Mo Physics Mo Problems

Our PLC book club meet this week to dig into Chapter 2 of Dr. Rickabaugh’s Book.  Chapter 2 is a big one for educators as it is a breakdown of the Honeycomb Model developed by the Institute for Personalized Learning.  Rather than try to tackle the whole thing at once, I proposed we start at the center with the Core Components and dig deep into the Learning and Teaching elements. Each member of the PLC was given a choice as to which element they were most interested in.  They were then asked to focus in on it and try to find some resources to share with that element.  The resources could take the form of a lesson they tried or wanted to try in class that they believe represents that element.  The resource could also be examples found online of how teachers can incorporate this element into their learning environment. The plan was that we would start in small groups based on element chosen.  The small groups would discuss that element and try t...

As far as PD options go, I love my podcasts and Edcamps. I always find great opportunities to learn from conventions and the menu of PD options we have at a building level every Thursday afternoon. But the most influential PD for me are site visits. Today, I was able to visit Verona Area High School to get some insight into how they are deploying the personalized learning framework to such great effect.  But, this opportunity for my PD doesn't just happen. It requires great support from key stakeholders. The first is the leadership in my district. The leadership in the Elmbrook School District has always been supportive of my PD “asks” when they start with a reasonable “why”. My building principal Brett Greutzmacher understands that reflection is an essential and powerful tool for improving practice. Brett knows that mirrors are great, but he believes that windows to the great educational landscape are what lead innovation. His support in allowing me the time to do t...

As a teacher trying to personalize learning in my classroom, technology has been a key to my ability to efficiently move the dial in meeting learners needs. Whether it be Canvas, Pear Deck, Or Google Apps, they all have a place in the learning environment I'm working in. One key tool I have revisited over the past week is Class Dojo.  Now don't think of this type of dojo. It is true that fear does should not exist in Class Dojo. The fear of try something new. The fear of failing. But unlike the Cobra Kai Dojo, Class Dojo does not look to treat all learners the same. It recognizes their differences. In this post, I’d like to take some time to discuss how Class Dojo can be used to effectively incorporate key elements from the Honeycomb Model developed by The Institute for Personalized Learning . What is Class Dojo? For those of you who are unfamiliar with Class Dojo, here are a couple of quick introductory videos. Rapid Cycle ...

So, 4th block students have a rough question or goal. Now what?  Well, that depends on what type of project students are undertaking.  Over days 3 and 4, I set up a little list for my 4th block students.  But, just like the inquiry process suggests, it starts with finding resources and doing some research.  These are not prescribed steps, just suggestions for those who need the guidance. For those who are digging deep into content knowledge: Research: get background on your topic to refine your focus. Find “texts” Read “texts” Record relevant info. For those who are looking to improve performance of a skill: Research: get background on your skill and how you can improve? (record this!) What is your plan for improvement? How will you track data? For those who are looking to perform a specific task or create a specific product: Research: get background on what your product will entail? (record this!) What is your plan for c...

Today, my classes were in different phases of the inquiry project process. Once class was working on the brainstorming process another was  moving onto choosing one idea and molding it into a reasonable question or goal. The general framework we are using for this project is the inquiry process. So our focus was posing real questions or for some creating a real goal.  I formatted the questions from step 1 into a document so that we could go through the process of refining the idea into a strong driving question that was clear, focused, and complex.  I communicated that this question may change over time based on their research and that was perfectly fine.  And if they wanted to scrap a current idea for some reason, they could but needed to provide a reflection on why they were changing gears. After drafting an initial driving question or learning goal, students were to submit it for feedback.    For those still unclear about where th...