And take it on, we did!
School-wide.
One project.
One massive, huge, collaborative project!
Planning went in stages. We first brainstormed ideas.
The two we felt the strongest for were:
1) Students create an autobiography of themselves, predict goals for the future and research what they need to do to get there.
2) Working collaboratively in groups, students create the "ideal" school.
We liked the collaborative piece in the second idea.
Thus, our first digital learning day was born.
As a staff, we brainstormed questions/ideas that students could "look into".
Our white board was clogged up with ideas that I quickly transferred to an email so staff members could continue to stew on and add to.
DIGITAL LEARNING DAY - FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8TH
Grade in every class?
What to do with students not in school that day? Exempt?
Groups divided up by list of students sorted by phone numbers
Float teachers: Christy Riffel
Accountability?
Project Details?
Green Aspect?
Building Design?
Technology?
Schedule/Curriculum?
Technology?
Rubric?
Group or Individual?
Showcase some of the best ones?
Need a guiding question (objective)? What is a productive citizen?
Soft skills?
Compare to other systems in the world
Content Items to put in the rubric? BRAINSTORM
1. Building Design (Green Schools)
2. Curriculum & Instruction & Grading Scale & Technology
3. Discipline/School Policies/Safety
4. Schedules, Grade Structure, Hours, Length of Day(Non-physical structure), Lunches/Healthy Lifestyles/Breakfast/Snacks
5. Extra curricular/Field Trips/Sports/After School
6. Responsibilities of students/parents - Teacher Qualities and Qualifications (Role of Teacher)
7. Community Involvement
Product Items
1. Argumentative “Thesis” Statement with Evidence as to why they created their school - “What needs to be changed? What does not? And why?” We want a school to product this type of student...
2. Bibiliography
3. Global Comparison
4. Technology
a. Level 5 - Must use 5 or more apps/programs
b. Must include graphics and audio
c. Bibliography
d. Fluid presentation
e. Credits
5. Conclusion Statement
WE NEED TO WRITE A GOOD GUIDING QUESTION!!!! This is the school I want to learn in.
DOK 4
The one that is the most viable will be selected and an entire day will be structured that way.
Deciding to format most of the day around the book, "Students Taking Charge", we had to write out a detailed TASK Statement.
Every morning you come to Reno Valley Middle School, you have a
good idea of what the day holds in store for you. At 7:45, the bell rings and
you go to class. The rest of your day is dictated by these bells as they send
you from class to class, subject to subject, and teacher to teacher. Schools
have been doing this for generations and have achieved some success with this
concept. However, to quote Bob Dylan, "The times they are a
changing."
When the current school model was developed, schools were
looking to produce factory workers who could perform specific tasks and whose
lives were governed by the factory whistle. Teaching conformity and obedience
were two of the primary goals of this educational philosophy. This concept has
also been reinforced through the Carnegie unit which requires students to earn
so many credits in order to be promoted to the next level. I would venture to
say that most of your parents and teachers are a product of this system.
Today, fewer Americans are involved in manufacturing jobs and
employers are seeking workers who are creative, collaborative, and have the
ability to solve problems. In fact, many of the jobs that you are currently
being prepared for do not yet exist.
When asked to describe a typical school day, would your description
be any different from that which your parents experienced? Sure, technology has
brought about change, but is using the internet really any different than using
an encyclopedia 30 years ago? You are right, there is no difference. The change
needs to occur in why and how that information is used.
If you could make changes in how we educate our students, what
would you do differently? The following list contains some areas that schools
have looked at changing.
*What classroom design or layout it most conducive to learning?
*Curriculum- What knowledge and skills need to be learned?
*Instruction- How should the teachers teach students and what
tools should be used?
*How should the school approach discipline and student safety?
*What should the nonphysical structure (grade levels, schedules,
etc) look like?
*What is the role of extra curricular activities and what
purpose should they serve?
Your task is to develop a proposal for a school that you would
like to attend. Your group will need to select four of the previously
identified areas and outline how these areas should be addressed in your
school. Think about what type of student the school should produce. What skills
should they possess? What tasks should they be able to perform? All of the
requirements for the presentation are outlined in the provided rubric.
All of the final presentations will be reviewed by the staff at
RVMS and will select the best proposal. Our intent is to select the best
proposal and incorporate as many ideas as we can for at least one day of school
this year. This is an excellent opportunity for you to provide input into how
our school functions. We encourage you to take advantage of this project and be
creative as you design the school that you would like to experience.
And a rubric.
Students were divided up randomly into groups for the day.
In one day, students will not only have to research new ideas but create a final presentation of their ideas.
Teacher Responsibilities for the day include...
~ making sure the students understand the project by covering the task statement and rubric.
~ helping students get organized and set roles. Time management is an important habit to work on.
~ monitoring progress to ensure students are on task. Class DoJo is a technology option to keep track of on/off task behavior...and it works on the teacher's iPad as well!
~ making sure students know of the experts in the building that can be interviewed to gain valuable information. These teacher experts are like the How-To sheets and videos that the book talks about.
Guiding Questions to Get Started...
Do we eliminate grades and go to pass/fail?
Do we eliminate grade levels?
Should we have a bell schedule?
What is the role of technology in education?
What role do the arts play in education?
What should school hours be?
Should different "grade" levels start at different times?
How might the sleeping patterns of middle schoolers impact the school?
Is there a beginning age...ending age?
Keep repeating until you do not fail?
How does the seating arrangement in a class impact education?
What skills do students need to succeed in college o the workplace when they leave school and how should those skills be taught?
How can you ensure that all students learn?
Should there be a "pay to play" philosophy for sports?
How would you make sure students obey the rules?
What are the different ways students learn?
How much time should a teacher spend in front of the class?
How can you keep all kids safe (physically and emotionally)?
What are the benefits of students being involved in extracurricular activities?
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