Our goal is to look at ways that we can compliment our current Year 6 notebook program.
We are particularly interested in looking at resources, especially webquests, which relate to our two Integrated units ‘Robotics’ and a comparison between China and Australia.
We are also looking for general resources that link to other aspects of our curriculum.
Belinda Lavan and Jan Hegarty @Lowther Hall AGS Year 6
Let’s all Register to this Help Blog so we can post what we’re doing and share questions & successes.
“Learning to Look” activities can become a staple approach in classrooms that aim to “enculturate” dispositions to think critically. As described in the 2nd 10 Steps:
One of the best ways for students (K - 12!) to develop greater sophistication is to join in a shared looking activity with an adult. As infants they sat in our laps as we read picture books together. In schools, we use a computer and a data projector and an interesting Web site.
Together, we slowly look at a Real, Rich & Relevant Web resource. More novice thinkers might need more prompting to help them look closely. The prompts can be as simple as invoking a “Who, What, Where, When, How & Why” scaffold. More sophisticated thinkers are better left to their own creative insights. Research on Thinking Dispositions recommends what are called Thinking Routines which:
(Ritchhart, Palmer, Church, & Tishman, 2006 - download pdf)
Sample Thinking Routines that you might want to integrate into daily classroom life are:
SEE - THINK - WONDER
CONNECT - EXTEND - CHALLENGE
A condensed overview and review of the literature that informs the MyPlace project is now available. You can download a pdf of the article officially titled, Critical Thinking through Personal Learning: Integrating Pedagogy and Web 2.0 Technologies. The document begins by discussing “The Digitial Disconnect” and “The New WWW” as rationale for a technology-infused curriculum that empowers students as personal learners instead of passive students or entertainment consumers.
Next, the article explores the literature of Academic Optimism, intrinsic motivation and critical thinking before outlining the CEQALL (”seek all”) personal learning process (Choice • Effort • Quality • Attitude • Labour of Love). The overview concludes with a brief description of the Web 2.0 technologies employed in MyPlace and our research.
Many educators who are interested in participating in MyPlace wonder about how they might actually implement it with students. See the new page Paths for Teachers which describes three approaches a person could take. Notice that one teacher could run a three ring circus and do all of them with the same class. This wouldn’t be recommended for the weak of heart, but it highlights that there’s not one (or three!) ways to creatively engage and differentiate learning.
In preparation for the launch of MyPlace, here are some things still in the works:
This is the site where teachers participating in MyPlace can post ideas, ask questions, discuss strategies and share insights. Check the “About Teachers’ Place” page and the links to the project’s blog, wiki and bookmarks are to the right.
Login to add comments or create a new post.
