The Rookery

Test Prep at Prairie Creek

Testing season is almost upon us - and, as always, it is ironically juxtaposed with Honoring Week where our children truly demonstrate their learning.  I feel very grateful that I'm at a school in which test prep is put in what I consider its proper perspective.  We don't ignore the tests - it would be inhumane to spring them on our children without any preparation.  Instead, we'll spend about an hour getting acclimated to the format of the reading test and then we'll take it. The same for the math (with some additional vocabulary review.) In some districts, test prep takes up the month before the test.  In others, it's replaced the curriculum entirely.

Test prep for us begins by talking about the purpose of the MCAs.  The state needs a way to make sure that schools are teaching kids.  It's not O.K. for students to spend time in schools where learning isn't taking place.  Unfortunately, the state needs to find a very inexpensive way to make sure schools are teaching.  It's relatively cheap for them to sit all the kids in the state down in front of a computer to answer multiple choice questions.  It would be very expensive for them to send a representative to watch all of the honors project presentations.  In fact, the MCA used to have open ended responses where kids were asked to write sentences to explain their thinking -- they cost too much to score even though they provide valuable insights.  So we help the students understand the context for the test and why one should do one's best on it.  We also put it in perspective -- it's an imperfect measure of a small part of what learning is at Prairie Creek.

Then we talk about some test taking strategies so that you can do your best work on tests:

1. Relax and have fun.  We share ways that they can give themselves physical breaks as well as ways to calm down when they don't know an answer right away. We tell them to plaster fake smiles on their faces if need be because activating the smile muscles sends relaxing signals to the brain (even if you're faking it.)  We keep a spirit of fun in our test prep.
2. Get interested and puzzle it out.  We give them techniques they can use to puzzle out the answer to an unfamiliar (at first) question.  Without guidance, students see questions as black and white - they either get it or they don't.  We teach students to eliminate answers that don't fit, use clues from other questions to help out, look for patterns in the answers that could be clues to the meaning of the question.  We model how to parse out what a question might mean based on context.  We stress the importance of engaging with what you're doing - especially for the reading test.  Being interested in what you're reading can give you a huge comprehension (and confidence) boost.
3. Know what to expect - many schools begin test prep in January (or earlier), going over practice test after practice test.  We believe it's useful for students to know the format of the tests and be familiar with the different kinds of questions they might encounter (many questions involve students moving information around or clicking multiple correct answers instead of the traditional multiple choice.)  We spend about one class period having the students practice navigating and answering the reading test and then another having them try out the sample math test.
4. Be smart - check your work, use your tools - On line tests have tools that can support students' work.  We make sure students know how to use these tools and we remind them to use them.  Checking work is crucial and we have students use scrap paper to record the computations they make for the math.  We also have students jot down quick notes during the reading test - mainly as a way to reinforce slowing down when reading on a screen.

These four simple guidelines can help students learn to see themselves as good test takers (which goes a long way to helping them be good test takers.  And these strategies work for every test -- the MCA, ACT, SAT, GRE, LSAT.  In our world, this is one way that we are measured and it helps to feel comfortable in that situation.  The important thing is that our kids feel comfortable displaying their knowledge in a variety of ways -- even when that way is imperfect. 

The More Things Change...

Today's New York Times had an essay  by Angela Duckworth about character education.  She, along with Carol Dweck, a major proponent of the "growth mindset," have been leading voices in the recent conversation about developing "grit," resilience and character in schools.

At Prairie Creek character education is nothing new.  The focus on social curriculum was a part of the founders' vision.  The "Habits of Mind" have helped us guide conversation and goals with students for the past fourteen years.  We have been excited to see the topic receive more attention in the media and in schools.  We know, deep down, that addressing only the academic needs of students leaves them ill prepared to be contributing, successful citizens as adults.

But, as Duckworth outlines in her essay, as character education has gained favor in schools, there has also been a push to measure outcomes.  It's hard enough to design a good measure of complex skills like reading comprehension or math problem solving...but how do you measure something like resilience?

The answer is observation, conversation and knowing a child.  By spending two years with a child, I am able to develop a deep understanding of how they currently approach challenges or how they handle failure.  When I sit down to help a a student set goals for herself, I can use specific observations of her work to help suggest Habits of Mind that are current opportunities for growth.  

The attempts at standardized measurements for "soft" skills like "grit" or engagement are lacking at best and often, sadly, laughable.  Many are well meaning but ask students to answer such questions as "I find good ways to deal with things that are hard in my life." or "I think it is important to help other people." (Both of these are from a tool called the "Developmental Assets Profile")  We've administered this survey as part of Northfield Promise and the results are just for information gathering.  But it is obvious to students what the "right" answer is.  

On an earlier iteration of the survey, students were asked if they had a "best friend" and one student raised her hand and shared she knew that the survey "thought that was a good thing" but that she thought it was better to have several close friends instead of relying on just one and did I think she should answer that she had a best friend because that would show that she knew friendship was important?

8% of our fifth graders (that's two students, by the way) replied "Not at all or Rarely" to the statement "I say no to tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs."  Hmmm...it's my guess that they don't say "Yes" to drugs and alcohol all the time but rather aren't offered them regularly and therefore say neither "Yes" nor "no."  Fifth graders are still pretty literal - and double negatives are tough for all of us to weed through.

The challenges confronting anyone who wants to use these tools to hold schools "accountable" are obvious.  In Minnesota we don't, as yet, have an MCA to "ensure" that our growth mindset curriculum is effective.  However, we are mandated to use "student engagement data" as a part of our teacher evaluations.  The argument is usually, "how can you improve what you don't measure?"

Of course, the argument is flawed.  You can measure or know things in a variety of ways.  A clumsy questionnaire is no substitute for a conversation.  As a teacher, I learn so much more from an interaction than from a percentile.  The very social skills these surveys purport to measure are the ones they are lacking.

 

Pi and Sci

Our trip to the science center was great.  For the first part of our trip we focussed on rivers and then had time for exploration of other parts of the museum.  The Herons were far from done with their field trip when it was time for us to board the bus.  One fourth grader asked if we could sleep over the next time we went.  We talked before we went about the importance of slowing down and thinking about the exhibits instead of just pressing buttons wildly and moving on to the "next thing."  The herons took that message to heart and responded to much of what they saw with wonder, awe and understanding.  For me, a highlight was watching them scour a giant photo of the Mississippi River to find a variety of river formations.  

Shane, one of our naturalists at Wolf Ridge, spoke to the Herons about the wonder he felt when he realized how full the world was of things to be interested in.  We had just spent three hours peering at the micro world of lichens and then, as we made our way across a lake, turned to look at a cliff side full of the tiny worlds we had just marveled at.  While the Science Museum was, perhaps, less majestic and symbolic in scope, it was another illustration of how much more we can learn if we look a little more closely.  The Herons did a wonderful job of this.

Many thanks to Stephen, Mija and Alex who chaperoned and who helped the Herons find new things to wonder at.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pi Day 2016 was a huge success.  Students discovered pi, learned the history of pi, made pi chains, wore pi armour (which was an elaborate joke related in some way to, "Surender or pi!", listened to pi rap and, of course, memorized more digits of pi than will ever be needed, even if they find themselves stuck on Mars and have to program a rocket to launch them back to Earth.  In a heartbreaker, two Herons placed in the top three pi reciters but we didn't have the 133 digits it would have taken to best a Kestrel contestant.  This makes the fourth Kestrel victory in a row.  Fourth graders, we're due.

Why pi?  There are those who will argue that other ratios are more interesting.  However, if you take a string and place it across a circle, triple it and then wrap it almost all the way around the circle -- you will delight your 4th or 5th grader.  It's pretty cool that, no matter the circle, it's always three diameters (and a about 14/100ths more) to get around that circle.  And then there's the fact that the exact ratio goes on forever and never follows a pattern.  Never?  Never.  (Although that certitude has not stopped the occasional Heron from trying to find a pattern.)  Finally, there's the sheer fun and joy of it.  I liken it to studying Shakespeare - does any single person truly under

The Knights who say, "Pi!"

Discovering pi by measuring the circumference and dividing by the diameter

Making pi chains

Reciting Pi

March Madness - In Many Different Ways

 

Treasure hunting.

I need to be up front.  I would like to keep this class for at least five more months.  We have a lot that we need to get to and our "to do" list seems to grow every day.  Right now, here are the topics that have come up in the past month that at least half the class has said we have to study: Shakespeare, Ancient Greece (or Rome), poop, March Mammal Madness (more on this later), building a bridge across the creek, creating a green roof, putting on a play, circuits, space/stars, making a new calendar, dropping eggs off the roof, hosting a café/coffee house, making a word market, pi, catapults, lichen, writing a play, and making a cartoon book of idioms.  It's very exciting to be a part of the Herons right now - and a little overwhelming.  After all, these are things they want to do on top of their projects (which will be presented in three short school weeks).

 

The aim of a progressive classroom is to create a culture and an environment in which students are brimming with questions and empowered to find answers.  To that end, we try to fill the classroom with intriguing books.  We have (seemingly) random cool "stuff" around.  We build in time for conversation so that ideas can sprout.  When everything is going as it should, it can feel a bit like surfing on a wave.  It can also feel busy.

So, what have we been up to?

Introductions and Conclusions - introductions and conclusions are often the most challenging part of writing anything.  For that reason, we advise students to create the middle of their writing first.  Sometimes, we use a metaphor of a giant sandwich with buns on the top and bottom to keep the meaty (or veggie-burger) middle contained.  They organize their information and write it out in paragraphs before they tackle how to lead their reader into the writing.

This week we read many different kinds of introductions, analyzed them for the author's "moves" and categorized them.  Several students were ready to write their conclusions and began to read examples from alumni honor projects and our model texts.  We gathered as a class to listen to what they found and come up with different approaches to conclusions. I then created a brainstorming sheet they could use based on the categories they developed (how you have been changed, lingering questions, the future of the topic, why the topic is important, closing snapshot).  It was great work and we have shared our sheet with the Robins and Kestrels.

Rockets and Variables - In the past week we have been designing straw rockets, testing them and modifying our designs.  The engineering design cycle was familiar to the Herons from our work in coding. Once each pair had a final design, we tested the affect of changing the force of launch and then the angle of the launch.  As you have seen from our science homework, the ideas of changing one variable at a time is key to careful science.  Students graphed their results for each experiment and identified the patterns they saw.  We also talked about what to do when a piece of data didn't match the pattern (retry that experiment to see if you got the same thing, hypothesize why it might be different.)  Our final challenge in this mini-unit will be to see what percentage of the class rockets can reach a target given three tries.

 

A number talk that shows the sun streak. (The number talk is interesting, too.)

The Sun and Seasons - Last October, we observed a ray of sun traveling down our whiteboard and we recorded its placement throughout the morning.  Recently, we looked at sunrise and sunset patterns and realized that they were symmetrical.  The Herons used that fact to predict when the sun would match back up with our observations from October.  We expected a match on March 3 or 4 at 7:56 in the morning.  Sadly...it was cloudy both days.  When we checked earlier in the week, the sun shafts seemed to be longer and lower than what we were expecting.  Sometimes I know what is going on, but stand to the side as the Herons figure things out...sometimes (my favorite times) I'm not sure what's going on and we get to hypothesize together.  We don't yet have an answer for our sun shaft mystery and I welcome your thoughts.  Why don't our observations seem symmetrical?

 

 

March Mammal Madness - Back by popular demand, the Herons are filling out brackets for March Mammal Madness.  Hosted and organized by a group of biologists, people all over the country pick which animal's adaptations would best their opponent's.  The conversations we are having are ridiculous and hysterical - but the science is solid.  We are trying to decide on a class bracket.  Two people can speak for each animal in a match and then we pick our projected winner by voting.  Recently one student defended the Thor Hero Shrew, "It has a backbone that is four times stronger than a human's.  And shrews have insane metabolism.  Two shrews were put in a cage and they ate like, everything and then one shrew ate the other and it still died from starvation.  They have sharp teeth and can chew through anything...skin, bone!"  The class still voted for the giant panda to win -- "The panda will just sit on it."  "Pandas are surprisingly aggressive..."  As silly as it sounds, the herons are doing a lot of thinking about adaptations and recognizing the diversity that is key to sustaining an ecosystem.  Get in on the fun at our Google Doc.

Arcadia's Stefanie Hero - on Friday we were treated to a performance of Stefanie Hero by Arcadia's middle school theater group.  It was a lot of fun to see so many former Prairie Creekers shining on stage.  Bob Gregory-Bjorkland's promenade staging was, as always, innovative and kept the 4/5s on their toes as actors charged through the middle of the ever-moving audience.