Giampaolo Squarcina's #pblcourse learning diary by Giampaolo Squarcina https://padlet.com/giampaolo_squarcina/gs_pblcourse en-us 2016-06-07 06:47:21 UTC 2017-05-24 13:01:01 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Templeball.png About me giampaolo_squarcina https://padlet.com/giampaolo_squarcina/gs_pblcourse/wish/113892957 Hi everybody! My name is Giampaolo. I live in Turin, Northern Italy, where I teach Italian, Hystory and Geography @ Istituto Comprensivo "Umberto Saba".

I'm keen on technology, which I have long been trying to implement in my teaching practice. 

In my school I work also as "Digital Catalyst". In  Italy, "Animatori Digitali" were recently launched to support digital innovation throughout their school and workmates.

My hobbies are reading and photography; I like swimming and iaido, too. I am also a great basketball fan and supporter of AuxiliumCUS Torino, my hometown basket team.
]]> 2016-06-07 06:54:37 UTC https://padlet.com/giampaolo_squarcina/gs_pblcourse/wish/113892957 My Teaching Context giampaolo_squarcina https://padlet.com/giampaolo_squarcina/gs_pblcourse/wish/113894520 The school I work at is quite big and it is disseminated among three buildings.

There are about 1,000 students aged 6-14: Primary school and Middle school, that ages 11 to 14. I teach in this second level.

My students study Italian Language, English, French, History, Geography, Maths, Science, Music, Technology, Art, Gym and R.E. too. 

Class sizes range from 20 to 25 and there are lessons until late in the afternoon from Monday to Friday.

Most of them have  chance to access the Internet from a PC/Tablet/Smartphone.
]]> 2016-06-07 07:15:43 UTC https://padlet.com/giampaolo_squarcina/gs_pblcourse/wish/113894520 Module 1. What PBL is... giampaolo_squarcina https://padlet.com/giampaolo_squarcina/gs_pblcourse/wish/113900005 I'm already using PBL, but I always search for new ideas about it. Above all, I wonder how to encourage other colleagues to use it, because I meet a lot of cultural resistance. PBL requires more time and preparation.]]> 2016-06-07 08:12:41 UTC https://padlet.com/giampaolo_squarcina/gs_pblcourse/wish/113900005 Module 1. And maybe PBL is not so used due to... giampaolo_squarcina https://padlet.com/giampaolo_squarcina/gs_pblcourse/wish/113903903 In my country,  one of the problem that stops us using PBL is our teachers age and mind. They have accustomed to give pupils just a knowledge and forget to give motivation about practical usage of theory. Younger teachers are more creative and  understand student needs in a better way. Of course there are always exceptions.

I would add that many teachers are not so open minded. Teaching is just another way to earn their bread, so PBL is rejected as it take a lots of time in designing and planning.

SOLUTION:
School systems should spend more time on teachers' initial training in order to grow a new generation of PBL-oriented teachers.]]> 2016-06-07 08:45:01 UTC https://padlet.com/giampaolo_squarcina/gs_pblcourse/wish/113903903 Module 1. My PBL style. giampaolo_squarcina https://padlet.com/giampaolo_squarcina/gs_pblcourse/wish/113933583
I commonly use a flipped classroom strategy. I set up a Google Classroom account in my school and my pupils study at home the basis of the work we will make at school. Theory to watch at can be a videolesson, some slide or a pdf to read, some quiz to answer to and mostly many of this things together.

What do I do most of the time in the classroom?

In the classroom I let the students do practical exercises and team working. My activities bring into practice things that pupils studied at home and they are oriented towards the realization of a product: a billboard, a script, a podcast, the questions of a test, a video, a concept map ...

What do the students do most of the time? 

At home, students prepare their lessons and perform an online prerequisite check quiz. At school they work in group to apply through a product the theory they studied. At the end there is also a moment of individual assessment of learning. Each phase of the work has a weight in the evaluation and the guys understand that each is important: homework, group work at school and individual assessment.

My approach is already a PBL one. In most cases, students are happy with this approach and participate with interest both at home and at school. I encounter some problems with those that have uncollaborative parents about computers/Internet at home and with disadvantaged students with behavioral disorders, who are often irresponsible in the proposed activities.

I will keep on with a PBL approach, especially in History and Geography where “cultural products” are more easily achievable for students. I really like products such as podcasts or videos realized by the students themselves.]]> 2016-06-07 13:08:01 UTC https://padlet.com/giampaolo_squarcina/gs_pblcourse/wish/113933583 Module 1. PBL's Five Keys: giampaolo_squarcina https://padlet.com/giampaolo_squarcina/gs_pblcourse/wish/113936070 -Real world basis
-Core to learning
-Structured Collaboration
-Student driven
-Multifaceted Assessment

The challenge to me is to involve students that are less followed by families and those with behavior problems. Assessment can be another problem: the law tells us one thing, common teaching sense another one.

DRIVING QUESTION: the question should be open-ended, engage and inspire students by creating curiosity, be aligned to your learning goals, and at the same time be non-Googleable. 

]]> 2016-06-07 13:21:24 UTC https://padlet.com/giampaolo_squarcina/gs_pblcourse/wish/113936070 Module 1. Good components giampaolo_squarcina https://padlet.com/giampaolo_squarcina/gs_pblcourse/wish/114100707 I really like the idea of non-Googleable question in order to outline a good driving question when designing a PBL lesson.]]> 2016-06-08 15:28:11 UTC https://padlet.com/giampaolo_squarcina/gs_pblcourse/wish/114100707 Module 1. My Driving Question giampaolo_squarcina https://padlet.com/giampaolo_squarcina/gs_pblcourse/wish/114374423
How can you explain to your parents how the European Union affects their daily lives?

I would propose this project to second-graders (12 years old students), because in Geography they should study European Union and its main countries. I want my students to acquire some information about the genesis of the European Union, its historical evolution, its current governing bodies and related skills. 

It would also be educational for their parents, in a local context where the European Union is seen as increasingly distant by people and whose consideration is getting worse and worse.

]]> 2016-06-11 06:15:29 UTC https://padlet.com/giampaolo_squarcina/gs_pblcourse/wish/114374423 Module 2. Collaboration is... giampaolo_squarcina https://padlet.com/giampaolo_squarcina/gs_pblcourse/wish/114607666 2016-06-14 13:14:51 UTC https://padlet.com/giampaolo_squarcina/gs_pblcourse/wish/114607666 Module 2. Good Collaboration Checklist giampaolo_squarcina https://padlet.com/giampaolo_squarcina/gs_pblcourse/wish/114608825 2016-06-14 13:22:45 UTC https://padlet.com/giampaolo_squarcina/gs_pblcourse/wish/114608825 Module 2. Collaboration in my Classroom. giampaolo_squarcina https://padlet.com/giampaolo_squarcina/gs_pblcourse/wish/114609357 I can improve collaboration in my classes: it is true that my students mainly work in groups, but I do not have the habit of always assign specific responsibilities within them, and I also have to strengthen their decision-making autonomy (too often I propose semiguidate activities) and also enhance the fact that everyone's work is useful to the overall result.


]]> 2016-06-14 13:25:46 UTC https://padlet.com/giampaolo_squarcina/gs_pblcourse/wish/114609357 Module 2. Teaching Group Work giampaolo_squarcina https://padlet.com/giampaolo_squarcina/gs_pblcourse/wish/114611816 2016-06-14 13:42:14 UTC https://padlet.com/giampaolo_squarcina/gs_pblcourse/wish/114611816 Module 2. Finding collaboration partners outside the classroom. giampaolo_squarcina https://padlet.com/giampaolo_squarcina/gs_pblcourse/wish/114946390 One way to involve external actors is interact with parents. Many of them have professional activities and/or a network of knowledge from which to draw. Moreover, even the alumni can be important for this.

I usually collaborate with my students with Google Classroom, but even via email or Twitter and ClassDojo. Anyway TeamUp seems very good, I surely will have a look.]]> 2016-06-18 07:24:01 UTC https://padlet.com/giampaolo_squarcina/gs_pblcourse/wish/114946390 Module 3. My challenge was... giampaolo_squarcina https://padlet.com/giampaolo_squarcina/gs_pblcourse/wish/115221581 When I started with Iaido, about three years ago, I felt very stupid because I couldn't remember movements and I also was a bit gawky. My teacher kept on encouraging me and now I can say I'm not so bad with Iaido.]]> 2016-06-22 09:04:25 UTC https://padlet.com/giampaolo_squarcina/gs_pblcourse/wish/115221581 Module 3. Scaffolding students' resilience. giampaolo_squarcina https://padlet.com/giampaolo_squarcina/gs_pblcourse/wish/115314164 It is not always easy to sustain a student-driven activity: it depends on the context. In some contexts/areas students are so needy and careless towards the school, or taken from their family problems and economic and social ones, so they do not participate in any activities. These students should be followed by step-by-step teaching. When students have good families behind, then the teacher can step aside and often I got amazed with the extent of their independence.]]> 2016-06-23 11:31:00 UTC https://padlet.com/giampaolo_squarcina/gs_pblcourse/wish/115314164 Module 3. Student resilience can be weakened... giampaolo_squarcina https://padlet.com/giampaolo_squarcina/gs_pblcourse/wish/115371911 A teacher can weaken the resilience of students:
1) Highlighting their failures
2) By setting too simple goals
3) Creating teaching situations divorced from a practical fallout]]> 2016-06-24 05:47:40 UTC https://padlet.com/giampaolo_squarcina/gs_pblcourse/wish/115371911 Module 3. A definition of Design Thinking giampaolo_squarcina https://padlet.com/giampaolo_squarcina/gs_pblcourse/wish/115372869 2016-06-24 06:29:52 UTC https://padlet.com/giampaolo_squarcina/gs_pblcourse/wish/115372869 Module 4. PBL Assessment. giampaolo_squarcina https://padlet.com/giampaolo_squarcina/gs_pblcourse/wish/115771040 I don't think italian teachers are really free to assess students the way they like. We have a law about (numerical) assessment, we are invited to share rubrics with others, we have to make common tests. I think PBL needs a descriptive assessment rather than a numerical one.]]> 2016-06-30 20:34:38 UTC https://padlet.com/giampaolo_squarcina/gs_pblcourse/wish/115771040 Module 4. Peer assessment. giampaolo_squarcina https://padlet.com/giampaolo_squarcina/gs_pblcourse/wish/115771394 I often use peer assessment in my classroom: for example, pupils must switch their exercises and correct a work by someone else, or they make a general assessment of the products realized, for example via poll/survey.]]> 2016-06-30 20:43:58 UTC https://padlet.com/giampaolo_squarcina/gs_pblcourse/wish/115771394 Module 4. Tools for rubrics. giampaolo_squarcina https://padlet.com/giampaolo_squarcina/gs_pblcourse/wish/115771543 http://bie.org/objects/cat/rubrics
http://de.slideshare.net/cedecite/documents
http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php
http://bie.org/object/document/project_design_rubric

]]> 2016-06-30 20:49:17 UTC https://padlet.com/giampaolo_squarcina/gs_pblcourse/wish/115771543 Module 4. More on assessment. giampaolo_squarcina https://padlet.com/giampaolo_squarcina/gs_pblcourse/wish/115834579 I really like the idea of a student made rubric for their self assessment.]]> 2016-07-02 06:37:53 UTC https://padlet.com/giampaolo_squarcina/gs_pblcourse/wish/115834579