Conflict is a natural part of working and playing together in the classroom. How we work through the conflict and move forward is what defines us as a class community. In my classroom, students and teachers have the opportunity to suggest a class meeting in order to verbalize and process the conflict as a group when they feel it is appropriate. One of the tools we use to support our discussions is Circle of Viewpoints. The Circle of Viewpoints thinking routine asks participants to consider different perspectives, as well as their own point of view on an issue.
Last weekend I participated in a #globalclassroom Twitter chat about action and empathy. So many great ideas were shared. I definitely recommend following this hashtag on a regular basis! The chat gave me an opportunity to share how I have been using the Harvard Project Zero Visible Thinking Routine 'Circle of Viewpoints' as a format for reflection on conflict in my classroom. Conflict is a natural part of working and playing together in the classroom. How we work through the conflict and move forward is what defines us as a class community. In my classroom, students and teachers have the opportunity to suggest a class meeting in order to verbalize and process the conflict as a group when they feel it is appropriate. One of the tools we use to support our discussions is Circle of Viewpoints. The Circle of Viewpoints thinking routine asks participants to consider different perspectives, as well as their own point of view on an issue. First, we define the problem. In the example below it is a verbal argument between two students over a team-building game called Toxic Waste. We then take the perspective of the students involved, "unlocking" our thinking using the PYP key concept (or "concept key") Perspective. We imagine and visualize what the people might think using the "I think..." sentence starter and also ask any questions we have from their unique points of view. This process of perspective-taking creates a culture of critical thinking and empathy in our classroom that is well worth the time it takes for the discussions. We begin to understand why people do what they do and believe what they believe. We learn that by expressing our own thoughts, feelings, and questions, and listening to and imagining those of others, we find ways to work, play, and communicate together more sensitively. As these strategies become more embedded through repetition of the thinking routine, students manage conflict more independently and effectively, and, in some cases, even preempt it. What tools and strategies do you use to solve conflict and build community?
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Supporting independent internet research is not easy in Grade 1. Even when using a kid-safe search engine like Kid Rex, I worry about what students will find (and not find) and most of all if they will be challenged or supported at their developmental level by the information they retrieve. Last year, I shared a strategy I tried with Grade 1 and 2 teachers at my school. Recently a colleague asked me to share again, so I thought I would make it my very first blog post here! Generally I used Symbaloo as a sort of visual collection of all the video and web resources I use frequently in the classroom. It easily allows my students and myself to find and link to what we want to see. My alphabet collection is an example pictured on the right. If you're not familiar with Symbaloo you can watch a Symbaloo Introduction video here. When my Grade 1 students started pursuing independent research of animal and plant life cycles, I reflected on how I could best support their learning. I knew that some students would be challenged by the task of seeking and locating appropriate information to the point of disappointment and frustration. I also knew that some children would opt to not apply and challenge their reading skills enough. So...a differentiation strategy for research was what I needed. I still wanted the students to be working as much as possible independently though, so I also needed a differentiation strategy that left me as the teacher out of the immediate and physical process. I tossed over a few things, but finally decided to see if I could extend my use of Symbaloo to achieve this aim. I chose to focus on three students to keep my preparation within a reasonable time frame (it does take some time to add links to Symbaloo if you are searching for and including very specific ones). Student 1: My first student was investigating the life cycle of butterflies. She was a very strong reader with an ability decode advanced text and distinguish important information. In previous projects that were similar, she had a tendency to want to complete work quickly without giving herself an extra challenge. I chose five links for her with butterfly images to click on that would give her an opportunity to find the information she needed, while also applying her reading skills and strategies, with the main focus being decoding the pronunciation and meaning of sophisticated vocabulary, extracting important details, and synthesizing the information for her own project and writing. Student 2: The second student was inquiring into the life cycle of trees. Throughout the unit of inquiry, he had a difficult time grasping the concept of cyclical time and patterns. He was a very visual learner who benefited from images and pictorial evidence. He was challenged by the reading process, and since this was not a time to put these skills to the test, I chose three links for him that showed basic visuals of tree life cycles. This gave him the opportunity to review and consolidate the concept of cyclical time and compare and contrast the images he was provided (a reading and research skill that he had personally been working on). Student 3: The third student was investigating the life cycle of frogs. He enjoyed making and watching videos and was able to best synthesize and express his learning in this format. I linked him to seven videos which included different information about the frog life cycle. For him, the challenge was to combine the information he gathered from the clips and compare it to his previous sketches and theories, resulting in new and advanced understandings about the frog life cycle. Preparing a differentiation strategy for these students in advance allowed them to work completely independently at a developmentally-appropriate level. I was freed up to work with other students, knowing that my Symbaloo crew would be working right within their Zone of Proximal Development. The opportunity to work completely independently also instilled the students with confidence and pride in conducting their own research. I would like to have prepared these Symbaloo links for all students, but it was not necessary. The important thing for me to remember about differentiation, is that it doesn't need to mean an individual process and approach for every single student at every single moment in time. Quite simply, it is not possible to do this. By reflecting on my students needs and the desired learning outcomes though, I was able to select three students for which to differentiate in this way, maximizing my time with all students, as well as their time and engagement level with their projects and feelings of personal success. How do you differentiate the research process for young learners?
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I'm a PYP educator passionate about visible thinking, learning environments, Reggio Emilia, arts, technology, pedagogical documentation, visible thinking, nature & play. Always inquiring, always reflecting, always learning!
View the About Me page to learn more. Contact MeRecent PostsEmbracing Change
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