Everyone is in such a hurry these days, and we in the system of public education are no exception.
We want our students to measure up,
and we want them to do it right now; and we want them to measure up to a whole
bunch of different things at the same time and at the same rate; and we focus
on teaching to the test because we have to; and we use measurements that
efficiently show how well students think on a lower level---
---and then we actually bemoan our students inability to think critically, creatively, and effectively on a higher level!
It’s time to consider alternatives.
---and then we actually bemoan our students inability to think critically, creatively, and effectively on a higher level!
It’s time to consider alternatives.
1. Leave
Test Data Disaggregation to Administrators
It's fine for administrators and policy makers to
use data from standardized tests as a comparative measurement of basic
skills proficiency---and they should; however, it's not okay when the results are taken as the only measure of student learning or as
an indication of future success in life. Basic skills proficiency is the
most important first step in developing higher-level thinking skills, and it's
important information for teachers to know as one element in planning their instruction---but---
---basic skills development should not be the only goal of instruction.
---basic skills development should not be the only goal of instruction.
2. Let Teachers Bump Up the Effectiveness of Instruction
Teachers need to be able to focus on multiple measures to develop effective instruction; however, many educators get mired in state, national,
and administrative mandated efficiency checklists required to show “Yep---we
covered that.”
This happens way too much in education. So much so that in some
schools, the result is a total lack of effectiveness, and thus---no efficiency
at all---the Catch-22 of instruction where test scores stall and instruction produces a Numskull Effect---a generation
of students, and a society who think that being educated means passing tests.
3. Trust
the Teachers to Know What They Are Doing
It’s time to trust the practitioners. Let the teachers create instruction that develops critical and creative thinking skills in an effective way and as applicable to situations in the 21st century. Support them with staff
development that empowers them to continue developing their skills while investigating project based learning options that work.
Project based learning (PBL) guarantees an effective application of basic
skills that enable the development of critical and creative thinking. PBL options also provide relevant educational experiences that motivate students to withstand
the rigor involved in higher-level thinking tasks. The activities are social in a
productive way so students and teachers love them, and administrators and
policy makers enjoy the positive feedback and outcomes.
4. Invest in Technology and Create 5-Year Upgrade Plans
There are as many reasons to use technology as not, but talk about a motivator. Students love it. The grumbling stops when technology is involved, and teachers use it to effectively manage time and access to student data. It's costly, but it's possible to provide schools with quality equipment.
For examples of innovative ways to use technology in the classroom, and for alternatives to the lecture-based, sage-on-the-stage approaches to teaching, read the article "The Flipped Mobile Classroom: Learning 'Upside-Down'" on Edutopia.
5. Listen to Advice from Business Professionals
There are as many reasons to use technology as not, but talk about a motivator. Students love it. The grumbling stops when technology is involved, and teachers use it to effectively manage time and access to student data. It's costly, but it's possible to provide schools with quality equipment.
For examples of innovative ways to use technology in the classroom, and for alternatives to the lecture-based, sage-on-the-stage approaches to teaching, read the article "The Flipped Mobile Classroom: Learning 'Upside-Down'" on Edutopia.
5. Listen to Advice from Business Professionals
Yavor Ivanovich, Founder of Xenium, asserts that entrepreneurs need to focus on being effective rather than on being efficient because "few of us can be efficient for a long period of time."
While Ivanov in his article "Habits of Successful Entrepreneurs" targets business professionals, his ideas examine the connection between quality and quantity, where a focus on effectiveness ensures that products can be efficiently measured in a qualitative way.
While Ivanov in his article "Habits of Successful Entrepreneurs" targets business professionals, his ideas examine the connection between quality and quantity, where a focus on effectiveness ensures that products can be efficiently measured in a qualitative way.
---and more of this is needed in education today.
As Ivanov says: "Focus on being effective and do one thing, but do the right one. Then do it well. Then go for efficiency. Repeat!"
Think-and-Take Mini-Lesson #4
"Consider and Imagine Alternatives"
Lesson from GoTeachGo
Critical Thinking - The Complete Starter Guide - All Grade Levels
Available on Teacher's Pay Teachers
Each of these mini-lessons is preparing students for the critical thinking skills they will need to use in Project-Based Learning Units of study. They make great openers to read kids for class.
Each of these mini-lessons is preparing students for the critical thinking skills they will need to use in Project-Based Learning Units of study. They make great openers to read kids for class.
You teach students to find evidence to support their opinions or assertions all of the time. But when you teach them to analyze, examine, and question how others arrived at the conclusions they made, their understanding deepens and new insights are achieved. Remind your students that each day they are going to practice skills that smart thinkers use to make good decisions and solve problems. Then use each
mini-lesson as a bell-ringer, and wake your class up to a deeper level of learning. Tell your students these skills are called critical thinking skills, and remind them smart thinkers use them every day.
The Mental Checklist of all five skills will be used each week as reference in each mini-lesson.
- Looking for Evidence
- Making Connections
- Point of View
- Considering and Imagining Alternatives
- Considering Significance
Procedures
1. Write on the board the objective: Yesterday you learned about the thinking skill "Point of View". Today our learning outcomes are to begin developing the critical thinking skill of "Considering and Imagining Alternatives" and participate in activities where you examine alternatives to situations and you imagine your own alternatives to others. (You can word this your way).
2. Show students the Mental Checklist on the ELMO or SmartBoard. Review with students the five critical thinking skills, and remind them they will be practicing and learning 1 new skill each day.
3. Introduce the new thinking skill with an all class discussion.
Start with a whole class discussion. Ask these questions and encourage responses with specific examples.
--What does it mean to be open-minded?
--Are you open-minded?
--What do you do that shows you are open-minded?
4. Assign students to groups of four. Distribute 1 sheet of chart paper per group. Tell students to draw a large T-Chart on the paper. Have students write label the first column with "Agree" and the other column with "Disagree". Then have them title the chart
"You think school uniforms are a good idea".
--Remind students that the point of the exercise is to understand alternative opinions and outlooks.
Start with a whole class discussion. Ask these questions and encourage responses with specific examples.
--What does it mean to be open-minded?
--Are you open-minded?
--What do you do that shows you are open-minded?
4. Assign students to groups of four. Distribute 1 sheet of chart paper per group. Tell students to draw a large T-Chart on the paper. Have students write label the first column with "Agree" and the other column with "Disagree". Then have them title the chart
"You think school uniforms are a good idea".
--Remind students that the point of the exercise is to understand alternative opinions and outlooks.
5. Instruct students to complete the T-Chart as a group. They list specific reasons why they agree or disagree with the opinion.
6. Students analyze their opinions and write two statements that show they understand the opposing viewpoint.
--Have students use the following sentence stems to help them understand the pattern, or have the stems as a reference to come up with their own sentences.
6. Students analyze their opinions and write two statements that show they understand the opposing viewpoint.
--Have students use the following sentence stems to help them understand the pattern, or have the stems as a reference to come up with their own sentences.
Example:
One statement that shows agreement:
We agree that school uniforms are a good idea because-------------------. While I understand your point that _____________________, We don't agree with the alternative because ______________.
One statement that shows the alternative:
Ww don't agree that school uniforms are a good idea because-------------------. While I understand your point that _____________________, We think _________________is a better alternative because ______________.
7. Ask students the following question and choose as many students as want
to share.
---What did you learn about considering and imagining alternatives?
---How hard was it to come up with an alternative to your own opinion? What most did you learn about your own ability to be open-minded?
8. End the lesson by having students write a paragraph. Have them write about the questions discussed in class. Remind them they are to write about what they learned about the skill of "Considering and Imagining Alternatives". Perhaps they can describe experiences when they were open-minded and how they felt about it---good or bad. How did this cooperation affect the outcome of the project?
Be sure to walk around as students are writing, and observe their responses while prompting them for specific details where needed.
9. Collect paragraphs from students who want you to share what they have written, and put them in one stack. Put the others in a second stack. Assure students whose paragraphs you will read that you will not read aloud their names unless they have let you know it is okay to do so.
10. On Grading: You can collect them and count them as participation points for daily grades, and have students file them in their writing portfolios daily. Then they can revisit them each week to monitor their understanding. Or you can let students keep them as a reminder of what they are learning throughout the week, and have them turn the paragraphs in each week or file them weekly and turn them all in at the end of each quarter. No matter how you assess these paragraphs, you will have gotten the students thinking about their thinking.
And that's the objective!
Next Week's Lesson: “Considering Significance”
Recommended Reading: "Authentic Assessment Benefits"
