Saturday, December 10, 2016

How Do We Create an Enriching Environment: With Grit but Without More Work?

An amazing article in Edutopia, Using Webb's Depth of Knowledge to Increase Rigor, by Gerald Aungst, really solidified for me the notion that rigor and grit could mean more work if we as teachers do not plan accordningly. When I was setting up my student-centered classroom I knew I wanted no homework. I knew I wanted an enriching atmosphere with challenging activities and authentic learning experiences. What I didn't know was how to truly create a higher-order thinking environment without more work involved. How to take great ideas step them up a level without making them longer assignments. These are the strategies I have determined work best for me.

The verb does not determine the level, just because we ask them to describe does not mean it is a higher order question. Cognitive effort does not come from a verb but from the levels of the task involved in reaching the end. When there is not a single path but various sources and paths that need to be traversed to gather and compile the information the better. When students have to make sense of different types of data to determine their relevance and strength makes any assignment more cognitively challenging. Focus on the big picture, how are they going to get there. The steps should not be overly complex it the assimilation and processing required that should make the assignment rigorous not the length.

Strategic and extended thinking tasks can be accomplished in a class period or can be more involved and take a week. For example, I asked my students to design and create, using the makerspace, a model of a breathing apparatus. I never said lungs, just breathing. At the end of the class I got a fish with gills, human lungs, even scuba gear. Open-ended questioning is a great way to provoke learning. Each group explained how breathing works-that was the goal. Then we compared them and discussed which one might be more efficient.

A longer enrichment assignment is one my students are currently working on. Rather than having an end of semester human body exam-a major grade- I decided to go a different route, a project. I thought a lot about it, what are students interested in as a whole that they could use to integrate the body systems, create and design, be artistic, and even use writing skills. I decided on superheros. My students are creating their own superheros, choice and voice. They have to use at least 4 of the body systems to explain biologically how it is possible for their superhero to have their powers or abilities. For example, The Flash, in order for him to be that fast, digestion needs to be faster, he is always eating to keep his metabolism high, his bones and muscles need to be adapted to be stronger to compensate for the speed at which he is travelling, his circulatory and respiratory systems have to be adapted to circulate blood and transport oxygen faster and more efficiently in order for all of these systems to be integrated and work efficiently or he would not be able to have his ability.

This project is not designed to be more work but less. It is a fun way for them to tie up our human body unit and be creative. They get to draw or create a model of their character and they get to see how the systems all work together. Finally, they get a preview of our next two units: Genetics and Adaptations. It is challenging but not to much so that it deters creativity. During the finals classes they each get 5-7 minutes to share their characters, and each are turning in a 2 page story explaining how their superhero's abilities/powers work and why they are important. Enriching with grit but not more work.

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