The Monthly Howl
PL Shout Outs at Woodland
Ms. Orbann's Class
Ms. Orbann's class will be utilizing station rotation during their math block. We spent one day helping the students understand what this would look like.
Determining the Stations
The students provided ideas as Ms. Orbann scribed for them on what types of activities they wanted to work on during their math block. Once they had a list of all the things they would like to do, they grouped them into broader categories to be used as stations.
Creating the Norms
Students then worked at their table groups to discuss the types of activities and rules that should be at each of the stations. We then discussed them as a whole group to see if everyone agreed or wanted to add/change anything.
Understanding Collaboration
The students were guided through the process of understanding what collaboration means in the classroom. They were given a list of expectations to use when working with someone else (which they glued in the back of their math journals). Right now they review this list whole group prior to starting their collaborative activities. Eventually they will not need the printed copy because they will have them memorized.
Professional Development
PBL 101 Workshop
Many teachers attended the PBL 101 Workshop we conducted the first week of November. The collaboration by each of the grade level teams was great to see. They created some incredible PBL projects they will be implementing during second semester. I can hardly wait to see all of the students becoming problem solvers.
5th Grade
Getting started on their project about lighting. They are bringing in many standards across the content areas.
8 Essential Elements
These teachers are really getting down to the nitty gritty to understand the 8 essential elements of PBL. We discussed what each element does and how important it is to include in any PBL project.
Kindergarten
Who says kindergarten students can't do PBL? Not us! The teachers came up with a project that will have their students create a museum and become the tour guides for the exhibits. I will be buying my ticket as soon as they go on sale.
Critical Friends Protocol
We used the Critical Friends Protocol to provide each other with feedback on our projects. This protocol can be modified and used in the classroom when students are working on larger projects.
Grouping Students
We worked through an activity to help us group students based on different characteristics. This came naturally to everyone.
1st Grade
Using BIE's Project Design Rubric to put the finishing touches on their projects.