Learning in the 21st Century:Alignment, Engagement, Adjustment, & Relationships

Prepared especially for the

Constitution Elementary & Sunrise ElementaryProfessional Learning Networks

by Daniel Mulligan, Ed. D.August 2010

Give One … Get One … On the back of your handout, write one

essential understanding that is an intended outcome of the PBL developed last spring. Think and be creative.

When signaled, circulate the room to meet a colleague from your sister school. Tell one good thing about your summer, then give him/her your answer to the first question and get their answer.

You need a total of 2 answers. You may not get more than one idea from an individual. When you have completed your task, return to your seat.

Enjoy!

Premise of the WorkshopAs the United States continues to compete in a

global  economy that demands innovation, the U.S. education system must equip students with the

four Cs:1. critical thinking and problem solving,2. communication, 3. collaboration, and 4. creativity and innovation.

"For as long as assessment is viewed as something we do ’after’ teaching and learning are over, we will

fail to greatly improve student performance, regardless of how well or how poorly students are

currently taught or motivated."Grant Wiggins, 1998

The Great Marshmallow

ChallengeUnobtrusive Assessment

Build the Tallest Freestanding Structure:

The winning team is the one that has the tallest structure measured from the table top surface to the top of the marshmallow. That means

the structure cannot be suspended from a higher structure, like a chair, ceiling or chandelier.

Things to Understand Build the Tallest Freestanding Structure: The winning team is the one

that has the tallest structure measured from the table top surface to the top of the marshmallow. That means the structure cannot be suspended from a higher structure, like a chair, ceiling or chandelier.

The Entire Marshmallow Must be on Top: The entire marshmallow needs to be on the top of the structure. Cutting or eating part of the marshmallow disqualifies the team. 

Use as Much or as Little of the Kit: The team can use as many or as few of the 20 spaghetti sticks, as much or as little of the string or tape. The team cannot use the bag as part of their structure.

Break up the Spaghetti, String or Tape: Teams are free to break the spaghetti, cut up the tape and string to create new structures.

The Challenge Lasts 18 minutes: Teams cannot hold on to the structure when the time runs out. Those touching or supporting the structure at the end of the exercise will be disqualified.

Ensure Everyone Understands the Rules: Don’t worry about repeating the rules too many times. Repeat them at least three times. Ask if anyone has any questions before starting.

AND THE

TALLEST STRUCTURE IS

The FINDINGS Kids do Better than Business Students: On virtually every measure of

innovation, kindergarteners create taller and more interesting structures.

Prototyping Matters: The reason kids do better than business school students is kids spend more time playing and prototyping. They naturally start with the marshmallow and stick in the sticks. The Business School students spend a vast amount of time planning, then executing on the plan, with almost no time to fix the design once they put the marshmallow on top.

The Marshmallow is a Metaphor for the Hidden Assumptions of a Project: The assumption in the Marshmallow Challenge is that marshmallows are light and fluffy and easily supported by the spaghetti sticks. When you actually try to build the structure, the marshmallows don’t seem so light. The lesson in the marshmallow challenge is that we need to identify the assumptions in our project – what students must know and be able to do, how we will know when they understand it, what we will do if they do not understand it, what we will do when they understand it, the real student needs - and assess them early and often. That’s the mechanism that leads to effective assessment innovation.

Establishing Aligned

Curriculum

Creating Differentiated

Learning

Creating Valid and Reliable Assessment

Category Ave. Effect

Size (ES)

Percentile Gain

Identify similarities & differences

1.61 45

Summarizing & note taking 1.00 34Reinforcing effort & providing recognition

.80 29

Homework & practice .77 28Nonlinguistic representations .75 27Cooperative learning .73 27*Setting objectives & providing feedback*

.61 23

Generating & testing hypotheses .61 23Questions, cues, & advance organizers

.59 22

SAMPLEPre-

assessmentthat includes differentiation

WHAT’S MY RULE?Theme: Geometry

YES NoTriangle CubeRectangle PyramidSquare PentagonQuadrilateral Octagon

Rule: Plane figures with less than 5 sides.

50 POINTS 50 POINTS 50 POINTS

100 POINTS 100 POINTS

200 POINTS

Governor of ArizonaJan Brewer

Organizing Theme:Things someone would say…

President of North Korea

Kim Jong-il

Lady GaGaGeneral Stanley McChrystal

Vice PresidentJoe Biden

CEO of BPTony Hayward

FAMOUS PEOPLE SUMMER

2010Edition

Page 14EL #2

(*also, BL)

50 POINTS 50 POINTS 50 POINTS

100 POINTS 100 POINTS

200 POINTS

Health/PE

Wellness

Equipment

Body Mass

Nutrition

EnduranceMovement

50 POINTS 50 POINTS 50 POINTS

100 POINTS 100 POINTS

200 POINTS

FINE ARTS

ILLUSION ARCHITECTURE

VISUAL

COMPOSER

MELODY

RHYTHM

Essential questions of a Professional Learning Community

What is it we expect them to learn?

How will we know when they have learned it?

How will we respond when they don’t learn?

How will we respond when they already know it?

Summative ResultsDo your results meet or exceed your SMART goals?

Assessment Tool

Do you need to repeat the learning cycle?

RTI Enrichments

What will you do if they already know it?

RTI InterventionsWhat will you do if they don’t know it?

Assessment Tool

How will you know that they know it?

Standards

What do you want all students to know and be able to do?

Systemizing the Learning Process

Number of Assessments Effect Size Percentile Gain

0 0 01 0.34 13.55 0.53 20.0

10 0.60 22.515 0.66 24.520 0.71 26.025 0.78 28.530 0.82 29.0

Achieved Gain Associated with NumberOf Assessments

Effect sizes are from data reported by Bangert-Drowns, Kulik & Kulik, 1991

• Complete data analysis• Compare data to

predictions• Summarize what

was learned

• What changes are to be made?

• Next cycle?• Adopt, adapt, or abandon??

• Carry out the plan• Document

problems• and unexpected• observations• Begin analysis• of the data

• Objective• Questions and predictions

(why)• Plan to carry out the cycle

(who, what, where, when)

Plan DoStud

y

Act

SMART Goals

S – Specific

M – Measureable

A – Attainable

R – Realistic

T – Time-Bound Goals

Review Student

Performance Data

KNOW THE TARGET

Determine Programmatic Instructional

Strengths and Weaknesses

KNOW THE TARGET

Determine Programmatic Instructional

Strengths and Weaknesses

Great Sites for Imageshttp://www.teachers.ash.org.au/jeather/maths/

dictionary2.swf

“The real voyage of discovery exists not in seeking new lands but rather in seeing with new

eyes.”~Victoria Bernard

HTTP://WWW.ADE.AZ.GOV/STANDARDS/Determine

Programmatic Instructional

Strengths and Weaknesses

Working in 2 person teams:

1. Study the appropriate released AIMS test items in mathematics.

2. Review your grade-level academic standards in mathematics.

3. Identify concepts that form the foundation for skills necessary to be successful with AIMS. (Consider if these skills can be taught differently.)

4. Prepare to share with the team.

5. Enjoy working with your peers.

Go to: http://www.ade.az.gov/Select: Standards and AssessmentSelect: Mathematics Resource PageSelect: AIMS Sample TestsScroll to: AIMS Mathematics Sample Tests and Think-ThroughsSelect the appropriate test.

NUTS TO YOUPASS

NOTPASS

EXCEEDS

MEETS

APPROACHING

BELOW

rubistar.4teachers.org

STAGE 2Develop an outline of an assessment that will provide evidence of student understanding of one of the concepts identified in stage 1.

What will you accept as evidence of understanding that is:a. far below; b. approaching; c. meeting; d. exceedingthat which is required of the standard.

Prepare to share your assessment with your grade-level PLC.

TAKING IT TO THE NEXT LEVELStrategies to Target Improve Learning and

Understanding

Data Walls (Boards)

Student Portfolios

Student-led Conferences

Research Best

Practices

STAGE 3page 3 & 4 powerteachers.net

STAGE 4

Following are some suggestions: A table of contents Solutions to difficult problems that detail problem-solving abilities The use of mathematics in another discipline Problems created by the student An example of the student's group activity A written report on a major topic in math The student's written account of his or her growth in mathematics Responses to challenging questions and problems A written explanation of the contents of the portfolio

http://www.kids-learn.org/

STAGE 5

Research Best

Practices

Category Ave. EffectSize (ES)

Percentile Gain

Identify similarities & differences 1.61 45

Summarizing & note taking 1.00 34

Reinforcing effort & providing recognition

.80 29

Homework & practice .77 28

Nonlinguistic representations .75 27

Cooperative learning .73 27

*Setting objectives & providing feedback*

.61 23

Generating & testing hypotheses .61 23

Questions, cues, & advance organizers .59 22

STAGE 2

Working in 2 person teams:

1. Study at the released AIMS test items in mathematics.

2. Study your grade-levels academic standards in mathematics.

3. Identify concepts that form the foundation for skills necessary to be successful with AIMS that can be taught differently.

4. Prepare to share with the team.

5. Enjoy working with your peers.

Develop School

Improvement Objectives

SMART Goals

S – Specific

M – Measureable

A – Attainable

R – Realistic

T – Time-Bound Goals

SMART GOALSAs a grade-level PLC, develop a

series of 3 – 5 SMART GOALS for this year.