What learning should be

To create conditions optimum for learning, educators must understand how students learn. Hand in hand with nurturing a growth mindset is the understanding of the role of learning in our lives. Benjamin Barber, a political theorist, once observed, "I don't divide the world into the weak and the strong, or the the successes and the failures. I divide the world into the learners and the non learners."

As educators, it is imperative to define for ourselves what learning should be. What educational practices are in the best interest of young learners and how can you best  bring those theories into practice? Here a few ideas:

• Learners should be challenged. Through differentiation and a teacher's understanding of her individual learners and grade level standards, each student should have assignments and assessments that are appropriately challenging requiring him to initially struggle, yet develop perseverance as he progresses toward mastery. Students should be asked to think critically, solve problems, and reflect. 
• Learners should be leaders. According to National Training Laboratories, students retain 90% of the material when they are required to present it or teach it to others (http://www.teachinontario.ca/employment/En/3b_strategies.html). In classrooms, opportunities should be given for students to present materials and instruct one another. When students are given the freedoms of choice and voice in the classroom, they learn. 
• Learners should be active. Learning is not a passive verb and learners are not merely spectators. Allow students to interact with one another and move away from the desk. Embrace the practice of small group activities that require students to actively learn through playing on the floor, competing in games, or participating in campus-wide scavenger hunts. 
• Learners should be creative. Give opportunities to create in different ways using technology, scientific experiments, visual and performing arts. Hands-on opportunities regularly enrich the learning experiences of students. 

Establishing what you believe about learning helps you be more intentional in both modeling and implementing these practices. 

That's not how I learned Math!

The following post was written by me for the Nashville Christian Elementary Blog in September, 2014.

"That's not how I learned Math"

Picture this "hypothetical" situation: You are sitting at the kitchen table with your fourth grader, and he is working on Math homework. He struggles with a problem and asks you for help. You read the directions and try to explain to him how you would solve the problem. Your son says, "But that's not how we did it in class". The gauntlet is thrown down, and for the next hour, you argue with him on how to solve the math problem. Finally, you give up, saying the words "Fine, do it that way! I give up!" and both of you end the evening stressed out.

This not-so-hypothetical situation happened to me a few years ago, and I found I was not alone when I posted on my Facebook page about the battle of long division. Mom after mom, and a few dads, echoed my frustrations.

It's painfully obvious to those of us raising children, that our educational experience was different than our children's, and it should be. The world has changed exponentially in the last few decades. From the way we gather, process, and communicate information to the way we complete day-to-day tasks, life is more complex and technical. Our list of basic skills needed to function in society has expanded, so it's no surprise that homework, and Math homework in particular, would be different and deeper.

Why has Math changed?
It hasn't, but in order to better prepare our students to function in a global, high-tech society, our approach to teaching Math has changed.  In the elementary school of my childhood, we developed a basic procedural knowledge of Math. We were given a recipe to follow. "This is how you do long-division. Follow the steps religiously and repeatedly without variation, and you will have the perfect answer each time." At school, we would practice and then for homework we would complete 50 of the same problem.  We understood the "what" and even the "how", but didn't do very much with the "why". Today, we are teaching math conceptually. The concept of "long division" is taught and students are given many methods to use in various situations to solve problems. They are asked to think not only about how to divide, but why the processes work and in which real-life situation they apply. Students are required not only to solve a problem but to be able to explain how they found their answer.

Why is this approach better?
In spite of the difficulty, this approach is in the best interest of our students. Research shows that students who are taught conceptually outperform students who merely learn and practice procedures. Additionally, by requiring more of our students, we are instilling in them qualities like grit, perseverance, and resilience.

How can I support my child as they learn Math?

• Learn the Language - With each new chapter, take a moment to learn the vocabulary words that accompany the math lesson. Before starting homework, look through your child's Math Journal or textbook. If that is unavailable,  use online resources likeMath.com to learn the meanings of words or You Tube which has many demonstration videos pertaining to math concepts. 
• Listen first - Before you tell your child how you learned to work a math problem, let him explain to you what he has learned, and believe them. Choose words wisely. Words like "That's not right" or "This makes no sense" tells your child that you don't trust him or the teacher. 
• Let it go - When you reach a stalemate over an assignment, let it go. Let your child do the assignment his way. He will either find out he was right, or have an opportunity to learn from a mistake. Either option is beneficial to his growth.  If you and your child have worked hard but just can't seem to figure out the assignment, communicate with the teacher by writing a note on the assignment or sending an email about the questions you had, and then put the assignment away. The teacher can then address the issue the next day. 
• Witness the struggle - As a parent, it can be tempting to want to protect our children from difficulties, but struggling is a natural and necessary part of life. Our brains are muscles and they need to work out and be challenged to develop. Grow comfortable with watching your child struggle. Encourage them to be persistent and not devastated when something is difficult. Share with them your academic struggles and how you overcame. 
• Proactively address areas of weakness - If your child chronically struggles with math, be open to providing tutoring and other supplemental support to help bridge the gap. If a child in elementary has not mastered math facts by 3rd or 4th grade, math will continue to be a struggle. Math facts are essential tools used in a variety of math concepts. Be aware of your child's strengths and weaknesses and form a plan to aggressively address the gaps. Assessment tools like STAR Math and TCAP scores can give indicators not only for our teachers to use to direct instruction, but also for parents to identify areas of need. Partner with the school to form an educational plan. 

RESOURCES:

• A Distinction between Conceptual Knowledge and Procedural Knowledge 
• Dr. Scoggin's Math Laboratory: What's wrong with the "old way" of teaching Math? It worked for me!
• PBS Parents: What's Singapore Math?

Extreme Homework Make-over for Secondary Students

I often hear from secondary educators that getting students to do homework is challenging. "The students just won't do it, so why bother assigning it." The focus in these conversations is typically on the students ----they are irresponsible, they are unmotivated, but I wonder if the problem could be in the actual assignments given. Perhaps students aren't doing homework because they don't see the relevance.  It doesn't inspire them. Maybe after a day of sitting at desks doing work, when they get home, the last thing they want to do is sit at a table and do more work. That being said, if students are going to succeed in college, they need to develop responsibility and study skills.  Completing independent assignments outside of class can spur that growth. How can we as educators inspire secondary students to extend their learning beyond the school day?

I recently read two blog posts about re-thinking the idea of homework:

• 5 Steps to Re-branding Homework by Tony Sinanis
• The best homework ever by Bethany Hill

I agree with Bethany Hill's suggestions for homework for elementary students, but it caused me to reflect on how these same principles could transfer into meaningful, engaging homework for Middle School and High School students while also preparing them for college. 

Some engaging variations on traditional homework at the secondary level could be:

• Free Writes and Free Reads - give students the choice of completing either a 15 minute time of free writing or free reading relevant to what you are studying and come prepared to share in class the next day. If necessary, provide a list of topics or articles, but give students the freedom to choose. 
• Interviewing a person or leading a family discussion about a reading passage or topic and then writing a blog post about it. 
• Having students plan a mini-lesson to teach students the next day. This can be particularly useful for vocabulary words. Every day a different student leads the class in reviewing concepts and terms relevant to your current topic of study or reviewing past units. 
• Complete a relevant service project.
• Watching videos, movies, or TV shows. 
• Students make a video demonstrating skills or re-enacting historic events. 
• Do research - Assign students a topic or concept you will be studying the next day. Ask them to spend 10 minutes researching and then be prepared to share at least 3 things they learned the next day. (Or make it FREESEARCH - students choose the topic to research and you choose the way they share the information through writing, presenting, etc.)
• Twitter Chat - have students participate with one another in a Twitter chat about the current topic of study. One person leads with questions, the others answer. They turn in the chat transcript to the teacher to review. 

Two wacky ideas I'd love to try:

• Make homework optional - Give assignments regularly, but let students know they can choose whether to complete it outside of class or inside of class. Students who choose to complete the homework spend the first part of class engaging in an interactive, energetic extension activity while those who did not do it, complete the assignment independently at their desks.  I wonder if eventually students would all choose to complete the assignments? 
• Establish a homework council. Meet with a panel of students weekly or monthly to plan homework for the upcoming unit of study. Students determine and even design the assignments. Each homework council member is assigned to a group of students. They provide accountability, encouragement and support to peers about completing assignments ---in essence, a study group or cohort. Rotate council membership every few weeks, so all students can participate. 

There are many who would like to just get rid of homework entirely. The problem is that type of drastic change can only work if it happens across the board (from college down to elementary). The better option is to work on developing homework strategies that are purposeful, engaging, and manageable by all. 

Other articles to consider:

• The Homework Debate: How Homework benefits Students
• The Case Against Homework
• Ending the Homework Debate: Expert Advice that Works
• Is Homework bad?