Claiming back time

So, this Making Thinking Visible stuff sounds brilliant right? Something that makes explicit what we hope we are teaching by osmosis.

But how do we put that thinking stuff into place, in our time-poor, curriculum driven classrooms?

We all have deadlines to meet, outcomes to check off, programs to write - I know, I'm in the same boat. We are already trying to put too much stuffing into the bloated chicken that is teaching, and just when you think you've done it all, someone tells you to throw a fancy Masterchef style garnish on top too.

This is where the mindset shift for us as teachers is essential - by making thinking visible to ourselves and our students, we gain time in our classrooms.

Big call, I know. So, let's take a quick dip into the ocean that is Visible Thinking and make the thinking behind that statement visible, by using a Thinking Routine (a thinking strategy to encourage understanding - the basis of the teacher's toolkit of Visible Thinking).  

This is called Claim-Support-Question - a routine designed to consider all aspects of a statement (and a great one for encouraging critical thinking!).

So, the claim is: Making Thinking Visible allows teachers to gain time in classrooms.

What can we use to support this claim?

• By using thinking routines, we are able to gain information about student thinking patterns, allowing for on the spot formative assessment 
• Creating a Culture of Thinking encourages students to share their thinking and ideas, facilitating collaboration between peers and allowing for students to teach each other rather than direct teacher instruction
• By making the thinking behind ideas visible, teachers explicitly teach students easy strategies to analyse concepts in depth, developing a deep knowledge and understanding of topics rather than a surface understanding that can be applied across disciplines.

Ok, sounds great right? But there is two sides to every story, and using this routine allows us to consider all aspects instead of blindly accepting the claim - a skill that we often wish to cultivate in our students.

What questions could we pose about this claim?

• How about the time it takes to get started? Surely there is time that must be put into setting up these routines and cultivating the thinking needed?
• What about the time needed to up skill staff in developing the language associated around routines? Who will do it and how?
• What if my school already has a 'big idea' its pursuing? How can I fit Visible Thinking into previously established structures?

I'm sure there are others we can ask to pose against the claim. The short answer to all these? Time spent well is time gained. If we invest a teeny tiny bit of our time now in figuring out how to create a culture of thinking in our classrooms, we can be paid back ten fold in the time we gain from the collaborative and constructive environment Visible Thinking creates. 

The skills that we want students to develop as 21st Century learners - critical and creative thinking, questioning, risk taking, persevering, communicating, reflecting (this is starting to sound like the IB Learner Profile...) - are facilitated by deep thinking and become naturally embedded in our teaching through the use of the Routines. They are a teaching tool, not an extra activity.

Now that is brilliant. 

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or comment below!

Beyond Appian Way?

I'm currently sitting collapsed on my couch in the lounge room, after approximately 36 hours of travel getting from Boston, MA to Sydney, NSW. I have a warm, fluffy, slightly overweight cat sitting on my lap and a cup of caffeine beside me, as my body tries to figure out what time zone I'm in. 
(For the record, I think I'm floating somewhere in the Pacific Ocean.)

So, in my attempts to somehow stay awake until a socially acceptable bedtime, I'm doing some reflecting on the events of the last week that have gotten me into this very unattractive, sleep-deprived state.

I've just come back from a week at Harvard Graduate School of Education, attending Project Zero Classroom - an annual summer institute that invites participants from all over the globe to share insights and understandings into the various ventures of the Project Zero researchers. 

I'm still getting a little thrill saying that I studied at Harvard.

Oh what's this? Why yes, It's my HARVARD ID.

I spent the week working 10 hour days, learning from some of the most incredible educational researchers and minds of this era. It was exhausting but absolutely exhilarating. I felt empowered, engaged and ready to take on the world - that was the atmosphere created by the forward-thinking group of participants who gathered for this conference. 

Oh look - I was in a lecture with HOWARD GARDNER! :O

Even in our most stressful moments, the positive energy created and facilitated by the attendees pulsated throughout campus, lifting us up and reassuring us that we are doing something amazing, not only for our students, but for our own development as teachers. This was achieved through our plethora of activities to make our thinking visible, including art assignments, thinking routines and a surprising amount of interpretive dance. You can check out some of our zany antics (and some truly stunning pictures of me) on our Smore here.

You heard it here first - Tissue paper is in this summer.

Sounds incredible, right?

It was.

So now, as my cat's fat rolls slowly envelop my legs and I drink caffeine to prevent any keyboard drooling, I'm starting to think formatively about my situation. What is the next piece of learning for me? Where should I go next?

As teachers, we know the best way to figure out our next stepping stone is to look back at where we have already walked. So this week, I'm going to be bringing to you my adventures at HGSE - the highlights of my foray into the depths that is Making Thinking Visible, and my reflections on how it can be used in a public school classroom. 

And, as per usual, feel free to languish in my wit and generally incredible humour.

In addition, I'm hoping to start up a 'study group' of sorts for interested parties, so that anyone who is interested in learning more about MTV, or just want to give it a go, can take part. If this tickles your fancy, feel free to tweet me @bswain1, or email me at brianna.swain1@det.nsw.edu.au

The rise of the third/fourth/fifth culture kid

I'm in Singapore at the moment, enjoying a break from the madness that is my class. Although I'm not in my home, curled up on the couch surrounded by marking, I'm still at home. 

Why? I was a third culture kid. An ex-expat brat. Singapore is my second home.

I was lucky enough to spend 4 years living here, and studying at the Australian International School, where my mother worked (and is working at again now).  I was 14 when I moved here, and I would say that I 'grew up' in Singapore, as spending those formative teenage years in a culture so different to my own has shaped me into the individual I am today.

My younger brother, however, is a fifth culture kid. 

He spent time living and studying in Singapore, England and Abu Dhabi - he actually completed his education with a British qualification, and is now studying at an Australian university. Talk about culturally confused.

When you ask a third culture kid; that is a child who is living in a culture other than their own and that of their parents; where they are from, the answer is far from simple. Are you referring to their home culture, their parent's culture that they have been raised in, or the place they are living now?

And how about when multiple languages are brought into the equation? You may ask a child this simple question in English, but to answer it, they must first translate it to their first language in their head, answer it, then translate the answer back all within a socially acceptable timeframe so they don't look stupid.
 

Mean Girls is a great illustration of the life of a TCK. And is also hilarious.

Now, don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade my expat experience for anything - travelling the world, gaining an understanding an appreciation for cultures other than my own, developing a global mindset and receiving an international education - all positives and all amazing, life changing experiences that make me the fabulous individual I am today.

But just stop and think for a second. Reflect on your classroom/school/educational environment. 

How many children in your classroom are living in their own culture, and culture of their parents?

In my current class, I cannot name one student who is living in their family's home culture.

Think about the effect this would have upon your students - these children are developing a sense of identity in a world that is full of cultural idiosyncrasies that they must assimilate into their own sense of self. The battle of their family culture, their home culture, and how it fits into the social mores of the culture they live in will often clash and contradict, leaving the child unsure of what is 'right'. In addition, some are constantly translating between multiple languages, attempting to grasp a concept that is difficult in one language, let alone two.

And with all this going on - we expect them to SIT DOWN, STOP TALKING, STOP FIDDLING AND LISTEN!!!!

We need to consider that we are not educating the all - Australian (or all - American, all - Singaporean, whichever 'culture' you teach in) child anymore. In fact, all our students are living in cultures other than their own - technology makes sure of that for our 21st Century learners.

As teachers, we need to take on a  global mindset when teaching, even if our entire class is living in their home culture, because their experience of their world and their development of 'culture' is one that does not follow geographical borders anymore - it is unbounded.

Don't use the 'w' word!

WORK!

That's right, I said it!
W-O-R-K. Wearisome, Ordinary, Repetitive, Killjoys.

It's a word we use in our everyday life as part of common vocabulary - to describe our occupation, our studies, our chores and the mundane things we fill our lives with.

But when 'work' comes into the classroom, it becomes a naughty no-no word.

Hands up all those who have said one of these phrases this week?

"Hurry up and get on with your work!"

"Have you started your work yet?"

"YOU'VE HAD TWENTY MINUTES. WHY HAVEN'T YOU FINISHED ALL YOUR WORK?!?!"

Don't worry, this is a safe place, no judgements - happens to the best of us.

This year, I've tried to eliminate the 'w' word from my classroom. Doesn't mean I don't say it every now and then - I'm not perfect, and it sometimes slips out - but I've made a conscious effort not to use the big bad W in my room. 
(Note: in my defence, our spelling program is called 'Word Work', so it does occasionally have its place!)

"Why?" I hear you mumble discontentedly, "Students have content to learn and outcomes to achieve, and to do that they need to wo..."

SHHH! Don't use the 'w' word!

Don't make him fire the giant 'laser' at you.

'Work' is a word that has a strong negative connotation associated with it - it's a chore, a job or a task that needs to get done - not something to be enjoyed and cherished.

'Work' is an activity that is completed at a desk, has a time limit, and has one answer. 

'Work' is the completion of a task, a finite process that has an end in sight, something that is started with the intention of being finished, and won't be built upon or extended further.

"So," I hear you sigh in resignation "What do you propose I should say if I can't use the 'w' word?"

It's quite simple really: Learning.

Hands up all those who have said one of these phrases this week?

"Hurry up and get on with your learning!"
"Have you started your learning yet?"
"YOU'VE HAD TWENTY MINUTES. WHY HAVEN'T YOU FINISHED ALL YOUR LEARNING?!?!"

Boxes are great, but it's also interesting how a simple change of verb renders the sentence nonsensical.

'Learning' is a natural human impulse; a process of discovery, curiosity and innovation that results in self gratification and a thirst for knowledge.

'Learning' is a process that is achievable in any setting or context. It is not contained in any one activity -  it is multidisciplinary, breaking down borders and barriers and allowing students to make meaningful connections between content, skills and knowledge.

'Learning' is not something that ever finishes - it is an ongoing, infinite process that is not contained within the four walls of the classroom; that is continued in every facet of our lives and is constantly enriching our understanding our selves and the world around us.

In fact, it could be said that Learning Never Stops! (Pfft - how clever am I?!)

So why change? Why eliminate the woeful 'w' word?
This simple switch in language can make a massive difference in a child's perspective of schooling. 

The late Rita Pierson states "Children don't learn from people they don't like" - whether we want to believe it or not, this statement has an element of truth within it.  Maslow's 1943 Hierarchy of Human Needs is the proof in the pudding, so to speak -  he theorises that students thrive in educational environments in which they feel safe, confident, respected and enjoy.

No one enjoys 'work' - it's a process designed to get stuff done, not for developing a sense of fulfilment!

So - are your students 'workers' or 'learners'?

"Alright Miss Swain, I'm convinced!" I hear you trill excitedly. "But how do we make the switch? How do we facilitate this shift in thinking?"

Use the 3 M's!

©BSwain 2014

In a nutshell: 

• Model - Use the language
• Monitor - look/listen for the language in discussion
• Maintain - encourage it/keep it up!

Yes, it's not a cure all, and seems simple - but sometimes the simplest things are the most effective.

We're always talking about how we can 'get' these kids, our 21st Century Learners who are 'disengaged in the classroom' and 'don't care about their learning'. Could the answer be simply that we're using 19th Century metalanguage (i.e. workers) with 21st Century kids?

You said it, Boromir.

Well, I know that's not the answer to the entire issue of engagement, but its a start!

Give it a go - eliminate the 'w' word from your pedagogical vocabulary and start your students 'learning'. I promise it won't be too much 'work'.

How do you measure success?

Today was a day in which I felt successful.
Everything went well - students were well behaved regardless of wet weather (unlike previously, as described here), they were focused and they LEARNT SOMETHING.
In fact, it is the first time I have felt successful with my class this year - we've had a fairly eventful and rocky start.

Success is a word we throw around a lot in education. Success of our education system, success as a school, teacher success, student success. We are always brainstorming and reinventing our definition of success as a staff, a stage, as individuals. We ask ourselves What does it look like? Feel like? Sound like?

That's right Ladies and Gentlemen, get out your Y charts.

Richard St. John, in his 2005 TED talk 8 Secrets of Success takes years of research and attempts to define what makes a person successful.

If you're a visual learner like myself, this screenshot will help you consolidate that speedy presentation:

So, basically, St. John says we need to work hard and love what you do. So, by that definition I must be DROWNING in success.

Truth be known, in its own abstract nature, success is a concept that manifests uniquely for each individual. The 'face' of success has a different look and a different feel for everyone. There's no overarching imagery we can use paint a picture of success - in fact, this is as about as close as we get:

Clichéd, I know. But look at his little face!

Success is something that we as humans strive for - that feeling of satisfaction from achieving something that we have worked our sweet little tushes off for. In fact, success is something that our individualistic western society has come to expect of us - if we're not striving for success, then what the hell are we doing?

So, with its individual 'face' that looks, feels and sounds different to all of us - how can we measure the abstract concept of success in our students?

We, as teachers, attempt to measure success in a multitude of ways - from achieving 'expected' academic growth in the long term; down to getting them to JUST SIT STILL FOR FIVE MINUTES, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD in the short term.

Our students measure success by achieving their learning goals, by accomplishing success criteria and seeing an improvement in their report marks. Maybe. We hope.

But what about teacher success? When do we get a chance to measure how successful we are? When do we stop to focus on our own accomplishments and achievements? Do our students have to achieve 'success' for us to feel successful?

Judy Halbert and Linda Klaser, the geniuses behind Spirals of Inquiry, have developed four key questions that allow students to reflect on their own learning and understanding.

• Can you name two people in this school/setting who believe that you can be a success in life?
• Where are you going with your learning?
• How are you going with your learning?
• Where are you going next with your learning?

Our staff ask these questions routinely of our students to act as insight upon our own pedagogy. And it is insightful - we use these comments to realign our practice and really refocus on what our students need to feel success in their learning. (To read more about this, you can read their full paper here)

But, perhaps, we should be asking these questions routinely of ourselves. Our feelings of accomplishment should not always be directly correlated with student achievement. Considering Richard St. John's perspective, even if our students are not 'successful', we are - because we persevere even when they don't get it, we are passionate about developing student understanding and we are incredibly dedicated, even when it's really hard.

Hell, somedays, just getting out of bed after one alarm is a success.

So, ask yourself those 4 key questions:

• Can you name two people in your world who believe that you can be a success as a teacher?
• Where are you going with your teaching?
• How are you going with your teaching? (and what makes you say that?)
• Where are you going next with your teaching? 

What does the 'face' of success look and feel like for you, and how do you measure success in your pedagogy?

Formatively Fantastic

Before I get into the intelligent smarty pants stuff, on a side note - 

WHAT IS IT WITH KIDS AND WEATHER??

The temperature drops a couple of degrees = DRAMA

It's windy = CHAOS

It's raining = CABIN FEVER

Here is an short informative clip that demonstrates my classroom during wet weather:

Anddddddd we return to our scheduled programming.

I have mentioned before here that our school is a bit nuts for formative assessment. We very rarely use summative assessment, as the way I interpret it, the students don't really need end of unit/term/year assessments because we are constantly assessing them, and they are constantly assessing themselves (Don't quote me on that - it's just my interpretation).

I knew all about formative assessment in university, but it wasn't until I started teaching that I really picked up some great strategies to feed up, back and forward to my students. Our students can articulate what they're learning, why its important and where to next - real metacognition in action!

So here they are, my top 5 formative assessment strategies for a cross stage classroom: (or any classroom for that matter, but mine is cross stage and it sounds fancy, so there.)

1. Mini whiteboards
Using a mini whiteboard is a great tool, because not only does it get students directly involved with any modelling you are doing, but it also allows you to find out, on the spot, whether students understand what you are talking about and allows you to change your practice accordingly. 
Example? Today when teaching rounding in maths, I asked students to round a 3 digit number to the nearest 10. about 50% of students got it right. I remodelled in a slightly different way, and all students were then able to get it right and justify their response (linking in with our success criteria).

Disclaimer: This is not my class. I thought I had pictures of kids using whiteboards on my phone but I was oh so wrong. Please enjoy this image of some class somewhere using formative assessment.

There's deep thoughts on them. BEWARE!

2. Exit Slips
Exit slips are a form of summative-formative assessment in a way, as they are usually completed at the end of a lesson as a form of reflection upon learning, or as a chance to ask further questions. I like to get kids to post them on my door as they literally 'exit' the classroom.  It's fantastic to see whether students have grasped a concept, or if they need help in certain areas. They can be anonymous, or have names, depending on the task. I usually either give students a deep thinking question or a visible thinking routine (more on these later) to really challenge their thinking.








3. Bump it Up
Bump it up walls are BRILLIANT. They get students to reflect on their learning in a particular activity - in this case independent reading - and rate themselves against criteria that they have created! It reinforces the concept of 'where to next' - what kids need to do next to become better readers. This is actually my wall from last year, as again, I didn't have a photo of this year's, but you get the picture.
If students are consistently achieving the top level, I like to get them to create the next level up so they have something to work towards as well.










4. Individual Goals
Individual Goals, whether set by the teacher or by the students, are a great way for students to work towards a specific criteria that they need to focus on. These  goals are worded in kid-speak, but still use any relevant metalanguage to develop student vocab. I check the reading goals during guided reading groups and remind students of them constantly. Writing goals, however, are monitored by a student's thinking partner - their buddy for a fortnight who they share their thinking and learning with.









5. And last but not least...LISC
Learning Intentions and Success Criteria are absolutely essential to any lesson. It tells the students what we are learning about, why and what they need to do to achieve it. They're simple, taken straight from the syllabus, and give students a focal point for learning.
WILF = What I'm looking for - your expectations
TIB = This is because - real life connection for learning
WALT/WALA = We are learning to/we are learning about

There obviously are many others that are absolutely fantastic - this is not an all inclusive list of what I use in my classroom, I also show much love for thumbs up/down, paddle pop sticks, wait time, reflection statements, Think-Pair-Share etc.... but we would be here all day and you would find it as boring as batpoop. 

(nice simile, huh? Wouldn't mind seeing that in some student writing...)

Do you use formative assessment in your classroom? What's your go to strategy?

Archaically Artistic

In my spare time (what little I do have of it!) I draw. I wouldn't call myself an artist, as I do it only for myself, but drawing is just something I do. Its my creative outlet.

I found out that I could draw when I decided to take Visual Arts in Year 11. Having not done any art theory since Year 8, I thought I'd be in way over my head. Turns out, not only did I love it, I was alright at it too.

It was through school that I found my creativity - not just in visual arts but in my style of writing, my sense of humour and the way I present myself.

Perhaps this is because I went to school overseas, living in a unique expatriate environment during my formative teenage years. My primary schooling, however, was all completed in Australian public schools - where there were many more restrictions and pressures upon teachers at the time to teach certain content and 'tick off' syllabus dot points.

(That being said, the way I was taught to study for my HSC in 2008 was to go through the syllabus and study content related to each outcome - very telling of the way students are assessed in senior school.)

Sir Ken Robinson has long made the argument that 'schools kill creativity'. He known for his opinions on the unfortunate habit of schools to squash the creativity out of students through a 'production line' mentality that has existed since the industrial age.

I love watching these RSA Animate versions of speeches - much easier to concentrate!

Robinson argues that today's students are getting attention from every possible platform, and then we punish them for getting distracted. He states that schooling should be an aesthetic experience, an opportunity for creativity, yet we 'get them through it' rather than allowing them to experience it.

Robinson states that we 'manufacture' children rather that celebrating their uniqueness.

As much as we might like to think its all pherphies, that Sir Ken is full of it and we're doing fine,  take a look at the students in your class (or a child you know). Aren't the 'good' ones those who follow the rules, hand things in on time, put their hand up to be called upon and always have the right answer?

I'm sure many of us would give our A3 laminators to have a class full of these kids...but isn't that a bit boring?

Robinson talks about divergent thinking as a means of creativity - being able to consider an idea from multiple viewpoints. Isn't this a characteristic we like to encourage in all kids? (But only if they rule a margin in red pen first and write the date at the top of the page).

I think that one of the greatest ways for kids to express their ability to think outside the box is through art.

And when I say art, I don't mean colouring in.

I mean using artworks for the study of visual literacy. I mean creating an invention to help society. I mean something that cannot be finished in one afternoon session - something that requires research, practice and time to create.

When did art go from being a dedicated subject with a budget and specialist staff to 'something we just fit in, but only if we have time?'

Are we as schools stopping kids from realising their creative potential, unless they take art in secondary school?

Are we killing creativity?

(Share your ideas by commenting below)

How do we solve the problem of engagement in Maths?

As so eloquently presented by the one and only Ron Burgundy:

World Maths Day that is (although I'm also quite important - but only to my cats). 

If you haven't been hanging around Twitter, you might have missed the trending #worldmathsday today - a global day of celebration of all things mathematical.

(cue mass groans from all those aged between 5 and 18)

Our school celebrated in a surprisingly efficient and organised way - we measured the distance taken up by all students at school standing in one line:

As tweeted by my boss today!

In my class, we continued the mathematical hijinx by creating a human modality scale using chance terminology:

As tweeted straight from my classroom by my supervisor today! (21st Century learning FTW!)

Our school has a strict no worksheet, no textbook policy. That means all our lessons are hands on, student centered and have specific learning intentions and success criteria to guide student understanding of content and help them answer the question 'Where to next?'.

(on a side note: our school is neck deep in formative assessment practices and we worship at the thrones of  John Hattie and Dylan Wiliam - more on this tomorrow!)

We create these fantastic learning opportunities for students; filled with engaging hands on activities, rich content and quality formative assessment. So the big question remains:

 Why does the word 'Maths' still elicit grimaces and groans from our students?

What are we missing?

I attempted to tackle this problem last year through the introduction of rotational Maths Centers, similar to those used in guided reading groups. Explicit teacher modelling of a skill, followed by students breaking away to work collaboratively in homogenous groupings on tasks that aimed to develop knowledge and understanding of a topic through various skills and disciplines, including technological integration (I used Khan Academy - absolutely brilliant for independent Maths work that is at a student's level, with the bonus of a map that allows students to direct their own learning. Check it out here).

How's that for a mouthful?

It was great! I found student engagement soared and students gained a deeper understanding of the topic. However, some of this could be attributed to the novel nature of the activities, it was a lot of work for one teacher, and was hard to complete without support in the classroom and a fairly well behaved trained class. And it didn't fit in with our current school model of Maths.

So now I'm looking for something else. 

Its easy to blame technology for low engagement, claim that students only get on iPads to play games  or say our kids are 'just so disengaged with the real world'. 

I'm sure they said the same thing about computers when they first were introduced, and now every teacher cries out as soon as the kids can't log on (myself included). They have become an essential resource to us to educate '21st Century learners' and ensure our students have a global understanding. 

However, I have been lucky enough to visit schools throughout Asia, where the only resources teachers have are locked up in a cupboard because they are too precious to be wasted. These teachers teach with chalk and a whiteboard, and yet have full, attentive classes every day. 

So what is the difference with our kids? Do they have to have an iPad in their hands in order for them to learn, or are we teaching 21st Century Learners still using 20th Century techniques? 

I'd hate to think it's the latter, but I have a sneaking suspicion that it is.

We're in a time of change, not just at our school, but all over Australia with the forthcoming integration of the new Maths Syllabus. This gives us a chance to really tackle the problem of student engagement in Maths.

So, how can I encourage the urge to add, a passion for polygons and get my students frenetically fractioning? 

Why yes, I just made fraction into a verb, what of it?

Perhaps we really need to stop using technology as a blanket strategy for engaging our students. Or perhaps we need to stop talking about what our kids can't do, and start raving about what they could do (with a bit of pushing).

We need to think outside the monitor, so to speak, to find those learning experiences that really challenge our students and create a deep understanding of content, rather than ticking off syllabus dot points.

Like taking the whole school outside and measuring the length of our student population.

Easier said that done, I hear you say.

True, Prue. 

But, its World Maths Day - lets give it a red hot crack anyway.