Using Creativity to conquer the status quo

Justin Darnell2010 Colorado Teacher of the Year

Denver Public Schools justin_darnell@dpsk12.org

Where we’re going today

• What will our future “look” like?

Observing trends to better plan for our future.

• Challenging yourself and your district

Preparing for the future by changing how we think about non-dominant or “at-risk” students.

our population is changing

* U.S. Census 2008

our population is changing

Colorado is changing

* Colorado Children's Campaign, 2008

our system is not living up to its promise

* Colorado Department of Education, 2009

further evidence of not meeting our promise

* Colorado Department of Higher Education, 2009

Evidence our system is not working

* Colorado Department of Education, 2009

2009 Science CSAP Proficiency

evidence our system is not working

* Colorado Department of Education, 2009

2009 Science CSAP Proficiency

REality for our students

• Fewer options for ECE (Karoly et al., 1998)

Inadequate school facilities (Earthman, 2002)

• Reduced access to technology and/or used ineffectively (Fairlie, 2004; Sweet et al., 2004)

• Tracked into lower level courses and fewer AP placements (Solorzano and Ornelas, 2004; Betts et al., 2000)

Self-fulfilling stereotypes (Crosnoe, 2006)

• Fewer experienced and high-quality teachers; High turnover (Peske and Haycock, 2006; Prince, 2002)

Teacher centered classrooms, low-level questioning, and large class size in working class schools (Anyon, J. in Finn, 1999)

How do we live up to our promise to educate students?

• Move from a Deficit model to an Asset model

Become aware of Social Capital

• Build a classroom that is learner-, knowledge-, assessment-, and community-centered

• Embed inquiry, multicultural education principles, and research based practices within these centers

• Increase rigor and raise expectations

CREATIVITY

Deficit to asset

• Your students are lazy, they don’t care about school, they’re dumb, they have no future, and their undisciplined

We must change to view student strengths and build upon them

• They have been held back by other teachers and the education system, don’t follow their lead

Alter your lists

social capitalAbility of individuals or groups to “command limited resources by virtue of their relationships of membership in broader social structures (Portes, 1998), social capital is made up of resources that may be converted into material capital (Bourdieu, 1986), human capital (Coleman, 1988), and healthy civic participation and community cohesion (Putnam, 2000)” (Ream and Stanton-Salazar, 2007, p. 69).”

Our students have significantly less social capital

Our students’ parents have less social capital

Outreach and planning can help alleviate many problems caused by reduced social capital (Gandara and Conteras, 2009; Noguera, 2003)

How people learn (branford et al., 2000)(branford et al., 2000)

CommunityCommunity

LearnerLearner

AssessmentAssessmentKnowledgeKnowledge

community centered

• ...environments “refer to several aspects of community, including the classroom as a community, the school as a community, and the degree to which students, teachers, and administers feel connected to the larger community of homes, business, states, the nation, and even the world.”

Weekly team building and/or class building

• Assignments that engage family with content

• Funds of Knowledge (Gonzalez, Moll, & Amanti, 2005)

Interact with families at their homes or send home surveys (no agendas!)

• Collect data on their areas of expertise

Create assignments that rely on the “funds of knowledge”

engage families with content

TEam building: write, round, robin

11

44

22

33

What’s your What’s your favorite food?favorite food?

I like...I like...

I like...I like...I like...I like...

I like...I like...

3’s stand up. Group 5, 3’s stand up. Group 5, tell me what your tell me what your

partners said.partners said.

1 said.., 2 1 said.., 2 said.., and 4 said.., and 4

said...said...

Start with #1 and Start with #1 and say what you say what you

thought.thought.

WritingWriting

class building: Mix, Pair, Share

• Each student needs a sheet of paper divided into four sections.

When music is playing they are moving around the room and high fiving.

• When music stops they must partner up.

• Ask a question and the students write an answer on their paper.

Choose one person to share first (longest hair) and give them a specific amount of time to share.

• After they share have the listener give them a positive comment. “That answer was sweet!”

• Second person goes, followed by positive comment.

• Call on a few students to share what they heard. Repeat the process.

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Learner centered

• “...environments pay careful attention to the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and beliefs that learners bring to the educational setting.”

Inquiry: Elicit and Engage, start every activity with a protocol designed to activate prior knowledge.

• Graphic organizer; Cooperative Learning protocols

• Support language and culture

• Apply their knowledge in multiple settings, not just to access prior knowledge.

What did the cat in the hat do in the story

Critter Plot

rolled on a ball

stacked dishes

moved goldfish

caused trouble

Applying their knowledge

• Can be done with simplified compare/contrast graphic organizers.

You can also use simplified similes.

• Both increase rigor and expectations.

My My dogdog is is likelike a a hot doghot dog because they’re both long because they’re both long and skinny.and skinny.

learner center and multicultural ed.

“A cultural approach to learning recognizes the range of experiences and knowledge that students accumulate across the routines of their everyday lives. In this approach, we view student learning that occurs in homes, communities, and schools as tightly interconnected and interactive.” (Banks, et al., 2007)

knowledge centered

• “...environments take seriously the need to help students become knowledgeable by learning ways that lead to understanding and subsequent transfer.”

Inquiry: Explore and Explain (develop understanding)

• Cooperative Learning, Differentiation, Scaffolds, Graphic Organizers, Reading/Writing Strategies

cooperative learning and differentiation

• A major source of differentiation is found through “flexible grouping.”

WRR and RR: require students to think and/or write on their own prior to interacting with a partner or group. They may then revise answers prior to sharing with the class.

• This creates a safe environment and prevents students from hiding.

Graphic organizers

• Use Venn diagrams/Bullseye diagrams constantly.

• Find unique ways to organize and explain data and phenomena.

Both

LizLizard ard onlonlyy

SnaSnake ke onlonlyy

MammalsMammals ReptilesReptiles

FishFish AmphibiansAmphibians

Use Technology

Students complete a report on an animal of their choice and organize it on Glogster or KidPix

reading/writing strategies

• Read and repeat the procedure with a partner.

Underline important words in the objective everyday.

• Summarize everything in threes.

• Sentence frames, word walls, and visuals

Write, Round, Robin, Revise

• Sticky note stick up

knowledge center and multicultural ed.

• “...diversify pedagogical approaches to integrate new media, technologies, and the range of students’ experiences and knowledge to enrich student learning.”

• “Learning is facilitated when the cultural, socio-economic, and historical contexts of learners are recognized, respected, and responded to.”

assessment centered

• ...environments “should provide opportunities for feedback and revision and that what is assessed must be congruent with one’s learning goals.”

• Inquiry: Elaborate and Evaluate (metacognition)

• Focus on efficiency. You can’t grade everything, so determine what gives you the best concept of student understanding/proficiency.

• Provide variations for students and opportunity to apply knowledge to real life.

Unique evaluations

• Recording Star

• Record what you know about a certain topic and take home to the parents to listen to.

• Cell Phone Discussion

• Students sit across from each other and say what they have learned (you observe and take notes)

• Skype or video reading a book they have practiced

Unique evaluations

• Interview via leveled questions. Students choose the question type.

• “Assessment Cube” and “Choice Chart”

• Video diary and Big Idea Movie

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Increasing efficiency

• Identify the “Big Ideas” and “Subconcepts” for every unit.

• Link each subconcept to a standard benchmark.

• Identify “Essential Activities” and 2nd or 3rd level question that can assess student proficiency for a specific subconcept.

• Plan unit assessments so that you increase quality, not quantity.

big ideas document

Embedded Assessments document

conclusion

• Our students deserve our best effort and an equitable education experience.

• It will not happen over night, so choose one or two things and become very good at them before moving on.

• Do not revert to old practices that do not increase educational opportunity for your students.

• Please email any questions.

Thank you for believing in us!