ENERGY

Thinking about the year ahead connected me with many potential words to guide me through: ASPIRE, ACCOMPLISH, BALANCE, ENERGY, IMAGINE... I was in search of a word that would push me through my current and new commitments & goals.  I wanted a word that would help me to focus on the positive and 'choose happy.'  But I also wanted a word that would extend my journey set forth by INSPIRE (2012) & BELIEVE (2013). 

As the New Year approached, ENERGY was the word clearly calling my name... Aspiring towards my goals to accomplish in the new year would require an abundance of ENERGY.  Balancing my family's daily schedule and calendar with fun and relaxation would demand a strategic use of ENERGY.  Above all, though, focusing on ENERGY would help me to develop a routine of healthy choices and positive mindset, allowing me to continue recognizing and sharing INSPIRATION while BELIEVING all things are possible.  

I will be aware of the fuel I need to recharge my body and mind with necessary ENERGY. 

I will strategically use my ENERGY to ensure I maintain my focus and accomplish my goals.

I will be mindful of the ENERGY I bring into the spaces I enter. 

I am confident ENERGY will provide me with the surge I need for 2014.

~Celina

The Power of One Word

Another year with a single word by my side.  I still am amazed at how "one-little-word" can have such a positive, dynamic impact on a person.  I will always be grateful that Ann encouraged me to simplify my new years' goals to a word providing direction rather than another list of "to-dos".  

For the past year, BELIEVE has been my simplified goal.  A word that inspired me to read a favorite series with my daughter believing there is always time for sharing favorite books (in which we tracked 28 shared together this year)! A word that helped me to conquer my book gaps, bringing more variety into my literate life with a focus on language, genres, and closely reading with deep purpose.  A word that gave me the strength to keep my running stamina throughout the entire year, believing this consistent exercise to be the key factor in my positive mood, focus, and thinking. A word that helped me to provided support to my family and friends as they embarked on personal change and challenges, believing that everything happens for a reason and will make us stronger together.  A word that kept me believing in the #edugood around me, helping me to advocate for and believe in practices that support the empowerment of students and their voice.  A word that provided me with the encouragement to challenge myself with new possibilities, believing that whatever is meant to be will be but we must not close our own doors.  A word that simply gave me the strength to be me and believe in myself.

BELIEVE provided an inspirational learning journey in 2013, proving that INSPIRE would always be a part of my mindset, my goals, my character. Even though INSPIRE was my word for 2012, it always remains close by my side.  In 2013 INSPIRE connected me to great books, helped me find enjoyment in the weather of the season, unveiled ways to share inspiration with others, kept me attentive to student voice, shined itself on new opportunities, and led me to quotes that kept me going.

Choosing a one-little-word for the upcoming year is more to me than just choosing a goal or resolution. It will be a word that provides a springboard into the future; a word that will allow me to be more intentional about my current goals while providing a vision for longterm goals. 

So as I leap into a new year with profound ENERGY, I know my words of the past will continue to support me and compliment my new word and personal goals. 

~Celina

Let It Unfold Naturally

Ever have  a moment in education where what you feel pushed to do and what you think is right collide? I had one of those moments this past weekend as I was thinking ahead to the major testing we have this week in reading. I began reflecting on the item types and questions that can come up on the assessment which had me thinking about what could be CRAMMED in this week. 

That saddens me really, because we have been so engaged in purposeful and meaningful learning these past few weeks. Our students have been delving into genres with renewed interest and digging deep into different kinds of text through close reading. We wrapped up Wonder and our students created amazing precepts of their own, many drawing on their One Little Words or our December study of respecting diversity. In math students are expanding their strategies for the basic operations and applying their understanding of the mathematical practice of "One big whole, break it up" to fractions, decimals and division (that last one without even labeling it with the D word!). Our work with science has infused our curriculum connecting our mathematical practices to science applications, finding symbolism and learning about electricity in our reading of The City of Ember and even experimenting in our work with art (ever consider all the variables that can affect a watercolor painting?). We are even extending our work with culture into the diversity that shaped the formation of the United States. Our learning has been varied, yet intentional, and in many cases it is the kids that have spun our thinking into even new and better ideas, letting the learning UNFOLD NATURALLY!

And this is where I am grateful that I am able to process my thinking with Celina. I sent her a text about something that could be CRAMMED in, but without my rationale. She then responded with her own thinking, and I was forced to rethink my idea and recognize if for the proverbial TEACH TO THE TEST CLIFF. I jokingly thanked her for allowing me to talk myself "off the ledge" and relaxed. Amazing, engaging and powerful learning happens in our classroom every day, and taking time away from that for just one test is not honoring our students or our goals.

So as the week unfolds, I vow to let it do so naturally. 

Voice for 2013



Well like most people I am often drawn to the NEW YEAR hype of starting over, sort of a reboot if you will. Instead this year I am choosing to be inspired by my pal Celina, and this quote from Whole Living Magazine:

THE NEW YEAR ISN'T A DO-OVER;

it's an opportunity to take your next big step.

So Step 1 One-Little-Word: Every year about this time I think of what word will be my guide through the year. Past words have included BREATHE when I was a stay-at-home mom, and FAITH when I returned to the work force. In 2012 my word was COURAGE and I remember being completely curious last year at this time as to why that word kept coming up. Well, thankfully it was the word I chose, I needed courage in spades in 2012 to keep moving forward. The word served me well, pushed me and helped me to discover hidden levels of strength I didn't know I possessed.

This past month I have been contemplating words and the one that kept speaking to me (no pun intended) was VOICE, so gauging that my intuition knows me best I am moving forward with it for 2013. Now I am considering what I will use my VOICE for, where I will use it, how it will serve me in conversations and interactions. The thing with VOICE is that you have to know when to speak and at the same time when not to, like any delicate balancing act. In my mind’s eye, I see myself working on my skills of communication, intentional listening, effective feedback and understanding from other points of view.  At the same time I will be continuing to reflect and refine my VOICE through writing, blogging, and discussing with Celina and my other teaching partners.  Even my at-home self needs to learn to hold her VOICE when attempting to talk reason with a hungry pre-teen and tired teenager!

Sometimes my voice will be loud and sometimes silent, and I am perfectly fine with figuring it out as I go, learning along the way and evolving into someone who uses VOICE for good in the world. Let 2013 enter with a hue and a cry, and of course VOICE! ~Ann

 

Found Here

Immersion Therapy

A day spent wrapped up in blankets, drinking warm coffee and eating snacks. A day of raindrops on rooftops and sunshine splitting the clouds. A day filled with books, technology, music, and thinking. A day that follows a random pattern, such as:

read
annotate
tweet
reflect
blog
tweet
text
read
collaborate
ponder
read
think
text
read
annotate
tweet
read
#chat
strategize
read
synthesize
smile
change
celebrate

For many of us, a day like this is quite therapeutic. Or as Ann would eloquently call it: Immersion Therapy.

~Celina

Do You Hear What I Hear?

With the holiday weekend coming to a close, I am coming off an abundance of overindulgence! Isn’t it divine to have so many days to rest up, read and reflect? I spent my time catching up on blogs, reading great articles from the Choice Literacy website and delving deeper into the stack of books that is never far from my side. I have joined two book groups to start in the coming months (Anyone else reading Pathways to the Common Core or The Book Whisperer?). Despite the need to jump into these, I continue to find many other books, articles and posts that draw me in, leaving me mulling over things and making connections in entirely different ways.

My thoughts today centered on Language.  Choice Words had me recognizing the power of language within a classroom. I found myself thinking most specifically of the kind of language Celina and I work tirelessly to get imprinted into our students, a language of possibility, of thinking, of doing, of being.  In turn we look to hear this language among our students. What are the 5 essential components of our classroom language that you might hear? Read on:

1.      We continually speak about Growth Mindsets with our kids, and recognize it in ourselves, as a post or tweet can have us researching and reading into an entirely new arena.  It is no surprise for us to have a student talk about some tangent they came across in their reading, some metaphor they have developed from a discussion or some new topic that they can’t wait to find more about.  We recognize it and support it, encouraging that child to “go find it!” At the same time our students speak to each other with support and inspiration, often pointing out to us how another student’s find or growth was made evident.

2.      It is in our language to speak of trying and doing every day, kids often reply back to us the words from Sousa that started our school year: “The brain that does the work makes the most growth.” They know themselves as learners through extensive study of their learning styles, intelligences and preferences, and they know that so armed they are accountable and responsible to themselves as students.

3.      We also routinely remind them to use a resource, encouraging them to think about what they need to answer their own questions, to evaluate the sources around them for validity and usefulness, and that asking and seeking answers to their own questions will help them grow. We have helped them to create a personal resource in their Brain Books so that they can connect and reflect on a daily basis. At the same time we tell them, “We are not your resource!” Every time that we guide them into recognizing their own potential, rather than relying on others to tell them the answers, is a moment of empowerment.

4.      Talk! Talk! Talk! Whether a turn and talk moment, asking for student opinions, or sharing in a one-to-one conference, student voice is an essential component of the language within our classroom. Their voices lead us in new directions, embolden their classmates, and drive the essence of possibility within our classroom community. They learn from and teach each other, and we all grow through the variety of talk.

5.      Need It or Got It? Learning is a process of building blocks within our classroom. This has led to a language of recognizing that learning is a lifelong process of discovery, and that failure is not an end but a beginning. “I can’t do this” is not a part of our language, it has been replaced by “I need it” or “I need to set a goal in that”! Moving along the building blocks is not for the sake of covering a curriculum but rather the process of creating a solid foundation to grow from.

 

Our language also continues to evolve and grow as new learning occurs. The past few months have added perseverance, reason, passion, evidence, “prove it!”, wonder and countless other words to our lexicon. Our students talk project based learning like there is no substitute. They chant and dance their way through the CCSS Mathematical Practices like it is the only logical way to process through the words. They even belt out a little, “Hey I just met you, and this is crazy” to make a connection or get a laugh, and we do laugh.  That is another language element that we can never get enough of.

All this reflection had me processing too about language acquisition. The research often says that being immersed in a language is essential and that the brain is hard-wired to best learn language when children are young. Is this the language that students are hearing everywhere? Is this what they are hearing from an early age, a language that supports them in making growth, being independent thinkers and problem solvers? Are the actions and environments matching the words? Or are they hearing instead to listen, do what they are told, to follow directions to one right answer. I wondered what does that lead to? How does it translate into the future?  Then I found this quote:

“The limits of my language means the limits of my world.” by Ludwig Wittgenstein

My take-away: I am grateful to be in a classroom where I hear and speak a language that is out of this world.  ~Ann

Reflection is Essential for Change

How often do you engage in a reflective process?  What are your favorite ways to endure reflective thought?  Have you moved to making reflection a routine in your life?

About a year and a half ago I would have had different answers to the questions above than I do now.  I honestly was only reflective on occasion, specifically when I felt I HAD to reevaluate a situation or when I was required to by a professional development process.  I would have answered that running was my favorite way to endure reflective though, because putting my feet to the pavement was a great way to clear my head.  Above all, I did not have the passion, the drive, nor the innate ability to strive for change. 

My mindset has transformed, thus impacting my life in such a positive way.

{Guest Post} A Student's Perspective on Brain Books

What are my favorite things about Brain Books you ask???  I could explain many, many things about them but how about we save time and I just tell you my Top 5 favorite things about them!!

1-      It helps me organize my information and thoughts.  Kind of like a filing cabinet except more portable. Plus, the brain books carry much more information than that old filing cabinet. You should really try to use these because they are really great with organizing information and thoughts as well as reminders.

2-      It helps me get important things out of my mind.  Whenever I have something in my mind that I just need to get out so I can stop thinking about it, my Brain Book can help.  I write that certain thing down and then I don’t worry about it as much!!  It may be important and I don’t want to lose it!

3-      I can do whatever I want with it:  Decorate it, put in personal thoughts, tab it, and pretty much anything else.  Although, responsibility is key in Brain Books and you need to make sure you use it appropriately to help your learning.  Not many people besides yourself can tell you what to put into it.  You can put whatever you need to in any place you want to, because it is yours.  Not mine, not your teacher’s…. YOURS!!!  You own it and you are free with it!!!

4-      It helps me record lots of important information, like graphs, stories, and even photos!  Any of the activities we do in class I can easily glue in my Brain Book to help my memory.  We all have important information that we need to remember and a Brain Book is the answer.

5-      Most of all:  Brain Books are organized by you.  Information can be organized in a way that makes sense to your brain.  You can duct tape new composition books to the original one as you need to.  You can also put tabs into it so you can find things lickity-split!

In conclusion, Brain Books can be used for school and business, and by adults and kids.  Make a Brain Book for yourself today!

~Kassie, age 10

Other links for Brain Books:

The Story of Our Brain Books

Our Brain Books: The 10 Essentials

Brain Books: Everything but the Kitchen Sink
Introducing Brain Books to Students

Introducing Brain Books to Students

As Brain Books are a fundamental part of our student-centered classroom, we introduce them right away on the first day of school.  For the resource to be utilized to its fullest potential, it is extremely important for our students to have an understanding of who they are as a learner.  So we actually start with creating a Brain Profile.  During the first few days of school we take several surveys to help us discover a little about ourselves as learners, always keeping the purpose of Brain Books as a dynamic part of each conversation.  Even our returning students retake these assessments, as it is our philosophy that it isn’t just about zoning in on our strengths as learners, but rather understanding the different learning styles/intelligences to become a more balanced learner/individual.  Over time the results of these types of surveys may change, so current data is always important.  When our awareness is heightened regarding all the ways to acquire knowledge and reach our personal goals, we can be more successful since every learning experience through life is different.  It isn’t just about feeding our students with information, but rather teaching them a multitude of ways to be effective, independent, responsible learners.

Our Brain Books: The 10 Essentials

When Brain Books were integrated into our learning environments, we saw a dynamic impact.  Students were empowered by their moment-to-moment interactions in our classrooms, making authentic connections among content areas and within their own lives. Brain Books immediately guided students in the direction of personalization, providing frequent opportunity to connect new learning with past while focusing-in on individual goals and interests.  Students were given the opportunity to attack learning through their own style, consistently applying strategies that worked the best for them to aid in retention.

As Brain Books were intended to be a student-centered tool from the beginning, we were very cognizant of our tendency to “take control” of the resource in a way that matched our personal learning styles and organizational preferences.  We really had to coach each other through the process of “letting go”.  It was very important to us to separate Brain Books from direct instruction and teacher-driven strategies.  Brain Books became a simulation of individual brains learning, so they no longer served the same purpose of a one-size-fits-all journal or notebook.  We didn’t want their Brain Books to be carbon copies of our “model notebook,” instead we wanted individual learning styles and strengths to shine within our diverse learning environments.

In sharing with other colleagues, we have found the following aspects to be imperative in keeping with the authenticity of a truly personalized notebook.  These 10 essentials help Brain Books to remain a student-centered tool, empowering students to take ownership for their learning in a way that best fits them as a learner.

The 10 Essentials

1.      This is a Personal Book:  OF the student, BY the student, FOR the student.

Each and every student’s Brain Book should be completely different, mirroring the students’ individual styles.  Each and every student chooses what goes in their Brain Book, where it goes, and when to expand their book.  Each and every student should see the Brain Book as a necessary

resource for themselves.

Pondering Questions: ·         Is this artifact for me or my students?   Remember the words of Sousa, “The brain that does the work makes the most growth!”   ·         Will engagement increase with a student created resource?

2.      Independent Learning Styles and Multiple Intelligences must be known.

Teaching students about each of the styles/intelligences allows them to understand their own personal strengths and challenges within the academic setting, so they approach each learning task with success.

Pondering Questions: ·         Do I promote self-awareness in my students? ·         Am I continuing to do my job teaching all learning styles/intelligences so my students continue to use and benefit from their Brain Books?

3.      Frequent modeling by teachers and students must be used.

For students to understand the potential of the resource modeling must occur, along with intentional teaching around the Brain Book.  Students must also understand the WHY behind Brain Books.  Continuously sharing sample Brain Book pages and possibilities is important.

Pondering Questions:     ·         Do my students understand the importance of a personalized resource? ·         Will my students benefit from creating a resource that is customized each and every day to meet their own learning needs?

4.      Organization by the student is key.

This is really the place where “letting go” was the most difficult for us as teachers.  But honestly WHERE students put information in their Brain Book and WHY they choose to organize it the way they did really doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things.  What matters is that each student has the opportunity to experience, investigate, and understand what works best for their learning style.  Their Brain Book allows them to experience learning from their own perspective, adding to and changing the format of the book as their knowledge increases and connections are made.  By using a personalized organizational style, meaning is connected to the learning.

Pondering Questions: ·         What type of “meaning making” will come from students discovering what organizational practice works best for them? ·         Can independence of thought and purpose be supported by Brain Books?

5.      Open-ended access to Brain Books is necessary.

By permitting open-ended access to this resource, students are allowed to make natural connections, value information individually, and reinforce what they learn over time. The Brain Book is a STUDENT resource, therefore, once classroom expectations are set for the culture and learning environment and students are taught the complete and possible use of a Brain Book, the resource should be seen and valued no matter the time of day.  It is okay for Brain Books to appear during instruction if the information going into them is on topic.  They should stimulate conversations and connections constantly.  Brain Books will be completely different from one another, which is why they should be THE choice resource- students will feel as though their own thinking is relevant, important, recognized, and appreciated.  Thus, assume these books to travel everywhere and always be in the hands/backpacks of their owners!

Pondering Questions: ·         Do I see Brain Books as a resource that encourages metacognition? ·         Do I keep in mind students’ feelings of ownership and value of their own work in order to increase their engagement and purpose in learning?

6.      Brain Books should become a natural resource in the Classroom Community.

This resource should be referred to often in order to review previous learning, make connections, and add relevant information.  Students should also access their Brain Book often as a go-to reference tool.  They will also document their progress, displaying evidence of their learning related to their individual goals.  Reflections will be stored in their personalized notebook to recognize their growth, innovative ideas, and associations.  This resource should also be used to share learning by way of comparing notes, sharing connections, and asking questions.  

Pondering Questions: ·         Is reflection a common process in my classroom? ·         Can I encourage, then in turn trust, my students to use this resource effectively for themselves?

7.      Books should be added as the brain naturally “grows”.

Adding additional notebooks to the original should not be a forced, time oriented, or teacher directed process.  Only a student should decide when another book needs to be bound (duct-taped) to their Brain Book.  The student needs to decide when their own brain needs additional space to work with.  Imagine being given lots of extra space prior to needing it.  For some students it may be overwhelming and cause anxiety to figure out what to do with it.  However, on the flip side, if you restrict a student from expanding their book because you deem it unnecessary it may cause the same effects.  Some brains need to feel as though there is enough storage space for what is to come and like to prepare in advance with 2-3 blank sections.  As we recognize that our brains do not increase in size as we learn, the students love this metaphor and play-on-words of adding notebooks as their brain is filled with knowledge.  It is a visual reminder for them of all they are learning, as well as a celebration of their personal growth. 

Pondering Questions: ·         Am I cognizant of the adage that each child develops at their own pace? ·         Do I believe that Brain Books can assist in recognizing, promoting and celebrating this?

8.      Daily rituals should be used to value the thinking within Brain Books.

In our classroom, we have established 2 rituals for reflective thought and discussion:  One to start our day (Brain Breakfast) and one to end our day (Brain Snack).  Our Brain Breakfast is the brain food we need to get us going in the morning.  Our Brain Snack is the brain food we need to snack on as we head home for the day.  Both involve very strategic prompts/activities/conversation starters that integrate and infuse previous and future learning, along with all content areas.  We also carve in 2-4 additional reflection points throughout the day to allow students to confirm learning, self-assess, and/or make connections. 

Pondering Questions: ·         Do I establish rituals daily for my students to reflect, discuss, and share?  ·         Am I intentional about minimizing teacher talk and maximizing student thinking?

9.      Brain Books should never be scored.

This resource plays a very powerful role in recognizing and appreciating that learning is a process.  When students feel safe and valued, they are more open to “muck around” in the learning process.  Thus, putting a mark on their resource would defeat the purpose.  We have stuck to not scoring, grading, checking-off, or collecting their Brain Books.  The message has been clear that this is a resource for them and not us.  As they bring their books everywhere with them, we often see their documented/gathered thinking first hand.  But they are in control of these moments.  We truly want them to own their learning, especially during the articulation/communication process.  Students should feel the power in exploration of the topic and their journey towards meeting their learning goals.  They should be empowered by their own thinking, allowing them to rise from mistakes and wrong turns along the way.  The purpose of this book is for it to be a resource:  a place to store thinking, connections, new knowledge, private thoughts, goals, dreams.  To put a score on any page would devalue their brain and the personal thinking that is occurring. 

Pondering Questions:                   ·        Am I clear with the message that this book is for them and not me?                   ·         Can I help my students feel comfortable with putting their ideas and thinking in their book because it is for their brain?

10.  Brain Books are a vital component of a student-centered classroom.

Students who believe their teachers really listen and care about what they think results in students being more engaged and invested in their own learning, their classroom, and their school.  Our philosophy is to empower students through frequent choice, reflection, self-assessment, voice, and providing opportunities for them to take on the role of the teacher.  Brain Books facilitate all 5 of these strategies to occur seamlessly within our learning environment.

Pondering Questions: ·         Do I ask my students for feedback regularly?  ·         Am I recognizing Brain Books to be a highly effective way of documenting learning and valuing student thinking?

 

~Celina and Ann