Knowing the Lake:
Serving as Lead Learner

Let’s say four friends decide to do some fall fishing. All four have varying degrees of experience and success with fishing. For this particular outing, however, one individual, Aaron, is better prepared than the others. His grandfather owns a cottage on the lake, and he has fished here far more often than his friends have. So when they get out on the water, the others will naturally ask Aaron when they have questions about depths, structures, and baits. But they will also share their own ideas about fishing in these conditions. In a setting like this, friends simply work together, and, in the process, they learn new things, experience some success (in this case, catch some fish), and have a good time.

A 21st century classroom should function pretty much like the friends in the boat do—with individuals working (and learning) together to achieve a particular goal, and you, the instructor, serving as the lead learner—the person who knows the lake best. As you learn along with your students, you also provide the necessary leadership and guidance to keep the boat afloat and moving in the right direction.

10 Tips for Being a Lead Learner

• Marvel at and show interest in all types of ideas and events—past, present, and future.
• Promote learning through inquiry (questioning), collaboration, testing, rethinking, and so on—an authentic process that occurs in the science lab, in the workplace, . . . and on the lake.
  [Read more.]

In the News

Recent articles on 21st century skills, inquiry, project-based learning, media literacy, and education reform

Academic Adventures: New Lake Tahoe School Seeing Success In, Outside the Classroom: The North Lake Tahoe Bonanza Web site posts this story by Amy Cecchi about the Tahoe Expedition School. Just opened in September, this K-8 Expeditionary Learning school provides project-based, hands-on learning in a unique environment. Read about the firsthand learning and character building that fourth and fifth graders experienced on a recent backpacking trip.

District-Created App Improves the Home-School Connection: On the eSchool News site, staff reporters highlight Rockwood School District in Missouri for their innovative communications application—eBackpack. This app connects parents to up-to-date info about school events, to principal blogs, and more, without asking them to navigate the comprehensive school Web sites.

Students Adjust to More Work, ‘Real-World’ Projects with Ease at STEM Academy: This article by Allison Rupp is posted on knoxnews.com and introduces the reader to a new high school in Knoxville, TN—L&N STEM Academy. Housed in the old train station downtown, this school has a real-world vision for preparing its students for college and life. Problem solving is the focus, from figuring out how to build a roller coaster to designing a walkway to connect L&N to the science-lab building next door.

Big Changes in a Small School: The November 2011 issue of Educational Leadership reports on a new grading system devised by three teachers in a small rural school in Wisconsin. They have redefined letter grades to more accurately represent their students’ level of mastery, not just a percentage of points earned on a test. Interestingly enough, the grades are tied to students’ critical thinking skills: a C means they can recall and understand basic concepts; a B, they can apply those concepts through problem solving and evaluation of teacher-provided situations; and an A, they can apply concepts to situations not covered in class through synthesis and evaluation. The article covers assessing at these three levels, final grades, and more.

Setting the Flip Straight: With the advent of the Khan Academy, there has been a lot of buzz among educators about the “flipped classroom.” The Daily Riff posts this article by Aaron Sams, who offers an interesting history and discussion of using screencasting as an educational tool. Sams shares advice for both proponents and critics of this sometimes misunderstood practice.

New York Schools Enter the iZone: Sean Coughlan, BBC News education correspondent, examines New York City’s initiative to renew its schools “from within.” The goal is to truly serve the individual pupil in a sea of ethnic, cultural, and economic diversity. Read Prinicipal Brooke Jackson’s plans to customize programs for 600 high school students at the NYC Laboratory School for Collaborative Studies, already sharing space with two other schools, in a facility designed for middle schoolers. A top concern? The students need to be “critical thinkers, able to adapt to an unpredictable future.”

Thoughtful Learning: Upcoming Events

ASCD Convention (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development)

Thoughtful Learning will be exhibiting at the ASCD annual conference from March 24–26 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, PA. We’ll provide more detailed information as the show approaches.

In Focus: Improving Social and Emotional Intelligence, One Day at a Time

We are developing a new line of products titled In Focus: Improving Social and Emotional Intelligence, One Day at a Time. The author of the line, Thomas McSheehy, has taught elementary school for 21 years and has been a social worker and family therapist for 16 years. Each book (K–2, 3–5, 6–8) provides concise daily activities to help your students develop their social and emotional intelligence by

• increasing attention and focus,
• reducing bullying and impulsive behavior,
• elevating self-esteem and confidence,
• strengthening social skills, and
• improving teamwork and collaboration.

For more information, download a free sampler of In Focus grades 6–8. Also, watch for more in future editions of the Thoughtful Inquirer!

We’d love to hear from you. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or e-mail us at contact@thoughtfullearning.com!