SIM-The Simply Irresistible Model!

Greetings!

The Social Interactive Model (SIM) is my model! I love it, I do it intuitively, I simply respond to it and, as my blog title indicates, I find it irresistible--as do students. It's a win win model! Take a look at this site that Dr. S. provided for the SIM. Bookmark it...it's an excellent, easy to follow resource on cooperative learning strategies and techniques:

http://wblrd.sk.ca/~bestpractice/coop/examples.htm.l

I have used many of these strategies and techniques without even knowing what they were! This type of learning not only makes sense, it works! And, you may have noticed after reviewing this link, that Dr. S. has used a number of these strategies right in our class! On another one of the SIM links posted by Dr. S., I found this gem on cooperative learning (CL) and math. Having written of my early math phobia and my later in life discovery of and love for this subject, I was thrilled to read this posting. Having experienced CL in math, firsthand, during my Math for Elementary Education class, I can personally attest to its efficacy.The boldface represents what I feel to be especially important information and the red font is my comments!

CL IS ESPECIALLY BENEFICIAL IN MATHEMATICS COURSES. Davidson (1990) points out the following benefits of CL as they apply to mathematics. Math problems can often be solved by several different approaches (Remember when I mentioned, in an earlier blog, the profound impact this very statement had on me when my Math for Elem. Ed. teacher said it in my first class? Here it is again, which means it's important and should be said to ALL students--so, make sure you say it to yours-I know I will to mine!). Students in groups can discuss the merits of different proposed solutions and perhaps learn several strategies for solving the same problem. Students in groups can help one another master basic facts and necessary computational procedures. These can often be dealt with in the context of the more exciting aspects of mathematics learning through games, puzzles or discussion of meaningful problems. The field of mathematics is filled with exciting and challenging ideas that merit discussion. One learns by talking, listening, explaining, and thinking with others, as well as by oneself. Mathematics offers many opportunities for creative thinking, for exploring open-ended situations, for making conjectures and testing them with data, for imposing intriguing problems and for solving non-routine problems. (This is so true. Take it from the late math bloomer--making math creative, and keeping in mind the aforementioned different approaches philosophy, are the best ways to reach math strugglers). Small groups provide a social support mechanism for the learning of mathematics and an opportunity for success for all students in mathematics (and in general). Unlike many other types of problems in life, school mathematics problems can actually be solved in reasonable lengths of time, such as a class period. (Think about it--it's absolutely true!) Mathematics problems are ideally suited for group discussion in that they have solutions that can be objectively demonstrated, Students can persuade one another by the logic of their arguments.
Johnson and Johnson (1990) identify the following attitudinal objectives of CL in mathematics. 1. Positive attitudes toward math, 2. Confidence in one's ability to reason mathematically. 3. Willingness to try various strategies and risk being wrong. 4. Ability to accept frustrations that come from not knowing and willingness to persevere when solutions are not immediate. 5. Attributing failure to not using the right strategy yet, rather than to not being competent. (I agree with these outcomes to a degree--as long as you are aware that they are heavily dependent upon the makeup of the groups. Always have a mix of abilities so that one student is not left feeling like the village idiot among all the savants! Also, while CL is beneficial in math, so is individual exploration. The teacher's attitude toward different methods of learning and encouragement of such differences is paramount to success). They conclude that "Confidence in one's ability to reason mathematically is considered prerequisite for learning. Once lost, it is difficult to restore." (I am living proof of the truth of this statement! This is why I will move heaven and earth to make sure what happened to me does not happen to my students. I don't want them discovering math at age 45 as I did! I want them to discover it now, without fear, and with the belief that they can "get it" somehow, someway!).

Another excellent SIM site provided by Dr. S. is the one by Susan Ledlow from the Center for Learning and Teaching Excellence at Arizona State University. I love the way this woman thinks and writes. She makes everything sound doable and provides sound advice and instructions for helping teachers implement CL in the classroom. Don't believe me? Take a look at the site (click on the left side links for specific information-every one is a fantastic resource). You'll be using one of these methods by tomorrow!

http://clte.asu.edu/active/ledlow.htm

I did a power point presentation for our assignment on showing our understanding of the SIM. It focuses on teaching students cooperative learning skills before requiring them to do it. This relates back to a prior blog where I vented on this topic concerning web quests. How can we expect young children to work together, cooperatively, when they haven't been given the knowledge, tools, and practice? Hopefully, my power point presses this point further, and gives others ideas for teaching the topic of CL just as they would any curriculum area. In fact, in keeping with my commitment to teach CL to my students, I have decided to just that--write my SIM LP on cooperative learning! This lesson would follow a series of mini lessons on different aspects of CL, such as active listening, participation guidelines, respect for others, responsibility, etc. I am thinking of creating my lesson with the goal of having my students work, cooperatively, to design a CL rubric that they will use to evaluate themselves and each other for CL projects throughout the school year. I would use it, as well. How cool is that? How more fair could a rubric be than one designed by and for students? I'll keep you posted as I begin to develop the LP!

Until next time...

So Much "Information" To "Process"!

Greetings!

I found the following on the Course Topics menu and was thrilled when I read it. For a minute I thought I had written it as it mirrors so closely my own teaching philosophy on my web site! I believe this aspect of teaching is often ignored in teaching education, yet I feel it is among the most important topics! It is titled Teachers as Models, and this is what it said:

Discussion of the teacher's role in fostering critical and creative thinking must begin from a recognition of the teacher as a person whose unique character, interests and desires can not be separated out from the idea of the teacher's role. Good teachers are doing more when they teach than acting according to prescribed roles. Their desire to nurture a love for learning, to help students recognize and act upon their capabilities, and to establish a classroom climate which is based upon mutual regard and respect gives their teaching purpose and meaning beyond any technical description of the teacher's role. What is required is that teachers be authentic individuals who are striving to improve their practice through the use of critical and creative thought. Acting upon their belief in the importance of critical and creative reflection, teachers would attempt to: analyze their own thinking processes and classroom practices and provide reasons for what they do; be open-minded, encouraging students to follow their own thinking and not simply repeat what the teacher has said; change their own positions when the evidence warrants, being willing to admit a mistake; consistently provide opportunities for students to select activities and assignments from a range of appropriate choices; exhibit genuine interest, curiosity and commitment to learning; undertake the organization and preparation required to achieve learning goals; seek imaginative, appropriate and ethical solutions to problems; be sensitive to others' feelings, level of knowledge and degree of sophistication; show sensitivity to the physical elements which contribute to a stimulating learning environment through the physical arrangements and displays they provide or facilitate; allow for student participation in rule setting and decision making related to all aspects of learning, including assessment and evaluation.

Read My Teaching Philosophy on my web site and you'll see why I reacted so positively to this! http://msmcmethods.googlepages.com/myteachingphilosophy

Another great site I found in the course topics readings was 6 Thinking Hats Method by Edward De Bono. Take a look at this link, if you haven't already--it's well worth your time!

Moving on to the Information Processing Model. Not unlike direct instruction, I am having some trouble "processing" this model! I get it but, then again, I don't. The sheer volume of information is, in itself, somewhat overwhelming. However, I felt this way about direct instruction until I wrote my lesson plan and--epiphany!--everything suddenly came together. It was a perfect example of taking the DI we received through our readings and class lectures and combining it with IPM-hands on LP construction--to make both the concept and the skill stick! I think of it as "hands do, head remembers"! I am hoping, and expecting, that the same will occur when I write my IPM LP. Speaking of which, I had a terrible time coming up with an inquiry based lesson for my completely ELA unit on the writing process. All the examples for inquiry are in the areas of science and social studies, with a few math examples thrown in. I could find nothing on ELA, which left me to make something up...but, I couldn't! I became convinced by the absence of ELA inquiry examples and LPs that this method and strategies simply did not go with this content area. Well, you know me when faced with a challenge--overcome it! So, I searched (and searched, and searched...) the web looking for ELA inquiry examples. Nothing! Then, suddenly, I chanced upon an activity for having students get rid of words and phrases that they overuse by committing them to the Dead Word Graveyard and having a brief ceremony to say goodbye. These were words such as cool, awesome, nice, very, great, fun, best, etc. I thought this was a clever idea (though, I would call the words lazy words) and then, suddenly, it sparked another idea, a better idea, an inquiry learning idea! What if I had my students select several words that they over use, that all have other, better alternative words (the students could refer to their writing journals and student portfolios, if necessary, to determine their lists). Then, using exploratory tools such as hard copy dictionaries and thesauruses, on-line dictionaries and thesauruses, along with recording sheets and specific, step-by-step guidelines, they set out to find alternatives for these overused words. At the end, each student will create a brief power point of their overused words and the new alternatives, something like; NOT____, BUT _____. We would then print these out and chain them around the room for daily reference. I'm also playing with the idea of creating some kind of reward system for students who self-correct following this lesson. Anyway, I am hoping this fits the IPM using a guided inquiry strategy. I won't really know until I attempt to write the LP. Stayed tuned!

I completed my Treasure Hunt on web inquiry projects (WIPs). This is a daunting topic that many teachers prefer to ignore. This is completely understandable but NOT acceptable. Like most things, the IDEA is more frightening than the REALITY. This is the approach I took with my TH, in the hope of showing my participants that WIPS are not only possible, they can actually be fun. I'll wait for the feedback before reporting whether or not I achieved my goal. For a sneak peek, go to http://wips.pbwiki.com/FrontPage

I am off to start my IPM LP. God, I hope it works! If it does, maybe I can post it on the internet with a big banner: ONE OF THE VERY FEW INQUIRY LESSON PLANS AVAILABLE FOR ELEMENTARY ELA!!

Until next time...

Learning My "Lesson"!

Greetings!

A new victory! Another reason to dance for joy! I finished my direct instruction lesson plan--the first full fledged lesson plan I've written. I loved this assignment. I thought so hard and I learned so much. Not until I wrote this LP did I realize the magnitude of the responsibility I will have to my students. I don't have this responsibility as a substitute. I've never had to truly concern myself with the big picture of each child, or with the end result. In writing this LP, it hit home that I will soon be the actual teacher and everything I do, or don't do, will impact these children under my tutelage. It was a thrilling and frightening realization. As I wrote the LP, I found myself alternating between viewing it as the student (Do I "get this"?, Does it make sense? Is it interesting? Do I care about this?) and the teacher (Is this the way I want to present this? Should I have them repeat that again? Is this cloze activity too hard or just right?) I never thought about teaching like this before. I never had to look at the whole picture before. Having now looked at it, I can only say, "What have I gotten myself into"?!?

Assessments, Tests, and Homework...

What I also realized from writing this LP is that many teachers do not teach this way. By that, I mean the hard way. Since starting my graduate studies, I have been observing teachers more closely, especially my son's teachers since I have access to everything he brings home from school. Here's the thing--I see very little evidence of what I have been taught as a teacher. My son is now in 5th grade. In the time he's been in school, he has only received 2 rubrics, one in 3rd grade for a writing assignment and one, this year, for a timeline project. Yet, he did many assignments and projects over the years, leaving me to wonder, how were these graded? What was the criteria? He has also often had homework that was completely nonsensical. I spent a lot of time on the phone with other parents as we tried to figure out the directions on countless worksheets. Nine times out of ten, when I realized what was being asked, I could not believe how much easier it would have been if the directions had just been worded differently. I am not a fan of homework for homework's sake. Nor am I am a fan of many textbook worksheets. I would rather make my own based upon the textbook examples. This way, I could ensure that it was a) doable, and b) a fair assessment of the students' ability. I could also ensure that that layout was appropriate for best performance. Have you seen some of the worksheets and tests these kids bring home--especially the math!? There is no white space! We hammer into students the need to show their work yet there is never any place to do so! I simply do not understand this. These kids cram a mess of numbers along the margins of their papers and I'm supposed to figure out if they did it correctly??? It's impossible. Do most teachers really look at these messes and attempt to see who is "getting it?" I don't think so! So, then, why are you assigning this work? In my classroom I will either redo these sheets, make my own, or at the very least, create my 4 box answer sheets (double sided) on which students can do the assignment and I can actually assess their comprehension. I am a big believer in "white space" for students, which is reflected in all the worksheets I designed for my LP.

Anticipatory Sets

Another realization I had while doing my LP is how very rarely I see anything approaching an anticipatory set in most classrooms. I can see how some may find it is easy to dismiss the A.S. as unnecessary fluff , but I believe it is central to student learning. Why? In most classrooms, I hear the teacher announce, "Take out your (math/ELA/science/social studies) book and turn to page..." Then I hear groans and comments of "I hate (announced subject)" or "Do we have to do (announced subject)?" This makes perfect sense. These are kids--they don't want to do work! This is why anticipatory sets are so important. If done well, an anticipatory set can, at best, captivate the students to the degree that they are eager for the lesson, and, at the least, can ease the students into the lesson in a way that keeps their minds open to the possibility of enjoying it. The idea is to involve them before they even know what is happening! And, this whole concept of making connections--it's brilliant. Find someway to give the lesson meaning to their lives, in an immediate way and a long term way.

Thoughtful, Pre-Planned Lessons

You know how everyone always tells you that you will never have to write comprehensive lesson plans-especially of the MSMC caliber-when you are actually a teacher? And we all say, "Thank God!"? I no longer say that! How can you be a teacher and not have comprehensive lesson plans?? It's so unfair to the students. I know it's possible to teach without a comprehensive plan--I see it everyday, but I don't think I can do that. Not when having a solid plan can mean the difference between all (or most) students "getting it" as opposed to just those who always or usually get it. I also feel more comfortable having a comprehensive plan. After writing this DI plan, I felt completely comfortable that I could present it with confidence, knowing that I'd covered all the bases. Having nothing formal prepared is akin to going out on stage not knowing a line of the script. I have often felt this way as a sub and I didn't like it! One, it's a terrible time waster in an already short day and, 2) being unprepared is the quickest way to lose control of your classroom! And, any old lesson plan won't do. If the plan is not moving students forward, then it is worthless. If the plan is solid, I won't have to spend the next day reteaching it!

This assignment also made me realize another benefit: being this prepared gives me much more opportunity to observe my students throughout the learning process instead of being focused on what the heck I am doing next. Let's face it, this time is supposed to be about them and what they are doing next--not me and where I'm going next!

So, yes, it's possible to teach on a wing and a prayer, but that's just not my style. I have to look at myself in the mirror every morning and it's important that I feel good about what I see. For me, that means lesson plans, my friends, except in cases of dire emergency! And, lest I come off like Pollyanna, remember what I said earlier. Lesson plans are not just an asset to the students, they are also an invaluable tool for the teacher. It's a win win situation. I know it's probably not possible to prepare the ultimate lesson plan for every single thing I will be teaching, but my plan is this: to always be over prepared for the content areas that have the most far reaching, cognitive applications for my students --like math and ELA.

So, in writing my first lesson, I have learned my lesson. Lesson plans exist for only good reasons. Write them, use them, evaluate them, revise them, and watch students soar!

I am off to investigate IPM. This just came in my mail from the NEA--talk about a great example of inquiry learning! http://www.nea.org/lessons/tt071001.html

More on IPM and inquiry next week.

Until then...