Join #ICEilchat for the last Thursday of the month at 8pm CST as we discuss topics on ed tech, collaboration, building a PLN, professional learning and so much more!
Tonight’s Discussion will be a conversation on modern measures of learning.
Please introduce yourself, your position, where you are from, & a go-to resource on assessing learning. #ICEilchat
Hi, all! Lisa Westman, suburban Chicago, author, speaker and consultant, formerly a teacher & instructional coach. I work w/school districts to implement #differentiation and #sbl initiatives. #iceilchat
Keith Westman- my first ICE conference was in 1998 and I remember thinking, why is there a pool in a hotel hallway, 10 feet from where I am buying a sandwich? #ICEilchat
I sometimes pretend to be a teacher and a learner at Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville. Excited about this chat and the conference on November 1st. #iceilchat
Jenna Hnilo, ICE Marketing & Events coordinator, formerly a computer science teacher. Currently living in St. Louis. I never had a go-to resource... I used a variety of methods. #ICEilchat
Q1: Standards based learning, differentiation, PBL, data informed instruction, and personalized learning make up the majority of initiatives in districts these days. Which topic(s) is your school currently focused on and why?
#ICEilchat
Happy to be here. #sblchat is the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month at 8CT/9ET. Honored to host along with the amazing @RoweRikW and the awesome @garnet_hillman. #ICEilchat
In reply to
@ice_execdir, @RoweRikW, @garnet_hillman
A1. While we have been working on all of these topics, standards based learning/grading has been our focus this year. I think it is giving parents a more complete picture of student learning. #ICEilchat
A1 Currently, I’m focused on #SBL, #PBL, and personalized learning. Though working on autonomy for my students has me pounding the pavement on the PL path a lot at the moment. #ICEilchat
I believe that variety in assessment can be powerful. We did a PD session last week and landed on 12 Formative Tools/Activities that we love the most right now. https://t.co/69O4XiPxWU#iceilchat
A1: I'm really interested in PBL right now because I think it is a great environment for trying new things. SBG, personalized learning. Using PBL removes a lot of barriers to trying innovative approaches to school. #ICEilchat
So great to hear this feedback, Jeremy. I think there is a lot to say about the "complete picture" and the true value that has for academic growth. #ICEilchat
There has been quite a bit of PD. We had outside advisers come in initially and have since really focused on developing leaders from within the district. I think it's going well despite it being a big shift in thinking for some teachers. #ICEilchat
A1: I actually just started on my kids' school district technology advisory committee. We're starting the process of determining where technology initiatives go in the school district. Honestly, they're all over the place with these topics... need to be reined in. #ICEilchat
Q2: What has proven to be some of the biggest roadblocks to successfully implementing the aforementioned initiatives? Is it a lack of effective technology, well trained educators or another reason?
#ICEilchat
A1: We are focused on three big topics this year in a context connected 1 to 1 and Blended Learning.
ACCESS / ADVOCACY / ACADEMICS
https://t.co/HLZGhJZ0A8 … #ICEilchat
A2: There are many common misconceptions about #differentiation and #sbl. Many districts learn of these while implementing. It is advantageous to acknowledge these fallacies head-on. #iceilchat
I think it had to. Much of the assessment moed to demonstrations of understanding. At first I kept academic vocabulary assessments in place (partly as a transition from tradition) but with time those seemed to slow class down more than they helped. #ICEilchat
A2. It is hard to say what the biggest roadblock has been. There have been several small ones. We have been hitting the professional development hard for a few years, but it is still a challenge. #ICEilchat
A2: Effective PD and access to tech can be a bit of a roadblock, but I think time is the biggest obstacle we face. Sometimes we don't have enough time to explore something new and sometimes time is an excuse to avoid something new. #ICEilchat
Q2: What has proven to be some of the biggest roadblocks to successfully implementing the aforementioned initiatives? Is it a lack of effective technology, well trained educators or another reason?
#ICEilchat
A2: With SBL, I think the biggest roadblock (I'd prefer to say stumbling block) has been shifting the mindset for everyone -- teachers, students, parents, community -- that SBL communicates learning better than A's, B's, C's, D's, and F's. #ICEilchat
Q2. As with any initiatives, there are always naysayers and those who are just along for the ride. Having them as a part of a PLC can make things tougher. But the biggest problem I feel is a lack of clear communication about what is expected. #ICEilchat
Q2: In my case, history will be the biggest roadblock. Every question that I asked related to initiatives in the school was met with an answer of how things are currently done, why its done that way, and who does it... not how we can move things forward. #ICEilchat
A2: there are lots of roadblocks, but for me the biggest was just my personal hesitation to dive in completely. I tried to baby step and I struggled. ONce I took a leap, I learned faster and i saw the rewards. #ICEilchat
Talk more about how's it's going with parents. I could see that being a sticking point. So many want the same for their kids that they had, even if their experience as syudents wasn't so great #ICEilchat
When I first dove into differentiation, There were a lot of fears about planning multiple lesson plans for every lesson. Over time I began to feel that it was more about building the flexibility to bend toward the needs of the child. #ICEilchat
A3 The way I see it, you can either manipulate people or inspire them. For students, the more we focus on learning (instead of games or tricks) in school, the more potential they have to be inspired, both by what they are learning and why they are learning it. #ICEilchat
A2: You know the book, Start with Why? When I was technology coordinator, looking back, I mastered the art of “Starting with What”. Bought all sorts of #edtech and then trained people on it. PD has to serve an instructional reason- not an #edtech reason. Don’t be me! #ICEilchat
I think parents are learning to appreciate the level of information they are getting about their kids' progress. Once they start to see the learning broken down specifically, they see how they can help their kids be successful. Lots of convo between district & parents. #ICEilchat
A3. Great feedback is the key to effective learning and assessment. It is impossible for students to truly learn from mistakes without good feedback. It helps prevent students from just memorizing content. #ICEilchat
A3: I think an essential mindset starts with the idea that learning doesn't really have an ending point. A high score or a low score should lead the learner to new questions. Formative assessment helps both my students and I discover those new questions. #ICEilchat
A3: When students understand that truly understanding something instead of just getting a worksheet completed, hopefully they begin asking their questions instead of answering mine. #ICEilchat
Agreed. I feel like that is where my kids' school is at. Every question asked was about what tools to use rather than what the desired result was. #ICEilchat
Totally agree. As an example, kids who have their own @YouTube channels always say, “tell me what you liked or didn’t like about my video”. Kids WANT feedback- it’s in their DNA. Adults have more difficulty with feedback than kids do. #ICEilchat
;) I like that "guarded enthusiasm". Well-said. And understandable! Any enthusiasm in making a change like that seems like a pretty big win! #ICEilchat
Sure. I think it was important to start by transforming an entire unit. I did it as the first unit of a year so that students were open to trying something new. At the time PBL was all they knew and they embraced it. #ICEilchat
Great point Shawn. This is one of my essential understandings that drove me to using more #HyperDocs to provide student choice in learner centered activities. #ICEilchat
YES! There is ALWAYS a path one can take to learn more...asking questions no matter the score is a great way to insure the value in always learning. #ICEilchat
Its seems simple, but allowing for choice is harder to really embrace than we think. Giving choices, is different than allowing them to make full fledged learning decisions. #iceilchat
Rubrics, observations, day to day work. My job was to help my admins and teachers think more broadly about what assessment was...teachers had to own it #ICEilchat
A4 Give students as much autonomy as possible. @DanielPink talks about autonomy over task, time, team, and technique. We might not always be able to give Ss all four, but there are multiple ways to start bringing each into the classroom. #ICEilchat
A3: I think that when kids get the chance to learn in their own way at their own pace, they are inspired to learn more. We see them do this all the time on their own -- they WILL seek out and learn what is important to them. #ICEilchat
Absolutely! I JUST had this discussion with a group I was working with. Kids today have such a better perspective on feedback. Can't wait for we adults to "catch up".... ;) #ICEilchat
In reply to
@KeithWestman, @JeremyMcBrayer, @YouTube
A4: I love the opportunities that I taken advantage of in the past to teach an independent class. Just me and a student learning something together and building each other into experts on something. That's how I got into model rocketry! #ICEilchat
A3: I feel that healthy assessment is more like a conversation or communication rather than a trial by ordeal, which is what some testing has become. #iceilchat
I do see a growing interest in #HyperDocs across the country. I do think that many educators may not completly understand that HyperDocs are more than digital worksheets or list of links, but there are some great educators doing their best to share the love. #ICEilchat
In reply to
@NoApp4Pedagogy, @ShawnMcCusker, @lisa_westman
A3: I think that when kids get the chance to learn in their own way at their own pace, they are inspired to learn more. We see them do this all the time on their own -- they WILL seek out and learn what is important to them. #ICEilchat
“Bend towards the needs of the child”. I’m def putting that text on a beautiful nature picture, making it poster sized, and selling it. Who needs a $1 billion lotto when I would have that cash cow? That’s really a golden statement. #ICEilchat
In reply to
@ShawnMcCusker, @WickedEdTech, @lisa_westman
A3: Having Conversations about learning and demonstrating knowledge, as assessment… is a healthy way of thinking about growth and understanding. I think that is reflected in kids who learn in that environment. #iceilchat
Especially when student haven't been given much choice in their learning before they meet the teacher who does allow for choice. Def takes some time for them to adjust to the new found autonomy #ICEilchat
In reply to
@ShawnMcCusker, @WickedEdTech, @lisa_westman
A4: Choice and voice, baby. Let the kids have a choice in how they demonstrate their learning, and let them have a voice in what they learn and how they learn. #ICEilchat
#truth This is where formative assessment becomes so important. Both the teacher & the student need to know what they know & what they don't know. If I don't help Ss take ownership of their learning with connected formatives, they struggle if I go full in with PBL. #ICEilchat
A5 What I see in my PBL classroom is something that comes as close as possible to a natural learning process. In many ways, that looks like play … excited, curious students that are diving deep into what they are learning. #ICEilchat
Totally agree. It's hard to set goals about what you want to learn in the future if you don't have a good handle on what you've actually learned so far #ICEilchat
In reply to
@WickedEdTech, @ShawnMcCusker, @lisa_westman
Just finishing up a project using structured brainstorming/innovative problem solving principles with 7th graders. They're choosing their own problems to solve and choosing the principles to use in solving them. They also helped developed the eval criteria. #ICEilchat
I honestly takes a lot of reassurance. Choice environments,especially those that are a bit more unstructured can feel like classes where they were left unsupported at first. Only once they see the support to achieve their visions of learning will they be more at ease #ICEilchat
In reply to
@MrDallasTurner, @NoApp4Pedagogy, @WickedEdTech, @lisa_westman
A5. PBL is such a great way to motivate kids. It helps to stop the old question of, "When am I ever going to need this?" It hits on the motivator of purpose that @DanielPink wrote about. #ICEilchat
I especially love the idea of involving students in developing the criteria used to evaluate their work! What a great way to get buy and increase accountability! #ICEilchat
Also, the #ChannahonPride@CJHDreamLab class is 100% driven by students choosing their own world problem to solve and then sharing their projects with the community at an expo. The entire "curriculum" is all created by the students. #ICEilchat
A4: I am not sure I know a complete answer to this quesiton. This is a very complicated questions with many layers, but an essential piece is engaging students in the world outside of our classrooms. #ICEilchat
I think it is powerful to ASK students how they can demonstrate understanding of concepts and get them to define what success can be. This also helps them to begin frame the work. #pbl#ICEilchat
A5: PBL is something that I know little about. I’m looking forward to next Thursday to get my brain filled with that info (which won’t take long). #learningtogether#ModernMeasures#ICEilchat
I like to think of engaging student outside of class as one of the great affordances of #edtech. Ubiquitous access to learning is also an important mindset to develop in students #ICEilchat
I agree with you Steve, but I’d like to add… Be willing to change instruction to address needs, interests and barriers. Personalization dies if we get rigid and inflexible. #iceilchat
A5: I think PBL starts with engaging students in something that interests them. Student interest is and always will be one of the most powerful tools we have to inspire and motivate learners. For me the next step is connecting interests to the 4 Cs & my content. #ICEilchat
Interestingly enough, the kids have totally embraced it! They are being really creative and doing so much critical thinking, it almost seems unreal! This is the first time I've tried this with kids and I am blown away by how engaged and thoughtful they are being! #ICEilchat
A6: Biggest obstacle is thinking there is one right way to differentiate and planning for student needs in general without waiting for students' specific needs to emerge. #ICEilchat
How exciting is this! Gives me so much hope for the future! You should consider applying to #ILTECH19 with this class. It would be a great one to showcase in Springfield at the Capitol. https://t.co/Ob9XYLbx3T#ICEilchat
In reply to
@mrsbogacz, @NoApp4Pedagogy, @CJHDreamLab
Variety is the spice of life and also in my oppinion what makes a class more interesting. I know that some students and teachers love routines, but ultimately I think routine inhibits growth. #ICEilchat
What kind of training and PD do you see being the most effective when trying to increase the level and quality of differentiation in a district? #ICEilchat
I agree here too. I think PBL starts defining a problem and letting students resolve it in a uniques and personal way. And the problem has to matter. It has to be real and not contrived. #ICEilchat
We actually did last year -- @JeremyMcBrayer applied and I took the kids there. It was FANTASTIC and I can't wait to apply/go again this year! New projects are always in development in @CJHDreamLab#ICEilchat
In reply to
@amber_heffner, @NoApp4Pedagogy, @CJHDreamLab, @JeremyMcBrayer, @CJHDreamLab
A6: I talked to a professor a few year ago and we sat as he was evaluating his student teach my class. He complained about all of his paperwork and told me he only needed the answer to one question about a student teacher; "Does he have it?" #iceilchat
YES! There's plenty of real and actionable problems in the world for students to solve. Why are their so many made up problems used in education? #ICEilchat
Well, I have these two people at my house that I need to put to bed since @lisa_westman is rockin’ #AMLE2018! Thanks for a great chat and remember- evidence is the new assessment! #ICEilchat
This project is REALLY challenging and the kids have really risen to the challenge -- this week has been one of the best weeks of my teaching career because the kids are just so impressive in what they are doing. #ICEilchat
I think you have to make students comfortable addressing unstructured problems. That is my issue with many class activities that are so structured that their outcomes are assured. Life and work are unstructured problems IMHO #iceilchat
Not to mention, knowledge without imagination. We can't have students be walking encyclopedias if they want to compete in a world of automation and AI. We need to start teaching them things technology can't do. #ICEilchat
In reply to
@WickedEdTech, @MrDallasTurner, @ShawnMcCusker, @lisa_westman
A7: Don't take data personally. Data shows whether an instructional strategy is working for a student. If it isn't, try something else, just like a doctor would with a patient who isn't responding to a particular treatment. #ICEilchat
A7 I would much rather talk about evidence of learning over data. Data has a place, but looking at a wide variety of evidence gives you a much broader picture. #ICEilchat
I think that sometimes it just comes down to two things for educators. It takes less time to use something not real and there is more comfort in not taking risks in a bigger world. I am not excusing this, but I recognize the reality of it. Patience is a virtue! #ICEilchat
So true. I think another obstacle is thinking that the teacher has to do the differentiating. With time I think the goal needs to be allowing students to SELF differentiate to meet their needs. #ICEilchat
A7. Using effective #PLC techniques is the best way to analyze and use data to inform instruction. It creates a team of teachers that will do whatever it takes for all kids in the building. No more independent contractors. #ICEilchat
Data is just 1 indicator of intervention that might not have been as successful as we wanted it to be. Data does not define T or S. Yet, we pride ourselves on being "data-driven schools." Data is merely a blip on the screen. It cannot & should not be the whole picture #ICEilchat
Do you have an example of compelling evidence that's not just a data point on a graph? How do you factor that into the bigger picture of student learning? #ICEilchat
Yet I agree with you Structure is better than routine. I want to help them build it rather than imposing it if that makes any a sense. I want them to see the difference. #iceilchat
A6 It is easier to tell the students what they should know and feed it to them. It can be scary to not know if your students are learning what you hope. Creative student voice can be a powerful way to connect the teacher to the students' learning paths. #ICEilchat
Totally agree. Data is only part of the equation. It also depends on how the data is interpreted and later used. We can't simply use #data as an autopsy of learning I.e. the end of chapter test. There has to be more use of data to drive the direction of teaching #ICEilchat
Q8: What are some of your “go to” resources for learning more about standards based learning, differentiation, PBL, data informed instruction, and personalized learning?
#ICEilchat
I think that here, feeding and controlling knowledge gives you the sense of “COVERAGE” that we once felt obligated to have. Letting go means you will still teach everything, but how that comes to be may not be a path of your design. #ICEILCHAT
Oh, I like this, Eric. I especially like the word "autopsy." Mmm, in my new book, I explain why we must change the word "Rigor" (Latin for "of death"/stiff) to Vigor (enthusiasm, exciting). Does our data show a vigorous class or a rigorous one? #ICEilchathttps://t.co/QirLAnwLDV
Great point! There are also so many skills that I hope my students are practicing that are hard to connect to quantitative data. How do you quantitively measure collaboration, communication, and creativity? Data is powerful, but it is never the full picture. #ICEilchat
For example, my students are conferencing with me today about their astronomy models. We look at the model, their writing, the process they took to get their, and their progress from day one. That would be hard to summarize into a data point. #ICEilchat
A8 in all honesty, For each of those I have people on twitter that I know that I can count on. I once paid to go to a conference in California, only to find out it was taught by someone I learned from on twitter every week. #smallworld#iceilchat#sharingiscaring
That doesn't take into account all the formative feedback assessment cycles (coaching conversations) that happened along the way, or their reflections, journals, or notes. #ICEilchat
A8: Poor @JeremyMcBrayer -- I'm always running to him whenever I have questions about SBL! But he's a pretty smart guy when it comes to explaining SBL, so he answers my questions and points me to good resources. #ICEilchat
Follow up with us in person at A Conversation on Modern Measures of Learning on 11/1. Check out this exciting new conference format. Register at https://t.co/N4aXfkXI17. Just $40 & bring a friend FREE! #EdTech#ICEilchat#suptchat#ILedchat
Love it! Thanks for sharing a few examples. The smartest in the room, or Twitter chat in this case, is THE ROOM! We're all better when we're learning together :-) #ICEilchat
And yet, I bet it gives you much better insight to how they have learned and grown. Yet it is data none the less. Data doesn’t have to be a number. #iceilchat
