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Concepts and patterns provide students with the means for interpreting a text/text genre by providing them with a point of entry. As students learn to look for similarities between texts based on the application of concepts and/or patterns, they become more aware of the interconnectedness between ideas.

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Concepts and patterns provide students with the means for interpreting a text/text genre by providing them with a point of entry. As students learn to look for similarities between texts based on the application of concepts and/or patterns, they become more aware of the interconnectedness between ideas.

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Learning needs a context (scheme) upon which to rest or else it's just another random bit of information. As humans, we block out and simplify most of the world around us or else we'd be overstimulated and literally lose our minds. This is why stereotypes of the world around us are thing in the first place; they help simplify and create general rules and patterns so that new situations aren't completely new and baffling and overwhelming every time we encounter them. We need these shortcuts in order to make sense of the world and make sense of new encounters in the world. We connect prior experience with the new experience to understand similarities and differences. These contexts can be seen as the coat hanger rack and each new bit of information (clothing item on a hanger) can be placed, carefully and neatly, somewhere on the rack. In a similar way, this is what concepts can provide--a sort of clothing rack upon which ideas can be hung and compared with other ideas. I've recently started a unit of study that explores archetypes in literature and have found this, conceptually, to be far more rewarding and engaging than many other approaches to texts. The transferability becomes strong in the students. They start looking around in the world and seeing archetypes alive and operating all around them.

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The younger our students are the fewer ways they have of recognising and categorising what they are learning and the more they're likely to just default to given "bundles" like this is Math / Science / Design etc. In the IB we try to use the concept of trans-disciplinary learning and the ATLS (approaches to learning) but I think we must never assume that students are using the same frameworks and need to constantly make things explicit to the students.

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This section reminded me of this Sufi saying. I use it when I teach systems thinking in I&S. When students start thinking in terms of connections we open up more opportunities for a-ha moments and interdisciplinary teaching which in turn creates more authentic learning engagements.

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Concepts are the foundations for making meaning through patterns.

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Concepts are the foundations for making meaning through patterns.

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As with all good teaching, we want students to see the transferability of ideas and concepts. This happens when we allow students to authentically engage with texts. 

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As with all good teaching, we want students to see the transferability of ideas and concepts. This happens when we allow students to authentically engage with texts. 

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I found the example interesting. Using the different examples of nursery rhymes, poetry, song, and speech instead of studying just one example is a great way to find the patterns between genres and then take learning back to the concept. I am intrigued with where this is all going. 

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I found the example interesting. Using the different examples of nursery rhymes, poetry, song, and speech instead of studying just one example is a great way to find the patterns between genres and then take learning back to the concept. I am intrigued with where this is all going. 

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Concepts and patterns organize knowledge and understanding. Once familiar with concepts, students start seeing patterns across different texts, for example. Take the concept of metaphorical language. They will see it in poetry and prose. When they read a news article with metaphorical language (take Saddam Hussein's 'the mother of all battles'), they will understand the bigger picture behind the factual news, and will be able to detect bias.

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I want to be able to support my EALs with culturally relevant texts to help support the transfer of learning.  I especially want appropriate texts for MS African students.  If anyone is using great texts please share.

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I want to be able to support my EALs with culturally relevant texts to help support the transfer of learning.  I especially want appropriate texts for MS African students.  If anyone is using great texts please share.

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Learning about concepts and patterns allows students to make connections within the subject they are learning. More importantly, it allows to make connections across subjects.

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Grammar Instruction and Conceptual Relationships

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So many great reflections being shared here; I am enjoying learning from your perspectives. I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about skills as concepts (e.g. communication, collaboration, research). We are currently developing our approach to the IB AtLs, and it occurs to me that these skills provide so many opportunities for transfer within and across subjects. Many teachers feel most comfortable focusing on concepts that are drawn from knowledge, but those process-based concepts are just as important. If we start to recognise the similarities in the application of skills across disciplines, we can enhance interdisciplinary learning.

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I love the support and examples of mixed media and texts to support student learning. That connection of concepts from book to poetry to song will help students to deeper understanding of the ideas of the learning. This is not new, but I believe it is something that takes time, skill, and specific dedication to create. Those connections also change with the cohort of students and the current culture. Teachers need time to build these skills, and they need to know how to utilize the experts in their workplace to help them to find resources relevant to the students and the learning.

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In terms of concepts, we need to be diligent in interdisciplinary work so that students see that learning transfers to multiple aspects of life. I believe that interdisciplinary learning is essential for students because it teaches them to think beyond one box and instead mix concepts from boxes to create new ideas.

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Teaching a concept naked, without any connection to anything else, is basically useless. Having knowledge for knowledge's sake is okay and it does have its place. But transferring that to new works, artistic genres, or even other subjects hammers home the point far more effectively. An example I do is with tone & mood. I teach the concept and differences between them, and then we examine how it work in "real" life, song, movies, and lit. This is all in prep for a creative writing sketch.

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Concepts and patterns are embedded in Lang/Lit through the IB Inquiry Statements and questions for each unit. The patterns show through the novel choices and curricular activities, like those described with poetry. Learning transfers when the concepts and patterns are applied to other areas of student's lives, like when they are listening to music and applying the language of poetry to the songs.

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Concepts across situations. Media literacy in ELA. The concept of implications of not being media literate across all subjects and in our "real" lives.

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are fundamental for learning to be transferable. In IB Lang & Lit course, for instance, it is expected that students can analyze different texts using the concepts they have studied. And it is clear, as an IB examiner, when the classes are taught having in mind that students should learn concepts, patterns, not contents. The essays I marked clearly indicate when they learn how to transfer the concepts covered in/by class material, and the teacher's focus was in covering specific content.

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As with any form of learning a concept, in order for learning to transfer, I believe, the students has to see a connection to self first or at the very least the world around them; especially in ELA. This typically happens via novels we read as a class or that students read independently. The more experiences they have with novels across genres, the easier it is to transfer their learning about a topic.

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Great ideas, thanks everyone. I am wondering about prioritising conceptual understandings -- in other words, if conceptual understanding spirals up, which concepts are most foundational by their nature?

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This is a great discussion. If we want to work towards conceptual learning, then we must consider, what are concepts? Please allow me to share a video here, by

Oliver Caviglioli, where he discusses how we can see concepts as an entry point to deeper learning? In this sense, complementing his discussion in the video, I thought of a quote by Jerome Bruner, where he says that "Grasping the structure of a subject is understanding it in a way that permits many other things to be related to it meaningfully." this makes me think about the importance of applying the new the new science of learning into our practice. The science does not deny that facts are important for thinking and problem solving, however, as John Bransford points out: "The research also shows clearly that "usable knowledge" is not the same as a mere list of disconnected facts. Experts' knowledge is connected and organized around important concepts; it is "conditionalized" to specify the contexts in which it is applicable; it supports (to other contexts) rather than only the ability to remember."

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Organizing is to make meaning -- Oliver Caviglioli

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I teach sixth grade ELA and am looking forward to learning more about making this happen in my classroom. I have recently been reading about neuroscience and culturally responsive teaching and about the impact of trauma on how we learn and process information. The books I read this summer, Culturally Responsive Thinking and the the Brain and What Happened to you? showed an almost identical impact on processing. Simply put, when the receiver is in an anxious state, nothing, not even attempts at developing relationships, work well. It was interesting to see this strong similarity and looking at it conceptually made an impact on my ability to keep this learning in the forefront of new learning now.

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Teaching through concepts and patterns gives students more hooks to hang information on in their brains. I often do multi-genre thematic units, but I think this framework can help me shift my instruction to ensure students are mastering concepts. 

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Teaching through concepts and patterns gives students more hooks to hang information on in their brains. I often do multi-genre thematic units, but I think this framework can help me shift my instruction to ensure students are mastering concepts. 

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As is the current movement in our school, offering opportunities for greater autonomy, buy-in, voice, and choice, the students can begin taking more control over their learning and develop the skills we know they need (L2L skills).

I think we've been strong in this area and can improve on the curriculum and assessment side, in some instances, so that what the students have choice over is more conducive to the kinds of learning we want from them.

It's all about getting students to think and make connections within and beyond our subject area. It's about helping students place the learning in our individual classes and academic fields into a broader context and be able to take that learning into those new contexts successfully.

So
Students: more autonomy and more about taking an active role in their learning.
Teachers: ensuring that students are making the deep connections around concepts that help them transfer the concept into new scenarios
Curriculum: designing curriculum that intentionally moves students toward conceptual understandings and transfer of sills and knowledge into new contexts.
Assessment: making sure assessments aren't just regurgitation of facts but an opportunity to apply knowledge and skills and conceptual understandings into new scenarios and opportunities.

Josh Smalley

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I think it is about re-understanding and reimagining the current practices of education and how fast the world is changing. Teachers should understand that they are facilitators, students should take agency of their own learning, assessment should focus on learning that transfers, curriculum should be created in such a complex way that it teaches adaptable knowledge. 

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I think it is about re-understanding and reimagining the current practices of education and how fast the world is changing. Teachers should understand that they are facilitators, students should take agency of their own learning, assessment should focus on learning that transfers, curriculum should be created in such a complex way that it teaches adaptable knowledge. 

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Student choice is really fundamental in getting students to engage and take an active role in their education.  Often, student don’t really believe they have a part in their education.  They may feel like they are forced by parents and society to sit through school and are fed information by teachers.  Teaching kids how to think is obviously more important than teaching kids what to think, and this connects back to the idea of concepts.

I like the idea of presenting a concept and allowing students to dig deeper, make connections, and become an expert in that concept to then share their expertise with the community in a meaningful way.  Technological advancements have transformed idea sharing and given us so many opportunities to allow meaningful sharing of knowledge.  We need to harness the technology we have and really connect to communities outside of our own.  Students sharing what they’ve learned and discovered with others across the world could be so meaningful and impactful and blur that line of student/teacher.

Reframing assessment is a difficult topic perhaps because doing it right will take more time and energy (something teachers often lack).  Allowing multiple ways to show mastery is a great idea, but the grading/scoring of multiple ways is daunting.  I love the idea of concept mapping as assessing…in fact, I have been using concept mapping for vocabulary assessment for years to allow students to connect vocabulary words to other subject and interest areas.  I also liked the idea of literature circles creating a podcast to show understanding and connection of themes across texts.  Could secondary students visit primary schools to lead reading circles and discussions with a elementary-level book that they have found contains the same themes and concepts as the lit circle book they read together?  This also could meet that share out to the community aspect that brings purpose.

Marissa Grodnick

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Evidence-gathering of transfer is really interesting. I think MAC, LAC and SAC  (Math/Literature/Science Across the Curriculum) weeks are a great indicator, as each time a student transfers knowledge or understanding from another subject area, it's recorded to reinforce impact.
I now think Concept Week could be a thing.

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I love that we are going to dig deeper into this and I'm specifically interested in how to support my students with intellectual disabilities/cognitive impairments or learning disability be able to access and make sense of concepts and patterns.

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This can be achieved by practicing what we read, hear, and talk about a lot in the recent years. This can only be achieved by teachers being the change, which takes work and courage. The students will see the relevance of learning if what they are exposed to every day is, indeed, relevant to their lives.

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- giving students choice and ownership of learning
-students centered, authentic activities based on concept, high expectation, explicit teaching of self management skills, inquiry based teaching

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-active learners, inquirers, open minded students

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- inquiry based curriculum focusing more on concept than subject
-inter-disciplinary
-focus more on students growth, individualized teaching, RTI,

Meron

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The patterns we learn--intentionally or not--determine not only how we see the world but how much information we can process.

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English Language Arts LTT Mid-Module Discussion

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English Language Arts LTT Mid-Module Discussion

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Interdisciplinary and project work is one of the best ways I have found to redefine the role of the student. When the task is broad (a project, for example) with many knowledge and skill components, students have to think ahead and learn as they go. Also, it places teachers more in the role of advisor than deliverer, resulting in more student agency. An added benefit is that this is how most of the working world works now so they will also be developing those skills.

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I teach at a project-based learning school and we often engage in backward design when putting together our projects. As I look at our practice, I can see that an area we can work on is building on the patterns and concepts. I am noticing that we often go straight to asking kids to connect dissimilar things.

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I feel like we should always be reframing the way these roles interact with each and work in schools.  I also feel like, as teachers, we are always reflecting to grow and change with the needs of our students/society.  All good teachers know that there is always room to grow, to change, to modify what we do.  Teaching is an art form that is always changing.  I do not teach or create curriculum/assessments the same way I was taught in school or even what I was asked to do.

Student choice and student voice are extremely important to curriculum, assessment, and creating community in the classroom.  Students need to feel seen and heard in what we teach, and what we ask students to read.  I always fall back on the old metaphor that we need both windows and mirrors in our curriculum.  In our curriculum, we have worked hard to make sure all of our students can be seen in what we read, and that they have the opportunity to learn about new perspectives and cultures as well.  This should also go far beyond texts, it should be on the walls in classrooms, hallways, and felt throughout the school.

I think the role of technology could really help create a bigger/stronger community.  We have the ability to connect with businesses, organizations, mentors, community leaders without them even having to walk into our buildings.  We need to utilize this to help students create stronger connections to their communities, so that they can transfer their learning to what they see/do/participate in outside of their school community.  We can help students realize what is out there-- help them find their passion(s).  We also have the opportunity to connect with people all over the world, too.  We also want to give students the opportunity to share what they learn in the classroom with others.

In both modules, the idea of concept mapping has been brought up.  I love using concept map as a way to assess student learning.  We use it for vocab all the time.  We have also used it when connecting similar concepts between books in the same thematic unit.  We also utilize literature circles and socratic seminars to help students develop their own voice and ability to talk with other students about what they've learned and connections between concepts.  As explored in this module, we need to help students learn how to communicate with each other, listen to different perspectives and talk through issues.

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is the key term for what we have to do in our schools. We know that language is power and using the word reframing will make all the participants more inclined to accept taking part into this process. Maybe this will make teachers and students less afraid of trying different things, innovative approaches to what we can do.

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It's a great reminder that concepts appear and repeat across content in one subject area, and can translate from one subject area to another. It's also powerful to see how conceptual instruction can give students keys to driving their own learning by applying concepts to content and topics that they choose themselves

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My professional brain is squarely rooted in the Design Cycle as I have exclusively taught IB Design courses for the last four years. My team and I have developed a summative routine in our Design 7 (digital communication) course that is rooted in the ideas of concepts/patterns/transfer. Students learn not only the concepts behind each Criteria but also those associated with a particular form of digital communication (in this example, the vlog).

Each time they complete a summative, it comes to them in the same pattern: a GRAPS followed by selected strands in each Criteria (we scaffold at first and add complexity as the year goes on).

By the time they get to their final Be the Change Project (using digital communication form(s) of their choice to address a social justice topic of their choice), they truly don't need us. They.just.GO.

It is gratifying to see them reach back through everything we've done, choose the tools they need, and create something innovative and heartfelt.

Here's a link to their first summative document to illustrate our format:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Prx6OObFyWcfs_UNUiKndtpAgW3h-RLDpGJLzdDIhsY/edit

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I think starting with transformative learning. It must be contextual, future thinking and trans-disciplinary. Disrupting the status quo which has already been 'disrupted' through covid. Not going back to the way we used to do things that weren't serving students and learning. The Big Question Institute has a book to provoke thinking in this area.

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I just keep thinking about how the connections between concepts is what matters. I think this is an area where I and many others need to grow: In investigating or making clear the ways that various concepts in our classes connect.

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I just keep thinking about how the connections between concepts is what matters. I think this is an area where I and many others need to grow: In investigating or making clear the ways that various concepts in our classes connect.

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We need to always be interrogating what we are doing... what are we expecting students to take away from this lesson or unit. What are the transferrable skills. For English teachers, we can get so tied to a particular text that we think the text is the end goal, rather than being a critical reader and thinker. I think teaching is constantly questioning ourselves and the curriculum.
Laura Jensen

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Concept based learning provides opportunities to for students take more ownership in their learning. They can participate in literary chooses that suit their interests and needs. As students become more self-aware, they can make connections to curricular and literary choices. They further find interconnectedness between literary and real world experiences.

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Well, don't just present material and ask questions at the end, even if it's on a neat format like Padlet.

Secondly, student choice is important. Educators must give up some control of the curriculum in order to make the learning more relatable, meaningful, and transferable.

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Connecting concepts, skills, etc. to real-world application is essential in curriculum building and assessment.

Just lecturing is boring and scientifically ineffective. Yes, there are times for direct instruction, but having students apply and practice whatever you've taught them is essential. For a basic example, if you're defining vocabulary words, students need to practice applying those words in class and in real-world contexts. Just defining a word is memorization.

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This question is so full - how do we reframe roles, curriculum, assessment, community. Is this something we do all at once? Do we start with one and add one on as we go?

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I buy into al of this. But. Re-framing is a much larger task for students and parents than it is for teachers, in my experience. Teachers are used to reminders that, no matter how effective our current model, we must always strive to re-work it. I find that the student-parent perception is often the opposite; the student's modus operandi is the apex and all else must align with it! So, yes, we are facilitators and as someone who has given 15 years to the sage on the stage model and only 3 as a guide on the side, I am continually learning how to better one. It repeatedly strikes me, though, that our students and their parents need to be actively educated on the very concept of ACT, rather than to have lessons designed and delivered via it. I don't say this in complaint, but in genuine curiosity.

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I buy into al of this. But. Re-framing is a much larger task for students and parents than it is for teachers, in my experience. Teachers are used to reminders that, no matter how effective our current model, we must always strive to re-work it. I find that the student-parent perception is often the opposite; the student's modus operandi is the apex and all else must align with it! So, yes, we are facilitators and as someone who has given 15 years to the sage on the stage model and only 3 as a guide on the side, I am continually learning how to better one. It repeatedly strikes me, though, that our students and their parents need to be actively educated on the very concept of ACT, rather than to have lessons designed and delivered via it. I don't say this in complaint, but in genuine curiosity.

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In every situation, there are those who are open to change and those who resist change with every fiber of their being. Reframing is difficult because there will always be those who consider current practices as acceptable--they've worked in the past. Reframing requires teaching teachers differently. Credentialing programs at colleges and universities must introduce these concepts as the norms to new teachers. As those teachers take their place among established teachers, they will find those teachers who understand the need for and have implemented change--or have been incorporating the elements of teaching that prepare students to be engaged, critical thinking members of society. Essentially, I see these shifts as occurring systematically only once the system has begun to reset itself. And it neither begins or ends with education. Parents must rethink and reimagine the role of education in the lives of their children, and move toward expecting and demanding an educational experience that will undoubtedly differ from their own, yet respond to the very questions they had in certain course that left them asking "What's the point?" and "When will I ever use this in life?"

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In every situation, there are those who are open to change and those who resist change with every fiber of their being. Reframing is difficult because there will always be those who consider current practices as acceptable--they've worked in the past. Reframing requires teaching teachers differently. Credentialing programs at colleges and universities must introduce these concepts as the norms to new teachers. As those teachers take their place among established teachers, they will find those teachers who understand the need for and have implemented change--or have been incorporating the elements of teaching that prepare students to be engaged, critical thinking members of society. Essentially, I see these shifts as occurring systematically only once the system has begun to reset itself. And it neither begins or ends with education. Parents must rethink and reimagine the role of education in the lives of their children, and move toward expecting and demanding an educational experience that will undoubtedly differ from their own, yet respond to the very questions they had in certain course that left them asking "What's the point?" and "When will I ever use this in life?"

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What is happening vs what should be happening

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What is happening vs what should be happening

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When I hear these descriptions of how learning should look and how lessons/units should be designed, I nod because I think that this of course is best practice and it’s how teaching is being done. But, when I look back to my classroom days, I was a much better curriculum designer when I was starting from scratch on a course that I was building new, with autonomy in celebrating all of these concepts. I was able to craft learning around the concepts and not focus on tests and rote memorization. But, when I was teaching on a team with a system that had been in place for years, it was easier (much easier) to take the old style of lesson and teach following along the other teachers. Especially when I had 3-4 preps to teach. While a teacher builds skill and abilities to facilitate helping students to develop understanding, it’s not always taught in teacher-school. Nor is it downloadable, in a textbook, or something you can copy quickly because you are overwhelmed. And, teachers are overwhelmed.

It’s been 12 years since I have been either a tech integrationist, a librarian, or both. My passions align to support this style of learning, but like teachers, I find that the time to help does not always fit into a day.

I wish we could find a way- and not 35 minutes on a Friday- to really help teachers and their educator partners to get time to set aside to think about the big ideas, the take aways, and break away from the easy to create learning that is truly transformative to the learners.

I think the question was how can we reframe the roles of all in education? We need the time to think, to build, and to create learning that is deep. And time to be able to connect with each learner to help build their basic skills, confidence, and talents to glow in such an environment.

Jen Legatt

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I believe the critical focused mindedness is often the focus of my work as a Library Media Specialist in lessons designed for the community as a whole. But, I need to have a broad understanding and adaptability to be able switch to the other types when supporting the English Language Arts teachers, and teachers of all disciplines in the building. I do work to encourage teachers to move beyond the traditional learning activities as designed in the last chapter into lessons that encourage conceptual understandings, connections to the world, and looking for resources and content beyond a student’s comfortable bubble of world concept.

Jen Legatt

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As a school counselor following this course I think one of the most key things for our students is for them to connect concepts to other areas. When they are able to make those connections in school our hope is that they learn how to connect to bigger world ideas

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Rushkosff's presentation was inspiring; what conversations do students want to be able to have in the future; what do they want to be able to communicate in writing and speech? Student voice in this discussion is important.

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I think that reframing the big picture of teaching and learning will bring great transparency to our process. One of the positive impacts of remote learning has been that we taught in an open space in terms of being on Zoom with many observers on and off screen. The walls of our classrooms fell away. At first this was disconcerting, but I think the overall result was that many of us came to feel more connected with each other, our students, and their families.
I think that reframing roles must start with an important point of convergence, a joint acceptance that we want what is best for learners and that may mean reimagining what we do to something that we haven't quite grasped yet.
The first, and very important steps, involve developing an understanding of learning that transfers, learning that has staying power. The next steps involve applying that to our practice, both longterm planning and daily routines. Having a supportive group to collaborate with allows us to engage with our questions and concerns as we acquire and connect our learning.
A careful intentional approach to curriculum and assessment choices must have the freedom to implement changes and possibly change those changes as we test new ways and roles. This will mean that administrators and students need to be on board with shifts in practice, seeing their value and engaging in constructive reflection along with educators.
Another important element is the inclusion of caregivers and the broader community. We are undergoing serious change already in how we view conflicts and change. It will require transparency, honesty, respect and sensitivity to create a collective shift.

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When I first became a Literature teacher, my focus was within the "traditional" and "critical" lenses. As I encountered more and more students who struggled to access these aspects of my discipline, I found it to be my duty to work more toward the "craft" and "functional" lenses. I've found that students, the ones I often work with, find so much more relevance and purpose in the latter two lenses. They "get it" and understand the "real-world" application of the course.

I've always found it difficult to show student why and how knowing end-stopped lines matters to their lives.

So, I think I need to find more creative means of re-integrating the "traditional" lens into my teaching without sacrificing the "functional" foci that have served my demographics of students so well.

Josh Smalley

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The answer to this question is directly related to the critical thinking observations made earlier. Education and learning should rely on critical, independent, and original thinking by all students in all disciplines. In order to do that, students need to internalize the knowledge and concepts they have to master, and this is where the ACT methodology comes in.  Additionally, the curriculum could be organized into areas of exploration and conceptual areas that allow both for the tethering of fundamental discipline-related topics and concepts and for their application and transfer in new settings. Assessment is also crucial to this reframing. By designing projects and assignments that are not generic, but specific and relatable to each student (differentiated tasks according to format, multiple intelligences, etc.), assessment becomes a demonstration of adaptability and creativity – which is what is needed in the world of the future. 

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The answer to this question is directly related to the critical thinking observations made earlier. Education and learning should rely on critical, independent, and original thinking by all students in all disciplines. In order to do that, students need to internalize the knowledge and concepts they have to master, and this is where the ACT methodology comes in.  Additionally, the curriculum could be organized into areas of exploration and conceptual areas that allow both for the tethering of fundamental discipline-related topics and concepts and for their application and transfer in new settings. Assessment is also crucial to this reframing. By designing projects and assignments that are not generic, but specific and relatable to each student (differentiated tasks according to format, multiple intelligences, etc.), assessment becomes a demonstration of adaptability and creativity – which is what is needed in the world of the future. 

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I think we don't really know what the 'end game' is for students. There is a world out there we don't know the possibilities of yet. I think our goal is to give/provide/create skills that transfer to the world in multiple ways. I loved how the one video about Protectionism said we need to "see the change coming" Even if we don't know the future, we can continue to teach skills of being human, asking big picture questions and not just memorizing facts

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Working with EAL students, it's very important to support them in making sense of a lot of information.  The more they can organize the knowledge and their prior knowledge, the greater the likelihood of transfer.

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Working with EAL students, it's very important to support them in making sense of a lot of information.  The more they can organize the knowledge and their prior knowledge, the greater the likelihood of transfer.

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I was so happy to see this model as it captures many discussions we have in our L&L department. I often encounter those who are 'experts' or are passionate about the discipline often discuss the subject from the top of the model or the 'text' centered perspective. Broadening out the way the subject is taught, into a conceptual or functional context might seen to 'water down' or steal the 'beauty' from how the subject is discussed. I appreciate Trevor's thoughts about holding the two together with the belief that they are not mutually exclusive is the mind-set we need to reach all learners. Every student is not going to be the next Toni Morrison or William Faulkner.

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I feel as if there is a place for each one of the disciplinary perspectives in our practice and, as others have said, I feel that this model will lend itself to rich discussions in our departments. It is a great way to have discussion that uses clear terms to define what we are saying and where we are coming from. This type of discussion may allow for a deeper dive into the how and why we make choices for our students. If we can think about which disciplinary perspective we are coming from, we may become better able to consider whether that is the best perspective for the outcome we want to achieve.
For me, the Critical perspective really resonated. I believe our choice of texts and what we do in class should "use the world as a text" and help us explore the big questions that reading, writing, and discussion can raise regarding our identities and humanness. I am currently reading Forged by Reading which speaks to this exactly.
As educators, we have sometimes become too focused on helping guide our students toward future work. While this is one component of what we do, it is not the most important. We are guiding them toward becoming part of the bigger humanity and. to do that they need literacy in all of the disciplinary perspectives. Would you agree?

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I really liked how this "model" (would you mind if I call it this way?) connects the four possibilities of planning a course unity. It made me think which aspect teachers usually decide to remove if they are focusing in how many classes, they will use to develop a unity. Maybe, the craft-focused since it takes a lot of time for the students to be able to see themselves as the producers, creators of a new exemplar of the text type we are studying, analyzing.

When I'm planning my unities, I think about having moments for each perspective in order that one builds up to the other, making students aware of the role language and literature have in our lives, and both they see themselves as someone that can also use the concepts we have studied so far in different contexts.

But I must confess that incorporating these four disciplinary perspectives requires teachers having time to plan the course unities (not in advance, because the group of students we may have this year differs from next year's).

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Maggie M. - Reframing roles in education

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Maggie M. - Reframing roles in education

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“We do not learn from experience... we learn from reflecting on experience.” - This quote by John Dewey really resonates with me and I've been thinking about the role that metacognition plays in my class. Or the role I would like it to play because - in all honesty - I have not yet found effective ways to incorporate metacognition throughout my planning. I'm probably making a digression and not actually answering the prompt about reframing the role of teachers, curriculum and assessment, but Sinek's video took me to an inward journey and I can't help but think that I have not really been helping my students become more metacognitive. Evidence suggests the use of ​‘metacognitive strategies’ – which get students to think about their own learning – can be worth the equivalent of an additional +7 months’ progress when used well. So why am I stuck?

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While all four are merited, I am interested in focusing on a more conscientious integration of critical and craft-focused. I like the critical concept of seeing the "world as a 'text' " and "unpacking identities." It is already part of the first unit of Lang/Lit 8. Craft-Focused is also an integral part of the curriculum with "students as readers/writers/designers" and emphasizing "skills and processes." I would love to have the classroom be more of a "workshop," as described.

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Looking at the "Examples of Modern Literacies," those that stand out as challenges for students include: self-regulation, empathy, digital citizenship, multimodel communication, and ethical decision-making.

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As a teacher of IB Literature A, I believe all for of the disciplinary perspectives play role to the learning of students.  I would say teachers touch up on all the four depending on the requirement in the IB course guide. Among the four disciplinary perspectives, Critical disciplinary perspective is the one I would like to integrate into my practice. This perspectives help students to go beyond the texts they study to see the world as a text. This would help them unpack ideologies and identities by making universal connections. They will not be limited  to the environment in their immediate vicinity.      

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As a teacher of IB Literature A, I believe all for of the disciplinary perspectives play role to the learning of students.  I would say teachers touch up on all the four depending on the requirement in the IB course guide. Among the four disciplinary perspectives, Critical disciplinary perspective is the one I would like to integrate into my practice. This perspectives help students to go beyond the texts they study to see the world as a text. This would help them unpack ideologies and identities by making universal connections. They will not be limited  to the environment in their immediate vicinity.      

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Much has been made about turning students into globally-aware activists. I agree.

However, I think we've swung that pendulum so far into global concerns that we might have lost a little of the individual responsibility aspects. Maybe we think that merely being concerned about global issues makes a person better. Who knows.

With that mind, I'm very interested in personal responsibility, communication, collaboration, reflection, and self-management. I think these are the concepts that are technically outside the bounds of my courses (although there is overlap). These are the "challenges" that I think need to be addressed for my students. So, while a major issue around justice or the climate is also a very important issue, the more we get our students to take responsibility over their own lives, the more apt they will be to address challenges in the broader community. It's like the instructions on the plane for the parent to put on the oxygen mask before reaching out to save the child and put the child's mask on. It is an instinctually counter thing to do, but it is the right thing to do. If you aren't whole, yourself, how can you reach out and make a genuine difference in the world?

Josh Smalley

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The disciplinary perspective that resonated with me most is the Critical approach. When I envision the type of education that moves beyond rote learning, and instead treats students as capable contributors to our global community, critical thinking is at the heart of it. And so is concept-learning. This is because conceptual learning focuses on transferring deep, lasting insights to novel situations instead of “covering” a pile of information or set of discrete learning objectives. It encourages students to uncover meaningful truths and make use of them instead of cramming for tests that have no value beyond the school walls.

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Concepts and patterns give purpose to learning, rather than filling learning time with a variety of tasks. They ground me, as a teacher, to know what big ideas, concepts, I REALLY want students to leave our class with at the end of the course or year. Rather than picking text and creating tasks, I will start by finding purpose through concepts and organize our year around those structures. THEN find text that introduce, challenge, deepen and broaden our understanding of these concepts within the text we engage with in our classroom AND the world we live in outside our classroom. My goal is not just that students will understand complex text, but that through a variety of text, students and I will begin to better understand our complex world.

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Maggie Moraes - Are students so busy monitoring their own reading skills that they’re no longer excited by the stories they’re reading?

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Maggie Moraes - Are students so busy monitoring their own reading skills that they’re no longer excited by the stories they’re reading?

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The current challenge I want to highlight is final/ standardized testing. I know this is not a concept and I'm probably making a digression here, but this is definitely a current challenge in education, isn't it?
In IB Portuguese, for example, final tests are worth about 80% of students' scores. Why does the system privilege final results over my first-hand, up-close knowledge of which students flourished and which struggled? Sadly, I sometimes wonder if I have indeed come to trust IB scores more than my own judgment.
We often hear about parents who ask a teacher about problems their student is having in school, only to have the teacher reach to a folder and get out the student’s test results. I don't want to be one of those teachers anymore.
Somewhere along the way I think I have come to discount my own impressions of my students, formed and reformed through months of observation and interaction. Instead, I have learned/become used to deferring to the results of a one-shot, high-pressure exam, attributing almost magical properties to the official number even when I know the exam conditions are terrible for many of my students.
I wonder if the children have become so concerned about their achievement (how good they are at doing something in the IB rubric — or, worse, how their performance compares to others) that they’re no longer thinking about the learning itself.  Have I helped reproduce the culture where students are so busy monitoring their own reading skills that they’re no longer excited by the stories they’re reading?

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The craft-focused disciplinary perspective resonates the most with me as a 7th grade ELA teacher, however, I have recently been intertwining critical perspectives into my teachings.  I do think craft pairs nicely with critical as students master various foundations of reading, writing, and communicating.  Adding critical perspective will pop up in various reflections, free writings and socratic seminars.

Marissa Grodnick

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Understanding concepts and patterns of impact makes easy for learners to transfer their learning. When students are able to make connections on patterns of impact it simple to transfer that concept to different text they encounter.

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We can reframe the role of students, teachers, curriculum, assessment and community by collaborating with each other, clearly setting up contents and by giving full agency to students of their learning. We have to come up with a system and methods to transfer skills, that they can use in their daily life. It is also important to change views of the old way of teaching (a teacher standing in front of a class and talking the entire time straight teaching facts and skills).

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Concepts and Patterns impacts transfer of learning by making sense or meaning to prior knowledge plus new knowledge in students mind in such a way that it is organized and applicable in life.

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Rather than focus on one approach, I hope that students can move flexibly through modes of reading. Really rich texts shold offer students the chacne to look through different lenses and discover theways these interpretations complement one another. This is a form of literacy.

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Rather than focus on one approach, I hope that students can move flexibly through modes of reading. Really rich texts shold offer students the chacne to look through different lenses and discover theways these interpretations complement one another. This is a form of literacy.

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I'm excited how concepts and patterns nurture powerful collaboration between disciplines.

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Our school takes every ninth day for students to schedule their own learning and exploration of concepts, skills and service learning opportunities. They categorize their learning into support/extension/exploration. It's exciting to see the program grow and see how students make connections outside of subject classes.

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The adversarial roles of concept v content are still in existence. Whilst assessment remains as it is, there will be a preoccupation with covering content in the way that best fits exam success. (This is far less so in the minds of teachers than students/parents, as I experience teaching and learning.) I teach all upper school so assessment is never out of my field of vision. As I try to type this with a very tired brain, I want to resort to 'what Trevor said!' because I know I feel exactly the same way. I am newer to concepts than to content, of course, but as I reflect I can see that the best learning moments are ALWAYS concept-linked.

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I explored concepts and challenges from two perspectives: 1) Existing Curriculum choices, and 2) a more concept driven, personal enrichment perspective. On one hand, I looked at Language Arts as being thematically structured to explore character development, social responsibility, cross-cultural knowledge, and multi-modal communication.  The other side for me was about preparing students to become contributing members of society and included concepts like responsibility-individual, cultural, and social, self-regulation/personal boundaries, empathy, and ethical decision-making. It is possible, however, to teach both sides with a cross-curricular focus and allow students to recognize that the problems we face as a society today are no different than those faced by people hundreds of years ago. Despite our technological advances, we haven't developed much as people. (Now, I'm just thinking.) 

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I explored concepts and challenges from two perspectives: 1) Existing Curriculum choices, and 2) a more concept driven, personal enrichment perspective. On one hand, I looked at Language Arts as being thematically structured to explore character development, social responsibility, cross-cultural knowledge, and multi-modal communication.  The other side for me was about preparing students to become contributing members of society and included concepts like responsibility-individual, cultural, and social, self-regulation/personal boundaries, empathy, and ethical decision-making. It is possible, however, to teach both sides with a cross-curricular focus and allow students to recognize that the problems we face as a society today are no different than those faced by people hundreds of years ago. Despite our technological advances, we haven't developed much as people. (Now, I'm just thinking.) 

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One challenge that I see worldwide is the mentality that “someone else will do it”. “The bystander effect mentality” Yes we are in a transformational age and should embrace technology, Yes, we have to guide ourselves and students to be a lifelong learner to face the fast paced challenging world of social media and technology. However, students(adults as well) are becoming less empathetic(in my opinion) and there is this assumption that someone else will take action for everyday problems (as simple as picking a ball and putting it back in the cupboard). I think, making a conscious and deliberate effort in teaching and creating awareness on ‘Ethical decision making' and 'empathy' are important. Emotional and social intelligence, I believe, are the most important skills that we all need today and in the future.

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One challenge that I see worldwide is the mentality that “someone else will do it”. “The bystander effect mentality” Yes we are in a transformational age and should embrace technology, Yes, we have to guide ourselves and students to be a lifelong learner to face the fast paced challenging world of social media and technology. However, students(adults as well) are becoming less empathetic(in my opinion) and there is this assumption that someone else will take action for everyday problems (as simple as picking a ball and putting it back in the cupboard). I think, making a conscious and deliberate effort in teaching and creating awareness on ‘Ethical decision making' and 'empathy' are important. Emotional and social intelligence, I believe, are the most important skills that we all need today and in the future.

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Digital Citizenship is easily one of the more important and also challenging concepts for secondary students.  They are digital natives and digital citizens before they can even walk in some cases, but they still struggle with how to be GOOD digital citizens.  This concept also has instant, real-world consequences.

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My heart gravitates more to the human experience side of our discipline, especially traditional. However, one thing that was affirming about this module is that I have been doing all four in conjunction with one another, to varying degrees, for my entire career.

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I do feel like there is a place for all of these disciplinary perspectives and at times the focus ebbs and flows. However, I lean far more heavily towards the Critical and Functional and that has changed as I have begun working with aspiring readers who bring with them TONS of life experience and background knowledge, but less formal skills in reading academic texts. I view my job mainly as a door-opener -- making sure that doors stay open for students, never shutting due to their formal academic reading skills. In the past this has paired nicely, as a reading teacher, with our schools Language and Literature teachers. I could focus mainly on functional and critical, knowing some of the Traditional and Craft was being done in their Lit classes. As the structure has changed, so as my role to some degree.

L Jensen

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I have always been one that teachers L&L with a "real-world" lens and the power of story telling. While I have done this, it has always been teacher-based, prepped, and delivered. By teaching the concepts, students can take the lead.

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Climate and someone else will deal with it

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Climate and someone else will deal with it

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I want to combine 2 things. Climate change as a topic outside of the traditional ELA curriculum. We think of this as science, but I wonder what it would look like from an ELA perspective. I would to include the notion that was raised earlier about humanity believing someone else will deal with the problem (bystander effect). How could we incorporate that into a broader unit on climate change, being a citizen (local, national, global), and the role of empathy.

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What I find increasingly disturbing and prevalent is students' overdependence on external sources and the internet to do their thinking for them. Even when I ask students about their opinion on an issue - they will resort to google rather than think for themselves. This knee-jerk reaction of searching for ready answers is deeply worrying. Perhaps modern education should find a way to change this mindset?
As to concepts, 'global issue' and 'culture' create pathways to other disciplines. Today, for example, we were discussing the portrayal of the global issue of poverty and wealth in a political cartoon, and the students made an instant connection to a lesson in history class on colonialism in Kenya.

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For me it's the awareness and integration of the perspectives that resonates with me. I think it would also be useful to make students aware of the perspectives as different lenses and for them to identify which resonate with them and which they find valuable in their own lives and learning. It will also validate some of our learners who are more functionally oriented. Nadine Bailey

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I'm quite happy to see that those who are engaged in the IB's MYP programme and use their ATLs (approaches to learning) will be well on their way to have the conceptual and inter-disciplinary approach to learning that bridges the content standards and are transferable skills. (Nadine Bailey)

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First, I see toddlers (and younger) reading with iPads and phones in prams more often that I see them with hard-backed picture books. A couple years later, they are reading on iPads and laptops, and soon get a first phone themselves in later primary school. Reading is a kinesthetic process for them. Do we teach reading in a way that recognizes and supports that (from early years to high school)?

And, as we expand the definition of literacies — the scope of the concepts and challenges has grown to embrace learning of many disciplines. Speaking of yesterday’s tools, how do we organize teaching to make that effective?

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When I was listening to the video, I thought about the unity I just finished with my students, in which they had to deal with these concepts: collaboration, self-regulation, media literacy, digital citizenship, multimodal communication, creativity, and ethical decision-making.

I must confess having to deal with all that drove us crazy, and we had to keep our focus, otherwise the result would be frustration. That's not what we want for our students, right? I keep telling me and them that each unity will help them developing those concepts, that it was not expected from them to master new concepts at the end of one unity only. Learning is a process, but I do expect they are able to transfer what they learned in one unity to another when and if time comes.

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-Knowing the time and place for using PHONES (and technology in general)
-Using empathy to filter language (tone, word choice, etc. around others)
-Listening to others (not talking over somebody else)
-Working with your not-so-favorite people

-Izzi Toso

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I've had the privilege to build our English 11 and English 12 course at our school. I've 'accidentally' done some of this work already. The story I tell my students is that English 11 is all about them learning how to learn and drive their own exploration. And in English 12, it's all about how the course helps serve their immediate compositional and communicative needs. For example, English 12 units are 'Personal Essay' (preparing for the Common App essay), 'Business Communications,' 'Research Paper,' 'Archetypal and Literary Analysis' (Archetypes in Literature and Life), and 'The Study of Rhetoric'. I show them how each unit is designed specifically with their immediate future in mind.

Of course, I want to refine this somewhat loose conceptual and narrative framework I've built.

For English 12, I think something like "Building the skills you need to nail that interview, get into that university, lead with influence, and speak confidently." Maybe it's too long, but something like this. I definitely convey these ideas but I don't have it galvanized so clearly. The kids feel the difference in the course, though. It's pretty cool to see the maturation in process during the course of the year.

Josh Smalley

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Broadening what students think of assessment 

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Broadening what students think of assessment 

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I have standardized testing on the brain because in Texas we took state assessments last year and now those scores are being used to determine who needs "acceleration" this year, the end goal being to pass the state test. We also have to give district-created assessments. It's all so frustrating because we have trained students over the years that assessment means sitting quietly, bubbling, and having people talk to you dramatically about how important the "test" is. I really want to help my students see assessment beyond high-stakes, multiple choice, inauthentic contexts; I want to reframe assessment for them as a way of determining where they are and how they can progress on their learning journey.

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As many have stated in this thread, our students and, unfortunately many adults, have become increasingly dependent on  thinking and information received from others. This is a very dangerous practice in a world where authenticity and accuracy are not dependable. "Bots," algorithms, doctored videos ... so many ways to influence thinking. Add to that the fact that access to these sources has grown exponentially and that there is capability to reach out and create silos of opinions and "facts." I think that as a society we are under intense pressure in this moment to ensure that our future meaning makers, our students, have the skills they need to navigate "truth."

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I have addressed media literacy, digital citizenship, and even design thinking within the library media curriculum.

Areas to develop, that I see students lacking in, include self regulation, adaptability, and responsibility. Many students can not find a way to entertain themselves when given free time. They struggle with the “silence” of lack of technology or teacher entertainment. They have not learned the skills to adapt and be responsible for their own time. (30 minutes left in class because you worked quickly, and you have a sub? Look over your other classes. Read. Color on an app…. And they look at me like I am speaking another language.) These skills for students to be able to learn to find something to do to engage themselves, preferably in a learning manner, will carry over into their successful careers.

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As an IB teacher, I structure my courses around the IB-mandated Areas of Exploration. While the IB does not require any particular chronology, I do the following:
The first area - Readers, Writers, Texts - is foundational to our course story. We build upon what we know about a writer's craft to further consider his/her context of production. We also start looking in greater depth at ourselves as readers - how does our individuality affect the interpretation of a text?
Our story them moves on into Time and Space. We read texts written in another time and/or another place. This allows students to understand the universal nature of literature in its representation of the human condition. This allows for conceptualizatiion and transfer that prepares students to be lifelong readers.
The last chapter of our story is Intertextuality. We explore how texts and writers build upon each other. Again, this shows students the fruit of effective transfer and encourages their own creativity.
With these elements, students understand the major concepts of our discipline and will ACT on them long after they leave school.

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I always try to structure my course by combining the three IB areas of exploration: Readers, Writers and Texts; Time and Space; Intertextuality. This gives us (me and the students) the opportunity to have a clear idea of the "conceptual fence posts" we will deal with during the two-year course and allows them to start transferring what they learn since first unity of their junior year. It is also an effective way of effectively arranging and rearranging the main concepts according to the students' needs and wishes. For example, sometimes we spend more time discussing the possible connections with other texts, and then those ideas are used to discuss the importance of the context in which the audience is reading, listening to the texts we have been studying. This also helps us a lot when we have to study a body of work, a great opportunity for the students to connect the three areas of exploration.