Traditional Final Exams Are Antiquated #PBL

Do you give a cumulative final exam at the end of the school year? Is it mandated by your school? If not, why do you assess your students that way?

Final Exams and the weight they hold on final grades has been something that has bothered me for a while. At a previous school, the final exam was worth 20% of the student's overall grade. One bad exam day and, poof, there goes your average. If you have earned an A for the class, why should you have to take the exam when it only serves to penalize you for small lapses in memory or a missed bubble on a test sheet? If the final exam is designed to assess what you know and you have shown what you know throughout the year, what is the point? Regurgitating a whole year's worth of information is not a meaningful assessment of what a student knows. I gave projects as a final exam for as long as I could until I was forced to give the common final exam at my previous school. My challenge for teachers who are not required to give a common final exam is try something different.

Traditional exams fail to assess what all students know. They are great at assessing type "A" personality students who can cram for an exam, spit out the information, and then move on to the next test. The rest of us need something different. An opportunity to shine in a way that can still be assessed, but also removes the anxiety of an all or nothing exam. 

I am very lucky to be working with schools that are actively moving away from the traditional assessment approach and are embracing Project Based Learning. Teachers feel much more excited about projects than they do MC tests. The students feel the exact same way. Here are some quick start tips for those interested in using a PBL approach to the end of the year assessment. 

1. Identify the areas of growth and content you want to see in students. 

Every content area has benchmarks that we want to see students reach. Identify the most important ones and outline them clearly for the students. Provide examples of assignments and/or readings completed during the year that connect to them. 

2. Create a rubric that outlines how each benchmark can be recognized. 

Rubrics should clearly lay out each area that a student will be assessed and what is needed for the teacher to recognize their work. Rubrics are not easy to create and will take time to get just right. Do your best and talk to students to make sure nothing is vague to them. 

3. Give students the freedom to explore different mediums when creating their projects. 

The more freedom many students have, the better the projects you will receive. Some students will need very strict guidelines to follow and other will excel when given complete freedom. You know which students those are in your class. Keep that in mind while support them through the process. 

4. Give time for students to present to the class. 

Student presentations allow the teacher to assess them using the rubric and also serve as a nice review of the material covered in class. Seeing the content over and over again in different formats can really help all students retain the information. 

I have done this with my students I have received some of the very best projects I could hope for over the years. Here is one example that used interpretive dance to connect characters we encountered in our readings that year,

There are so many amazing possibilities for students if we give them a chance to showcase what they know in ways that go beyond the traditional exam. I hope more teachers out there will take a chance on doing things a little differently this year. 

If you have any questions about Project Based Learning and how you might bring it to your classroom or school, feel free to reach out to me. My Summer is filling up, but I still have space if you want to connect. 

Hugs and High Fives, 

NP

Connections #EdChat

It has been a couple of weeks of first for me this month. I went to my first in person conference in two years. For the first time in a couple of years I got on a plane to visit a school to support their work with PBL and MakerEd. It has been a very weird experience. As I reflect on what stands out most to me about these experiences it is pretty simple, Connections. 

I was excited to see so many friends at MACUL last week. These are people I hold dear to my heart and we have not been able to connect in person for so long. Sessions were great, but the connections with my friends are what really stood out. Connecting virtually is nice when you have to, but connecting face to face, that is something that is so very special. It didn't take very long for a group of us to be sitting around a table sharing the new tools we are using or the lessons we are trying out for the first time. We are friends, but we are educators always looking to share and learn as well. Those connections were so invigorating for me. I left the conference full of energy and new ideas that I was excited to share with as many people as possible. 

I am in Jacksonville, FL this week working with Assumption Catholic School on their move to a PBL focused pedagogy with an infusion of MakerEd. I've been working with them this school year virtually and this is the first time I've been able to come to the school and check things out. I have been able to visit classrooms and see teachers in action. I held an after school session for staff and talked about PBL and what it can look like for teachers and for the students. I was able to hear their stories and be inspired by the work that they are doing every day. Again, at the end of the day, it was all about the connections. Talking to these great educators has been nice and it has helped them get started on their great work, but connecting in person is boost for everyone. Deep down, we all want to connect in some way. Seeing the students have so much learning about headline writing in social studies or exploring poetry in ELA makes me so happy because the kids were so excited. 

I loved be able to present in person and see the reaction of the staff as I told stories. As a presenter, I have missed being able to "read the room" to see if I should spend more time on a topic or move a long. That connection that happens in the room if you are doing it right is so amazing and I didn't realize how much I missed it until I did for the first time after a two year break. 

There are many great benefits to learning virtually and connecting online for PD, but nothing can ever replace the value of connecting face to face with friends and friends you haven't met yet to support your learning. I look forward to a busy Summer presenting in person across the country. Please take a moment and stop and say hi if I come to your event or you see me at ISTE. I'd love to connect and learn with you. 

If you are looking for PD and support as your school explores PBL and/or MakerEd, reach out to me and we can see how we can connect to make that happen. 

Hugs and High Fives, 

Nick

The Ed of #MakerEd

When MakerEd is talked about, there is a heavy focus on the Maker part and not so much on the Ed part. I know I am guilty of this. I think it has lots to do with the fact that the Maker part is something that is easy to share. I can showcase the thing I built or the projects the students have built, while the education part often goes unseen. As I've been thinking about MakerEd and how important it is for schools to explore and integrate the ideas into their learning culture, I wanted to make sure that I share the education side of MakerEd in the hopes to convince more people of the value of this approach in the classroom. Part of that is looking at the research and I found a great website that has links to a variety of educational studies that explore the impact on MakerEd in the classroom. 

Makers Empire is a company that makes a 3D design software that supports digital making. Through their website, I found a page dedicated to MakerEd research. Check out the Research page here. There are lots of great articles and links here, but I wanted to share some that stood out to me. 

Here is a wonderful article on The Maker Movement in Education. It was published in the Harvard Educational Review and here is a synopsis,

"In this essay, Erica Halverson and Kimberly Sheridan provide the context for research on the maker movement as they consider the emerging role of making in education. The authors describe the theoretical roots of the movement and draw connections to related research on formal and informal education. They present points of tension between making and formal education practices as they come into contact with one another, exploring whether the newness attributed to the maker movement is really all that new and reflecting on its potential pedagogical impacts on teaching and learning."

The interesting points are the one on the tension seen as MakerEd and formal, or traditional, education collide. This is something that I have seen first hand with my work with schools. It is tough to bring teachers to the table to explore new concepts in pedagogy because it is hard for teachers to not feel like they are being pushed into another program that may not be helpful or even supported long term. The pushback is very real and it is something that educators need to be aware of if there is going to be a push to integrate MakerEd into the classroom. 

The other part that I noticed was the idea that MakerEd is not actually a new idea. One of the things I love to point out is how Kindergarten teachers have been Maker teachers longer than anyone. The idea of learning through making and play is ingrained in the PreK and K curriculums around the country. As a society, we recognize the value of this in our early education systems, but move away when it becomes time for college prep or high school prep. The difference between the two approaches can be seen as night and day. One focuses on creativity and learning through the process and the other is more focused on rote memorization and test taking. This approach was great for churning out people to work factories, but it is not helpful in supporting creative minds, problem solving, and critical thinking skills. 

I encourage all of you to take the time to read the article and check out some of the other research on MakerEd to better understand why MakerEd should have a place in schools as we look to a variety of approaches to support a diverse group of student learners. 

Hugs and high fives, 

The Nerdy Teacher

Mistakes As Part Of The Process #PBL #MakerEd #PBL

It is so tough trying to convince students that mistakes are part of the process of learning. I have found that the older the students are, the more fearful they are of mistakes. The same is true for teachers as well. 

It took me so long to be comfortable to make mistakes in front of my students. As teacher who has dyslexia, writing on the board caused me tremendous anxiety because I was afraid to spell things wrong. As an English teacher, it was very embarrassing. Students seem to never pass on a chance to point out a teacher error. I would turn bright red and correct the mistake. I would be anxious the rest of the day. The only way to overcome this would be up front with my dyslexia with the students and let them know in advance that I will be making mistakes and mistakes are ok as long as we are willing to learn from them. The first year I did this, students were super accepting. Some even said they deal with the same issue and it was nice to see a teacher be honest about it. It lifted a weight off my shoulders and some weight of the shoulders of my students. 

I decided to extend that approach to admitting to mistakes to all parts of my class. Telling students that there are going to be times where I misspeak, say something incorrectly, or I might be flat out wrong. Being wrong is just part of the process. I don't know everything, I don't expect them to know everything, and we will support one another when we make mistakes in class. By focusing on creating an environment where mistakes are ok by modeling what that looks like, students felt more comfortable making those mistakes. 

Students in my design class were reflecting on a project and a student was really hard on themself for doing their design over multiple times because it was not working they way they wanted. They thought that was a negative thing and I had to remind them it was the opposite of that. Going forward with a design you do not think is right is way worse than going back to the drawing board multiple times. It shows that you are committed to getting it done correctly and not just getting it done. 

The fear of making mistakes and the fear of failure is very real. The first step that teachers can take to create an environment that supports failure and mistakes as part of the process is to admit to the class that they will make mistakes. After that, it is supporting students when they make their mistakes and guiding them through the process of reflecting on those mistakes and how they can learn from them. 

Hugs and High Fives, 

The Nerdy Teacher

Student Agency in Project Based Learning #PBL

One of the things that is hardest for any teacher that is trying to infuse more project based learning into their classroom is giving up some amount of control. The traditional model of education has the teacher with all of the control. They will decide what the students will learn, when they will learn it, and how they will learn it. It was how we were taught in school and how many of us were taught how to teach. The traditional lesson plan sheet is designed to give the teacher all of the control.

This document is the perfect example of how much control a teacher has in the traditional classroom learning model. While there are important times for the teacher to be the sage on the stage to lay out the big ideas for the students, there is space for the students to start to take ownership of how they want to engage with the content. 

When students have agency, voice and choice, they will be more engaged. Student agency is key for a successful implementation of project based learning. The more choice that a student has in the process, the more likely they are to engage in the entire learning process. 

Implementing Project Based Learning is not something that happens overnight and is perfectly implemented with every lesson. There are going to be growing pains and mistakes. That is to be expected and is part of the process. I have found that being open and honest with the students about the implementation process actually helps because their feedback on how the lesson went is wonderfully helpful. 

I encourage all teachers to take a look at their lessons this year and see how you might turn one into a project based learning focused lesson that gives more agency to the students. I think you will see how engaged and excited they are to dive into content in ways that are meaningful to them. 

I hope all of you are having a great school year so far. 

Virtual Hugs and High Fives, 

The Nerdy Teacher

Project Based Learning Q&A #PBL

I've decided to start a series of posts based on the common questions I get from teachers about Project Based Learning. There are some commons problems that teachers encounter when using PBL in the classroom and I thought I would help address them. Also, there are some misconceptions about PBL that some teachers have that prevent them from embracing it in their classroom. I will also talk about those and hopefully clear up confusion about them. 

Problem #1

"I feel like I don't have anything to do when students are working on their projects."

There is this feeling that teachers that use PBL in the classroom are not "doing" as much as teachers using a traditional lecture approach to instruction. This is both correct and incorrect. During PBL in the classroom, you should not be spending much time lecturing. In a sense, you are doing less in terms of lecturing and that is why it might feel like you are not doing as much. 

During PBL time in the classroom, since the teacher time is not dedicated to lecture, it should be dedicated to engagement and conferencing. While it might not be possible to conference with every student in one class period, it is possible over multiple periods. Start with the students who might need more attention and work your way around the room. The conversations are good for helping students fine-tune their project or get support in other ways from the teacher. It is also an opportunity for the teacher to get to know the students a little better as they explain their approach to the project. You will find that you are busier checking in with all of these students than just standing and talking to the class for an entire period. 

The difference in these two approaches is they type of engagement that happens in the classroom. 

The teacher speaking and the students listening is passive engagement. Even then, you cannot be sure if a student is even passively engaged because they might be looking at you, but you can't be sure their focus is on what is being said. Passive engagement does not work for many students. They need something more from the class if they are going to be successful. 

When the students are working and the teacher is moving around the room, you have active engagement. Students are researching, designing, building, and are otherwise engaged in different ways. The teacher is physically moving around the room and engaging in conversations with students to learn about their projects and offer support as needed. You can see if students are actively engaged because they will be doing something or talking directly to you. 

Project Based Learning is about giving the students the chance to explore and learn in ways that are meaningful to them. As a teacher, it is important to fight the urge to just become a passive member of the classroom during this time. Get up and engage the students in their work and you will find that you are "busier" than the times you lectured for the class. 

Come back and check out new posts on PBL. If you have a PBL questions, send it to me and I could make it the next post! You can find me on Twitter and Instagram @TheNerdyTeacher. 

Makerspaces in a post COVID world #MakerEd #PBL

As March comes to a close, some schools are starting to think about what the 2021-2022 school year is going to like for their students. One of the things that I hope sticks around is how many teachers embraced Project Based Learning as a strong pedagogical approach to learning during the pandemic. I have been lucky to work with different teachers across the the country that have embraced PBL and have seen the benefits it has for their students. The big questions is, "How do we maintain this positive movement into the next school year?" I think this is where an investment in makerspaces can be a great idea. 

If your school has embraced PBL, focusing on creating a space that supports these teachers and students is a wonderful way to keep the momentum. With teachers and students being able to work more closely next year, there will be a surge in possible project ideas that need to be supported. Having a dedicated space that would allow for a wide variety of projects would be great. By adding tools to a space, teachers will be able to expand the possible project offerings to students. If students have more freedom to choose their projects, having access to a larger variety of tools will help bring equity across the board. Having worked with schools that have built spaces to support PBL, I know what it is like to see students and teachers become more engaged in the process of learning with the addition of these learning spaces and the tools in them. Striking while the iron is hot is crucial. 

If you are a teacher that is excited about the strides you and your colleagues have made during the pandemic and you want to keep the great work going, I suggest you explore the plausibility of makerspaces in your school. There is so much that can be done to support students and their ideas when they have access to a makerspace. Some schools will look at the 21-22 school year as a chance to return to "normal". Other, more progressive schools, will look at the 21-22 school year as a chance to fix some of the problems that became glaring during the pandemic. Dedicating time and resources to support a positive change in instruction and learning is the best thing we can do moving forward. I have seen what a makerspace can do for students pre-pandemic and I know it will be a difference maker post-pandemic. 

If you are interested in exploring makerspaces and have questions, I'd love to connect and help in anyway that I can. If you have worked on setting up makerspaces, I'd love to connect and see what we can learn from one another. 

Have a wonderful day everyone!

Minecraft and Literature #MakerEd #PBL

 I wanted to share a fun project that I created for my students when I had to be out of class for a couple of days. My middle school design students were working on a Design Thinking project, but could not work on it because the world was with me on my computer. I needed something for them to do that would have them think and create. It came to me quickly and I think it is going to turn out wonderfully. 

I gave students links to "The Raven" and "A Tell-Tale Heart". I like Poe and these were chosen for that reason and that they are both very short. I wanted students to be able to listen/read them in class. I used the YouTube videos of Christopher Lee reading them and you can find them both below. 

 

After reading/listening to these two pieces, students have to choose a scene from each that stood out to them and design a version of it in Minecraft. Students would start with a paper design and then move to Minecraft Education Edition to fully flesh out their design. They would post their design and multiple images of their completed build in SeeSaw with explanations of why they chose the scene and how they built it. Here is the example I created for the students to see what I was looking for from them. 

My sketch is very rough, but it conveyed the idea I had. 

I really thought I did a good job showcasing the eye here. 

The full scene from afar. 

If you want to see my SeeSaw post, you can check it out here. 

These students are very gifted builders and I can't wait to see what they can create using Minecraft Education Edition. I think this is a great way to allow students to demonstrate understanding and meaning of texts in a way that is comfortable to them. Imagine students building entire towns or homes of characters and explaining their symbolic value in the story. Themes, motifs, symbols, characterization, and much more could be discussed in depth through their creations. I think there is so much here worth exploring and I would love to hear how other ELA teachers are using Minecraft to connect their students to the reading. Tweet or tag me @TheNerdyTeacher and we can connect!