Blog Posts - ConnectingEd

Resource of the Month!

Each resource is meant to give you a simple strategy or idea to spur on your thinking and classroom practice around personalized learning and student ownership. Jump in!

Join in the conversation by commenting... share your experience with the Resource of the Month.
How did you modify it & use it in your classroom?
What might you change?
Do you have other resources that work well with this one?
Do you have a suggestion for area of focus for our next Resource of the Month?? We would love to hear from you!!! Click the button below to contact us.

December Resource of the Month: Student Ownership of Learning: A Year End Reflection

12/1/2022

"Students reflect on and understand how they learn effectively based on their readiness, learning preference/style, and interest."

This month, YOU are the student in this Look For taken from our Personalized Learning Components and Look Fors resource. As this calendar year closes, we encourage you to reflect on your professional growth.

Overview:

Choose from the following questions and find a place to write, type or sketch your thoughts.

What changes did you make in your practice this calendar year that supported the shift to personalized learning?
Did you see an increase in student ownership this calendar year? Where? How? If not, why?
Based on your interest and readiness, what goal(s) will you set for the rest of the school year? Use the Personalized Learning Components and Look Fors resource to help you define your next steps.
Who do you need or want to talk to, connect or collaborate with in the new year to help meet your goal(s)?
Based on your learning style, what resources will you be most interested in this year? Podcasts, videos, white papers, other?

Want to take this exercise to the next level? Get student feedback!

Create a simple Google or Microsoft Form and ask your students to share feedback to influence your growth. Page 36 and 37 (we are referencing the page numbers on the actual document, if viewing page numbers on side bar they line up with page 38/39 from that view) of Informing Progress Personalized Learning from Next Generation Learning Challenges, has some great questions that can be used/modified in a student survey to elicit informative feedback. Here are some additional reflection prompts or questions you can pair with a student survey.

The most surprising information from the student survey was…
Which two takeaways do you most agree with and why?
Which two takeaways do you most disagree with and why?
How will this information impact the goal(s) you set for the remainder of the school year regarding personalized learning?

Don't Forget!!

Share your student surveys, podcasts, video learning resources, recommended white papers, etc., and your reflections in the comments below!

Nov Resource of the Month: Assessment Retakes-Four Keys To Supporting Personalization

11/1/2022

Overview:
As you shift your classroom to allow for students to have some control over the pace of their learning, building in accountability and embedded assessments are essential for two reasons.

1. Your students need to know you are holding them accountable for engaging in and understanding learning experiences- not just going through the motions.
2. You need evidence that students are actually learning, making progress, and mastering learning goals so you can personalize.

We get the “retake” question often.
Giving students multiple attempts to show mastery is important. It promotes growth mindset, learning as a process, and motivates students to continue learning. Traditional one-shot, end of unit assessments leave many students feeling defeated and further unmotivated.

Here are 4 keys to setting up your assessments and retakes to promote learning & student ownership instead of compliance:
1. Analyze your assessments
Your evidence of learning is only as good as your assessments. (Remember we are collecting formative assessment data as students are learning so we can personalize)

What evidence of learning are you collecting?
Does it reflect the depth of the standard or learning target?
Will the results provide students with information about what they know and still need to learn?

2. Use a pre-assessment
Pre-assessment gives you and the student information about where students start in a lesson block or unit

If students already know the content or have mastered a skill, they can then engage in a learning experience that requires them to transfer and apply in a more complex way. If a student needs remediation, you will have the evidence and can meet with them in a small group to close the gaps.

3. Build in accountability
Avoid the retake “game” (ie....I will keep taking this assessment until odds are I get the right answers- we have all had that experience!!)
Set parameters such as students can not retake a check-in/assessment until they have engaged in additional learning. (They have to put forth some effort and time!)
For example, after each check-in have students complete a google form (This will give you an ongoing spreadsheet to manage student progress) Here are some sample questions:

What do you still need to learn?
What will you do to learn this? (You may give ideas here- students usually need to go back and reengage in their notes/resources, practice or meet with the teacher)
What questions do you have?
Would you like to retake the check-in after learning more?

You can check in quickly with students and meet in small groups to close gaps.

4. Don't give the same assessment for retake.
Students quickly learn that it is important to engage in learning vs just getting and giving the right answer.

Create a couple of versions of a check-in/assessment with different scenarios or questions in different order focused on the same learning targets.
And/or use embedded assessment by modifying a learning task to give evidence of learning.

October 2022 Resource of the Month: Student Self Direction

10/1/2022

A student-centered, teacher-supported learning environment is a critical component of personalized learning. This environment supports students to become actively engaged in THEIR learning through various methods like;

setting learning goals
suggesting or making important learning choices
reflecting, and modifying learning paths based on needs, readiness, growth, progress, and more.

Student ownership requires a shift of less and less direction from teachers are more self-direction from students.

Overview:

Self-direction is a growing expectation of daily living, a necessary skill in today’s fast-paced, information-filled world.* A student who practices the skill of self-direction over time eventually feels confident to “draw on experience, long-term goals, and aspirations to analyze learning opportunities and initiate collaborative approaches, to maximize their learning and development.”*

Whether you are just beginning or need a nudge to take your next steps to support students in self-direction, we have some great resources to get you started. This month, we have curated 5 strategies For Self-Directed Learning To Support Student Ownership. Open the link to the image to interact and explore the resources.
What strategies do you use to support students to be self-directed learners? Share your thoughts, goals, links, resources, and ideas in the comments below!

Don't Forget!!

Students won't be equipped (and sometimes aren't too thrilled) to be suddenly self-directed. Talk with them about why it's important and how you will support them to do this shift over time.
With honesty, no matter how much we educators agree that self-direction is important, we don't always feel equipped for this change. Set some goals, and make a simple plan. Try, Reflect, and Modify. Share with students your reservations, challenges, and goals in making this shift. Discuss ways you can respectfully hold one another accountable.
Share your strategies in the comments!

•Essential Skills and Dispositions

September Resource of the Month: Get Started With Small Groups!

8/8/2022

Get Started With Small Groups!

The first day of school has come and gone, and you are undoubtedly in the depths of getting to know your students. If you are like most teachers, you are noticing that your students are all over the map. How can you even begin to meet their needs???

We say leverage small groups in your classroom! This gives you a chance to work with rotating small groups of students and target their needs.

But where do you start? Buy-in and student ownership are critical to engaging and productive small groups. Group roles help to promote organization and accountability in small groups.
Check out this great new webpage, “Give every student a stake in group work”. Common Sense Education has created this webpage to provide several resources to promote shared ownership as students own their roles in their small group settings. Don’t miss the free download of “Group Work Roles That Promote Shared Ownership” - it's an excellent resource to begin conversations with students about group work expectations.
The image below from Education Week can help you to get the big picture of making small groups work in your classroom (Visit Education Week article here)

August Resource of the Month: Authentic and Active Learning: Start The Year On A Creative Note

8/1/2022

A new school year- a blank slate! Whether your mind is inching into Back To School mode or still completely in denial (It's OK), this month's resource is meant to get the creative juices flowing. In our March 2022 Resource of the Month, we highlighted Authentic and Active Learning (with a unit planning resource). This month we bring this topic back into the spotlight.

We know that effective lessons help students 1"make authentic connections, allow them to actively learn, and are personalized to their needs and interests." Without authentic and active work, we have compliance-based learning where students march through sequenced steps of disconnected content, skills, and activities leaving little room for understanding, retention, interest, or joy. For many reasons, we’re often willing to take on creative projects at the end of the year. But this year, why not take a creative risk and START the year off with an authentic project? This month we share John Spencer's

Starting the Semester On A Creative Note

Overview: In his article, Mr. Spencer challenges us to ask, "What is a creative risk I can make as an educator?" and "What is a creative risk my students can make?" Spencer's Starting the Semester On A Creative Note shares ten innovative, yet simple ways to take a creative risk as we START the new school year (something here for everyone K-12). His ideas include everything from implementing Genius Hour, Design Thinking, Divergent Thinking and Maker Projects! Intrigued? We were. Check it out, make your adaptations and take your creative risk! Share your ideas for starting the year off with an authentic project this school year in the comments below!

Don't Forget!!
1. If this makes you a little nervous, remember just because you start the school year this way doesn't mean you are committing to the entire year. Sometimes just trying it out, stepping out of your comfort zone for a short trial period is better than never starting!
2. You can still (and should) co-create beginning-of-year norms, routines, and procedures with your students - creativity does not equal "free for all."
3. Everything is always more fun with a friend. Do you have a colleague (any grade level) you could enlist to join you?
4. Take time to reflect at the end of this experience - What went well and why? What didn't and why? What changes would I make?

1. https://authenticlearningllc.com/trifecta-of-learning

July Resource of the Month- Get Personalized PD Next School Year!

7/2/2022

Browse ALL connectingEd PD Offerings - Contact us today to see how we can support your specific district or individual needs!

June Resource of the Month: Reflect and Rest!

5/9/2022

You made it to June!! School's out (or going to be out soon) so let's keep it simple.

Before you take a well deserved break take 5 minutes, and use the graphic to guide your reflection on the following:
1. In what ways and areas of blended, personalized learning did my practice evolve this past school year? What am I proud of?
2. How were my students impacted by my changing professional practice in blended, personalized learning?
3. What key areas do I want to focus on for next year? (You don't have to do anything right now- just get it out of your head!)

Put your reflection away for a couple of weeks- it will be there when you are ready. Now it's time to take an all important break, decrease your stress levels, relax and renew! Research even supports it! Taking A Break From Work (And Why You Need It)

May Resource of the Month: Give Choice to Optimize Instruction/Learning For Students

5/2/2022

We don’t have to be convinced that one size does not fit all. With advancements in technology, access to free, open educational resources, and digital content and apps, why are we still left feeling like giving students choice is a daunting, impossible task? Is it the workload? Possible impact on classroom management or grading? Maybe it’s a feeling that we have to give choices everywhere or not at all? At connectingEd, we are all about baby steps. Instructionally, the use of choice is ONE way to optimize learning opportunities for students, and there are many ways to start. Once you start, keep going!

Overview: Study the Continuum of Choice by Bray and McClaskey. The further to the right this progression gets, the more we educators dig our heels in, right? Probably for the reasons mentioned above. But what if we baby-stepped our way through this continuum and allowed ourselves time to evolve over several years?

Reflect using these guiding questions. Don’t rush it.

Where am I along this continuum?
Am I even on it?
Have I stayed in one place for a very long time?
When was the last time I took a step?
What scares me about moving along the continuum?
What excites me?
How could moving along the continuum help me optimize learning opportunities for students?

Get started! Explore the recommended resource below.

LINK_ Design Your Own Digital Choice Board By Caitlin Tucker

Don't Forget!!
1. Take a step and stay there a while. Practice, reflect, share with colleagues, and try again.
2. Students will not automatically KNOW how to handle choice. You will have to institute practice time with

How to choose or create a good choice
Understanding learning styles and preferences
What to do when my choices look different from my classmates or friend
How to persevere with a choice
When to abandon a choice

April Resource of the Month: How I'll Show What I Know

4/2/2022

Every teacher needs evidence that students have met learning goals. Why not take something we already do in the classroom and make it more student-centered and teacher-supported? (It's what we love to do at ConnectingEd!)
Here is the shift- get students involved in choosing and developing HOW they will show you what they know.
1. Choice empowers students and prepares them for life outside of school.
2.Choice engages students because they have some control.
3. Choice increases responsibility, and who doesn't want students to be more responsible??

Check out the "How I'll Show What I Know" resource below. Here are a few ideas to consider:

You can create the choices or have your students brainstorm a list.
Make this into a Google or Microsoft form; just copy and paste the prompts. You will then have all of your student information in one spreadsheet that you can also use to track progress.
Students will need some guidance when learning how to make a plan and a timeline. You will need to have a class discussion about what should be included, what it might look like, and how to keep on track. Have students share their plans, so you have some models!
Check-in frequently with students about their progress. Keep it simple- use Google/ Microsoft form or an exit ticket. Meet with students who are behind or struggling- it only takes a minute or two to work out a plan. Accountability is the key!

Do you have some helpful hints for using this resource? Please put them in the comments so we can share what works best!

March Resource of the Month: What’s Your Point? Authentic and Active Learning

3/9/2022

We know from our own experiences that when learning is purposeful, we are engaged and motivated to make meaning of content, ideas, and topics to understand and accomplish a goal! In personalized learning, learning and application occur in a purposeful, real-world context connected to students’ lives. One of the biggest struggles teachers share is creating a context for learning content and skills connected to the real world. This month we’d like to introduce an adapted version of a graphic organizer from the great Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe (Understanding by Design). The What’s My Point graphic organizer is a fantastic thinking tool to help you get at the heart of what and why the content of your unit is so important to learn and how it is connected to the real world.

Overview: Use the What’s My Point graphic organizer to think through your units. If the questions seem a bit redundant, that’s because they are. The more you consider your content’s significance and connection to the real world, the more likely you will land on the real reason the content is important to learn. When you know “your point,” you can work to frame learning in this meaningful context. (See image below for examples)
Link to What’s My Point (just click)

Don't Forget!!
1. Take baby steps. To practice, it might make it feel more manageable to try this with a lesson first. Then start with one unit. After that, it's ok to evolve one unit at a time.
2. Collaboration is key. Try this with a colleague. Teaching the same subject and grade is helpful but not necessary. The main goal is to have a thought partner in the process.
Join in the conversation. Post a comment:

Share how you used this graphic organizer. What worked? What didn't? What would you modify?
Share a similar resource that you have used with success.
Share an area of focus for next month's resources.

The image below shows the evolution of four units using What’s My Point. The first two columns show the teacher’s original point of teaching the unit. The last two columns show the teacher’s shift in thinking after completing What’s My Point.