Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud

Teaching and Learning With Station Rotation

The use of learning stations can provide teachers and students at all grade levels increased options for differentiated learning with greater student agency. Catlin Tucker shares many specific station rotation strategies for handling issues around school schedules, class size, and management. Her knowledge around blended learning options expands the opportunities.

Find Catlin’s resources here. 

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Teacher Agency in Professional Development Grows Engagement

Elementary principal, Haley Beavert, created a program trading required mandatory faculty meetings for optional learning opportunities. She identifies the strategy as an example of de-implementation. The program, called “Feed Your Brain,” has teachers organizing learning opportunities for professional development which has now expanded to other schools in the district.

Read Haley’s article, "Give Teachers Agency to Create Their Own Professional Development and See Engagement Grow"

E-mail Haley: haley.beavert@cps.k12.ar.us

Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!

Coaches Encouraging Teachers to Use Student-Led Discussions

With the right strategies, educators can support student-led discussions that foster deep critical thinking and empathy.  Student-led discussions can build students’ skills in analytical thinking and innovation; complex problem-solving; creativity, originality, and initiative; and reasoning and ideation. Tracy Hill and Alexis Wiggins, experienced teachers, instructional coaches, authors, and workshop leaders encourage school leaders to focus teachers on time for making meaning.

Email Tracy: tracyriyadh@gmail.com

Tracy's Twitter: twitter.com/tracyhillriyadh

Email Alexis: awiggins@ceelcenter.org

Alexis's Twitter: https://twitter.com/alexiswiggins

Read Alexis & Tracy's article, "6 Strategies to Bolster Student Led Discussions"

Read Alexis's book, "The Best Class You Never Taught"

Find the Spider Web Discussion Core Resources here. 

Visit the CEEL Center website and find more resources here.

Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!

 

 

Independent Risky Play is Important

Parents often receive messages about the dangers that might befall unsupervised children and the value of high achievement in school. They too seldom hear messages that if children are to grow up well-adjusted, they need ever-increasing opportunities for independent activity, including self-directed play and meaningful contributions to family and community life. These opportunities inform youth that they are trusted, responsible, and capable. With "risky" activities, students receive feedback that they can deal effectively with the real world.

Visit Play Outside Canada here.  

Read "All Work, No Independent Play Cause of Youth Declining Mental Health" here. 

Watch the video on Denmark's Forest Kindergartens here.

Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!

What Are You Seeing Students Doing

“Are we giving students answers to questions they haven’t asked and solutions to problems they have never encountered?” Author and consultant with an expertise in blended learning options, Catlin Tucker, explores bringing relevance, curiosity, and inquiry into our students learning opportunities. She describes "onboarding" students to learning opportunities.

Find Catlin’s resources here. 

Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!

Empowering Teachers to Choose the What, Why, and How of Observations

What impact is created when teachers play a greater role in guiding the observations that school administrators conduct? Ty McGee, an administrator with the Saudi Aramco Expatriate Schools in Saudi Arabia, describes the design process used and the plan that emerged to increase teacher’s satisfaction with observation feedback. Consider how this plan for teacher feedback models what we would want to see happening for students.

Contact Ty with questions and for more information: tmcgee@saeslearning.com

Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!

Learning Through Problems and Struggles

“Neuroscientists have found that mistakes are helpful for brain growth and connectivity and if we are not struggling, we are not learning. Not only is struggle good for our brains but people who know about the value of struggle improve their learning potential.” (-Jo Boaler) Creating student’s understanding of the value of struggle and creating a psychologically safe environment for that struggle is a teacher’s task. We need the same safe environment for teachers to collaboratively tackle the problem and struggles in student learning.

Read Jo Boaler's article, "Why Struggle Is Essential for the Brain- and Our Lives" here. 
Watch the Edutopia video, "What Makes Productive Struggle Effective" here.
Watch Robert Kegan's "The Evolution of Self" here.

Peer Observation and Peer Coaching: Defining a Difference

Peer Observation and Peer Coaching - both build opportunities for teacher reflection, growth, and collective teacher efficacy. There is a difference between the two activities. Clarity on expectations of a collegial peer engagement may positively impact the experience and learning outcomes.

Read Steve's blog on learning walks at Manheim Central School District here.

Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!

Continuous Teacher Growth

Director of Learning at American Community School of Abu Dhabi, Dr. Jen Ricks, explores the changes in moving from a focus on a teacher performance appraisal system to a professional growth model. She identifies options that are offered to teachers as they plan their growth opportunities around what their students need them to learn.

E-mail Jen: jenniferricks@acs.sch.ae

Find Jen on Twitter: @Jenricks

Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!

What to Look for in Your Kids’ Coaches

Volunteer and paid coaches connecting with your children can play an important role in developing important life skills as well as performing skills. Five elements of building developmental relationships and a strategy called “compete, learn, honor” are explored. How does a focus on safety, fun, and growth reinforce respect and empowerment?

Read "Tips for Youth Sports Coaches" from the Search Institute here.  
Find Coach Pete's videos here.

Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!