COMMUNICATION
~Facebook, twitter, Google Docs
~Team building with groups
~Sharing with groups
~Talk problems out
~Turn and talk with neighbors and table mates
~Having students summarize what has been said
~Oral presentations with a question and answer session
~Students confer with each other during writing time to give a compliments and suggestion
~Turn and talk to develop understanding
~During small group time we discuss questions and comments about our books. We also do "walk and talks"
CRITICAL THINKING
~Offer activities that have open ended questions supporting and encouraging students to tap into experiences that connect with their learning
~Essential questions in a sorcratic seminar setting
~Guiding concepts: form, function, change, connection, responsibility, reflection and perspective to form our language
~Encourage students to think of an independent activity
~ Create a brochure that would be given to visitors coming to their town
~Choice to come up with their own projects on the computer
~Asking students questions and to explain their thinking
~Giving students "Think Time"
Our Journey Begins by recognizing what we already do to help our students CREATE, Think CRITICALLY, COLLABORATE and COMMUNICATE.
Collaboration
CREATIVITY
~Numbered Heads and Think Pair Share
~Museum Walk
~Sharing and conferencing with other classes
~Peer conferencing
~Students get to be the teacher to explain problems and field answers
~Groups work towards a solution
~Students read a paragraph in a group and each student comes up with a way to teach part of the class
~In Writers Workshop students plan stories with partners and help guide each other by asking questions so each persons writing has improved
~Work in partners or trios to find solutions to problems
~Teams work together to solve problems and accomplish goals
~Students interview each other about a particular topic in order to get different perspectives
~Students work on projects or learning activities and the need to use their voices to collaborate
~talking about strategies for solving problems
~rubrics/expectations on assignments somewhat vague so students are free to develop and create their own vision
~Allow many different types of "projects" to fill the requirements to encourage creativity
~Use post student work to show types of work I am looking for
~Writing math questions for each other to solve
~Giving students options on how to present their work
~Allowing options for writing as long as they are using the method we are practicing in class
~At the end of some units of study. We implement design challenges where students are expected to define a problem, brainstorm solutions and prototype those solutions
~Students are encouraged to be creative during writing by being shown where to go on the computer to pull pictures for their stories
~Blank white paper