Rigor Through Empowerment Nancy Doda Ph D mark

Rigor Through Empowerment Nancy Doda, Ph. D. & mark Springer www. allianceforpowerfullearning. com www. teacher-to-teacher. com Session. S # 2412 & 2512

Mrs. Mutner liked to go over a few of her rules on the first day of class

Mythic Rigor • No Pain, No Gain “The Miss Mutner Way” • The Classics • Volume • Final Exams

The Power of Empowering Students • We believe that students are more invested in what they learn when they have a role in their own learning. • We believe that raising the level of student voice and choice raises the level of thinking in our classrooms. • We believe that the most rigorous learning happens when students take action to learn.

The Final Truth “Learning is a consequence of experience. People become responsible when they have really assumed responsibility; they become independent when they have experienced independent behavior; they become able when they have experienced success; they begin to feel important when they feel important to somebody…people become responsible and independent not from having someone tell them that they should be responsible or independent, but from having experienced authentic responsibility and independence. ” (Angelo V. Boy and Gerald Pine, 1971)

But…. What roles and responsibilities do students have in your classroom?

EMPOWERMENT Putting Students in the Driver’s Seat

In which mode of transportation would you best be able to retrace a trip? Consider Why?

The Driving Metaphor Of Empowerment

How Can We Put Students In The Driver’s Seat?

Putting the Kids to Work Co-Planning The Nature of our classroom life

How did you establish your classroom rules for the year? • We might try… • Instead of… • “These are the rules and here’s what I want for us. ” • “What kind of a community do we hope we can be? ”

Establishing Working Agreements MEET CHRIS OPITZ, ANCHORAGE, ALASKA (SEE EDUTOPIA. ORG)

Working Agreements About • Listening • Speaking • Behavior • Thinking

Fishbowl Start Student A Small Group Student

The Watershed Team’s Affirmations We will strive to be: CARING CAUTIOUS COOPERATIVE COURAGEOUS CREATIVE FRIENDLY RESPONSIBLE

SOUNDINGS TEAM WEEKLY SELF-ASSESSMENT Name ________________ Please give an example to illustrate how you have lived up to each of our affirmations: 1. Confident 2. Responsible 3. Curious 4. Independence 5. Motivated

Class Constitution WE, THE STUDENTS OF WATERSHED, IN ORDER TO FORM A MORE PERFECT CLASSROOM, ESTABLISH JUSTICE, INSURE TRANQUILITY, PROMOTE THE GENERAL WELFARE, AND SECURE THE BLESSINGS OF LEARNING, DO APPROVE AND ESTABLISH THIS BILL OF RIGHTS FOR THE WATERSHED CLASS OF RADNOR MIDDLE SCHOOL.

Everyone in Watershed has the right: [ to be treated with respect; [ to be equal with everyone else; [ to have fun; [ to be heard; [ to have their own ideas; [ to share their ideas; [ to speak freely; [ to feel that their materials are safe; and [ to expect everyone to do his or her share of the work.

Class Developed Rubric �Equal Participation �Friendliness and Encouragement �Asking Follow-Up Questions �Using First Names �Eye-to-Eye and Knee-to-Knee (Developed by 9 th graders)

Our Literature Circle Code of Conduct Listed below are the expectations for behavior we agreed upon as a literature circle team. We know that RESPECT is very important: *You must have three to five clearly defined expectations. Team Signatures *Developed by Janie Fitzgerald

Decisions To Share With Students • How to Share Materials • How to Share the Load • How to Encourage a Peer • How to Get a Good Discussion Going • How to Get Help when Needed • How to Organize the Classroom Space • How to Disagree Respectfully • How to Keep Ourselves Motivated and Focused

Steady& Useful Roles �Discussion Director �Group Guru �Connector �Passage Master �Keeper of the Book/Notes �Tech Trouble Shooter �Room Arrangements

Putting the Kids to Work EMPOWERING METHODS

First…change this….

To something closer to this… 8 th grade, Vermont, 2008

A Jigsaw on Methods Learning by Doing

Home Group 3 1 1 3 2 4 5 2

Expert Group 1 1 1

Home Group 3 1 1 3 2 4 5 2

Teaching Channel Proportions Trail

Discovery Stations? A series of related learning stations which engage students in brief investigations on a question or topic.

John Brown: A Villain or A Hero? John Brown FACTS Images of John Brown The Southern Newspaper His Speech in Court A Letter from A Comrade His Life at Home

Clock Appointments Name 12 11 1 10 2 9 3 8 12, 3, 6 4 7 5 6

Expand Your Empowerment Menu Circle of Knowledge Four Corners Discovery Stations Literature Circles Jigsaw Projects IRP or Independent Research Investigation Teams Self-Assessments

Empowering Work • Students must draw conclusions, elaborate on their understandings, make and support arguments. • Students must gather, digest, interpret, analyze and evaluate information. • Students must make connections to their own lives and the world. • Students must think about their own learning and modify and adjust.

Help Students Take A Stand Speak Up SAMPLE METHOD: FOUR CORNERS

4 Corners [It is nearly impossible to honor students and cover the standards. [Every teacher should be a teacher of reading. [All students want to learn. [Praise should be given more generously to struggling students.

EXPAND THE CHOICES SAMPLE CHOICE CHART Collect facts that are critical to subject Teach a lesson about your topic Photograph, collage Graph a part of or draw to represent your study to your content reveal data or… Student Choice Dramatize Write a report your content about the content Compare two items using a Venn diagram Survey others about your content Deliver a speech about the content

Ask Students to Reflect On: • the assignment you just did, • why you did it, • what you noticed about it, • what you observed about the data you collected, • what connections you made, • what you learned from doing it.

WEEKLY TEAM REFLECTION Math Writing Reading Social Studies Science Our Character Goals

LITERATURE CIRCLE EVALUATION SHEET Names Came prepared to share job Participated in discussions Gave constructive feedback Stayed on task

Putting Students to Work CO-PLANNING WHAT WE STUDY

Think Choices • Books We Read • Topics We Investigate • Questions We Explore • Units We Develop

Student Questions and Concerns: Can They Drive Curriculum? �How long will I live? �What will I look like in the future? �Will I be healthy? �Will I achieve my goals? �Will I make enough money to support myself? �Why do we fight war over religion? �How is the world going to change? �Is there a solution for poverty? �Will they find a cure for cancer and AIDS?

Diseases & Dysfunctions of the Human Body Diabetes Autism Depression Heart Disease

Family Histories Lifestyles Travel Maps & Globe 5 Themes of Geography Personal Narrative SOCIAL STUDIES LANGUAGE ARTS Who are we? Where are we from? Statistics MATH Patterns Interviews Research Project SCIENCE Pangaea Volcanoes, Earthquakes Power of Place Fossils Story of a Continental Drift, Plates

Whose footprints are we walking in? Early Civilizations What footprints will we leave? Time Capsule Historical Footprints Back to the Future How do our choices affect our future? Me, Myself and Others Me, Myself and Earth What do others want? The General Welfare What do I want? Personal Goals Waste and Recycling Alternative Energy Sources Difficult Choices

Constance Kami, 1991 “We cannot expect children to accept ready-made values and truths all the way through school, and then suddenly make choices in adulthood. Likewise, we cannot expect them to be manipulated with reward and punishment in school, and to have the courage of a Martin Luther King. ”

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