Creating Space for Making Thinking Visible

Whether your content is ELA or Math. Capturing thinking in student journals is not only effective but provides a way to archive individual student progress. 

Journaling is the space where we can fill in the gaps from a scope and sequence or a scripted lesson plan. It is where the thinking becomes real and personal for each learner. 
In Math we use the tool of journaling through our Problem Solving Block. Vertical conversations have brought consensus that we all want students to be able to show a complete solution and show that they understand the problem. From there we continue to strive for thorough explanations through words and models K-2 and explanations with justifications 3-5. We know that this is where the meat of what students learn is applied with rigor and depth.
Problem Solving Block questions are designed to spiral in previous learning, see where students are with upcoming new concepts, provide emphasis to current content and/or create opportunities to reteach where concepts may need more instruction or clarification with ways it can be presented. With the autonomy of this time and the journals, comes in the importance of planning and collaboration. Planning moves from the what to the why and how. Planning begins to evolve from not just what lesson we are teaching, but drives deeper into what do we want the learner to know (learning target), what questions are we asking and hoping to hear students asking, and what activities/tasks will best elicit the data that tells us that our students KNOW IT!

Another idea to consider is how can we move beyond just the look fors... as teachers model in their Problem Solving Journals, how can we enhance the literacy rich focus of our Problem of Practice. The following article from blog The Cornerstone for Teachers "Everything You Need to Know About Math Journals" by Angela Watson affirms so much of what we are already doing. The portion that talks about 'Why math journaling?' is powerful where it states: 

"-Kids have the opportunity to reflect on their strategies and assess their own learning

-Students practice putting their knowledge into words both verbally and in writing

-Instructional focus is shifted from computation to problem solving and real-life application

-The teacher gains insight into children’s abilities, opinions, understandings, and misconceptions

-It creates a documented portfolio-like record of student growth and progress"

Furthermore, the portion "What do students write about?" suggests a move beyond what are presently being done where the focus is mostly on strategies and processes. How powerful might it be to take a moment every few weeks and address not just the processes, but the attitudes and learning. Reflection, as we know, can be the most powerful of all teachers.

In the coming weeks there is a focus on the following look fors in math problem solving block time: 

¨ Daily Problem Solving in journal with explanations (K-2) and justifications (3-5)

¨ Student discourse and use of talk moves by teachers/students with high level questioning

¨ Alignment of quality instruction from class to class within the same grade level

¨All components of the Stepping Stones Journal complete (Step Up and Step Ahead for deeper thinking)

Beyond this, what can we do with our journals, in ALL content areas to make student journals a piece of the learning that students own and value. A space for making thinking visible? Please share your comments below.

-Kirsten and John

We want to know what you know...

Dr. Thornell recently went to an education symposium in Washington, D.C. There a renowned scientist who was part of a team that recently acquired the most expensive research microscope in the world was asked what was most valuable to him in his research. Without hesitation he replied, "My journals. It has all my thinking, problem solving, my research." Not one mention of the telescope.

In our quest of growing and intentionally utilizing student journals, at the heart of it all, we want our students to value their journals in the same way that the scientist does.

To move to that authentic use of journals as a learning community it is essential to gather data not only on student performance, but also on our own learning and thinking. As we have had conversations about journals, had journal walks, shared resources with each other, and made progress, we also need to know where YOU are in this process. This week's post we want you to take time to fill out a survey on teacher model journals and student journals for all content areas.

This survey is completely anonymous. Please be transparent and honest. Your feedback will help guide our next steps for learning and practice as a campus. Here is the link: https://goo.gl/forms/xmbxxmnh16iykyEY2

Thank you in advance for your transparency and honesty. 

-John and Kirsten

Teacher Model Journals, Feedback and Frequency of Entries...

Teacher Model Journals are a part of our district and campus focus in all areas. The power of models has already proven to be profoundly powerful. One part of the intentional practice of using Teacher Model Journals in our instruction is "think aloud" as we share our "model."
Children mimic,internalize and make their own the learning practiced in front of them. It is the way they learn... in everything they do. Even today, as I walked through Tom Thumb, I saw a mother with a baby in a carrier inside a cart and her young preschooler with her own "just my size" cart. They were standing together at the deli counter waiting on their deli meat to be sliced. The baby was crying with little sign of quieting down. Mom, rolling the grocery cart, with baby inside, back and forth. And the little girl? Doing the same exact thing with her pre-school sized grocery cart. She was following her model with expectancy and precision. The "think aloud" is one way our model becomes powerful.

In the online article "Think Aloud Strategy" from TeacherVision the importance of journaling along with using the "Think Aloud" in all content areas was shared:

"How Can You Stretch Students' Thinking?

Reflective journals and learning logs are a natural extension of thinking out loud. By jotting down what you say, you can model the journaling process as you model thinking out loud. As students start to keep journals or learning logs, review them on an ongoing basis to monitor the students' metacognition and use of essential strategies.

When Can You Use It?

Reading/English

The process of thinking out loud can be used in K-12 classes during all phases of the reading process. Before reading you may think out loud to demonstrate accessing prior knowledge or to make predictions about the text. During reading, model reading comprehension using fix-up strategies or examining text structure to maintain meaning. After reading, model using the text to support an opinion, or analyze the text from the author's point of view.

Writing

Thinking out loud can be used to model all phases of the writing process. In pre-writing, model the strategies writers use to get the process started; during the drafting process, model creating "sloppy copies"; during revision, model how to ask questions and think about readers' needs; and during the editing process, model how to use conventions to help readers understand the message. As students engage in reciprocal think-alouds, they dialogue about their texts. This dialoguing helps students to internalize their sense of audience and fine-tune their craftsmanship as writers.

Math

When teaching a new math process or strategy, think aloud to model its use. Ask students to work with a partner to practice thinking aloud to describe how they use the new process or strategy. Listen to students as they think aloud to assess their understanding.

Social Studies

In classroom discussions of difficult social studies topics, such as capital punishment or affirmative action, ask that students not only give their opinions but explain their reasoning by thinking out loud. Model thinking out loud yourself as you read a difficult text or express your own opinion on a complex issue.

Science

Think-alouds can be used to model the inquiry process in science. During instruction, have students continue the inquiry process using reciprocal think-alouds and then reflect upon the process in their journals or learning logs."

With the power of Teacher Model Journals comes the importance of feedback. Frequent, specific feedback is essential. However, feedback is only as powerful as the opportunity to respond/reflect to the feedback. A second grade team at a campus in NISD has done away with morning work and has purposefully structured the first 20 minutes of every day for students to respond to feedback in any content area. These teachers have constructed feedback so that students reflect, revise and improve their journal works. Again, the teachers review and give more feedback, and the cycle continues. The learning goes deeper. The learning becomes not about the destination of "complete" but continuous improvement and growth.

With modeling and feedback there is power, but how do the students consistently move forward?

That is where the frequency comes into play. An analogy was shared with our Southwest Learning Team that helped us all understand why frequency of entries in journals was an essential look for in our journal walks. The analogy was about training for a marathon. When one trains for a marathon, one doesn't go run a couple of weeks before the marathon a few miles every day. It is a lengthy, purposefully planned training process. Training runs consist of multiple weekly runs with planned longer runs to build stamina and endurance. In much the same way students need to respond frequently in their journals. In readers workshop it is an expectation K-5 that students are responding to their reading every day, having 3-4 completed responses per week to build that stamina and endurance, while maintaining quality in their responses.

As we move forward as a campus in our POP with literacy rich student work, journals are a perfect place to start. How are you and your team utilizing frequent entries, Teacher Model Journal, and the cycle of Feedback to encourage growth and depth of learning with students? Where is time provided for students to self-assess and respond to feedback? Does their work mirror the work of the Teacher Model Journal with expectancy and precision?  How do students know when their entries are showing deeper thinking? How often are they building those muscles of metacognition through responding to their learning through their journals (in any content area)?

Share your thoughts and ideas in the comments.

Talking about Journaling...

As we move into the final week of the first six weeks, we have secured our rituals and routines in the

classroom. We have moved beyond the first 30 days, completed our DRAs and BOY of math assessments. We are now bringing into focus the day to day instructional practices with rigor and relevance. In particular we are honing the practice of capturing learning through our journals. A literacy rich best practice.






Becoming transparent in our practice in regards to journals is two fold... it is, on one hand, examining teacher model journals and how we utilize them to guide student work; on the other hand, it is examining student journal work/responses.

With teacher models, we consider what are we wanting to focus on, sharing what work meets expectations (utilizing rubrics to guide our responses), syncing with our grade level/content in regards to aligned task/model entries and demonstrating reflection/depth in the responses. Additionally, ongoing action research supports that quality teacher models encourage longer student responses.

With student journals we want to consider number of opportunities to respond (3 to 4 times per week), the responses of students in journals vs. anchor charts/resource items, depth of responses, teacher/peer feedback provided in student journals, and student's opportunity to respond to/ reflect on feedback.

Journaling both for student and teacher models requires specific, purposeful and intentional planning to ensure time for journaling. Time must be taken to pre-plan/create the teacher model for journal responses. Furthermore, finding effective ways to leave feedback in a timely manner both for individual student growth and to inform instruction must also be a consideration.

As we close our first chapter in the 2016-17 year and move into our next six weeks, what are ways we can continue to grow in this area? How can we strive for best practices? What are ways we are being purposeful, intentional and sharing/collaborating on this practice?