tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47874630908961453212024-03-05T09:58:29.680-08:00Depth of EngagementWe're all in this together, and that's pretty cool when you think about it.William Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11163473923323196175noreply@blogger.comBlogger274125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4787463090896145321.post-24087512542188779882023-08-02T09:14:00.004-07:002023-08-23T12:32:53.344-07:00Teaching with AI: Charting the ChatGPT Classroom Challenge<p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8cpeJA0uL1t_0g02xDjynTArYvs2DBtvhZPb2NjFklqMTKD0VIHrr3kucs8oM3DHIJoK89Okup_9MGpzKSsHajoMu0dIC8rArstXlrXKsl5zR4CbJsmJvSn74yMbbpfzHIpjHGyJ-pVvW1JVIOOauuiGnfz7luGo8LXpg7LBSAM7yY5aqY8OudW38Jnpz/s599/chatgptcollab.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="599" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8cpeJA0uL1t_0g02xDjynTArYvs2DBtvhZPb2NjFklqMTKD0VIHrr3kucs8oM3DHIJoK89Okup_9MGpzKSsHajoMu0dIC8rArstXlrXKsl5zR4CbJsmJvSn74yMbbpfzHIpjHGyJ-pVvW1JVIOOauuiGnfz7luGo8LXpg7LBSAM7yY5aqY8OudW38Jnpz/s320/chatgptcollab.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Image by Midjourney</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Introduction</span><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;">:</span></span><p></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1.25em 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">Since the advent of ChatGPT during this past school year, I've been eager to integrate the technology into my teaching and my classroom. It has been saving me a ton of time preparing lessons and activities, including </span><a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2023/07/chatsel-novel-approach-chemistry.html" style="white-space-collapse: preserve;" target="_blank">my opening SEL questions</a><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">. But I really want to teach my students to use it. My philosophy is that if there's a new technology out there that is changing the way we work, my students need to master it (see my previous post, </span><a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2013/02/going-borg.html" style="white-space-collapse: preserve;" target="_blank">Going Borg</a><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">). I see ChatGPT as analogous to the advent of the calculator, only ChatGPT is much more powerful. And that's the problem. While we can allow students to use calculators and they still have to think for themselves, ChatGPT goes a step further and can do even the critical thinking for them. So how can we teach them to use this powerful new tool while also teaching them anything else?</span></span></span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The ChatGPT Dilemma</span><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;">:</span></span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1.25em 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: arial;">During a recent interaction with ChatGPT, I explored two potential approaches to this conundrum. We can revert to doing only in-class, on paper assignments, so that we can monitor students and ensure they are doing their own work and coming to their own understandings, or we allow them to use ChatGPT and change our instructional and assessment strategies accordingly. </span></span></span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1.25em 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">Reverting to in-person and on-paper only could potentially solve the problem, but we lose the opportunity to teach them to use the technology. It's analogous to not allowing them to use calculators or a </span><a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2015/01/literacy-in-internet-age.html" style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">Google search</a><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">.</span></span></span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">But how can we allow them to use the technology while still learning essential content and skills? ChatGPT's response? </span></span></span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1.25em 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i>"</i></span></span><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i>Here are a few ways to ensure students remain active thinkers:</i></span></span></p></blockquote><ol style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-number 0; display: flex; flex-direction: column; list-style: none; margin: 1.25em 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><ol><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: list-number 1; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><span style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600; margin-bottom: 1.25em; margin-top: 1.25em;">Evaluation & Analysis:</span> Even if students use ChatGPT to generate content, have them evaluate its accuracy. They can critique, contrast, or validate it against other sources.</i></span></span></li><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: list-number 1; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><span style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600; margin-bottom: 1.25em; margin-top: 1.25em;">Debate & Discussion:</span> Introduce controversial or multi-faceted topics. Even if they use AI for initial research, their understanding and opinions will come to the forefront during debates.</i></span></span></li><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: list-number 1; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><span style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600; margin-bottom: 1.25em; margin-top: 1.25em;">Scaffolded Exploration:</span> Start with a base question, and let the AI provide info. Then, build upon it with deeper, more complex questions that require students to integrate multiple pieces of information.</i></span></span></li><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: list-number 1; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><span style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600; margin-bottom: 1.25em; margin-top: 1.25em;">AI as a Partner, Not a Solution:</span> Encourage students to use ChatGPT as a brainstorming tool. For instance, they can get a general overview of a topic from the AI and then dive deeper independently.</i></span></span></li><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: list-number 1; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><span style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600; margin-bottom: 1.25em; margin-top: 1.25em;">Hands-on Experiences:</span> Hands-on learning, labs and practical experiments are still invaluable. They provide tactile experiences and observations that ChatGPT can't replicate."</i></span></span></li></ol></ol><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I think all of these approaches are important</span><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, and I think there may always need to be an in-person, on-paper component. For example, we may assume they are getting help from ChatGPT on the lab report or essay, and then we require them to self-score/evaluate it in class. Then we score them on their evaluation. Or maybe they produce a written product and then present it to the class and then answer questions to show their understanding. Or maybe they engage in an in-class debate after their AI-aided research.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: arial;">ChatGPT took this and came up with the following list of strategies:</span></span></div><div><ol style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-number 0; display: flex; flex-direction: column; list-style: none; margin: 1.25em 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: list-number 1; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><span style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600;">"Lab Report/Research Paper/Essay Evaluation</span>:</i></span></span></blockquote><p></p><ul style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-direction: column; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px;"><ul><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><span style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box;">Assignment</span>: Students generate their lab report, research paper or essay, potentially with the assistance of ChatGPT.</i></span></span></li><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><span style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box;">In-Class</span>: They evaluate and score it, justifying their findings and pointing out potential inaccuracies.</i></span></span></li><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><span style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box;">Assessment</span>: You evaluate based on their critical thinking and understanding, rather than the initial content of the report.</i></span></span></li><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><br /></i></span></span></li></ul></ul></li><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: list-number 1; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><span style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600;">Presentation & Q&A</span>:</i></span></span></blockquote><p></p><ul style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-direction: column; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px;"><ul><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><span style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box;">Assignment</span>: Students produce a written product, potentially a research paper, or an analysis.</i></span></span></li><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><span style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box;">In-Class</span>: They present their findings, emphasizing key points.</i></span></span></li><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><span style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box;">Assessment</span>: After the presentation, you pose questions to gauge their depth of understanding. Their ability to handle impromptu queries demonstrates genuine comprehension.</i></span></span></li><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><br /></i></span></span></li></ul></ul></li><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: list-number 1; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><span style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600;">In-Class Debate</span>:</i></span></span></blockquote><p></p><ul style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-direction: column; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px;"><ul><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><span style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box;">Assignment</span>: Students research a topic, possibly using ChatGPT for initial information.</i></span></span></li><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><span style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box;">In-Class</span>: Armed with their research, students engage in a structured debate. While they might have collected data with AI's help, their ability to argue, counter-argue, and think on their feet is purely their own.</i></span></span></li><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><span style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box;">Assessment</span>: You can grade based on their arguments' clarity, validity, and the depth of their research, rather than the mere collection of data."</i></span></span></li></ul></ul></li></ol></div><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1.25em 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I think these are all great ideas, enabling students to learn to use this revolutionary new tool while also learning essential content, communication and critical thinking skills. I hope to try them all out in the coming year, though this will depend on our school and department policies regarding student use of AI.</span></span></span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1.25em 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In the face of new and potentially disruptive technologies, we can choose to bury our heads in the proverbial sand and cling to tradition, or we can open ourselves to change and evolution. Of course there are always pros and cons to technological progress, but history has shown again and again that there is no stopping it, because those who assimilate it gain the advantage. And in the end, I'd like to believe that the end result of all of this progress is real progress in our humanity--that we all truly become better off in the process, that suffering is reduced and health and well-being is increased throughout the biosphere. It may seem that Artificial Intelligence threatens exactly the opposite--that we might lose our humanity, but I am hopeful we can harness it for good. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">In fact, it might be by truly embracing AI's potential for good that we can ensure its positive impact on humanity.</span></span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1.25em 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: arial;">To that end, I'm looking forward to the trying out these ideas in my science classes this year and seeing my students grow in their mastery of technology and science, while also growing in their humanity. I hope you'll embark on this journey with me into these uncharted waters and share with me your thoughts, experiences, and ideas.</span></span></span></p>wgreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905235319987746798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4787463090896145321.post-60601211286437793362023-07-09T13:47:00.001-07:002023-07-09T13:48:20.287-07:00ChatSEL: A Novel Approach: Chemistry-Inspired Social-Emotional Learning Questions in the Classroom<span id="docs-internal-guid-ab6a83ea-7fff-b74a-f1ea-7a38127481de"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi6AN7WEf9qE0S3sHk6rpLRXnvunLQBV7DoYSX4izpCsu5K45O5PlvQGlTOwm5jTCzi4YDkqmokO4YbhzXCOcWNVTrjBBozFLZ4B68XMnLFYnHOaqtjITUdiWgWJfCTbYjhT1gj9d-30P-Edb4KOVsYvTo-27vNsPlNPyg-grjIKuVR7qILYr_5YYykjBb/s688/Untitled%20drawing.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="688" data-original-width="688" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi6AN7WEf9qE0S3sHk6rpLRXnvunLQBV7DoYSX4izpCsu5K45O5PlvQGlTOwm5jTCzi4YDkqmokO4YbhzXCOcWNVTrjBBozFLZ4B68XMnLFYnHOaqtjITUdiWgWJfCTbYjhT1gj9d-30P-Edb4KOVsYvTo-27vNsPlNPyg-grjIKuVR7qILYr_5YYykjBb/s320/Untitled%20drawing.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image courtesy of DALL-E</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; white-space-collapse: preserve;">What do you get when you ask an AI to generate social-emotional learning questions for your high school chemistry class? Lots of really cool reflection and discussion, that’s what. </span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I started a new routine this year of asking opening questions at the beginning of every class. Initially, I was mixing these up–one day would be a chemistry-related “warm-up” or “bell-ringer” type question to help the students tap into prior knowledge, and another day would be an SEL related question, like “How do you manage stress.” And sometimes, I’d integrate the two, like “Are you a proton, electron, or neutron, and why?” </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: arial;">But a several months ago, when news came out about the powers of ChatGPT, I decided to ask the powerful chatbot for help. I asked ChatGPT to create opening questions that integrate both chemistry concepts and social-emotional learning (SEL) themes. The results have been engaging, insightful, and sometimes unexpected. Here are some of the prompts I've used and the responses they have generated:</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: arial;">1. Concentration and Focus</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Prompt:</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> The concept of concentration in chemistry refers to the amount of solute in a given amount of solvent. In a similar way, your 'concentration' in class can be influenced by distractions, diluting your focus. How do you maintain your 'concentration' during class, and what strategies do you use to minimize distractions?</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Student responses:</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> From creating checklists and setting time limits for work to listening to music or binaural beats on Spotify, students shared various strategies for maintaining their concentration and mitigating distractions. One student shared a unique method: "I watch a show or listen to music, and it helps me pay more attention to my work."</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: arial;">2. Saturation and Overload</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Prompt:</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> In chemistry, a solution becomes saturated when it cannot dissolve any more solute. Can you share a time when you felt 'saturated' with responsibilities, and how did you manage?</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Student responses:</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> Students identified times when they felt overwhelmed or over-committed, such as during football season or transitioning to high school. Their coping strategies ranged from taking tasks one step at a time, prioritizing work, to just managing to get through it. One response stood out, "Last week–I had a ton to do and felt like if there was one more thing added on top I might explode. I just took everything one step at a time, made lists with more important tasks at the top and tried not to get overwhelmed."</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: arial;">3. Stoichiometry and Effort</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Prompt:</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> Stoichiometry in chemistry is all about the relationship between reactants and products: what you get out is determined by what you put in. Can you share a situation where you've seen this principle in your own life?</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Student responses:</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> Students gave examples ranging from effort in sports leading to success, time and effort invested in schoolwork leading to scholarships, to respect given leading to respect received. A student shared a creative analogy: "When I redecorated my room this week."</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: arial;">4. Adaptation and Change</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Prompt:</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> Certain chemicals can adapt to their environment - for example, a solute will dissolve in a solvent. Have you experienced a situation where you've had to adapt or "dissolve" into a new environment or situation?</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Student responses:</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> Many students shared experiences of changing schools, with strategies for adaptation including making friends and taking time to adjust to the new environment. One poignant response was, "When I transferred from another school to here, I had to adapt to the new environment because it was very different from the one I was used to, and I did it by making friends and looking at things around me."</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: arial;">5. Types of Chemical Reactions as Life Experiences</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Prompt</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">: In chemistry, we've learned about different types of reactions, such as synthesis, decomposition, and displacement reactions. Can you draw an analogy between one of these reactions and your experience of this school year? </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Student responses: Students shared analogies relating to synthesizing new knowledge, displacing old friends, and decomposing old habits. One wrote, “</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I’ve stopped letting work pile up, so I also synthesized new ways of catching up.” Another drew a poignant picture of a home life displaced by family upheaval.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: arial;">6. pH and Emotional Balance</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Prompt:</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> In chemistry, the pH scale measures how acidic or basic a substance is - it's all about balance. How do you maintain a balanced mindset, especially when things get tough? </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: arial;">At first, when I saw this prompt, I thought it was a bit of a stretch, but then I remembered the "Mood Elevator" concept from Senn Delaney, which makes our emotions into a scale from depressed to grateful, with “curious” as the “neutral” point. So I decided to go with it.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Student responses:</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> Students shared a variety of techniques for maintaining emotional balance, from mindfulness practices and gratitude exercises, to calling their moms or simply taking a break. One wrote, “</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I try to look at the bright side or focus on the light at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes I think about things I’m grateful for.”</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I shared with them </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">the "Mood Elevator" concept from Senn Delaney, specifically the importance of becoming 'curious' to shift our perspective. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We’re in the midst of a mental health crisis among teenagers today, and the classroom is one place where we can encourage students to reflect on important issues and SEL skills in a supportive environment. These kinds of reflections and discussion also help build community and a positive climate in the classroom. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Some might think that SEL questions are out of place in a chemistry classroom, but I (and CHatGPT) would disagree. In fact, the way I see it, the separation between science and emotion, or school and the rest of life is artificial, and the more we can blur that line, the better. Life is one unbroken whole.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: arial;">What better way to show students the relevance of school, and science, than by integrating chemistry concepts with practical questions they deal with every single day. In the words of ChatGPT, who helped me write this post, "it’s a beautiful kind of synergy.”</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: arial;">And ChatGPT is surprisingly good at creating these questions--surprisingly human-like. And I wonder what impression this makes on my students as well.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I’ll finish with ChatGPT’s conclusion, because I couldn't write a better one: </span></span></p></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">By seamlessly blending chemistry principles with everyday scenarios that students grapple with, we underscore the relevance of their education in a more tangible, relatable manner. ChatGPT has been an invaluable accomplice in this endeavor, generating thought-provoking questions with a surprisingly human-like intuition.</span></b></span></p></span><span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">This entire process feels akin to a live chemical reaction – an enthralling interplay of chemistry education and SEL elements that lead to an outcome greater than the sum of its parts. It’s been a transformative journey, not just for my students, but for me as an educator. The lessons learned and insights gained have made our classroom a unique experimental ground, fueling a fresh brand of holistic education.</span></b></span></p></span><span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 15pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">So, here's to blurring the lines, to redefining norms, and to forging a future of education that embraces the wholesomeness of life, one chemistry lesson at a time.</span></b></span></p></span></blockquote><span><div><span style="color: #374151; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div></span>wgreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905235319987746798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4787463090896145321.post-34128494480703528372021-08-19T06:17:00.007-07:002021-08-25T03:55:52.421-07:00Teaching (or doing anything) while the world burns<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9-zXkUspHm63jra67LWWA0z_NdWK2FAGnD4McnMGbEg73uB1qoIN6EbMuInX10698Ruh8jQ6wohRP0WFHrlEVJJy6kd4GXgTz3orbxaemiSzYaplSUlbvKxGzY4RnIkU1SUjR1ISvFR7R/s1332/IMG_2362.PNG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="946" data-original-width="1332" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9-zXkUspHm63jra67LWWA0z_NdWK2FAGnD4McnMGbEg73uB1qoIN6EbMuInX10698Ruh8jQ6wohRP0WFHrlEVJJy6kd4GXgTz3orbxaemiSzYaplSUlbvKxGzY4RnIkU1SUjR1ISvFR7R/w400-h284/IMG_2362.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>Lately I've been feeling a bit overwhelmed by all of the problems in the world. I didn't really expect COVID-19 to surge again, and it looks like the speed of climate change is also exceeding expectations. I have been surprised by the degree to which racism is still endemic in our society, and our current state of political division is truly disheartening. It's as if the world is burning in more ways than one. How do you teach (or do anything) while the world burns? <div><div><br /></div><div>I think there are at least four ways, but a combo of the second two is the best (and BTW I think all of this burning craziness may be the beginning of growth).</div><div><p><b>Option 1: Give up</b></p><p>You can always just give up and either quit altogether or emotionally check out and just go through the motions. Lots of folks are choosing this option, and I don't blame them. There is a time to quit, especially if you're close to retirement age, but for me, now's not the time. More on that below.</p><p><b>Option 2: Pretend it's not burning</b></p><p>Denial: It's not just a river in Egypt. A popular way of dealing with difficult situations is to pretend the difficult situation does not exist. I'm not sure if we do this because we think it will go away if we ignore it, or if we think "dwelling on it" will only make it worse. Likely it's a combination of the two. But either way, it doesn't work. Problems do not go away if you ignore them. They either get worse immediately, or they fester and come back to bite you. Only by facing them can you have any hope of solving them. This is true for relationship problems, and it's true when the world is going to hell in a hand-basket.</p><p><b>Option 3: Acceptance and inaction</b></p><p>You can accept that all of these things are happening around you, but just keep doing what you love--kind of a monastic approach, I suppose. Isolate yourself. Tend your garden. Walk your dog. Enjoy your family. Teach your classes. View the world's problems like bad weather that will pass. I guess it's what I've been doing with my art and brewing during the pandemic. It's an escape, and I can forget all about the chaos of the outside world for a while. </p><p>There's some power to this approach. If everyone did this--living simply and accepting things as they are, we'd all be much better off, I think. But it's kind of hard to pull off, and the downside is that not everyone will do it, so the shit's going to keep hitting the fan, and at some point the flames will be outside our door. So I tend to lean more toward a balance with Option 4.</p><p><b>Option 4: Action</b></p><p>You can realize that teaching (or whatever it is you do) has a role to play in helping to solve the problems that surround us. In a war, not everyone is on the front lines, and the battle against climate change, racism, COVID-19, and political division needs supply lines as well. </p><p>We live in the information age and yet a destructive ignorance abounds--ignorance about climate change, viruses, history and racism. And one thing I learned this past year is that somehow American schooling has failed to adequately educate the nation. But it's not about facts. We've failed to teach people to think critically, quantitatively, scientifically and humanely, and we need to do better. We have a huge role to play here as the world burns.</p><p>But ignorance and sloppy thinking are just the tip of the iceberg. There's also a tremendous lack of trust in our society right now. There's also a tremendous deficiency of empathy and compassion. And there's a tremendous loss of social support, despite all of our online connections. And if we are going to fight all of these "fires" that burn around us, we are going to need more empathy, compassion, trust, and social supports. We're going to need unity based on our common humanity. These skills of empathy, compassion and building trust, unity and social supports were not traditionally taught in school, but we need to teach them now. </p><p>And most importantly, our students need teachers that care, safe places like schools and the support of their classmates, as they watch the world burn around them. But they'll also need help because <i>they're not going to just watch</i>. They'll need help because they are going to fight the flames--the climate change, the pandemics, the racism and division. Because <i>they are going to make the world a better place</i>.</p><p><b>The Bright Side</b></p><p>So there's lots to teach while the world burns. There's lots to do. But there's also lots to enjoy, because honestly it's always a joy working with young people--they are so full of life and openness and hope and potential. And the world, burning though it is, is still so full of wonderful things to explore with them. And the journey of learning, even though it can be challenging and frustrating and painful at times, is worth it all as we grow from it. </p><p>In fact, sometimes the burning happens <i>inside </i>of us, also. Sometimes the old us gets burned up and something new grows. What's it like to teach while that happens? </p><p>Fires are a natural part of ecosystems, triggering renewal and new growth. We're teaching, or doing whatever job it is we're doing, in a time of fire and renewal. And my hope is that it will bring the same kind of regeneration to all of us--everyone of you reading this, and every<i>thing</i>.</p></div></div>wgreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905235319987746798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4787463090896145321.post-88260784023110450512021-02-16T05:24:00.004-08:002021-02-22T11:51:23.884-08:00Justice over achievement<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgimj8ea5o5wYKJpEKNO8bRQZBAiCiUGm1tE5IDfd3T7plILZsJTV-Y744LESipkruZ-6_CdXfHdnUMsEb01ihIvPNsx1hy8I4dghQVQRuKSeKhp0iRquVM8Uv_7IGFiyk32h5KfZ6jMPxb/s2048/Equity.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="https://twitter.com/lunchbreath" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="898" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgimj8ea5o5wYKJpEKNO8bRQZBAiCiUGm1tE5IDfd3T7plILZsJTV-Y744LESipkruZ-6_CdXfHdnUMsEb01ihIvPNsx1hy8I4dghQVQRuKSeKhp0iRquVM8Uv_7IGFiyk32h5KfZ6jMPxb/w175-h400/Equity.jpg" title="Credit: https://twitter.com/lunchbreath" width="175" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image via https://twitter.com/lunchbreath</span></td></tr></tbody></table>One of my big takeaways from COVID-19 is the <i>importance of equity</i>. Our society, including our educational system, has been built on a model that values overall achievement over equity. In other words, as long as you are enabling your top students, or at best, most students, to achieve at high levels, you are doing a good job. But this is wrong. I've been wrong. I have historically had it backwards, idolizing human potential and achievement and neglecting equity. Here's what I'm learning:<br /><br />1) Prioritize equity: Better to live in a just society than an advanced one. If forced to choose between a just society or school and a high achieving one, choose <i>just</i>.<br />2) Don't teach or test in a way that disadvantages some students.<br />3) If that means the quickest won't progress as fast because you can't support those who are less ready, then that's how it will have to be until we can get better at supporting and challenging everyone. "Do no harm" is the guiding principle. <br />4) Challenge every student, but not more than they can actually handle. Set the bar high. Let them try. Then adjust it, always trying to challenge them and inch it higher.<br /><br />So how can we actually do this in the COVID-19 world?<br /><br />Let's take a look at the primary hinderances kids are dealing with, and some possible solutions.<br /><br /><b>Access to technology</b><br /><br /><i>Problem:</i> Many students of low socio-economic status lack fast, stable internet or computers. This can lead to an inability to participate fully in Zoom calls, especially if webcams are required. <br /><br /><i>Possible solutions:</i> Don't require webcams. Provide asynchronous options for learning, and extended deadlines. Bring these students in to school, in-person and full time, if possible.<br /><br /><b>Homelife</b><br /><br /><i>Problem:</i> Many students have home environments that are not conducive to participating in live classes. Some are caring for siblings. Others have distracting activity all around them. Others may be embarrassed to show their homes or families. <br /><br /><i>Possible solutions:</i> Same as above, plus multiple opportunities for learning and success. In other words, <a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2015/01/a-framework-for-mastery-based-classroom.html" target="_blank">mastery-based learning</a>. They need flexibility. They need to be able to take or submit an assessment when they are ready, not on a deadline. They may also need extra academic help and social-emotional resources and instruction. <br /><br /><b>ADHD, sleep issues, low conscientiousness, low SEL skills</b><br /><br /><i>Problem:</i> Many students attempting to learn from home are hindered by a lack of non-cognitive skills: the ability to get up on time, stay awake during class, manage their sleep, schedules, and tasks, stay focused, manage depression or anxiety, etc. These things prevent them from accessing the curriculum.<div><br /></div><div><i>Possible solutions:</i> Same as above, mastery-based learning, with a focus on explicit instruction in social-emotional learning and 1:1 SEL support. Instruction, assignments and assessments that target SEL skills separately from content skills.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Lack of readiness</b></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Problem:</i> Many students lack the pre-requisite academic skills and knowledge to access the curriculum.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Possible solutions: </i>The mastery model. Extra academic help and support. </div><div><br /></div><div>As you can see, I keep coming back to <a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2015/01/a-framework-for-mastery-based-classroom.html" target="_blank">the mastery model</a>. I think it's really going to be the only way forward if we want to keep standards high <i>and value equity</i>. The impact of COVID-19 is going to ripple out into the coming decade, with students entering each successive year less ready than they would have been--and less equal. COVID-19 has disproportionally impacted at-risk students, so we can unfortunately expect gaps to be wider. </div><div><br /></div><div>Moving forward, we can either be driven by the fear of losing some imagined edge or status as a individuals, schools, country or society, or we can be driven by compassion and a desire for a just and equitable society. </div><div><br /></div><div>2020 was a unique and challenging year, and it's been hard to accomplish much, but one thing we can do is <i>learn</i>. Unfortunately, in our society we have a history of valuing some people over others. We have the opportunity to learn better and change.</div>wgreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905235319987746798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4787463090896145321.post-28063477815867106192021-01-07T03:51:00.002-08:002021-01-07T03:51:27.164-08:00A mission for 2021<p> <span face=""Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px;">New year thoughts: “What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger?” and a mission for this year.</span><span face=""Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px;"> </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw632rDSXBshj40mW0IFlQgZpLQtLNmr8Z-zVR0nZNbVK3U3vrru2wyiywfMPC1ZwuKfttasnYYjlx8rgRQrw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><span face=""Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px;"><br /></span><p></p>wgreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905235319987746798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4787463090896145321.post-80359440356316668682020-12-23T05:11:00.001-08:002020-12-23T05:11:25.993-08:00Thoughts on 2020, education, and evolution as we head into the holiday break<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKRcFy7fGzPzdajphegWe1Myc36lTgaFNSZRzyQpX4INEFZApXdPk7ttgE-15tvvIrDYNUs3WBFzAgSy_r-wZHvTbmG6C6Cv3PYF_kqGsLZ56zNV2rmkhsY8RnCM2joL8n0VUc-BfBzUpu/s884/larson_1-740x0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="884" data-original-width="740" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKRcFy7fGzPzdajphegWe1Myc36lTgaFNSZRzyQpX4INEFZApXdPk7ttgE-15tvvIrDYNUs3WBFzAgSy_r-wZHvTbmG6C6Cv3PYF_kqGsLZ56zNV2rmkhsY8RnCM2joL8n0VUc-BfBzUpu/s320/larson_1-740x0.jpg" /></a></div><div>Every morning while I'm shaving, I listen to a motivational playlist I made on Spotify. This morning, Tom Sawyer by Rush came on. Funny how music can do this, but it kind of snapped me out of a rut I had gotten into in my mind over the past few weeks. </div><div><br /></div><div>This year has been a survival-mode year for many of us, me included. But I tend to forget that things will change for the better--we will adapt. New and better systems will evolve.</div><div><br />It is events like this that drive evolution. The theory of punctuated equilibrium says that biological evolution happens in fits and starts, driven by major events. Our culture and our systems are evolving. And our educational systems will evolve. </div><div><br />And while the cognitive load has us all down for the count right now, our eyes need to be on that prize of new and better ways of doing things--ways that will be more resilient to future disruptions like these. </div><div><br />A few come to mind for education: more authentic assessments that can't be cheated on, rigor that goes beyond memorization and simple application of concepts that can be googled, a focus on social, emotional and other so-called non-cognitive skills, a renewed focus on technical and vocational skills, and a focus on those ideas that really light kids fires--ideas that can compete with (or join forces with?) video games.</div><div><br />I think the same idea holds true outside of education. The past year has shown us all some major weaknesses in how we do things. Will we evolve? I think the answer is a definite yes. The only question is in what direction.</div><div><br />Change, after all, is the only constant in this world.</div>wgreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905235319987746798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4787463090896145321.post-35886132962055410712020-08-30T05:52:00.001-07:002020-08-30T06:25:07.040-07:00A few important numbers to remember this Fall<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgirDbawqM47hGQqwfo7Cf78c0iJrIvxTBBcjOSAYK3B4-7lStVmMuy4afK_c58bOTGf27nvB1oPWMv0jihu355lqB5qY7GGSYfas40SXGdTSRGHmI_uKXw2xydQyWMdH4-GGht9tRjSggD/s3024/IMG_9481.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2815" data-original-width="3024" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgirDbawqM47hGQqwfo7Cf78c0iJrIvxTBBcjOSAYK3B4-7lStVmMuy4afK_c58bOTGf27nvB1oPWMv0jihu355lqB5qY7GGSYfas40SXGdTSRGHmI_uKXw2xydQyWMdH4-GGht9tRjSggD/w328-h305/IMG_9481.JPG" width="328" /></a></div>This Fall, as we return to school, here are some numbers I want to try to remember. Maybe you'll find some of them helpful, too:<p></p><p><b>0: Zero. </b>This is the number of things that I can actually control. These days it seems like we're all balancing on the edge of a precipice. But it's worse than that--we're falling. But really that's how it always is. There's always this illusion that we're in control of things, but we never really are. And this feeling of needing to be in control creates all this anxiety. There's this cool saying attributed to Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche: "The bad news is, you’re falling through the air, nothing to hang on to, no parachute. The good news is, there’s no ground." So my goal is to relax into that feeling of falling. In this case, it means remembering that my job is just to do the best I can for the kids. It means focusing on their needs, challenging them while supporting them, and just enjoying my time with them this year. </p><p><b>1/2: One half.</b> With the hybrid schedule, new safety protocols, new online learning platforms, and just rampant stress that we and our students are dealing with, I figure if we can cover 50% of what we normally do, we are doing really well. And that's OK, because there are more important things to focus on this year, like how our kids are doing emotionally and socially. And we can never require more of them than we can fully support. I put this into practice last week. I started creating a plan for the first week on our new learning management system. Then I realized it was based on a normal year, so I went through it and cut at least half of the stuff out of it and pushed it to the next week. </p><p><b>1: One thing.</b> What's the one thing I want to accomplish this year if nothing else? This principle is based on the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/ONE-Thing-Surprisingly-Extraordinary-Results/dp/1885167776">classic book by Gary Keller</a>. For me, it's that I will not give up. I will not give up trying to reach and support every single student I have.</p><p><b>2: Two months.</b> I read once that you really can't expect to sustain a high level of intensity and motivation for more than a couple of months at a time. Motivation goes in cycles. We all need periods of rest and <a href="https://tim.blog/2016/03/29/deloading-phase/">deloading</a>. Normally, that roughly fits with the quarters of the school year. But this year, many of us will be starting at the end of a cycle, having been working hard and stressing all summer trying to plan for an unpredictable fall. But that's OK. It just means we may need to start in a deload phase. Our students probably need that, too. And we will all need periods of deloading throughout the year.</p><p><b>3: Three things at a time. </b>As I've gotten older, I've realized I can only maintain focus on about three big things at a time before I start getting stressed out. This means I need no more than about three big goals to accomplish on any particular day. For example, the first day of school these might be: 1) get to know my students and their needs, 2) support my staff as they start their school year, and 3) troubleshoot and adjust my hybrid instructional approach as needed. There's no doubt there will be other big, worthy goals that want to get done that day, and I may get to them, but they will have to wait in line.</p><p><b>4: Four days.</b> I think exercising four days per week is a realistic goal starting out this fall. I'd like to do more, but we'll see how everything shakes out. These could be gym sessions or hikes with <a href="https://www.instagram.com/teddy.bear.green.dog/">Teddy</a>, and they include the weekends. Exercise is a huge stress relief valve for me, but it's a flexible goal and can be something to toss overboard when higher priorities need attention. It's not something I should stress about. </p><p><b>5: Five-minute journal. </b>There's this cool little app called the <b><a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/five-minute-journal/id1062945251">Five Minute Journal</a></b>. It reminds you in the morning to write down three things you're grateful for, three ways you'll make today great, and one affirmation. In the evening, it reminds you to write down what went well today and what would have made today better. I'm not very good at doing it consistently, but it helps when I do.</p><p><b>7: Seven hours.</b> I always shoot for at least 7 hours of sleep per night, and I do whatever I can to make that happen. It's a priority. But if it I have a bad night, I need to try not to worry about it. It means I cut myself more slack the next day. <a href="https://tim.blog/2008/01/27/relax-like-a-pro-5-steps-to-hacking-your-sleep/">Here are some tips if you have trouble sleeping.</a></p><p><b>10: Ten minutes a day.</b> For the last several years, I've been trying to spend at least ten minutes a day doing mindfulness meditation. I started with this <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-Eight-Week-Finding-Peace-Frantic/dp/1609611985/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=">book on mindfulness</a> by Williams and Penman. Some days are better than others, and in general I am not very good at it. They often turn into 10-minute stewing and problem-solving sessions. But that's OK. It's been good for me. And I'm sticking with it this fall for sure.</p><p>How are you preparing yourself mentally and emotionally for this fall? I'd love to hear!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>wgreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905235319987746798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4787463090896145321.post-47116438890258772612020-06-15T04:09:00.001-07:002020-06-15T04:10:48.390-07:00Wrecking the ant mound: My remarks to this year's graduates<div class="kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important;">
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<span style="color: #050505; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">My remarks last week to our Depot Campus graduates:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #050505; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">What a time we are living in! I certainly haven’t seen anything like this! And what a time to graduate from high school. You’re graduating online! When I was in high school, there wasn’t even an internet yet, and there weren’t any pandemics. Though there were certainly some protests and even riots.
It’s a crazy time. And so much has happened that it can become very discouraging. We’re all socially isolated. We may be lonely. We’re all anxious about everything that’s going on. We may feel threatened or afraid. And it’s easy to get discouraged.
Maybe you feel like that. Maybe you even feel hopeless about your future. I hope not, because it’s never hopeless. This is a time of tremendous disruption and upheaval. It’s a time of tremendous change. And that means it’s a time of hope.
When I was in my admin prep program, a classmate made an analogy about change. He said when you wreck an ant mound, it doesn’t go away. It rebuilds itself in a new way. And that’s what happens any time there is a big disruption. Something new is built.
And that’s where we are now. The ant mound is getting disrupted. And something new is going to be built.
And you can help build it. Or at the very least, you get to experience it. And I’m convinced it will be better. I’m convinced that it will be better because I think this is the time where young people and people who have been held back for too long will take the lead.
And whether you take the lead or not, you will have the chance to take advantage of the change. Look for the opportunities that will arise as this new ant mound is built. Old ways are passing away. New ways are coming. Keep your eyes and minds open.
No one can predict what all the changes will be, but there is hope for a world with less racism and more justice and equality. There is hope for a world with more compassion and less consumerism--more focus on the things that are really important, like community and family, whatever that means to you.
So don’t give up. These are hard times, and for some of you, it may seem like it’s always been hard times. But I’m here to tell you times change. And part of what determines that is you.
No one is coming to save you. No one is coming to ride up on a horse and scoop you up and carry you off into the sunset. You are on your own horse. You need to do the work to be able to be part of this new thing that’s being built.
You are one of the ants.
Things are tough right now. And I have a feeling they are not going to get easier very soon. But at the same time, these are exciting times. They are times of change.
So think about who and what you are and who and who and what you want to be, because everything, right now, is up in the air.
And finally, realize that all of this uncertainty is OK, because really the only thing that is ever certain… is change. And if you can get comfortable with uncertainty and change, you will have a superpower.
So lean into all of this change. The philosopher Alan Watts said, “The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.”
Join the dance of the ants rebuilding the mound.
I wish you all the best as you move to the next stage of your journey!
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wgreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905235319987746798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4787463090896145321.post-10918780588387210522020-05-28T05:16:00.000-07:002020-05-28T05:44:47.013-07:00Three things I'm learning as an educator in the pandemic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Since the quarantine began, I've had this nagging feeling that this is our chance to break free--that the jailer just unlocked our cells and all we have to do is walk out. And I've been trying to figure out where that feeling is coming from. Now I think I know. It's coming from at least three directions:<br />
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1) The system is broken</h4>
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Something about our modern system clearly isn't working. We were obviously not prepared for this thing, though we had been warned for years of the likelihood of a pandemic. And despite our insane level of prosperity and technological advancement, we clearly cannot take care of our most physically and economically vulnerable.<br />
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As an educator, this comes home with a vengeance as I realize I cannot support my most vulnerable students at this time. It's hard enough when I have them in-person, but now that they are home, it's impossible. Not that I don't try. In some cases I talk to them every day, but I cannot control their home environments, and I cannot be there to keep them on task and encourage them, and these kids need tremendous help focusing and staying motivated and just completing academic tasks others find easy.<br />
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As an educator, I have always believed all it would take is the right new idea and we could reach all of our students. In the past, I thought it might be inquiry-based education, the <a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2015/02/student-feedback-on-flipped-classroom.html" target="_blank">flipped classroom</a>, the <a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2015/06/what-my-students-liked-about-my-mastery.html" target="_blank">mastery-based approach</a>, or <a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2019/03/what-i-learned-from-3-year-experiment.html" target="_blank">project-based learning</a>. And while some of these approaches have helped, none of them have solved the problem.<br />
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And this lockdown has brought this all into focus. The problem doesn't stem from the classroom and it can't be solved in the classroom, and certainly not over a Zoom call. It's a much larger problem that has to do with poverty and lack of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Connections-Uncovering-Depression-Unexpected/dp/163286830X" target="_blank">family and community supports</a> and systemic injustices and years of being part of a machine that doesn't care about people.<br />
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The system is broken, or at least, it doesn't work for us. It burns us as fuel. It's no wonder that the powers that be are so desperate for us to open up and get back to work. The system is like a car running on fumes right now, and it's desperate. And don't get me wrong, I want to us to open up also--I want to get back to teaching and leading face-to-face, back to the trail, the gym, visit new breweries, and I want people to be able to open up their businesses and support themselves and their families. But the machine doesn't care about us. And it's not just the threat of the virus it doesn't care about.<br />
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2) Work is broken</h4>
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Sitting here every day at my home workstation, looking out at my yard and gardens, I've been thinking a lot about work. I've been thinking about how much I work, and why. And as I watch friends on Facebook getting into new and old hobbies, baking bread, brewing, gardening, I have to wonder: Are we doing it wrong?<br />
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My old architectural drafting teacher was frustrated when we said we had to work. He thought we should spend time outside of school honing our skills.<br />
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"Why do you need to work?," he asked.<br />
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"Because we need to pay for our cars," we replied.<br />
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"And why do you need cars?," he asked.<br />
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"We need them to get to work," we replied.<br />
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To which he just raised his hands, palm up, and shrugged.<br />
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What if we only have to work so much because we work so much?<br />
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What if, for example, everyone started growing their own food and building their own stuff, learning to sew and cook and make art and brew and bake and all of these half-forgotten skills that used to keep us all alive? And what if that made it so that we didn't need so much money? And what if that made it so that we didn't have to work so much?<br />
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Christopher Ryan, author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sex-Dawn-Stray-Modern-Relationships/dp/1491512407" target="_blank">Sex at Dawn</a>, tells the story of three natives of Tierra del Fuego. They were brought to England by Captain Fitzroy of the HMS Beagle to learn the ways civilization, in hopes they would serve as missionaries to their own people. But when they were returned to their homeland, they just reverted to their old way of life--a primitive, hunter-gatherer lifestyle. The good Captain offered to bring one of them back to England, but the tribesman declined, saying he hadn't "the least wish to return to England," because he was "happy and contented" with "plenty fruits," "plenty fish," and "plenty birdies."<br />
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Jared Diamond, author of the book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Guns-Germs-Steel-Fates-Societies/dp/0393317552" target="_blank">Guns, Germ's and Steel</a>, tells a similar story of a Kalahari bushman was asked why his tribe hadn't switched from their hunter-gatherer lifestyle to agriculture. He replied, "Why should we, when there are so many mongongo nuts in the world?"<br />
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This may seem like pie-in-the-sky hippie fantasy, especially to Americans like me brought up steeped in the protestant work ethic, but as cartoonist and writer <a href="https://tim.blog/2015/04/03/lazy-a-manifesto/" target="_blank">Tim Kreider humorously points out</a>, "It was the puritans who perverted work into a virtue, evidently forgetting that god meant it as a punishment."<br />
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We live in an age of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Abundance-Future-Better-Than-Think/dp/1451614217" target="_blank">abundance</a>, and here we are all running around all the time in fight-or-flight mode trying to survive.<br />
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And here we are as educators pushing all of our students onto the treadmill of high school-college-work-more work-retirement-death, I have to wonder if this is the right thing to be teaching them. Actually, I know it's not.<br />
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And maybe, if we changed the way we work, we'd have more time for other people and for building the communities and connections we've lost over the years.<br />
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3) Our communities are broken</h4>
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One of the best books I've listened to in recent years is <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Connections-Uncovering-Depression-Unexpected/dp/163286830X" target="_blank">Lost Connections</a> by Johann Hari. Hari argues that the reason we are seeing more depression and anxiety in today's society is that we have lost our connections--to each other, our communities, meaningful work, and nature.<br />
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The lockdown has made this even clearer to me. I think we are on the verge of a major epidemic of mental illness stemming from this thing. We are <a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2015/02/our-intertwined-lives.html" target="_blank">hypersocial</a> creatures, and I'm afraid that Zoom calls just don't cut it. I feel it myself, the need for human contact, and I hear it from my students. It's the most common thing they talk about when asked about the challenges they are facing in lockdown--they want to see their friends.<br />
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And the lockdown is exacerbating inequities that are due to differences in family and community support. Family and social support are <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/childabuseandneglect/riskprotectivefactors.html" target="_blank">protective factors</a> against adverse childhood experiences, and we have lots of students who have high ACE scores and little to no protective factors. And for many, the main protective factor they did have, community support through the school, has been largely removed.<br />
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These kids need school. They need <i>in-person</i> school. And they need it badly, and soon. As someone who once said, "If there is hope for education, it's online," I now officially have to admit that this is not true. I used to believe that <a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2014/12/why-im-excited-about-tech-in-education.html" target="_blank">technology</a> could be the great equalizer, and I think it still plays a role in that, but it's not enough. This giant distance-learning experiment has proved that to me. At least with current technology and the current state of our society, our most vulnerable kids need in-person instruction.<br />
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And for me, this could be the biggest lesson of all: That schools have become essential as community supports in a world that has lost most of its community supports. And this new role of schools needs to be our new priority as we move forward next fall, next year, and into the next decade.<br />
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<br />wgreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905235319987746798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4787463090896145321.post-46193407821958183512019-08-19T11:04:00.003-07:002019-08-19T11:20:17.003-07:00Hitting the restart button at the start of the school year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There are so many things weighing us all down these days. Our brains are overloaded with negativity. For me, I need to <a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2017/08/notes-to-self-on-eve-of-first-day-of.html" target="_blank">refocus as I head into the new school year</a>... and focus on the kids. That's what this is all about, and that's what gets me back on track and back into a positive mindset. And one of the cool things about the summer vacation is that it's like we get to hit the restart button every year for us and our students.<br />
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But that doesn't mean it will always be the best start it could be. In a recent issue of the Marshall Memo, Kim Marshall writes:<br />
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"In this article in AMLE Magazine, teacher/consultant/author Rick Wormeli bemoans the fact that students’ eager and receptive frame of mind at the beginning of each school year is often deflated by the endless succession of going-over-the-rules, filling out forms, and stale getting-to-know-you activities. “Students grow increasingly disillusioned,” says Wormeli. “We’ve missed a golden opportunity for them to dive into the subject material with neurons firing on all thrusters. It’s probably the most significant time of the year to hardwire students’ minds to embrace our subjects, and we don’t want to miss it.” <br />
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He recommends mixing mandatory stuff with lively activities, so students learn something new about your subject every day."<br />
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I love his idea of making sure we grab their interest at the start of school, but I would add a couple of other goals to my list of the three things I want my students to take away from the first few days of school:<br />
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<li>Piqued interest - As Wormeli recommends, I want to hit the ground running the first day with high-interest, challenging and content-rich activities. Earlier this summer, as I was planning this year's <a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2019/03/what-i-learned-from-3-year-experiment.html" target="_blank">Science Project Block</a> I asked myself, "What are the most interesting topics in biology that can be tackled with a simple hands-on approach?" I want to make sure the first day they are diving right into that.</li>
<li>Success - When I ask myself what these kids need most, the answer is <i>confidence</i>. The students I work with are all in dire need of a feeling of competence and success. This is true for all of us. When we feel successful at something, we will not only be interested in it, we will tend to become more successful at it. And the opposite is also true, which is why <a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2014/12/does-flunking-students-teach-them-lesson.html" target="_blank">school failure</a> is a downward spiral.</li>
<li>An expectation of hard work - At the same time, I want them to be in the <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Zone-of-Proximal-Development-Victorian-State-Government-Education-and-Training-2016_fig1_314230604" target="_blank">zone of proximal development</a>--not overwhelmed, but challenged. Expectations are key, so I also want them to expect to work hard every day.</li>
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So what does this mean for the first day/first few days? It means I need to provide learning activities that are:</div>
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<li>Inherently interesting.</li>
<li>Easy enough to ensure success.</li>
<li>Challenging enough to require help.</li>
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In the case of Project Block, this year we'll be trying to raise trees from seed and cuttings in order to help fight climate change. The first day, after introducing the idea of climate change and the "Trillion Tree Solution," we'll go right out into the woods to look for tree seeds that we can bring back inside for the next steps. We humans have a natural interest in living things, and while I am sure they will all be able to find seeds, I also think it will be challenging.</div>
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If I can infuse success into these kids, then I've succeeded. Success here could restart their whole lives, and that's what this job is about. It's not about all this other stuff that's going on in the world or in education these days. It's about these kids and their futures. It's about what we can do to help them.</div>
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wgreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905235319987746798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4787463090896145321.post-62204049770944925332019-03-08T04:39:00.000-08:002019-03-08T04:39:14.314-08:00Has coddling destroyed a generation?<br />
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One of the most common conversations among educators these days is the rising tide of anxiety and depression among young people. This disturbing trend comes at a time when schools are already being asked to do more and more academically, and these two factors are creating a perfect storm that we are having difficulty navigating. And so we are seeing ideas like <a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2019/02/why-grit-is-situational-and-what-we.html" target="_blank">grit</a>, resilience, social-emotional learning, and trauma-sensitivity being offered up as possible solutions, and this new book by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Coddling-American-Mind-Intentions-Generation/dp/0735224897" target="_blank"><i>The Coddling of the American Mind</i></a>.<br />
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The basic premise of the book is that by protecting our children and students from everything from peanuts to opposing viewpoints, we have crippled our college campuses and created a mental health crisis among teens and young adults. The book is definitely worth a read. The increasing prevalence of anxiety and depression among young people is something I deal with every day, and it's clear that something has gone wrong on college campuses when speakers are being "disinvited" simply for holding opposing political viewpoints.<br />
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I also see overparenting as a major issue. It's a constant struggle as a parent to keep from overprotecting your kids from failures and consequences, and the same goes for running a school. What is needed is an <a href="http://www.indiana.edu/~atlantic/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Gregory-et-al.-The-Relationship-of-School-Structure-and-Support-to-Suspension-Rates.pdf" target="_blank">authoritative </a>approach, with clear rules and consequences and a focus on support, rather than a permissive or authoritarian approach. <i>Coddling</i> is a good reminder that we do damage by not allowing our kids to experience difficulty. I always viewed parenting as repeatedly casting my kids out and reeling them back in. </div>
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But while I think the book makes important contributions to the discussion, I also think it muddies the waters a bit. The authors are huge fans of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and they noticed that some of the cognitive errors targeted by CBT are similar to logical errors being made, in their opinions, by parents, schools, students and universities that are overprotecting kids. From there, they built their case that overzealous censorship at universities and the mental health crisis were symptoms of the same cause--what they call the "<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2018/09/the-coddling-of-the-american-mind-is-speeding-up/570505/" target="_blank">3 Great Untruths</a>."<br />
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1. What doesn't kill me makes me weaker<br />
2. Always trust your feelings<br />
3. Us vs. them<br />
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While I agree that these are dangerous errors, I think this greatly oversimplifies the problem. From my perspective as an administrator, overzealous protectionism at schools has little to do with ideology or philosophy and everything to to with protecting ourselves from litigation. But that is a minor issue compared to the question of what is causing the mental health crisis.<br />
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The authors themselves mention some other possible causes of rising anxiety and depression, such as screen time (citing Jean Twenge's book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/iGen-Super-Connected-Rebellious-Happy-Adulthood/dp/1501151983" target="_blank">iGen</a>). <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/just-visiting/guest-post-confounding-relationship-between-smart-phones-and-mental-health" target="_blank">Sarah Rose Cavanagh</a> has questioned the role of screen time, but suggested several other possible causes, including the decline of "face-to-face social communities" and economic inequality, just to name a few.<br />
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Human psychology is complex, and the changes taking place in our society are profound. Take, for example, the massive cultural shift that has been under way in our whole worldview as a society. I just finished listening to <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Denial-Death-Ernest-Becker/dp/0684832402/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+denial+of+death&qid=1551814409&s=books&sr=1-1" target="_blank">The Denial of Death</a> by Ernest Becker. This classic lays out Becker's theory of what happens when you strip the dominant religious worldview from a culture. Who knows but that we are also seeing those types of effects today among young people?<br />
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We live in a world that has become a whitewater rapid of change--technologically, culturally, economically, you name it. Anyone growing up in such a world as this would be understandably prone to anxiety, just as much as they would if they were born in the midst of a river rafting trip.<br />
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I think our best bet in supporting them is to do just that--support them with research based practices and provide high expectations backed up by high levels of relational and academic supports. Allowing them to experience consequences is part of this, but my concern with this book is that is reflects a movement to discount the massive changes taking place today and their impact on kids. Kids today have to be tougher, in my opinion, than I had to be growing up. It means we have to be there for them even more than ever, casting them out into the whitewater and reeling them back in again, again and again.<br />
<br />wgreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905235319987746798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4787463090896145321.post-50616833652342941212019-03-05T10:05:00.003-08:002019-03-05T10:17:10.478-08:00Having fun with PD: Micro-teaching<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Professional development days can be fun. No, really. Case in point:<br />
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A group of teachers sit around a table while one of them heats some water in a couple of soda cans and then puts them in an ice bath. I won't tell you what happens in case you've never seen the demo, but the teacher delivers this lesson as if we were students, and he is looking for feedback about his questioning techniques.<br />
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After he's done, all of us, including the teacher who presented, take a few minutes to write down positive feedback and things that could be improved on. Then we go around and share out, and we finish off with the teacher sharing his reflections.<br />
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This is called "micro-teaching," and it's #13 on John Hattie's <a href="https://visible-learning.org/hattie-ranking-influences-effect-sizes-learning-achievement/" target="_blank"> ranking of factors affecting student learning</a>. That's #13 out of a total of 252 factors listed. That's a big deal. Micro-teaching has an effect size of 0.88 on Hattie's scale, where 0.40 represents the amount of student learning you would expect in a year, on average. That means micro-teaching could double your impact on student learning.<br />
<br />
We decided to try this out on a PD day at E. O. Smith, and it was lots of fun. It's a chance to try out a new teaching strategy you are working on, a new lesson idea, or to get feedback on something you are struggling with. I came away with a few cool new tools for my teaching toolbox and some great feedback on my own practices. I'm looking forward to our next session this week.<br />
<br />
Here's the <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aWBkFS6ZkEOLYccsByc4NUZGSzoEy_2YX44d4Qu1bUg/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">protocol</a> and feedback form.<br />
<br />
<br />wgreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905235319987746798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4787463090896145321.post-39877971958449074932019-03-01T11:12:00.001-08:002019-03-01T11:27:03.525-08:00What I Learned from my 3-Year Experiment with Project-Based Learning<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI3XgmZE3tKYvNVCPF5ybHD6xEfyatPgtloZKVlKwhMB3Ryk50Zcriv0dkgto_8BCwRlBZ9qWztY8kPb8oqzFszsWwRcWpOUf_TRKWxWeh09OOQXrhlXPSyzjrgd6skIzWEXHgwflOJB1O/s1600/IMG_4106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="881" data-original-width="661" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI3XgmZE3tKYvNVCPF5ybHD6xEfyatPgtloZKVlKwhMB3Ryk50Zcriv0dkgto_8BCwRlBZ9qWztY8kPb8oqzFszsWwRcWpOUf_TRKWxWeh09OOQXrhlXPSyzjrgd6skIzWEXHgwflOJB1O/s320/IMG_4106.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
I want to tell you the story of my journey in project-based learning and what it has taught me as a teacher an administrator.<br />
<br />
In 2015, I took a job as director of E. O. Smith High School's Depot Campus. It's a program based on the Big Picture Learning model that focuses on learning through internships, advisories, and independent learning projects. I was excited. I had been experimenting with innovative models of education for years as a science teacher at the main campus. I'd created online and flipped classes, and had just finished what I considered my greatest achievement, a mastery-based, <a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2015/06/what-my-students-liked-about-my-mastery.html" target="_blank">differentiated biology class</a>. I saw the Depot program as an extension of what I'd been doing and an opportunity to continue to learn about and develop constructivist learning approaches like project-based learning. But as I walked past the several unfinished student murals on the walls of the little school, I should have known I was in for a challenge to my assumptions.<br />
<br />
<b>Year 1: Netflix and disillusionment</b><br />
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It is a pretty cool idea, when you think about it--kids engaged in things they're interested in. And if you take a look back at some of my blog posts from that first semester, you will pick up on the excitement I felt. But if you continue to follow my posts through the winter and into the spring, the story takes a twist. What I expected to see was students motivated by<a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2016/02/how-new-school-changed-my-views-on.html" target="_blank"> autonomy, mastery, and purpose </a>and engaged in their independent work because they had the freedom to work on what interested them. But instead of working on their own projects during their daily "self-directed learning time," many watched YouTube or Netflix, played video games or just chatted. Only a couple of students ever completed the independent projects they had planned with their advisors that year.<br />
<br />
I was disillusioned. What was going on?<br />
<br />
<b>Year 2: Hitting an invisible wall</b><br />
<br />
So I gathered my team, and we all agreed that we needed a bit more structure. We reasoned that the students lacked basic organizational and other project-management skills, so we created "<a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2016/09/resistance-training-big-changes-at-depot.html" target="_blank">Project Block</a>" to replace their "self-directed learning time." During this block, I would guide the students through a series of guided science projects, each one focusing on a different "project" skill, such as planning, troubleshooting, or research. Each project also allowed for student choice, and during the course of the year I tried a few different methods of tracking and monitoring student progress on their work. The goal of Project Block was that each student would successfully complete an independent project after the initial 8 canned projects.<br />
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While nearly all students successfully completed the first 8 structured projects, only a couple of students successfully completed the fully independent project. It was as if they hit an unseen wall when they were fully on their own.<br />
<br />
<b>Year 3: Back to the drawing board</b><br />
<br />
Maybe what the students needed was guidance all the way through the project process. So instead of a series of canned projects, the following year I worked with my students in small groups to develop science project ideas and carry them out. One group built a maze and started running experiments to see if hamsters could learn the maze. The other decided to try aquaponics. They grew trout in a fish tank and circulated the water into a second tank containing lettuce plants. The fish water fertilizes the pants, and the plants clean the water.<br />
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Both were very cool projects. It was exciting at first, but as time went on, it became harder and harder to maintain the students' momentum for new learning. The hamster project team resisted my efforts to encourage them to do more research and improve their experiments. The aquaponics team never developed any experiments, and though they successfully grew both trout and lettuce, they spent most of the time during Project Block on their phones, YouTube, or chatting.<br />
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<b>Year 4: A new hypothesis</b><br />
<br />
During the summer after the third year, I read a new book by John Hattie and his colleagues called <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Visible-Learning-Science-Grades-K-12/dp/1506394183/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=visible+learning+for+science&qid=1551466624&s=gateway&sr=8-2" target="_blank">Visible Learning for Science</a>. In that book, he addresses the nagging question of why inquiry-based learning, problem-based learning and other such approaches, which make so much intuitive sense, have such low effect sizes. In other words, why aren't they effective? His answer is that they are effective if they are used at the right time--after the students have learned the basics. They are useful methods for extending and deepening learning, but not for initial knowledge acquisition.<br />
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And so I had a new hypothesis. Students could not do independent projects, not because they lacked generic project skills, but because they lacked the fundamental content-specific knowledge and skills needed or the specific projects they were working on. So I began the fourth iteration of our project-based learning experiment. I decided to teach students the basics of electricity and electrical circuits using the CASTLE curriculum, and then have them each do an independent electricity project after they mastered the skills they needed.<br />
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<b>Year 4, Take 2:</b><br />
<br />
The CASTLE curriculum is really cool. It is a hands-on, self-guided curriculum in which students read instructions, set-up experiments, make and test predictions, and then read summaries of concepts. But about half of my students were not able to progress quickly enough. This could have to do with the reading level, but I had solved that by making a series of instructional videos, and students still struggled to progress through the curriculum on their own. The CASTLE curriculum, it turns out, is actually more of a constructivist approach, and I'm not sure why I thought it would solve my problem in the first place. I think I was driven primarily by the need for a canned curriculum that required little lesson prep.<br />
<br />
In any case, it was failing for most of my students, so I decided to give them two options: Continue with the CASTLE curriculum, or switch to lessons delivered by me. I would put together mini-lessons and hands-on activities and projects on a variety of science topics selected by the students. All but one chose the lessons.<br />
<br />
And thus the final nail was hammered into the coffin of the 3-year long experiment in project-based learning.<br />
<br />
Some may say that it's just a problem with this particular population of students. Many of our students struggle with attention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, anxiety, depression, and other issues that affect their ability to stay on task, complete work, and in general, find success at school. But it turns out that this is exactly the kind of student for which the project-based approach is often offered as a solution. And what is the goal of the projects anyway, if not learning? How did the projects become and end in themselves? When did "independence" start to trump learning?<br />
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For me, the experience of the past three years has been a cautionary tale of confirmation bias. I started with the assumption of project-based learning and then went through several cycles of trying to justify it. Ultimately, like a creationist finally coming to terms with the evidence for evolution, I have to go where the evidence leads.<br />
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<b>Year 4, Update:</b><br />
<br />
It is now March of Year 4 of my experiment, and my new approach of explicit instruction followed by projects has devolved into pure guided project work. It proved too difficult to use an explicit instruction approach while having to create a curriculum from scratch and on-the-fly.<br />
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For several weeks now, we have been working on optimizing baking soda rockets, and the students love it. They look forward to Project Block, but I have to remind myself that having fun is not the same as learning. Video games are fun. We need both.<br />
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<b>Looking ahead</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
At this point, there are two paths I am considering:<br />
<br />
1. Spend the summer developing a science curriculum based on Hattie's layered approach: Explicit instruction first, then projects.<br />
<br />
2. This may seem like it comes out of nowhere, but I am toying with the idea of trying Mike Schmoker's approach next year. In his book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/FOCUS-Elevating-Essentials-Radically-Learning/dp/1416611304/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=schmoker+focus&qid=1551467022&s=gateway&sr=8-2" target="_blank">FOCUS: Elevating the Essentials to Radically Improve Student Learning</a>, he argues for a greater emphasis on literacy across the curriculum. I am considering a reading- and writing-based approach to science at the Depot. Not only would this be a way to help them acquire the foundation of science knowledge they need, it would focus our energies where they need to be focused. Many of our students are at-risk and behind in their basic skills, so building confidence in reading, writing and math could trump any benefits hands-on science could offer.<br />
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My current working hypothesis is that <a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2019/02/why-grit-is-situational-and-what-we.html" target="_blank">engagement is not about student interest, but about their sense of competence</a>. And I think this holds true for reading, writing, and math as well as anything else. My real goal is to prepare these kids for college or career, and I want to do whatever will move them in that direction.<br />
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You might think that this entire four year sequence represents a retreat from independent and personalized learning, and if you thought that, you would be correct. But I believe we must go where the evidence leads, and we do what is best for the students, even if it means abandoning, or at least revising our beliefs about learning. As John Hattie says, we must not "hold any instructional strategy in higher esteem than students' learning."wgreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905235319987746798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4787463090896145321.post-22285475804055120532019-02-26T11:56:00.001-08:002019-02-26T11:56:28.574-08:00Why grit is situational and what we should really be focusing on<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Picture this: An Agricultural Education student can't get his mower started. He's been taught a troubleshooting procedure, but instead of going through it on his own, he gets off the mower, walks over to the teacher, and asks for help.<br />
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The other day, some colleagues and I were talking about the concept of "grit," and this student was one of our examples of a lack of grit.<br />
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We extended our discussion to other classes, and one teacher brought up an example of another student who did the same thing in biology class--asking for an answer before even trying to find the answer on his own.<br />
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But then another Agriculture teacher in our group spoke up, "I know that student you are talking about, and in my Ag class, that student never asks for help. He troubleshoots the tractors on his own all the time."<br />
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In Ag, he shows grit, but in biology class, this student gives up before he even tries. And so it occurred to us: Grit is situational. A student who shows grit in one class may not show it in another class. When he or she feels confident, he or she shows grit. When he or she lacks the skills or experience, he or she does not show grit. Could it be that simple? Could the grit concept be that wrong?<br />
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We certainly aren't the first to question the concept. In a recent peer-reviewed article, <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327734684_What_Shall_We_Do_About_Grit_A_Critical_Review_of_What_We_Know_and_What_We_Don't_Know" target="_blank">What shall we do about grit? A critical review of what we know and what we don't know</a>, Marcus Crede writes that there are several major problems with the grit concept:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Grit is supposed to be a combination of perseverance and passion, but evidence suggests it's is just another word for contentiousness, one of the well studied "Big 5" personality traits.</li>
<li>Grit is supposed to be strongly correlated with student performance and success, but there are actually other factors that show much better correlation, such as test scores and cognitive ability. In fact, if you control for conscientiousness, grit shows almost no effect. </li>
<li>Interventions to improve grit are questionable, since efforts to improve conscientiousness have only small effects.</li>
</ol>
<div>
So where does that leave us? Maybe it leaves us with plain old <a href="https://visible-learning.org/hattie-ranking-influences-effect-sizes-learning-achievement/" target="_blank">quality instruction in skills</a> that build competence and confidence. Competence and confidence that will manifest as grit.</div>
wgreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905235319987746798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4787463090896145321.post-51432937631587438612019-02-25T12:40:00.000-08:002019-02-25T12:40:35.721-08:00Tribal Councils: Our protocol for deliberative discussions <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih0XWN7JH5Zpyp-I_jCG2TY9in07hDDC8dkJ-o3LCIqnUhpx3KGq63fp67fNQc7hkvziAy4kCab2ugNpfrQgBIrdz-VEzi9V4pmrd8dNzDROWxSjlpyctiFQBOmvRQiGwQMtAG4nzTHWQc/s1600/IMG_4594.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="983" data-original-width="1600" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih0XWN7JH5Zpyp-I_jCG2TY9in07hDDC8dkJ-o3LCIqnUhpx3KGq63fp67fNQc7hkvziAy4kCab2ugNpfrQgBIrdz-VEzi9V4pmrd8dNzDROWxSjlpyctiFQBOmvRQiGwQMtAG4nzTHWQc/s320/IMG_4594.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
One of the hallmarks of our program here at the Depot has been our emphasis on student-student interaction and collaboration, but this can be challenging. Many teens are insecure and self-conscious and so focused on peer approval that it is hard for them to open themselves to criticism and judgement. But our goal is to develop a culture where they feel free and confident to take those risks and where they have the necessary skills to engage in productive and genuine conversations. We also want to create a democratic environment where students are genuinely involved in decision-making at the school.<br />
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That's why we have Tribal Councils. In Tribal Councils, students are presented with an issue or problem and then follow a protocol for deliberative discussion and consensus building. Past issues we have discussed have included out <a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2016/12/the-procrastination-equation-putting.html" target="_blank">CHIPS incentive system</a> and <a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2017/08/failure-fighting-and-turning-obstacles.html" target="_blank">Project Block</a>, and today we used the protocol to discuss our cell phone policy.<br />
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We started last week with a jigsaw-style look at an article about the <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/just-visiting/guest-post-confounding-relationship-between-smart-phones-and-mental-health" target="_blank">impact of cell phones and screen time on mental health</a>. Then this morning we started our deliberative discussion. Here's the protocol:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Write down your ideas, with reasons or evidence (</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5 min</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Go around your table. Each person shares his/her idea, with reasons/evidence. (</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5 min</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Go around again, responding to your table mates and/or revising your idea in response to their ideas. (</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5 min</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Go around again, responding to your table mates and/or revising your idea in response to their ideas. (</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5 min</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Repeat until your table has a plan that everyone at the table agrees on. (</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5 min</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">We repeat the same process for the whole room:</span></li>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Each table shares out. (</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5 min</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Each table discusses other tables ideas, responding and revising. (</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5 min</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Then we go around the room again. (</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5 min</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></li>
</ol>
</ol>
<br />
The goal of the process is that every student has a voice and that eventually we (hopefully) come to some consensus. It generally works pretty well. Today, we did not finish step 6, but we gathered some interesting (and varied) ideas. A couple of tables focused on enforcement and punishment while another focused on incentive and reward, for example. Our goal is to continue the discussion so that we can develop a plan. My hope is that they will settle on doing some "phone-free-days," but we'll see.<br />
<br />
In any case, it gets them all talking to each other, and because they know that we always implement at least part of what they come up with, I hope they feel empowered. And I hope they are building the skills they need to make their families, workplaces and communities more collaborative and democratic.wgreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905235319987746798noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4787463090896145321.post-9851597784124357582018-06-15T11:18:00.002-07:002018-06-15T11:20:49.265-07:00The obstacle becomes the path: A short commencement speechThere is an old Zen story about a king whose people had grown soft. He wanted to teach them a lesson, so he put a big rock in the middle of the main path to town, blocking the road. Then he hid in the woods to watch what they did.<br /><br />One by one they came. Most just complained. Some would try a little to move it, then give up.<br /><br /><div>
Finally, one lone peasant came along. He pushed and pushed at the rock. Tried to get his hands under it and lift. Nothing worked. Then he had an idea. He went into the woods and got a large branch and used it as a lever to move the rock.<br /><br />Under the rock the king had hid a purse of gold and a note that said: “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Obstacle-Way-Ancient-Adversity-Advantage/dp/1781251495/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=11ZJF5DDTC5NY718TDBY">The obstacle in the path becomes the path. Never forget, within every obstacle is an opportunity to improve our condition</a>.”*<br /><br />You have all had your share of obstacles in your paths. But you didn’t give up. You found new levers. <br /><br />And you found new strength.<br /><br />Don’t forget that.<br /><br />Don’t forget that there are always other levers, and there will always be new strength. <br /><br />High school will not be your last obstacle. I can guarantee that. <br /><br />So remember this lesson. Remember what happened when you didn’t give up.<br /><br />Remember how the obstacle became your path.<br /><br />And don’t give up. <br /><br />I hope that you have also learned a few things about effort--that it’s not easy to move those stones, even with a lever. <br /><br />But effort pays off with new opportunities.<br /><br />Now that you’ve graduated, you automatically have multiplied your opportunities.<br /><br />You can repeat that process of multiplication. Every obstacle you overcome, every challenge you take on will be a multiplier. <br /><br />Jobs, college, new degrees, new learning, will all multiply your options. <br /><br />That’s the point. It’s not about gold purses. I think the purse of gold coins was a little lame, actually.<br /><br />Here’s my version: The guy works and works on the stone until he gets so strong he can move it. He becomes like Hercules. And then he walks to the city and gets a job as the king’s own bodyguard. Or something like that.<br /><br />Or maybe this version: She moves the stone and finds that the path beyond is not just one path, but a whole bunch of paths to places she hadn’t even dreamed of.<br /><br />The point is, the obstacle doesn’t become a prize. It becomes a path. A new path.<br /><br />And here’s the other problem with the story. You’re not alone. You don’t need to move the stone alone. Reach out for help. That guy or girl should have gone and gotten some help with that lever. The story would be just as cool and so would you. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. It takes guts to ask for help, just like it takes guts to keep pushing at those stones that don’t seem to budge and to go looking for levers.<br /><br />See, that’s the other benefit to obstacles. They draw us together with other people, and that’s what’s really important in life.<br /><br />So congratulations Depot Graduates! You moved this stone! And I am excited to see what you find beyond it!<br /><br />And good luck as you continue on your paths and convert more obstacles into new paths to success.<br /><br /><br /><br />*Thanks to Ryan Holiday for the Zen story and for his excellent book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Obstacle-Way-Ancient-Adversity-Advantage/dp/1781251495/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=11ZJF5DDTC5NY718TDBY" target="_blank">The Obstacle Is the Way</a>.</div>
wgreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905235319987746798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4787463090896145321.post-45213563966358615832018-01-07T12:11:00.000-08:002018-01-08T04:11:24.011-08:00Flex, tech, and checks: Preparing the next generation for the A.I. future<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiyenX2W2GjxlYw7K5A33O4MkT9Ua53BpO7X_TT0tjM17AMYPKaIXI1gg4_mW9UENstGDw5NgNd3lMF95_OiqH1D9jMV9Y_gTYOWpP8LINox1rFe3FRIeNLcNw0NByLATXnoakItkcNkyV/s1600/hellowowrldfixed.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="1159" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiyenX2W2GjxlYw7K5A33O4MkT9Ua53BpO7X_TT0tjM17AMYPKaIXI1gg4_mW9UENstGDw5NgNd3lMF95_OiqH1D9jMV9Y_gTYOWpP8LINox1rFe3FRIeNLcNw0NByLATXnoakItkcNkyV/s400/hellowowrldfixed.PNG" width="400" /></a>I have this one very thoughtful student. The other day, he asked me, "What's the point of any of this when A.I. is going to take all of our jobs?"<br />
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Great question, because it is a very real threat. Folks who argue that computers will never make humans obsolete fall prey to the "yeah, but" fallacy.<br />
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"Yeah, robots can build cars and stuff, but they'll never beat humans at chess."<br />
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"OK, so they're good at chess, but they'll never beat us at Go."<br />
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"Yeah, but they can't even tell a cat from a dog."<br />
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Except that now they can, and more.<br />
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I'll never forget reading about the <a href="https://www.wired.com/2016/03/sadness-beauty-watching-googles-ai-play-go/?mbid=social_fb" target="_blank">historic game of Go</a> in which Google's A.I. beat the human champ. After a particularly surprising move by the computer, one commentator said, 'It's not a human move. I've never seen a human play this move. So beautiful. Beautiful. Beautiful. Beautiful.'"<br />
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In the past, <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/global-themes/future-of-organizations-and-work/five-lessons-from-history-on-ai-automation-and-employment" target="_blank">new technologies initially eliminated jobs</a>, then ended up creating more jobs in new areas, but in a world where computers can create beauty, will there be any niches left for humans?<br />
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One academic thinks that humans will basically become <a href="https://www.wired.com/2017/02/clive-thompson-future-of-work-is-gaming/" target="_blank">full-time gamers</a>. Others believe A.I. could lead to a world in which none of us have to work at all. Others, like <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/elon-musk-artificial-intelligence-openai-neuralink-ai-warning-a8074821.html" target="_blank">Elon Musk</a> and <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/stephen-hawking-artificial-intelligence-fears-ai-will-replace-humans-virus-life-a8034341.html" target="_blank">Stephen Hawking</a> think the A.I. may just get rid of us altogether. This last gloomy option might happen, but as I discussed in my 2013 article, <a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2013/02/will-humans-become-obsolete.html" target="_blank">Will humans become obsolete?</a>, I think there are two more good possibilities: 1) A war against the machines, which would probably not go well for us, and 2) A merger between machines and humans. Many would say the merger is already underway. Just look at how much a part of our lives our smart phones are already, and <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2017/3/27/15077864/elon-musk-neuralink-brain-computer-interface-ai-cyborgs" target="_blank">brain-computer interfaces</a> may not be science fiction for long. As they say, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. The best way to stay competitive with A.I. is to incorporate it into our own brains.<br />
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The likelihood of the merger option leads me to a few conclusions about what we should be teaching the kids:<br />
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First, it means we really can't predict what's going to happen with any half-decent degree of certainty. Second, it means our focus should be on getting ready for the merger. What kinds of people will be ready for the merger? It seems to me they will have three characteristics:<br />
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1) They will be <b>flexible</b>. One <a href="https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2017/09/27/preparing-students-for-tomorrows-jobs-10-experts.html" target="_blank">common response to the AI threat</a> is that we should focus humans on the imagined gaps in AI capabilities, things that "<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel/2017/11/24/northeastern-university-president-joseph-e-aoun-how-to-be-robot-proof/#67e345f951fb" target="_blank">only humans can do</a>" and <a href="https://hbr.org/2017/06/how-to-prepare-the-next-generation-for-jobs-in-the-ai-economy" target="_blank">higher order skills, like problem solving</a> or social skills. But assuming computers won't out-perform us in these areas is just the Yeah-but fallacy, and filling these gaps will be a game of Whack-a-Mole, with fewer and fewer moles all the time. Who knows what we'll need to be good at? Instead, <b>be ready for anything, and be ready to shape-shift like crazy.</b><br />
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2) They will <b>really understand math, science, computers and technology</b>. They will be tech-savvy. The Luddite who refuses to get on Facebook is unlikely to be able to get in on these technologies, but the computer programmer will have a distinct advantage. I'm not just talking about <a href="https://www.edsurge.com/news/2017-03-16-what-does-it-mean-to-prepare-students-for-a-future-with-artificial-intelligence" target="_blank">hiring more computer science teachers</a>, though that's a great idea. Kids need to be ready to assimilate diverse technologies into their lives and even their bodies.<br />
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3) They will be wealthy enough to afford the augmentations as they arrive on the market. It would be great if this were an egalitarian revolution, but I wouldn't count on it. Kids need to be employable right away and able to get good paying, practical jobs.<br />
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So here's our curriculum: <b>Flex, tech, and checks. </b>We need to teach kids to be flexible, take advantage of opportunities and learn new things all the time. For this, they need a strong sense of self-efficacy and a growth mindset. We need to teach them to master new technologies and to understand computers--teach them how to "<a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2013/02/going-borg.html" target="_blank">go borg</a>" starting right now. This means a strong STEM focus. And finally, we need to teach them how to work in a lucrative field so they can make money (STEM works for this, too). It's that simple.<br />
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I'm not saying this is all we teach. Flex, tech, and checks is just about practicality. We need equal emphasis on the humanities. We are, for now, still human, and while we wait for what's next, we still need to live fulfilling lives in this humble organic substrate. In my mind, that means art, music, philosophy, writing, and history (sounds a lot like STEAM, now that I think about it). Nor am I saying this will guarantee that our species will not go extinct before the next turn of the century, but it may give us a fighting chance of having a say in what's next.wgreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905235319987746798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4787463090896145321.post-17064746282878153562017-08-27T07:53:00.000-07:002019-08-28T11:47:43.575-07:00Notes to self on the eve of the first day of school<div dir="ltr">
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Here are some notes I'm making to myself as the school year starts up again. Maybe you can relate.</div>
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1. It’s like jumping in a cold pool or starting a tough workout. You just do it, and then it gets better.<br />
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2. Remember that it’s the same for the students. We’re all jumping in together.</div>
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3. Remember that it’s about the students. This is for them.</div>
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4. Do the best you can. There will be obstacles you can’t overcome. Students will have difficulties that are beyond you. No one expects you to work miracles. No one, that is, except you.</div>
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5. It’s OK if you don’t feel passion all the time. Maybe what is called for is just <a href="https://thoughtcatalog.com/ryan-holiday/2016/06/dont-follow-your-passion-its-whats-holding-you-back/">dogged determination and focus.</a></div>
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6. It’s OK if you fail. As Conor McGregor said, “I never lose. I win, or I learn.”</div>
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7. There’s value in the work, even if you don’t get the results you want. Not only are you learning, you’re making money, you’re supporting your family, you’re expressing love and honor and doing what life is asking of you.</div>
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8. There will be successes. There always are. There will be smiles. There will be rewards. You will help people, even if they don’t realize it.</div>
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9. There will be breaks. There will be rest. It won’t be a non-stop grind.</div>
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10. Make sure that it’s not a non-stop grind. Plan in plenty of rest and fun. Burnout is a very real thing.</div>
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11. Don't be an island. Don't be a hero. Lean on your supports.<br />
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12. Allow whatever is to be <a href="https://consciousmovements.com/enough-by-david-whyte/">enough</a>. Not that there is no need for improvement, but there is no NEED for improvement. The universe will be just fine without it.</div>
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13. Enjoy yourself. Every day. Find the pleasure in every moment. It will be tough, but have fun with it.</div>
wgreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905235319987746798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4787463090896145321.post-12314223459766476322017-08-21T10:40:00.000-07:002017-08-22T11:29:24.679-07:00Give it your best shot. Assess. Repeat (Project Block v. 2.0)<div class="separator tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tracking student progress in Project Block</td></tr>
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"It stings. It stings bad, but this is the fight business. I've been on the end of many defeats in my life and I've rose back, so I will not shy away from it. I will not make excuses for it. I will assess it and come back."<br />
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-Conor McGregor<br />
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It’s easy to get caught in the trap of evaluating your success in terms of actual results.<br />
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Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for <a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2016/11/tracking-student-progress-in-mastery.html" target="_blank">data and evaluation</a>, but what do you do when the data don’t show the success you want?</div>
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Option 1: Despair. You suck. Your job sucks. Your life sucks. Lay on the couch and give up.<br />
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Option 2: Roll with it. Regroup. Rebound. Reassess your efforts, and adjust. Hey, this is a fight, right? You are in a battle against entropy and gravity and whatever other frictions and fictions are trying to drag you and your clientele down.<br />
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For me, I’ll take Option 2. I’ll let that despair roll over me like water off a duck's back. I’ll acknowledge the failure and pain, but then I'll get right back in there for another round. I never thought this would be easy. I always knew it would be a fight. From they day I struggled through the birth canal, I knew this world was a tough place. So let’s go, shall we?<br />
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Case in point: Project Block. Our whole school program was founded on the idea that autonomy and independence are keys to motivation and learning. My first year here, students were given several hours per week to work on whatever they wanted to, but the lack of productivity and success I saw changed my mind on <a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2016/02/how-new-school-changed-my-views-on.html">motivation</a> and led me to create a more structured approach called <a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2016/09/resistance-training-big-changes-at-depot.html">Project Block</a>.<br />
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In Project Block, students worked through a series of structured science projects of increasing complexity, each of which focused on different aspects of <a href="https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1NVF7-pBbIL2HEQWfIqaqHD1hUWrghLcm9tzxxIjH4Bc/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">the project process</a>, and then graduated to fully independent projects about midway through the year.<br />
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That was the idea, anyway. </div>
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Well, the results are in. While almost all students (88%) finished the 8 <i>structured </i>projects and earned 0.5 science credits, fewer succeeded in completing their first fully independent project (71%), and even fewer succeeded in completing additional independent projects and/or meeting their own deadlines for key milestones after the first 9 projects. Of 19 additional independent projects begun:<br />
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8 completed the research step on time (42%),<br />
6 completed their Trello/Bullet Journal planning assignment on time (32%),<br />
2 completed their projects (11%), and<br />
1 completed it on time (5%).<br />
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Not exactly the results we had hoped for. My current hypothesis is that these students, many of whom struggle with ADD and related issues, are simply not ready for independent work like this. </div>
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We could give up. Roll over. Play dead.</div>
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But it's worth another shot.<br />
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We had a whole-school <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/13WsJEG_MpDR6QRo08F2emko-NKQ5vwi5jdbIyMPw-7o/edit">deliberative discussion</a> at the end of last year to talk about how we could regroup and improve Project Block. The students came up with the following idea: Split the school up into groups by credit needs (science, social studies, English) and maintain structured projects throughout the whole year (unless students demonstrate the ability to work independently). </div>
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We will also build in lots of explicit instruction in project planning and execution, and the whole thing will be guided by daily checklists.<br />
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Maybe we'll never have a successful independent project program, but we'll learn in the process, and as Marcus Aurelius wrote: </div>
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"The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way."</blockquote>
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The obstacle becomes the way we hadn't looked for--the way to new strengths and new paths.</div>
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Give it your best shot. Assess. Repeat. Advance.</div>
wgreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905235319987746798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4787463090896145321.post-88598230202027481122017-06-03T14:18:00.000-07:002017-06-03T14:18:00.093-07:00It's good to be wrong<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Depot students having a blast during fitness block.</td></tr>
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"I feel like you treat us like delinquents. I feel like we're always being watched with suspicion."<br />
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We were sitting around the table, having a little conference. I had been sensing some negative vibes lately between the students and me, and so I called some of them together. The student who just spoke had been quiet, but he drummed up his courage and got right to the heart of the matter.<br />
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I was glad he did, because it's good to be wrong. That is, it's good to know you're wrong, because then you can change.<br />
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There had been several recent disciplinary incidents, and I had responded by taking away some privileges. On top of that, this year we've vastly increased accountability at the Depot. We added the CHIPS <a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2016/12/the-procrastination-equation-putting.html" target="_blank">incentive system</a>, <a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2016/11/mastering-and-loving-math-at-depot.html" target="_blank">ALEKS math</a> block, <a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2016/11/tracking-student-progress-in-mastery.html" target="_blank">competency ratings and progress tracking</a>, and careful credit accounting. All this came together to generate lots of stress and negativity. The kids in the meeting had also complained about the Chips and how some students may not be able to go on the outing to Lake Compounce.<br />
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As I listened to what they had to say that day, I knew they were right. I knew the importance of focusing on support--that <a href="http://edsource.org/wp-content/uploads/Fullan-Wrong-Drivers1.pdf" target="_blank">accountability is a poor driver</a> of improvement, but I had lost focus. We had increased support along with the increased standards, but it wasn't enough, and according to our recent school climate survey, compared to last year at this time, more students felt like we don't care. <br />
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Time for a course correction. As <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiD49Cf35XUAhUE24MKHb8wDMIQFgg-MAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.briantracy.com%2Fblog%2Fbrians-words-of-wisdom%2Fmaking-course-corrections%2F&usg=AFQjCNH4r-kBWtkJ57ToS0S-CSyq8HzLSg&sig2=GYEzuzpbhAXxSgestNsfjQ" target="_blank">Brian Tracy</a> says, an airliner is almost never heading straight for it's destination. It's constantly correcting its course. It's constantly wrong, but the pilots know it, and they constantly adjust.<br />
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So I reinstated the privileges I had taken away. I reduced the Chips requirement for the latest reward outing, and finally, I made it easier to get math credit through the ALEKS system.<br />
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This last adjustment was the result of me looking more closely, after that little conference, at the sources of stress on the kids. I suspected that a few of the behavioral incidents and the slow accumulation of reward Chips were actually due to kids struggling with their math. They were nearing the end of their courses, and only the most difficult topics were left.<br />
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It may be coincidence, but since I adjusted the ALEKS requirements, there has been a notable change in behavior and attitude among a few of the students I had been concerned about, and spirits, in general, have been higher since the changes.<br />
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Lesson learned.<br />
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Being wrong is good stuff.wgreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905235319987746798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4787463090896145321.post-65094280067363428952017-05-28T10:34:00.001-07:002017-06-16T12:44:07.229-07:00Education on the cheap<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOU5o3L2-4uXZDAx4o0jsG4xD9mJ3qXstrUMhYnjA2MXaJJd1YitaWlcOHItUIBjKt-GZheBVsakd1x4IcA9LUE7ZBtCrdZGD7gy3Fun_nCfYaGxovTWorSRt-AYY7dR2d_FD9ZEeJLP-I/s1600/snake-oil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="429" data-original-width="648" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOU5o3L2-4uXZDAx4o0jsG4xD9mJ3qXstrUMhYnjA2MXaJJd1YitaWlcOHItUIBjKt-GZheBVsakd1x4IcA9LUE7ZBtCrdZGD7gy3Fun_nCfYaGxovTWorSRt-AYY7dR2d_FD9ZEeJLP-I/s320/snake-oil.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
What I like about <a href="http://www.courant.com/education/hc-east-hartford-devos-0526-20170525-story.html" target="_blank">Betsy DeVos' recent comments</a> about a former East Hartford High student is that they point out the importance of high expectations. What I don't like is that they offer the same tired old fallacy we've been buying for decades: that we can have quality education on the cheap.<br />
<br />
You can't characterize East Hartford High on the basis
of one student's story, but the sort of thing Besty is talking about does happen in many
schools, and she's right, <a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2016/03/easy-diplomas-high-expectations-and.html" target="_blank">high expectations are one of the keys to student success</a>. But you can't raise the bar without increasing the support, and that costs money.<br />
<br />
<br />
Several years ago, during my libertarian phase, I would have been a big fan of Trump's proposal to cut public school budgets and increase school choice. But my experience experimenting with different school models <a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2016/02/how-new-school-changed-my-views-on.html" target="_blank">changed my mind</a>. It's not the model that's the problem. It's a lack of support.<br />
<br />
<br />
Most teachers and administrators in struggling schools are doing the best they can and working their butts off for these kids, but they are fighting a battle the rest of us can't even imagine. They are fighting the combined effects of generational poverty, systemic racism, and years of insufficient support in which kids fell further and further behind. Those kids needed longer school days and extended years. They needed one-on-one instruction. They needed reading support, psychological services and social services, but didn't get them, because they were too expensive.<br />
<br />
School reformers and new charter and magnet schools are a dime a dozen, and every one of them offers their own flavor of instructional models, but most have one thing in common: they are <i>cheap</i>.<br />
<br />
They are all out there hawking their their magic elixirs and cure-alls, and they're all "on sale."<br />
<br />
It's hard for reality to compete with the illusion of education on the cheap. <br />
<br />
But why does everyone think they can get something for nothing? Why should we be surprised that raising and educating something as marvellous and complex as a human being requires a tremendous investment?<br />
<br />
<br />
It's worth the investment, even from a utilitarian standpoint. As Geoffrey Canada of <a href="http://hcz.org/" target="_blank">Harlem Children Zone</a> once pointed out, for some of these kids, it's a choice between five thousand dollars extra per year while they are in school or sixty thousand per year while they are in prison.<br />
<br />
<br />
Of course, money isn't magic. It has to be mixed with research-based practices. But the best practices in the world still need people to implement them. They still need time. And more people and more time mean more money.<br />
<br />
I know the politicians aren't listening.<br />
<br />
I know people vote with their pocketbooks.<br />
<br />
<br />
But maybe one day that will change and we'll start taking the education of all kids seriously. If we do, I believe the return on our investment will be amazing.<br />
<br />
"The only way out of poverty," said an inner city activist I met the other day, "is education."wgreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905235319987746798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4787463090896145321.post-9732376446151668752017-05-06T14:06:00.000-07:002017-05-07T11:55:17.172-07:00Bringing order to your chaotic life with Trello<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ever feel like your life is a hurricane of responsibilities? Of course you do. So do I. That's why I write so much about managing stress and priorities. That's why I've been using the <a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2016/05/breaking-out-of-to-do-list-tunnel-vision.html" target="_blank">Bullet Journal</a> method for a few years now. But I've recently retired that stack of black journals on my shelf and discovered an even cooler tool for time and task management. <br />
<br />
Last fall, Elizabeth Brott Beese, a Ph.D. student from Purdue who spent some time studying our program, saw my notebooks and knew what they were. I thought that was really cool, because I'd never met anyone who knew the system. I told her how much I loved it. Then she told me why she didn't use it. She'd discovered something better. It was called <a href="http://trello.com/" target="_blank">Trello</a>.<br />
<br />
It looked really cool. I tried it. I said goodbye to my black journals.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Why is Trello So Darn Cool?</h3>
<br />
What I like about <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fm15cmYU0IM" target="_blank">Bullet Journal</a> is the physical feeling of writing stuff down and drawing little boxes and arrows and checking things off my list with a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Pilot-Retractable-Premium-12-Pack-31020/dp/B001GAOTSW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1494103535&sr=8-3&keywords=g2" target="_blank">G2 pen</a>. It's an ingenious system designed by Ryder Carroll that enables you to move tasks from week to week and manage tasks by category or calendar.<br />
<br />
But it has weaknesses. Though you create your own index, it's still hard to find stuff when you try to go back in previous journals for important info, and everything becomes disjointed. Pages of unrelated stuff separate related tasks and topics from each other.<br />
<br />
Trello is better. It helps you visualize your tasks by category, and it's super easy to move stuff around, reschedule, and find stuff you need, when you need it.<br />
<br />
<h3>
My Trello System</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
There are lots of ways to use Trello, which is of one of the cool things about it. I made this <a href="https://youtu.be/NDICpMxQTIQ" target="_blank">video about Trello</a>
for my students that explains the basics--the four essential pieces of the Trello system:
boards, lists, cards, checklists and calendars. Start there for the basics, but here's how I use it for my stuff:<br />
<br />
I like to make the boards very broad. For example, I have one board for my whole, entire job at the Depot Campus. On my Depot Master board, I divided all of my responsibilities into categories. This was a cool exercise, because it forced me to really think about what were the most important aspects of my job. It helped me bring order to a job that involves a sometimes bewildering array of very different responsibilities.<br />
<br />
In each of those categories, I create cards for particular projects and tasks, and then within each card, I create checklists. I set due dates for each card based on the next checklist item that is due in each card. When I complete a checklist item, I change the due date.<br />
<br />
Once in a while, I'll go through each list just to remind myself of what I need to do, what's coming up, and do a priority check. It's a great way to reorient myself when I'm overwhelmed or refocus when I feel like I'm running around like a chicken with it's head cut off.<br />
<br />
When I have new ideas, I jot them down as cards and tag them with follow up dates.<br />
<br />
I periodically go through the whole board and archive old stuff, finished stuff, and stuff I no longer care about. <br />
<br />
Trello is also really cool for delegating. I can easily move cards to my program assistant's board, for example.<br />
<br />
I have a dual-screen set up on my computer, and I always keep Trello open on the right hand screen. This gives me a continuous birds-eye view of my job.<br />
<br />
It's not perfect, but neither am I. You see all those little red rectangles on the screen shot above? Those are missed deadlines, or just cards I haven't updated. <br />
<br />
But it still helps... a lot.<br />
<br />
It's like a map of my working life.<br />
<br />wgreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905235319987746798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4787463090896145321.post-105418680102915862017-04-30T08:36:00.001-07:002019-02-27T11:08:00.668-08:00Five things I'm learning these days<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Five things I'm learning lately:<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Fitness</b> - I just passed my first year anniversary with CrossFit in February. I started at a new gym (<a href="http://www.cfaisling.com/">CrossFit Aisling</a>) last October, and soon I was going five days a week. It's hard for me to stay balanced with anything. I start getting goals in my head, and I have a hard time not continually
increasing them. Then in February, I realized it was starting to stress me out. I got a nasty cold, felt run down, pulled a muscle, and also felt like I should be putting in more late days at work, so I cut back to three or four days per week. I remembered <a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2016/02/how-i-lowered-my-cholesterol-in-four.html">why I started CrossFit</a> in the first place. It serves me, not the other way around. I'm looking for just the right balance: enough working out to stave off the stress but not so much that it causes stress. <br />
<br />
<b>Boredom</b> - I've been working on <a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2016/11/tracking-student-progress-in-mastery.html">our progress tracking system</a> since
last year. It's all on Google Drive right now. Teachers put competency
ratings in a single spreadsheet. The ratings get automatically pulled
into a series of spreadsheets, where the numbers get crunched, then that
data gets pulled into live progress reports that parents and students
can see. Now I'm working on transcripts that will pull in that data
along with data from the credit worksheets. I'm doing all of this with a combination of Google Apps Scripts and formulas in Google sheets. I really enjoy the problem
solving that this involves, but I find I get bored as soon as I figure
out the solution and all that's left is ironing out the final product. So I always need a new challenge to keep me interested, I guess. It's the same in every area of my life, I think.<br />
<br />
<b>Authority</b> - When I started at the Depot, I had grand ideas about <a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2015/04/a-model-for-collaborative-leadership.html">collaborative leadership</a> and <a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2015/03/against-authority.html">egalitarianism</a>. I thought that what schools (and society in general) needed was less hierarchy, even between students and teachers, but what I've found is that students need structure--clear rules that are consistently enforced, and this matches<i> </i><a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232564646_Authoritative_School_Discipline_High_School_Practices_Associated_With_Lower_Bullying_and_Victimization">the research</a>. There's nothing wrong with authority. As <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232564646_Authoritative_School_Discipline_High_School_Practices_Associated_With_Lower_Bullying_and_Victimization">Jonathan Haidt</a> says, an instinct for hierarchy is probably built right into our genes<i>, </i>and<i> authority is legitimate if the authority provides a legitimate service</i> and the leader takes on legitimate responsibilities (<a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2016/07/top-3-takeaways-from-my-first-year-in.html">provides support</a>) for the good of the whole. I think it's safe to say that I do that for my students.<br />
<br />
<b>Aging</b> - I turn 46 this summer. I'm slowly coming to terms with what it means to get older and all the changes that come with it: my body changing, my relationships changing, my roles changing. I'm learning to <a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2016/05/all-my-life-i-was-never-good-enough.html">accept these changes</a>. But one of the biggest challenges is that there always seems to be this tension: part of me wants to kick back, relax, and just enjoy the last half of life, look forward to retirement, etc., and the other still wants to improve, achieve more, and grow. I think I understand those who choose the first option, but I can't choose it. I just can't. I'll push until I can't push anymore. Then I'll rest.<br />
<br />
<b>Mindfulness</b> - I've been practicing mindfulness for about three years now. I do some extended meditation on the weekends, a little bit every morning, and try to be more mindful during the day. I started it as a stress management technique, and I think it helps with that, but I feel like that effect really only works during the meditation itself. I think the biggest impact for me has been greater awareness of what's going on in my head as I go through the day. I notice the way my thoughts are heading and am more likely to question my own thoughts now, rather than assume they are true and let them run away with me. I am also learning to enjoy the moment--to notice little things, like cherry blossoms on the ground, a breeze on my face, or my cool new socks, and for a moment, I can escape from my cares into a little vacation from worry. Actually, that's what a CrossFit workout is, too--a little vacation form worry, but it actually lasts longer. The euphoric feeling after a workout lasts probably an hour or so.<br />
<br />
There are more than five things I'm learning, but some I'm really just getting started on and others I'm not learning so well. Actually, that's true for all of the above. <a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2016/05/all-my-life-i-was-never-good-enough.html">All of this is imperfect, right</a>? And that's OK. We're learning.wgreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905235319987746798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4787463090896145321.post-64032478861835201572017-02-21T14:19:00.000-08:002017-02-21T14:19:00.395-08:00Change is tough: The slogging phase<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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</blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"I'm done with my chores now. It's time. I say my prayer and head out
on the hunt. The sun isn't up yet; it's cold; the fields are sopping.
Brambles scratch my ankles, branches snap back in my face. The hill is a
sonofabitch but what can you do? Set one foot in front of another and
keep climbing. </i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>An hour passes. I'm warmer now, the pace has got
my blood going. The years have taught me one skill: how to be miserable.
I know how to shut up and keep humping. This is a great ass<span class="text_exposed_show">et because it's human, the proper role for a mortal. It does not offend the gods, but elicits their intercession. </span></i></blockquote>
<div class="text_exposed_show">
<blockquote>
<i>My bitching self is receding now. The instincts are taking over.
Another hour passes. I turn the corner of a thicket and there he is: the
nice fat hare I knew would show up if I just kept plugging."</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>-Steven Pressfield, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/War-Art-Through-Creative-Battles/dp/1936891026/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487610218&sr=8-1&keywords=war+of+art">The War of Art</a></i></blockquote>
<br />
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Not sure exactly where I am in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hype_cycle">hype cycle</a> right now, but it's somewhere after the "Peak of Inflated Expectations." I'm in that phase when blogging about all the cool things that are happening, like our awesome Gallery Night and progress on our progress tracking system would seem empty. It would violate <a href="http://thoughtcatalog.com/ryan-holiday/2016/11/the-relationship-between-talk-and-work-is-that-one-kills-the-other/">Ryan Holiday's</a> rule of not
talking about projects until they are almost entirely done. He says it's
too easy to trade doing for talking about doing--to blog, post, tweet
and brag about all the cool things we are up to and in the end produce
nothing. Talk, Holiday says, is the enemy of work, and I'm in the work phase.<br />
<br />
It's that phase when the brambles grab at your legs, your boots are wet and your legs are jelly. It's that phase when you wonder if it's all for nothing, and are tempted to let everything just slide back to where it was.<br />
<br />
But it's also that phase when you can't stop--when you know you have to keep going, because you know in your heart and mind you are on the right track.<br />
<br />
Last year was <a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2016/07/top-3-takeaways-from-my-first-year-in.html">my first year in administration</a>--my first year at the Depot, and I started with <a href="http://library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1107978016521-445/Entry+Plan+Starting+Confused+2.pdf" target="_blank">Barry Jentz and Jerome Murphy's</a> Entry Plan approach. I rode over the top of the hype cycle right about then, <a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2016/02/how-new-school-changed-my-views-on.html">disillusioned with the autonomy-based approach to education</a>, and landed in the "Trough of Disillusionment." We did a program evaluation and immediately started up the slope with a <a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2016/09/resistance-training-big-changes-at-depot.html">set of changes</a> we thought were needed.<br />
<br />
It's tough not knowing where you are on that slope. I hope we're headed into the "Plateau of Productivity." There's <a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2016/12/the-procrastination-equation-putting.html">a bunch of stuff in place</a>, and data is coming in, but it's too early to tell for sure. So right now, we keep plugging, waiting for that rabbit to show up.<br />
<br />
And I think it's right around the corner. </div>
wgreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905235319987746798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4787463090896145321.post-11419390622727075192016-12-28T10:34:00.003-08:002016-12-28T11:01:50.419-08:00The procrastination equation: Putting research into practice at the Depot<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-6a264f71-3b73-3008-eb72-1dbd0c0e2375" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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They were discussing different forms of government, and the conversation
had degenerated into a frustrating chorus of "There is no right answer.
It's all just a matter of opinion."<br />
<br />
"That's not true," I said, trying to keep the frustration out of my voice. "There are benchmarks. Some forms of government <i>work</i> better than others." <br />
<br />
I'm not sure they got my point, but that kind of relativism is one of my pet peeves. Unfortunately, it infects many parts of society, including education. People in education often think that there are no real answers--no reference points by which to judge between the myriad of models and practices that promise to improve student success. But that's not true. Research <i>has</i> shown what works. The same science that brought us modern
medicine and discovered global warming can help us educate our kids,
and if we're not using it, we're fighting this battle blindfolded.
Here's the story of how we're putting research into practice at the
Depot, and how it's impacting our kids.<br />
<br />
Last year was my first year at this little non-traditional school, and it soon became obvious that <a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2016/02/how-new-school-changed-my-views-on.html">motivation was a serious problem</a>. Motivation was low, engagement was low, attendance was low, task completion was low, and procrastination was high. Then I came across <a href="http://my.ilstu.edu/~dfgrayb/Personal/Procrastination.pdf">this article on procrastination from psychologist, Piers Steel</a>. It was a thorough review of research related to motivation, and his "procrastination equation" became my guide. I took the liberty here to make it a bit more user friendly: </div>
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<i>Utility </i>is "how desirable a task or choice is for an individual."<i> Expectancy</i> is whether we think we will be able to complete the task, <i>value</i> is how much we value the outcome, the more <i>impulsive</i> among us will have a greater tendency to procrastinate, and the further away the deadline (the greater the <i>delay</i>), the more we'll put off the work.<br />
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Using the equation is simple. If utility is low, we procrastinate. To decrease procrastination, we need to increase expectancy and value and decrease impulsivity and delay. At the Depot this year, we're attacking all four factors of the equation.</div>
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<b>Expectancy</b>: According to Stanford psychologist Albert Bandura, "efficacy expectancy is somewhat susceptible to verbal persuasion and emotional arousal but is especially influenced by modelling and actual performance accomplishments." With this in mind, we are increasing our use of explicit instruction at the Depot, and our new <a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2016/09/resistance-training-big-changes-at-depot.html">Project Block</a> is designed to provide students with a string of small successes to build upon. As of last week, about 60% of our students had completed 8 science projects, including hands-on projects, lab reports and a research paper, and had begun their first independent project. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Focused work during Project Block</td></tr>
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The <a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2016/11/mastering-and-loving-math-at-depot.html">ALEKS online math system</a>, which we also started using this year, is another way we're building self-efficacy. It offers a mastery-based approach the kids love, and our students' average progress on their courses is 54%.</div>
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And finally, we've really ramped up the 1:1 support this year. With a combination of interns and an instructional assistant, we are able to assign struggling students one-on-one help during ALEKS, Project Block, and any other time they need it.</div>
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<b>Value</b>: Dr. Steel points to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_conditioning">classical conditioning</a> as one way to increase the value factor. During <a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2016/07/pride-perseverance-and-process-what.html">our summer program</a>, we were having trouble getting kids to do their online math work, so I was tossing around the idea of a token-based incentive system with Ellen. I had planned to make the tokens worth credits. "But what if they don't care about credits?," she asked. </div>
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She was right. Many of our students don't seem to be motivated by threats of credit loss or offers of credit. So what did we do? We still offered credit, but we also tied the tokens to a field trip reward, and it worked. They really <i>valued</i> that reward!</div>
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We carried that same approach over into this year: Students earn poker chips for on-task behavior, and if they earn enough, they qualify for special field trips. Many students use our <a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2016/11/tracking-student-progress-in-mastery.html">new progress tracking system</a> to keep
track of their chips and they value them so much that their anxiety about the chips has actually become a
bit of a problem. My hope is that this system will build the habits of work that we adults call <i>intrinsic motivation</i>. According to Steel, this is exactly what happens--students associate reward with the work, and the work becomes intrinsically rewarding.<br />
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(Of course, they don't always succeed. The other day, I told a student he
would not have enough chips to qualify for the field trip the next day.
He pushed his few chips away on the table as if to disavow them and
said, "I don't want any more chips!" His protest reminded me of my son when he was young. He wouldn't eat his Thanksgiving dinner, and the consequence
was not getting any pie. "I don't like pie!," he repeated, as he marched
around the table. The fact that chips can tap into their emotion is
testimony that we've tapped into the value factor.) </div>
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<b>Impulsivity</b>: Impulsivity is considered <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Five_personality_traits#Conscientiousness">a personality trait</a>, and Steel questions whether we can influence it much, but he does suggest two possibilities: stimulus control and automaticity. "Stimulus control," says Steel, "helps to direct behavior by indicating what is appropriate (i.e., rewarding) under any given circumstance," and I think the chips serve this purpose also. If students stay off their phones and on-task for 10, 15, or 20 minutes (we gradually increase the blocks of time), they receive reward chips. Most
students earn the full amount of chips available during ALEKS Block
and Project Block, and it's surprising to see how easily most of them can focus for 20 solid minutes under these conditions.<br />
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To increase <i>automaticity</i>, Steel recommends schedules and routines. This year we've implemented a new blocked schedule at the Depot, but there's more we could do with routines within the blocks themselves. Interestingly, Steel also mentions reducing <a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2014/02/the-choice-effect.html">choice</a>
as a means of helping those with high impulsivity. I think the blocked
schedule has also helped here, especially the replacement of "self-directed
learning time" with Project Block, but I'm still chewing on this one.</div>
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We've also added another research-based strategy to the mix to try to address the impulsivity factor--one that Steel didn't mention. Stephen, one of our teachers, has been teaching <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-Eight-Week-Finding-Peace-Frantic/dp/1609618955">mindfulness</a>
during morning pick-me-up since the beginning of the year. They've gone over several techniques, from focusing on the breath to mindful eating, and they had a great time identifying thoughts and feeling invoked by popular songs the other day. Several
students have said they have started to practice meditation on their own. Our hope
is that this will help them not only manage stress but also increase
focus.</div>
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<b>Delay</b>: Our new <a href="http://www.depthofengagement.com/2016/11/tracking-student-progress-in-mastery.html">progress tracking system</a> is designed to give students continuous, rapid feedback about their progress, and the timed chip blocks have provided small chunked goals for the students, but I think we can help students a lot more with handling delays. My goal for the second semester is to explicitly teach the students two methods of time/project management, and then reward them for each box checked off their to-do lists. (Hat tip to Elizabeth Brott Beese, a Ph.D. student from Purdue who spent some time studying our program, for pointing me in this direction.)</div>
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That is how we're using science to help our students. That's our goal, anyway, and so far it seems to be working. Engagement is up, attendance is up, and even task completion seems to be up. I was so excited to find Steel's article last year. It has provided a framework--a science-based guide for improving our program. So often in education, we bounce from one model to another, often without much confidence that any of it will work. But there's no need for that. There is a research base in psychology and education that we can use and build on. We're not blind, we don't stumble in the dark, and we don't have to reinvent the wheel. We can't afford to. Time is precious for every one of our students. </div>
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