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Critical Thinking is a way to indulge our curiosity by asking I wonder or why?  I think, by nature, kids can be better at this than adults.  For example, I have more experiences and failures that may inhibit my thinking.  Currently, our 5th grade students are involved in a Maker Challenge where they have to transform an Edison robot into a snow plow to clear "snow" from a mat.  They are using Critical Thinking to come up with solutions for this and put it into action. Assessment at this point in the process is done through observation and asking students questions to challenge or further their thinking. A question I have is how best is it to help those that struggle with thinking outside the box and how best to help those on the opposite spectrum where their thinking is too complex or elaborate to put effectively into a plan?

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I believe the ability to work with others is one of the most important 21st century skills our students can possess. Recently, I had the opportunity to have a parent volunteer in my room to assist with Code.org. He is a a Thinking Manager with John Deere Product Engineering Center. While visiting and talking with our class, he stated that his most important skill is his ability to work with others personally and globally. Although he has a wide and vast skill set in technology and engineering, it's his ability to work with others that allows him and his team much success. The first bullet point under this Universal Construct stating: Non hierarchical leadership based on individual skill sets stands out to me because he talked about not just himself but himself as a member of a team of people. Together they are better. Assessment with this can be done through a self reflection that addresses how the student worked as a team member and what qualities did the team have that made them successful or not? A question I have are what are some ideas teachers are using to those students that are not good team members?

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Our world is changing faster than ever and the ability to keep up with these changes seems to be an impossible task, therefore I think what is important is not necessarily the ability to keep up but the ability to embrace change and be proactive.  Two things that stand out with this Universal Construct are life long learning and continuously improving to foster the skills to embrace change.  Within a Maker Space environment, these skills are emphasized.  Mistakes are made and students are encouraged to make improvements and try again.  A question I have is how do you encourage and support discouraged students?  Assessment can be utilized by asking, did your plan work?  If not, what improvements can you make?

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Our world is changing faster than ever and the ability to keep up with these changes seems to be an impossible task, therefore I think what is important is not necessarily the ability to keep up but the ability to embrace change and be proactive.  Two things that stand out with this Universal Construct are life long learning and continuously improving to foster the skills to embrace change.  Within a Maker Space environment, these skills are emphasized.  Mistakes are made and students are encouraged to make improvements and try again.  A question I have is how do you encourage and support discouraged students?  Assessment can be utilized by asking, did your plan work?  If not, what improvements can you make?

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"processes that analyze, select, use and evaluate various approaches to develop solutions." When I set up my lesson plans I try to often plan challenges that can have more than one way to approach the solution. This way students are thinking about the process and just what the one right answer is.

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"processes that analyze, select, use and evaluate various approaches to develop solutions." When I set up my lesson plans I try to often plan challenges that can have more than one way to approach the solution. This way students are thinking about the process and just what the one right answer is.

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I need to slow down and continue to asks students to discuss how they are solving the challenge.

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"encourage unique thoughts and applications" 

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"encourage unique thoughts and applications" 

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One of my favorite parts of Makerspace is that it is a natural class for differentiation. Someone who has a hard time with paper and pencil tasks might easily shine at creative tasks.

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We all need people skills to work and get along in this world. Makerspace is a natural place for encouraging students to work together to solve questions and challenges.

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I think as the year has gone on in my Makerspace the students feel more comfortable in trying new things and seeing that they can change and perfect things and that is OK.

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I feel we always want students to feel self-confidence and Makerspace is a great place for all students to get to shine. We can build on their successes.

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Analyze, select, use and evaluate various approaches to develop solutions

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Analyze, select, use and evaluate various approaches to develop solutions

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When I think of assessment within a makerspacee the first thing that comes to mind is critical thinking. When students are working within the makerspace,   they are solving a challenge and must analyze, select, use and evaluate various approaches to develop solutions. Currently my 5th graders are working in small groups to develop a solution to a complex problem that has endless ways to solve. They must be reflective and use visionary processes to turn an Edison robot into a machine that will clear snow on a mat that has several different streets. They will use critical thinking to put their plan to action.

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Negotiation processes that generate mutually satisfactory solutions 

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Negotiation processes that generate mutually satisfactory solutions 

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Complex communication is based on the successful sharing of information. When working with others in a makerspace the ability for negotiation processes that generate mutually satisfactory solutions is very important. Recently my students worked together to created musical instruments in our makerspace. They had to imagine (generate ideas), plan, create, test & improve, celebrate, and finally share what they created. Working successfully with others, it was critical that they had to negotiate using complex communication to produce a product. I can see how this is a valuable way to assess student in a makerspace.

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In the universal construct of CREATIVITY and how to assess in a makerspace, I believe each of the bullets speaks to me depending on what you are doing. If I had to pick the one that speaks to me most, that would be a respectful exchange of ideas. Most often students are working together with several ideas to choose from. The idea of “us” before “me” is a successful motto I encouraged in my makerspace when working with others. No idea is a dumb idea. When accessing students, if they are respectful when exchanging their ideas it is sure to produce a win-win for all.

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The belief that group synergy enhances productivity.

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The belief that group synergy enhances productivity.

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I so believe that collaboration will enhance productivity! When assessing students in a makerspace, they must collaborate with others in their groups to achieve common goals. Collaboration also requires open and flexible approaches to leadership. This will allow the group to synergize and to enhance productivity. Working with others in the makerspace to share thinking, space, supplies, and ideas is critical and important to evaluate when assessing student success.

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The potential for  positive and negative outcomes in risk-taking.

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The potential for  positive and negative outcomes in risk-taking.

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The characteristic that speaks most to me from the constructs is ‘Flexibility and Adaptability’ is the potential for positive and negative outcomes in risk-taking. If students are reflective and able to make improvement on their task to meet the challenges in the makerspace, they will meet the expectations.  Students may succeed or fail with the task, but if they learn from trial and error to improve their results, they are taking the risk needed to achieve.  This would demonstrate the ability to respond and adjust to situational needs, and the ability to change to meet the challenges of new roles, paradigms and environments.

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I believe that ‘Productivity and Accountability” can be utilized for assessment within a makerspace .  Students need to show productivity by prioritizing, planning and applying knowledge and skills to make decisions that create quality products. Assessment can be measured if individuals and teams demonstrate initiative, self-direction and personal responsibility. I look for student to show motivation and commitment to achieve.  It is important that they have efficient time management, appropriate resource allocation, personal integrity and self-monitoring to meet the demands of productivity. Some students will need extra assistance and additional time, so this must be considered when assessing their success.

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Subjects in school and content is moving more towards problem solving and experimentation as opposed to rote learning and memorizing and repeating information.  This is the one skill that separates innovators from followers.  critical thinking is about thinking independently, formulating your own opinions and conclusions.  I think this is a hard skill for some students to grasp.  I need to encourage all students to speak up and share their ideas without being intimidated or worried about answering incorrectly. I need to allow all students a chance to have their voice heard, whether that means on paper or

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complex communication involves the successful sharing of information through multiple means. I need to do a better job of letting students choose their means. Many times, I only have out certain materials for them to use and not everything. I need to get better at this.

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I think creativity isn't a test to take, a skill to learn, or a program to develop. creativity is seeing things in new ways. Unfortunately, I think many schools and classrooms are still teaching that good means obedience and bad means attempting to do things differently. I need to work in my classroom to remember this. I too often give my students the topic for writing, or the one way to teach a math problem. I need to stop doing this in order for my students to attempt to do things in different ways.

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True brainstorming is not possible without collaboration. Collaboration provides a safety net in which students can develop ideas that may seem crazy at first. This is probably the area I see needing the most work with my students. Working in teams is hard for them. I need to be sure I am offering plenty of opportunities for team work. They won't get better at it, if they do not practice it.

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Heather------I believe these are two of the most important skills teachers must possess.  Flexibility means your plans can change quickly and adaptablility means the ability to adapt to change.  Along with teachers, this skill is highly sought after in jobs.  Modeling this behavior for my students is important, but also allowing students to know that it is okay to change things. 

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Heather------I believe these are two of the most important skills teachers must possess.  Flexibility means your plans can change quickly and adaptablility means the ability to adapt to change.  Along with teachers, this skill is highly sought after in jobs.  Modeling this behavior for my students is important, but also allowing students to know that it is okay to change things. 

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This deals with time management and students being motivated to achieve. This is something I see in some of my students. They give up when they become frustrated. Growing up in a world where things are immediate for them I feel contributes to this problem. Continuing to encourage is something I need to do along with working on the power of yet and growth mindset.

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Processes that analyze, select, use and evaluate various approaches to develop solutions.  

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Processes that analyze, select, use and evaluate various approaches to develop solutions.  

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I like to present various problems or issues to my students and allow them to use a variety of resources to solve them. Students today need to focus on strategies that will help them achieve their goals and have successes not only in school but out in the work world later in life. In order to become good problem solvers, a supportive and encouraging environment must be given so they can feel free to explore and experiment with solutions. Many kids want the correct answer and get frustrated when they have to apply critical thinking or come up with a variety of solutions to complex problems. I think that the more I can give them opportunities to use higher order thinking skills, the more successful they will be now and in the future! I assess this skill through observation and participation in the process.
Kim Kuhnle, Alden

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Negotiation processes that generate mutually satisfactory solutions. Managing and resolving conflicts.

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Negotiation processes that generate mutually satisfactory solutions. Managing and resolving conflicts.

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I have found that this is a difficult skill for students. We have become a society that relies on technology, social media, and very little interactionw with each other. Kids often want instant gratification of their needs, and it becomes difficult to get along with others, accept differing opinions, and arrive at a conclusion. I give my students opportunities to work with one another in groups, perform a variety of leadership duties, and collaborate to come up with ideas and solutions. The more opportunities they have to negotiate, resolve conflicts, and communicate, the better they will be at navigating the real world.
Kim Kuhnle, Alden

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A combination of seemingly unrelated ideas into something new.

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A combination of seemingly unrelated ideas into something new.

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I enjoy presenting my students with an idea or concept and observing how many different ways they can rearrange, recreate, or transform that idea or concept. For example, last year we did a Project Based Learning unit in which kids had to come up with an idea for a community business. They analyzed current businesses in order to evaluate what the community might need or want. Many students approached an already present business and created ideas to make it different and better by adding and deleting certain aspects. This was a great opportunity to utilize a variety of skills!
Kim Kuhnle, Alden

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Respect for a complex process that requires individuals to contribute and participate in meaningful interactions.

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Respect for a complex process that requires individuals to contribute and participate in meaningful interactions.

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Group work and collaboration tends to be most difficult for my students.  When I assign group work, I try to consider the students' various gifts and strengths and give them leadership positions that they will thrive in as a result. Naturally through the process of learning, they discover that nothing gets done well when they work against each other. However, it is fun to witness the productivity that occurs when each student takes ownership of their job, allows others to perform their assigned task, and cooperates as a group to achieve a positive result. I need to make sure that I am giving my students ample experiences to collaborate and interact with one another each week.
Kim Kuhnle, Alden

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Proactive and reactive approaches to change.

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Proactive and reactive approaches to change.

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This has been an important skill for my students to learn. We discuss proactive and reactive responses in the classroom each day. However, when a student feels like they need "to win," it breaks down the constructive and creative process quickly. I need to continue to provide situations in class that allow and teach students how to adapt to changes that I instill or ones that occur naturally during a process. Learning how to be flexible and adaptable are definitely skills that students need to learn for success today and in the future.
Kim Kuhnle, Alden

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Building on prior learning and experience to apply knowledge and skills in a variety of contexts.

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Building on prior learning and experience to apply knowledge and skills in a variety of contexts.

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Some of my kids are very motivated to do their best and learn all that they can learn. However, I have often found that students do not always build on their prior learning experiences. Many kids learn things separately and do not apply this knowledge to many other contexts. I might think a student has mastered something, but when it is time to apply that concept in a different context, they can not do it. This is one of the challenges that I face as an educator each day. How do I make all of my instruction applicable to many different contexts? I think that when I use Makerspace and Project Based Learning, it accomplishes this task of being more productive and holds students accountable for their role in the learning process.
Kim Kuhnle, Alden

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"thoughtful questioning that challenges assumptions, promotes higher order thinking, leads to new insights and validates perceptions."

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"thoughtful questioning that challenges assumptions, promotes higher order thinking, leads to new insights and validates perceptions."

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ELP teachers in my district have been working on Socratic Circles... so higher level thinking is the KEY! working in the DOK Levels 3 & 4. (Depth of Knowledge)

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meaningful and engaging interactions.focus, energy and passion around the key message.navigation through nuances of effective communication.

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meaningful and engaging interactions.focus, energy and passion around the key message.navigation through nuances of effective communication.

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I have been working on Invent Iowa with my 5th grade group.  They came up with a project but then had to call places to make sure it was unique.  We wrote up a dialog but the students were very scared to call a place of business.  After 3 businesses they feel better about this communication. They even called Lowe's for donations for the model!
Also, speaking about passion. Each of my grade groups are doing a service learning project that they decided as a group. Wow.. the passions come out! One group was very passionate about helping the koala bears in Australia. They are researching and reaching out for help. Another group is doing animal abuse. We had an expert come out and told us about the stray cat project. They could use more outside houses built with Styrofoam. Students are getting supplies together and calling and writing letters for donations.

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"a disciplined process that includes skill, knowledge, imagination, inspiration and evaluation."

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"a disciplined process that includes skill, knowledge, imagination, inspiration and evaluation."

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Our Invent Iowa project leads itself to this standard. They have to have a problem (actually 10). Do research and decide which one they could solve and how. The final step is to present in front of judges. They do see the rubric ahead of time.

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"respect for a complex process that requires individuals to contribute and participate in meaningful interactions.the belief that group synergy enhances productivity"

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"respect for a complex process that requires individuals to contribute and participate in meaningful interactions.the belief that group synergy enhances productivity"

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Service Groups are definitely needing to work well together to accomplish the goal.

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I have to say this to one of the hardest concepts for some gifted students. They don't do well with change or "At-Risk" behavior. We are taking small steps towards this. Talking about feelings and that it is okay to not know the answer. Asking others for help.

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"the ability to acquire new learning on one’s own. application of appropriate processes and tools to facilitate task completion.self-sufficiency as required in a complex environment. identification of available opportunities.motivation and commitment to achieve.assuming leadership roles.building on prior learning and experience to apply knowledge and skills in a variety of contexts.self-confidence and self-respect. 

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"the ability to acquire new learning on one’s own. application of appropriate processes and tools to facilitate task completion.self-sufficiency as required in a complex environment. identification of available opportunities.motivation and commitment to achieve.assuming leadership roles.building on prior learning and experience to apply knowledge and skills in a variety of contexts.self-confidence and self-respect. 

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I have been doing service learning projects, garden lessons, and makers space to help students see different avenues to learning.

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This is something that is difficult for students - open-ended questions are often times complex and required students to think outside the box. A simple yes or no question is what they want

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Critical thinking encompasses so much.
My main take-away from this section is to help grow students in thinking about their perspectives and analyzing the perspective of others. Students are expected to do this through questioning and thoughtful planning of approaches to looking at situations. I think that if students are given a single point rubric with the expectations for critical thinking they could self-assess their growth in this area. I also envision the teacher having conversations with the student to help them uncover ways to grow.

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Sharing information in meaningful and reciprocal ways is what stood out to me in the complex communication portion of the constructs. This could also be measured by the use of a rubric or checklist. I am a firm believer in creating assessment capable learners who help drive the learning. Communications has so many facets and navigating them takes practice. Helping students learn and practice communication skills in their day-to-day life is always on the front burner.

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Creativity and  maker space, maker-challenges, and STEM are so interconnected. I believe that incorporating time into our school schedule for makerspace will allow student the time for the creativity and open-ended learning that needs to take place in order for us to meet the Universal Constructs of the Iowa Core. Again, I think that the use of a learning progression/rubric would be very beneficial for assessment purposes.

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Collaboration,  "requires cultural competence and personal and civic responsibility in all environments. Collaboration also requires open and flexible approaches to leadership." Wow! That encompasses a lot! Collaboration is the foundation of how we live our lives both personal and professional. Within the makerspace setting collaboration when working in groups is essential. It also must be taught explicitly and even modeled when developmentally appropriate. Thinking about a 5th grade maker challenges I just recently was working on I can see how explicit modeling of effective group processing would have made the work even better.

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Flexibility and Adaptability can be challenging for adults and asking our students to demonstrate the needed proactive behavior in order to navigate change can be difficult. Yet, being able to be purposeful and  thoughtful in response to change is essential in our world. Makerspace creates the perfect space and opportunity for students to learn about the flexibility needed in a changing environment
.

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Our ever-changing world creates the need for us to help create the intrinsic love of inquiry and learning in our students. Makerspace is the perfect space for students to have choice and voice. I also think, as I have stated previously, that students can be taught how to set goals and assess themselves on their goals so that they can continue to grow and learn.

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Suspension of judgement while collecting evidence to make determination.

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Suspension of judgement while collecting evidence to make determination.

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Suspension of judgement stands out to me because I think it is natural to have a judgement about an issue, but that can interfere when we are collecting evidence. When looking for evidence we tend to try to find evidence to support our judgement instead of the whole picture. Suspension of judgement is a great thing to teach to make sure all the evidence is being looked at and not just evidence to support our original thoughts.

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interacting effectively with people of different cultures

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interacting effectively with people of different cultures

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Communication is a complex thing in today's society. Technology has completely changed the way we communicate, it provides so many avenues to use when communicating. We are teaching students in a time that we have access to communicate with every culture. Many times we assume everyone communicates the way we do, but we need to teach students cultural differences even with communication. What we find acceptable could be the opposite with another culture. It's about teaching our students respect for one another and understanding that everyone is different in our beliefs, values and communication.

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a comfort level with open ended challenges that reflect multiple approaches and results

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a comfort level with open ended challenges that reflect multiple approaches and results

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This is differently a change for students. Many students want to know exactly whats expected of them so they can get that passing grade or pass that standard. I think it is great that we allowing students to think outside the box and show that many problems have more then one way to get to the answer. This approach allows the students to shine in what they are comfortable with. Those students who struggled with paper and pencil tasks can shine with a learning method of their choice. Truly allows us to see what our students know and see what kind of learners they are.

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non-hierarchical leadership based on individual skill sets

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non-hierarchical leadership based on individual skill sets

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I love this!! Businesses/teams succeeding because they are using the strength of each individual on their team and not just the "boss'" way. Realizing no one is better then the other, everyone just has something else to offer. I just toured Flipgrid's headquarters in Minneapolis and they were all about this approach. What a great thing to allow every individual on a team to take the lead at different times depending on their strength and what a project needs for leadership at that time.

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the potential for positive and negative outcomes in risk taking

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the potential for positive and negative outcomes in risk taking

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Risk taking will happen in a safe environment. It is hard for adults to take risk with the outcome possibly being negative but we also know the growth that can come from risk taking. It is important to teach that to our students. That it is ok to take risks and fail, but to learn from their failures and move forward with what they learned. When I do makerspace with my students we talk about risk taking and the growth that comes with it. I provide lots of encouragement along the way.

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building on prior learning and experience to apply knowledge and skills in a variety of contexts

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building on prior learning and experience to apply knowledge and skills in a variety of contexts

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As the teacher librarian, I try to have my curriculum work with what they are doing in the classroom. Hopefully this allows students to see learning in a variety of contexts and they can use their prior learning. My 6th graders do a unit on social issues so in library they had to research a social issue and then create a project in art of their choosing to share their learning with others.

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In my role as a teacher librarian, I'm being asked to incorporate more computer science, and less research and library skills.  A major curricular unit I used to teach was a research unit in which students use multiple resources to research a topic, and they cite where they get the information.  Unfortunately, I'm not teaching it, and I'm not sure classroom teachers are teaching research as it should be - using appropriate kid-friendly resources (books and websites), citing pictures and information correctly, etc.

A California school was just sued for showing the movie, The Lion King, during a fundraising event, because the obviously did not know you have to buy a license to show the movie to a large crowd.  Teachers don't understand you can't show a Netflix movie to an entire class without permission, also.  Teacher librarians are copyright enforcers, and we protect school districts from getting sued.  In this day in age, copyright (using and citing sources appropriately) is clearly an important skill that needs to be taught to students and staff!

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Through the Project Lead the Way computer science curriculum, I used paired programming when students are coding.  They collaborate and communicate as they work together to create coding projects on Scratch, Scratch Jr. and Tynker - there is social-emotional learning incorporated into this, also.  Students have to take turns being the navigator (read the directions) and driver (uses the mouse).  Students are developing their communication skills, as well as using manners, compromising, and adapting their speech to make requests and appropriate responses to each other.

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The beauty of a makerspace is that students learn through playing or tynkering.  Through this discovery playing, students learn resilience and how to deal with frustration when something doesn't go as planned.  Social-emotional learning is automatically incorporated into these learning experiences, and they are so very important for students as they grow and come across more difficult academic topics and challenges in life (21st century skills!).

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"Proactive and reactive approaches to change" - this is such an important skill for students to develop at a young age. When something doesn't go as planned, how a student reacts speaks volumes. In the past year, our district has put an emphasis on training staff in social-emotional learning and collaborative problem solving, because students who are exposed to trauma often times lack the skills necessary to calmly respond to change or things not going their way. Learning about this has been really eye-opening and has made me a more patient person and teacher.

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I taught for seven years in the HS realm, and I got burned out because the majority of HS are so lazy! I believe it is because of technology, smart-phones, and social media.  Teachers have a hard time putting technology away and invest their time and attention into their learning.  On a daily basis, I would hear students comment, "Why do we have to learn something today?" This would infuriatie me...I would sarcastically respond, "I can't believe I'm forcing you to learn something in school!"

I now work in a K-4 building, and I can say younger students are more likely to try something new, invest their attention and energy into something that is challenging, and most of them don't give up, even when they fail.

Where along in their education do students become lazier, not willing to try new things, and learn through their failure, or is this just typical teenager behavior? How can we ensure students are invested in their learning, and how can we excite students in what they are learning?