Assessment, Nearpod, and Main Idea

Today, I went through Module 4 of my online class, which focuses on Assessment.  The three main ideas were:

Use authentic performance
Embed frequent formative assessments
Provide feedback

I spent some time thinking about critical skills for fourth graders, and considered informational text.  While students have familiarity with main idea/details from third grade, this framework is critical in many subject areas.  I decided to start with a Nearpod to review and allow students to show what they know. 

The next steps would be to work on a leveled text without guidance, then a self-selected text, and to pair this with informational writing.  Feedback is embedded in the Nearpod, but as a quick check.  Assigning a choice of 2 or 3 texts next would require more personalized feedback, and then allowing students to choose from their online library would require even more.  Students in the final step can present their main idea and details to peers - by selecting different texts, each becomes a teacher on their topic. 

For writing (and reading), I would use both "boxes and bullets" and the umbrella graphic organizer pictured in the Nearpod.

I'm slowly building up a library which I can use as templates!


https://share.nearpod.com/vsph/fDWetsFSMu

Community and Social Distance

"Social—This refers to the connections instructors make with the students and those that students make with each other to build a learning community."


Reading this article, which is aimed at teachers of older students, really has me thinking.   The need for instructor presence isn't just about Teacher-Student relationships, but also about Student-Student relationships.  


How can I encourage 9 year olds, including 9 year olds with learning needs, to build community with each other in this strange time?

Reading this article (from which the graphic above is taken), playfulness seems like a key to student engagement in the elementary grades, while the others are required for learning.  But engagement is needed for them to participate, which is of course a prerequisite.  I think about the classroom - students need clear expectations, and they also need to be comfortable in the community of learners.  That means the teacher is active and steady and reliable - which are more or less given in a physical space.  Resilience looks different online.  In person, I might continue to check in with a student.  We might have a team approach to reaching out to parents.  We might offer extra help in different ways, or send home different materials.  Online, it might be more Zoom calls 1:1, texting a parent, sending daily emails or videos.

But playfulness.  I think finding interesting topics for writing will be key in this.  Students (and teachers) are naturally more playful when they are interested in a topic.  I think about a topic like personal narrative, and how those types of writing will build playfulness and community.  Or reading groups and sharing what books make us (not just students, but me!) come alive.

One tip was to use synchronous time for community and asynchronous for new teaching.  That is going on my bulletin board by my home desk, as soon as I get it!  Obviously, with my student support context, I'll be doing 1:1 teaching of new material for learners with exceptional needs, but group time will be all about relationships!

I hope we will be in person, but even if we are, I know many activities I have used to bring playfulness to the classroom won't be realistic in the Covid era.  All of the Responsive Classroom activities that come to mind quickly involve close contact - Rock Paper Scissors games, greetings with handshakes and fist bumps, etc.  But the framework will still work, with a lot more creativity!

Wayfinding and Architecture of Accomplished Teaching

Shortly before I took time off to spend with my youngest, I achieved my National Board Certification in Exceptional Needs Education.

This graphic from the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards was always on my wall as a reminder of steps in designing instruction.

This week, I'm taking a class in online learning through GOA.  One aspect of the course focuses on Student Wayfinding, with subtopics on Student Engagement, Student Empowerment, and Pacing.  In this new, potentially all (or partially) online classroom setting we'll face in August, Student Engagement ties to the first step in the Architecture of Accomplished Teaching even more than normal.  I will NOT be able to set worthwhile goals in step two without knowing my students in step one.  And since it's unlikely I'll be with them six hours a day, five days a week (although I remain hopeful), I will NEED to create engaging experiences online in order to know them, know their interests, their skills and their needs. 



So often as teachers, we instinctively rely on those "in between" moments to witness our students' soft skills.  Johnny is doodling characters from his favorite cartoon during quiet time, and his art is excellent.  Maria engages everyone in the class, her warmth allowing shy Jennifer to confidently share.



How will we do that in an all online environment?  Although I'll be returning to the classroom after years away, any teacher not looping with his or her class will face similar challenges of engaging new students.  This morning, I played around with Google Docs to make a "Getting to Know You" mini-unit for the second week of school.  This of course would be preceded by a week of expectations, group chats, and followed up with sharing our work.  Most of the students I will teach have at least a basic familiarity with these apps, and are looping as a class but not with a teacher.  Although they will know each other, teachers will need to get to know them and the transition from third to fourth is a time of increased maturity and changing interests, so they'll need to get reacquainted.

Links to Use

This is not a curated list, nor is it a dump.  Consider it a work in progress as I begin the process of planning for a year of possible online or maybe in person or perhaps hybrid learning, which also happens to be the year I'm returning to the classroom after five years of part time work to stay home!

I'm updating it as I go along!

Teaching:

Project Zero Thinking Routines: https://pz.harvard.edu/thinking-routines

Reflection Questions: https://www.edutopia.org/sites/default/files/resources/edutopia-stw-replicatingpbl-21stcacad-reflection-questions.pdf

Single Point Rubric: https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/single-point-rubric/

6 Key Design Elements: https://globalonlineacademy.org/insights/articles/six-key-design-elements-of-successful-online-learning-1

Read-Do-Discuss (Secondary) https://kalamitykat.com/2020/03/13/quick-prep-for-remote-classes/




Specific Subjects: 

Social Studies/Civics:
Black Wall Street:  https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1CE2ufeyJm8dpEXnaGiWH2twtCWqblyRv

ELA
Venn Diagram: http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/venn-diagram-30973.html
Comic Creator: http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/comic/

Math
Fractions App: https://apps.mathlearningcenter.org/fractions/

(OK, everything from Math Learning Center is good!) https://www.mathlearningcenter.org/resources/apps

100s charts: https://www.topmarks.co.uk/learning-to-count/paint-the-squares (It's labeled "learning to count" but I wanted to save it for factors, multiples, adding ten, etc)


Science
Skype a Scientist: https://www.skypeascientist.com/

Art
Art with Mrs Filmore http://www.artwithmrsfilmore.com/5th-grade-art-lessons/