Don't Cancel Reflection Time #EdChat #PBLChat

One of the things that is so easy to cut when crunched for minutes is the time and space for reflection. We do this for ourselves as educators and we do this for students as well. Sometimes we ask students to reflect at home, knowing that many of them will not do this. Reflection is an important part of the learning process and it should be the last thing that is cut when completing work. As teachers, we need to build in reflection time for ourselves and for our students. 

The other part that can make reflection kind of tough is remembering what you thought about a lesson the next school year. You try to leave notes for yourself, but sometimes cannot make heads or tails of what you meant when you wrote, "Think bigger and smaller at the same time!" (Note: I actually found a note like that once to myself a year later and have no idea what I was trying to tell myself.) Reflection is not always about preparing for the next year. Sometimes it is about processing in the moment to better understand how a lesson went and using that information the next class to debrief with students. 

I built a couple of SchoolAI Spaces that teachers can use for themselves and with their students to help the reflection process. What is nice about using these Spaces is that they will remember the thread you have been using to reflect and can help you make connections over the course of the entire year. Imagine having all of your reflections available to you when you need them to compare how lessons went from the start of the year to the end of the year. 

Teacher Reflection Space

Student Reflection Space

Now imagine students having access to that powerful AI Space so they can reflect and see their growth over the year and the teacher gets the insights to explore on the backend. That would be a game changer for the teacher and for the student. Being able to connect and see the reflections taking place in real time or having a digital space where students can reflect where and when they have time. 

I just had this idea, but Admin could use a Space to share with teachers after evaluations that could help them walk through the lesson that was observed and reflect in a way that allows the admin to see their thinking in a clearer way. 

No matter the reason, reflection is a key part of the learning process and there is Science to back it up. Take the time to reflect on your work and let students do the same. I guarantee you will see benefits for everyone involved.  

Hugs and High Fives, 

NP

Reflection as Assessment #MakerEd #EdChat

One of the things that I am often asked is how I assess MakerEd work from students. The traditional education system is still grade focused. Students are taught from a very young age to chase the grade because that is what matters in the end. 

Getting students to understand that there is more to school than grades requires serious retraining on the teacher's part. It is not impossible, but it is not easy. One of the ways I have helped my students explore learning and MakerEd in my Mechanical Engineering class is the emphasis we place on reflection.

Each unit is a challenge that students need to complete. They can design their own solutions based on their research and there are goals they are trying to reach, but they are not assessed, or graded, on if they reach those goals. Their assessment is how they reflect on their work in the challenge. Here is one example, 

Students are tasked with building a bride using glue and no more than 200 craft sticks. Their bridge needs to be able to support at least 100 pounds. They will do the research and design a bridge they think will best accomplish this goal. When the bridges are done, we take the total sticks used and subtract that number from the total weight it held. The group with the highest number at the end won the challenge. 

When they have completed the testing and reviewed all of their work and the work of other groups, they are given a reflection sheet. The reflection asks students to explore why they were or were not successful. Their ability to be critical of the work, or lack there of, they put in is important. The first reflections are often the toughest for students because they are hesitant to be critical of their own work thinking it will lead to bad grades. In reality, the students that dive deeper and are critical of their decisions get the most out of class.

My job during the project time is to be engaged with the students, advise them on their choices as they work, provide feedback on their process, and support their overall needs while working. After the reflection is submitted, my job is to provide my thoughts on their thoughts. It starts a conversation about their learning process. As we move through the semester, I have found that some students are too hard on themselves and sometimes do not recognize the successes they had in the project. Students are still very new to the reflection process so I need to support them as they learn to highlight the wins and understand the loses. 

At the end of the day, I have to place a grade in the grade book. The students earn their grade through reflection and dialogue. These reflections are saved and explored at the end of the semester where they are asked to show the growth points in the class. If we truly want growth for our students, you can't have it without reflection. It is a shame that reflections tends to be the first things skipped when we run out time. 

How do you use reflection in your classes?