https://padlet.com/tylerwhite1006/dozzxwdj828her1v The Learning Principles in Connected Learning are: Interest Powered, Peer-Supported, and Academically Oriented. Share an example of one of these Learning Principles from your classroom. en-us 2021-03-12 17:20:38 UTC 2021-03-21 21:50:10 UTC hello@padlet.com tweis1 https://padlet.com/tylerwhite1006/dozzxwdj828her1v/wish/1304736152 The aspect of my teaching that I'm most proud of is how "Interest Powered" it is when it comes to designing major units. I cover the skills in my curriculum in a way that allows each student to choose their own topics and connect their ideas to the real world. My Photography and Creative Writing classes learn and practice the skill in small groups or as a whole class before tackling it individually. My writers always get to demonstrate their mastery by choosing their writing topic and genre. They participate in peer impression days and conferences with me along the way. I've found that they are always talking to one another about their projects without prompting because they're excited. My photographers are the same way: they choose a weekly theme to show skill mastery. Some students even create Website and Instagram pages to showcase their work. This kind of interest and engagement is a little more challenging in the English classroom, but its definitely a space where I'm reminding them daily that THEIR IDEAS matter. They get to have opinions and navigate texts through student-led discussions that make connections to the real-world and their own beliefs and experiences. How they show the skills often allows them to be creative and use tools that they find meaningful.     I want to continue to find ways to add relevancy, value, and purpose to what we're learning by giving students time to reflect on their future and share their ideas. Its been difficult to offer lots of time to reflect on an A/B schedule where I only see them for 90 minutes per week. I know that reflection is what gives students access to understanding HOW what their learning and thinking matters now and long after they've graduated. I want to make connecting with the real world accessible so they can see how their learning matters outside of the classroom! This is something I'm look forward to really focusing on in the fall. :)]]> 2021-03-13 02:16:26 UTC https://padlet.com/tylerwhite1006/dozzxwdj828her1v/wish/1304736152 tylerwhite1006 https://padlet.com/tylerwhite1006/dozzxwdj828her1v/wish/1305576961 In my guitar courses we do a lot of Peer-Supported Learning. Before I give any feedback, I like to ask the class what they thought. What technique they think would be better, what went well. There are occasions where I put the class into groups and each group learns a different song. They then give a a critic that is sandwiched between positives. They cannot single anyone out, that isn't what this is about. Then they will also place a color coded post-it on my white board. One for something positive they did, one for something they can work on, and something they learned from this. 
Something that I have been trying to implement more but need to continue is Interest Powered Leaning. Electives should be catered to what students want from it. They chose to take this class. Why? I tend to get stuck teaching what is needed, but this year I have really taken the effort to compliment that with things they are interested in. Due to hybrid learning, we meet twice a week. The first class is curriculum based, and the second class for the week I will take a song or a topic that they told me they were interested in from a survey I conducted and that ends up being our class. We have been learning how to use web-sources (guitar tab sites and video tutorials) to learn songs we actually want to learn. They now know how to find a reliable source and how to accurately learn from it.]]> 2021-03-13 16:24:38 UTC https://padlet.com/tylerwhite1006/dozzxwdj828her1v/wish/1305576961 primoa https://padlet.com/tylerwhite1006/dozzxwdj828her1v/wish/1306233238 I focused more on Interest Powered in my last post, but I also wanted to emphasize that I am big on calling my classes a team. This has changed the classroom climate drastically since I have been teaching high school. Because I make my classroom interest-driven as well, I have had students tell me in the past that they have made some of their best friends in my class due to the fact they were allowed to work together through their common interests. I am (normally) big on group work when we are not in a pandemic, and students have said breakout rooms are not the same. I am also big on mutual respect among the groups. For example, when students give a presentation, there is always a part of their grade that revolves around audience etiquette. If there is a student who is disrespectful during another classmate's presentation, they ultimately lose points on their project for not being a good teammate. This sets the tone for how I want students to relate to one another, and so far, it has worked out.]]> 2021-03-14 02:51:25 UTC https://padlet.com/tylerwhite1006/dozzxwdj828her1v/wish/1306233238 arardin07 https://padlet.com/tylerwhite1006/dozzxwdj828her1v/wish/1311082453 The Bridge courses that I mentioned earlier fit into both of these categories. The students are able to pick which Bridge courses interest them and they are usually very excited to learn they can get a jump on college level courses while finishing up their GED. They are taught either by our faculty or are offered as co-taught. For example, we sometimes offer Highway Construction or Welding as a Bridge course. One of our faculty in AE will teach the GED content while a faculty member from the college side that specializes in that field, will teach the specific field.]]> 2021-03-15 14:55:41 UTC https://padlet.com/tylerwhite1006/dozzxwdj828her1v/wish/1311082453 starkeramy https://padlet.com/tylerwhite1006/dozzxwdj828her1v/wish/1318273615 In my classroom I try to base most of my student's writing prompts around things that they enjoy or would like to share about. For example, when we have free write Fridays, students can write about anything they wish. Not only does it make writing less threatening, but it allows me to learn about each of the student in a different way and gives me ideas about what to make my journal prompts about!]]> 2021-03-16 23:57:24 UTC https://padlet.com/tylerwhite1006/dozzxwdj828her1v/wish/1318273615 wjenn2013 https://padlet.com/tylerwhite1006/dozzxwdj828her1v/wish/1318274339 You will almost never walk into my classroom and find it completely quiet. I allow and encourage group work most of the time. We learn math together and it is most effective when you can bounce ideas off of other people. ]]> 2021-03-16 23:57:45 UTC https://padlet.com/tylerwhite1006/dozzxwdj828her1v/wish/1318274339 https://padlet.com/tylerwhite1006/dozzxwdj828her1v/wish/1318648812 The two principles: Interest-Powered & Peer-Supported pop out as I think about my classroom. In level I, we create stories in Spanish to help students develop their skills in comprehension, vocabulary, reading and writing. With the story development students contribute their own suggestions to the story. The suggestions are based on their own interests and this helps students connect better with the content. After creating the story, students complete a close read, which is a time where students develop their reading and comprehension skills. One activity students participate in is reading in pairs or groups with tasks based on translation and word meaning. Students are engaged and learn from one another with this type of activity. 
-Monica Lynch

]]> 2021-03-17 02:14:55 UTC https://padlet.com/tylerwhite1006/dozzxwdj828her1v/wish/1318648812 Susan_Jachymiak1 https://padlet.com/tylerwhite1006/dozzxwdj828her1v/wish/1323360615 We have been making the transition to implementing more guided math in the virtual setting. Although this has been an adjustment, my students are adapting well and being flexible to what we are doing the procedures we set in place. This way, my students get to talk to each other via chat and by unmuting, and my co - teacher and I can pull back a few students and re - teach a lesson from the day before. My students seem to enjoy it, and the conversations have not been happening as much due to them being used to remote learning and not being able to converse with each other naturally. I try to encourage them to ask each other for help when we are in small groups and get feedback from each other, but a few of my students are not engaged due to having their cameras off. It is hard to get their buy in unless I am in a group with them saying their name and encouraging them to participate.]]> 2021-03-18 01:18:45 UTC https://padlet.com/tylerwhite1006/dozzxwdj828her1v/wish/1323360615 awhile6 https://padlet.com/tylerwhite1006/dozzxwdj828her1v/wish/1327430732 Most of the time I try to engage the class in conversations that allow for a free flowing of ideas and connections between the topics we read/discuss and the real world. Although breaking into small groups has been a challenge this year, I still try to incorporate ways for students to voice their opinions respectfully, allowing for classroom discussion. On the very first day of the school year, I try to emphasize the importance of supporting classmates in their ideas, being respectful in our disagreements, and opening our minds to elevated discussions. ]]> 2021-03-18 20:00:17 UTC https://padlet.com/tylerwhite1006/dozzxwdj828her1v/wish/1327430732 https://padlet.com/tylerwhite1006/dozzxwdj828her1v/wish/1327930572 I use interest powered often in my classroom.  I spend a lot of time learning about my students by letting them communicate amongst each other during our morning meeting.  From their conversations, I learn a lot and tend to try and incorporate it into my teaching in some way (centers, morning meeting, reading lessons, math lessons, etc).  ]]> 2021-03-18 23:41:39 UTC https://padlet.com/tylerwhite1006/dozzxwdj828her1v/wish/1327930572 khaines26 https://padlet.com/tylerwhite1006/dozzxwdj828her1v/wish/1330868089 My students do most activities or assignments in groups. I think that the best teaching in the classroom comes from peer to peer. They know how to explain it to eachother in a way that makes sense to their knowledge level.]]> 2021-03-19 17:42:15 UTC https://padlet.com/tylerwhite1006/dozzxwdj828her1v/wish/1330868089 jessicaclarke927 https://padlet.com/tylerwhite1006/dozzxwdj828her1v/wish/1332384365 In my classroom during writing workshop we will give peer feedback during the editing process. I have found this to be very powerful in teaching them that mistakes are okay, in fact they are a good thing because that is how we learn! ]]> 2021-03-20 12:21:47 UTC https://padlet.com/tylerwhite1006/dozzxwdj828her1v/wish/1332384365 robisoa https://padlet.com/tylerwhite1006/dozzxwdj828her1v/wish/1332471793 During our space unit, I allow the students to choose one topic that they want to research further. This could be anything from NASA, to black holes, to astronaut training, to the multi-verse theory. This autonomy for my students lets them learn about something they are genuinely interested in. It definitely makes a difference in their motivation when they are passionate about the topic in which they are learning about. ]]> 2021-03-20 13:32:28 UTC https://padlet.com/tylerwhite1006/dozzxwdj828her1v/wish/1332471793 jlholde https://padlet.com/tylerwhite1006/dozzxwdj828her1v/wish/1332559078 During station activities last year students worked together in groups. They also collaborated on their notes and practice in my classroom. I felt many groups were successful but some just did not engage with their peers the way I hoped. Peer work is definitely something that has to be planned and edited to find working groups. The classroom has to also be a safe and trusting place for students to feel ready to engage with others. ]]> 2021-03-20 14:33:51 UTC https://padlet.com/tylerwhite1006/dozzxwdj828her1v/wish/1332559078 khugunin https://padlet.com/tylerwhite1006/dozzxwdj828her1v/wish/1335187004 This year has definitely challenged me to create opportunities within this learning principle a little differently, but it is an area that I notice my students really enjoy and benefit from so it makes it well worth it! We have really been utilizing Zoom break out rooms for students to share their thinking and progress with others in our class, even if they aren't physically in the classroom with us.]]> 2021-03-21 19:51:40 UTC https://padlet.com/tylerwhite1006/dozzxwdj828her1v/wish/1335187004 broncomeeks https://padlet.com/tylerwhite1006/dozzxwdj828her1v/wish/1335363484 Most activities in my classroom involve group work. I try to put students into teams based upon ability level displayed in previous projects throughout the class. The strongest student in the group acts as the groups "foreman". Each student is cycled through a different job as we progress through the class. The "foreman" helps with organizing the group rotation and providing support for students that struggle with their assigned task.]]> 2021-03-21 21:40:45 UTC https://padlet.com/tylerwhite1006/dozzxwdj828her1v/wish/1335363484