Extending My Professional Development

An introductory activity that I really enjoy is a two-part activity. The first part is that using Flipgrid I ask students to introduce themselves. The directions are that they share their name and if they have a nickname that they would like me or their classmates to use (keeping it respectful). Then, I ask them to share what their name means. The students seem to really enjoy sharing and/or finding out what their name means. Many students expand and share if they feel that their name fits them or if they are still trying to grow into it.  The second step of the activity is a writing activity. Students are to compose two letters over the course of a week. The first letter is to their 13 year old self. What do they want the 13 year old version of them to know? What does the 13 year old inside of them need to hear? The second letter is a letter to their future selves. It depends on the grade level I am working with, but typically it is five years in the future. What did they do this aca

"Why do we have to do this?" "When am I ever going to use this?"  "What's in it for me?" You know that your students' are thinking it. As part of Ontario Extend-Teacher for Learning, we are asked to look those questions and more in the eye and give our students practical responses and not relay on the parental "because I said so". Interestingly enough I have begun to address this WIIFM with two of my learners that sadly hate school. Their reasons are extensive and valid. All year, I have strived to show them value in learning and asked them not to let school get in their way of getting their education. But all the pep talks, positive energy, modeling have barely scratched the surface. I began to post 3-big questions with just the topic before revealing any tasks or work.  Why must I learn X? How can I use X?  When can I use X?  They are allowed to respond with "because it's required", because it is true. We fall under state

  What makes a great pasta dish? The sauce! Every individual (family) has their own way (process) of making their famous sauce. Wether it's canned and doctored sauce or all fresh ingredients, everyone agrees- it's in the sauce! A good sauce fills gaps, blends ingredients, and binds. Like The Sauce, much of our Prior Knowledge and cultural nuances are nothing more than ingredients that come together to create learning experiences. Ingredients that are dictated by the language used to retrieve them, cultural and sub-cultural norms and personal experiences as well as high-context and low-context and trauma.  Prior Knowledge is not strictly canned or homemade sauce (an either/or) in on student's learning journey. I see the misconception of Prior Knowledge's 'either/or' application in education as well as culture misconceptions as opportunities to upgrade our thinking as educators. Asking key questions during the lesson planning process, like,"How can my student

  If we continue on the line of thought that PK is not an 'either/or' task, but a process we should also consider Prior Knowledge as it relates to culture. Meaning the process that the educator brings into a classroom to engage and connect with students require sensitivity as well as an understanding and appreciation of the student's culture and subculture to provide PK activities that personal, profound and positive. For example, in my English class writing themes around death, religion and dystopian society may allow students to think critically, engage in the process of learning, and demonstrate understanding within their world. If I ask my students to answer, "How they can use?", "Why they must use this?" and "When will they use this?" 

The misconception is on the focus of Prior Knowledge as an event rather than a process. Educators like myself often focus on the what a student should already know and how to present the new information. And PK activities are used as straight pathway between the two endpoints; often an after thought.  But by shifting our understanding that PK may not have a starting point on the pathway due to trauma gaps or cultural miscommunications we can avoid negatively effect students' acquiring new information.  If PK is seen as an 'either/or' situation, both teacher(s) and student(s) may intentionally or unintentionally assume that the student lacks an ability, or skill-set for a particular subject area. When the educator actual missed an opportunity to present questions that not only triggering students' PK, but spark the students on a personal level. The result can be that students do not immediately recognize how that new information can be applied to: the present task and fa

Another misunderstood concept that impacts students' Prior Knowledge (PK) and is directly related to education is culture. Culture is often boiled down to static features; such as, holidays, foods, religions, the arts including languages. However, culture is actually intricate and dynamic. (Nieto, 2008) For example, a teacher that is a 50+ caucasian and from a traditional middle-class to upper-middle class family will have different cultural and subculture norms, values, and symbols than a 16+ Dine' student from a non-traditional middle to upper-middle class family when engaging PK and connecting it to new information. As a result PK may remain inconveniently inaccessible by students because it goes against cultural and subcultural norms.