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Distance Learning: Independent Learning

As we switch to distance learning, there’s a lot of (good, important, helpful) thinking and talking about platforms and access to the internet and designing for digital learning; there is talk about equity for those with less robust hardware or bandwidth or technical skills; and for folks with disabilities or limited English. There is talk about priorities and expectations and taking care of ourselves.

These are real. 

I’m glad we’re having these conversations. (We need to have more of them. )

And, as I am thinking about helping my students learn remotely, I am wishing we were talking more about the ability to learn (largely) independently.  

Online learning takes screens and wifi, and it takes being able to focus (especially when all of the kids are home and everyone is stuck inside) and it takes being able to make choices and plan your time (when all the schedules have been altered) and pace yourself; and to motivate yourself (when you’re also worried about the news and your job and your kids). It takes being able to persevere when it gets hard and there’s no one around to ask for help. 

Text: Distance Learning. Building Skills for Independent Learning. A white background with colored pencils.

I’ll be honest: I’m dealing with moments of worry, and frustration, and discouragement, and worry (again) for my students and our attempts at distance learning. 

But, I’m also taking it as a lesson: this matters. 

I’ve always thought independent learning would matter for homework, or for college, but we are learning that it also matters for our resilience and flexibility in the face of the completely unexpected. 

I don’t have all the answers, but I spent some time adapting the tools I do have to online learning. I hope they help you and your students navigate this transition, and learn, and grow, and maybe emerge a little stronger on the other side. 

Distance Learning Resources

Brain based Learning: Teaching our students the research on how to learn/study effectively

Stuck Strategies: Helping our students identify strategies to respond productively to moments of struggle

Dear Me/Teacher/Classmates, Please Remember… Helping out students share and reflect on what’s important for their learning

Independent Learning Log: Helping our students track and share their progress

Traffic Light Check In: Helping our students evaluate and describe their learning progress

Psst! All of my distance learning (plus some of my favorite independent learning) resources are free or discounted April 6-9th.

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What I *AM* emailing myself, distance learning edition.

Ok.

So.

We’re doing this.

For at least the next couple of weeks (and for at least the rest of the semester for some of my classes) we’re figuring out distance learning. My inbox is full of tips and resources. It’s a little daunting. These are a few I’m actually bookmarking.

What I'm emailing myself: Social distancing edition Educational resource roundup from mathacognitive Picture of a computer on a desk with plants
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What I *was* Emailing Myself 3.31.20

Pre-COVID, I collected these links. They’re good. Although I feel out of sync with every other feed, sharing them now.

But, while we’re practicing social distancing, I’m largely practicing news and social media distancing. My mental health is better without taking in too much of everyone else’s (understandable, totally reasonable, messingwithmyheadanyways) worry.

Tthere are undoubtedly many informative, relevant links about digital learning, and viral progress. I also need to remember that there is life beyond the pandemic, so enjoy.

I’m curious to explore these digital manipulatives Mathigon (via @mr_davis_math on Twitter)

How to Help Students with Learning Disabilities Focus on their Strengths (via Greater Good, Berkley)

Teachers’ stories from Story Corps (via Mind/Shift)

One useful exception:

5 calming reminders about what matters most during pandemic panic & school closures

PS. My favorite place to share links and resources is the mathacognitive facebook page. .. I hope you’ll check it out!

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Taking Action: Self-Care in a Time of COVID School Closures

The list of things I am not good at prominently features “change” and “uncertainty”

And these are times full of change and uncertainty. 

We are all coping as best we can. My personal list of strategies includes yoga, walks, tea, naps, complaining, trying to count my blessings, meditating and not getting past 6 breaths without a worry, girl power pop anthems, and stress-eating too many cookies.  

Which is to say, you do you, and no judgement about what gets you through. 

And, because I am an over thinker, and curious about the human brain and performance, and because it’s better than alternative lines of thought, and — you know — it’s relevant: I’ve been thinking more than ever about self care.

Sometimes, often, self care is about taking a break. Taking the breath, the break, stepping away from the to do list to relax and rest and restore. This is important and helpful.

And, curiously, sometimes, often, for me, self care is about taking action. (Because, the opposite of a profound truth … )

Putting on work clothes (even though I’m working from home), and checking something, anything off the list, and reminding myself that while I can’t fix or control many things, I can do some small things. This is helping. A lot, actually. 

So, as we’re all experimenting with walks and cookies and yoga vs. pandemic stress, reminders to myself…

  • I desperately want clear, calm communication about what is happening. But, I feel better when I channel that anxiety into providing as much clear, calm communication to my students as I can. 
  • I am grieving some of what will not transfer, as we are told our classes will be digital. But I feel better when I take a small first step and find a way to ask my students what they want the new thing to be.  (Here’s a quick survey I sent my students about distance learning goals, if you’d like to do the same)
  • I am disoriented by this new schedule-less schedule. But, weeks ago, my student asked for practice on a particular kind of problem (order of operations with division bars) and I couldn’t find it and now I’ve made it (and two more variations, because I was on a roll, and because I had the time). And so I owe social distancing that. 

Other, non-professional ways to take action. 

  • Donating to a good cause. $20 to a food pantry is the best cure I know for self-pity, not that I’ve been feeling any. (<- Don’t believe it ) 
  • Ordering take out from the little neighborhood place
  • Leaving a care package on someone’s front porch.  

However you’re coping. Whatever self-care looks like for you. I hope it’s working and that you are both safe and cared for.

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The Struggle Is Real: Balance and Self Care

Note: I wrote this when we were advised to wash our hands, not to shut down major institutions and practice social distancing. Much has changed in recent days … but in the midst of it we need self-care more than ever. Be well, friends.

So….I might have mentioned that I’m prep’ing a few workshops this spring (once, or twice). The one I might need to take myself is on balance and self care (see, adding multiple workshops to multiple jobs; see also an email from the conference coordinator, when I sent in my third proposal: “That IS ambitious”)

I’m not so great at not taking on all the things. (#overachiever) But, I am so much better about boundaries and making good use of my time and strategically recharging than I was when I was younger.

And yet, there are those people who radiate zen, that seem perfectly suited to a self care workshop. I’m not them.

I am a much more tightly wound and occasionally cranky self-care facilitator.

I like to think this helps me know where the tightly wound and occasionally cranky people who sign up for a self care workshop are coming from.

But also, I think we/the world need a wider and maybe more tightly wound and cranky definition of self care.

I am of the ‘self care is a life you don’t want to escape from’ school of self-care thought. And, in a field that asks so much of people, for so little, ‘a job you don’t want to escape from’ . It’s radical, but I believe we ought to be able to do meaningful, mission-driven work, at a high level, without burning out by 2pm every Thursday.

And, as much as I admire the glowing zen folks, I need some of my overachiever energy for this version of self care.

I want to propose a three-pronged approach to self care for educators (is it to over achiever-y to have a 3 pronged approach to self care? Probably, but, I’m going with it. Sometimes self care is embracing your over achiever self, right?)

Anyways, prongs:

  • Boosting the positives
  • Managing the challenges
  • Managing and maintaining energy

Boosting the positives:

Fighting back against negativity bias. Tapping into the parts of this work we love. Negotiating and job crafting and creative brainstorming our way into spending more of our time on the things that fill us. Schedule sending myself student notes.

Managing the challenges:

Acknowledging that some of this is structural. And it’s unjust and bigger than us. Taking action if it helps. Having a ‘lets talk about priorities’ conversation, saying no, and also, fixing the things we can so there’s a little less stress and struggle in our days. Repeating the serenity prayer (whatever your religious and/or substance use background).

Managing and maintaining energy:

Taking care of ourselves: good meals, breaks, not spending too many hours in a row hunched over a computer screen. (Because Maslow is not wrong) Keeping some space between work and life. Doing the things that refuel us.

Three prongs, all the questions. Self care takes some doing.

If you need more guidance, download my free reflection and planner.

Or, MA adult ed folks …

… This post was inspired by a workshop I planned for the Massachusetts Coalition for Adult Education Network Conference in April.

NETWORK has been cancelled for public health reasons. I respect the decision, wish everyone good health… and am going to be offering a digital version.

Sign up to receive information about a digital workshop from mathacognitive: “The Struggle is Real: Self Care and Balance

Here’s the workshop description: “Teaching is meaningful, important, rewarding… and hard. If we are to do our best work and sustain our efforts, we must find ways to manage the hard parts, amplify the positives and maintain our energy. ”

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High quality teacher professional development (PD)

I am in a season where I am spending a lot of time in PD. (or I was, before we all started practicing social distancing, more on that below)

I’ve been (and will be) a participant in some, lead some and planned a few more, talked with colleagues, friends, family about it all. 

And, the good and the less-good of it has got me thinking about what makes good teacher PD good.

Short answer: Pretty much the same things that make for good teaching with our students: belief in them, flexibility, engagement, a holistic approach.

The long answer (or at least, my long answer)

Good PD believes in teachers:

Coming from frustration about what teachers aren’t doing, even if you’re right that the X you want is better than the Y they are doing? That shows. And it makes people not want to come to PD and/or check out once they’re there. I believe teachers want to do well by their students, and they’re doing the best they can with what they’ve got, and it’s my job as a facilitator to encourage and inspire and provide resources until the best they can is better. 

Good PD is reality based

Evidence based and research based get a lot of play. They’re important, and probably deserve their own bullet, but it hardly seems necessary since its on so many other lists. But I would argue for reality based, too. If I’m going to deliver something that is helpful, I need to have accounted for the reality that teachers and students are working in. Can this idea adapt and flex if students are frequently absent, and the supply budget has been spent, and class hours are limited (and prep hours even more so)? If not, I’m not ready to share it, because that’s the reality where teachers will be trying to implement it. 

Good PD engages teachers as learners and professionals

Partly, this is basic active-learning pedagogy. Lets not spend 3 hours with a powerpoint and a passive audience. But even if we spend 3 hours in small groups and pair-shares and poster sessions, but the point is merely to deliver the answers that someone has already figured out… I’m missing out. A room full of teachers is a powerful problem-solving resource: lets engage them.   My job is to ask good questions, to bring new resources, ideas and information, to share what I know and move the conversation forward; not to make pronouncements

Good PD supports the whole-person

I’m pretty businesslike, by default. But, I know that when I go to PD, I definitely want the information — but I might also want a break from the minutia and stress of the day to day, and a chance to stretch my brain and feel like I’m growing, and to connect with colleagues.  This is why face to face still beats a webinar or a series of online modules. As a facilitator, it’s helpful for me to remember that it’s not all about me, and it’s not even all about my content.

4 Elements of High Quality Teacher Professional Development Believes in teachers Is reality based Engages teachers Is holistic

And, yet.

As I write, events and institutions all around are declaring temporary closures for public health reasons and we’re all trying to figure out digital. ASAP. (myself included)

And, so, I’m looking at my list with a different focus. How can I translate these?

The first two, I’ve got. I still believe in teachers, I still want to share reality-based solutions. Engagement, I’m working on. A chat box is not as rich as a pair-share, but there are tools, and we can figure out how to use them.

It’s the last one that’s got me stumped. (And that makes me hope we’re all healthy and able to gather again soon.) I’ve had webinars that were informative, or interesting, or useful. But screen time, even informative, interesting screen time, is rarely refreshing or rejuvenating. (I think the folks doing extended online learning might have more tools than one-time events…?)

I’m pondering and googling (it’s what I do).

Also, seeking suggestions, if anyone has cracked the code.

Also, wishing everyone good health and a quick return to normalcy.

Also, sharing a few links to ideas I’m finding helpful in crafting human-scale digital professional development

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Going Digital

We’re disappointed we won’t see you in person… but we respect the decision to protect public health.

So… we’re going digital.

Details to follow, but mathacognitive will offer our workshops scheduled for the 2020 MCAE NETWORK Conference digitally.

Sign up below to receive information as we work out the details!

Thinking about Thinking: Low Prep Tips to Boost Metacognition

Many adult learners enter ABE programs with big goals, and a desire to achieve, but little understanding of how to learn/study effectively. We’ll explore low-prep classroom routines and activities to help students understand their own learning, practice metacognition, and become more skillful, independent learners.

For “non-math people”… who teach math anyways

Anyone can learn math … but for teachers who did not have positive math education experiences themselves, teaching math can be stressful. Still, it’s part of the job for many multi-subject adult educators. We’ll explore some of the research on math and learning and discuss how people who don’t identify with math can use their unique strengths to help their students succeed

The struggle is real: self care & balance

Teaching is meaningful, important, rewarding… and hard. If we are to do our best work and sustain our efforts, we must find ways to manage the hard parts, amplify the positives and maintain our energy. 

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“When I feel stuck in math, I can ____” (Lesson Sketch)

April 2020 Update. Distance learning versions now available: Stuck Strategies: Data and Reflection and Stuck Strategies: Complete Bundle

I am starting a new class, with a new group of students soon. I’m excited. And nervous. And all the conflicting things that change makes me feel.

There are many things to figure out in any new teaching situation. But this is also when I am most-glad for old-favorite classics. My new class and I are starting with an old favorite lesson  about productive struggle in math class.

I particularly like this one to start with a new group.

It’s powerful to start by saying “Yep, we all feel stuck sometimes. “

It’s even more powerful to start the year by saying “But ‘stuck’ isn’t the end of the story”

Feeling Stuck in Math Class? Reread the question Look at a previous question Re-read the directions draw a picture or diagram check your work think about it differently check your notes check the book work with a peer ask for help ... Keep trying!

Originally published Feb. 2018, updated spring 2020

These hint cards floated across my teacher-media radar. And I was intrigued.

I see too many students hit a roadblock and stare at it helplessly, unsure of how to get around it, and that’s the end of that study session/class/learning until someone comes around to get them unstuck.

I liked the idea of a resource that they could access when they hit those roadblocks, that wasn’t just waiting for me.

I work hard to convince my students that it’s great to ask questions, so I wanted to be sure I didn’t discourage that, just to broaden the options to include resources and strategies that they have or can implement themselves.

(Because self-directed learning, but also, homework.)

((And ultimately, for my students, a high stakes test when I’m not around to help.))

Also, I didn’t want to make a different set of cards for each lesson.

(Because in the reality of my prep time, I couldn’t be sure they’d actually happen every week, and I needed something reliable if students were going to use it.)

So, the idea rattled around in my head for weeks until it was ready to come out.

What emerged: have a discussion about strategies, and combine it with a math lesson so students don’t revolt about losing math time.  (Because, #reasonstoloveadultlearners, they would be upset to miss out of math time)

So, after the introductions and the homework policies and the other start of the term business, we brainstorm responses to the stem “When I feel stuck in math, I can ____”.

Some of my students were far better than others at this, and one class ran out of ideas after ‘keep trying’ and ‘ask for help’.  This says much about the struggles of that particular group of students.

But it also says, come prepared, teacher, with some ideas of your own.

Once we had a list, we collected data about my students’ current habits. (I had my students come to the board and make tally marks, you could use a printable ballot, hands, four corners etc.)

Then we analyzed our results. One class made bar graphs, one wrote statements with ratios. Since that first time, I’ve done percents and a few other math skills.

And, now their strategies (and the bar graphs) are on the wall, right next to my white board. A reminder – I hope! – for the rest of the trimester.

A full version of my lesson is  available on Teachers Pay Teachers

The lesson plan includes the plan (with standards and procedures), extension ideas, multiple data collection variations, and student handouts for fractions, ratios, percents, and bar graphs.

Free! I’ve also shared our answers as a printable handout that could be added to a binder/notebook

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Thinking about Metacognition….

Metacognition is in my blog name because it’s one of my absolute favorite things. (See metacognitive routines , and tips and reflections and goals)

But, it sounds daunting, if you’re not already doing it.

Or, you’re many teachers, and you’re already doing so many other things, that adding anything else sounds daunting, doesn’t matter what it is (if so, stick around, I’m also working on a workshop about self care and balance)

But, I would (do!) argue that adding metacognition to your teaching doesn’t have to be hard.

One of the easiest ways is by adding a log to something you’re already doing.

My classes use two logs a day for our spiral review and for our homework and they’re super simple, no frills, but really helpful.

Why logs?

They build a habit of stopping, reflecting, checking in on learning. But also, gaining the insight that comes from the metacognition.

Bonus points: They document patterns of progress or challenge (especially valuable that it’s in a form that students can see, because, ummm… they wrote it. This is helpful for the folks in my classes who insist on doubting their own abilities)

Bonus, bonus points: As a teacher, its so helpful to get insight into students experience/thinking about their learning.

Free metacognition teaching resource! Classroom log. Date, What I did, how it went, next steps

How to:

Decide what to log:

Anything you do repeatedly, that you want your students to thinking about is fair game: homework or independent studying are great because it also loops you in to a students progress but you could do a general log every Friday about the week, or at the end of every unit, or convert your exit tickets to a log entry, or, or, or…

Set up:

I love folders. They keep things just that much neater and easier to find. (Also, I have bright yellow for one and bright green for another and the odds that a log accidentally wanders home in the bottom of a backpack have decreased.) But, folders are totally optional. A chart is nice. I made one for you. But if you don’t like it, make a simple one you do like, or use lined paper.

Here’s a (free!) reflective log template to get you started.

Content:

I go for frequency rather than depth. You might want more specific questions, but a good starting place is:

  • Date
  • What I did (What homework? What unit? Whatever thing this entry is about)
  • How’d it go? (Self assessment and reflection)
  • Next steps? (Planning and organizing)

I like to keep the entries small, to keep the intimidation factor down, just a line or two.

Want some more support? I made a (Free!) teacher planning guide

Adding Metacognitive Routines: Classroom Log Planner Preview

( PS. This post is inspired by a workshop I planned for the Massachusetts Coalition for Adult Education Network Conference in April.

NETWORK has been cancelled for public health reasons. I respect the decision, wish everyone good health… and am going to be offering a digital version.

n up to receive information about a digital workshop from mathacognitive: “Thinking about Thinking: Easy Tips to Boost Metacognition”

Here’s the workshop description: Many adult learners enter ABE programs with big goals, and a desire to achieve, but little understanding of how to learn/study effectively. We’ll explore low-prep classroom routines and activities to help students understand their own learning, practice metacognition, and become more skillful, independent learners. 

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Math about {Anything} Lessons

My favorite recipes, aren’t really recipes. Or at least, they’re not fixed recipes, they’re a format you can riff on. Sometimes I make that pasta with broccoli and lemon and chickpeas; and sometimes the broccoli is kale, or spinach. And sometimes the lemon is Parmesan, or sun-dried tomatoes, or left out and the chickpeas are veggie sausage…. You know those recipes, right?

Some of my favorite math lessons are what I call “math about learning.” I love them because I love learning, and love talking about learning. But, really, they’re that pasta recipe. I use broccoli and learning, but you could swap in whatever you and/or your students love.

The basic idea is to conduct a mini-survey about SOMETHING and analyze your data.

Why I love these lessons

It shows students math as a useful tool for understanding the real world. Especially if they’re invested in the topic or questions.

I love talking about learning, so I do. But, for the multi-subject ABE teachers who are passionate about something other than math, it lets them connect that passion to the classroom.

Math about ___ Lesson Planner. Preview Only.

Here’s the recipe:

(Here’s a 2-page Google Doc to help you plan your lesson)

Introduce your topic: Share your content, have a discussion, get your students interested in the thing, whatever your thing is.

I do learning. You do you. Science, or music, or sneakers, or social issues, or sports, or dogs, or whatever your thing is.

Write some survey questions (or get your students to write them with you) and collect some data. A show of hands, a secret ballot, peer interviews, standing in corners of the room. Take your pick, or make your own.

Pro tip: Spectrum or rating questions translate nicely to number lines (perhaps with decimals or fractions or signed numbers)

Analyze your data. Give your students a task and math skill: Find the percent of the class who said ____; make a bar graph of responses to question __; calculate the median rating of ___.

In short, simple stats are your friend. Depending on how you structure your questions and your task, this can be decimals, fractions, percents (and/or converting between them), ratios/proportions, signed numbers, mean/median/mode, charts, tables, graphs (or work your graphs right and you can fit some geometry in) or probably other things I haven’t thought about yet.

Extend, maybe.

Make a display of your data, or write a ‘statistical analysis’ and feel fancy (and get some great learning/ELA connections).

Connect it to statistics. Talk about samples, and population, and bias. Can we make predictions based on our data about the school/town/state?

( PS. This post was inspired by a workshop I planned for the Massachusetts Coalition for Adult Education Network Conference in April.

NETWORK has been cancelled for public health reasons. I respect the decision, wish everyone good health… and am going to be offering a digital version. )

Sign up to receive information about a digital workshop from mathacognitive: “The Struggle is Real: Self Care and Balance

PPS. I don’t believe in math people and non math people. I do believe in helping all teachers — including multi-subject ABE teachers who don’t love math (yet!) — achieve.

Here’s the workshop description: Anyone can learn math … but for teachers who did not have positive math education experiences themselves, teaching math can be stressful. Still, it’s part of the job for many multi-subject adult educators. We’ll explore some of the research on math and learning and discuss how people who don’t identify with math can use their unique strengths to help their students succeed