Rigor Through Empowerment

1. Rigor Through Empowerment Nancy Doda, Ph.D.& Mark Springer www.allianceforpowerfullearning.com www.teacher-to-teacher.com Sessions # 2412 & 2512

2. Our Essential Questions • What constitutes rigorous learning? • What classroom practices promote rigorous learning?

3. Our Workshop Philosophy • Modeling • Transfer & Application • Reflection

4. Let’s Deliberate • Rigorous Learning is… • Rigorous Learning is not…

5. The Mythology of Rigor • No Pain, No Gain • The Classics • Volume • Final Exams

6. The Power of Empowering Students • We believe that students are more invested in what they learn when they have a role in their own learning. • We believe that raising the level of student voice and choice raises the level of thinking in our classrooms. • We believe that the most rigorous learning happens when students take action to learn.

7. EMPOWERMENT Putting Students in the Driver’s Seat

8. In which mode of transportation would you best be able to retrace a trip? Consider Why?

9. The Driving Metaphor Of Empowerment

12. How Can We Put Students In The Driver’s Seat?

13. Three Dimensions • Classroom Community • Engaging & Empowering Methods • Choice in Curriculum

14. Classroom Community

15. Mrs. Mutner liked to go over a few of her rules on the first day of class

16. The Watershed Team’s AffirmationsWe will strive to be: CARING CAUTIOUS COOPERATIVE COURAGEOUS CREATIVE FRIENDLY RESPONSIBLE

17. Class Constitution WE, THE STUDENTS OF WATERSHED, IN ORDER TO FORM A MORE PERFECT CLASSROOM, ESTABLISH JUSTICE, INSURE TRANQUILITY, PROMOTE THE GENERAL WELFARE, AND SECURE THE BLESSINGS OF LEARNING, DO APPROVE AND ESTABLISH THIS BILL OF RIGHTS FOR THE WATERSHED CLASS OF RADNOR MIDDLE SCHOOL.

18. Everyone in Watershed has the right: to be treated with respect; to be equal with everyone else; to have fun; to be heard; to have their own ideas; to share their ideas; to speak freely; to feel that their materials are safe; and to expect everyone to do his or her share of the work.

19. SOUNDINGS TEAM WEEKLY SELF-ASSESSMENT Name ________________________________ Please give an example to illustrate how you have lived up to each of our affirmations: Confident Responsible Curious Independence Motivated

20. Co-Develop Working Agreements • Listening • Speaking • Behavior • Thinking

21. Fishbowl Start

22. Our Literature Circle Code of Conduct Listed below are the expectations for behavior we agreed upon as a literature circle team. We know that RESPECT is very important: *You must have three to five clearly defined expectations. Team Signatures *Developed by Janie Fitzgerald

23. Class Developed Rubric • Equal Participation • Friendliness and Encouragement • Asking Follow-Up Questions • Using First Names • Eye-to-Eye and Knee-to-Knee (Developed by 9th graders)

24. Decisions To Share With Students How to Share Materials How to Share the Load How to Encourage a Peer How to Have a Good Discussion How to Get Help when Needed How to Organize the Classroom Space How to Disagree Respectfully How to Keep Ourselves Motivated and Focused

25. Engaging & Empowering Methods

26. First…change this….

27. To something closer to this… 8th grade, Vermont, 2008

28. Control Continuum TEACHER SHARED Example: Worksheets to Think-sheets Students Choose From Teacher’s List of Acceptable Questions Students Use Open-Ended Think Sheets Teacher Determines Questions For Worksheet

29. Replace Worksheets With Think Sheets TEXT: __________________________

30. Marking Text !! Interesting/Important ? Confusing/Curious + I want to recall this

31. Read and Say Something Pairs will take turns talking about the text as they read. Read half the text. Stop and take turns sharing one passage that struck you as critical. Share why.

32. Help Students Take A Stand and Speak Up SAMPLE METHOD: FOUR CORNERS

33. 4 Corners • It is nearly impossible to honor students and cover the standards. • Every teacher should be a teacher of reading. • All students want to learn. • Praise should be given more generously to struggling students.

34. A Jigsaw on Methods Learning by Doing

36. Home Group

37. Expert Group

38. Home Group

39. Steady& Useful Roles • Discussion Director • Group Guru • Connector • Passage Master • Keeper of the Book/Notes • Tech Trouble Shooter • Room Arrangements

40. Discovery Stations? A series of related learning stations which engage students in brief investigations on a question or topic.

41. John Brown: A Villain or A Hero?

42. Empowering Work • Students must draw conclusions, elaborate on their understandings, make and support arguments. • Students must gather, digest, interpret, analyze and evaluate information. • Students must make connections to their own lives and the world. • Students must think about their own learning and modify and adjust.

43. Ask Students to Reflect On: • the assignment you just did, • why you did it, • what you noticed about it, • what you observed about the data you collected, • what connections you made, • what you learned from doing it.

44. Soundings Student Response to Editorial Comments • Name: __________________________________ Date: ______________________ • Paper/Title: ________________________________________________________________ • Describe in your own words your interpretation of the teachers’ editorial comments and notations: • What steps have you taken to address these points? • How has your writing on this paper shown improvement over previous papers? • What do you need or want to work on in your next paper, and what can you do to prepare to meet this goal? • Signature: ___________________________________Teacher Initials: ________

45. Choice in Curriculum CO-PLANNING WHAT WE STUDY

46. Control Continuum TEACHER SHARED Example: Text Study Students Make Choices from a Teacher Made List Student-Negotiate the Choices Teacher Organizes Content

47. Think Choices! • Books We Read • Topics We Investigate • Questions We Explore • Units We Develop

48. EXPAND THE CHOICES SAMPLE TIC TAC TOE MENU

49. Diseases & Dysfunctions of the Human Body

50. Student Questions and Concerns:Can They Drive Curriculum? • How long will I live? • What will I look like in the future? • Will I be healthy? • Will I achieve my goals? • Will I make enough money to support myself? • Why do we fight war over religion? • How is the world going to change? • Is there a solution for poverty? • Will they find a cure for cancer and AIDS?