Twice a year, we take a break from our normal curriculum and classroom schedule in order to have Presentations of Learning (POLs). This is a week long event in which every student shares with their classmates, teachers, family, and community members what they have learned over the last semester.
The word "learn" always needs clarification for the students and so I am sure it is important to define it here. When we are referring to learning, we are not necessarily referring to "book smarts" or testable learning (although sometimes that is requested as well). Many of us focus the conversations around the Habits of the Heart and Mind but others use other similar themes or essential questions.
We ask the students to reflect and present upon the previous semester and to describe the challenges they have experiences and the growth that they have seen in themselves. They can provide evidence through project artifacts, their Digital Portfolio, anecdotally, or other various means of convincing us that they have used their time well this semester.
Remember, this is not a focus on things we have already graded them on because that would be a waste of time. I have other ways of assessing that. This is a chance to have a conversation with them and realign my perspective and goals with theirs. It is so rare that we have the time to get a student's perspective and I consider this a critical part of heading into the second semester.
The presentations last for about 10 minutes with a few minutes for question and answer afterwards. If we do not feel that the presenting skills meet our criteria or that the reflection is honest and has depth then we ask them to redo the presentation. We explain to them that this is not a "failure" this is a "not yet". Every student eventually passes but it takes refinement and time for some more than others.
We invite teachers, students, and family members to come see them because it provides a great opportunity to see a student in a different light than they may be used to seeing. It also gives a powerful opportunity to immerse themselves in our classroom/school culture. Since our entire school conducts POLs, we also ask our students to see POLs from the 10th, 11th, and 12th graders. This is an eye opening experience and they get to see the huge amount of growth and maturity that our students gain over 4 years.
How could you start implementing POLs in your classroom or school? Create an essential question of what you would like the students to reflect upon. Make it clear that this is not about grades necessarily and that honesty is honored more than brown nosing (telling us what we want to hear). Then take 3-5 days depending on the schedule and listen to what your students have to say. It will definitely be worth your time. Invite others to come see the presentations and help ensure that this is taken seriously and given great importance.
Do not be lax or go easy on the students. Refinement requires honesty and growth will not come if you are not willing or able to say the things others might never have before. But also be open to hearing a new perspective on a student and perhaps insight into how you can better help that student and what they can do to help themselves.
Do you conduct Presentations of Learning? What criteria do you use to assess their learning? How has it impacted your students/school/community? Leave a comment and tell us how.
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Showing posts with label culture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label culture. Show all posts
Habits of the Heart and Mind and Why They Matter
Culture is an important part of education. If you say that your school does not have a culture, then you should look carefully at how people act when they are at your school. How do students and teachers interact? Do you notice a difference in how people act towards each other when you go from one school to another. You do have a culture, but is it the culture that you want?
I have mentioned before some simple things you can do to enhance the culture in your classroom. Yet all of these ideas flow from our school culture which we take very seriously.
Where does our culture come from? How was it formed? When our school was developed, there was a discussion about what was important for us to see in each other, in our students, and in our interactions. We were inspired by the Habits of Mind from Debbie Meier's Coalition of Essential Schools and how they were able to work with students in creating a positive and supportive place for them.
At our school the Habits of the Heart and Mind are:
Refinement
Evidence
Mindfulness
Perspective
Perseverance
Cooperation
Compassion
or as one of our teachers puts it REMPPCC (pronounced REM P squared C squared)
These are what we ask everyone at our school to seek to cultivate within themselves and reach their full potential as a student but also as a human being.
Refinement - If it is worth doing, it is worth doing well (and over again if necessary). This is so contrary to a system that has so much information to cover and so little time to do it. Yet, the benefits of not accepting anything less than Beautiful Work makes all the difference.
Evidence - Can I back up what I am saying? Can I prove that I am learning and apply it?
Mindfulness - It is impossible to harm or do wrong when one is mindful. To be thinking about ones actions and the consequences or results of those actions is invaluable. Our society needs mindful leaders and citizens.
Perspective - Going beyond one's self and seeing a conflict, problem, or issue from multiple points of view. It is easier to compromise and reach agreement when we understand where others are coming from.
Perseverance - Randy Pausch in his last lecture said , "Brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to show how badly we want something." The best stuff is worth working hard for.
Cooperation - Best exemplified in Dr. Woodie Flowers' Gracious Professionalism Ethos. We can work together for mutual benefit even in that which we are competing.
Compassion - To share in one's struggles and help them out can be the most rewarding thing one ever does. If you have the ability to help, then please do so.
Each school or organization may need to come up with additional or other ones, these are not set in stone but they give all of us a framework for discussions about what kind of person we hope to be and help others become when they enter our school. Perhaps at your next professional development or staff meeting, you could consider discussing what is core to your culture or what you would like to be, and then see how you can weave that into everything you do in a meaningful authentic way.
I have mentioned before some simple things you can do to enhance the culture in your classroom. Yet all of these ideas flow from our school culture which we take very seriously.
Where does our culture come from? How was it formed? When our school was developed, there was a discussion about what was important for us to see in each other, in our students, and in our interactions. We were inspired by the Habits of Mind from Debbie Meier's Coalition of Essential Schools and how they were able to work with students in creating a positive and supportive place for them.
At our school the Habits of the Heart and Mind are:
Refinement
Evidence
Mindfulness
Perspective
Perseverance
Cooperation
Compassion
or as one of our teachers puts it REMPPCC (pronounced REM P squared C squared)
These are what we ask everyone at our school to seek to cultivate within themselves and reach their full potential as a student but also as a human being.
Refinement - If it is worth doing, it is worth doing well (and over again if necessary). This is so contrary to a system that has so much information to cover and so little time to do it. Yet, the benefits of not accepting anything less than Beautiful Work makes all the difference.
Evidence - Can I back up what I am saying? Can I prove that I am learning and apply it?
Mindfulness - It is impossible to harm or do wrong when one is mindful. To be thinking about ones actions and the consequences or results of those actions is invaluable. Our society needs mindful leaders and citizens.
Perspective - Going beyond one's self and seeing a conflict, problem, or issue from multiple points of view. It is easier to compromise and reach agreement when we understand where others are coming from.
Perseverance - Randy Pausch in his last lecture said , "Brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to show how badly we want something." The best stuff is worth working hard for.
Cooperation - Best exemplified in Dr. Woodie Flowers' Gracious Professionalism Ethos. We can work together for mutual benefit even in that which we are competing.
Compassion - To share in one's struggles and help them out can be the most rewarding thing one ever does. If you have the ability to help, then please do so.
Each school or organization may need to come up with additional or other ones, these are not set in stone but they give all of us a framework for discussions about what kind of person we hope to be and help others become when they enter our school. Perhaps at your next professional development or staff meeting, you could consider discussing what is core to your culture or what you would like to be, and then see how you can weave that into everything you do in a meaningful authentic way.
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