Our 6th Class

How can I help my students become self-directed learners?
I think this is a process, and it will not happen instantly. I have always worked from a sort of investigative approach when I teach, especially in the areas of math and science. So, in a way, some of my kids are used to this style of learning. However, as 2nd graders, this is very difficult for many of them. They always want "the right answer" or "the best way" to do something, and I try from the start of the year to break them of this. I want them to be responsible for their learning. This project will be a perfect way to take my students to another level of self-direction in their learning. It will take baby steps at first. I will need to help self-direct them, if that makes sense. I will have to create steps with them so that they feel comfortable to take the project in their own direction. I think, once they get used to this, they will be able to do it more independently in the future. Then I can, hopefully, let them go a little more on their own.

How can I support the diverse needs of learners?
It was really great to have the discussion we had last night, there were some great ideas shared. A few of the "students" sounded like they were pulled right out of my class. I definitely have some kids who are very bright but very OCD. They need specifics, they need guidelines or they become overwhelmed. I think that the checklists and rubrics we have created will help these students to stay organized but still allow them creativity and ownership within the project. I also have kids who are little "DB's". I loved the idea that a group shared about putting those kids in the leadership role, allowing them to become "experts" at something so they can feel like they are the center of attention. My kids who are like this, love the attention, and that would be a great way to help them thrive. I have one student who is ELL and struggles daily in class. I think the mentoring system we have set up will really help him exceed and the use of images and spoken word, rather than writing will be good for him as well.

Our 5th Class

How do I assess student learning?
I use many ways to assess student learning. In 2nd grade there is a lot of informal assessment as students work on various tasks during the day. When I look at this project, I can see that there will be room for both formal and informal assessment as we work. I will work with the students to create checklists and rubrics that they and I can formally assess with. However, as we work through the whole process, there will be a lot of informal assessment opportunities. I will constantly be making observations as the students work. They will be exploring many new technologies, and as they explore and learn, I will observe their work.

How do I involve students in the assessment process?
I have not done this much in the past. However, my team and I discussed working with our classes to create the checklists and rubrics together. I think this will put a more clear vision in my students minds of the expectations of the project. This will also give them more ownership of the entire project. I believe I will be able to use the fact that we "planned the assessment together" as a way to hold them more accountable as well. "remember when we put this checklist together? You agreed that this was do-able....."

Our 4th Class

How can the creation of a student sample help me clarify my unit expectations and improve instructional design?
Even discussing the student sample has changed the way I have looked at this project. I could already get myself more focused, after talking about what I could create. I think I had some expectations in my head that were not totally realistic for my 2nd grade students. After discussing it, I was able to start thinking in more of a "2nd grade" frame of mind. I believe, after creating the sample, this will become even more clear. It will also help in guiding my instruction. As I create this sample, it will make the steps more clear to me and allow me to guide my students through this process more effectively.


How can I ensure students will achieve the learning objectives when creating their student projects?
I need to ensure that I have assessments aligned to my learning objectives so that I can keep track of what my students are learning. If I am not holding my students accountable in some way, I cannot ensure that they are achieving the objectives. If I set clear objectives and inform them of how they will be assessed, I believe they will achieve these goals.