On Friday, I was so pleased to be able to return to one of my favorite days of the year, High-Interest Day at Brookfield Elementary School. This is a day where I have been able to bring the concepts of physics to k-5 graders. You may be asking yourself, "Elementary students doing physics?" YES! Not just experimenting, but understanding the concepts behind the physics of electricity and sound. This is a very special day I have had the opportunity to be involved in since 2017. So, how are we able to bring the concepts of electricity and sound traditionally taught to high school 11th and 12th graders to the elementary level? There are a few keys 1) make it a hands-on experience 2) remove the mathematical calculations and make it practical. In the past, I had the luck of bringing a handful of my physics students with me to guide the elementary students through the concepts that they had learned over the course of the year. But in my new role as a Teaching and Learning Speciali
Any meaningful change in the classroom starts with a why and has a plan for implementation. I recently began a process constructed by the Institute for Personalized Learning called Constellation Creation for intentional innovation in the classroom. It is a process designed to not simply craft a vision, but to craft a vision with steps for immediate implementation. I plan on writing a series of posts about the process I am being guided through with my friend and specialist at the institute Kate Sommerville.
The Constellation is a multi-step process where you go from a sea of stars
To a series of manageable elements that include learning, relationships, and structures.
It is filled with a series of guided steps that I'm currently working through with Kate.
It begins with finding your North Star. That vision that will guide you. It is the constant. What you look up to set your course by and correct your course to. Here’s my vision.
When I think about my vision, I think Learner Agency sums it up. But it’s not as simple as just saying agency. I see agency in two major components in the classroom: Learning and Assessing. As I build my constellation, agency will be a guide. Moving towards a system in which learners are able to help co-design aspects of learning and assessment.
In the next stages of planning we will look at the what. What are we looking for in the classroom and what elements of the personalized learning model are the best fit for making a part of our constellation.
Kate brought a great revelation to me that is totally in line with the Mantra of the Innovators mindset. That is the importance of relationships. That is why when crafting a constellation, it's helpful to look at the elements that align with relationships and roles in the classroom. Take a look at these. Which one or ones they line up with your vision for your classroom. How will you shape a vision around them?
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