Arianna Lambert Distance learning, Technology

Jamboard – a Tool for Learning Together at a Distance

One thing that I love about working in the classroom with students is collaborative learning. When a student has an “ah-ha” moment and blurts it out and another connects what is said to something else, that’s when the learning gets even more exciting. These are the moments that can’t quite be captured when we are learning, somewhat in isolation. 

What I call, “Distance Learning”, is something new for all of us. Early on, I realized just how much we rely on each other in the classroom. From being able to scan faces for the need to clarify; to asking questions to check for understanding and pushing forward to extend learning, when working together in the classroom, we’re able to gauge so much more and tailor the learning to meet diverse needs. Tasks that we used to work on collaboratively can’t be done in the same way and I’ve been on the hunt for ways to bring back the spirit of collaboration to the learning we are now doing at a distance. One tool that I have found myself using more and more with students, is Jamboard. 

In essence, Jamboard is a collaborative whiteboard that has sharing permissions that are the same as other Google Suite for Education tools. You don’t need an actual Jamboard to use the online or app version which is fantastic because there is no additional hardware required! In Jamboard, groups can collaborate in real-time to add pictures, text, or sticky notes to a canvas. 

In my last post, I mentioned that in small groups, I have been connecting with students using Google Meet, 3 times a week. While we don’t use the video feature, it’s nice to be able to hear each other as we work through a problem or on a lesson. During these Meets, our “classroom”  has used Jamboard in the following ways:

  • Check-ins: On one of our Meets, when first learning to use Jamboard, we decided that it could be a cool way to check-in with each other. Students were asked to add an image that represented how they were feeling and to use a sticky note to describe how the image related to them and their feeling. Once finished, students were allowed to share what they selected – if they wanted – and we had a discussion that was clearly enhanced by the visuals that students added to the canvas. In one of the groups, there was a student who was feeling down and it was so kind of another student to add a message of encouragement near their work, which prompted a few others to follow suit. The student was so pleased to know that they had this support system even though we were far away. They thanked their peers for their kind words.  I loved that the students who added positive messages didn’t add their names but truly just wanted to send their support. 
  • Math Problems: Many of the problems that we solve in the classroom have been group tasks. Students are often asked to think about a problem and think about what they can bring to the group to solve it. From there, they collaborate – putting their ideas together – to come up with a solution. Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve tried to see how best we can share our strategies for problem solving, particularly in Math. A couple of weeks ago, students were given a problem to solve, and then during our Meet, it was their chance to walk their peers through their solution. It was really helpful for students to see that our problem could be solved in a variety of ways. We were looking at elapsed time and our problem was: A spider took _____ minutes to spin a web. The spider finished at ___:___. What time did they start? Below you will find 3 different ways that students solved the problem. 

  • Once again, having the visual as students walked through the different ways that they solved the problem was so helpful. Some even added more frames to the jam to walk peers through their solutions more clearly.  It was nice hearing, “That’s an easier way to solve it” or “Oh, you can use a number line for time?”. Once again, it allowed us to learn collaboratively from and with each other. 
  • This week, we did a KWL chart to start our unit on fractions. Students added to the first two columns – What do you KNOW? and What do you WANT to know?. As they were sharing their ideas, aloud and on sticky notes, it gave others in the group ideas of what else they might add. As a group we realized just how much we already knew and look forward to the learning for this unit.  As it progresses, students will add their learning in the 3rd column.
  • Language: We have been working on persuasive writing and students have been trying to convince people about whether or not students should get paid for going to school. We used a jam to capture our opinions in groups as we worked to fill in a graphic organizer. They started off by thinking about and filling in their opinion in yellow on the graphic organizer. After our Meet, they were able to get the other side’s opinion and they added those ideas to the pink side of the graphic organizer. We had plenty of arguments – and a few heated debates – on both sides which was great because it’s important to think of both sides of the argument when trying to persuade someone effectively.  Students always have access to the jam so they can refer back to it as needed. 

I know that this type of learning will never compare to the learning that happens in classrooms but as we try to learn at a distance, tools like Jamboard that help to keep the collaboration going, are so important. I know that there are so many other tools that educators are using, please feel free to share them in the comments below. I’m always happy to incorporate a new tool when it enhances student learning.

Arianna Lambert Professional Learning and Growth, self reflection, Teacher Wellness

Distance Learning – Trying to Get Back Into a Routine

It’s week 4 of what I have been calling, “Distance Learning”. I can’t believe the time has been going so quickly and yet it feels as though we haven’t been in the classroom in what seems like forever. I write this post from my “classroom” in the basement and will use it as a reflection of my time management in teaching over the weeks since the March Break.

I have to admit that I started out this journey very hesitant but willing to give it my all. Knowing that this was something totally new, I knew that there were going to be things that failed epically – like my Kahoot – and that scared me. Not because I fear failure, but rather because I was most fearful of failing my students and their families. With direction seeming to come from all angles, I decided that my start would have to be with something that would work for me and my students. Early on, I realized that there is no one, cookie-cutter way of making “Distance Learning” work and that it would look different in each “classroom” and possible for every student within that “classroom”. With this in mind, I started to take what I could from the suggestions offered and left the rest on a list of what I call “Maybes”. 

Routine has always been a big part of my life. If you look at my Google Calendar, every little detail is added and if it hasn’t been added, chances are, I won’t remember it until it’s too late. This pandemic threw my whole routine out the window. My sleep was off as I worried about meeting needs, all while worrying about being sick. I found myself online all the time with multiple devices giving me notifications so that I wouldn’t miss anything. After about a week of this, I knew I wouldn’t be able to sustain things long-term. I always talk to my students and their families about balance and during week 1, I was definitely not practicing what I was preaching. Something had to give.

I knew that I had to get back to what I know works – planning out a schedule and getting back to my routine. I was already doing this for students in our weekly planner using this template, but I needed to come up with my own weekly planner. So starting on the Monday of week 2, I came up with the following plan:

  • On Mondays, I plan for the following week while checking in with students online in Google Classroom and through email. I usually post a question asking students how they are and from there can gauge whether or not I need to do a phone check-in with some. Now, I’m not doing this at all hours of the day.  I get up, get ready, and head to “my classroom” for around 8 am to begin most days.  I’m online until about 4, taking a break for lunch and a workout. 
  • On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, I meet with students in small groups on Google Meet from about 10 am until 2 pm, with feedback happening before and after. During our Meets, we do a planned lesson or activity together and use it as an opportunity to check-in on the work that we have been doing. It’s definitely different not seeing student’s faces but hearing their voices and sharing our learning has been a big motivator during this time. 
  • On Thursdays, I head back into “my classroom” and record short videos to accompany each of the lessons for the following week. I also reflect on what I have planned in order to determine whether or not the lessons are relevant based on where students are at. I also upload everything into Google Classroom for the following week and often have a division meeting that I choose to attend. 
  • On Fridays, it’s catching up on feedback and I have Meets with students at the same times as Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Last week, we tried our first whole class Meet and while it was fun, I felt as though it was so different from us all being together in the classroom. The awkward silence as someone waits to share or figuring out how to jump in to speak without interrupting someone else. We’re working on it and I hope that we have more of these times together because there is great learning happening through these challenges. 

So far, this is what has been working for me. I’m finding my balance and trying to define clear boundaries between work and home. It hasn’t been easy but I’m getting there. I would love to know how things are going for you. If you have tips or ideas on how to effectively navigate these times, I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to share them in the comments below. Wishing you all continued success through these challenging times of distance learning. Please continue to take care of yourselves and your families. 

Arianna Lambert Design, Language Learning, Learning in a Real Life Context, Literacy, Math, Resources, Use of Technology

Distance Learning Ideas

During these different times, I’ve been planning for a new type of learning – distance learning – with little to no idea of how it might actually be implemented. As I plan, I thought there may be some who would find what I have done of value. I’m using this post to share some of the resources that I might use with students.

Language

Writing and Oral Communication

Persuasion is an art! To be able to develop a persuasive argument, you have to make sure that you have enough information to support your position on a matter. When you find topics that are of personal interest, people tend to have an opinion right away and can start to justify their thoughts. For this type of activity, I’m thinking of giving students one of the following prompts and asking them to come up with a persuasive argument including at least 3 supporting details for their opinion. Students can upload their arguments either in video or writing in a platform like Google Classroom and then they can possibly respond to each other’s arguments with counter-arguments. To extend this idea further, students can be grouped into teams based on their opinions and participate in a debate for or against the specific topic presented. 

Possible prompts:

  • When we start school again, we should have a 4-day school week. Do you agree or disagree?
  • During the pandemic, people have been using masks and gloves to move around the city. There is a shortage in hospitals. Should people donate their masks and gloves to hospitals?
  • When the pandemic is over, life will go back to being the way it was before. Do you agree or disagree?

Reading and Media Literacy

In our class, we’ve been reading and investigating non-fiction texts. Students were also in the process of writing their own themed magazines based on their own research on a topic. To continue with non-fiction reading, I thought it would be great to take some time to continue to read online magazines or texts. While reading, students can take notes of what they are learning using a graphic organizer like this one from Scholastic. This is just an elementary example but depending on what you are focused on, you can create your own for your students. From there, I thought that students could use what they have learned to create an infographic on a specific topic of interest. Keeping in mind that infographics have a visual component, students can use a tool like Google Drawings to create their own layout for their infographics. One online magazine that is now making all of its content free is Brainspace. There are a variety of topics that might be of interest to students. 

Math

I’ve found that hands-on activities have been the most well-received by my students and their families during this time. While there are a variety of Math games online – mPower, Math Playground, Prodigy, IXL – sometimes it’s nice to sit down and try an activity that allows you the opportunity to build critical thinking and problem-solving skills. There are so many different activities online but one that I quite like is from The Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing. Their printable activities for students in Grades 4 to 12 are fun and educational ways to do mathematics and computer science while at home practicing social distancing. The resources include games, new problems to solve, applications, videos, pointers to existing materials on their website. Once they have finished solving the problems with their families, students can share their solutions and strategies with each other online in writing or in a video, using a platform like Google Classroom.

Design Thinking

Students can use our current pandemic – Covid-19 – to design something totally new! This is a project that can be done over time and students can share what they have been working on in an online platform such as Google Classroom. At each stage of the process, they can share their work with the teacher or each other. 

Have students start by identifying problems that they are hearing about on the news or from online sources. They could write these on sticky notes, paper or using a tech tool. Teachers could use Padlet to create an online problem board for all students to include their ideas.  From there, students could potentially design an app or a solution that could connect community members as they are socially distancing themselves or something else that they have identified as a problem. The sky’s the limit! 

After researching and understanding the problem, students can pick one specific problem, and focus on how it is affecting a specific person (user). Here are 2 recent articles (International Covid-19 and Coronavirus Affecting the Way We Do Things) that they can use along with other online sources. 

Students can use this template – created in partnership with Smarter Science and the TDSB – to document their learning throughout the process. Once finished, students can create their own pitch for their idea, creating a short video or slide presentation for their peers.

These are just some of the ideas that I’m thinking about as we venture into this new type of learning next week. I’m not sure how it will go or what might work but I’m open to learning and trying something new. 

Arianna Lambert Language Learning, Literacy, Questioning

Graphic Novels – Engaging Learning for All Readers

Meeting with families was a little different this year due to job action.  Last month, I met with a family to discuss their child’s progress. Although we weren’t meeting about concerns, this was a very insightful meeting, as we spoke about engaging students in reading for enjoyment. I was a little surprised because this child always raises their hand to participate in reading activities in the classroom and this definitely got me thinking about reading overall.

After some reflection, I realized that as an educator, I’m constantly asking students to read for a specific purpose: to gather or organize information for research; to check for comprehension; or to sometimes aid in writing. Sure, I’ve told students to read for enjoyment but I started to think about whether or not I’ve taught them how to find books that they enjoy. Have I given them time to just sit and read without asking them to do something after? How do we navigate the space of having students read for a purpose while also honouring them developing their own love of reading? How do we help them to maintain this balance as the demands of reading increase through the grades? This also got me thinking personally about my reading habits. When picking a book, I usually go for the trial and error method.  I try a book, like it and find similar books by the same author or genre to continue reading. Or I hate it and stop reading anything similar. How do we help students to learn what is out there?

During the weeks before the break, while on trips to the library for our book exchange, I started to have more open conversations with my students about what I like to read and why. I spent some time pulling out different books that I liked and it was so neat to see students wanting to take a look at what I liked to read and who trusted my recommendations. This had me thinking about book reviews and how powerful they are. I’ve read books based solely on the word of someone I trusted. How might we foster spaces where students could freely share their reviews of books, not because they had to write a book report but because they wanted to have the opportunity to share.  I also realized that my students need to see me reading – more specifically what I am reading – which opened up opportunities for conversations that are authentic. While in the library, I started reading some of the graphic novels and realized that many of them were so packed with amazing themes and could also be great for book clubs with students. 

My three latest graphic novel reads are New Kid by Jerry Craft, Invisible Emmie by Terri Libenson, and Guts by Raina Telgemeir. While reading, I realized that each of the graphic novels could be used for deep conversations about the realities of navigating the very real difficulties of growing up. Conversations around race, fear, identity, and being valued could really be dug into by studying out these novels within the classroom setting. This got me thinking about this lovely section in our library that often gets so much use from students but not as much from the educators in our building. One question that popped into my head was, How might we use this section to engage all readers as they learn to identify what they enjoy reading?

Beyond these deep conversations, there’s a lot that could be learned from reading graphic novels. Similar to narratives, students can find the elements of a narrative within (characters, setting, plot, etc.). Beyond that here are a few ideas of how I think they might also be used.

Before reading:

  • Copy a few pages of the text and remove the dialogue. Have students infer what is happening in a section of the graphic novel and justify their thinking. 
  • Copy different parts of the text and have students piece together the sequence of events based on what they see. 
  • Copy an integral part of the text. Remove the dialogue and have students write what they believe is happening in that section of the text. Ask them to think of what led up to that part and perhaps what happens next.

During Reading:

  • Have students reflect on different features within the text. For example, how might the colours, shape, and style of the font and/or text bubbles influence your understanding of the text? 
  • Make predictions of what might come next. Have students draw the next few panels of the story. 
  • How does the imagery add to what is being “said” to the reader? Have students point out clear examples from the text.
  • Ask students to consider the inner or outer dialogue happening. How do you know which is which? How might this give readers an even deeper insight into the experiences of the character?
  • Panels in graphic organizers are oftentimes different sizes, why might that be? What can we gather about information within larger panels?

After Reading:

  • Extend the story. What might happen in a sequel? Draw the beginning 3 panels of the next part of the story.
  • Summarize the text in 5 panels. How might these 5 panels clearly show the plot within the graphic novel?
  • How did the art in the text contribute to your understanding of the characters or the overall story? What role did the colours play in evoking emotion?

These are just some of my ideas for using graphic novels with students. Since many students have graphic novels at home, I wonder if this might be something that we can use going forward in this new realm of continuing the learning at home as we perhaps use this time to help students identify what they enjoy reading.  Let me know your thoughts.

Arianna Lambert Learning in a Real Life Context, Math, Technology

Math In Real Life – The Yard Problem

As a child, I loved Math.  Inherently, there was always something exciting about using what I knew to solve a problem. Whether through the use of a formula or by being able to apply a mathematical concept, for me the world of Mathematics was about finding answers. Now, sometimes it was a means to an end – OAC calculus for getting into my program in university, (aging myself there) – but often times I remember the feeling of accomplishment after solving a problem with one of my parents at the dinner table in the evenings. When I didn’t understand something, my parents always tried to make sense of it in a real-world way. Talking me through the problem or explaining it in a diagram. The more I think of it, I believe that those times have been a foundational part of who I have become as a teacher, as it relates to Mathematics. While there are so many different concepts to teach within the curriculum, I find myself more drawn to and excited about concepts that allow students to see their use in real life and I’m always on the hunt to try and find a real example for everything.

Last month, I wrote about our Chocolongo Challenge. This month, we were hard at work trying to solve the challenge of fencing at our school. As we continued our unit on Measurement, a real problem was identified and students began to use what they know and the tools we have at our disposal to design real solutions. 

Sloane Public School opens onto a large field with baseball diamonds and leads further to a trail and public park. On any given day, you can find people walking their dogs through the yard or just going for a stroll. Occasionally, kindergarten students get so excited about the wide-open space that they make a run for it, only to find a teacher running after them to bring them back. With this in mind, students were asked to consider which would be more cost-effective: fencing off the back of the school property or fencing a safer kindergarten area? 

To start this problem, we worked together to create a KWC Chart. Together, we determined what we knew; what we wanted to know; and the conditions in order to solve the problem. 

From there, using Google’s My Maps, students quickly got to work trying to figure out the length of fencing that they would need. Once they got an idea of the length, they were on a mission to find the pricing of different fencing options. It was pretty amazing to see the different solutions that started coming to life. Some thought of creating a whole new area for the kindergarten students while others thought we could use some of the equipment in our shed and build an enclosed space that would allow them the freedom to explore. Some students were really creative with the fencing and thought of using wood fencing with one side coated in chalkboard paint so that kindergarten students could colour and design.

Ultimately, many students thought it was more economical to fence off the back of the school property and allowed for less disruption of the other activities for older students – like soccer and football which take up a significant amount of space on the field. This week, we wrapped up our unit with presentations and it was fantastic to see that students had created their own slide presentations to use as proposals to support their solutions. Using some of the feedback from their presentations, students are eager to present their findings to the principal to see if their ideas can be brought to life for a safer school environment for all. 

Whenever I’ve introduced these real-world problems to students, they get really excited to solve the problem and consider ways in which they can have an impact on the whole school community. While this one question, that ultimately became a project took several weeks, I’m amazed at all of the learning that was involved. Students learned to:

  • use an online tool to accurately measure large distances;
  • compare numbers;
  • convert measurements;
  • multiply;
  • think empathetically as they worked to solve a problem for someone else;
  • explain their mathematical thinking;
  • prepare a proposal to present to their audience;
  • and so much more!

I’m always excited about real-world math ideas. Please feel free to share some of yours in the comments!

Arianna Lambert Equity, Gender Equity, LGBTQ2S, Literacy

Novels That Spark Conversation and Empathy

This year, due to the ongoing job action, Forest of Reading looks quite different in our school. Rather than having a club where students read books at their leisure and then check in with the teacher who read the book for conversation, we’re reading some of the texts as a class.  Given a couple of Silver Birch texts and a brief synopsis of each, I was really interested in My Life as a Diamond. While I’m no baseball enthusiast, the storyline and the age of the main character is what drew me to the text. On their website, Orca Book Publishers Canada gives the following as a description of the book:

“Ten-year-old Caspar “Caz” Cadman loves baseball and has a great arm. He loves the sounds, the smells, the stats. When his family moves from Toronto to a suburb of Seattle, the first thing he does is try out for the local summer team, the Redburn Ravens. Even though Caz is thrilled when he makes the team, he worries because he has a big secret.

No one knows that back in Toronto, Caz used to live life as a girl named Cassandra. And it’s nobody’s business. Caz will tell his new friends when he’s ready.

But when a player on a rival team starts snooping around, Caz’s past is revealed, and Caz worries it will be Toronto all over again.

Will Caz’s teammates rally behind their star pitcher? Or will Caz be betrayed once more?

A heartwarming, funny, fast-paced story about the bravery it takes to live as your true self, no matter the cost.”

Honestly, I wasn’t sure how my students would react to the story but I knew that it would spark conversations around gender and gender identity. We’re about a week and a half into reading the text and students are really taking the time to empathize and some are even noticing their own bias as we’ve been writing reading responses.

Every day, I read the text to students – we only have 1 copy – and they are given a question to reflect upon while we read. Once finished reading a chapter or two, students get writing and talking about their thoughts on a particular section. Some of our reflection questions have included:

  • If you had the opportunity to have a conversation with one of the characters in the book so far, who would it be and why? What questions would you ask? How might those questions help to shape your understanding of what is happening?
  • What do you think Caz’s first day at school might be like? Why?
  • If Caz was coming to Sloane Public School, what 3 key things do you need to tell him about our school community? Why would those things be meaningful to him? Which teacher would you connect him to as a supportive or caring adult? Why?
  • Why is this book an important text for ALL readers?
  • Caz had his first sleepover at a friend’s house in his new city. Did he do the right thing by not telling Hank about his decision to identify as male although he was born female? Why or why not?

Earlier this week, one student was really excited that our questions haven’t been about getting the “right” or “wrong” answer but rather an opportunity to think and sometimes the chance to think something new. While we’re only about three-quarters of our way through the text, they’re making connections with the text and the real world and to their lives. It’s been pretty powerful for us as we think about Caz being just ten years old and yet so very brave. I have a number of students who are the same age and they have said they aren’t sure how they would handle such a decision.

Arianna Lambert Design, Inspiring Students, Learning in a Real Life Context, Math

The Chocolongo Challenge

Every year, I somehow manage to incorporate my love of chocolate into an activity that I work on with students. This year was no different. As I skimmed through the Guide to Effective Instruction for Mathematics for some ideas for our unit on measurement, I noticed the Chocolongo Challenge and immediately knew that this sweet challenge would be exciting for all. Although it’s an activity for Grade 6 students, I made modifications and we got to exploring. 

After a bit of review about perimeter, area and volume, I asked students to consider the following question: A rectangle has an area of 24 square units, what is its perimeter? Students quickly got to work trying to figure out what the connection was between area and perimeter and came up with a few potential ideas. 

After a bit more practice with area and perimeter, we took things to the third dimension, volume! With linking cubes, students were given the chance to explore perimeter, surface area, total surface area and volume. When I knew that they were ready, the Chocolongo Challenge was presented and they were excited designers who were interested in solving a specific problem.

 

It was amazing to see how engaged students were when they felt as though they were solving a real problem. They started reflecting on packaging at home and thinking about the waste involved and ways in which we can bring about change for the environment. Some students also thought back to their design projects that they have been working on and wondered if there was a way to really bring about change in relation to the amount of packaging on products in stores.

 

We connected this activity to Media Literacy as students considered a target audience for their bars and came up with unique commercials to connect with their audience. From being more eco-friendly to having delicious ingredients, these students showed what they knew about measurement and media in an amazing way. These past 3 weeks have been my reminder of the importance of making sure that the learning in the classroom is hands-on, relevant and honours the creativity of students.

Arianna Lambert Challenging Topics

Dear Basketball – Saying Goodbye & Finding Our Passions

On Monday morning, as students entered the school there was a different sort of energy; an eagerness to talk, and yet a profound sadness greeted me at the classroom door. At every entry, I check in with students, greeting them by name and often asking a question to gage how they might be doing. On this particular Monday there were a few tears, some sadness and mostly disbelief in the responses students gave to the question, “What are you feeling most today?”. 

As students put away their winter gear, they noticed Dear Basketball on the screen and the conversations about Kobe started. Resoundingly, students couldn’t believe that he had passed the day before. They sat down and we started to read and talk.

My decision to speak about Kobe Bryant and his contributions to basketball and the world was based on the fact that many of my students are true fans of basketball and several play in leagues. While I understand that there are many for whom his name alone may bring diverse feelings based on his sexaul assault of a woman, 16 years ago, I felt as though I still had to honour who he also may have been in the lives of my students. All over twitter there were mixed feelings about should and how educators “honour” – if that’s even the right word – Kobe within classroom spaces. I don’t for one second, discount what happened at all and I also can’t discount his contributions to the game. It is with this on my mind that I decided that Dear Basketball was going to be the way we started our conversation. 

As we read, students noticed that he wrote from a place of true passion for the game. A couple even stated that they thought his writing was interesting because it seemed like a love letter you would write to a person instead. They reflected on the emotion that it might take to walk away from something that you love so much and yet, they were able to recount ways in which he still contributed to the world of basketball, even in retirement. 

Our conversation ended as a slight admonishment. I asked students to reflect on their lives. They’re young but in the text, Kobe was able to identify his passion as early as 6. I asked them to think about what they are passionate about. Is there anything that they truly love or are excited about in the same way? If so, how might they continue to pursue that passion, even in times where it might be difficult.

I’m not always sure if I do things “the right way” in education but I knew that there had to be a conversation and an acknowledgement of how my students may be feeling. I’m always happy to learn. If you’re up to it, share what you did, didn’t do and/or your thoughts in the comments. Thank you!

Arianna Lambert General, self reflection, Year End Reflection

Clear and Specific for 2020!

It’s the last day of 2019! I have to admit that as I blog, I’m often changing ideas and it always takes me a minute to determine whether or not I will  press “publish” on the pieces that I write. Sometimes I think that they’re too personal or that they aren’t quite finished or polished but eventually the idea forms, somehow gets written, and that button is pressed. This month, this is my fourth piece of writing and I think I’ll hit publish on this one.

Every time that there is a break in the year, I always seem to come down with something. LIke many other educators out there, the moment you get the chance to rest, it’s like your body shuts down for a bit to make sure that you do just that. Sadly, this year was no different for me. I took my vitamins and kept plowing through the beginning of the break as something was brewing. It hit just after Christmas and I’ve been taking it easy ever since. 

During this time, I’ve had the chance to reflect on the year and although there were painful moments, it’s been refreshing. 2019 was a year with challenges for me both personally and professionally.  From my health to making the decision to return to the classroom, there were a lot of emotions swirling around this year as I battled. Coming out on the other side, I have to say that I feel like I’m in that place where I’m truly content. Sure, there’s always room for growth but I’m actually in a really great place as I look towards 2020 and I’m grateful to have had the chance over the last few days to think about the highs and (definite) lows of the year.

I’ve been asked a number of times whether or not I will make New Year’s Resolutions and while I often make them, I think this year I want to be more clear and specific about what is is that I want in my life and work towards that. Here are 3 areas that I have identified that I would like to work on for 2020:

  1. Speaking My Truth. Many may know me as outspoken and even with that, this year I noticed that over the past few years I found myself drawing more and more within, afraid of being perceived as angry or disgruntled or argumentative. What that did was left me internalizing similar feelings and smiling through difficult and painful experiences; leaving me in an emotional state of unrest. In the long run, the only person that I ended up hurting was, myself. The past few months have been quite freeing as I have decided to no longer navigate spaces where my voice cannot be freely heard and accepted and am learning to speak my truth with love. Some things are difficult to say and yet need to be heard. This has been a process and I know that 2020 will bring further opportunities for me to grow in this area. Rather than being fearful of the perceptions of others, I’m going to embrace my truth and speak it when necessary, and I’m learning that it’s often necessary. 
  2. Accepting Help. Often the first person to offer to help and yet the last person to accept it or a compliment without a rebuttal.  I have an amazing colleague who has mentioned this to me a few times and I know this to be true about myself. Never wanting to be perceived – again that word – as a burden to others, I have often overworked myself to get a task accomplished rather than letting others join in or support the work that I might be doing. It’s time to let go of this one. In 2020, I’m going to say yes to help when it appears in its various forms.
  3. Defining Fun. This may seem silly but I don’t always know how to really have fun. Sure I love laughing and joking around with people but if I’m really asked what my idea of fun is, I might say things that I enjoy but I think that there is more to fun than just an enjoyable feeling. In 2020, I’m going to be working on identifying for myself what fun is really all about. What are the feelings associated with it? What are the things that I’m doing when I am experiencing those feelings. I’ve heard that I’m not the only one in this position so I’m really going to take some time to get clear and specific about what fun is for me in hopes of cultivating more of it in my life. 

Every new year brings about its opportunities for growth and challenge. For 2020, I’m working on being clear and specific about what I want out of life in hopes of manifesting a happy, healthy and successful year. No matter what type of year you’ve had, know that 2020 can be the start of something new. Wishing you all the very best in this upcoming year, happy 2020!

Arianna Lambert Coding, Learning in a Real Life Context, Technology

Hour of Code is Coming…Part 2

Last month I blogged about the Hour of Code which occurs during Computer Science Education Week. Little did I know that it would prompt further conversations geared around wondering whether or not an hour makes a difference. My post by no means was the be all and end all of coding or computational thinking but was meant to spark conversations, perhaps an interest and possibly support educators for whom coding or computational thinking might be new. To be clear, I know that coding for an hour during that week might not have a significant impact in the grand scheme of things, but the opportunities that it provided for my students certainly had a significant impact. While these opportunities should exist on a daily basis, let’s face it, weeks like this often allow for conversations amongst educators to be had and provide spaces for collaboration. This was the case for me and my students. 

I think that we sometimes forget that there is a continuum of learning – even for educators – and while everyone has strengths and areas of need, those strengths and areas of need vary from person to person. Unless we’re willing to start somewhere and be vulnerable with colleagues, we can miss out on the chance to learn with incredible colleagues. This year, my students had the chance to participate in coding activities with 3 other classes and for them, it was an exercise in developing greater empathy; growing in clear communication; and problem solving. At the end of the week, coding was the tool that facilitated this learning for my students and they were able to help younger students develop their own set of problem solving and computational skills. 

That being said, this post, (part 2) is really to go a little deeper into what I believe computational thinking is about. I’ve always seen coding as being one, creative way to helping students develop computational thinking skills. I’ve learned that computational thinking is about solving problems, using similar methods as would a computer. There are four kills that make up computational thinking:

  1. Algorithmic Thinking – using algorithms to show the different steps in a solution or process. This can be applied across subject areas and can help to outline the process by which something is accomplished. When students are using some of the coding activities mentioned in my previous post, they are thinking about the steps needed to move through a maze or a specific sequence to achieve a goal. In language, students are often taught procedural writing. These procedures are used in recipes and in instruction manuals. In Science, we can think of this as the execution of an experiment. While students have the opportunity to hypothesize based on what they know, they may be required to follow procedures as they gain new skills for their experiment. Again, it’s that specific sequence of events that needs to take place to accomplish a task. 
  2. Decomposition – the breaking down of big problems into smaller ones. When broken down into smaller parts, tasks become less daunting. With large projects, when students can solve one task at a time, they’re better able to achieve success with the overall project. Knowing how to break down big challenges into smaller, more manageable parts is really a skill. When we help students in this, they are better able to become more autonomous, knowing specifically the next step that they need to take in order to succeed. During our coding activities, Code.org’s Dance Party was a hit! As students navigated through the challenges, they realized that they were gaining the skills required to ultimately create their own dance sequence. When they got to the end, they understood the functions of all of the blocks and were really excited to create and I must say that a few even replicated their dances in small groups.  
  3. Abstraction – the idea of using a simple model to explain more complicated systems. By taking away minute details, we are more easily able to understand the overall concept by making sense of the important parts in the model before us. I often think of this as making things more concrete before moving into the abstract. We can do this for ourselves when planning a unit. It might be daunting to understand all of what has to be taught but if we think first about the big ideas, we can then understand what is most important for students to understand and work backwards from there.  When we were working on coding activities with the kindergarten students, it was amazing to see how my students were helping students to physically move around the space in order to understand direction. When you first gain a grasp of direction and understand it clearly, perhaps moving around the physical space is no longer needed as much and you can move onto other skills, as you learn.
  4. Pattern Recognition – helps determine probability by interpreting data & identifying patterns. Scientists are recognizing patterns and are able to more effectively predict outcomes for things like diseases and weather. Why not get students identifying patterns in everyday life and see what they might be able to make sense of in the world. In my teaching practice, I have found Math so much more meaningful to students when they are able to see and identify the concepts being taught in real life. By looking at patterns, they understand and can identify why some structures might be more stable than others and can make more accurate predictions based on data they have collected. Lightbot was one of the activities we tried with younger students and it was a great way for my students to help the younger students to see that by creating a program once, they could repeat it and it was similar to the core in a repeating pattern. It took us a minute but it was amazing when the “ah ha” moments came.  

As with all things, I am growing in my understanding of computational thinking and coding. My first post was merely a conversation – and perhaps an activity – starter as we think about helping students to develop these skills. Doing or looking to do amazing things in your classroom in this area? Please share it in the comments! I would love to know more and grow with you.