Thinking Big! Planning...

I’ve been thinking a lot about next year, how I want to integrate more personalized instruction, use new online tools that I’ve learned about this year, and help students to become far more independent. It still horrifies me how (during distance learning) many kids were struggling with using tools that should’ve been easy, and straightforward, but clearly I have been helping them too much in the classroom.  It really opened my eyes to how much I need to focus on intrinsic motivation for independent learning. How can I best support those who need it, while allowing other students to thrive?

I started by thinking about the units of learning we have in place. How can I take them, develop different activities, and put together a learning path? My vision is that students will begin with independent activities to set the scene and begin the learning, but once completed would lead to group stations - thus increasing the interest in finishing the individualized work in order to get to the station. 
After all, which self-respecting sixth-grader would not prefer to be learning with their peers?!  Now once in a while, there is that kid, but sometimes we also need to practice collaboration. After all, it’s in the standards. Other times, they may be able to work alone.

Maybe there are a series of things that students have to complete. Once completed and correct, They would be assigned some sort of reflection of learning. This could be a quiz, that they then respond to as to how the results went. Or it could be a simple question and answer scenario. It could be a video, it could be written, there are a plethora of possibilities here. The bottom line is, I want them to be able to look at the standard, understand it, and know what they actually can do with it. Not just defining it, also tell me how this is going to help them in their day-to-day lives.

One thing that is key in this reflection process is that I would want to somehow involve the parents. Whether this is something that I sent to the parents, or something that is linked somewhere for easy access, that I still have to figure out. One thought I have had is a beginning of the year activity for the students where they create their own individual space. Somewhat like the Bitmoji classrooms that are flooding the Internet right now. We wouldn’t be able to use Bitmoji because of the age limitations, but a photograph without a background would fit in well. Then we would link each of the unit reflections into the learning space. A portfolio of reflections if you will.

Once activities are completed, and reflection made, they might meet with me, or they might be able to move right along. The next step would be the summative. this would mean an end to the traditional ‘everybody sits in testing conditions’.  Would that matter? Does doing summatives that way lessen the chance of them being able to manage the Georgia milestones? And does that really matter?

Then, once completed, they could work on something fun and attractive for students to do, which is still about achieving and learning. That would be the enticement.  I’m thinking of things like an escape room, room transformation project, our class newsletter. There must be a multitude of things that would be learning, helpful, and fun for them to do. Perhaps a choice. 

The enrichment only happens, obviously, with proven mastery of the learning. So perhaps there’s a minimum ‘score’, with relearning and review practices to be done before a second opportunity is given.  This could be a verbal check if needed. Students who rush through, will not do well on the summative, meaning an opportunity to conference, for more one on one, and an understanding that you need to take your time to achieve everything else for learning, before being able to have the fun!

So what are my main goals?

• To show students that independent learning is powerful.
• To give students a reason to be independent.
• To allow students who can achieve more, the space to do that.
• To give me more opportunities to support the students who need that extra help.
• To make it clear and obvious who truly achieves the learning, and who just did the work.
• To find a way to have the students think about the learning, and the reasons behind the learning, and whether they actually have learned.
• To make things very visible, and obvious to the parents.

Lofty goal, big change, huge challenge ...what more could I want?!