Learning from a Felt Need
Metric
Student Written Rubric
PBLs
Choice of Activities
Student-nominated mini-lessons
Student-nominated word wall words
Always linking historical event to modern issues/events
Students assisting each other
Discussing – what needs are – what knowledge do they have – KWL
Organized into PBL groups by topic choice
Build a better rocket (better than the other groups’)
Exit cards (what worked, wha didn’t, what matters to you)
Connections from literature to current world events/issues
Task statements on PBLs that are meaningful to students’ lives and presented BEFORE the unit /content
Students engaged and interested in a task or project
Motivated students who want to research on their own
Current topics being addressed
Connect to local issues all the way to global issues
Taking interest in students’ lives outside of school
Monitoring and adjusting if the felt need is not evident
Take issues from local current events
Helping town/municipality to address local issues
Helping students to reflect and identify their weak areas by offering “optional” mini-lessons
Incorporating brain theory
High Academic Standards
All students are expected to achieve at high levels, utilizing the teacher, peers, and other resources to meet with success.
Students collaboratively create and take mock NJ ASK tests
ASK-Learnia testing
Rubrics
Family disaster plans
Working on DBQs (document based questions)
Pushing students to achieve Expert status
Pushing students to try new aspects of technology
PBLs
Do & Redo – keep experimenting – if it doesn’t work, try something else
Students apply social studies concepts to modern newspaper articles (POR)
Rubric level – novice to expert
People from State dept. were invited to view PBLs, presentations
Often the difference between an honor student and no honors is to continue writing when their hand gets tired. Tell them this.
Resources are differentiated so all children can succeed
The children know how they will be assessed, i.e. rubric
CCCS and district goals are evident in the activities
Expect more and demonstrate to kids that you believe in them
Activities are complex and critical thinking skills are observed
Metacognition
Relevant/related activities
Authentic tasks
Relationship with adults
Ownership of goals
Rubrics designed to challenge all students regardless of abilities
Teacher, students, and district have high expectations of themselves and each other
Goals are clearly defined
Expert column is “better not more”
Metacognition is seen in action
Focus on Higher-Order, Open-Ended Problem-Solving
Problem-solving activities are the focus of the learning environment, setting a context within which to learn lower-order skills.
Using persuasive essays
WebQuest
Journals – LEADS-related
Creating solutions for modern issues using the thought processes of historical figures (George Washington)
Create your own open-ended questions – critical thinking
Fictional 1st person survivor accounts in earthquakes
Choice
Researchpaperbased on current social issues
Open-ended blog board responses
Student-teacher response journals on writing/reading
Utilized driving questions to create own PBL
Bloom’s taxonomy
Student created assignments/questions
The rubric offers HOT activities as we move towards expert column
The problem in the task is multi-dimensional without 1 correct answer
There is no specific order of when components should be completed
A choice is given for how information is accessed and how students present their knowledge
Variety
Allow for choice of assessment/activity/mini-lesson
Subtasks and resources utilizing teacher, peers, etc.
Students are allowed and encouraged to explore (while using resources and technology) to solve problems
How-to sheets
Local problems
Products are open
Student Responsibility for Learning
Students take responsibility for setting goals, scheduling time, utilizing resources, and making other decisions.
Schedules
Rubrics/Checklists
Exit cards
Folders
Create own rubrics
Create tests/quizzes
Presentations
Self-assessment rubrics
Schedluing own time
Each student has to explain his role in PBL
Digital story authoring
Brochures
Activity lists
Long-term journaling for an entire novel (6 weeks)
Scheduling
Peer tutoring
Completing goals
Resource table
Researching online
Sign up for help when needed
Sign up for mini-lessons
“coach” board
Team captains
Optional mini-lessons
Checklists
Students actively engaged and wanting to “get it” themselves
Using how-to sheets and other classroom resources to get it, i.e. dictionary, spell checker
Organization of PBL folders
Self-assessment
Students work cooperatively and collaboratively
Ask 3 then ask me
Set class rules and all agree to them
Remembering to go to GT, music, pull-outs
Bringing homework and supplies to school
Organization in general
Connected Learning
Students see learning as being connected, both across the disciplines and to their lives.
Social Studies - Language Arts
Witch Child – Witch trials
Gone w/Wind – real slavery
Spiral curriculum tie in to Earth day & History Anasazi
Science – Social Studies
Latitude & Longitude – Hurricanes
Social Studies – 19th centry values with literature
Social Studies – Economy ($), politics, english & science, Current events DAILY
SS – Language Arts
Time period poetry, etc.
Science – SS
Time periods & obstacles faced (disease, weather, etc.)
Scarlet Letter – High school survival guide
Huck Finn – personal manifestos
Night – current Human Rights Violations
Of Mice and Men – current “American Dream”
Medieval festival
Plan a trip to another nation
Art/musice from time period or on theme of novel unit
Authentic tasks—current topics
Interdisciplinary activities (integration of content areas)
Meeting individual needs through activities
Think/pair/share
Solving problems
Peer tutoring within class and throughout school
Resources—felt need
Goals being met
Differentiate instruction
Students connect their subject matter, books, etc to the subject/their lives
Students are motivated
Connecting strategies from content areas to all others
Various teachers giving mini-lessons… ICS, Spec Ed, etc
Post over-arching theme/task
Working Well Collaboratively
Students engage in collaborative problem-solving on open-ended problems with peers, working independently on subtasks.
Literature Circles
Peer-editing assignments
Teams build earthquake-proof buildings
Grouping according to ability
Matching up personalities in groups/pairs
Assigning each group member a specific part of the final PBL based on student strengths
Evaluating each others’ performance post-PBL (constructive criticism)
Group according to willingness to produce
Student selected groups
Contracts!
Mid-unit group meetings (“vent sessions”)
Mini-lessons
Complimenting each other
Talking to each other
Sharing
Dividing up jobs
Peer tutoring
Making decisions
Problem-solving activities
Listening to each other and offering suggestions
Students use kind words to make suggestions
Post-its to comment on student work
Use of comment box in Word
Solving group issues w/o aid of teacher
Assess in rubric for group dynamics
Communication—positive praise and positive critique
Collaboration across schools/classrooms
Table journals for reflection
Student groups not working on the same task
Modeling—skits if needed
Great classrooms rubric or similar in practice
Appreciating each other’s talents, strengths
Rotating roles in groups
Literature circles
PBLs
Small groups
Pairs of students
Teachers differentiate instruction to meet the needs of each individual learner.
Activity Sheets
How-To Sheets
Choosing projects/activities based on interest
Choosing whether to work independently, with partner or in group
Guided reading levels
Project choices
Schedule themselves
Multiple Intelligence Invenetory (Day 1)
Reading project – select own novel/book
Team building
Folders
Using rubrics to score/grade self Centers
Different colored folders
Mini-lessons with choice/input/sign up
Group work/partners
Address different learning styles—students become aware of their style(s)
Use of computer
Smart Board
Checklists
Folders offer a variety of leveled activities or scaffolded to ensure success of all kids
Everyone can work on different activities at different times (mini-lessons, individual work…)
IEPs (working with ICS, etc)
Accessibility
Screen readers
Online comprehension activities
Peer experts and peer buddies
Variety of activities
Felt need activities and skills
Peer tutoring
Connected goals
Scheduling
High Social Capital
Students have strong, consistent relationships with adults in school; parents are involved as partners int he learning process.
Manners Monday
Peer tutoring
Memory book interviews
Colonial books for elementary students
Conducting interviews w/family friends & community
Political discussionon school level
Students interview parents or guardians – turning points in their lives (LEADS), favorite song lyrics (poetry)
Bringing the family into the projects – projects across classes
Former students who studied racism & published college papers come in to speak
Group work
Famous scientists – interviews
Participating in research surveys
Guest speakers
Students as real teachers. Storytelling, etc for elementary
Students got involved in school events by creating advertisements for them
Selling beacds to fellow students, to raise awareness of poverty in Africa
Parent volunteers in classroom
School staff in classroom
Class newsletter as communication
After-school community activities, i.e. block parties, love a parent night, ShopRite Night
Invite administration into classroom, i.e Read Across America
Back to school night
Field trip chaperones
Parent teacher conferences
Teacher-parent communications—“good news”
Local company reps share products
Weather person
Grandparents
Community visitors
Parents lead activities or special lessons
Technology Infusion
Technology is used as a tool and a resource to support learning, and not seen as a goal unto itself.
Podcasts – Audacity
Hyperlinked narratives
Photostory
Moviemaker 2
Inspiration
Create movie trailers
Create mob mentality movies
Smartboard
Attaching documents to be sent home and vice versa
Document camera
Compuer cart/laptops/use of library computers
PowerPoint
Hyperlinks
Websites – flash and animation
Games with the Smartboard
Checking YouTube
Using Discovery website
Computer center
Smart Boards
How-to sheets
Listening/video center
Built into PBL
Typewriter/Word
PowerPoint
Excel
Kidspiration/Inspiration
Calculator
Email
Blog
Digital stories
Webquest
Video-feed stuff
Timeliner
Laptop
“cows”
United streaming
Enchanted Learning
Portals
Classroom Tech
Experts
Links
Webcasts
Screen readers
Online comp. activities
Voice recognition software
Word prediction software
Class website
Global Citizenship
Students understand their role as contributors to a global society and make strides to contribute to the betterment of their world.
Making connections between historical events & current events
Comparing current & past reform movements (re: slavery)
Sold beads for Bead for Life for Do the Right Thing unit
Invited many adults to view PowerPoint/bood/projects for Holocaust, Civil Rights, slavery, etc.
Reform unit – current reform movements
Survival guides disasters
CNN online
Current events
Research on various instances of slavery around the world (past & present)
Contributions to Society campaigns
Survival guides for incoming 6th graders
PBL activities
Presented current Human Rights Violations in responses to Night
Students realize that to make change by becoming well versed in current events
Finish lesson plans – looking at them with your class
Manzanar & 9/11 connection made regarding targeting ethnic groups
Writing a letter to the state senator. Invite him to school to discuss provisional licenses, voting, insurance costs/card etc.
Maps/globes
Penpals
Global awareness in prompts
Adopting animal, etc., sponsoring
Awareness of holidays, religion, cultures…
Time for Kids/magazines
Scholastic
Read for 100
Classroom Cares
Current events
Internet
Speakers from other cultures
Video feed to another classroom
Email/blogs
Visit from community leaders, websites with author chats or “meet the expert”
Students researching own families
Food/music from other countries
School newspaper
Oral history
Ownership
Individual Learning Path
Students are presented with meaningful, higher-order activities that create the context for learning and build a "felt need" to learn the lower-order skills
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