Formative Culture: If You Don't Try It, You'll Never Know (Part 2)

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If You Don't Try It, You'll Never Know (Part 2: The Playlist)

Submitted by Jenna McKeel, Director of School Improvement

Hello readers! Me again. I want to jog your memory to Part 1 of this post. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I must reiterate how thankful I am that this teacher put confidence in me to take over her class. As I continue to reflect on my experience in Kaitlin Tart’s 5th Grade Math and Science class at Benson Middle School, I cannot help but think about the playlist!

A curriculum playlist is a system to match student interests with content and learning experiences that will best ensure mastery of curricular learning targets. To execute our curriculum playlist plan, Kaitlin and I met to discuss curriculum topics and classroom logistics. This info was then processed through the lens of the True Colors Personality Test (for kids). We were both excited to see how this instruction would pan out.

It was the weekend. I had big plans to hang out with two of my friends… Google and Pinterest! I spent time researching and looking for examples of playlists and activities to incorporate to fulfill the diverse personalities of the class. Monday morning came. I was nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.

Where Things Failed

In Planning

1. I spent too much time looking for fluffy things on Pinterest and Google and very little time on what mastery looked like for the day’s content.

2. I spent no time assessing rigor of the content included in the playlist.

In Implementation

1. Students were thrown into a new form of instruction with no opportunity for initial input in this process.

2. A bit more whole group instruction would not have been a BAD thing.

What I Learned from the Failures Above

In Planning

1. Fluffy things can be great, especially when it comes to ideas for engaging students. However, planning time should be spent more wisely in the standards breakdown. I looked at the standard itself, but I did not unpack to discover what mastery TRULY looked like.

2. Since I did not spend much time at all reviewing the standards, playlist rigor was sub-par at best. Questioning was very surface level. I am not sure the informal formative assessment generated REALLY provided evidence of mastery.

In Implementation

1. The goal is student ownership… If students do not get to experience it, they are not going to own it. There was not enough opportunity for student input in this shifting process. Though many enjoyed this lesson, I am certain many had some valid opportunities for improvement. Had they opportunity to own more of the experience, and provide input into creating it, "enjoyment" would have shifted to more authentic learning.

2. Clarity is a teacher’s best friend. We packed the playlist with a lot of tasks and information and just began rolling. There was no time left to provide appropriate clarity. This was where whole group instruction should have come into play - even for just a few moments to provide students with direction and connections. Whole group instruction is not the enemy; lecture is the enemy (but that is a different can of worms...for another time).

Formative Assessment Benefits

We utilized a free digital tool found at https://goformative.com. The tool allows you to track progress of every student in live time. This allowed for immediate feedback and intervention with individual students.

See sample of student work viewed in live time @ goformative.com above.

Final Takeaways

In Bray and McClaskey’s Personalization v. Differentiation V. Individualization Chart, I was able to self assess where instruction was that day. The lesson was differentiation, at best. It allowed me to make a realistic conclusion that the learning was not going to be “personalized” overnight.

But this endeavor was not an epic failure. Not even close... There were several celebrations:

Both Ms. Tart and I had numerous opportunities to work one-on-one with students in this environment.
There were several opportunities to build relationships with the students.
The formative assessment process was sound enough that we were able to provide immediate feedback to the students.
The kids were ENGAGED… and excited to learn.
I look at standards differently… with more intentionality.

A final take away and perhaps the biggest take away did not come from this classroom experience. Rather, it came from the reflection after this experience. Reflection fuels change. I could encourage you to try something new in your classroom. But I would rather you consider joining me in reflection on daily instructional practices. Reflection sparks intentional change… impactful change… change that sticks, for a lifetime.