Endings and Beginnings

Seven years ago, I cased the new school being built in my neighbourhood.  I knew that there were seven different types of bricks, a staff room in the corner and an extra large classroom with a kitchen in the back.  I peered through the windows anxious to see what lay beyond the walls.  One day, I coerced a friendly construction worker to allow me to wander the halls.  I held my breath as I walked room to room, the blue and yellow bathrooms, the pods that linked the upstairs classroom.  It was a wonderful building, full of hopes and dreams of the amazing things that were to come.

It wasn’t long before those walls rang with the shouts and laughs of children.  Our young staff eager to build a school community on solid foundations of shared beliefs.  We instantly became a family.  At our opening day assembly our students barely filled half of the gym.  A perfect “Storm” coming together for the first time.

Seven years at “the Lakes” have flown by.

I have lived life along side of some of the most incredible people I have ever met in my life.  They are ‘my village’.

The kids at ‘the Lakes’ have been my inspiration.  Their creativity fuels my spirit.  They have taught me the importance of inquiry, student driven learning, and the value of humour.  They have kept me laughing (most days) and kept me thinking.  They have challenged me and learned alongside of me.  They have watched me fail and I have watched them succeed, and we have explored our passions together.  They have been the best teacher I could have ever hoped to learn from.  I have learned the importance of caring.  I have learned the value of motivation. They have all become ‘my children’.

Leaving “the Lakes” will be hard.  Those walls are now filled with incredible memories. It will be an ending to a wonderful phase in my life.

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After The Storm comes the rainbow.  I’m SO EXCITED!!!! One of the things I loved most about my job was when I was given the opportunity to lead professional learning.  For a few years now, I have known that I wanted to do something outside the classroom.  But I couldn’t figure out what.  Then THIS came along!  I am thrilled to be joining the DLRT (Digital Literacy Resource Teacher) team.  I am eager to support modern learning in my board and to be a part of professional learning on a larger scale.

This new beginning has so many unknowns.  I am curious about what my day-to-day will look like, I’m uncertain about many of my roles and responsibilities, and I’m a little nervous about the wealth of information I will need to become familiar with.  But I’m SO excited!!! This is another new beginning!  I know I will be challenged.   I know I will struggle, I know I will succeed, but most of all I will learn.  I can’t wait to meet my new ‘village’.

I feel like peeking in windows to see what the offices look like.

 

Virtual Curators

I’ve been meaning to blog for a while, but teaching is such an odd profession.  While most people assume things gradually ‘wind down’ at the end of the year, they instead actually ramp-up, before coming to an abrupt end.  The last week of our school year was filled with the usual madness of moving classrooms, finishing report cards, saying goodbye to beloved staff members, and  … something different:  our virtual digital museum.

App: “Scan”

“Hi, welcome to our virtual digital museum.  We have been learning about First Nations people and European Explorers.”. A student hands a visitor an iPad.  “You can use the app “Scan” to explore the different displays”.  He confidently points to the red app with the white borders.  “This is a QR Code Scanner, use it to access the different videos that will tell you about the artifacts on display.” One by one visitors enter the museum.  The student hosts support, answer questions, and inevitably serve as ‘tech-support’ and ‘security’ making sure that none of the artifacts are manhandled.  Students, teachers, parents, administrators tour the museum, scanning the codes and watching the videos.  A buzz of excitement fills the room.  

It wasn’t that long ago when I sat with Melissa Murray (@MelissaMurrayYR) and she explained that the new Social Studies History/Geography Curriculum was about ‘doing the work of a historian’ , or ‘doing the work of a geographer’.  What does that mean?  What does it look like?  What do historians and geographers do? How do they generate knowledge and understanding of the world, and the world that came before?

Taking a Step Back In Time:

In order to strengthen my student’s understanding of the impact of the contact between First Nations People and European Explorers, I wanted my students to act like historians.  What do historians do? They discover artifacts/evidence of people from the past, and work to determine the story behind them.  As ‘historians’, my students would work to create a museum of artifacts showing the different aspects of this period of history.  The ‘artifacts’ they explored could be as simple as a bowl of salt, or a basket of beads or as complex as a mask, treaty, or map.  The Concepts of the Disciplines of Thinking served as the framework for the students to build their inquiries around.  They were to explore the Perspectives (Whose stories can we find out?), Significance (Why was this important?), or the Interrelationship (How did the environment affect the way they lived, or how did the way they lived affect the environment?).

… and they were off!  I love this part.  The stage where I feel inadequate and overwhelmed, and yet empowered and excited.  You can read about that stage of our inquiry here.   Kids starting to ask questions to which I have no idea of the answer.  Students exploring and questioning, students sharing and collaborating.  Inquiry in motion!  Searching websites, analyzing pictures, reading books, examining maps, and more.  Doing the work of a historian!  Uncovering evidence of the past and making sense of it!

But, how could they truly share their understanding? Reports? Blah!  Who wants to go to a museum and read pages and pages of reports?  Would you?  Do you actually read the plaques posted beside the artifacts when you explore a museum?  How long is your attention span?  Two minutes, maybe?  65 seconds? How long can an artifact sustain your attention before you want to move onto the next?  What about videos?  Can you watch a 60 second video and remain engaged?

The students used iMovie to create video evidence of the information they had found. Each video focused on one of the Disciplines of Thinking (Perspective, Significance or Interrelationships).  Creativity blossomed!  Images, maps, voice-overs, music, text… amazing stuff! Once the videos were finished, sharing was easy!  I uploaded all of the students videos to my private YouTube account, and linked each video with a QR Code.

@Cohen_Michael_j learning about different weapons with a student guide.

Virtual Digital Museum… in action.

The result was a scannable interactive virtual museum.  As the visitors explored the various artifacts, they were able to access the kid-created-content through QR Codes.  The part my students like the most, was the final QR Code that linked to a GoogleForm.  Visitors provided immediate feedback to the learners by completing a quick survey before leaving.

Wouldn’t it be cool to be able to interact with the curators of a real museum in this way?  Imagine being able to explore, interact and respond to the ‘historians’ who curated the displays.  After all, aren’t we all historians, making sense of the world around us?

So, thanks Melissa Murray for pointing me on the path of “doing the work of a historian”… because history certainly came alive in our school!

Learning is Happening!

Holy moly! Learning is happening. A few days ago, I had my doubts, in fact, I was downright fearful about the direction this new inquiry would take. If you didn’t read my blog post from a few days ago, you can read it here.

So here we are, two days later… And learning is happening! While I thought learning might happen, and hoped learning would happen, I am surprised to see such amazing learning emerging so soon.

Today I sat with two groups to ask where they were with their inquiries and how I could help. Here are of few of the conversations we had:

Me: “Where are you and how can I help?”

Student 1: “I started learning about treaties. Did you know that there are 15 treaties? But I really want to focus on treaty #6. This treaty was the one that described who was going to get what lands and what they would receive in exchange. I think the First Nation people agreed to them because they thought it was important to work with the government to protect their people. And the treaties made it seem like they were getting stuff in return. I think they thought it would be a peaceful way to work with the government. Can I find out more about this?”

Student #2: “I started researching wars. I wanted to find out about the different perspectives – like the First Nation and the European Explorer perspectives. But, when I found out about the Beaver War, I learned that the British and the Dutch sided with the Iroquois and the French sided with the Huron. It seems like the different European groups had different perspectives. Can I focus on the French and the English perspectives instead?

Student #3: “I started learning about muskets. I was curious about their role in wars. But I found out that many of the Europeans started killing the buffalo and that made it harder for the First Nation people to hunt. Do you think the First Nations used guns to hunt too? I’m curious about how guns changed the First Nations people’s way of life. Can I find out more?”

Student #4: “I started learning about Cartier’s ship. I was planning on brining in old pieces of timber and maybe a page from his log to show how he started trade. I learned that at first he was nice to the First Nation people and they started to trade. But as time went on, he seemed less respectful. It seemed like he was taking advantage of the people, and they felt trapped because they needed the things he was trading with them. The settlement was not doing so well because the climate was so harsh. As time went on, Cartier seemed to get more and more disrespectful to the First Nations people and kidnapped the chief and his sons. It seems that he thought his religion and beliefs were more important. I want to find out more.”

Student #5: “Did you know that spears were different in different tribes? I wonder if they were different because of resources or the ways they used them? Can I focus on the interrelationships between the type of spear and the place where they lived?

Student #6: “Did you know that art and symbols had different meanings with different groups? I wonder if they all had religious significance?”

Student #7: “Some Europeans described the religious masks as “pagan”… What does pagan mean?”

Learning is happening. It’s working. I feel like I’ve started a wheel in motion and my kids are digging in. I thought it might happen, I hoped it would… But in this moment, I’m completely surprised that is has taken root so deeply, so soon!

Inquiry: Looking Forward… Looking Back.

At the end of our last unit of inquiry, I remember the amazing feeling of contentment that settled over my class: A sense of pride and accomplishment.  The students had dug deeper and engaged in richer learning than I had ever witnessed before.  Looking around, and reflecting on their learning, … the view was  spectacular!

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Starting a new inquiry ….It’s full of curiosity, interest and at times completely overwhelming.  My stomach has a lurching feeling – a mixture of excitement and nausea.  Having gone through unit long inquiries with my students before, I feel both better equipped and completely inadequate to start this daunting new task.  Our first inquiry was an exciting unknown journey full of wonder and it gave us the freedom to dig deeper and think harder than we had ever done before.  Now, at the cusp of a new inquiry, I’m feeling both eager and reluctant.  I’m excited because I know the amazing learning opportunities that will arise.  Likewise, I’m reluctant to plunge into the abyss of the collective unknown again.  I know that embracing innovation and change is important, but there are times when being pushed out of my comfort zone, is, well, uncomfortable.  Plunging into a unit of learning where I’m unsure of the exact path we will take is both liberating… and scary.

Our classroom is covered with chart papers:  Lists, questions, ideas, groupings.  Our typical “Guided Reading” times have been replaced with “Guided Inquiry” and “Inquiry Research” replaces “Independent Reading and Writing” times.

Yesterday, I sat with one group for our first Guided Inquiry time together.  As I pulled up a chair, I looked into the faces of my students.  “I’m a little nervous”, I admitted.  “I’m not quite sure how this is going to go.” I said cautiously.  A smile broke across one of my student’s faces.  “Me too.” She said.  “What’s your starting point?” I asked…. “Let’s go from there.”… and the conversation grew, questions started to form, ideas began to take shape.  Before us, the initial path to discover began to appear.

All of the learning I have done this year around the new SSHG has taught me that students are to ‘do the work of historians’, or ‘do the work of geographers’.  Well, how exactly do historians do their work?  They start with the evidence in front of them and figure out what it all means… by asking questions and digging (sometimes literally) for answers.  This sounds familiar… Ask questions, and search for answers… Inquiry!!

As my students explore the various elements of Heritage and Identity (Communities in Canada, Past and Present), they will do just that.  Begin with artifacts (something concrete) that show that someone (or some group or people) came before and search back through time to determine it’s historical value.

• Perspective: Who’s stories can we uncover?
• Significance:  Why was it important? What was it’s impact?
• Interrelationships:  How did the environment effect the way people lived?  How did people effect the environment?

Simple… and yet complex.  Exciting… and overwhelming.  All at the same time.

In the past two days, I have met with four of the five groups.  Some groups buzzing with excitement, and some seemingly paralyzed by the openness ahead.  “What’s your starting point?” … Starting with something concrete (an artifact, an image, an item, a map, a painting)… and working backwards through the sandglass of time….

Right now, at the start of a new inquiry, the lens is muddy, the path promises to be wide and overwhelming at times… but hopefully, the destination will be well worth it.  Because, when we reach the end and are looking back, I know that the view will be spectacular!

Daily 5… the Perfect Foundation for 100 MINUTES!

For years, teachers have used the strategies outlined in The Daily 5 to develop strong independent routines during their literacy blocks. Read to Self, Work on Writing, Word Work, Listen to Reading and Read to Someone, have become staples in many classes across North America. The foundation created by building these strong independent routines, enable teachers to create rich literacy programs that provide students with authentic opportunities for applying and consolidating the learning that takes place through small group or guided instruction.

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In the last week, I have had the opportunity to read through the New Daily 5. While the core elements of literacy remain the same, the authors have added more flexibility and depth to the familiar five tasks.

When I first started working with the Daily 5, I wondered how I could intentionally connect these strong independent routines to the learning that was happening during Guided Reading and Writing Conference sessions. That was when I built AWARD Time (Applying Reading And Writing Time). Through AWARD Time, teachers are able to purposefully and intentionally connect the work that students are doing independently through the Daily 5 activities, to the learning that is taking place in small group guided sessions. With this model, the Daily 5 tasks become a part of a learning cycle that allows teachers to assess student’s learning, and respond immediately to the needs of their learners. With AWARD Time, students transition seamlessly from independent learning tasks, to guided learning times and back again. AWARD Time, builds in opportunities for students to apply and consolidate their learning, as well as providing purpose and accountability through their independent learning tasks.

AWARD Time is based on two cycles of learning; the first, a Reading Cycle. This cycle provides opportunities for teachers to intentionally connect independent tasks such as Independent Reading and Reading Response to Guided Reading. This allows students to immediately apply and extend the skills that they are learning through Guided Reading to their Reading Responses and Independent Reading. The “Reading Cycle” is complete, when the students return to Guided Reading, and the teacher is able to assess the student’s Independent Reading and the learning that has taken place. Teachers can then use this in order to drive the next cycle of learning through through Guided Reading. 

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 The second cycle is a Writing Cycle. Through this cycle of learning, teachers are able to use Writing Conferences as a way of monitoring students writing, and provide timely descriptive feedback that students can use to set individual writing goals. This cycle intentionally connects Independent Writing to Writing Conference times as well as Peer Sharing and Word Work. This way, students can share their work and receive timely feedback from their peers, as well as always having an authentic audience and purpose for their writing. Building Word Work into this cycle enables students to build word skills based on the words they are actually using in their daily writing.

Finally, through 100 MINUTES, teachers are able to see ways that these independent tasks could fit into an complete balance literacy block; finding times for whole group instruction in reading and writing as well as authentic applications of technology in the classroom. Add in higher order thinking, accountable talk and opportunities for student choice and inspiration, and students are certain to be engaged with rich learning throughout the entire literacy block.

As I read through the “New” Daily 5, it became abundantly clear that these strong independent routines provide the solid foundation for 100 Minutes.  100 MINUTES is the next logical step in order to connect all learning activities together in the most effective and meaningful way possible.

 

 

 

Inquiry Reflections

My mind is reeling as I sit down to write this post.  My journey into inquiry and learning has been vast, profound and at times overwhelming.  As I wrap up our first Social Studies unit, using the new Inquiry Framework,  I’m not sure who has learned more, my students or me!

Maybe the best place to start is at the end, and work backwards.

The END:

Last week, my students gathered together to host a “UN Issues Summit” to discuss a number of pressing global issues and the role that Canada plays in these issues (Grade 6 Curriculum).  As a group of nations, they were also to determine how they would allocate funds (10 Million dollars), in order to support five of these issues.  They needed to prioritize and debate until they could decide which issues they felt were the most pressing, and then decide how to divide the funds among them.

The debate was heated to say the least!  Imagine one student pacing up and down the back of the classroom, trying to calculate the mathematical relationships between the number of votes each issue received in relation to the portion of money to be divided.  Another student, adamantly declaring that four people’s votes had been discarded when the top five issues were selected.  The debate raged between which was more important: children’s rights, climate change, racism, nuclear waste, coral reefs, endangered species, education, girls’ rights, or wars.  Students were synthesizing their knowledge, making authentic connections and pleading for the rights of others around the world.

Where was I in all of this… I took a step back and allowed the process to unfold naturally.  I let the students run the meeting, decide who would talk next, and how they would come to a final decision.  Chaos? A little bit.  But talk about passion and conviction, engagement and application of knowledge – I sat at my desk in absolute awe of my students.

Going back in time: Issues Summit Presentations:

I placed country cards on each student’s desk, identifying him/her as a representative of one of the countries in the UN.  If they were to address the group, they needed to stand, state their name and their country before proceeding.  The students loved this ‘formal’ style and it added to the level of respect and feeling of responsibility in the room.

In preparation for the Issues Summit, each student (or pair of students) was responsible for researching and presenting a global issue that they felt passionate about.  The Disciplines of Thinking in the new Social Studies Curriculum, created the framework for their inquiries.  Students needed to formulate questions that addressed three of the Disciplines of Thinking: Perspectives, Cause & Consequence and Interrelationships.  This helped students create a balance in the type of information they were seeking, as well as providing opportunities for them to think deeply about the issue they were researching.  They prepared a presentation to share with the UN about a global issue and ways Canada is involved in responding to it.  This presentation was as open-ended as possible.  Some students chose to make iMovies, some PowerPoints, and others speeches.  They were encouraged to be creative and share their learning in whatever way they felt comfortable.

In one of my blog posts, Questions Are Central, I thought about the central role of questioning in the Inquiry Process.  As we got into our unit, the more convinced of that I became.  Even as students were sharing their ‘final’ pieces there were more questions raised and more new paths to explore.  During the Issues’ Summit, one student responded “I’m sorry, I don’t know, but would it be okay if I found out and told you tomorrow?“.  While we all moved on, I was dumbstruck to overhear a conversation the following day at lunch time.  He approached the student who had asked the question, to say “Do you remember you asked me that question yesterday, I want to share what I found out….”. and the lunch conversation revolved around this student’s new discovery.  If this is not a measure of student engagement, I’m not sure what is.

Going back even further: Supporting their learning:

There has never been a time when the importance of differentiated instruction has been more obvious than through this unit of study.  There were some students who were able to take an idea and run with it – only needing to check in with me occasionally, and there were others who needed to sit with me almost every step of the way.  I used a ‘guided inquiry’ time – similar to guided reading – where I would pull a small group of students and work with them to revisit their questions, identify key words to search, analyze sources for accuracy or relevancy, interpret the information they encountered.  I needed to teach mini-lessons about how to search for information, how to summarize, cite, quote and reference information, how to synthesize and make connections, and more.  It was critical thinking in action.  It was authentic literacy in action.  It was a way for students to apply their reading and thinking skills.  We worked together to use a graphic organizer to gather and organize information, and represent their learning through their presentations.

And now, here we are.

My learning has been immense.  Here are a few things I’m reflecting on:

• I know without a doubt of hesitation, that my students have a much deeper understanding of the Social Studies curriculum that I could have ever ‘taught’ them in traditional ways.
• They were all invested in their learning and developed a passion and awareness for the content.  The levels of engagement skyrocketed in my classroom, to the point that students were begging to use their ‘free time’ to continue their work.
• The students became the experts in the classroom.  I found myself comfortable with the fact that I didn’t know the answers, and often, I wasn’t even sure where to look, but we could try to find out together. My students respected the fact that I was a co-learner with them.  They appreciated being able to teach me things, and show me the sources for their new found learning.
• Behaviour was not a challenge.  While there are often times in my class when I need to redirect off-task behaviour, this was not the case during this unit of study.
• Every student was able to achieve!  Every student was proud of their work, and every single one had a solid understanding of the overall expectations in the curriculum.
• I didn’t even know how to respond when one student said: “Thanks Mrs. Donohue for allowing us to have a learning experience like this!”

Questions I still have:

Although this unit was amazing, there are still things I’m struggling with:

As I wrote their report cards, I wondered how to capture the difference between ability and achievement.  There were some students who were able to dig deeply into their research independently.  They took initiative to research on their own time, to actively seek out information and to creatively and passionately create their presentations.  And yet, there were others who needed me every step of the way.  The role of differentiated instruction played a huge part in their success.  Without direct support and guidance from me (or other teachers assisting), they would have struggled to complete their presentations.  However, in the end, we are not evaluating the process – but their achievement and understanding.  Through this differentiated process, they were able to achieve the expectations set out for them.. but how is this reflected in their final grade?  Should a student receive a “B” if they have been able to demonstrate a good understanding of the curriculum, even though it took almost daily support to get there? Is this different from a “B” that a student would earn by demonstrating a good understanding while working somewhat independently? It is my job to ensure that every student meets with success, and to that end, I am happy.  I am however, still reflecting on how to accurately capture this when assessing an reporting. Maybe you have some ideas?

Thank you all for joining me as I reflected on my learning through this process.  The role of my PLN continues to grow in importance in my personal professional learning.  I am so grateful that my learning extends beyond my classroom and school walls and allows me to partner with likeminded educators, wherever they may be.  Thanks Aviva (@avivaloca), Nikki (@MsTown), Jo-Ann (@6Chotline), Beate (@bmplanche), Louise (@Robitaille2011) and #ontsshg for being a part of my ongoing learning journey into inquiry!!  It’s so nice to know that support is only a tweet away!

Life-Lessons From a Three-Year Old

December 14th marked the one year anniversary of the tragic shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary. Last year, on that day, like every parent, I held my breath, mourned the loss of the innocent children, and held my own kids closer that night. A tragedy this close to Christmas, reminded me of the pain of seeing unopened gifts under the tree long after the ‘celebrations’ had ended for the rest of the world. A year later, as we paused to reflect on the day, and the families whose lives were changed in an instant, we were asked to “do a good deed” in memory of the children.

At school, I have the onerous task of bus duty almost every morning. This virtually consists of greeting children with a smile, directing traffic and trying to protect my rapidly cooling coffee from the harsh northern winds. However, every morning, I am awed by the life-lessons clearly demonstrated by a three-year little girl (let’s call her Grace). Each day, Grace and her mom walk her older brother and sister to school. Some days, Grace carries her own ‘baby’ with her, pushes a stroller or insists on carrying a little pink purse to match her little pink boots. However, Grace is never in a hurry. Regardless of the traffic, the bell, or my rapidly cooling coffee, she takes her time every morning to hug her brother and sister goodbye. She hugs them one at a time, kisses them both and tells them “Have a good day; I love you”. This is such a gentle daily ritual, something I’m sure she (or her family) have no idea that I consider myself privileged to observe. Every morning, as I watch her lovingly say ‘goodbye’ to her big brother and sister, I think back to the last thing I said to my kids before I hurried out the door. Was it “Don’t forget your permission form!”, was it: “You lost your gloves… again!”, was it “Don’t forget to brush your teeth!”… I wonder how many times, the last thing I say to my kids before heading out for the day is: “I LOVE YOU!” Life’s busyness gets in the way, and I forget to take the time for the things that are most important. Grace may be only three years old, but she has taught me a lesson I hope to never forget.

As Sandy Hook showed us, life can change in an instant; forever altered and shattered in a moment in time. I want to embrace life like Grace: with grace, patience, love, gentleness. This year, as I remember the families of Sandy Hook, I hope that I will always remember to hold my kids close, tell them I love them, and embrace the little moments in life.

Questions are CENTRAL!

The new Social Studies Curriculum illustrates the inquiry process with five elements linked together and shaped as cogs in a machine.  Central to the process is “Formulating Questions“.  It is literally at the centre of the diagram.  If we imagine any of these gears in motion, they would not move in isolation, but when one is turning, then they are all turning.

As I have worked my way through teaching and learning through inquiry, I had many questions about where to begin in a process with no clear beginning.  Now, I understand that Formulating Questions is not only illustrated as the centre point of the process… but it is literally central to the process.

Here’s how my understanding has evolved:

In our Grade 6 Social Studies unit (Canada and its Global Partners), my students have identified a rather extensive list of global issues.  They have each selected an issue that they are interested in finding out more about and have begun to formulate questions.  At this time, I introduced my students to three of the Disciplines of Thinking (Perspectives, Cause and Consequence and Interrelationships).  We discussed at length what each meant, and I asked students to formulate at least one question for each of these disciplines.  Their thinking was brilliant!  The things they wanted to learn was jaw-dropping!  Here are some of the questions that stand out:

• Climate Change:
• How do large companies/factories that produce pollution feel about climate change? (Perspectives)
• What causes climate change? (Cause and Consequence)
• Drug Trafficking:
• Why do people get involved in trafficking drugs (Perspectives)
• What will happen to the global economy if people stop selling drugs? (Cause and Consequence)
• Weapon Trafficking:
• How are governments trying to stop trafficking? (Perspectives)
• How do different governments view the trafficking of weapons? (Perspectives)
• What is the consequence if someone is caught trafficking weapons? (Cause and Consequence)
• Nuclear Waste:
• How do the workers who work with radioactive materials feel? (Perspectives)
• How do different countries handle nuclear waste? (Perspectives)
• What will happen if they keep burying nuclear waste? (Cause and Consequence)
• What would happen if governments banned the use of nuclear materials? (Cause and Consequence)
• Wars:
• Why does Canada get involved in wars that are not their own? (Interrelatedness)
• What are the causes of wars? (Cause and Consequence)
• What are the effects on soldiers who return from wars? (Cause and Consequence)
• Environment (Destruction of Coral Reefs):
• What happens to fish when the coral reefs die? (Cause and Consequence)
• How do the fishermen feel about coral reefs dying? (Perspectives)
• What causes reefs to die? (Cause and Consequence)
• How have people impacted coral reefs and their existence? (Interrelatedness)
• Education:
• How do parents in developing nations feel if their children can not go to school? (Perspectives)
• What are the futures like for kids who don’t go to school? (Cause and Consequence)
• Why can’t kids go to school? (Cause and Consequence)
• Girl’s Rights
• Why do some governments feel that girls should have less rights than boys? (Perspectives)
• How would their lives be different if they had more rights? (Cause and Consequence)

I know!!! Jaw-dropping, right!  But this has only been a small part of my learning.  This week, we talked about how we can begin to find the answers to some of our questions.  We talked about the importance of using sources that are reliable, relevant, current and appropriate.  We talked about how to use key words to search for information and how to determine which ideas were the most important.  But here’s the part I didn’t expect to learn.  To you, it will of course seem obvious, but for me it was a huge ah-ha!  One of my students, who is inquiring about weapon trafficking, wanted to know if there were any nations whose governments were in favour of trafficking.  As he was searching, he was frustrated to discover that he could only find the preventative measures that governments take against the trafficking of weapons.  That’s when I said “Well, it’s an illegal activity.  It’s not like governments are going to advertise that they think it is okay.”.  We both had a giggle, and then I said, “Maybe you need to revisit your question so that it can better address the issue”.  AH-HA!!! THERE IT IS!! The reason that Formulating Questions is central to the inquiry process, is because it IS CENTRAL to the process!  As students begin by formulating questions, they can gather and organize information, analyze information, think critically about their findings and if necessary refine their question.  The learning depends on the questions, but the questions need to be directed by the learning.  As their understandings evolve, so will their understanding around what they actually want to find out.  The question is not a static thing, it is a cog in the machine of understanding.  As their thinking changes, so will the questions they ask.

So now, I feel like I understand the symbolism of the gears in the image… and the importance of the central cog of Formulating Questions!

Crash-and-Burn; Watch me Fail

When I was 16 years old, I remember writing my 365 (Learner’s Permit) test.  We sat in single rows and completed a 50 question multiple choice test.  I waited anxiously as the examiner scored my test – manually.  As I hovered over her shoulder, I was elated to discover that I had indeed passed.  In fact, I had gotten every single question correct… every question except one.  To this day, I can’t tell you any of the other questions on the test, but I will always remember my mistake and the answer that I had failed to select.  (In case you’re curious, it was: What should you use to help you see when driving in dense fog- the answer of course being headlights on low.  I had selected Headlights on High – and learned that day that high-beams would only reflect off of the fog and would in essence inhibit your vision further).

Have you ever had a moment in your classroom when things are going so brilliantly, that you look into the hall hoping that someone else might just happen to pop in to observe this moment?  In my school, we have made it a habit of wondering through each other’s classes and feel completely comfortable saying to each other “Do you have a moment, you have to see what the kids are doing right now.”  In fact, we call it “worming” – the act of wondering through a colleagues’ classroom and checking out student learning.

Inquiry has pushed me to try new things.  Some times, I have been a part of amazing risk-taking as I’ve seen my students dig into rich learning. And, as a teacher-author-blogger, I tend to share these ‘successes’ willingly with others.  However, this is not one of those times.  This weekend, I have been reflecting on a crash-and-burn moment in my classroom.

Typically, I would not think twice about a lesson or activity that crashes-and-burns.  I would just shake it off and think “well, that didn’t go exactly like I thought.”, and I would re-think it for the following day.  I don’t think I have reflected on a failed lesson this much in a long time.  I don’t think I’ve ever shared publicly about a challenge or crash-and-burn failure, but the more I think about this, the more I think its important that I’m honest about my successes, as well as my challenges.

As I mentioned in my previous blog post, my students were well into their research about a famous Canadian and the impact they have had on a Global Issue.  Things were going so well, and my students were engaging in such rich research, dialogue and learning, that I was excited to share.  I had one of those ‘who’s in the hall that I can share this with’ moments!’.  That’s when I invited a colleague, researcher, fellow author, friend, someone who I admire and respect, to visit our class and see the learning-in-action; the grunt work in the inquiry-trenches.  Unfortunately, that’s when things went South… really fast.

Students had finished collaborating to become an ‘expert’ about a different Canadian, and we were completing a jig-saw activity (where each group would have an ‘expert’ to report back).  On paper, it was a brilliant plan:  Students would each share about their individual Canadians, and together as a group, they would identify similarities and trends; Through this discussion they would identify global issues that we could then use as a basis for further research.  Now, watch me fail:

• There had been a long gap from the time, students had done the research, and now were to share it (life sometimes gets in the way  – in the form of field-trips and such).  I thought they needed a few minutes to review their research before sharing and invited them to do so. That is when I should have told them to select the three most important facts to share with their group… but I didn’t.
• I had encouraged students to record their findings by taking notes, while this seemed a good idea at the time, when it came to sharing their research, they resorted to reading their notes to their group as others’ attempted to indiscriminately record the content.  Summarizing and note-taking mini-lessons would have been helpful!
• I thought that a graphic organizer would help students record key information from others as they listened to the group ‘experts’ share back. This resulted in students attempting to copy down others’ research that they found it difficult to listen and think about what they were hearing. Identifying key ideas to listen for prior to sharing would have helped.
• I wanted to ensure that everyone’s’ research was validated and they had sufficient time to share, this resulted in a sharing time that was way too long and students lost their focus. Again, sharing only key ideas would have alleviated this challenge.
• I thought it would be possible for each table group to engage in their sharing simultaneously.  However,  the volume in the classroom exploded to inaudible levels making it impossible for students to hear each other’s ideas.

*phew*, That’s when I started to sweat.  Typically, I would think on my feet, intervene, re-invent, respond… but for some reason, I was paralysed; watching this activity fail and feeling powerless to turn it around.  As I watched my lesson crash-and-burn, I became more and more anxious.  In that moment, I felt as if I’d forgotten everything I ever knew about teaching and learning.

In the end, we somewhat recovered.  As a whole group, we were able to identify the issues that each Canadian was passionate about, and create a rather extensive list of global issues that we – as a class – would like to learn more about.  But it was by far, not my proudest moment.

Why such a pessimistic blog? I recognize that at times I will crash-and-burn in the classroom in order to find my way.  I’m okay with getting it wrong.  It’s through our mistakes that we will discover what truly works.  I feel like I’m teaching in the fog these days.  Things are not as clear for me as they usually are, and at times, my vision seems obscured.  Making mistakes is a part of the learning.  When I was 16, I learned through a mistake…. and I will always remember to use my low-beams in the fog… and as I work my way through inquiry teaching (and learning), I am prepared to learn many new things – sometimes through my successes…. but most likely through my mistakes.

Inquiry: Journey Into the Unknown

As I continue to explore learning through the lens of inquiry, this week I was humbled and empowered through the contributions of my students.  This week, they left me thinking, questioning, and reflecting.  They truly are incredible ‘teachers’ in their own rights.

Our learning this week has centered on Social Studies and the unit: “Canada’s Trading Partners” (or Canada’s Interactions with the Global Community, 2013).  I honestly thought there could possibly be no dryer curriculum to cover.  Let me tell you how my thinking changed:

Following our Remembrance Day assembly, we returned to our classroom, all somber, grateful and incredibly reflective.  That was when we started our learning journey.  I posted the following three quotes around the classroom and asked the students to choose a quote that they thought was personally meaningful:

• “There is a potential that exists in each of us to make our voices heard and to make a difference on pressing social issues.” – Dr. Samantha Nutt
• “We are obligated to come to the assistance of those less fortunate than us, no matter where in the world they live.” – Ben Peterson
• “Since I was a little kid I’ve believed that I make a difference in the world, and that difference, I decided, had better be positive.”  Severn Cullis Suzuki

The students thoughtfully read each quote and then moved to stand beside the one they connected to the most.  Then the discussion began.  What do the quotes mean?  What do they mean to us?  What is happening in the world right now? The students were filled with a wealth of information: Reflecting on world history, current political situations and giving thought to  Typhoon Haiyan that had devastated the Philippines a few days earlier.

Then I added some facts about global issues to the discussion.  This time I invited students to read the facts and respond by writing questions they had on ‘stickies’ and posting them on the facts. Here are some of the facts I posted:

• More than 30 wars are raging all over the world
• 90% of the victims of war are women and children
• 770 million people still can not read or write
• 218 million children aged 5-17 work
• There are over 300,000 child soldiers fighting in wars, many are 8 years old or younger
• 115 million children are not in school
• (* all quotes and facts were from the following video:  Youth Speak Out on Global Issues)

My students astounded me with their thoughtfulness, their genuine concern and their ability to apply what they already knew about global issues in order to generate questions.  The asked things like:

• Why are women and children going to war?
• Why do the children have to work? What kind of work do they do? Do they choose to work?
• How do they learn if they can’t read or write?  How is it possible that almost 1/8 of the population of the world can not read or write?
• If they are not in school, where are they? Are they all girls?
• Where in the world is this happening? Why does this happen?

That’s when I decided to share the ‘personal narrative of my life’ with them.  I told them briefly about the reasons my family had decided to leave our country, Grenada.  I told them of the communist government we were facing, the limitations that were set on my father and his business, and the daily dangers that he faced.  I explained how my parents had worked diligently for two years to have a sponsor, a job and a place to live, thus acquiring enough ‘points’ to earn the privilege to become immigrants in Canada.  I told them of the adventures we faced when we finally left.  They were spellbound.  They listened intently.  They even groaned when the bell rang and they needed to go outside for recess.  That night, their homework was to ask their families about their own ‘personal narratives’.  How did they come to be in Canada?  How did we all come to be in this same place together?

There was nothing that could prepare me for the next day.  As my students gathered in small groups they began to tell the narratives of their lives.  I stood speechless as I listened to my students telling stories of war, of bravery, and of extreme selflessness.  Many of my students are first generation Canadians, and recalled their own memories as they entered Canada; others told stories of generations from the past.  I held my breath as one student told of his father’s need for political asylum as a freedom fighter and activist in another land; one student told of a time her mother was robbed at gunpoint; grandparents who were survivors of Auschwitz; brave young men who boarded boats unsure of their final destinations. Families moving for opportunities, education, employment, freedom.  Their stories were genuine, sincere and touching.  They moved me.  They moved us all.  There we were, all united in this classroom, here because our families had all wanted the same things: safety, opportunity, freedom.  The rights we take for granted as Canadians, suddenly seemed like privileges.

In the previous week, we had talked about ‘commodities’ and resources of Canada.  Can a person be a resource?  Can a person have an influence on a global issue?  As a class, we brainstormed a list of influential Canadians – and identified the prime area of influence (and whether they were a positive or negative influence).  I introduced students to five Canadians who have been influential in various ways:

• Craig Kielburger
• Michaëlle Jean
• Stephen Lewis
• Michael J. Fox
• David Suzuki

…and then, unfortunately, the week came to an end.  They have left me thinking, reflecting and committing to dig deeper into the role Canada plays in the world.  My students’ stories have inspired me to appreciate the people who have come before us and the people who surround us.

I have left my students ‘discovering’ who these Canadians are and how they have impacted the world.  From this, I am hoping that we will identify global issues that my students can inquire further about: Child rights, Disaster relief, Health care in developing nations, research and development, and the environment.  But, I am hoping that they will not be limited to these issues.  I am confident that my students will be able to identify other global issues that they want to learn more about.

Why have I decided to take this route to learning?  I want my students to understand Canada’s role in the world, not only our economic partners but our role in global issues; issues like the environment,  relief aid and peacekeeping, health, education, equality, resources and energy and more that I’m sure my students will ‘discover’.   And within that, I want them to understand what they as citizens and civilians can do to play a part in the world.  While we may not be able to end world hunger, or bring peace to a warring nation, we can become environmentally responsible, we can contribute to relief efforts when there are natural disasters, we can take school supplies with us to share with communities in developing nations when we travel on vacations, we can collect items as donations for organizations that distribute resources to others, and there are countless other ways that we can be global citizens.  I am proud to be Canadian!  I am proud of the part our nation plays in most global issues.

Stay tuned, we all have a lot of learning to do – and I’m certain that my kids will teach me a whole lot more than I could ever dream of teaching them!  Inquiry is like a journey into the unknown… you never know where the questions your kids ask will take you.