A New Beginning

     As the 2018/2019 school year approaches, I am embarking on a new journey. I am leaving my former position as a Special Education teacher of 2nd graders and moving to a new school, becoming a 3rd grade homeroom teacher. This change has ignited my spirit and eagerness to improve my teaching practices. At my new school, Project Based Learning (PBL) is the norm and expeditionary learning is the protocol. This is very new to me and I am having to re-learn how to teach!
   
    As I read and learn more about expeditionary learning and project based learning I am going to post about each step of the journey. I hope this will help other teachers who are new to PBL and need to know how to begin.

    My first step in the process is to read Ron Berger’s “Leaders of their Own Learning: Transforming Schools Through Student-Engaged Assessment”. Ron Berger is the chief academic officer for Expeditionary Learning at https://eleducation.org. This book consists of 8 chapters as seen below:

Introduction
1. Learning Targets
2. Checking for Understanding during Daily lessons
3. Using Data with Students
4. Models, Critique, and Descriptive Feedback
5. Student-Led Conferences
6. Celebrations of Learning
7. Passage presentation with Portfolios
8. Standards-Based Grading

    Each chapter describes a stage of Student-Engaged Assessment. Student-engaged assessment is a system of interrelated practices that positions students as leaders of their own learning.  The following is a graphic to help understand the flow.




    There are many reasons to use this structure. First of all it is very motivating for students. It will have each child taking ownership about their learning and making decisions to better themselves. It will help children (and grown-ups) change their mindset about intelligence. They will go from believing “You are smart because you are born that way,” to “You work hard and put forth effort and you will experience success.” Children will be taught and required to reflect on their learning and abilities. It will help create a culture of trust in your classroom where children respect and collaborate with each other naturally. This process will build the home-school connection by involving parents in the celebration of learning. And finally, it will give students’ a voice to their lives.  

   Please join me on this journey! I will review each chapter in the coming days and post important information.