Learning to Learn

As discoverers we dare to question, reflect, collaborate, and share our reasoning with others.

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How am I doing? AND How might I improve?

Students often want to know how they are doing. They expect the answer to that question to be in the form of a letter grade. If that grade is not what they hoped, the next question many students ask is: What can I do to bring up my grade?  With that question, most are looking for opportunities to make-up late work, to retake a test, or to do extra credit before a report card goes home. These questions are understandable.  Grades in school are how most of us measured our level of success. There is a better second question.  How might I improve?   Can a letter grade communicate an answer to that?  Probably not, but IB MYP assessment can.  The following video tutorial clarifies how MYP Criteria scores are transformed into a letter grade, while providing support in the use of ParentVue or Student Vue on Synergy. A future tutorial will help to explain how MYP assessment provides a clear answer to the second question through focused use of each subject’s MYP Criterion Rubrics.

The following icons are linked to Lakewood’s Assessment Policy and Grade Descriptors.  Both were referenced in the tutorial.

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What makes you say that?

The Magic Question

Effective teaching, by a teacher or a parent, involves questioning.  We question our students and children not to only see if they can provide an accurate answer, but also to better understand the reasoning behind that answer.  For example, asking a second or follow-up question such as “Why?”  encourages justification.

The question which serves as the title for this post is a powerful thinking routine. Its use will inform the teacher or parent posing it, but it has additional benefits.

The “What Makes You Say That?” routine helps students identify the basis for their thinking by asking them to elaborate on the thinking that lies behind their responses. (1)

As teachers, we cannot assume that students’ responses to our questions always represent the reasoning we expect.  Even a correct answer may be based on a misconception or weak reasoning.  Asking “What makes you say that?” following a student’s first response to a question encourages students to support their reasoning with evidence.  That evidence may come from a text selection, data from an investigation, a work of art (visual or performance), or from a student’s prior experience.  The opportunity to hear the basis for a student’s response provides us with a glimpse into their mind, revealing the foundation for their thinking and whether that foundation is sound or not.

In a classroom, the interaction between a teacher and one student should also support the entire class.  When a student is asked “What makes you say that?” their response, backed with evidence, provides their peers with an opportunity to consider another viewpoint and perspective.  The reasoning students hear from peers can serve to further develop their thinking and understanding.  As this routine is used, class discussions deepen, going beyond surface answers or personal opinions.  It also empowers all members of the learning community and helps students recognize that the teacher is not the only “keeper of answers.”

Using “What makes you say that?” helps convey a sense that correctness of an answer doesn’t lie in a lone outside authority but in evidence that supports it. (1)

Try this thinking routine with the students in your life.  As you do, remember the following:

  1. Use a genuine tone of respect when asking this question.  Do not use it as a challenge.  Express a true sense of curiosity.  Make sure that your students recognize that you are genuinely interested in how they are making sense of the ideas they express.
  2. You may need to ask the question again as students expand on their reasoning.  Further encouragement to dig deeper may be needed as a student internally reflects upon why they did give their initial answer.  Altering slightly the form of this question may help.  “So what do you see that makes you say that?” or “What do you know that makes you say that?”
  3. This routine does not fit every situation.  Its use applies best when looking closely at something that really matters.  Learners can often have hidden ideas about the way things work or why things are the way they are.  When common misconceptions may impede students’ further understanding, use this routine.  When it is important that students identify the evidence within a specific context, use this routine.
  4. Notice that this question does not ask: “Why do you think that?” or “What makes you think that?”  That subtle difference matters.  Using “say” instead of “think” communicates that you are focusing on what a student just communicated verbally.  You are asking for clarification, for a deeper understanding of what they just said.  Changing that one word to “think” may cause a student to infer that you consider their thinking is wrong, when you are really seeking more information about their reasoning.  This can cause a student’s thinking to shift to feeling. They may become defensive or refuse to respond.  An emotional response too often hijacks one’s ability to think clearly.

The very first time I used this thinking routine, the positive results surprised me.  Time after time, students paused, gathered their thoughts, and then answered in more depth.  I found myself more interested in what they had to say and their classmates were more attentive.  Even when the responses I heard revealed a student’s misunderstanding of the content we were discussing, the class was far more engaged in working past those misconceptions. The work to do so became a team effort.  I have a feeling the confusions voiced by one were shared by others as well. WMYST? is one of the most useful strategies I have in my teacher toolbox.  I now understand why the teachers from Lemshaga Akademi in Sweden refer to it as the “magic question.”

Source:  (1) Ritchhart, R., Church, M.,Morrison, K, (2011), Making Thinking Visible: How to Promote Engagement, Understanding, and Independence for All Learners. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. pp.165-170.

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Better Writing or Better Thinking?

We often hear comments from parents expressing how their child’s writing has improved.  While building students’ abilities to communicate well in writing and discussion is a goal we strive for, there is an underlying skill which is far more important to develop first: the ability to reason effectively.  Better thinking supports better writing and deeper understanding.

Classrooms, like households, often rely on routines to manage the behaviors and procedures which make things run more smoothly.  Once a routine is practiced and well-established it becomes habitual.  Classroom routines often include processes for beginning class, recording assignments, passing out or collecting papers.  Family routines can center around managing mealtimes, homework, bedtime or morning preparation.  While these routines often vary from family to family and classroom to classroom, once established they support the outcome desired.

Developing students’ abilities to think can also be supported by routines for thinking and each subsequent post on this page will share a routine you might consider using with your children or your students.  But first let’s consider what we mean by “thinking”, because our brains are almost constantly thinking.  This blog’s title is Learning to Learn.  So what do we mean when using the word think in the context of learning?  How often does class time for students involve actually thinking as opposed to doing?  As a result what do students know, what are they able to do, and most importantly what do they understand about the content within each subject they study?

Ron Ritchhart and colleagues from Harvard Project Zero identify eight “high-leverage thinking moves that serve understanding well.” (1)

  1. Observing closely and describing what’s there
  2. Building explanations and interpretations
  3. Reasoning with evidence
  4. Making connections
  5. Considering different viewpoints and perspectives
  6. Capturing the heart and forming conclusions
  7. Wondering and asking questions
  8. Uncovering complexity and going below the surface of things

As thinking routines are shared in later posts you will notice the following similarities:

  • they have a specific purpose in supporting reasoning
  • they are easy to learn, consisting of just a few steps
  • when used frequently they can support student engagement and learning
  • they can be used in multiple situations or contexts
  • they can be used by an individual or a group

We hope you consider following this blog or entering your email address on the sidebar so you will receive notifications when new posts (new thinking routines) are shared.  Please also comment on your own experiences with any of the routines.  Your input is valuable to us.

Source:  (1) Ritchhart, R., Church, M.,Morrison, K, (2011), Making Thinking Visible: How to Promote Engagement, Understanding, and Independence for All Learners. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

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Close Reading

 

At Lakewood, in grades 3 through 8, in every classroom, with every student, Close Reading is an instructional focus.  A Google search of Close Reading reveals nearly fifty million related sites for this buzz word.  Over the past five years our application of Close Reading has evolved as we have learned from further research regarding disciplinary literacy and from our own experiences using close reading practices in instructional planning, delivery and assessment, even through a pandemic.  We are convinced that Close Reading, as defined below, remains an instructional focus our learners need.  Assessment data and improved student outcomes from 2015 – 2019 support our commitment to these practices.  ADL plans to once again implement the practices and assessments described below during the 2022-23 school year.  The impacts experienced over the past two years are recognized, but will not deter our efforts to provide the learning opportunities our students need.

Simply defined, close reading refers to the strategic, purposeful analysis of text. A closer read of the previous sentence will expand on that simple definition.

  • TEXT:  Most of us consider text as the printed word, passages within a book, on a website, or in a periodical.  But our students’ abilities to interpret meaning must go further.  For that reason our definition of text includes print and non-print sources.  Consider how this expands what our students must be able to “read”:  maps, diagrams, photos, graphs, equations, musical passages, works of art – both visual and performance, experimental data, schematics, facial expressions, bio-mechanics of movement in sports…  The list becomes more complex as the disciplines students study broaden. 
  • ANALYSIS:  Analyze, an IB command term, is defined as – Break down in order to bring out the essential elements or structures.  To identify parts and relationships, and interpret information to reach conclusions.  This is the action portion of close reading and is developed over time as students first learn to list, explore, identify, describe, define, explain, justify or interpret to build their intellectual muscles as they build their analytical skills. 
  • PURPOSEFUL:  The saying goes that the devil is in the details.  Failing to notice those details is a frequent reason for many reader errors and why many students fall short of achieving the desired outcome.  Tasks have a purpose.  Failing to consider that purpose can cause a reader to miss the point, head in a wrong direction, make assumptions, waste time, or simply give up.  Purposes for tasks are most often within directions or questions.  Close reading skills must be applied to those as well. 
  •  STRATEGIC:  Strong readers utilize some common strategies to develop their analytical thinking skills.  Later posts will expand on some of the strategies Lakewood teachers use to develop our learners’ abilities as close readers.  Those strategies include reading a passage multiple times, questioning the text, annotating, chunking or breaking down a difficult passage into accessible parts, and making their thinking visible through discussion or writing.  

 Lakewood students’ abilities in close reading are monitored in every class and are formally assessed in grades 3 – 8 twice each school year in the fall and spring.  These assessments include two parts:  a reading passage with a text-dependent question and a three-part math extended response question.  Students respond to these questions in writing.  Scoring guides (linked below) are used to assess students’ abilities to analyze and communicate their reasoning.  These assessment results are NOT used to compute student grades.  Instead, they are used to inform Lakewood’s staff as to the progress students are making and how adjustments to instructional practices might better meet their learning needs.  For teachers and students alike, learning at Lakewood never ends. 

By the way, is Einstein right? 

 

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Will This Count for a Grade?

Grading is different for grades 6 – 8 at Lakewood.

Seventh and eighth graders are familiar with MYP assessment practices, having experienced them during the last school year.  These changes will be new for upcoming sixth graders and their families.  Lakewood’s full assessment policy is described in a document accessible on the school’s website and a link here for those who want all the details.  The posts on this MYP Assessment blog page will provide additional guidance on what to expect and why these changes matter – addressing one difference at a time.  To make sure you catch every new post, consider sharing your email in the sidebar to receive notifications.

Clarifying Assessments and Grades

When students ask if something will be graded, they want to know if it will be reported in the gradebook (Synergy) and if it will be averaged into their final grade.  Our answer to that question is not simple for a couple reasons:

  • Nothing is ever averaged with MYP grading.  If you see a percentage score reported for your child in Synergy, ignore it.
  • Not everything recorded in Synergy contributes to a final grade. In fact, of the ten reporting categories a teacher can use in Synergy, only four (Summative Assessments A, B, C, and D) are used to compute a final grade.
  • The ten reporting categories in Synergy communicate three types of information to families:  1.  A student’s mastery of subject knowledge, skills and understandings, reported as Summative Assessments  2. How students are progressing as they practice or are learning new content, reported in Formative Assessments or Other   3.  Which learning-to-learn skills are contributing to or impeding student progress, reported in ATLs (see ATL chart link in the post Learning to Learn.)

Formative assessments give teachers and students a chance to discover how well learning of unit content is occurring and where additional assistance may be needed. These assessments are used as tools for learning and are not used to determine a final grade.  Still, they can be used to predict how a student may do on a summative assessment.  Every lesson contains a formative assessment we call a performance of understanding.  This assessment lets students know if they’ve “got it”, if they understand the intended target for that lesson.  If they do not, a teacher can provide additional support before the end of class.  The goal is that no student leaves class unable to competently practice that day’s learning independently.  NOTE:  Learning targets and performances of understanding are used in grades 3 – 8 at Lakewood.

Summative assessments are evaluative and designed to provide evidence of student progress using MYP criteria rubrics and are the basis for determining final grades.  Students’ current levels of achievement related to these specific targeted objectives reflect their abilities to use the knowledge, understandings and skills they were taught which encompass facts, concepts, procedures and metacognition (self-awareness and self-management).

So what is the answer to this post’s question, a question teachers are frequently asked?

Students must understand that the purpose of assignments is not to earn a specific grade.  The purpose is to learn.  Everything they do, in class, at home, in their spare time, has the potential to contribute to their learning and even more importantly to the kind of learner they can potentially be.  Failing to complete homework or classwork may impede learning.  Often these tasks are used again in class.  When they are incomplete or missing, a student can miss an additional opportunity to solidify their understanding. We try our best to provide purposeful homework tasks designed to help students make progress in a current unit while strengthening their learning muscles. Strengthening those muscles will prepare them to overcome new challenges, to learn new things more easily and in the long-run to earn better grades.

Do grades matter?  In some ways they still do, but only if they are a true representation of what a student understands and is able to do.  We live in a time when you can find answers to most questions on a phone from your own pocket. Understanding that information and being able to do something with it matters far more.  Every learner faces challenges and struggles at some point. Learning how to get past those difficulties will help students now and in the future. Eventually, no one will ask about grades earned in school.  Instead, as adults, our children will be judged based on the understandings they possess and their ability to learn new things effectively and quickly.

Transitioning to a new system of assessment will be difficult for students.  We will work hard to make this change as smooth as possible.   Parents can help by limiting references to grades and focusing instead on what students are learning and how they are progressing – as measured on the MYP Criteria Rubrics – a topic for a later post.  The icon below provides a preview of one MYP rubric.  Click to open.

 

 

 

 

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Developing Academic Integrity

As an IB World School, Lakewood addresses Academic Honesty with intent.  Students often feel that academic dishonesty has no victims and therefore cheating, plagiarism or collusion offer an attractive shortcut to desired benefits. It is a pathway selected far too often as a way to get ahead in today’s world. Did you know it’s even possible and not that expensive to hire someone via the Internet to take a college course for you? It is almost understandable when students copy one another’s homework or cheat on a test. “Everyone does it.” So where is the harm? That question is not addressed often enough with students. Instead, schools dole out consequences (zeroes, detention, parent contact) to those few who are caught red-handed.

At Lakewood, we acknowledge that ethical behavior is not always easy to achieve and sustain. To do so students need to understand the meaning and impact of unethical behavior on others and on themselves. They also need support in developing the skills required to avoid academic dishonesty in all its forms, whether caused by ignorance, pressure, or a lack of will.

Academic Honesty is closely aligned to the IB Learner attributes Principled, Reflective and Caring. A principled individual acts with integrity and honesty. They possess a strong sense of fairness and justice, respecting the rights of others. A reflective learner is thoughtful and takes the time to consider their actions keeping in mind others as well as themselves. Such thoughtful consideration can support learners in making decisions and in examining actions already taken. Finally, the attribute caring helps students to recognize how their actions and decisions may impact others. With empathy, compassion and respect their choices can make a positive difference in the lives of others as well as in their own lives.

Promoting academic honesty and personal integrity requires the efforts of the entire Lakewood community. The expectations for students, parents, teachers and administrators are outlined below. Additional information regarding Lakewood’s philosophy and practices on this topic is available in Lakewood’s Academic Honesty Policy.

Teachers will strive to promote academic honesty by:

  • Designing inquiry-based assessment tasks that are not easily plagiarized while clearly assessing each learner’s academic progress.
  • Assigning work that encourages an original student response, thus discouraging plagiarism.
  • Developing tasks which are appropriately challenging requiring more than a factual answer.
  • Modeling effective and appropriate ways to paraphrase the ideas of others, not only for the purpose of avoiding plagiarism, but also to build students’ abilities to analyze and evaluate those ideas. Opportunities for this support exist within close reading, substantive writing, and process journal experiences within each subject group.
  • Teaching students how to properly cite all sources and discussing when such citations are required in different types of assignments. (see appendix)
  • Showing students how to best support the learning of their peers without providing answers.
  • Teaching students Acceptable Use guidelines.
  • Clearly explaining expectations for collaborative work and how it varies from collusion.
  • Supervising students during assessments and keeping assessment materials secure.

Students who promote academic honesty will:

  • Produce work based on their original ideas, recognizing the work and ideas of others when used.
  • Recognize the work of others by citing the sources used when conducting research. When uncertain how to cite sources accurately, students will seek guidance from a teacher, the school librarian, or an online resource (see appendix).
  • Strive to accurately paraphrase the ideas of others, referencing the original creator. When the use of paraphrasing occurs in a timed setting, reference to the creator by name only is acceptable.
  • Collaborate with peers to meet common assessment goals.
  • Give and receive meaningful feedback when working with peers.
  • Participate in discussions by asking questions and brainstorming ideas to challenge group thinking.
  • Use ethical practices when completing all work, including assessments.

Administrators will promote academic honesty by:

  • Communicating clear expectations aligned to this policy when speaking with students, parents, and staff.
  • Focusing on teaching the skills required for academic honesty and personal integrity rather than the consequences of dishonesty when conducting disciplinary consequences for students.
  • Using an established progression of consequences when dishonesty occurs that involves the student, parent, teacher, and MYP Coordinator.
  • Establishing and supporting a school culture that encourages academic honesty and personal integrity.
  • Publishing the school’s Academic Honesty Policy in the school handbook and on the school website.
  • Informing staff, students, and parents through various media what constitutes academic dishonesty and how it can be prevented.
  • Maintaining a centralized record of infractions to recognize patterns needing further attention.

Parents/Guardians who promote academic honesty will:

  • Be aware of and understand the purpose of Lakewood’s Academic Honesty Policy.
  • Focus on their student’s progress in learning rather than on their child’s current grades.
  • Help their student balance and manage their school work so they are ready when tasks are due and tests are scheduled, therefore helping students resist temptations to be academically dishonest.
  • Support the efforts made by school staff to develop students’ abilities to make wise choices related to academic honesty and personal integrity.

As we implement activities related to Academic Honesty we will keep you informed on this blog page.  We encourage families to discuss related issues at home.  Leading a principled, reflective and caring life is a goal we can all work towards.  Utilize the many examples, both positive and negative, you see in your daily lives to help deepen your child’s understanding of these attributes.  Remember also that this topic is strongly related to grading and assessment.  Posts in MYP Assessment and Instructional Focus will, at times, relate to the development of Academic Honesty as well.

Resources:

International Baccalaureate Organization (2014). MYP: From principles into practice

International Baccalaureate Organization (2016). Learner Profile Booklet

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Learning to Learn

Learning the skills to improve learning

How did you learn to learn? Was learning a school process, a home experience, or simply a result of living? It was likely all three. How were your experiences similar to those of others? Are all experiences effective?

Ask any teacher and they will tell you that students enter their classrooms with widely varying skills for knowing how to learn. There is not one right way to learn, to be sure. But there are ineffective ways. As educators and parents it is our task to strengthen every student’s ability to learn effectively.

The International Baccalaureate (IB) identifies five skill categories important to develop in students. These categories and their related skills are listed in the table below. A link to the entire list of Approaches to Learning is accessible by clicking on the Planning Chart icon.

Lakewood’s teachers intentionally include Approaches to Learning skills (ATLs) within their unit and lesson plans. Parents can support those efforts by looking for the skills their children are working on in class and promoting their use at home. These skills are so important to our students that a distinct page on this blog will be devoted to Approaches to Learning (see task bar). Parents may also recognize a specific ATL need in their student and utilize the ATL planning chart to support that area from home as well. By working together we can improve the learning experiences for all of our students now and into their futures.