As for the teacher who cannot cope with “letting go” or being in control, I say it is time for change. There is no way we can prepare our students for the global marketplace if we are still teaching them like we did when we went to school. If a teacher is still keeping kids in rows, is still the “giver of knowledge”, and worries that things will spiral out of control, then it is time for the administration to step up and provide opportunities for these teachers to receive the training and modeling they need. It is critical that we, as teachers, move from the passive classroom to the active classroom. In other words, be a 21st century teacher to our 21st century children. This will not happen overnight, but we have to start somewhere, don’t we?

The Making Learning Visible project sounds doable and valuable but something that teachers should be doing naturally in the classrooms anyway. I know, sad to say, that this isn’t always being done but I know that effective teachers, like the Deb Dempsey’s of the world, do this naturally. Reflection through discussion and writing is a key component to learning, both for students and teachers, but seems to be the one step of the teaching and learning process that we fail to achieve. I think there are several factors in play here–time constraints, lack of teacher knowledge of effective reflective strategies, and the old assumption that the almighty written test or quiz sums it up. We both know that is not true. Even in the best professional development programs, I find it hard to recall having the presenter take the time to model reflection techniques. As a presenter, this is something I have to address. After all, how can I expect teachers to use reflection with their students when I am not giving them the resources and practice to do so?

So to answer your question about “pie in the sky” vs. reality, the answer is no, Carolyn. Your thoughts need to become reality:)

I have been wondering about whether there are more effective (but realistic) approaches to take. I have some thoughts – but I would love to know what others think! What has worked for them?

Here are some of my thoughts:
* Would it work to start modestly, with interesting but extremely short activities that require pairs of students to think and work together? Maybe Think-Pair-Share is the right starting point, with a gradual increase over a few weeks to include Think-Pair-”Do Something”-Share…and then Think-Move-to-Triads-Do-Share….Or something along those lines. The activity should be engaging but not prone to distract students. Maybe an observation exercise, where students are looking at something (a shell? a mixture of powders? something curriculum-oriented) and first making their own observations and then comparing, trying to collectively come up with as many detailed and unique observations as possible? (This could then lead to some aspect of the content for the day.)

* I also know from our colleague Deb Dempsey that taking the time in the start of the year to create a culture of collaboration is important. Before she retired from the classroom, she would do this via community meeting. Students practice certain protocols for sharing ideas, but the information is more on a light, personal level (in the beginning). The message is that the people, as well as their ideas, are important, and that everyone has a chance to be heard. This carries over into the curriculum (and a small action research project that she conducted showed better behaviors and fewer negative incidents outside the classroom with students who had experienced community meeting, over a control group.)

However, Deb was in a more-or-less self-contained classroom situation, and had a little more flexibility than the teacher who has 45 minutes per lesson. Any suggestions for tapping into community meeting, or otherwise creating a classroom culture of collaboration, in these latter types of classrooms?

*Maintaining a culture of collaboration is also important – Making Learning Visible (a project at Harvard’s Project Zero) has some info on that, with the fundamental approach being that teachers and students examine documentation of what’s happening in groups as they learn and create, and reflect back on that. As students and teachers engage in narratives of the learning process, the documents – images, quotations, works-in-progress, final work -consciously focuses on the contributions that individuals make to the group. I think this kind of mirror is an important aspect of maintaining culture.

Of course, this is all very hard to do – especially when we are teaching something for the first, second, or even third time.

So…I just wonder…Cal, Anne, others – are my ideas too pie-in-the sky for reality? If so, what might them back down to earth?

I am fascinated by the e-Mentoring idea. So many teachers are trying to implement STEM lessons alone and need someone to collaborate with. You provide them with ongoing help. There’s got to be something there for school systems to consider in helping teachers to implement STEM.

Good job!