Monday Musings from The Kravis Center March 1, 2021 Focus: Beginning to redefine "normal" in the classroom
Dear Colleagues,
March is officially upon us! It's that crazy time of year in New England where you might get a couple days of spring weather –– like the glorious end to last week –– followed by some cold and dreary days. As Mother Nature transitions from winter to spring, it would only be fitting for snowy weather to return for a few days just after the winter coats are put away.
A week from today, we will be wrapping up the winter term marking period and quickly getting ST1 off the ground. While I realize that it might be tricky to start thinking too far ahead, I would still encourage us to gradually start reflecting on the last 12 months –– what a turbulent ride it has been. Given the challenges that we have faced and overcome in the classroom, it is probably easier to think about we would like to leave behind heading into next year. Having said that, what would be worth keeping? How might or should our teaching experiences over the last year redefine what our sense of "normal" is?
In this blog post from last month, Elizabeth Mulvahill identified "11 Pandemic Changes that Teachers Say are Here to Stay." The Connecticut Center for School Change recently created a similar list in an article titled "Looking Beyond the Pandemic." What would you add to these lists? What would you challenge? Additionally, I wanted to share that on Monday, March 8, there will be a thought provoking, free webinar (either both 8:00 am and 7:00 pm EST) titled: "9 Big Questions: A Framework for Thinking About Post-Pandemic Schools."
I'd be hard pressed to believe that anyone has all the answers right now –– I certainly do not! –– but I hope that we can all begin to think about the exciting opportunities that lie ahead in redefining "normal" teaching and learning on the Island moving forward.
I want to give Miles and Fiona a big shoutout for putting together such an exciting design challenge for Black History Month. Although March 1 technically brings about an end to Black History Month, I want to restate an important reminder from North Carolina educator, Michelle Ellis, that we should continue "look(ing) for ways to bring Black history into our curriculum throughout the year – no matter what subject we teach." I am looking forward to hearing about how the submitted lessons and assessments from the Black History Month design challenge impact and enhance student learning.
Have a great week.
Harrison, on behalf of the Kravis Center
Professional Development Opportunities
Want to know more about what schools are thinking about as they transition away from teaching in a pandemic? Click here to learn about Stanford University Click here to register for "A Moment of Transition" from Stanford University's Graduate School of Education.
The Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning (CTTL) Summer Academy will take place virtually from July 26-29, 2021. Sara has attended both in person and online and is happy to talk with you further about this exciting opportunity to take a deep dive in the the neuroscience of learning.
The Learning and Design Bootcamp, 2021
Inclusive STEM and CS, Virtual Conference, March 6 9:00-3:00PST
Another outstanding opportunity to take a deep dive into the neuroscience of learning through the CTTL: The Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning is offering numerous winter workshops: Foundational Strategies for Teaching during COVID.
Looking for an amazing line up of experts on the adolescent brain? Look no further than the The Science of Teaching During a Pandemic. Click here on the Learning and the Brain site for even more professional learning opportunities. A wealth of opportunities awaits us!
Here's the perfect opportunity to take a deep dive into creating authentic assessments with the Buck Institute, the gold standard of PBL workshops. PBL Works Summer Workshop, June 21-24, 2021
Harvard GSE programs for educators - so any worthwhile workshops for teachers! ________________________________________________________________ Articles related to DEIJ
Independent School Magazine, Winter 2021 is dedicated to DEI.
Here is a link to a Q&A with Ralinda Watts, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at The Buckley School in Sherman Oaks, California More articles and podcasts from past Monday Musings...
NAIS: Assessment Practices for Promoting Equity, by Amoy Walker is a must-read. Ms. Walker speaks to her experiences as a student as an an educator on the importance of examining "assessments more closely and identify best practices to combat bias."
When broken down into chunks, What works, what doesn't could serve as a valuable learning tool for our students. "Some study techniques accelerate learning, whereas others are just a waste of time—but which ones are which? An unprecedented review maps out the best pathways to knowledge." Thanks, Scott!
Another resource on teaching and learning that I always keep handy: Deans for Impact, The Science of Learning
Women of Color Need Courageous Allies in the Academy: An Open Dialogue Part One and Part Two. These interviews with seven women are outstanding, informative, and full of information about how to advance the work of allyship and accompaniment.
Reading Diversity: a tool for selecting diverse texts, Teaching Tolerance
Seeing White - podcast - and there's a study guide!
Creating Moments of Genuine Connection Online. the Cult of Pedagogy
Are you Teaching Content or Just Covering Material?, by Terry McGlynn, The Chronicle of Higher Education, A new book on science teaching makes the case for focusing on a smaller set of concepts to produce deeper learning. _______________________________________________________________ Follow us on Twitter! |