Tips, Tools and Technology for Educators

Featured blogger and High School History teacher Aaron Eyler took some time out of his teaching, blogging, and saving the Trenton Barracks for an interview with Learning Today on problem-based learning, grading methods, and more.

How do we infuse more Problem-Based Learning into classrooms?

Educators need to be constantly scouring the newspaper for problems that students can attempt to solve. We continue to perpetuate an educational environment that is disconnected from the world that students will eventually lead. This shouldn't be something that is "21st Century Learning." This is how education should have been all along. Allowing for schools to be a "sandbox" of innovation and development by simulating the problems that are plaguing the world at that time.

My hope is that we all start to alter our thinking when it comes to curriculum and what kids "need to know" and start thinking about how we can best educate our youth. No one should have to go through 13 (or more) years of boring curriculum as though it is indoctrination to the problems they will really be confronted with.

How do standards and objectives fit in with Problem-Based Learning?

We can't continue to be bogged down by standards and learning objectives as though they contribute to some hierarchy of knowledge that students must have in order to be educated. It's simply a joke that we spend a year engaging kids in unique projects and assignments to simply boil down their success to whether they make their marks "heavy and dark" or that we continually want them to think "outside the box" but then want to make sure they constrict their thinking to options A-E.

Understanding the danger of capitulating on this topic, I would argue that we need to start basing our standards and learning objectives on a scale that speaks more to critical thinking and the ability to reason and evaluate instead of arbitrary content objectives.

Last I checked, advocates of 21st Century Skills never put "will be able to fill in bubbles" as one of the critical skills for future success. We need to start redesigning everything we do in school...from scratch....with no regard for what we have "always done."

What role do rubrics and assignment sheets play in education today?

Rubrics and assignment sheets take away a lot of the individualized learning that we have pushed to create. By providing every student with the same parameters for accomplishing a task we have eliminated their ability to think critically and problem solve without a step-by-step guide.

Fun experiment: don't give the kids an assignment sheet or a rubric and ask them how they would solve the problem. You'll be amazed at how many students have panic attacks because they don't have that crutch to rely on.

In addition, providing them with rubrics and assignment sheets lessens their ability to successfully problem-solve once they have left the boring confines of K-12 education. The problems that we want our kids to solve (like that of BP's) don't come with rubrics and the assignment sheet is simply "we have a problem". There was no rubric for the men to follow to save Apollo 13. That took human ingenuity and the ability to think critically about the situation while attempting multiple solutions.

We're robbing that ability of our kids every day.

Three Words to Describe Education Today?

• Rigid- We don't allow for any deviation that doesn't fit our predetermined beliefs of education.
• Traditional- Why is every student that is 16 years old in 10th grade? (on average). So much for individualizing learning.
• Exciting- No matter what, we need to remind ourselves that we have the best job in the world.

I encourage you to engage in discussions over these, and other topics, on my blog: Synthesizing Education.com.

-Aaron Eyler

Photo from Twitter.com/aaron_eyler

Free Educational Resources | Interactive Whiteboard Lessons by Learning Today

This week's evening #edchat discussion tackled the controversial topic of traditional grading systems in public education. No matter where you stand on the topic, there was much to learn on incorporating more authentic grading methods into your instruction in order to encourage students to become life long learners and provide more valuable insight for parents on their child's progress.

There are many faults with traditional grading methods. Relying solely on letter grades can actually be more harmful than helpful when it comes to student learning, empowering and engaging all students, and measuring growth. These are some of my favorite quotes from the discussion that summarize the problems with traditional grading systems:

Traditional grades are often subjective.

@gfred33: The differences of grading between teachers is so huge, how can the grades really inform anyone of anything?

Traditional grades are often meaningless.

@spedteacher: (Students) often can't really explain what a D is without reference to a C and B. All meaningless to me.

Traditional grades are often restrictive.

@gfred33: Grades keep some students from taking risks and others from seeking challenge.

Traditional grades are often misguided.

@whatedsaid: I don't believe grades motivate students to learn. They motivate students to get grades.

Traditional grades are often unrealistic.

@Zweibz7: YES! How do we assess IRL? RT @edtechsteve: When was the last time someone got a letter grade for something they did after college?

Traditional grades are often invalid.

@tomwhitby: If a kid is workin @ 100% of ability and is failin do we grade on acheivement or ability?

Traditional grades do not take into account the needs of 21^st century learners.

@edtechsteve: Redefining 21st cent success as being able to be a creative/flexible problem solver throws a wrench into grading

Alternative Grading Methods

Reshaping grading methodology in public education is impossible without also examining and reshaping traditional teaching methodologies. Most of the suggestions for alternative grading methods require teachers to change how they plan, instruct, and/or assess. Taking the risk and trying one of these new methodologies has the power to successfully transform your instructional effectiveness, student learning, and parental involvement.

Standards Based Grading

In the past few years there have been pushes in many states towards standards based grading. In fact, the district I taught for in Arizona used a F.A.M.E. scale to measure mastery of standards. Determining what mastery looks like became a subjective task for most teachers. After coming to this realizing, my district attempted to place a percentage scale on each letter grade, ultimately linking this new standards based grading system to traditional methodologies. Standards based grading like traditional grading methodologies must also include some of the following components.

Individual Learning Projects with Rubrics

Projects based learning or self-directed learning breeds life long learners and trains students how to complete real world research and tasks. Rubrics provide students with a road map for success and teachers with a more objective way to evaluate student progress. When designing rubrics, don't be too vague or it might lend itself to subjectivity. Focus on the performance, process, and progress, not solely on the final product. Check out premade rubrics or make your own for free with Rubistar.

Self-Assessed Learning Goals

Goal setting is a strategy every student needs to learn in order to be a productive adult in today's society. Students should be empowered to analyze, assess, and reflect on their progress, goals, and achievement. Have your students come up with goals - personal, academic, and creative. Motivate, encourage, and enable them by providing them with a structure for measuring, monitoring, and mastering these goals.

Observations, Anecdotal Records,  and Progress Monitoring

In most jobs performance is measured via observations, anecdotal records, and progress monitoring meetings. The teaching profession is no different. Assess your students creativity, innovation, flexibility, communication, collaboration skills, and more using these tools. Here's a tip - Create a notebook, folder, or binder with a blank page for each student. Always carry a clip board with you with sticky label paper or sticky notes. When you notice something worthy of noting, jot it down. Once a week place these stickies on the student's page. Try to make observations about each student at least once a week. These notes can be used for student feedback, parent conferences, recognition, and more. Meet with your students regularly to discuss progress and set goals.

Portfolios

Portfolios are an excellent way to document, monitor, and assess student growth. They also serve as incredible motivators which enhance student effort. Whether the portfolio is online or in files parents will love being able to physically see their student's progress. One of the challenges with reshaping traditional grading methodologies is building parent support. Parents expect grades, but a viewing, student reflection and teacher discussion of a portfolio is much more authentic and meaningful for parents. Try it at your next conference!

If you are interested in learning more about alternative grading methods, check out former blogger of the week, Joe Bower's abolish grading archives. He teaches in a school that requires grades, yet in his classroom grades are meaningless.

 

Free Educational Resources | Interactive Whiteboard Games and Lessons by Learning Today