Arianna Lambert Celebrating Success, Constant Learning, Inspiring Teachers

Broadening Learning Space in Education

In my new role I’ve had the privilege of working with educators in different parts of North America. Through this work, I’ve been inspired by educators who are excited about transforming education so that student learning is engaging and prepares them for an ever changing future. In conversations with these educators, I’m amazed by the great work being done in pockets throughout however, I have started to ponder: how we can move forward in even greater ways? How do we “build capacity” (a term that I’ve often heard), not just within our own schools, districts or provinces but beyond that to ensure that great learning is happening for students throughout? What are ways in which we can support and inspire each other to continue the great work? How do we highlight inspirational stories in education on a large scale?

I’ve used social media – Blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Google + – and in-person meet-ups through conferences and events. Inevitably I run into the same people at conferences and online and while they inspire me and push me further in my thinking as an educator, how do we connect all of the little pockets that are out there? In this post, I’m sharing a few ways in which I have connected with others and am hoping to start a conversation on how to take things even further.

Twitter

I actually love Twitter! Three and a half years ago when a former principal suggested that hop on to join a chat that he was having at a conference, I had no idea how my world would change. Little did I know the great impact it would have on my teaching and the many connections over time. From co-creating #tdsbEd to following education hashtags, it’s become my daily dose of inspiration on-the-go. I’m fortunate to have found fantastic people to follow and have had the opportunity to meet and learn from many of them. In what ways have you used Twitter to connect with others? Are there specific hashtags or handles that you follow because they have helped you grow as an educator or sparked an interest? Please share!

Facebook

Alright…I know that it’s 2018 but I am new to Facebook. It’s taken me years to finally jump on and it’s been an interesting experience. On the FDS Facebook page, there are amazing posts that we share related to trends in education and I’m hoping to use this educator group as an online community where people can ask questions, share ideas and even get feedback on some of the innovative approaches used to engage students in classrooms.

ETFO Events

Do you find that face-to-face interactions are more appealing? ETFO always has amazing events for members. I’ve attended many in the past and find that they create a great environment for networking. I have lasting friendships resulting from a couple of events. Many of these events center around current and relevant issues in education with a lens on equity. Every event has allowed me to walk away feeling empowered and at the same time reflecting on myself and my interactions with others. I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to attend events and highly recommend them to every educator. Potentially, you’ll gain a new network of critical friends who might call you to go further in your own learning.

These are just some of the learning spaces that I’ve been a part of. I know that many, many more exist. How do we expand them even further? Have another innovative space where amazing learning is being showcased? Please share them!

Arianna Lambert Field Trips, Inspiring Students

Experiential Learning

I’ve recently been working with educators around Experiential Learning. I’ve always thought of it to be a hands-on or immersive experience for students but as I dig into it a little further, I’m realizing that it’s much more. I’ve been taking a closer look at the Ministry of Education’s Community Connected Experiential Learning resource and it’s been eye opening. This document was written after the Ministry’s Achieving Excellence: A Renewed Vision for Education in Ontario. In it, a variety of themes emerged; one being “to foster student engagement and achievement by creating more relevant, applied and innovative learning experiences that spark students’ curiosity and inspire them to follow their passions” (p. 4). That’s what learning should be all about! Sparking curiosity and allowing students to identify and follow their passions. It’s when students see relevance and meaning in the learning, that they get excited and motivated to actively engage and consider appropriate life applications

The document breaks down the Experiential Learning Cycle into 3 parts: Participate, Reflect and Apply. It’s really about sharing the What, So What and Now What.

What

The document describes this phase as, “Students are immersed in an experience, acknowledging what they are doing, what they are thinking, Andrew’s was what they are feeling during the experience.” (pg. 9). So from the beginning, I think that the experience should be one in which students are consulted so that they have voice and choice in the planning of the experience itself. Not only should they be participants, but they also have the opportunity to think about what they are doing, thinking and feeling during the experience. I think this can be done in a variety of ways. Having students utilize a type of field guide as they work or perhaps having them create some quick videos about their learning while in the process of participating in the experience. The goal is to have the student as an “active participant in the experience, not merely an observer of it”. (pg. 8). Are these concepts on our radar when planning field trips or experiential opportunities for our students? Do we take the time to consider the value in the learning from their perspective? Is that truly what the experience is all about or is it based on an opportunity that comes up for us?

So What

In this phase, “Students think about their experience, guided by reflective questions and prompts, and identify what they learned as a result of the experience – about themselves, other people, the world, their opportunities, or the subject of study.” (pg. 10). This is bigger than just thinking about the field trip that they went on and whether or not they liked it. The goal of the reflection is truly to answer the question of so what. Some questions that come to mind for the educator are:

  • Now that we’ve had this experience, so what?
  • What have we learned? What makes the experience meaningful?
  • What skills might we have attained or used during this time?
  • Why might they be important to us?
  • It’s much more than a summary of the event. In what ways are students being guided to reflect after attending a field trip or experience?
  • What open questions might support a deepening of their reflection?

Going a little further, here are a few reflective questions that I thought could be posed to students:

  1. What skills did you use in order to achieve success today?
  2. Describe another instance in which you used the same skills in order to be successful.
  3. Now that you’ve had the opportunity to participate in this experience, how might this impact your own life and some of the decisions you make?

Now What

Lastly, this phase is described as, “Students describe how their learning stimulates further inquiry; how it has influenced – or may influence – their decisions, opinions, goals, and plans; and what they might do differently if they have a similar experience in future.” (pg. 10). Now that they have experienced and reflected, now what? Will there be any transformation in the student’s life? How does this experience impact the choices they’ll make in the future in relation to this experience and others? Experiential learning is about driving action for our students and getting them to think about what will be different. They’ve had a spark, scratched the surface, the wheels are in motion, and hopefully they have connected with their passion. How will they use this to impact the world in a positive way? How will this help them to see themselves as change agents or individuals who can have an impact?

Taking all this into consideration, my reflection on what I thought were experiential opportunities for students now prove to be only the tip of the iceberg. There could have been so much more to the experience that would have made the learning more in depth. I would offer that if the experiences we are providing for students are called “experiential”, we need to ensure that they are meeting the criteria outlined here. Otherwise, I would have to say that they are field trips, which – don’t get me wrong – provide value but are not experiential learning opportunities.

Although I’ve asked a lot of questions so far, you know that most often I ask a question or two to close my posts. Here are a few that I’ll ask in hopes of starting a conversation:

  1. How do we deepen learning experiences to make them truly experiential?
  2. In what ways are we ensuring that we are allowing students to get that spark and connect to their passions?

There are some really great examples of experiential learning in the resource. Take a look and I would also love to hear what you’re doing in your classrooms and schools!

Arianna Lambert Constant Learning, Learning in a Real Life Context, Modern Learning

Creative Confidence

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about the concept of creative confidence. At its core it’s about believing in your ideas and that you hold the ability to have a positive impact on the world.

I share with people all the time that I’m always amazed by kindergarten students. Whenever faced with a challenge, they somehow jump right in and offer solutions that they truly believe will work. They eagerly share solutions to everyday challenges without censoring themselves or second-guessing their ability to actually be a part of a change for the better. But what happens with these eager students as they move into higher grades? At what point do they start to censor themselves and display that creative confidence in a muted way? I’ve had students as young as those in grades 4 and 5 who no longer believed in their ideas and genuinely didn’t know what steps to take in order to solve a problem “in the right way”. How did they get there? How do we get them back? I wonder if the following elements that exist in Kindergarten classrooms might be key in answering these questions.

Play

If I haven’t mentioned it before, I have the two most amazing nephews in the entire world! I genuinely love watching them play. Sometimes in role as others or even just as themselves, they interact and problem solve on the fly. Issues come up when the other character doesn’t quite respond in the way one expects and they have to come up with a solution so that the game or activity continues. There’s the freedom to play anything and to try anything. The idea that you have to be good at playing just doesn’t exist. They just do it at home and at school. I wonder if we adopted the same idea for older students as they entered the classroom, what might the learning be like? What if tools were given and they were asked to interact with them in a way similar to play? What if there was no association with being good at something but the idea of just jumping in and trying it was valued. Would students engage more and worry less about the outcome? Would they embrace failure and try again, ultimately learning as they try again? How would our classrooms be different if this concept or idea was valued well after kindergarten?

Design

Kindergarten students are forever designing something for someone or something. They build homes for their figurines with blocks and use craft materials to build homes for animals. They also draw pictures to bring a smile to a loved-one’s face and some use tech to create. How might we keep this going as they age? It’s no secret that I’m going to say…dig deep into Design Thinking! It’s a creative framework that can be used in any discipline to allow students to hone their creativity as they work towards creating unique and innovative solutions for real-world problems. Consider the learning goals that you are working towards, connect them to a real-world problem and let students engage in the process. The more that they see themselves as creators of meaningful change in the world, the greater their creative confidence will be!  

Interdisciplinary Learning

I can’t help but be inspired by the interdisciplinary learning that happens in kindergarten. This reminds me of the learning that happens as adults. I joke that I don’t just do Math between 10:30 and 11:30 and often wonder why this is the case for our students. What if we were able to integrate subjects? What if students saw connections between the work that they were doing in Language and in Math? Or Social Studies and Science? Would they learn more easily learn the transferability of skills? I know that it’s a challenge when we have a specific number of minutes or hours of a specific course that have to be completed and even more so in Secondary Schools where subjects are taught by specialists. In what ways might we make a shift so that learning isn’t so siloed? I don’t have an answer but I wonder if when students see the connections between subjects, if they might just become more excited about approaching something new because they realize that they have a tool-kit from a variety of subject areas that can be meshed together to them as they go.

I’m working on my own creative confidence by playing more, designing new things at Future Design School and thinking about how I might be able to help others with interdisciplinary planning and learning for students. I’ll keep you posted on how things go!

Arianna Lambert Communication with Parents and Guardians, Mental Health, Mindfulness, self reflection, wellness

It’s Progress Report Time!

This is my first November out of the classroom in 10 years and yet with the majority of my friends as teachers, I still find myself somehow feeling the anxiety that comes with this time of year. Not only have they been feverishly working to complete progress reports, they know that with reports come Parent-Teacher interviews. This can be an incredibly stressful time for teachers, students and parents.

The first thing that used to bring a great deal of anxiety at this time of year was often wondering whether or not I had gotten to know the strengths and needs of my students well enough to write a report. I found myself thinking that parents would surely expect me to know everything about their child by this point of the year and yet I found that in every day, there was something new to learn. While I found that there was sometimes stress placed upon me by parents to know everything about their child, a lot of the stress and anxiety I felt at this time of year was my own doing. In retrospect, there were a few things that I could have done differently to ease some of the pressure although I am fully aware that it wouldn’t be eliminated completely.

Plan ahead when writing reports. I know that anyone who knows me well is laughing right at this precise moment. Throughout my career, I have been that teacher who has left reports until the very end. All-nighters have been pulled trying to make sure that I could cram every last letter into the reports. I’ve always been one who needs some of the stress of a close deadline in order to get things done. Many times this strategy worked but I notice that as I get older, planning my time seems to be a more effective. I find that when I give myself deadlines to achieve different parts of a task, they become more manageable and I end up achieving greater results. I know that the deadline is fast approaching – if it hasn’t already – perhaps consider breaking up the task of writing reports into smaller components and working through them at your own pace. Is writing a few reports a day manageable or could writing a specific comment each day for all students be easier? Either way, take some time to consider and plan what would make the task more simple for yourself and ultimately more meaningful as you document the progress of your students.

Take time to do something fun with friends. I’m all for working hard and playing hard. My struggle is finding the balance between both. Lucky enough I have great friends and family who notice and try to help. When the crunch is one, I often don’t think that I have time to spare. However, it’s amazing how much more focused and in the moment I become when I actually take some time to stop and connect with someone and have a good laugh. I’m learning more and more that during times of stress, I need to make the time to stop, laugh and enjoy the company of others. Mental health is an important part of our general health and well-being. We know that reports won’t go away and neither will the stress of them but consider what is in your wellness tool-kit that might help as you go through the stressful time. For me it’s laughter with people and I need to make sure that I take the time – even if it’s only for an hour – to do just that.

Consider student-led interviews. The question that is heard the most by teachers in the month of November is, “How is my child doing?”. Every parent wants to know and every teacher feels as though they are just scratching the surface in understanding who the child really is. Over the years, I’ve had colleagues share about student-led interviews. I’ve done them at the end of the first term but wonder about their effectiveness for the progress report. What if we continued in our role as facilitator in these interviews and prepared our students ahead of time to share what they have been learning over the course of the year? Imagine how powerful it could be to get students sharing about the first 2 months and how they have worked to build the classroom community as well as how they are growing as learners. It would certainly allow for students to take the time to reflect on the past couple of months and it could be a great way for them to start setting goals and to discuss how parents might be able to support them in their goals at home. What if we asked students to use the following sentence starters to garner how they are feeling about school as an authentic opportunity for student voice?

  1. So far I’ve learned…
  2. I’m really excited about…
  3. I feel successful…
  4. I need some help with…
  5. I’m most proud of…
  6. I would like to improve…

I wonder if starting off the first set of interviews in this way would reduce the stress teachers felt and would empower students to start thinking about their strengths and advocating for their own needs. It certainly wouldn’t be easy as teachers work to prepare students but I think this could be a really effective start to the relationship between home and school. I can’t help but think that using the 10 to 15 minutes to actually hear from students about their own progress might be a fantastic insight into their true progress.

As I mentioned before, it’s my first November outside of the classroom in a long time and yet I can’t help reflecting on my own practice and thinking about what I might do differently if I was in the classroom at this time. Here’s hoping that my thoughts in hindsight might help another teacher who is currently experiencing some of the stresses of Progress Report time.

Arianna Lambert agency, Challenging Topics, Equity, Gender Equity, Health & Safety, LGBTQ2S, Making a Difference Through Education, Professional Judgement, Social Justice

Drawing The Line

Each year, in Canada, approxScreenshot 2018-09-30 at 9.18.11 PMimately 460,000 women are sexually assaulted, although only a fraction of them report the assault to the police (1). In a day and age where this statistic holds true, it’s hard to imagine that our government is wanting to go back to a time where consent and gender identity aren’t being discussed in classrooms as a part of the Health Curriculum. Simply ignoring the very real issues that our students face in 2018 doesn’t make them go away, nor does it help to develop a society that is action-based and ready to implement change.

Earlier this year I was really excited to hear about ETFO’s and White Ribbon’s resource – Drawing The Line. Now I might be slightly biased as my brother is a contributing author but I was thrilled to see a resource that not only provided data-driven information for educators but also included a comprehensive guide for age-appropriate lessons for students in grades 1 to 8. I love that the guide addresses bystanders and offers students ways in which to respond to to sexual violence. Not only do the lessons connect to the Health and Physical Education Curriculum but expectations also in Language and the Arts are included in many of the lessons. This guide is truly a proactive approach to teaching students about healthy relationships and is one that every educator should read and implement in their classrooms. I know that in the past, ETFO was offering sessions on this resource and I hope that they continue.

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With hotlines or tiplines being made available, it’s sad to say that we are in such a time where educators are somewhat in fear of teaching what we know to be essential for our students’ safety and healthy development. We need to be having these conversations because unless we do, nothing will change and perpetrators will feel empowered to continue. As you may already know, at the beginning of September, ETFO filed a legal injunction to pause the rollback of the 2015 Health curriculum. The union believes the government’s directive creates unsafe and unhealthy learning and working environments. In the meantime, how are you working to unpack these issues with students? They’re in the news and on the same social media platforms that students are interacting with. How will the work we do today impact the statistics in the future? In the next year, 5 or 10? If you haven’t already, please check out this resource as well as the other resources that ETFO has to offer.

1. Holly, Johnson, “Limits of a Criminal Justice Response” (University of Ottawa, 2012), https://books.openedition.org/uop/592?lang=en

Arianna Lambert Constant Learning, Making a Difference Through Education

New Year, New Role

Education has always had a huge place in my heart. On several occasions, my mom has recounted stories of me teaching my stuffed animals as a young child. This was even before my starting school and getting a taste of what being a part of the education system would be like. Although my path to the big question of what I want to be when I grow up – by the way, I’m still figuring that all out – veered in different directions, I find myself today in a place that I am truly enjoying within education.

A couple of years ago, I remember being asked the question of what I would do next in education and I always thought that I would never leave the classroom. I was excited to work with students on a daily basis. Discovery and laughter were two things that I could guarantee would happen daily. Over the past 9 years, my students have been the one thing that motivated me to become a better educator. Not merely for the sake of saying that I am a good educator but with a desire to take the time to grow in order to better meet the needs of the students that I had the privilege of serving. Never in a million years did I think that when presented with an opportunity to try something new, that I would start to consider it.

This past June I decided to take a leave and a leap with an amazing team at Future Design School. In August, I started my new role as an Education Lead and it’s been an amazing experience. Having the opportunity to work with educators across North America on creating exceptional learning experiences for students that empowers them to develop Future-Ready skills, is truly powerful.

So far in my new role, I’ve learned 3 things:

  • Enjoy the new learning
  • Learners are learners, whether they are children or adults
  • Take time to reflect

Enjoy The New Learning

I think this is the first time that I’ve taken such a big leap and jumped into something totally new. In the process of supporting educators in a variety of ways, I myself find it fulfilling to also be on my own journey of education on many levels. I love that there is always something new to uncover and that I have an opportunity to be apart of something fantastic that I too get to have an opportunity to help grow. I’m inspired daily to be part of a team who is passionate about transforming education and willing to share what they know with others. While I have worked with students around Design Thinking in the past, I’m understanding on a deeper level the “why” and reason for so much of the process. It’s amazing, the more I learn, the more I discover how much more growth there is to experience.

Learners Are Learners, Whether They Are Children Or Adults

I’m learning that scaffolding of any new learning is important for children AND adults. I know that this should be a simple concept for me to have realized a while ago but it has now become very clear. The definition of learning – the acquisition of knowledge or skills through experience, study, or by being taught – remains the same no matter the age of the individual. Being clear and explicit doesn’t change because of age. Nor does involving the learner in the learning change simply because of the demographic. Adults enjoy getting up in sessions and having the opportunity to talk through ideas with others. They love sharing their thoughts and experiences when designing learning experiences for their students. As educators we’re moving away from being the “sage on the stage” to the “guide on the side” and the same holds true when working with adults. I’m still learning about working with adult learners and know that best practices in the classroom are also keys to that work.

Take Time To Reflect

I think that I have always been a reflective person but I’m making the time to journal and reflect on my experiences even more. As a kinetic learner, I know that I learn best by actively doing, succeeding or failing and having opportunities to reflect, ask questions of others, and trying again. One thing that I am going to be working on this year is not being afraid of asking questions. I’m pretty confident in asking when I don’t understand something, however, I know that there are times when I am unsure and during these moments I’m a little more hesitant and sometimes like to figure things out. My goal this year is to learn as much as I can and I know that this requires that I be reflective and vulnerable in asking questions.

It’s a new year and a new role for me and I am really embracing it. Are you in a new role this year? If so, I would love to hear what you have been up to and your thoughts around starting something new. What prompted the change? What are your learning? Don’t be left out if you’re not in a brand new role, there’s always an opportunity to experience something new in education. Let’s start a conversation as we work towards growing as educators.

Arianna Lambert Inspiring Teachers, Occasional Teachers, Professional Learning and Growth, Social Justice, Use of Technology

Summer Professional Learning

The summer is here and if you are anything like me, it’s the perfect time for some professional learning. Ok…well maybe after the long weekend so at least you’ve had a bit of time to unwind from a hectic month at school. You may be wondering, “what’s out there this summer for me to learn?”. Well, here are 2 great opportunities that I am excited to be a part of this summer.

Screenshot 2018-06-30 at 4.51.25 PMMakerEdTO – Every year, during the first week of July, educators who are excited about Making get together for the MakerEdTo Conference which is held at the York School.  From inspiring keynotes to hands-on sessions, this is a conference that I’ve been inspired by for the last couple of years. What I appreciate most is having the time and space to play and talk with colleagues about applications in the classroom in order to get new ideas for the following year. Maker Festival Toronto is also happening July 7th & 8th at the Toronto Public Library.

 

Screenshot 2018-06-30 at 4.51.07 PMETFO’S Summer Academy  – With over 55 courses this year, ETFO’s Summer Academy has something for every teacher who is looking for more than just a day workshop but rather an opportunity to network and connect with like-minded educators for 3-day courses on topics from Kindergarten to Design Thinking and Technology to Mathematics. I’ve been fortunate enough to learn from some of these amazing educators and I’m certain that you’ll leave feeling excited about trying something new or more confident about a specific area in your teaching practice.  I’m facilitating courses on Getting Started with G Suite Edu in Stratford on July 17th, 18th & 19th and Empowering Students Through Design Thinking on July 31st, August 1, & 2nd. Consider joining me!

Prefer to do some professional learning on your own? ETFO has amazing Resources that are available. From resources for Occasional Teachers to resources and Book Lists on Social Justice topics, there is such a wide variety of information available for reading on your own time.

This summer, I hope that you take some time for yourself to rest, relax and enjoy the beautiful weather and if – like me – you get the professional learning bug, seize the opportunity and enjoy it!

Arianna Lambert Celebrating Success, Year End Activities

End Of Year Reflections

EEEK!!! Where has the time gone? I meant to post this earlier in the month to get the conversation going and to perhaps find new or different ways of reflecting both for myself and students but began writing and switched to report cards, June Reviews or OSR sign-offs.

Every June or maybe even earlier, I start to reflect on the year. I think about the positives/gains that I made both personally and with students and I take time to think about what I could have done better. Inevitably the column of what I could have done better outweighs the column of what I accomplished and while that always offers me the opportunity to improve as an educator, the problem becomes that I can leave the year feeling as though I haven’t really made as many gains – which simply isn’t the case. I wonder when we get our students reflecting, if this too is the case for them.

As I mentioned, I started reflecting earlier and I don’t think that I realized the impact that I had on my students until the day that I told them that I was leaving. While I hated seeing some break down in tears, it wasn’t until that moment that I realized that I had reached some who I perceived as my toughest critics. Students for whom I often felt as though I wasn’t reaching started to open up about the ways in which our interactions and our work together this year changed their mindsets and how they wanted to learn in the future. Some expressed a sense of being heard and/or seen while others felt as though they found their passions through some of our activities using Design Thinking. And then I started to wonder how different the last few months may have been had we taken the time to start reflecting earlier and perhaps not taken each other so for granted.

While I reflect personally, I think it’s really important to have students reflecting as well. I know that there are many ideas that are out there for ways in which students can reflect, but I wonder in what ways can we work with students so that they are constantly reflecting and not simply because they are told but because they know that reflection can facilitate greater success. This year we answered questions about moments of pride in our year as well as moments where we learned something about ourselves or others. We also created a Google Slides deck of words to live by, which included quotes we found and/ or created on our own. Students were tasked with using the words but finding images that may help viewers to feel inspired by the message of the words. Many were very deep and in retrospect, I now see that it would have been useful to have done this earlier in the year. I would have printed them out and had them on the walls of our classroom to continue to inspire us through the learning process this year.  

 

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So my question is, how do we as reflective educators, truly take the time to recognize the gains made throughout the year and not just at times when journeys may be changing? Is it about smaller chunks of time on which we reflect? I know that I reflect daily but it’s sometimes a challenge to see the progress from day-to-day. How do we get our students doing the same thing? How do we get them to reflect or become eager to reflect on their own? Is it offering times of journalling or getting students to reflect like I saw a fellow Twitter Friend – Jay Dubois – do with his students – https://twitter.com/Jay__Dubois/status/1011345374009847810?

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My role is changing next year but know that reflection is a huge part of my ongoing learning journey. Any ideas or suggestions would be much appreciated. How do you reflect?    

Arianna Lambert Inspiring Students, Math, The Arts, Use of Technology

Are Artists Mathematicians Too?

I’ve always thought that the Arts and Mathematics were 2 separate things that never should meet. If someone was good at Art there was no way that they would be great Mathematicians and vice versa. Was I ever wrong! This year I’ve had the privilege of working with a co-op student in my classroom who is an amazing artist. She has truly engaged my students in activities that always seem to lend themselves to Math and this got me thinking more and more about the connection between the Arts and Mathematics.

Last year I was introduced to a Kandinsky Math Activity by a colleague in the TDSB, Amanda Brown. Blown away by how her students were connecting geometric concepts to Kandinsky’s Art pieces, I started to see more and more the value of helping students to understand sometimes abstract concepts in Mathematics through Art. I tried her activity with students last year and they loved it!  This year, I’m giving it a try with a bit of a different twist with my current group and the conversations are rich and meaningful and students are understanding the concepts with more clarity.

You wonder what the activity is all about? Well, this is what we did this year.

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I started by asking my students to think about Geometric Concepts that they were familiar with. They mentioned things like 2D and 3D shapes, attributes, lines, angles and we started to create a list of terms that they already knew and I added a few more based on the curriculum. I then asked students to think about some of these terms and we moved to create a word wall to help us. It was easy with familiar terms because they used pictures to describe what they knew of a circle or a square but when we got to a scalene triangle, it was a little more challenging. Some students took it upon themselves to find online math dictionaries to help them with the definitions and wrote them out for our word wall but still found them abstract. Where might we find a scalene triangle or need to know what one is in the real world? Now the fun was going to begin.

After taking look at some of the amazing abstract pieces created by Kandinsky and with a knowledge ofScreenshot 2018-05-29 at 8.51.58 PM the terms we were going to be investigating, students were asked to look at some of his works and identify the geometric concepts contained within. They were amazed by the number of concepts that could be found in his works. They measured angles and classified them as acute, right or obtuse. They compared shapes and lines, some even realizing that some of the shapes were created by other shapes and lines intersecting.

Screenshot 2018-05-29 at 8.52.12 PMOnce we had the chance to investigate Kandinsky’s works, we set off on a mission to try to create our own Kandinsky inspired works using Google Drawings. In pairs, students used at least 7 of the concepts that we were learning about to create abstract, labeled digital drawings.

After a little practice with a friend, they were asked to independently create their own work of Art using at least 10 concepts using paper, pencils, markers, pencil crayons and paint. We discussed how mood is created through the use of colour and they have been hard at work ever since.

It’s so refreshing to see all of my students – even the ones who don’t necessarily feel strong in Mathematics – thrive in experiences like these when the concepts taught are connected to the Arts or to real life applications of Math. When they’re fully engaged in the work and feel successful in their understanding, application and communication of the learning, that’s when I see my Artists come alive in the Math class in ways that are truly amazing. So, to answer my question…yes, Artists might very well be Mathematicians too!Screenshot 2018-05-29 at 8.51.44 PM

 

Arianna Lambert Literacy, Modern Learning, Technology in school, Use of Technology

Digital Literacy Day!

Let’s face it. The world is changing at a rapid rate and technology is evolving so quickly that some of us have a hard time keeping up. Do you know who is ready to embrace new tech and move rapidly with these changes? Our students! Thursday, May 31st, 2018 is Digital Literacy Day in Toronto. It’s a day to celebrate how we and our students are participating in 3 areas:

  1. Finding and/or consuming digital information
  2. Creating digital content
  3. Communicating or sharing digital content

A few years ago, the Ontario Ministry of Education put out a monograph on Literacy for a Connected World which is an interesting read that is still relevant today. This monograph touches upon these 3 areas and asks us as Educators to consider how we might be preparing our students for a world that is becoming more and more technological.

Finding and/or Consuming Digital Information

I’m certain that many of us have asked our students to research for a particular topic for a project or presentation. In a day and age where students can Google everything, the challenge becomes empowering our students to be able to decipher and think critically about the information that is presented to them. I might be dating myself here but when I was growing up I had a set of encyclopedias that I took to be truthful and my main difficulty was discovering how to properly cite the information contained within. Now students are tasked with determining the relevance and accuracy of the information presented to them based on their searches. Many times I’ve had to tell students that Wikipedia may not be the most accurate source of information. How are we working with students to allow them to become great evaluators of the information presented? What steps can we take to ensure that they are able to determine which information is relevant and accurate when they are searching?  I know that I have asked students to look at the source – where is the information coming from? Is it a reputable organization – but more and more, there are sources that seem reputable and yet they are perhaps not. In the past, I know that I have gone to my Teacher-Librarian to help with this and I usually stick to searches through our TDSB Virtual Library, but a critical question is, how do we move beyond this?

Another exciting part about consuming digital information are the assistive technology tools that can be used to make sure that more of our students can access content. The TDSB has an amazing Assistive Technology Site with more information on tools that support all learners.

Creating Digital Content

This by far is probably my most favourite part of Digital Literacy. Sharing a tool with students and seeing how they navigate it to create their own content to share with peers and teachers is truly exciting. We use the Google Suite for Education tools pretty much every day in our classroom. From sharing links and assignments in Google Classroom to collaborating in a Google Doc or sharing our learning through the creation of a Google Site, this suite of tools has simplified creation. Students can also receive timely feedback on their work and since the tools work so well together, they are easy to use in collaboration with each other.

I know that there is sometimes the fear of introducing a new tool that we ourselves are not proficient in but believe me, I’ve learned so much by introducing tools and having students be the ones who share and discover some of the tricks. It’s amazing how much you can learn from and along-side your students. Not only did my students quickly learn tips and tricks but they are often eager to share them with peers. What new tools are you learning about to share with students to get them creating? Consider your learning space. Is the focus more on the finding or consumption of digital information or getting students to create? You’ll notice a great shift in engagement when students are in creation mode. The possibilities are endless and they are eager to create. Let them.

Communicating or Sharing Digital Content

With sharing digital content, there comes great responsibility. I have to admit, this is the one part that gets me a little nervous. I have some amazing sites created by my students and the PUBLISH button at the top of the page is intimidating. I worry about their privacy and what doors that opens for these young students but I do understand the importance of building a positive digital footprint. Many of my students have worked on amazing projects that have the potential to impact the world and connect them to others who may help them bring their ideas to life in the real world and yet my fear restrains me from allowing them to freely press that button. I continue to be vigilant in addition to my due diligence in having these conversations around personal information being shared and being responsible for what we post. I wonder if my students were older if it would make a difference? How do we help students to share their digital content responsibly? What have you tried in your classroom or school?

As I said before, the world is changing and Digital Literacy is a part of Literacy for our students. How are we embracing the use of digital tools in the classroom? This Thursday, let’s celebrate Digital Literacy. The City of Toronto has a variety of activities that they hope will engage people in classrooms, schools and communities. For more information on Digital Literacy Day events in your neighbourhood, take a look this link on the City of Toronto’s website. Happy Digital Literacy Day!