Modeling Learning

I have to admit something... I am not doing a very good job modeling blogging to our 300 plus new Active Learning bloggers. We are asking you to record evidence of your efforts and things you are learning but most of my posts have been instructional. This needs to change. I need to balance the examples of my learning with the instructions needed for your work.

So with that in mind I want to share a video I watched recently as a part of my own research around the concepts of student ownership and philosophy of social constructivism. I talk a lot in PE and Comm11 about opportunities for students to take control of what I believe is their education. You may have heard me talk about making class your own, seeking activities and opportunities that inspire you, and making work meaningful. This video is a really cool example of those ideas in practice.

My Comm11 class will be having 1 day a week for "Genius Hour"... Where they will select their own topic of interest to learn about. The only requirement will be to make something and teach/share it with us.

I am always learning... Always striving to understand the learning process... To become a more thoughtful teacher. Here is a my learning example from this week.

Digital Portfolios (Active Learning)

Active Learning - New Post

In todays fitness class, I would like you to think about what you have written in your mid year blog post.  Many students have written about how hard they work and push themselves during fitness days which is awesome!  Many more of you have written about having goals to improve your fitness as the year continues.  I was very happy to see so many students writing about how fitness has been beneficial to you so far.

With that in mind - please think about how you can show me evidence of your effort.  It may look like a written reflection.  Even better, post a picture of you either during or immediately after your workout that clearly shows that you have been sweating, have a red face etc., along with a short reflection of what it feels like to work hard.

Comm11 Intro Write (10 Year Plan)

As a way for me to get a sense of what you value (family, friends, money, fame, travel) I want to describe your life in 10 years.

Tell me where you are, who you are with, what you do for work, what a day in your life looks like. Do you have kids, a car, a plane? What do you do for fun?

Then tell me how you got there... what steps (between you sitting in this school and the life you just describe) are required to achieve what you are hoping for.