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Promoting after school reading opportunities and regaining access to the library.

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We have room to grow when it comes to a literary rich middle school culture. Too often students think or say "I'll never use this when I leave school" or they do not see the real world application of what we teach (this goes for any subject). It's so frustrating! There should be opportunities for students to read about the real world applications what they are learning. For example, a quadratic equation can tell a soldier where he or she should aim to hit the acquired target (according to mathisfun.com).

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The seventh grade creates a literacy rich culture through cross-curricular projects. The projects begin with either researching texts or reading a text that culminates in a project that requires the students to take what they have learned to create a product like a newspaper that reflects a colonist's perspective or a creative writing activity that deals with human interventions.

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Amplifying Student Voice Through Digital Literacy.

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In all of my work in education, there has never been a more motivating or driving force than student voice. Additionally, we live in a generation where anyone in the world can take his or her voice and amplify it globally. But after reading Student Voice: The Instrument of Change by Dr. Russ Quaglia and Michael Corso, I realized that there is more to empowering student voice than simply handing a student a blog and telling him or her to write. In fact, one of the biggest takeaways from this work is that some students might not be prepared to amplify their voice to the world. With Digital Learning Day fast approaching, I wanted to share some ideas that can help teachers nurture student voice before sending it off into the world.

Know Your History

In any learning experience, it's always a good idea to look back before driving forward. Regardless of the subject, we can all learn valuable lessons from history. In the case of digital and social media, we have lots to learn as well. For many students, this is the world they were born into. Most of them don't know a world without the internet and a time before personal, mobile devices. Additionally, there is a lot of research circulating about the effects of screen time on young children and how it should be balanced.

Before students begin writing a blog, they should understand how a blog came to be and what this funny word actually means (weblog). Students should understand what it's like to write a letter to someone and the experience of receiving a letter. I am certain that many students out there have never enjoyed the experience of receiving a handwritten letter in the mail.

Writing a letter or even brainstorming ideas in a notebook is where a writer's voice burgeons. This is the laboratory where some of our greatest writers and journalists have started. The thought of a student, during his or her formative years, simply looking at a blank Google document with a blinking cursor is not a way to develop and nurture voice.

Digital Content Creators

There is a somewhat viral video circulating the Twittersphere titled You Are Not a Content Creator by Jonathan Mann. In the video, he breaks down the phrase "content creators" and portrays Google as simply an advertising company. I encourage you to watch the video and form your own opinion of his assertion. In the classroom, however, we should carefully approach student voice through a digital platform: do we want our students to simply be content creators? Or do we want them to be writers, musicians, artists, comedians, photographers, etc.? I'd say that most teachers would agree with the second question.

In order for students to understand what the internet is and the amount of information that is populated on it every second, they need to conceptualize where their work will be published. Additionally, students should understand that when you write on the internet, it is permanent. It's the equivalent of writing in ink. They also need to be aware of various types of criticism that can take place in this public forum. We want students who post information online to be proud of their work and post it with a level of confidence. What's more, we want students to think of their work, portfolio, or blog as more than just empty content that drives advertisement revenue for Google. Students should be proud of whatever art form they share, and use digital media to amplify their work and connect others to it.

Preserving Our Digital Work for Posterity

A few weeks ago, Internet pioneer and Google Vice President Vint Cerf detailed an alarming future that he deemed the "Digital Dark Ages." He goes on to say:

If we're thinking 1,000 years, 3,000 years ahead in the future, we have to ask ourselves, how do we preserve all the bits that we need in order to correctly interpret the digital objects we create? . . . We are nonchalantly throwing all of our data into what could become an information black hole without realizing it.

Reading this statement made me pause and think about how my work that I post digitally (this post, for instance) will be preserved for posterity. And how will it be interpreted by future generations, and through what medium? Will future technology devices even be compatible with the digital output we have now? And how will historians organize all of it to write about our current generations? While these questions are alarming, I have great faith in our country's innovation and ability to preserve history. What's important here is that we teach students understand the legacy of their content -- and to ensure that legacy.

Student voice is something that we all want to amplify in education, but we must ensure that students understand what it means and how their work will project on a global stage. Digital Learning Day should provide an opportunity for students to understand how we got here, and empower them to create and design the next digital revolution. It is our job as educators to teach students about the non-digital times so that they can possess a greater understanding of the digital world they are developing.

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Amplifying Student Voice Through Digital Literacy | Edutopia

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In all of my work in education, there has never been a more motivating or driving force than student voice. Additionally, we live in a generation where anyone in the world can take his or her voice and amplify it globally.

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HBMS promotes literacy through the Long Walk to Water event. Students take part in this event in every way. There are two student leaders selected, students get to interact with different exhibits in the gym, and they walk through the community while they make stops to review significant events from the novel. Last year, students were excited about it despite the rain.

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It would be helpful to give students the opportunity to read and write not just for the purpose of learning, but for the pleasure of it. Although it is important for students to learn and build skills for critical thinking and analysis, it might be helpful for them to first learn to like reading (which many of our students have never had the opportunity for). So, perhaps a creative writing and reading discussion group would be a good opportunity to grow and foster a creative and literacy rich environment.

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We are currently implementing an intervention that can aid students in "Sensory Cognitive Instruction".  Many of us are challenged in the area of having to fill literacy gaps for our special education students and our ELL's.  Currently, the programs we are implementing (Visualizing & Verbalizing / Seeing Stars) will improve our students ability to increase comprehension, higher order thinking skills, and the mechanics of literacy - phonemic awareness, word attack skills, etc.  All of the above mentioned are crucial skills in common core literacy and content instruction.  I believe if we continue to implement strategies such as these, our goals to increase literacy aquisition will grow and the literacy gap will be shortened.

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Within my classroom I promote literacy by dedicating one day a week to just reading. For each reading the student practice reading for fluency and understanding. I incorporate the the 3 levels of comprehension (literal, interpretive, and applied) for the questioning. The students are also required to reflect upon their reading and make connections to it.

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One of the things we are doing as a school to promote adolescent literacy is providing struggling readers with support through the literacy lab. As part of the literacy lab, we have the SRI testing. This sends a message to the students and staff that monitoring and building upon student literacy is very important to the school. Both of these components, I believe are key factors in developing and supporting adolescent literacy in the MS.

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Although we have made a lot of progress in regards to research, we still have a lot we can do in this area.  Students need to be exposed to a variety of resources, but they also need to be able to understand information and be able to not only put it into their own words but also form their own ideas and opinions.  To often students copy and paste to put together a research assignment or reword things with out fully understanding the information.

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We have worked very hard to integrate appropriate research methods into our curriculums in all four grades.  Giving students the tools they need to complete research assignments is extremely important to their success as students and life long learners.

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As a school I think importance we put on the SRI is extremely valuable.  It not only gives our students the motivation to improve their reading scores through out the year, but it also allows us to connect our students with appropriate reading materials for their Lexile.  I think it is also very helpful that most of the books in our library are labeled with their lexile number.

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Opportunities abound but need to start with scheduling.  Perhaps block scheduling for ELA would give us the time needed to develop our literacy rich middle school culture.

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Within my classroom, I try to allot for independent reading time.

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I like our connection with the YA librarians at the public library.  I believe that we can develop an even stronger relationship with the library to further the needs of our students.

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Genius Hour is one way to promote a love of literacy through student choice.

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Updated: I've updated this post and page since publishing my most recent book about student choice and project-based learning. I'd love for you to add resources you've found in the comments section of this post so I can add them to the list!
Since experimenting with "Genius Hour and 20% Time" in my class a few years ago, I've been fascinated by the research and history of this practice in education and the business world. This has led me down a long road to eventually writing Inquiry & Innovation in the Classroom (published by Routledge) on inquiry-driven education and choice-based learning experiences.

During that time I've had hundreds of conversations with fellow teachers practicing choice-based and inquiry-driven learning in some way shape or form (Genius Hour, 20% Time, Passion Projects, Choose2Matter etc). Lately, through the book-writing process I've had some more in-depth interviews about inquiry-based education, and I've spent a great deal of time researching the beginnings and reasons behind Genius Hour's effectiveness.

Today I want to shed some light on the research behind choice, and more broadly, inquiry-driven education. When folks such as Ewan McIntosh (who I really respect as an educator) stir up the pot with posts like this one, I believe the best way to defend inquiry as a practice is to look at the results. It's easy for me to praise Genius Hour because I've done it in the classroom, and seen many other teachers do it successfully with their students. However, I also understand that if you have not had that experience it may be difficult to justify. This post is for those that need more resources about inquiry-driven education, and for those trying to get research to back them up when bringing it to a principal, school board, parent committee, or even colleagues.

I'm breaking the post down into four sections. The first section is how choice and inquiry-driven learning increases student engagement and achievement. The second section is success-stories from fellow teachers using the choice and inquiry-driven learning model. The third section is how choice and inquiry-driven learning is connected to the common core standards. The fourth section is related books, whitepaper, and research linked to inquiry-driven education.

1. How choice, PBL, and inquiry-driven learning increases student engagement and achievement

2. Success-stories from fellow teachers using the choice and inquiry-driven learning model

3. How choice, PBL, and inquiry-driven learning is connected to the common core standards

4. Related books, whitepaper, and research linked to choice and inquiry-driven education

The Connection Between Choice, Inquiry, and Student Engagement/Achievement

The Gallup report Creativity in Learning is based on a survey conducted in 2019 as a "nationally representative study" of teachers, students, and parents of students. The focus was the extent to which "creativity in learning" is being fostered in American classrooms, what respondents think of it, and how technology supports it. Project Based Learning is cited throughout the report.

Here are some highlights via PBLWorks:
"Teachers who often assign creative, project-based activities are more likely than other teachers to say their students display a range of learning and development goals, including building self-confidence, utilizing their unique strengths, and developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills." "68% percent of teachers say project-based assignments are a good measure of student learning, far more than the 12% at who say the same about standardized tests."
When asked what they believe are the most important learning outcomes, the top three choices were:

1. "learning to think critically" (chosen by 64% of parents and teachers)

2. "problem-solving skills" (chosen by 51% of teachers; not asked of parents)

3. "developing students' curiosity to learn beyond the classroom" (chosen by 36% of parents and 41% of teachers)

Parents want their child to have learning experiences like what happens in PBL.

Take a look at this chart from the report, showing how the learning experiences were ranked, with the percentage of parents who say it's "very important."

Students want the kind of learning experiences that PBL delivers.

According to Gallup,
"Most students say they would like to spend more time on activities that give them input on their educational path, such as choosing what they learn in class and learning more about topics that most interest them. "Two other activities a majority of students would like to spend more time on to help them see how what they are learning relates to real-life problems outside the classroom are 1) working on projects that can be used in the real world, and 2) publishing or sharing projects with people outside their class or school." Studies comparing learning outcomes for students taught via project-based learning versus traditional instruction show that when implemented well, PBL increases long-term retention of content, helps students perform as well as or better than traditional learners in high-stakes tests, improves problem-solving and collaboration skills, and improves students' attitudes towards learning (Strobel & van Barneveld, 2009; Walker & Leary, 2009). PBL can also provide an effective model for whole-school reform (National Clearinghouse for Comprehensive School Reform, 2004; Newmann & Wehlage, 1995).
A 2016 MDRC/Lucas Education Research literature review found that the design principles most commonly used in PBL align well with the goals of preparing students for deeper learning, higher-level thinking skills, and intra/interpersonal skills (Condliffe et al., 2016).

No longer could the argument be about how well (or poorly) students would do on standardized assessments. The research was clear. When PBL was implemented well, students thrived in traditional tests and in a wide variety of soft-skills that are crucial to development and success beyond school.

The Buck Institute for Education also put out a research summary on PBL and 21st Century competencies that states, " Project Based Learning has been shown to yield a number of benefits for students, ranging from deeper learning of academic content to stronger motivation to learn. Looking specifically at how PBL supports 21st century learning goals, we can find several promising areas, including:

I urge you to dive into this research more here on the BIE website if you have any doubts.

If you asked any teacher, administrator, parent, school board member, student, or community member to list their top goals for an academic program, you would see achievement, 21st century competencies, equity, and motivation all at the top.

Project-based learning is shown to work in all kinds of schools, in all different grade levels, with students of varying backgrounds and abilities.
Inquiry Project Learning Research via Edutopia "Research shows that such inquiry-based teaching is not so much about seeking the right answer but about developing inquiring minds, and it can yield significant benefits. For example, in the 1995 School Restructuring Study, conducted at the Center on Organization and Restructuring of Schools by Fred Newmann and colleagues at the University of Wisconsin, 2,128 students in twenty-three schools were found to have significantly higher achievement on challenging tasks when they were taught with inquiry-based teaching, showing that involvement leads to understanding. These practices were found to have a more significant impact on student performance than any other variable, including student background and prior achievement." An Introduction to Inquiry Based Learning via Neil Stephenson "As contrasted with more traditional forms of teaching and learning, inquiry emphasizes the process of learning in order to develop deep understanding in students in addition to the intended acquisition of content knowledge and skills. Inquiry draws upon a constructivist learning theories where understanding is built through the active development of conceptual mental frameworks by the learner. This approach is supported and enhanced by a broad research base which has identified three key implications for effective instructional practices": 1. Students come to the classroom with preconceptions about the world. This means teaching practices must draw out and work with students pre-existing understandings and make student 'thinking' visible and central to the learning. 2. Competence in an area of study requires factual knowledge organized around conceptual frameworks to facilitate knowledge retrieval and application. Classroom activities should be designed to develop understanding through in-depth study of curriculum topics. 3. Meta-cognition (thinking about thinking) helps students take control of their learning. Opportunities for students to define learning goals and monitor their own understanding need to be embedded into classroom tasks." The Everyday Classroom Tools Project (Project Zero) via Tina Grotzer and Harvard GSE "The goal of the Everyday Classroom Tools Project is to provide opportunities for students to learn that inquiry and their own experiences can help them achieve a deeper understanding of their world. It aims to foster a spirit of inquiry in all students. These goals promise to help students grow into life-long learners who are curious and set out to seek and achieve deep understanding of the world that they live in." "This document has two sections. The first is a series of six brief essays to address the kinds of questions teachers often have about inquiry based learning and learning from one's experience. The intent is to place the central concepts of The Everyday Classroom Tools Project in context-to provide a sense of the variety of ways that the concepts have been thought about as well as how they are interpreted in this project. These essays are written for a teacher audience. The second section is a set of big ideas, questions, and attitudes that are central to the project. This section is written with the expectation that teachers will communicate these messages to their students." Why Use Inquiry-Based Learning via Amelie G. Schinck "An inquiry-based approach was recommended by the National Science Foundation in their 1996 report of a year-long review of the state of undergraduate Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology (SME&T) education in the United States entitled Shaping the Future (NSF, 1996). In this report, the researchers stated that it is imperative that: All students have access to supportive, excellent undergraduate education in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology, and all students learn these subjects by direct experience with the methods and processes of inquiry (NSF, 1996, p.6)." Hole-in-the-Wall Education Findings from Sugatra Mitra "Over the 4 year research phase (2000-2004), HiWEL has extensively studied the impact of Learning Stations on children. Hole-in-the-Wall Learning Stations were installed in diverse settings, the impact of interventions was monitored and data was continually gathered, analyzed and interpreted. Rigorous assessments were conducted to measure academic achievement, behaviour, personality profile, computer literacy and correlations with socio-economic indicators." Preparing Students for Work in the 21st Century by Rob Mancabelli and Will Richardson "How can education professionals modify the way they teach and engage students today in order to prepare those students for tomorrow's changing work environments? In part one of this three-part series, education experts Will Richardson and Rob Mancabelli explore the realities of the 21st century workplace. It can be said-without a doubt-that the future world of work for today's students will be vastly different than what we have traditionally prepared these students for. But what implications does this have for today's classrooms?" List of other applicable research on Inquiry-Driven Learning:

Evaluating the Use of Inquiry-Based Activities: Do Student and Teacher Behaviors Really Change? -Cianciolo, Jennifer; Flory, Luke; Atwell, Jonathan - Journal of College Science Teaching, 2006

Inquiry-Based Instruction: Does School Environmental Context Matter? - Pea, Celestine H. - Science Educator, 2012

How Technology Resources Can Be Used to Represent Personal Inquiry and Support Students' Understanding of It across Contexts - Scanlon, E.; Anastopoulou, S.; Kerawalla, L.; Mulholland, P. - Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 2011

Success Stories of Teachers Using Choice and Inquiry-Driven Learning Models

The following is a list of teachers from all levels, principals, professors, and other educators who are currently practicing inquiry-driven education. They write and share their experiences online, and each is a great resource for those getting started.
What's Going on in Mr. Solarz' Class?
Paul Solarz does amazing inquiry work with elementary students. If you ever thought, "Oh my students are too young for that", then check out Paul's site and his writing on inquiry and project-based learning in the classroom. And his new book, Learn Like a Pirate, is another great resource.
The Innovation Teacher
Don Wettrick's blog is "pure genius" and his work with students surrounding choice and innovation will inspire you to actually implement the strategies he talks/write about.
My Own Genius Hour
Joy Kirr is a leader online with the #geniushour community and you can always find her giving inspiration to others starting inquiry projects on Twitter (through that hashtag). Joy will tell you that she doesn't do a full "genius hour" but she does allow her students choice and inquiry which makes all the difference.
Cool Cat Teacher Blog
Vicki Davis is one of the people who really got me moving in the right direction with my students when I started the Flat Classroom Project. Since then I've worked with Vicki on some different projects and have loved what she's been doing with her students. Inquiry is a huge part of Vicki's class and she's one of the best at describing this learning process.
Oliver Schinkten
Oliver's Compassion-Based Learning site takes inquiry-driven learning one step further: it's about helping. I love this idea and you can't help but get excited when you read his post's on compassion-based learning.
User Generated Education
Dr. Jackie Gerstein's work with User-Generated Education is highlighted in this blog. She is consistently drawing on resources and research to support user-generated education, including inquiry-driven learning experiences.
Practical Theory
Chris Lehmann is the founding Principal of the Science Leadership Academy (SLA) in Philadelphia, PA. The Science Leadership Academy is an inquiry-driven, project-based, 1:1 laptop school that is considered to be one of the pioneers of the School 2.0 movement nationally and internationally. Chris also is the recipient of ISTE's 2013 Outstanding Leader of the Year award. If you want to see a Principal's perspective on inquiry-based learning, this is the spot!
I teach. I think.
Kevin Brookhouser is someone I greatly respect as a teacher and speaker on inquiry-driven education. He is one of the original folks I know who began doing 20% projects and his blog is filled with great posts and reflections on his (and his students) experiences.
Angela Maier's Choose2Matter
Angela is an inspiration. Her Choose2Matter Quest and campaign have spread the idea of passion and compassion based learning far across our country (and the world). Stay tuned for a big way that Choose2Matter will be working with the inquiry-driven community this year.
Cogitations of Mr. Cockrum
Troy Cockrum is a teacher and author. He is a great teacher to learn from and has also used flipped-learning in conjunction with 20% time. Last year he participated along with his students in their inquiry-driven project...the results speak for themselves!
Kate Petty's: 20 Time in Education
Kate has outdone herself with this site. She has put together resources on getting started with inquiry-driven 20% projects, and has linked to many other teachers doing inquiry-driven learning in their classrooms. Check it out for a much fuller list.
The Nerdy Teacher
I was so pumped to see Nicholas Provenzano (ISTE's 2013 Teacher-of-the-Year) starting 20% projects in his class. Nick has been a leader in project-based learning and using Evernote in the classroom. If you want to see someone just starting the inquiry-driven experience, follow Nick's blog this year.
Dare to Care
Denise Krebs runs Genius Hour (an inquiry-driven project) in her class, and shares what her (and her students) are doing through this blog. It is a must read for those planning on running an inquiry project with middle school students.
Integrating Technology: My Journey
Gallit Zvi is another Genius Hour teacher who consistently inspires. She recently started the Genius Hour collaborative website with Hugh McDonald, where many teachers can cross-share and post their inquiry-driven stories. Please check it out!
Today Is A Great Day For Learning
Hugh McDonald is a teacher I would want my kids to have! His passion for learning and inquiry is shown on his blog, twitter, and instagram feed. Check out what Hugh is doing with his middle school students, and make sure to read the post, "Dear Mr. McDonald, I will never forget Genius Hour".
The Genius Hour Wikispace
This is another collaborative spot where many teachers are sharing their inquiry-driven learning experiences and resources.
The Global Genius Hour Project Wikispace
Robyn Thiessen has set up an amazing site where teachers can come and share what their students are doing with inquiry-based learning in the classroom. You'll find stories of learning from all over the globe, in the entire K-12 age spectrum.

Jesse McLean, Josh Stumpenhorst, Matt Bebbington, and George Couros

Each of these wonderful educators have run "Innovation Days/Weeks" in their schools. It allows the entire school (or grade levels) to use inquiry as a means for inspiring projects for that day/week. I've linked to each of their sites above and you should definitely see what they've been doing!
The Many I Left off this list
There are many others who have been left off this list, but it is not static! I will update it periodically as I read different blog posts about inquiry-driven learning experiences. For a much longer (and better) list of educators running inquiry projects in their class, check out this Twitter List put together by Joy Kirr ( along with her LiveBinder).

Connection to the Standards

There have been a number of posts ( like this one) that tie the standards to inquiry. However, I wanted to point out the large quantity of standards that already tie to inquiry-based learning in some way/shape/form.
Standards That Connect to Reading/Researching with Inquiry

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.1 Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.2 Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.3 Analyze how and why individuals, events, or ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.6 Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.10 Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.

Standards That Connect to Analyzing and Applying with Inquiry

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.7 Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.8 Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.6-8.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts.

Standards That Connect to Writing and Presenting with Inquiry

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.1 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.1 Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.4 Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.5 Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and communicative tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.

Standards That Connect to Creating and Evaluating with Inquiry

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.7 Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.¹

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.8 Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.3 Evaluate a speaker's point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.2 Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.

Standards for Mathematical Practice

CCSS.Math.Practice.MP3 Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
Mathematically proficient students understand and use stated assumptions, definitions, and previously established results in constructing arguments. They make conjectures and build a logical progression of statements to explore the truth of their conjectures. They are able to analyze situations by breaking them into cases, and can recognize and use counterexamples. They justify their conclusions, communicate them to others, and respond to the arguments of others. They reason inductively about data, making plausible arguments that take into account the context from which the data arose. Mathematically proficient students are also able to compare the effectiveness of two plausible arguments, distinguish correct logic or reasoning from that which is flawed, and-if there is a flaw in an argument-explain what it is. Elementary students can construct arguments using concrete referents such as objects, drawings, diagrams, and actions. Such arguments can make sense and be correct, even though they are not generalized or made formal until later grades. Later, students learn to determine domains to which an argument applies. Students at all grades can listen or read the arguments of others, decide whether they make sense, and ask useful questions to clarify or improve the arguments.

CCSS.Math.Practice.MP4 Model with mathematics.
Mathematically proficient students can apply the mathematics they know to solve problems arising in everyday life, society, and the workplace. In early grades, this might be as simple as writing an addition equation to describe a situation. In middle grades, a student might apply proportional reasoning to plan a school event or analyze a problem in the community. By high school, a student might use geometry to solve a design problem or use a function to describe how one quantity of interest depends on another. Mathematically proficient students who can apply what they know are comfortable making assumptions and approximations to simplify a complicated situation, realizing that these may need revision later. They are able to identify important quantities in a practical situation and map their relationships using such tools as diagrams, two-way tables, graphs, flowcharts and formulas. They can analyze those relationships mathematically to draw conclusions. They routinely interpret their mathematical results in the context of the situation and reflect on whether the results make sense, possibly improving the model if it has not served its purpose.

Other Resources:
Related Research, Books, and Articles

Choice Theory: A New Psychology of Personal Freedom by William Glasser

Choice Theory in the Classroom by William Glasser

Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Finding Your Element and The Element by Sir Ken Robinson

The 20% Doctrine by Ryan Tate

World Class Learners by Yong Zhao

Creating Innovators by Tony Wagner

Learning "to Do" and Learning "about" Inquiry at the Same Time: Different Outcomes in Valuing the Importance of Various Intellectual Tasks in Planning, Enacting, and Evaluating an Inquiry Curriculum - Syer, Cassidy A.; Chichekian, Tanya; Shore, Bruce M.; Aulls, Mark W. - Instructional Science: An International Journal of the Learning Sciences, 2013

The Development of Dynamic Inquiry Performances within an Open Inquiry Setting: A Comparison to Guided Inquiry Setting - Sadeh, Irit; Zion, Michal - Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 2009

Shifting to an Inquiry-Based Experience - Corder, Gregory; Slykhuis, Julie - Science and Children, 2011

Connecting Mathematics in Primary Science Inquiry Projects - So, Winnie Wing-mui - International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 2013

The Practice of Inquiry: A Pedagogical "Sweet Spot" for Digital Literacy? - Bruce, Bertram C.; Casey, Leo - Computers in the Schools, 2012

The Parallels between Philosophical Inquiry and Scientific Inquiry: Implications for Science Education - Burgh, Gilbert; Nichols, Kim - Educational Philosophy and Theory, 2012

Challenges to Inquiry Teaching and Suggestions for How to Meet Them - Quigley, Cassie; Marshall, Jeff C.; Deaton, Cynthia C. M.; Cook, Michelle P.; Padilla, Michael - Science Educator, 2011

Collaborating to Improve Inquiry-Based Teaching in Elementary Science and Mathematics Methods Courses - Magee, Paula A.; Flessner, Ryan - Science Education International, 2012

Deweyan Inquiry: From Education Theory to Practice - Johnston, James Scott - SUNY Press, 2009

The Benefits of Using Authentic Inquiry within Biotechnology Education - Hanegan, Nikki; Bigler, Amber - Science Education Review, 2010

Journal of Inquiry & Action in Education, 4(2), 2011 Action Research in Teacher Education: Classroom Inquiry, Reflection, and Data-Driven Decision Making - By Carrie Eunyoung Hong and Salika A. Lawrence of William Paterson University

Concept to Classroom Journal Articles Resources

Some Great Books By Teachers and Educators

The 20time Project by Kevin Brookhouser

Pure Genius by Don Wettrick

Learn Like a Pirate by Paul Solarz

The Genius Hour Guidebook by Denise Krebs and Gallit Zvi

Genius Hour: Passion Projects That Ignite Innovation and Student Inquiry by Andi McNair

Shift This! by Joy Kirr

So, I hope this helps in justifying the use of choice and inquiry-based education, including 20% time and Genius Hour. Let me know what resources and research I may have missed and I am going to update this site on a monthly basis. I'm sure we can all pull together, even more research to do what is best for our students.

Getting Started with Genius Hour

I often get asked about the steps for running a Genius Hour Project or a 20% Time project in your class. I tend to give the same answer every time: It depends.

Genius Hour and 20% Time projects give students an opportunity to have time during school to explore their passions, learn with purpose, and make something for a real audience.

But, it can look vastly different in a 1st-grade classroom compared to an 11th grade Science classroom (and everywhere in between).

I've seen Genius Hour been successfully implemented at every grade level. In fact, in my school district, we have Genius Hour projects running K-12. They are run differently in each grade and each class, yet there are some consistent phases that say the same.

This led me to create The Genius Hour Blueprint. It is available below and you can download the PowerPoint file for FREE by signing up for weekly updates at the bottom of this post.

The Genius Hour Blueprint covers six different phases of Genius Hour and what steps/activities you can do at each stage. It also has suggested resources, activities, and ways to share your work broken down by K-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Take a look below, and download the PPT to modify and change for your purposes in class!

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The Research Behind PBL, Genius Hour, and Choice in the Classroom

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Updated: I've updated this post and page since publishing my most recent book about student choice and project-based learning. I'd love for you to add resources you've found in the comments section of this post so I can add them to the list!

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We should be collaborating more with the public library, along with the PTO, to show how literacy stretches beyond the school.

I also agree with the idea of bringing in more authors and writers that could speak to the students.

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In the classroom, we use advisory as 20 minutes of uninterrupted reading every day. We use this time for students to read independently, as well as having a book that we read as a class.

This time together helps to build a literacy culture in our classroom.

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As a school we are providing Literacy Launch to 5th grade students, as well as a Literacy Lab where we are working to close the gap with struggling readers.

Having it be a school rule for each student to have a silent reading book at all times has promoted our school's view on the importance of literacy.

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I think one way we could continue to promote literacy in the middle school is to work with the PTo to bring in some visiting authors.

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Our grade continues to have sustained silent reading in our advisory classes. We also have a literacy block which allows students more time to read not only as part of the curriculum but also for enjoyment.

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As a school, I think we are promoting literacy by offering library to all of our sixth graders every other day.

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In the classroom, students are given more of an opportunity to read.  Students are reading for at least 30-60 minutes a week in class.  This increase in reading should promote higher literacy rates.  At the very least students will develop better literacy skills.

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As a school, I believe we are promoting literacy by increasing our students ability to read in classroom settings.

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For the Love Of Reading-A Lifelong Pursuit

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Literacy as the Link: Common Core Standards and Content Area Teaching

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AMLE - Association for Middle Level Education

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The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) literacy standards for content area teachers provide incentive for teachers to focus on instructional techniques to meet students' rigorous literacy needs across the curriculum.

One of us (Ginni), an associate professor who teaches content area literacy courses at a regional university, and the other (Jason), who teaches middle grades science/ social studies, collaborated to develop literacy activities for science and social studies students that were intentional and embedded into the curriculum. These literacy activities are neither "extra" nor a replacement for the content.

The following examples come from science and social studies classrooms but teachers can apply them to other content areas as well.

Building on the Familiar

First, we wanted to supplement the literacy focus using practices that were already in place. Jason was already using bell ringers, exit slips, and note-taking in class. All these provided opportunities for embedded literacy instruction.

For bell ringers, Jason assigned short paragraphs from a textbook or from other sources. Students read the paragraph, answered direct questions, and underlined the evidence in the text that supported their answers. This extra step-underlining the evidence-enhanced students' ability to use the text to support their responses.

Initially, he asked questions directly from the text; students could easily find and underline the answers. Gradually, he assigned longer passages of text and posed questions that forced students to analyze, compare, or infer. They continued to identify the parts of the text that led them to reach their conclusions, but now the text did not provide exact answers to the questions.

The purpose of the bell ringers was not to review content from the previous class. Rather, students were required to think about concepts in a new way or to learn a new concept.

The questions Jason used as exit slips weren't based on the text alone. If he wanted to assess students' understanding of a concept, he used questions that pertained to information from all kinds of class activities. To reinforce the literacy component, however, he could add one or two text-related questions such as:

What conclusion from the text was supported or challenged by the lab that we completed?

Of all the evidence that the author used to support his opinion, which two facts are the most convincing?

How is ____________________ (main idea) from _________________ (text) supported by something you have seen or experienced in "the real world"?

The idea is for the text to support, challenge, or explore the classroom concepts in a thought-provoking way.

Jason also adjusted his note-taking techniques in class. He was already using graphic organizers or note-taking guides for mini-lectures. He noticed opportunities for students to use these tools when they were watching videos or reading. One of his favorites was note-taking matrices.

In one activity, he wanted his students to consider the environmental impact of sources of energy. He provided students with a matrix and had them do research to complete the chart and reach a conclusion about the most environmentally friendly energy source.

Targeting Problem Areas

Jason noticed that his students had trouble with comprehension, vocabulary/concept development, and summarization. Although the CCSS require students to do more than just comprehend-they need to analyze, compare, and evaluate-Jason argued that if students didn't comprehend, they couldn't do those other things, either. The solution was to use activities that supported comprehension and then extend students' understanding.

To promote vocabulary and concept development, Jason used a Guess and Adjust activity. Students used their background knowledge to "guess" a definition of a specific word or concept; then, as they read their text, they "adjusted" their understanding of the word or concept based on what they learned from the text. The initial "guessing" step motivated students to read because they wanted to see if they were right!

To develop students' summarization skills, Jason assigned activities with parameters such as, "Write a five-sentence summary of this text. For the first sentence, identify the main idea about the entire article (hint: re-read the introductory and concluding paragraphs). For the next three sentences, write down the supporting details that you find in the article (hint: notice that your article is divided into three sections; use each of these sections to write your three sentences). For your last sentence, explain what is important about this article (hint: think about why this topic is important)."

As students became more adept at summarizing, Jason could stop giving hints and specific parameters.

Adding Rigor

The CCSS require students to recognize the type and structure of text, to identify the author's purpose in writing, and to consider how information in one text can be integrated with information in other texts (including written texts and visual or multi-media texts).

Attending to this requirement was less about creating new activities and more about being intentional in teaching and using existing activities. Sometimes, it was just a matter of asking additional questions of students. For example, when introducing an argumentative piece about global warming, Jason asked questions like these:

What do you think is the purpose of this text? Is the author going to inform us, argue for a particular position, or tell us a story? How can you tell?

Now that you recognize that the author is presenting an argument, how do you expect this article to be organized?

After the class read the text, he debriefed and repeated this type of discussion with texts that represented alternative views. A comparison could be made between competing arguments, prompting discussions about purpose, structure, content, evidence, reasoned arguments vs. facts or opinions. This deep thinking is prompted by a few well-placed and well-designed questions.

Aligning Texts with Writing

The CCSS indicate that students need to develop pieces of writing that are well organized, taken through the writing process, and written in the argumentative and/or informational modes, using narrative excerpts as support. Last year, Jason assigned his social studies students an informational full-process piece. He was not surprised to find that the students' writing skills were lacking. He also discovered that their writing demonstrated only surface understanding of the content. He thought they had a deeper understanding of the content, which in this case related to Julius Caesar, but realized that they couldn't analyze this historical figure's impact. They could describe him, they could repeat facts from their reading, but they couldn't interpret or evaluate the information.

Jason was aware that his students struggled with grammar and mechanics, but knew that teaching writing is about teaching students to think and communicate- in this case as an historian.

We wrote a model paper to demonstrate the type of thinking that he wanted students to reflect in their writing. He also became more intentional about using different modes of writing as reading assignments throughout his units, helping students focus on how those pieces are written. In this way, he prepared his readers to become effective writers.

Connecting Reading and Writing

Jason wanted to use writing-to-learn activities regularly and a student journal intermittently. He liked that students could keep their notes, reflections, vocabulary exercises, and targeted questions in one location. He also liked that they had a complete resource for review before a summative exam.

The journal exercises were often based on excerpts or complete texts; some of those texts were visual (maps, pictures, written texts), auditory (mini lectures, videos, discussions), and multi-media (websites, online interactive activities). For lengthier writing assignments, Jason intentionally used text as the foundation, often requiring students to quote directly from text because he wanted them to use direct evidence from the reading.

Using text is not the same thing as teaching text. Jason had to be explicit about how students should engage with the texts and how they should respond to them; gradually he could pull the scaffolds away as students became more proficient. His goal, after all, was for them to demonstrate independence in their reading and writing.

Embedding Literacy Across the Curriculum

The most profound benefits of embedding literacy within the content curriculum include:

Although students initially rebelled against anything literacy-related, they eventually recognized the activities as a regular part of class. They began to enjoy the activities because Jason chose texts that were interesting, thought-provoking, and relevant.

Until students' misconceptions and depth of thinking were consistently revealed through their reflections and responses, Jason had depended primarily upon discussions and other forms of assessment. Now he was encouraged to use literacy activities for evaluation often.

Students performed better on summative assessments when the concepts were taught using a combination of instructional techniques. The hands-on activities were not replaced, but they were supplemented by encounters with text. Jason noted a positive difference in students' performance on summative exams.

One of the most difficult challenges in the process was finding appropriate texts. He had no trouble finding videos, he used pieces of his textbook regularly, and he could find some information online for students to use. However, he had to adapt or modify several texts. This was time consuming and sometimes he overestimated what his students were ready to handle.

Students must be exposed to rigorous texts, but this should be done incrementally so as not to frustrate readers. This delicate dance was very much trial-and-error. Jason is comforted by the fact that he can add to his cache of texts over time; he doesn't have to have multiple texts for multiple units from the beginning.

Although content area teachers are accustomed to differentiating their content for students, differentiating texts was more complicated. Ginni spent almost as much time helping Jason consider ways to modify the text or the presentation of text as helping create or modify activities. When Jason began to do this on his own, he realized that modifications such as using small groups, conducting readalouds, using excerpts instead of entire texts for selected students, and highlighting important segments of text could be implemented easily.

Jason's students' continued success and engagement with the literacy activities took time and effort, and sometimes their improvements were incremental, but their content understanding improved along with their development as literate and critical thinkers. With student success as the ultimate goal, linking content area and literacy instruction is not only a manageable endeavor, it's a powerful one.

Previously published in Middle Ground magazine, October 2012

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Literacy as the Link: Common Core Standards and Content Area Teaching

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The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) literacy standards for content area teachers provide incentive for teachers to focus on instructional techniques to meet students’ rigorous literacy needs across the curriculum. One of us (Ginni), an associate professor who teaches content area literacy courses at a regional university, and the other (Jason), who teaches middle grades science/ social studies, collaborated to develop literacy activities for science and social studies students...

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Share one article (link or hard copy) that we can share, to discuss our next steps.

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Where do our opportunities lie to grow a literacy-rich middle school school culture?

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Within your classroom, grade-level, team, or department, what is one current initiative that you feel is making a positive impact on our establishing a literacy-rich culture?

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As a school, what are we doing well at HBMS in an effort to promote adolescent literacy?

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Share your responses to drive our dialogue, both in-person and through Padlet.