Post on 16-Dec-2015
Personalized Purple Circles
Self-sufficient Workstations for Developing Competencies
Wynanne Watts, CS Des Samarres
Frédéric Bédard, Collège Saint-Bernard
Set up a Purple Circle
Teacher... Prepares 7 independent workstations
• on the same theme • of the same length • using clearly written instructions
7 independent workstations
Each developing... •cross-curricular competencies •accountability: individual and group •strategies •paper trail for portfolios •multiple intelligences
Students
• cooperative groups of 4 • Materials Manager • are shown why and how• become aware of the expectations
What students are expected to do
•prepare •demonstrate understanding •carry out meaningful tasks
HOW?
What and HowCross-Curricular Competencies
CC - to use information – Computer Corner, Science Laboratory
CC - to exercise critical judgement – Co-op Survival
CC - to adopt effective work methods: manages his/her materials and time and adjusts actions as required – all stations
Integrated transfer
How what students learn in the Purple Circle relates to their own lives and to other aspects of academic learning: geography, history, sciences, drama, arts, use of ICTs,...
=
Concrete, long-lasting learning!
AdvantagesFor the teacher...
- Quality time to get to know and help each student / team - Pedagogically gratifying - You get to sit down and observe!
AdvantagesFor the students...
- Develop interdependence, accountability and autonomy - Explore a broad variety of intelligences - Long-lasting learning and transfer from a broad variety of academic subjects
Potential problems
- Staying on task: the road to autonomy is a long one sometimes... - Noise - We don’t understand : how to write clear instructions (vocab and layout) - Technical breakdowns - We’re finished : stations of unequal lengths
It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.
-Albert Einstein