Monday Musings from The Kravis Center Monday Musings September 21, 2020 Focus: Time to reflect
Kravis Center Q&A drop-in session: Wednesday, September 23 from 11:00-3:00.
Dear Colleagues,
If you would like to talk through any of the modifications you may be considering making to your pedagogical practices, academic technology, or anything you'd like feedback on, please know that the Kravis team is ready to listen, collaborate, or advise at any time. Drop-in sessions are every Wednesday from 2:00-3:00; however, on Wednesday the 23rd, the Kravis Center Zoom room will be open from 11-3.
Before we begin to reassess and reflect, we need to survey our students and collaborate with our colleagues on the results. (See MM from last week for survey methods, archived here on the Kravis Center page.) Last Thursday and Friday, I left my students alone for about 10-15 minutes to give them the chance to talk through how the class was going, without me present. I came back into the room (both online and in person), and I listened as they talked through some of their issues. This was one of the best uses of 30 minutes of synchronous time this term - they felt heard and validated, and I learned a ton.
Some possible survey reflection questions include:
Asynchronous lessons must have deliverables: Although students need activities that will help them to practice the skills that you would like them to be proficient in, they may not need all the deliverables that we are asking from them. In fact, we can ask students to read for homework - you may want to offer them a chance to reflect - but there does not have to be a formal deliverable. Ask yourself and your team which deliverables will allow you to check for understanding and demonstrate the skill that they are learning? The more deliverables that you have, the potential for more feedback arises. Take care of yourself and your students! (See below for resources on how to give effective feedback. It doesn't have to be too time consuming!)
Are we trying to do too much with the time we have? As we reassess the content that we are teaching, it is crucial to make sure that we are not asking students to do too much. Does what we are asking the students to do connect to the learning outcomes originally outlined in our design build? I have come to realize that it may be impossible to get through six units with my French 3 class; therefore, I have to pick and choose what skills they truly need before they head to French 4 next year - very tough choices I will have to make. Understanding the strong link between emotion and cognition means that I have to make sure that I am allowing for joy in the learning process, not overworking them with content that may not be essential. Rigor and Joy: SEL and academics go hand-in-hand, eSchool News. (See also PD opportunity on SEL below.)
Graded Assessment Policy: We need to assess two assignments per week, but they do not have to be major tests or papers. They could be a quick check for understanding (CFU) in the form of bellringers, short reflection essays, short quizzes, etc. On a related note, this link will take you to an email from the Head of School at One Schoolhouse, an online academy, about academic honesty in online classes.
LMS Concerns: over the next couple of months, reflect on what you would like out of an LMS. Ask your colleagues at other schools what LMS they use? Think about what you would like to be able to do with an LMS in an ideal world. In the meantime, here are some examples of the LMS Syllabus/Calendar.
Sara and Matt, on behalf of the Kravis Center
____________________________________________________________________ Resources on feedback and DEI
Difficult Dialogues is an article that I came across last week on the Vanderbilt Center for Teaching website that I have found helpful, especially given our TAG discussions. _______________________________________________________________________________ Professional Development Opportunities
Amazing PD opportunity with Glenn Whitman, co-author of Neuroteach and Director of the Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning (CTTL) on on Tuesday evening from 7:00-8:00: and Using the Science of Learning to Elevate How We Teach and How Students Learn with Glenn Whitman, co-author of Neuroteach.
SEL in the classroom: Here is the link to the numerous PD opportunities through One Schoolhouse, one of which is Protecting Student Mental Health in Hybrid Learning Environments with Lisa Damour
Harvard GSE programs for educators - so any worthwhile workshops for teachers.
Connecticut Center for School Change offers several PD opportunities on equity and online learning Follow us on Twitter! |