I've been reflecting a lot as I've been journaling my thoughts and feelings. Ideas come to me from inspirational cards, podcasts, conversations, and my own thoughts. My hope is that it inspires us all to give ourselves some grace as we living this human experience. I have made so many mistakes in my life that I've lost count. I remember as a young adult that my number #1 goal was to be free of guilt from making mistakes. Little did I know that this would be a life long journey. In re-reading the Four Agreements again, I was captured by these ideas, When you do your best you learn to accept yourself. But you have to be aware and learn from your mistakes. Learning from your mistakes means you practice, look honestly at the results, and keep practicing. This increases your awareness. All we can do is learn from our mistakes and try better next time. Be kind to yourself.
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We all have moments where we hem and haw about something. To be honest, this has been my continual state of mind in regards to my logo. I have not loved it in the past, although it was "good". Today, I ran a cross a post by Tonya Gilchrist and was so inspired by her layout and logo. This put the wind in my sails to redesign. Here's what I came up with. What do you think? I think what speaks to me is that it's messy in the background, but comes together with deep thoughts in the foreground. This is how I am as an inquirer, so you can imagine my workshops!
As I have interacted with PYP educators around the United States, a universal question pops up in each workshop. What does my classroom need to look like in a PYP school?There is no one "right" way to make it happen, because it reflects the context of your school, your learners, and you. Those three factors cannot be replicated. BUT, there are some potential things that I look for when walking around the classroom. On social media, I asked other educators what they would like to see and here are some of their responses. If you were to add anything, what would it be?
As we close out The Expert Effect book club, I just want to take a moment to thank all of our #CITLreads regulars who get up in the middle of the night or the crack of dawn to attend from around the world. I appreciate you so much! You make our book club what it is, so thank you for continuously returning for a new adventure. What is selective perfectionism?When learners are given the space to create, oftentimes there is a side effect of selective perfectionism. What is it? According to the Urban Dictionary, selective perfectionism is when we choose to complete random tasks to perfection, but lack the ability to perfect or even attempt the other necessary tasks in life. Where do we see this play out in real life? This past week, I had two major deadlines while battling terrible allergies. I didn’t have the energy to deal with them, so I spent a lot of time reading regency era novels, like Pride and Prejudice, to pass my time. I read with perfect ability, but I couldn’t muster up the energy to do the things I had to do. Why do we engage in selective perfectionism? Oftentimes, the tasks we are striving to achieve are uncertain or there are too many steps to them. We get lost in the volume of the process. As a selection perfectionist, we have the full potential to get it done, but we choose not to do it. In other words, we become procrastinators. How does it impact learner inquiry? Something I’ve learned through years of experience is that many times we procrastinate, because we are overwhelmed by the process or outcome. This will happen with your learners, if each step of the process is not clearly outlined. Even then, they might get bogged down, because they don’t know how to complete each step. To circumvent this situation, we need to heavily model and guide the process from whole group, small group, to individual learning situations. Think like an early years teacher who must repeat the steps over and again until independence has been achieved. As our learners age, it’s almost an expectation that they will learn it in one lesson. Why should we allow learners to connect globally?We’ve talked about ways to reach out to the local and global community. In most of this section of the book, Grayson and Zach provide ample resources where you can connect to organizations and different industry experts that can help your learners succeed. Many times, the biggest obstacle is YOU. I’m sorry to be harsh, but I speak from personal experience. I used to hold my learners' expertise in my classroom, but a learner requested permission to contact a famous marine biologist to support their understanding of healthy oceans. WIth their parent’s guidance, my learners were able to connect with the marine biologists, which expanded their understanding of human impact on the oceans far greater than any video or book. There are many networks that exist to help learners to connect with experts. You need to find the right one for your class and you. Main Takeaways from this Book StudyReaching beyond the borders of your classrooms is where true application happens. When we engage with real experts in various fields, we get a bigger picture of how the world works. We learn to question, engage in academic language, interview, reflect, and apply. These are necessary skills for thinking humans. As a fifth grade teacher, I’m seeing the connections between these experiences and preparing for the PYP Exhibition. Before the pandemic, there may have been many constraints to engaging with an expert. With Zoom, the world is literally opened to us. If it were me, I’d start small in my local area and have learners research people they would like to connect to and design what they want the conversation to look and feel like. Make them take ownership of the experience, because the person doing the work is doing the learning. The Expert ExpeditionWelcome, dear learners. We know why you’re here. You’re chasing adventure like a brave buccaneer! Sailing the high seas and surfing the web, Searching for answers From Algiers to Zagreb. No, nothing can stop you! You’re a kid on a mission, and it’s finally time for your big expedition. You’re not after riches like silver and gold… The thing that you seek can’t be bought or be sold. Yes, you’re after knowledge - There’s so much to know. it’s worth more than treasure in a ship’s cargo hold! So off you must go with your sails flown unfurled. To get the whole story, go out into the world! Our Trip around the GlobeTo my global audience, I just want to thank you again for enriching my life through social media, our #CITLreads book clubs, and so much more. Let’s stay connected, because we are stronger together. Over the next two years, I hope to continue to engage with you virtually and in-person. I plan to travel around the world meeting like-minded educators and sharing ideas. This fall, I begin the journey within Europe. I will be participating in an IB continuum math conference at the International School of Stuttgart. If your school is interested in participating in a professional development with me while I am in the area, just let me know at [email protected]. The rest of the world, I’m coming to you shortly. In the meantime, I have some reflections about the top five places with the greatest listeners. This is one point in time, but I always seem to have a personal connection with each place. Melbourne, Australia: If you’ve followed me on my podcast journey, you know how much I love this city. It’s the place that I learned that public relations was not for me and I wanted to give back to my community. Little did I know that I would become a teacher, but passing Wesley College a couple times a week must have left its impact. Mumbai, India: The people of India have always fascinated me with its rich culture, history, Bollywood films, and Thali dinners. While living in Dubai, I had the pleasure of visiting this beautiful country, but only in certain regions. I didn’t have a chance to visit Mumbai, but it’s on my list! I’m grateful to have built a lasting friendship with Vidhya, whom many of you know if you are on social media and I can’t wait to visit her in Tamil Nadu. Singapore: I traveled through this lovely island country many times and I had to venture downtown on a trip. It’s amazing to see east meet west in this mighty nation and I hope to return again soon. Hanoi, Vietnam: I have yet to visit Vietnam, but I have friends who live in Ho Chi Minh City, so I know a journey to Hanoi is on my list! Brisbane, Australia: Hello Brissie, you are the one spot I didn’t get to on my Aussie adventures during uni. I plan to return back to the country that made me feel so much at home and I can’t wait to see you. I have some mates there and a catch up is long overdue. Sydney was number #6, so I’ll chuck them in too on my adventures in Oz tour. Thank you for joining the journey of The Expert Effect. I look forward to exploring new ideas and worthy reads in the upcoming months! Be sure to follow the authors on Twitter: Grayson McKinney @GMcKinney2 and Zach Rondot @MrRondot. I recently engaged in an online chat with Becky Carlzon, which made me think of this quote. We really do need to be mindful when all of the passionate people in our team become quiet. They are no longer talking, because they are carefully plotting their escape plan to find a place that aligns with their mission and vision, because it's not being appreciated in their current place of employment. I remember many times when colleagues asked me to stop shining so brightly, because it was making them look bad. I quietly went into my classroom and continued to do what was right by my learners. Absolutely no regrets. This week, we were fortunate to have the authors of the Expert Effect join our conversation! Unfortunately, I was unable to attend, because I was traveling for a workshop. The positive thing is that we were able to record the session. Click here to watch the session. From the beginning, I was captured by a quote that lingers. “Learning should feel like discovering something new, not simply being told a fact.” How many of us are a product of this learning model? We were told as young learners to be quiet, compliant and do our work. This touched me, because as a second language learner, the traditional model didn’t work for me. I needed more experiential learning to connect the ideas together, which drove my teaching practice. This idea was transferred to our book club chat as my co-host Mike Medvinksy asked a simple question: The responses were interesting.
Grayson and Zach usually ask, “What do you remember most about school?” Most people remember the things that they were doing, creating, and making an impact on our lives. If these are the things that we remember the most about school, how do we support it? Creating Memorable Moments
When Giving Students Choice Over Their Learning…What Stays the Same for All?
How can we Differentiate?
Two Truths and a Lie When you become a master of the curriculum for your grade level and specialty, it is easier to know where the learning journey is going to create more learning peaks. It takes time to create a culture of learning that is focused on project-based learning. There will be inevitable changes, but by knowing our content, we can weather the storm. Pacing is key to this process. Each child has their own pace for taking in information, organize their ideas, and take action. By knowing our curriculum, it allows us that flexibility, because we know what is coming up ahead. You need to be prepared to be flexible. What does this mean? You need to have a plan, but be flexible enough to go where the learners want to go. Newer teachers often bring a fresh perspective and open-mind to curriculum development. It allows for fresh ideas. The SAMR ModelHow do we leverage technology to drive our learning and teaching beyond using Zoom? How do we use technology in a different way? Look at this SAMR model interpretation by Emily Cordwell.
George CourosGeorge Couros urges educators to be mindful of technology being used as a thing to do, instead of a tool to create thinking opportunities. This aligns with the goal of the approaches to learning to create independent thinkers who are able to use tools to create their own learning pathways. The connection I make to this idea is the current rage of ChatGPT. I know many educators that are going gaga for this tool, because it can spit out lesson and unit plans at the drop of the hat. It’s a wonderful tool to use, but what is our ultimate purpose?
Ultimate Purpose
There is a major difference between the two answers. I am all for using technology to support our learning, but it doesn’t replace your ingenuity, creativity, and connection with your learners. We can be easily lured in by the easy, but I would argue that the productive struggle is where the most growth happens. I’ve truly enjoyed unpacking this section of the Expert Effect and listening to Grayson and Zach’s thoughts in our book club. Be sure to check out both in the club tab on my website. I'm excited to share with you my proposal for the School Showcase about Bringing About Inquiry in Library Spaces. I had so much fun redesigning two libraries into transdisciplinary spaces. Let's have a chat about it! It's hard to imagine that 10 years ago, I was beginning my journey to become an IB workshop leader. We all have those moments that define who we are and where we go next. I've been blessed to attend more than one IBEN Development (IBAEM and IBA), since different regions certify only one role at a time. Through each development, I grew even more into the workshop leader that I am today. A big shout out to the people who helped me along the way! Darren Arbour who saw my potential for working in schools and to Anne Grisham for mentoring me through the years. I could not have done this great work without your mentorship and support. Now, I work with the IBEN Development team as a coach for Asia-Pacific and as a lead coach in the Americas. Truly blessed. Back in October, I had the fortune to meet Kimberly Mitchell in-person at the Crafting Inquiry Conference in Portland, Oregon. At the time, she asked if I would like to be an Inquiry Spotlight for her newsletter. Of course, I immediately agreed and went on my merry way. The journey of writing my spotlight was revelatory. Many feelings and ideas had been percolating for some time, but the spotlight allowed me to express them more fully.
I've often wondered what has triggered this kindness factor. This past year, it all came together, when I learned from my father that I didn't speak English until I moved to the US at 41/2 years old. It all clicked into place. This explains the reason that I naturally gravitate towards children with learning and language difficulties, because I was one. Another thing that clicked in my mind was the reason I was such an introverted child all throughout school and life until I turned 22. I was a selective mute. I only knew one language and it wasn't accepted in the new country that I moved to, so I became quiet.
I recently reconnected with Cathy on Facebook and we've had a long chat about life, challenges, and our relationship. It was like no time had passed and I was speaking to a long lost kindred spirit. One day, you will have the same encounter with a student you have touched. Let the experience wash over you and take it all in. To find my inquiry spotlight, look for this picture. Eek! I can't believe that's my face on Kimberly Mitchell's website. I'm must be living the best life.
Welcome to the third episode in our series about the Expert Effect. I apologize for such a delay, but sometimes our personal life takes time away from our passion projects. I hope to get back on track with this fabulous book in hopes to help you get connected with the expert effect. Something we investigated in this section was talking with experts. Our opening question made me ponder about how well we connect with others. Hmm…this question made me question, do I engage with experts near and far or do I tend to rely upon the known in my community? I greatly enjoy engaging with others from my local area, but what are some benefits from engaging with others with different perspectives and ways of doing things? How might this enrich the learning experiences of our learners, so they can develop international mindedness? Some of the ideas from our book club included: Expert talks: getting people from different cultures, occupations, and perspectives to share their ideas and stories with our learners Field trips: go on physical and virtual field trips to enrich the learning experiences. There is nothing better than touching ideas that we find in a book. I’ll never forget the week long science camp that I attended with my learners while living in Dubai. We learned about life in the desert, GPS, different types of sports, and building bonds. I can’t imagine what that must have been like for a child, because it was pretty amazing as an adult! Parent community: we keep speaking about our parents, because they are a wealth of knowledge. Depending on culture, you may want to ask your parents to come into school to share their ideas, past experiences, and reflections. Not all parents want to participate, so be mindful of this as well. As the conversation emerged, it was really interesting that our group kept going back to some experts that we have connected to as a teacher learner. No surprise that Trevor MacKenzie’s name kept popping up, because of his ability to connect through social media via webinars, online workshops, Toddle presentations, sketchnotes, pictures, and more. One of my personal favorites is Erin Dealey. She is an author of many picture books for younger learners, but I was connected to her while teaching in Dubai through Skype for Education. Long before the technology existed, Erin was chatting with my fourth-grade learners about her process of taking a seed story and turning it into a published piece of work. She shared about her process, frustration, and elation once a story came together. Erin was so relatable that my reluctant writers were eager to get started once we ended the call. Recently, we’ve had the chance to reconnect on social media, which brought back that sparkle for writing to me as an adult learner. There are lesser known educators who have greatly impacted my thinking through their selfless sharing and interactions on social media. Here are a few names to connect with if you haven’t already. @levi_allison42 Levi Allison is a connector of ideas and people. He has helped me to shape so many ideas and increase my understanding of transdisciplinary learning through the lens of the specialist teacher. He is always seeking ways to make local and global connections through reflective practice. @ajoytoteach Amber Bernard is a dynamic first grade teacher who uses play to get her learners to connect to big ideas. I always enjoy reading her posts to make me think deeper about the needs of younger learners. Her learners are always connecting ideas back to the bigger world. @MathewBhavna Bhavna Mathew inspires me to be more connected. She is a truly globally minded educator and shares her passion through her book clubs, webinars, and free materials. Her use of the UN Sustainble Development goals is truly inspirational and helps learners to make deeper connections to issues facing our global community. Talking with ExpertsOnce our learners get excited to talk with experts, they can’t stop! How do we prepare them for the experience? One possible way to teach them how to ask a variety of open and closed questions. A tool that I frequently use as a trainer and educator is the Wiederhold Question Matrix. It provides leveled questions that lead to a factual, conceptual, and debatable response. Try it out! You can find a copy in my guide, Plan for Inquiry. Chalk TalkTo synthesize our thinking, we went into break out rooms to participate in Chalk Talk, a visible thinking routine. Here are the steps: What connections can you make to others’ responses?
What questions arise as you think about the ideas and consider the responses and comments of others?
A final question that I will leave with you: Please join us for our next episode as we delve into pages 91 - 130 of the Expert Effect!
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