I'm Connie Hamilton co-author of Hacking Homework, curriculum director in Saranac, MI, and education consultant. I'm ready for today's #HackLearning chat!
Good morning! Sylvia, Writing Coach & Reading Teacher @BrandonHSEagles & moderator of #HackLearning slow chat ... ready to talk about rigor this morning and all week long!
Morning, #hacklearning. I'm Brian. I teach middle-school students English in Colorado. A1 I know it doesn't have to be this way but, to me, 'rigor' carries connotations of painfully demanding & unbending expectations.
This @edutopia article describes rigor as a way of challenging students in new ways - diversify their thinking.
Rigor is NOT simply more and harder work!!
https://t.co/GGKTBxM2ug#HackLearning
A1 Rigor is cognitive workout ... it’s not more work or complex work without support ... it’s work that is in the stretch arena if student learning #HackLearning
A:1 I am learning what rigor looks like because I’m teachinng AP Bio for the first time this year. For me, right now, rigor is asking more from my students than they think they are capable of. #HackLearning
Sorry I'm late! Twitter app wasn't loading. 21st century teaching and learning coordinator in Freeport, IL, joining the chat from chilly Washington, IL! #hacklearning
A1 Rigor is deeper thinking, pushing your thoughts, pushing boundaries, encouraging Ss to accomplish things they never thought possible. Rigor is not more, more worksheets, more route tasks, more memorizing, more time jumping through hoops, #hacklearning
A1: Rigor is pushing everyone (including the T!) to live in their zone of proximal development. It is not promoting excess and frustration to meet an artificial bar determined by a bureaucrat. #HackLearning
Yes, Alison. Particularly in science, I think, rigor is having students doing more of the thinking and doing. The one doing to thinking, talking, writing, & doing is the one doing the learning #HackLearning
A:1 I am learning what rigor looks like because I’m teachinng AP Bio for the first time this year. For me, right now, rigor is asking more from my students than they think they are capable of. #HackLearning
A1 I'm not fond of the word "rigor" because of the connotation of severity or strictness. I'm glad to be reading all your definitions, which sound more positive than what it means to me. #hacklearning
A1: Rigor isn’t more breadth!!! Rigor IS more depth!!! Rigor is helping Ss see beyond their own scope and lens view. Rigor is exposure to different thoughts and processes. #HackLearning
Yes! Support is a key element that is often overlooked. We mistakenly see it as every S for themselves which is antithetical to our purpose. #hackLearning
A1 Rigor is cognitive workout ... it’s not more work or complex work without support ... it’s work that is in the stretch arena if student learning #HackLearning
A1. This graphic mentions the importance of complex or abstract questions. Students asking other students these types of questions goes a long way toward rigor. #HackLearning
Rigor isn’t extra work. It’s meeting students where they are and challenging them to reach the next through relevant application. So that means for each child-rigor looks different. #hacklearning
A1: Rigor is depth of both knowledge and application that transfers to other areas, challenges, or tasks. It is only harder if we've never encountered rigor because the superficial was deemed acceptable. #hacklearning
A1 I'm not fond of the word "rigor" because of the connotation of severity or strictness. I'm glad to be reading all your definitions, which sound more positive than what it means to me. #hacklearning
A1 Rigor stretches thinking and develops new/different ideas/solutions. Rigor is not more problems on a worksheet or increased amount of work to do. Rigorous environments prompt thinking for all. #HackLearning
A1. Rigor is challenging you students to think outside of the box. Challenging students to deep dive into the subject. Rigor is not one-size fits all. Rigor is not rigid and heartless. Rigor is not a worksheet. Rigor is not a lecture. #HackLearning
@carlameyrink I wasn't fond of this word at all when I was a classroom teacher. I looked at it as another "buzzword." When I was able to start viewing different classrooms as an admin, I tailor made "rigor" to have a correlation to the different subjects/classrooms #HackLearning
A1 I'm not fond of the word "rigor" because of the connotation of severity or strictness. I'm glad to be reading all your definitions, which sound more positive than what it means to me. #hacklearning
A1: not convinced there is enough understanding and agreement to justify the use of this word as a defining principle in how and why we educate.
#HackLearning
Good point Carla. Sometimes the word gets in the way. It reinforces the responsibility we have to frame, interpret, and define important and widely-used terms instead of allowing others to do it for us #HackLearning
A1 I'm not fond of the word "rigor" because of the connotation of severity or strictness. I'm glad to be reading all your definitions, which sound more positive than what it means to me. #hacklearning
Rigor isn't more work. it isn't making a task harder. Rigor is challenging our students to think in new ways, to dig deeper. Rigorous work should spark curiosity and not groans! #hacklearning
A2: starts with keen observations and systems to identify each Ss next step. Also there needs to be an agreement that (in this classroom) we all have a coaching point to improve, deepen our learning. #HackLearning
A1: Rigor means that all Ss are challenged at their own level to advance to the next level and are being presented/taught the tools they need to advance. Rigor is not super-challenging work for the sake of giving something that will frustrate Ss instead of teach. #hacklearning
A1: Love the pic in regards 2 the approach to thinking & engagement! When we plan 4 thinking our young people will be more than ready to handle minimal competency assessments...we need 2 be more authentic in our approach & more student centered! #hacklearning
I like the succinctness of this definition of 'rigor.' Plus, connects with a quote I just dug up delivered by @dfishersdsu, at 2017 @coloradoreading conference: "“Rigor is a complex balance between difficulty and complexity.” #hacklearning
In reply to
@skrish2017, @DFISHERSDSU, @ColoradoReading
One way to plan lessons that keep the cognitive demand on students is to use the rigor framework to reflect on who is thinking/working during the lesson. #HackLearning
#hacklearning A2: To get all students to rigor: 1) promote positive mindsets, 2) celebrate risk-taking and mistakes, and 3) promote students' voice in learning, choice in the learning, and agency/ownership in their learning
If we were to go through any standards and practices document and replace "rigor" with "depth," would we would get the same point across? #HackLearning
A2: I think the workshop model really supports a rigorous classroom. Start off with whole group instruction. Think 5-10min. Release Ss to work: this looks different everyday. Connect work time with the 4 Cs. Add a 5th- CHOICE. Catch when needed. Debrief at the end. #HackLearning
I do understand what the underlying "educational" meaning is. I used to have a coach that used that term constantly and in spite of knowing what she meant, it always gave me a knot in my stomach. #hacklearning
Not to beat the proverbial dead horse, but this just sounds like differentiation or best practices. Makes me wonder: is “rigor” just a trendy word that makes admin feel better? #hackLearning
So many amazing thoughts floating through here this morning ... will you join the conversation throughout this week? You are all invited! #HackLearning
A1. This graphic mentions the importance of complex or abstract questions. Students asking other students these types of questions goes a long way toward rigor. #HackLearning
#hacklearning A2: To get all students to rigor: 1) promote positive mindsets, 2) celebrate risk-taking and mistakes, and 3) promote students' voice in learning, choice in the learning, and agency/ownership in their learning
A2: personalized learning should assure that all students are getting what they need to be successful and that needs to require cognitive rigor. #HackLearning
A2: formative assessment with as much feedback as possible. Also, lots of self reflection - get your students to be metacognitive. Get them to start setting the high bar. #HackLearning
That sounds like a good alternative to me. I know that personally I never use the word rigor in school for fear that some of my teachers may think I want some kind of strict toughness. Communication can be tough #HackLearning
A1. This graphic mentions the importance of complex or abstract questions. Students asking other students these types of questions goes a long way toward rigor. #HackLearning
A2 Include ways for Ss to uncover their own thinking daily. Provide opps for them to share their thinking and let them ‘productively struggle’ with their thoughts so they can actively learn and understand their own ideas. #HackLearning
AMEN! ... new education buzzwords do not make education better. #hacklearning GOOD TEACHING = GOOD TEACHING no matter who you are buying the copyright.
A2: When I was in the classroom I used to have at least 1 question from the previous assessment (unit test or section quiz) on the following assessment. This helped students learn the totality of the content and not in isolation. No more just learning for the test. #HackLearning
A2: We start with teachers and school leaders developing growth mindsets and learning about teaching through inquiry. Then, channeling the amazing Maya Angelou, we do better because we know better. #HackLearning
#hacklearning A2: To get all students to rigor: 1) promote positive mindsets, 2) celebrate risk-taking and mistakes, and 3) promote students' voice in learning, choice in the learning, and agency/ownership in their learning
A2: Have tried tiered activities to challenge students. Kids have found increasing levels of complexity + purpose more meaningful. They work at their comfort levels before moving forward. Have even added more to original task. #hacklearning
AMEN! ... new education buzzwords do not make education better. #hacklearning GOOD TEACHING = GOOD TEACHING no matter who you are buying the copyright.
A2- Step 1 in ensuring that all students have access to rigorous activities is getting to know them individually, both academically and personally. Then you can develop activities that will be motivating, push boundaries, and accentuate their specific strengths. #hacklearning
I'm going to do this tomorrow. I'll open up the standards in a word processing document and do a find and a replace query and see what happens. #HackLearning
Rigor when done right as many are suggesting is definitely analogous with best practice. When done wrong, it can encourage anxiety in both Ts Ss and families! #hackLearning
I think challenges also meet Ss where they're at - not too far above. What might be challenging for one S may be needlessly difficult for another #HackLearning
In reply to
@alextvalencic, @hackmylearning, @japhillips0722
A1.2 I see connection between rigor & what Daniel Coyle calls "deep practice" in his book _The Talent Code. That led me to this article: https://t.co/HuDKtp6lSl Practice like this is more rigorous than shallow, with investment of effort paying off in notable growth. #hacklearning
A2. The key here is that the supports have to be designed to allow students in a reasonable timeframe to meet rigorous standards. Too many supports become ends onto themselves. #HackLearning
One of my own middle school math teachers did this, and even as an eighth grade student, the rationale behind this made so much sense to me. It's a wonder why more Ts don't do this as well! #HackLearning
To help increase rigor for students who are ready for it I often take the skill/verb in the I can statement and replace it with a skill/verb that has a higher DOK but that still adhears to the learning targets set in the proficiency scale. #HackLearning#webbsDOK#DOK#rigor
Agreed! And that is why new or struggling teachers need support from other effective educators. This is not a solo sport! #strongertogether#hacklearning
Listen to their interests and don't miss those teachable moments to launch them into further exploration,
allow them to try new things, be open to new paths, provide real world application and audience
#HackLearning
The problem with new eduction buzzwords is that it makes good teachers think they are not doing it correctly when in reality they have been doing it all along only now they have a new form to fill out to prove it. #STOPtheINSANITY#hacklearning
A2: With many divisions going 1:1...we have to utilize the tech @ our disposal in order to meet the diverse needs of all learners! The tech we have now allows for Ss to facilitate their own learning which=student choice, voice & ownership #hacklearning
A3 Posing problems and asking Ss to come up with solutions, or better yet ask Ss to anticipate what future problems may occur and develop solutions or prevention strategies. Real world activities. #hacklearning
I think the 2 go hand in hand. When Ss get deep into the content- they’re making connections to what they’re learning. They’re empowered to learn more b/c they found it interesting. If you give the Ss choice on how to learn the content- that’s outside of the box. #HackLearning
A2) We can support rigor in our classrooms in many forms. One of the most impactful ways to promote rigor is through inquiry and questioning techniques that are student-led #HackLearning
#hacklearning A3: There are common sense strategies and tasks to get to more rigor: 1) make collaborative learning (with roles and embedded supports) the norm, 2) use open-ended (or open-middle) tasks with low-floors and high ceilings, and 3) stop trying to grade everything
Good question. I suspect the closest I come these days is "growth," which is a process that demands students & I put rigorous attention on what we're doing that does (or doesn't) show we're building our capacities. #hacklearning
A3. This graphic shares stages in finding a solution. There certainly would be rigor involved in understanding a different perspective and point of view. #HackLearning
Want to make learning better ... apply it to something real ... not a sheet of paper full of questions but real discussions and applications. #hacklearning
A3: ask the students about their interests and tie those to the content that you are teaching. When students are hooked into the learning, they’re able to reach deeper levels of DOK. #HackLearning
and right or wrong by whose standards. In science and LA there are many answers to a question. Even in math there can be different interpretations, or ways to solve
#HackLearning
When you make it relevant & you give me choice I am engaged in my learning! Ts love this in PD so we need 2 translate this 2 the classroom 4 our Ss! #hacklearning
Thanks for sharing ... Hattie describes it as deep learning > transfer learning ... loving this dialogue and idea sharing ... we can challenge each other to be better!! Thank you for your courage & thank everyone for listening and responding ☺️ need more of this! #HackLearning
A1.2 I see connection between rigor & what Daniel Coyle calls "deep practice" in his book _The Talent Code. That led me to this article: https://t.co/HuDKtp6lSl Practice like this is more rigorous than shallow, with investment of effort paying off in notable growth. #hacklearning
#hacklearning A2: To get all students to rigor: 1) promote positive mindsets, 2) celebrate risk-taking and mistakes, and 3) promote students' voice in learning, choice in the learning, and agency/ownership in their learning
A3- Allowing ss to respond to the question with the way they best feel comfortable and giving them choice. Example video, conversations, writing it down, sketch-noting, Typing their response, and any other way they feel comfortable to respond.
#HackLearning
A2) We can support rigor in our classrooms in many forms. One of the most impactful ways to promote rigor is through inquiry and questioning techniques that are student-led #HackLearning
There is always a form ... added box to the lesson plan ... a "new" planning sheet #hacklearning to prove that we are using the New word correctly. Let's unpack the standard and identify the verb and make sure we are being rigorous.
A3. Cross-curricular analysis: Asking Ss: Where have you seen this before, or where could you apply this learning target in another subject or situation? #HackLearning
A3 Differentiation is the key to rigor and relevance. Our education systems have to support this through professional learning and reasonable class sizes. The work of Carol Tomlinson remains vital here. #HackLearning
A3: I completely agree with everybody who is bringing this one back to building relationships with Ss to help us understand their needs. Relationships are truly the foundation of EVERYTHING in this profession. #hacklearning
A3: 1) Ask open-ended questions with wait time or say, tell me more.” We want to stretch our students’ thinking. 2) Replace worksheets w/ projects to allow Ss to show their thinking. 3) Encourage creativity! #LearnbyDoing#UbDinstruction#HackLearning
A2 Discussion strategies broached by @MattRKay in _Not Light, But Fire insinuate something like rigor into classroom conversations re: race. Approaches he describes are respectful & sensitive to needs in group while not letting anyone off important hooks too easily. #hacklearning
#hacklearning A3: There are common sense strategies and tasks to get to more rigor: 1) make collaborative learning (with roles and embedded supports) the norm, 2) use open-ended (or open-middle) tasks with low-floors and high ceilings, and 3) stop trying to grade everything
Chemistry is abstract enough why not do this? My Ss also got expanded definition lessons in my notes. If they’ve heard the word in another context I tried to connect associations. Or if variables had different names in math I tried to use them in chem too. #HackLearning
A3) Scaffold content, but still promote inquiry-based learning. We do not want our students to be frustrated while learning, but we need to promote rigor at the same time #HackLearning
A3: Avoid assigning all students the same task in the same way at the same time whenever possible. Give them choices in how they can demonstrate learning, including a design-your-own option. #HackLearning
A3: if you can plan it into your lesson meet with ss individually or in groups and ask them to explain their thinking - differentiate by scaffolding and changing up your questions - make it real for them by role playing (sometimes I’m a patient my ss are drs) #HackLearning
::::Wondering:::
What could we do to guide educators away from worksheets toward more project based learning?
::grin:: I guess we could quit getting the copy machine repaired! #Hacklearning
A3: 1) Ask open-ended questions with wait time or say, tell me more.” We want to stretch our students’ thinking. 2) Replace worksheets w/ projects to allow Ss to show their thinking. 3) Encourage creativity! #LearnbyDoing#UbDinstruction#HackLearning
Exactly! Kids know when it’s generic busy work. And generic busy work shows them that you don’t care all that much about what they care about. #HackLearning
A3 A practical way to increase rigor is to stop explaining and instead ask “What do you notice here? What do you think is going on? Why?” When students are piecing together their own understanding thru evidence and discussion, that’s rigor! #hackLearning
Join #HackLearning chat November 18 at 8:30-9:00am EST when Steve Wick @WickEdTech will be guest moderator leading chat on the "hacky" topic of Formative Assessment
Great reminders! Wait time is so important and often missed! Online discussions can provide your deeper thinkers with time to show their strengths! #hackLearning
A3: 1) Ask open-ended questions with wait time or say, tell me more.” We want to stretch our students’ thinking. 2) Replace worksheets w/ projects to allow Ss to show their thinking. 3) Encourage creativity! #LearnbyDoing#UbDinstruction#HackLearning
I can see your point ... most new initiatives require accountability which usually comes through documentation ... sometimes, however, the new is self-driven ... I try new things & no form is required (I collect data in my own way) ☺️ #HackLearning
There is always a form ... added box to the lesson plan ... a "new" planning sheet #hacklearning to prove that we are using the New word correctly. Let's unpack the standard and identify the verb and make sure we are being rigorous.
Plus, 'deep' sounds much more intriguing, mysterious, & inviting to my ear, compared to 'rigorous.' 🤔 My first inclination is to explore deep opportunities, but shy away from rigorous one. #hacklearning
