Do it with PASSION

Project-based learning has been a recurring topic in many of my education courses over the last couple years. I love the idea of students learning while doing a major project, instead of traditionally being taught knowledge and regurgitating it for a test or assignment.

Julia, Child by Kyo Maclear

I am constantly looking for inspiration on different ways I can apply project-based learning in my future classroom. For example, last year I came across a picture book called Julia, Child written by Kyo Maclear. This is a fictional story about a little girl who noticed that the world was filled with so many busy grown-ups “who did not know how to have a marvelous time” (Maclear, 2014). Little Julia spent her days creating recipes that would help grown-ups grow young and remember how to have fun again. I loved the message in the story and started brainstorming how I could integrate it into a unit about healthy eating. I would let my class open a “restaurant” in the classroom and all parents would be invited to a meal. This would be such a fun project for students to work on, because there are so many components involved. They could name the restaurant, make a sign, design a menu, learn napkin origami and so much more.

While this is a fun project that I hope to use one day, I realize that it may be inspired by my own personal passion for cooking. I realized this in lecture a couple weeks ago when we discussed passion-based learning. This teaching method takes project-based learning one step further because the learning is inspired and driven by the students own interests in order to foster high engagement and intrinsic motivation. In passion-based learning the teacher acts as a provocateur and models to students how to take personal interests and extend them into meaningful learning experiences. This is a teaching method that requires critical thinking, problem solving, communication, collaboration, creativity, innovation and perseverance – all 21^st century skills.

Grade 12 Presents: Big Fish - cast photo

After talking about passion-based learning in class I had a conversation with my fellow classmates about passion-based learning and I was the only one who ever experienced this type of learning. In my Gr.12 drama class we were required to put on a play instead of writing an exam. We picked the play, found the script, built the set, designed the costumes, composed the music, choreographed the dances… we did everything. We adapted the movie Big Fish directed by Tim Burton. If you have seen the movie you know there are a lot of characters and scenes that would have been difficult to adapt to a live stage play but by working together we figured out a way to make the full story come to life on stage. We took this course because we were all passionate about theatre, and there was no way we would have been motivated to work as hard as we did if it wasn’t something we really cared about.
          Not only was this my most memorable experience in high school, it was also one of my most significant learning experiences. I want to give my future students the same opportunity I had and allow them the chance to take something they love and turn it into something magnificent. While I have so many passions that I would love to share with my students, such as cooking, I realize that is is more important for them to share their passions with me. One of my top priorities as a teacher is to make sure students are fully engaged in their education, and I think passion-based learning is the best way to accomplish this.

You Don't Have To Be An Expert

Throughout this course I have enjoyed exploring how educators can integrate different literacies into the classroom. However, the most important lesson I have learned so far is that I do not need to be an expert across all literacies in order to effectively incorporate them into my teaching. While I believe I have valuable skills and knowledge related to many of the 21^st century literacies, I do not feel confidently literate across all 9 areas. When beginning this course I felt fearful that I would not be able to effectively teach the literacies I am not as comfortable with, but this course has showed me that I can effectively incorporate all 21^st century literacies into my future classroom no matter what knowledge I have on the topics.

Piggy Bank. Retrieved from http://www.gettyimages.
ca/detail/photo/piggy-bank-high-res-stock-photogra
phy/sb10067729j-001

            Global literacy, financial literacy and digital literacy are the three particular literacies I originally feared teaching. However, now I am aware that I do not need extensive knowledge on globalization, the stock market or coding to create meaningful learning experiences for my students. During week two of the jigsaw activity, my group had great discussion on how to focus on what the knowledge we do have to create the foundation of our lessons. For example, I worked throughout high school to save money for university and have continued working since coming to Brock in order to stay out of the debt. Although I may not be able to explain what it means to make a high-risk or low-risk investment, I can explain responsible financial planning.

            This class has also reminded me that my knowledge should not always be the foundation of lessons. It is important to let the students own interests and inquires drive their learning experiences. This takes the pressure off the teacher to teach students, and instead provides an opportunity for students to learn from each other. For example, many children today have extensive knowledge on different technological devices and programs that they would be excited about using in the classroom. If students use their digital knowledge and skills for different types of projects, it will create learning experiences that are relevant and interesting. Additionally, it will give children a sense of agency as the teacher learns with and from the students.

Teacher and Kid at Computer. Retrieved from: http:// 
www.broadviewuniversity.edu/blogs/wp-content/up
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         Finally, if I ever feel like I have inadequate knowledge in regards to 21^st century literacies, this course showed that there are countless assessable recourses if I want to become more literate on any topic. Through a quick web search, or a conversation with a fellow teacher, I can extend my knowledge and learn different ways I can integrate 21^st century literacies into the classroom.

21st Century Literacies

First of all, I would like to say that I am excited about taking a course focusing on 21^st century literacies. In past education courses I have taken, there has only ever been a focus on teaching traditional subjects such as math and language arts. In some courses we have touched upon integrating lessons of moral development and multiculturalism into the classroom; however, this is the first course I have taken that will solely focus on teaching 21^st century literacies preparing me to teach my future students lessons they will use in their everyday life.

That "Aha" Moment. Retrieved from: http://www.
mosaichub.com/resources/resource/that-aha-moment

In our introduction lecture we discussed how it is important it is for students to be “critically literate in order to synthesize information, make informed decisions, communicate effectively, and thrive in an ever-changing global community” (L. Lane, personal communication, January 6, 2016). In order to achieve this, teachers need to create an environment where children constantly reflect on their learning. I think a great way to do this is to provide students with a notebook to record all “aha!” moments, just like the notebooks we were given in lecture. I love this idea and it is a technique I will definitely use in my future classroom.  I think I will have students leave these notebooks on top of their desks at all time so whenever they find something interesting or make a meaningful connection to their learning, the notebooks will be readily available for them to write their thoughts down. I do not think it will be very often than students write mathematical facts or spelling patterns in their notebooks. Instead, I would expect that they write big ideas connected to 21^st century literacies.

To take this teaching technique one step further I think it would be great if students got a chance take the information written in their notebooks and use it to guide their learning. For example, once a month you could give students a chance to pick an idea they had written in their notebook and present it to the class. During this presentation the students would be given a chance to explain why they thought their point was important enough to write down, how it connects to their life, and also present any research they have done on the topic. This wold give all students a chance to learn from each other. The notebooks can also be used as an idea book so when the students are working on  an art or creative writing project they can use ideas form their notebook to help inspire creativity. This will help promote reflection, transformation and action on ideas related to all 21^st century literacies.

The first lecture of this course was filled with interesting content that made me reflect on my own learning in the past and made me think about what kind of teacher I want to be in the future. I hope this will continue throughout the course to help me grow as a student and an educator.

Fair Does Not Always Mean Equal

Fairness. Retrieved from: http://hellpmrssykes.
blogspot.ca/2013/08/when-you-talk-to-your-
childs-teacher.html

Over the past couple months I have enjoyed reading everyone’s blogs and their unique reflections on what we have all been learning in school. One common topic that has come up repeatedly is the idea of differentiated instruction. I think it is extremely important to use this type of instruction in order to give students the opportunity to use their personal strengths to drive their learning. Drake, Reid and Kolohon (2014) explain in order to ensure fairness in the classroom, teachers must provide appropriate opportunities for students to learn and demonstrate their learning. This often has an influence on the type of assessments teachers provide for their students. Instead of always giving standardized assessments, teachers understand that students have different ways of showing their knowledge and are providing different types of assessments in order to help their students be successful (Drake, Reid & Kolohon, 2014).

Fairness should not only be considered when teachers design their assessments but in everything they do with their students. I have worked with many teachers over the past couple years who value fairness over equality and I have witnessed the positive effect it has on students.  Although many teachers use fair teaching methods in their classroom, the students are not aware that the teacher is doing so. However, after a unique experience volunteering in a classroom, I think it is important to teach students the importance of fairness, and how it does not always mean equality.

Over this past reading week I spent some time in a grade 5/6 classroom. This was my first time volunteering with this particular school so I did not know what to expect when I arrived that morning. Before the morning bell rang I got a chance to speak to the teacher who briefly explained her daily routines and gave me an idea of what to expect from her students. She explained that in her class of 22, 12 of her students had an IEP and most of them were achieving at a grade 3 level in school. Even the students who didn't have an IEP were significantly behind. She explained that this is a very difficult group of students to teach because they all have such diverse needs that she needs to cater to. However, she has done her best to adapt her teaching methods to meet the needs of all students.

I was expecting a chaotic day full of misbehavior and conflicts between the students and teacher. However, the teacher had excellent control over the classroom and I was extremely impressed with how she dealt with different problems as they arose. Many of the students complained other students were getting more help than they were, or the discipline they received was different from the other students. When this occurred the teacher pointed to a poster at the front of the room that read, “Fair does not mean equal” (see above). I could not believe how well the students responded to this and often immediately stopped arguing. Although I have a strong understanding of the difference between fair and equal I was surprised that these students who had academic, social and behaviour difficulties were able to easily grasp this concept.

Fair vs. Equal. Retrieved from: https://s-media-ca
cheak0.pinimg.com/origionals/5c/44/4a/5c444addb
3554f3360ca2146700cd054.jpg

Later that day I asked the teacher about the “Fair does not mean equal” poster and she explained that the class made it together at the beginning of the school year. She knew that because of the class’s diverse needs she was going to have to give the students different treatment and wanted them to understand why. This inspired her to plan a lesson to teach her students how fair and equal are different from each other. During this lesson she told each student to pretend they had an injury, either big or small. Some students said they had a paper cut, while others said they had their arm 

chopped off. The teacher then proceeded to give them equal medical treatment so they all received one average sized Band-Aid. Although the Band-Aid was an effective treatment for the students with a paper cut, it was not helpful to the students who had lost an arm. This helped the teacher explain to her students that if she gave all students equal treatment they would not receive fair learning opportunities. She told them that each student has different strengths and weaknesses that she promised to be aware of these differences and use this knowledge to help each student be successful.

Now if a student complains that something is unfair the teacher reminds them that “it is not equal, but it is fair”. I think this is an important concept to teach students so they can learn to be empathetic of each other and understand that everyone has different needs. I was very impressed how this teacher went about teaching the students this lesson and it is something I will tuck away to use when I have my own classroom.

In the video above, young Riley demonstrates how young children are able to comprehend this concept at an early age and it helps them consider situations from different perspectives. After my experience in the grade 5/6 classroom, and viewing this video I believe that any school aged child can learn to understand the difference between fairness and equality and it is something teachers can make an effort to teach their students as early as kindergarten.

References

Carolan, J. & Guinn, A. (2007). Differentiation: Lessons from master teachers. Educational Leadership, 64(5), 44-47.
Drake, S. M., Reid, J. L., & Kolohon, W. (2014). Interweaving curriculum and classroom assessment: Engaging the 21^st-ceturey learner. Toronto, ON: Oxford University Press.

Sun, A (2014). Equality is not enough: What the classroom has taught me about justice. Everyday Feminism. Retrieved from http://everydayfeminism.com/2014/09/equality-is-not-enough/.