favorite and least favorite holidays.

We’re following Trevor’s Inquiry Process. (Map here.) Following the process, we came upon the proposal. I loved the graphic so much that I created a digital version for students to complete. I created two templates, one for educators following #DiveIntoInquiry and another for educators that are conducting PKP in my school district. There are a few word changes but the core content is the same. Feel free to #FileMakeACopy to make the documents your own and modify as needed. Click here for the #DiveIntoInquiry template and here for the PKP template.

I’m taking the inquiry process very slow. Since this is our first experience with free inquiry, I’m more concerned about the process than the final product. The components that students have completed in their proposal are the essential question, links to their online resources, their personal goals, and how they will keep track of their learning evidence. (My next post will be about their learning evidence.) I have an analog check-off sheet where I’m keeping track of student progress. Once a section has been completed and reviewed by me, students insert a checkmark in the box to the left. Surprisingly, this has been a motivation for students. Here is a sample of a student proposal.

Next on our PKP journey is to continue to gather evidence, answer essential questions in a multi-paragraph essay, create a digital piece, and conduct a 20 minute session at our student-led edcamp. My next post will focus on gathering evidence, our curiosity journals, and our diji journals we’re using for reflection.

Ooooh, if you haven’t ordered your copy of #InquiryMindset, be sure to check it ordered. It’s lovely!!! Trevor and Rebecca created the perfect companion book to #DiveIntoInquiry.

#MuchLove
Marilyn

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#PKP . . . Cardboard Challenge

3/10/2018

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Welcome back! We’ve had a busy two weeks. The Cardboard Challenge was a huge success. Let’s take a look at one of our favorite maker projects of the year.

As part of the launch of Passionate Kids Projects, we watched the inspirational Caine’s Arcade video. The students were entranced. After watching the video, we walked over to my office. I had been hoarding boxes and random supplies all year long. I opened the door to this . . .

The class knew immediately what my intentions were. Right then and there, I introduced the challenge. Over the next two weeks, we would create individual designs, pitch them on Flipgrid, create teams, plan, build, write direction sheets, and share at #GameFest2018.

Two summers ago, I read John Spencer and AJ Juliani's #LaunchBook. Their launch cycle is perfect in our classroom for design challenges. I highly recommend the book if you are new to design thinking.

To get started, each student created their individual game design on paper then pitched their design in small groups. Next, students created teams. For our Shark Tank challenge, students were grouped by interest. For this challenge, I allowed students to self-select their teams. My goals for the Cardboard Challenge were to create an engaging game, infuse language arts standards, and interact with the 4 Cs, while also spending some social time with classmates. As sixth graders, this is their last year in elementary school. This activity will be a moment for them to remember.

We ended up with 10 teams. Each team created another plan for a group game and were ready to start building. Check out their group pitches on this Flipgid. This is where the real fun and creative critical thinking begins. Students got their supplies from the warehouse (see this post on how I used gamification to get supplies), brought items from home, and started building. For about four 1 hour sessions, students cut, glued, taped, painted, and modified their games. Groups worked both inside and outside of the classroom. I relate the process to Mary Poppins and her magical carpetbag. Miraculously, items pop out and go right back in. Each group had a spot in the classroom for their supplies. And just like Mary Poppins, things came out and things went right back where they belong at the end of a building session. The iteration process was powerful as students worked through the construction of their games. Shout out to Mr. Anthony for helping with the exacto knife. (#SafetyFirst) Take a look at their work sessions and designs . . .

As we were getting closer to #GameFest2018, I wanted students to ramp up their game play. Soooo . . . out came Waldo. Waldo threw down a challenge. On game day, I invited several adult visitors from our district office. I let students know that I would be giving the visitors Waldo cards to pass out. On the back of each card, it said this, “Present this card to a Cardboard Challenge team that you feel had an appealing game, engaged their audience, and contributed a positive Game Fest environment.” That was just the motivation the class needed. Students added challenge cards, dice, signs, prizes, tickets, and more. I was completely blown away with their ideas.

For our public display of learning, we launched #GameFest2018. We invited our third grade classes, friends from the special day class, parents, and district leaders. Our sixth graders welcomed guests, gave instructions to participating students, and encouraged everyone to have fun. As students started playing, I met with the adults and introduced the Waldo cards. They had a lot of fun with their special task. For 45 minutes, we had a full-scale arcade going. I wish I could share all the positive comments from the adults and students alike. Instead, let’s take a peek . . .

Phew. That was a great day!!! But we weren’t done yet. Once we got back to the classroom, students reflected in their diji journal. For me, the reflection piece is where the real learning takes place. Connections are made, successes are celebrated, and improvements are suggested. Here are some of their reflections:

“Gamefest was very amazing for my group. At first there weren’t that many people, but then there were a lot. We also got two Where’s Waldo cards and it seemed like the kids really enjoyed our game. I think that some advice that I would give is to really engage your audience, and be positive and energetic. Doing this makes kids really want to play your game, and it just gives out a positive vibe. All our group was encouraging the kids, so that they would have fun, and all the kids did pretty good. The high score was 3 points, and 3 people tied the high score. My group and I did very well running our game, and that was one of the reasons that we got a where’s Waldo card. After each turn, the kids would have to roll the dice, and if it was an odd number, they had to do a dare, but if it was an even number, they had to do a truth. If it were doubles, they got to pick which one they wanted to do out of the two. Everyone got a prize, and that prize was candy. There were a lot of kids who got truth, and some got dares, but no one got doubles. Something that my group and I could have done better was to make better truth and dare cards, because they were decent, but we could have made them better.” -AS

“I think game fest went really well but I could have also done better in attracting kids to play the game my partner and I made. One thing we could have done is have spoken more. We didn’t really talk much because we are both a bit shy. I was worried that not many people would come and play our game but they did. I didn’t expect many people to come and play our game, so I was really surprised. We even got a waldo card. We gave out candy and some other prizes and that also worked out well. It was fun overall because I got to see kids play the game my partner and me made. It was awesome to see kids play and have fun playing all the games that were there.

Some tips I would give to others that might do this challenge is to not be shy when people are playing your game. You should also be cheerful when people start to play your game so then that would attract people to play your game. Try to have a normal mode then a challenge mode in your game. That could make it fun and they could get different prizes. (You really don’t need to give out prizes) I would also suggest the teacher should buy water because it was hot outside.” -JQ

My personal reflection is that the class exceeded my expectations. This is the third time I’ve done the Cardboard Challenge. It gets better and better each time. I have to tell one quick story. Our school site hosts a moderate to severe handicapped class. After #GameFest2018, the teacher told me a story. She shared how impressed she was with how the sixth graders interacted with her students. In particular, an interaction she witnessed with one of her students that is blind. She was almost in tears as she shared how gentle and kind the sixth graders were. For me, this story made the whole experience worth it. We are educating our students academically, but we’re also nurturing and modeling empathy in all that we do. I searched through my photos and was so pleased that the moment was captured.

That’s a wrap for our Cardboard Challenge. Next up for Passionate Kids Project is writing essential questions, creating their project proposals, and curating research articles. Quick shout out to Trevor MacKenzie for guiding me through this journey.

#MuchLove
Marilyn

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#PKP . . . Gamification

2/24/2018

10 Comments

Soooooo . . . I’m super duper excited to be trying my hand at gamification during our Passionate Kids Project unit. I’ve been digging into Michael Matera’s book “Explore Like a Pirate” and youtube channel. The guy is off the charts! I've been loving the #XPLAP community on Twitter and all their inspiration and encouragement. Give @MrMatera a follow.

The main piece of advice about gamification that I’ve learned so far is to layer the gaming elements on top of your existing curriculum. I wasn’t sure how that would work, but once I got going, it really does. I decided to gamify our passion project unit since it would be contained inside the parameters and time frame of the unit itself. Michael suggests a storyline, characters, side quests, and more. Since this is my first shot at it, I don’t yet have all the elements in place, but enough to generate interest.

Let’s see what we’ve done so far.

As I introduced PKP, each student received a game board. (I created it using Google Drawings.) The concept of the board is that students receive stickers on the inside of the board when they complete regular classroom tasks. The outside sections are for side quests (double point value). Side quests are completely voluntary. The ultimate goal is to earn points for privileges during our student-led edcamp. Basically, the more points you have, the more options you have during edcamp such as location of your table, which session you want to present in, or likelihood of attending the sessions you’re interested in. Here’s a link to the game board. Feel free to make a copy and remix it.

According to Mr. Matera, a good gamification unit has characters. We have four characters with passions of their own. Kung Fu Panda loves tech and especially Google Blackbelt Throwdowns and Care Bear is all about relationships and showing kindness to others. Curious George has a mind full of questions and continuously seeks answers. And Waldo, well, he’s completely random. Once never knows when he will show up. (And one teacher, me, needed a character for when something completely random pops into her head.

We’re now on our third week of PKP. Students have had opportunities to earn stickers on the inside part of the board as well as side quests. An unexpected result of the required classroom tasks is that students are expected to produce work at an acceptable level. Some students had to go back and add more details and elaborate on some of their work while others produced work that was superior to what they usually do.

Here are some of the required tasks so far:

Interest Survey here
Finding Your Passion here
- Bonus for sharing orally
Entry in our Curiosity Journal here
Cardboard Challenge individual design

The side quests have been really fun. The best piece of advice Mr. Matera gave was that not all students will participate in side quests. And, students will gravitate to quests that meet their talents and personalities. He suggested a balance of quests that are academic in nature and others that involve relationship building and empathy. With that in mind, I developed the concepts for the side quests.

We’ve had one Kung Fu Panda Blackbelt Throwdown. Once we get started with our actual collecting of evidence, writing, and creating, students will be asked to reflect on their journey. My dear friend, Jessica Ortega, has a phenomenal digi journal. Follow her @JessOrtegaEdu. For the challenge, I planted a link to a bitly that took students to an instruction page that Jessica created to make the digi journals. When students came back the next day, I asked students that were doing the challenge to meet me at our table. There were about 7 students. One student completed the task, one student started it, and the other students were interested but hadn’t started yet. I asked the student that completed the challenge to share with the group. She gave us a detailed walkthrough. (She earned her black belt sticker that day.) I let the group know that we’d come back after the weekend to see the other digi journals. On Monday, only one other student completed the challenge. She shared with the first student and me at the table. I ceremoniously gave her her sticker. My daughter works at Disneyland and we had just visited. When I was there, I bought pieces of “magic” as prizes. The two girls were able to choose a piece of magic. One girl chose happiness and the other chose generosity. I then closed the challenge. Side note . . . I’ve decided to close challenges at a certain point so that students have to strike while it’s hot.

For the Care Bear, empathy section, I’ve been giving students stickers for commenting on this PKP blog. Now, I don’t actually announce side quests. Because of the random element of gaming, students never know what will earn them a sticker. Of course, over time, they’ll discover some patterns. The stickers for blog comments came about by chance. I had posted the link on Google Classroom and a student commented. I took that as the perfect opportunity to hand out a sticker. Now that I’ve posted a couple of blogs, students are starting to see that commenting is a way to earn a sticker.

Oh, oh!!! Shhhhhh, don’t tell. Students shared their group design for the Cardboard Challenge on a flipgrid. Students that reply with a video response will be earning a Care Bear sticker. ❤

Soooo, I felt like I was doing a pretty good job with layering the gamboard on top of our PKP unit. But, I wasn't sure what to do with the points. I reached out to the #XPLAP community for suggestions. @KimSnodgrass graciously let me pick her brain. After getting a better handle on XP, I had a plan. As part of our PKP unit, we’re participating in the Cardboard Challenge. I have an office FULL of boxes, odds and ends. We have 10 teams creating games. Each group was given an index card and asked to total up their combined points and divide by how many team members they have. (Sneaky, sneaky!!! Pulled some math into the challenge.) Teams lined up from the most points to the least. Each group was allowed to get three items from the “warehouse”. It was absolutely brilliant! The excitement was off the charts. At that moment, we had a game!!!

All I can say is, “WOW!” My class and I are loving game based learning. I call them the beta testers and I’m the game master. We’re on this journey together. Since we began, students are constantly looking around the room, logging into Google Classroom, are more active participating, producing more detailed work, and keep asking, “When are we doing PKP?”

If you’ve been thinking about dipping your toes into gamification, I highly recommend starting with Mr. Matera’s book, following the #XPLAP hashtag, and ask your students to take the journey with you. They are gamers!!! They will help you and energize you to create engaging learning experiences for them.

I won’t be posting next week. But I’ll be back the next weekend to share our experience with Caine’s Arcade and the Cardboard Challenge.

#MuchLove,
Marilyn

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#BetterTogether California Teacher's Summit

PKP . . . Reflection

#ISTE18

PKP . . . Student-Led EdCamp

PKP . . . Demo Slams

PKP . . . Article Review, Authentic Piece, and Digital Journal

PKP . . . Curiosity Journal and Gathering Evidence

PKP . . . Essential Questions, Passion Board, and Proposals

#PKP . . . Cardboard Challenge

#PKP . . . Gamification

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