My class has been using a great thinking routine called Which One Doesn't Belong (check out the #WODB hashtag on Twitter for lots of examples), which asks students to practice logical thinking, and to communicate using mathematical language.
You can project the four choices and have students signal a number from 1 to 4 to show which one they think doesn't belong, and then call on a student to give reasoning. You can also ask students to move to four corners of the room, share their reasoning for choosing that option with other people in that corner, and then share out to the whole group. You can also use it as a written check / ticket out the door activity to get a measure of individual thinking. I decided to extend this activity by taking it into our maker space this past week so students could build their own options. (So much fun, right?)
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Today we built art pieces to express what we want our class culture to look like! What a great maker-based way to review foundations of IB-PYP and to establish collaborative learning practices right from the start of the year! As we began the school year, we started with conversations about what we want our class to look like. As fifth graders at an IB-PYP school, my students are familiar with the language of attitudes and attributes of learners, as well as general school expectations. As a teacher, I also have three key expectations that I share with students: Be Kind, Participate Constructively, Keep Improving. As a next step this year, I wanted to establish my commitment to a maker mindset right from the beginning. This time, I asked my students to create something to show what they wanted our classroom to be like. We talked a little about art, and how it could be a drawing, a sculpture, a song, a video, a play, or a dance. I put out a few materials - a few different colors of paper, a bit of string, some index cards, but nothing too fancy - I didn't want to be the idea starter. When they asked for specific things, I got them out if I had them available. I gave them some time to work in groups, and then we gave our first presentations. We got six posters and one three-dimensional sculpture. There were some things that were working really well, but overall, the results weren't what I hoped for. I had tried not to prompt them, but their projects looked a lot alike - they were working to please me and check something off a list for the most part, not working to express themselves authentically. However, we did observe and reflect about our collaboration, and we had a chance to do initial shared presentations, so we were off to a good start. Maker Time Expectations
At the beginning of the year, as you develop essential agreements with students for procedures and activities, you'll want to try some high-success maker activities early on, both to establish a positive mentality about maker activities, and to set expectations for this kind of work. (For thoughts about getting comfortable with maker education, visit this blog post.) My expectations for maker time are:
However, before I discuss or post these things with students, I do this activity with them. It is inevitably memorable and (mostly) a lot of fun for students, and I hope yours will benefit as well! When you hear “maker movement,” do you have visions of children shrieking while swinging from the fluorescent chandeliers? Do you get hives thinking about the lack of structure? Do you fail to see what all the fuss is about? If the maker movement has you feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or doubtful, here are some considerations for you. Rationale & Reality
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Jamie Wright
I've had the privilege of working with hundreds of students and families in IA, CT, NC, MO, TX, and Canada. I love being a teacher-librarian! Categories
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