Today, so far has been split up in many small projects. I have downloaded Type To Learn to test run the program. This is the program we are leaning towards to have our students learn how to type. It is definitely a pesky problem that needs addressing without spending tons of time instructing. So (hopefully) we will be introducing the program to second through fifth graders in Lower School. I haven’t decided the best way to approach this in Middle School, although Middle School students also need the assistance in this area. We are pricing this, as a web based program students will access from home. After we introduce the students and get them comfortable with the program we are planning to have the students practice from home. Yes, there will probably be students who will need to find time during school to do this, and we will address that as needed. Additionally, the students will have to install some software on home computers to access this. I know this will require an extra level of support but I think having the program available at home for students will be worth the possible initial aggravation.
I have also tried to wrestle down a tool list. There are some things to consider as you view this list.
1. This is not a definitive list. There are many more tools listed that can accomplish the same goals. Feel free to add to the list as faculty has editing privileges. Please try to link tools that are web based.
2. Many tools overlap, so yes you can use Twitter both as a collaboration tool and for your PLN (as I do.) Actually, a real PLN involves a lot of collaboration.
3. The prerequisite skills were the most difficult to fill in. It was tough to complete this without sounding ridiculous. What I consider basic computing skills may be completely different than what someone else might consider basic. So let me clarify. I think a comfort level with toolbars is basic. The ability to copy, paste, save, format, spell-check, upload, download, insert images, format tables, word process, tab.
4. The list of 21st Century Literacies is a suggestion. The literacy you support will depend on the way you use the tool.
I am interested, as always, on any feedback you have for the list. I am working now on assessment, articulating individual lesson plans on citizenship and working more on the maps.
If I don’t post again, have a good weekend.
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Friday, July 16, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Meeting with Andrea
Last night Andrea, one of our Lower School Teachers, and I began to look at the content of the maps from Lower School. This year Lower School will not have pull out tech classes, but instead we will work in a sort of project/workshop mode to bring the technology into the classroom. Since this is the first year the whole Lower School will be participating in this model, Andrea and I were evaluating the maps first for plausibility. The maps posted so far are reflections of past projects; they are not definitive of future projects. Part of the fellowship was to determine where we are so that we can see where we need to go. Some or all of the content contained in the maps could be changed, deleted or added to. I think this needs to be really clear. The reason maps were not produced yet for third through sixth grade is because I either don’t have a full picture (we did not have pull out classes for 3-5 in Lower School last year) or we are planning to build together.
As we discussed the constraints of time and schedule, I realized that even though some teachers may have the skills necessary to lead some of the content in the maps, having never taught technology they may not feel a comfort level that would encourage them to branch out on their own. The goal is for teachers to become more fluent with the technology and begin to design lessons enhanced and enriched with the tools they are using. One possible way of assisting teachers as they continue to grow in their skills is to have older students buddy up with younger students. Since Lower School already has a partner model, kindergarten with third, first with fourth and second with fifth we could use this model to have the older students work one-on-one with their partners. This would have the added benefit in the beginning of the year of skill review for the older students.
The tension of developmentally appropriate curriculum and how to best use technology was another idea we explored. What does developmentally appropriate use of technology look like? At what age is it not only okay but also actually beneficial to use technology with younger students? I researched this heavily about ten years ago as part of my graduate studies in Instructional Design. However, a quick read of the National Association for the Education of Young Children position statement helped be gather the research needed to approach this question. Although this statement is under revision, it is still a wealth of research resources. NAEYC clearly states that teachers need to define the technology the students use. They also cite research that supports the use of technology with young children:
“Developmentally appropriate software engages children in creative play, mastery learning, problem solving and conversation.” (p.2)
“Research points to the positive effects of technology in children’s learning and development, both cognitive and social” (p.2)
“Children engage in high levels of spoken communication and cooperation at the computer. They initiate interactions more frequently and in different ways than when engaged with traditional activities, such as puzzles or blocks. They engage in more turn taking at the computer and simultaneously show high levels of language and cooperative –play activity.” (p.2)
“Appropriate use of technology is integrated into the regular learning environment and used as one of many options to support learning.” (p2) I added the emphasis.
This last sentence lends support to the removal of the Lower School Technology Lab as a pull out space to teach tech tools. As we move up the grades, research continues to support the use of technology when it is fully integrated into the curriculum. Students need to use the tools fluently to connect, collaborate, create and evaluate.
In addition to NAEYC, PBS has a long list of position statements and research done by an array of companies, philanthropic organizations and the government. The bottom line is that using technology in the framework of sound learning theory creates a positive impact.
We explored the use of digital portfolios and discussed how Catalina has agreed to pioneer this effort with me. Andrea made me realize that it isn’t a large leap from what we are already doing, since most grades already have students create learning goals. The only difference is we would have a digital record from year to year. What subject would be included? Would we try to do all? That seemed overwhelming for everyone involved. Would students decide? That seemed to align best with a student centered approach that would give the child responsibility. John, our Technology Director, and I discussed the best place for this to live and feel Google Sites seems the most reasonable as we have migrated to Google Apps. This still needs further exploration. Questions to consider are:
Can it accommodate an assortment of file types such as sound, video, etc?
How much control do we have over privacy settings? Can we make some parts private? Should we make it all private?
How far would the portfolio follow the student? Just through Lower School? Middle School? Upper School?
We also discussed the goal of eighth graders having the skills to create a personal learning network (PLN). What do we need to do as a Lower School Community to prepare students for this? What skills and competencies can we build into our program in such a way that we continue to enhance our own curriculum and also prepare students to take on the larger share of responsibility for their own learning? We already do this with students on many levels, responsible use of technology, as a tool for learning is another level.
As we discussed the constraints of time and schedule, I realized that even though some teachers may have the skills necessary to lead some of the content in the maps, having never taught technology they may not feel a comfort level that would encourage them to branch out on their own. The goal is for teachers to become more fluent with the technology and begin to design lessons enhanced and enriched with the tools they are using. One possible way of assisting teachers as they continue to grow in their skills is to have older students buddy up with younger students. Since Lower School already has a partner model, kindergarten with third, first with fourth and second with fifth we could use this model to have the older students work one-on-one with their partners. This would have the added benefit in the beginning of the year of skill review for the older students.
The tension of developmentally appropriate curriculum and how to best use technology was another idea we explored. What does developmentally appropriate use of technology look like? At what age is it not only okay but also actually beneficial to use technology with younger students? I researched this heavily about ten years ago as part of my graduate studies in Instructional Design. However, a quick read of the National Association for the Education of Young Children position statement helped be gather the research needed to approach this question. Although this statement is under revision, it is still a wealth of research resources. NAEYC clearly states that teachers need to define the technology the students use. They also cite research that supports the use of technology with young children:
“Developmentally appropriate software engages children in creative play, mastery learning, problem solving and conversation.” (p.2)
“Research points to the positive effects of technology in children’s learning and development, both cognitive and social” (p.2)
“Children engage in high levels of spoken communication and cooperation at the computer. They initiate interactions more frequently and in different ways than when engaged with traditional activities, such as puzzles or blocks. They engage in more turn taking at the computer and simultaneously show high levels of language and cooperative –play activity.” (p.2)
“Appropriate use of technology is integrated into the regular learning environment and used as one of many options to support learning.” (p2) I added the emphasis.
This last sentence lends support to the removal of the Lower School Technology Lab as a pull out space to teach tech tools. As we move up the grades, research continues to support the use of technology when it is fully integrated into the curriculum. Students need to use the tools fluently to connect, collaborate, create and evaluate.
In addition to NAEYC, PBS has a long list of position statements and research done by an array of companies, philanthropic organizations and the government. The bottom line is that using technology in the framework of sound learning theory creates a positive impact.
We explored the use of digital portfolios and discussed how Catalina has agreed to pioneer this effort with me. Andrea made me realize that it isn’t a large leap from what we are already doing, since most grades already have students create learning goals. The only difference is we would have a digital record from year to year. What subject would be included? Would we try to do all? That seemed overwhelming for everyone involved. Would students decide? That seemed to align best with a student centered approach that would give the child responsibility. John, our Technology Director, and I discussed the best place for this to live and feel Google Sites seems the most reasonable as we have migrated to Google Apps. This still needs further exploration. Questions to consider are:
Can it accommodate an assortment of file types such as sound, video, etc?
How much control do we have over privacy settings? Can we make some parts private? Should we make it all private?
How far would the portfolio follow the student? Just through Lower School? Middle School? Upper School?
We also discussed the goal of eighth graders having the skills to create a personal learning network (PLN). What do we need to do as a Lower School Community to prepare students for this? What skills and competencies can we build into our program in such a way that we continue to enhance our own curriculum and also prepare students to take on the larger share of responsibility for their own learning? We already do this with students on many levels, responsible use of technology, as a tool for learning is another level.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Digital Citizenship
Getting Started Again…
There is so much swirling around in my head that I am having trouble getting started again. The great thing about working with your peers is that you get so much insight and so many good ideas into your work. The hard part is then coming back to your own head and synthesizing. Between my meetings with Lower School Resource Teachers, my meeting with Catalina and my meeting with fifth grade I am already looking with new eyes at my work.
Yesterday’s conversation with fifth grade resurfaced the need to teach digital citizenship and Internet safety. With new tools come new responsibilities. As I review the information I have in the maps I created and the skeletons I have for the upcoming grades I can see this glaring omission. Although these skills need to be reinforced throughout the year a formal introduction in every grade needs to happen in the beginning of the year. This will naturally change the content of the maps. I have spent most of the day finding resources for and creating a rough outline of a digital safety, citizenship and footprint unit. It is not complete. Questions that I need to consider are:
- When is the best time to introduce this in each grade? Obviously for 3rd to 8th it should be in the beginning of the year but what about K-2?
- What is my venue for Middle School? Lower School I can get into class rooms, where does this fit best in the Middle School curriculum?
- Ongoing assessment? Ongoing reinforcement?
Any thoughts?
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Working With Fifth Grade
Working with Fifth Grade
Today I had the opportunity to work with the fifth grade team. We worked on getting some shared space available through Google docs so fifth grade would have an accessible site to gather resources.
We also had a great discussion about how technology could be used to support the learning. The discussion arose with the map created for the second grade curriculum. Within that map is a unit on Scratch and some of the skills including introducing Cartesian Graphs and integers. Do students really understand these concepts at the second grade level? If I am the introductory point for them what is the best way to introduce these skills? Should they be introduced in a concrete fashion before moving into the digital realm? Previously I had checked with the second grade team and knew that the students were familiar with these concepts through previous math activities, including working with graphs. However, it would definitely make more sense to use Scratch with the children at a time when they are working with these concepts as opposed to another random moment in the school year. This pointed to the need for more intentional use of technology to build curriculum as opposed to just trying to tie into a theme. The reality is the project grew from a three-way collaboration between Catalina, the second grade team and myself with the end result to be to animate the poems the students create with Catalina. However, before they can move forward with the animating process they need to have a basic understanding of the positive and negative space as seen on the Cartesian graph. So the question becomes how flexible is the curriculum? Can this project be adapted to better reinforce a concept that is already part of their curriculum? The larger question is how are we using the technology to reinforce our learning? We know as a school that we don’t want to use technology without real purpose, so we need to continue to reflect on the ways we are using technology.
We also discussed Social Studies in fifth grade. There are two major units in fifth grade: Ancient Greece and Government. Building from the fourth grade program, we discussed having students evaluate Jenkintown as a city and create an action plan to improve the area. This would be another way of looking at government and elections. How do we evaluate candidates?
Connecting classrooms through Twitter is a project I have wanted to try with the teachers in Lower School. Each classroom would have an account and follow other classes. I have classes in Australia and South Korea who are also interested in trying this. However, before we can begin this the question of accountability was raised. What happens if students want to use this tool out of school? What is our role in this? What do we need to teach them about digital citizenship? What type of education do parents need around this tool? And what is our school view on this? Teachers need to know as we venture into this new realm that we will be supported, especially if we are to take the risks necessary to become fluent in this environment.
What are your thoughts on this?
Finally, I am coming to realize the immensity of the project I am taking on this summer. This will be somewhat structured by the end of the summer but, like a real curricular map, this will remain a living document meant to be reviewed and assessed for relevance and purpose. For me this is a little scary, as I would like to have a little more structure to the upcoming year and not try to fit as many projects as I possibly can in. However, I guess we are working towards this and it continues to be a journey of learning from every level.
Today I had the opportunity to work with the fifth grade team. We worked on getting some shared space available through Google docs so fifth grade would have an accessible site to gather resources.
We also had a great discussion about how technology could be used to support the learning. The discussion arose with the map created for the second grade curriculum. Within that map is a unit on Scratch and some of the skills including introducing Cartesian Graphs and integers. Do students really understand these concepts at the second grade level? If I am the introductory point for them what is the best way to introduce these skills? Should they be introduced in a concrete fashion before moving into the digital realm? Previously I had checked with the second grade team and knew that the students were familiar with these concepts through previous math activities, including working with graphs. However, it would definitely make more sense to use Scratch with the children at a time when they are working with these concepts as opposed to another random moment in the school year. This pointed to the need for more intentional use of technology to build curriculum as opposed to just trying to tie into a theme. The reality is the project grew from a three-way collaboration between Catalina, the second grade team and myself with the end result to be to animate the poems the students create with Catalina. However, before they can move forward with the animating process they need to have a basic understanding of the positive and negative space as seen on the Cartesian graph. So the question becomes how flexible is the curriculum? Can this project be adapted to better reinforce a concept that is already part of their curriculum? The larger question is how are we using the technology to reinforce our learning? We know as a school that we don’t want to use technology without real purpose, so we need to continue to reflect on the ways we are using technology.
We also discussed Social Studies in fifth grade. There are two major units in fifth grade: Ancient Greece and Government. Building from the fourth grade program, we discussed having students evaluate Jenkintown as a city and create an action plan to improve the area. This would be another way of looking at government and elections. How do we evaluate candidates?
Connecting classrooms through Twitter is a project I have wanted to try with the teachers in Lower School. Each classroom would have an account and follow other classes. I have classes in Australia and South Korea who are also interested in trying this. However, before we can begin this the question of accountability was raised. What happens if students want to use this tool out of school? What is our role in this? What do we need to teach them about digital citizenship? What type of education do parents need around this tool? And what is our school view on this? Teachers need to know as we venture into this new realm that we will be supported, especially if we are to take the risks necessary to become fluent in this environment.
What are your thoughts on this?
Finally, I am coming to realize the immensity of the project I am taking on this summer. This will be somewhat structured by the end of the summer but, like a real curricular map, this will remain a living document meant to be reviewed and assessed for relevance and purpose. For me this is a little scary, as I would like to have a little more structure to the upcoming year and not try to fit as many projects as I possibly can in. However, I guess we are working towards this and it continues to be a journey of learning from every level.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Working with Catalina
This morning I felt as though I had a very productive meeting with Catalina, our Lower School Spanish Teacher. It was fabulous to collaborate with someone and really begin to flesh out some plans and goals. It was also a reality check for me. I have a personal goal of creating a full calendar for the coming year. The hope is that I will know exactly where I am going to be every day and have a common purpose with teachers. I knew that when it came to a schedule like Catalina’s she sees every student in lower school, I would only be able to begin the process but it made me realize that my goal is actually to map my year by the end of these three weeks may be a bit…too ambitious?
We reviewed a great project that she does with the fourth grade. The students study different city designs in the United States and other countries and then design their own city. The design is labeled in Spanish. In addition to vocabulary skills, the students discuss and form ideas about how the design of a city reflects the needs and priorities of a population. We discussed ways in which technology might enhance this project and whether this was even a necessary place to add a technology component. We decided the student creations on paper were better than having them use design software for two reasons:
1. Students had complete freedom of design when they were designing on paper; they weren’t limited to a program.
2. The skill level needed to operate a design program effectively may not be worth the investment of time.
What we decided was that each student’s design could be scanned into the computer and the class could view it together on the Smart Board. This would allow room for supporting both of the main goals of the project:
1. Vocabulary development both spoken and written
2. Design of space based on needs and priorities of the population.
A copy of the scanned designs could be edited to remove the labels and the class could then work together to label the buildings and spaces created. Also, the students could write a short paragraph explaining how and why they designed their city and the class could review the design to see if they could discover the priorities of the designer.
From this discussion we moved on to Skype. Catalina is hoping to connect some of her classes with Spanish speaking countries from around the world. Previously I had checked out Around the World With 80 Schools, a ning established to connect teacher who are interested in Skype, and found a class of 8-12 year olds in Barcelona, Spain. Catalina is in the process of joining the ning and connecting with this class. I also asked her if she would be interested in creating a Twitter connection with this class. The fourth grade could create a classroom Twitter account and follow the Barcelona class throughout the school year. Besides having authentic purpose to use their Spanish, we may even discover opportunities to collaborate on other projects.
A final topic we covered was digital portfolios. Catalina agreed to pilot the use of portfolios for students. Our goal is to have students choose something twice a year to demonstrate growth and understanding. The first target is December. We will be starting them Prek-5 this year. We both understand that this will be a learning process for everyone involved. Catalina sees great potential for sharing during parent conferences. The tool that we are considering now is Google Sites. Each student already has a site so this seems like the perfect space.
This afternoon did not feel as productive. One of my goals was to create a menu of items for teachers to choose from when they are considering using technology. I want this list to have several features including:
1. Tool type
2. Tool name
3. Pre-requisite skills, or what they need to know to hit the ground running
4. 21st Century supported skills
5. Common Uses
Does this make sense? Every time I try to establish this list, it seems too simplified. Would teachers want something like this available? I could create a list that would continue to grow, since new tools are becoming available all the time.
Thoughts?
We reviewed a great project that she does with the fourth grade. The students study different city designs in the United States and other countries and then design their own city. The design is labeled in Spanish. In addition to vocabulary skills, the students discuss and form ideas about how the design of a city reflects the needs and priorities of a population. We discussed ways in which technology might enhance this project and whether this was even a necessary place to add a technology component. We decided the student creations on paper were better than having them use design software for two reasons:
1. Students had complete freedom of design when they were designing on paper; they weren’t limited to a program.
2. The skill level needed to operate a design program effectively may not be worth the investment of time.
What we decided was that each student’s design could be scanned into the computer and the class could view it together on the Smart Board. This would allow room for supporting both of the main goals of the project:
1. Vocabulary development both spoken and written
2. Design of space based on needs and priorities of the population.
A copy of the scanned designs could be edited to remove the labels and the class could then work together to label the buildings and spaces created. Also, the students could write a short paragraph explaining how and why they designed their city and the class could review the design to see if they could discover the priorities of the designer.
From this discussion we moved on to Skype. Catalina is hoping to connect some of her classes with Spanish speaking countries from around the world. Previously I had checked out Around the World With 80 Schools, a ning established to connect teacher who are interested in Skype, and found a class of 8-12 year olds in Barcelona, Spain. Catalina is in the process of joining the ning and connecting with this class. I also asked her if she would be interested in creating a Twitter connection with this class. The fourth grade could create a classroom Twitter account and follow the Barcelona class throughout the school year. Besides having authentic purpose to use their Spanish, we may even discover opportunities to collaborate on other projects.
A final topic we covered was digital portfolios. Catalina agreed to pilot the use of portfolios for students. Our goal is to have students choose something twice a year to demonstrate growth and understanding. The first target is December. We will be starting them Prek-5 this year. We both understand that this will be a learning process for everyone involved. Catalina sees great potential for sharing during parent conferences. The tool that we are considering now is Google Sites. Each student already has a site so this seems like the perfect space.
This afternoon did not feel as productive. One of my goals was to create a menu of items for teachers to choose from when they are considering using technology. I want this list to have several features including:
1. Tool type
2. Tool name
3. Pre-requisite skills, or what they need to know to hit the ground running
4. 21st Century supported skills
5. Common Uses
Does this make sense? Every time I try to establish this list, it seems too simplified. Would teachers want something like this available? I could create a list that would continue to grow, since new tools are becoming available all the time.
Thoughts?
Friday, July 9, 2010
Thoughts on Working with Teachers
Today I had the opportunity to meet with Crissy and Roxie, our Lower and Middle School Directors to review some of the work that has been accomplished so far and the direction of what is to come.
As I look forward to drafting curricular maps for grades three to six, I know that the more important process will be sitting with the teachers and finalizing plans for the year. So what does this look like? How do we move from pull out instruction to meaningful, intentional and authentic uses of technology in the classroom? To help guide the conversation I created a structure of three simple questions:
1. What is the content, essential question or topic you want to cover?
2. What are the skills, knowledge, or actions you want the student to have or be able to do at the end of the process?
3. How do you plan to assess this and how often?
If we can get a clear understanding of these points, then we can begin to discuss the right tool to enhance the learning of the student. I wonder if teachers realize that this will probably take more than one conversation in the beginning as we refine the process.
Another piece to this is the need to monitor and assess how effective we are being as a team and I am being as the support. This has been at the back of my mind but brought out to consider when I met with Crissy and Roxie. How do you define growth? At what point are teachers ready to move on using the tool proficiently without me? This is harder to get clarity on. Originally, I thought that we could have a reflective sheet for teachers to monitor their own progress and what additional supports they need from me. I still think this, but I am having trouble crafting this sheet. So what are we assessing here? What do we want this reflective sheet to illuminate for us? Well, we want comfort level with the tool so that could be as simple as a check mark:
I am ready to use this independently. I am not ready to use this independently.
Ad then the second part could leave room for the teacher to list what they feel they need from me. More support? Direct instruction? Use with another project?
But this really only answers half the question, and it isn’t the important half. I want teachers to feel fluent in their use of technology, to feel comfortable using it as a learning tool, to see it fit into the curriculum in a way that feels more natural than stiff. I need a good question or set of questions to give teachers the chance to express anxiety, concerns, successes, leaps, etc. I am open to suggestions.
As I look forward to drafting curricular maps for grades three to six, I know that the more important process will be sitting with the teachers and finalizing plans for the year. So what does this look like? How do we move from pull out instruction to meaningful, intentional and authentic uses of technology in the classroom? To help guide the conversation I created a structure of three simple questions:
1. What is the content, essential question or topic you want to cover?
2. What are the skills, knowledge, or actions you want the student to have or be able to do at the end of the process?
3. How do you plan to assess this and how often?
If we can get a clear understanding of these points, then we can begin to discuss the right tool to enhance the learning of the student. I wonder if teachers realize that this will probably take more than one conversation in the beginning as we refine the process.
Another piece to this is the need to monitor and assess how effective we are being as a team and I am being as the support. This has been at the back of my mind but brought out to consider when I met with Crissy and Roxie. How do you define growth? At what point are teachers ready to move on using the tool proficiently without me? This is harder to get clarity on. Originally, I thought that we could have a reflective sheet for teachers to monitor their own progress and what additional supports they need from me. I still think this, but I am having trouble crafting this sheet. So what are we assessing here? What do we want this reflective sheet to illuminate for us? Well, we want comfort level with the tool so that could be as simple as a check mark:
I am ready to use this independently. I am not ready to use this independently.
Ad then the second part could leave room for the teacher to list what they feel they need from me. More support? Direct instruction? Use with another project?
But this really only answers half the question, and it isn’t the important half. I want teachers to feel fluent in their use of technology, to feel comfortable using it as a learning tool, to see it fit into the curriculum in a way that feels more natural than stiff. I need a good question or set of questions to give teachers the chance to express anxiety, concerns, successes, leaps, etc. I am open to suggestions.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Middle School
Sometimes it is hard to shift your brain from Lower School to Middle School. After spending the past two days creating calendar based maps for Lower School, I realize that I need to revamp the process for Middle School at least to start. Ideally, it would be great to also tack the student's technology journey through middle school to a calendar so that teachers were aware of the skills students had when they walked into the classroom. Also knowing which tools other teachers are using would help streamline the process of user name and password if teachers felt comfortable settling on one blogging tool, wiki site, etc. Students could become proficient with one interface and teachers could emphasize the use of the tools for learning as opposed to reteaching how to use the interface. The larger goal of using the tools is to support the growth of 21st Century Skills.
Another way the maps vary from lower school is my lack of understanding of really how they were used, which speaks as much to the tool I used to collect the information as it does my inability to get into the classrooms. Working between two divisions leaves me little time to connect well with many teachers on a regular basis, so unless they need support actually showing and using the tool with the students, I am not in the class to experience the use of the tool. This means I can't speak to the 21st Century skills, or align the use of the tools with ISTE Standards for students. This does NOT mean that the skills are not there or that the standards are not in play.
Working on this curriculum over the summer for three weeks also restricts and highly structures the time I have available to meet with teachers. But I knew this would remain a work in progress and that if I could get an idea of where we are, I can continue to work with teachers throughout the school year to define where we want to go and how to get there. Curricular maps by nature are dynamic and in flux reflective of continuous growth.
So the maps to start are different.
Here are the links:
Seventh Grade Map
Eighth Grade Map
As always, please feel free to comment or give feedback. Also, some people have been emailing comments which I do appreciate but would love to see them on the blog so a larger conversation has the opportunity to ensue.
Another way the maps vary from lower school is my lack of understanding of really how they were used, which speaks as much to the tool I used to collect the information as it does my inability to get into the classrooms. Working between two divisions leaves me little time to connect well with many teachers on a regular basis, so unless they need support actually showing and using the tool with the students, I am not in the class to experience the use of the tool. This means I can't speak to the 21st Century skills, or align the use of the tools with ISTE Standards for students. This does NOT mean that the skills are not there or that the standards are not in play.
Working on this curriculum over the summer for three weeks also restricts and highly structures the time I have available to meet with teachers. But I knew this would remain a work in progress and that if I could get an idea of where we are, I can continue to work with teachers throughout the school year to define where we want to go and how to get there. Curricular maps by nature are dynamic and in flux reflective of continuous growth.
So the maps to start are different.
Here are the links:
Seventh Grade Map
Eighth Grade Map
As always, please feel free to comment or give feedback. Also, some people have been emailing comments which I do appreciate but would love to see them on the blog so a larger conversation has the opportunity to ensue.
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