Action First

Years ago, I sat in a meeting that began with a question.

"Is it easier to act your way into feeling, or feel your way into acting?"

We landed on the former.  One can feel angry but act with grace, feel disappointed with a child but act to build capacity, etc.  While not always easy, this is easier than waiting for feelings to come that will cause more desirable actions.

As a parent, this is also true.  I teach my girls to treat one another with respect, and at 4.5 and 9, they don't always feel like being respectful.  (Case in point, preparing for a recent Zoom meeting, I told them to play unless an emergency occurred.  We classified a number of situations as emergency or not.  The four year old determined that being mad at her sister IS an emergency and worth interrupting a call.  We had to discuss that one!)

I was struck by this line in a post from Cult of Pedagogy:

“You do need to get to implicit bias at some point,” she says. “It’s just not the starting point. If you start there, you can’t pivot to instruction. Whereas when you understand inequity by design, you can actually talk about instruction but also come back to talk about microaggressions. The sequencing of that is really important.”

Even if we are still working through our own implicit bias, we need to teach in a culturally responsive and anti racist manner.  This is good news, as working through implicit bias is hardly a short term task!  As teachers, we are good multitaskers.  We can change our teaching to benefit our students AND address our own biases at the same time.

I want my students (now primarily all from the same socioeconomic group, which is new for me) to really experience windows and mirrors in literature.  Since this will primarily be through online book choices, I need to start curating their collections on Epic, as my collection of multicultural books isn't as helpful from my living room as it is in my classroom!  I want them to consider how various groups would have interpreted historical events.  To quote a line from Hamilton, I want them to consider "Who lives, who dies, who tells your story."  I want my students to develop the kind of relationships where they can ask questions.

My students this year are a part of what might be considered the "elite" class, kids who travel internationally, who are dual passport holders, who have wealth and who, by nature of their birth, anticipate being leaders.  One of my own biases I've had to examine is that these kids need less.  The truth is, these kids will the ones making decisions, whether their privilege is earned or not, so they need to be MORE culturally competent to help make the systematic changes the world needs for justice.

Skills Not Tasks: Assessment

Covid.  It's forced us all to stay home far more than normal.  My kids and I don't watch a ton of TV, but lately, we've been turning it on more.  They love The Floor is Lava, which somehow led us to Blown Away.

If you haven't seen it, Blown Away is Canadian reality TV about glassblowers.  Think Project Runway, American's Next Top Model, or any other reality TV competition style, but with glassblowing and Canadian accents.  It is really delightful television.

In each episode, a task is presented to the contestants.  Each task is judged in three areas.  I'm summarizing, but more or less they are: technical skill, following the creative prompt, and creative risk.  While I can't recall the wording, I'm four episodes in and I can recall the basics. Performance based assessment with a clear rubric, anyone?

Although the process of creating this style of art is mesmerizing, I am most sucked into the presentation portion of each episode.  The judges (two regular and one guest) examine the works of art, then bring in the contestants to chat with them.  Instead of focusing on tasks, they focus on skills, and the same three skills that are reviewed in each intro!

For example, in one episode, the inspiration is supposed to be food.  One artist creates a chicken egg with amazingly realistic feet.  His feedback?  Incredible craftsmanship (skill 1).  Following prompt was clever and fun (skill 2).  Creative risk was okay (skill 3).  They also pointed out some process things that will matter down the line.  He finishes quickly and could take more time to redo imperfections.  Instead of critiquing task issues (specifics about the egg), they talked about the process that will benefit him down the line.

In the same episode, one individual pointed out that he didn't like the prompt and basically went rouge.  Following the prompt is a skill in this discipline, especially when working with commissions.  Not surprisingly, that individual was sent home.

Learn to read the question.  Learn to find your voice.  Learn the ins and outs of good writing.

There's plenty for teachers to take away from this show as we continue to grow in the area of finding the best ways to provide feedback for our students in the digital space.

Performance Based Assessments: A Brainstorm

Understanding is revealed when students can transfer their learning to new and “messy” situations. Note that not all performances require transfer. For example, playing a musical instrument by following the notes or conducting a step-by-step science lab require minimal transfer. In contrast, rich performance tasks are open-ended and call “higher-order thinking” and the thoughtful application of knowledge and skills in context, rather than a scripted or formulaic performance.

https://blog.performancetask.com/what-is-a-performance-task-part-1-9fa0d99ead3b

Man.

In some ways, online spaces seem perfect for performance based assessments.  In other ways, it feels like disaster!  So here it is... my brainstorm space, made public because I know I'm not alone!

What might work:

SOCIAL STUDIES....
* Write a letter as (historical figure) regarding your thoughts and feelings about (topic).  Respond in character to other figures' letters.

SCIENCE....
* Design an experiment to investigate (topic)
* Write a letter to the editor about the importance of (environmental topic)

MATH....
* Given a set of criteria (size, budget, etc),  design a room or building (show geometric understanding)
* Write a two step word problem, trade with peers, solve

LANGUAGE ARTS....
* Write a book, a booklet, a play....
* Debate an issue (good use of flipgrid or discussion board!)

On Masks

What a strange four months it's been.

Four months ago, we were planning for a visitor from the states.  I was waiting for my work permit to begin teaching again in the Spring.  I was planning a last minute trip to Medellin.

A week after that, schools went to distance learning.

Then, we went on quarantine.  My children were inside for 55 days.

FIFTY FIVE DAYS.  I'm so thankful for our balcony.

They also had to learn a new skill - mask wearing.

One of my children has Down syndrome.  She turned nine a few weeks before quarantine.  My other daughter is 4.5.  That tells you just about all you need to know about her willingness to wear a mask.

However, after about 52 days inside, we learned that we could take a walk.  A WALK!  But there's no way to walk in Bogota without running into people, including at the embassy, and Colombia has mask rules.

So we bought a couple kids' masks and spelled it out: If you want to go outside, you need to deal.  My kid with Down syndrome doesn't have extreme sensory needs, and I know there are kids with SPD and Autism that won't be able to mask.  This advice is for kids who are more or less able to mask safely, but perhaps not willingly.

The first is possibly the most obvious, but maybe not.  Find a mask that fits.  Find one you like.  We have four hooks by our front door, each holding one family member's mask collection.  We have ear loops and ties and running buffs.  We have medical masks and cheap masks and cute Etsy masks.   We had to try them all out.  For my rising kindergartener, ear loops work best.  For my child with Down syndrome, who has a tiny nose, tiny ears, and also is just tiny overall, we have found that a tie mask stays on best, but since she can't tie behind her head, we also have an adult mask with ear loops that we've tied up to shorten.

They started wearing them a couple days before we resumed outside time.  They've practiced every time they go outside since.  They wear masks to run and play and ride bikes.

Is it perfect?  No.

But MAKE IT FUN and make it a requirement.

Obviously, they are kids.  They pull down their masks for a snack or a drink of water.  They touch their masks.  But wearing one beats not wearing one.

We've also had to practice voice volume in a mask.  After spending forever harping on my kids to speak with appropriate volume and NOT YELL AT ME I'M RIGHT HERE....  They have to speak up in a mask.  And speak clearly. 

Glasses fog.
Masks slip.
Dirty hands touch them and forget.

But I'll take the imperfect and keep praising them for wearing their masks, covering their noses, and helping keep people safe.

It's not too hard here in Bogota.  Everyone wears a mask.

Positive peer pressure helps!