HUMS staff week of May 13, 2019

Well,,, kinda of "Almost There"..  

ITEMS:

1. May

May 14 - Shared Staff Meeting

May 21 - Full Faculty (Part III of Recovery Session Planning)

May 28 - Learning Communities (end of year group work presentations)

May 30 - LT/DH Meeting

Spirit week schedule 7th grade : https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ENizxZbl1GKgMbO9_oiugxV-aaVqeuLjgY4ZW0FgLVk/edit?ts=5cd2d182

2. I will be sending out a doodle poll this week regarding summer PD days. Remember, we have 4 total days. One day for each team (Please let me know when they are) and one day for everyone. I am tentatively looking at August 15 or 16.

3. Liz and I had planned to complete all of the paperwork for activities this week on Friday. Due to some conflict in time, we were unable to complete the tasks. We will meet first thing tomorrow morning to complete this.

4. Remember to take a moment to view and add to the list regarding school climate that can be found on the HUMS staff meeting link in the link cloud.

5. CALENDAR! 19-20 school calendar for your review! https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2uQwDkbPKEVYmg3X2w4anBudEpETTN6OHNjVUVHQ3ZwVVVz/view

6.  Love this article on myths and creativity..  

Pushing Back on Myths About Creative Classroom Projects

            In this online article, John Spencer (George Fox University) says that when he asks his students about their most memorable K-12 learning experiences, they invariably mention a creative project. “These were the moments when learning stuck and often it was when they fell in love with the subject,” says Spencer. So why don’t more teachers orchestrate this kind of learning? Spencer believes they’re held back by seven myths:

            • Myth #1: Structure will squash creativity. Actually, the structure is a vital facilitator of projects and other creative work; without it, students may not get started or may do wander aimlessly. But it’s important that the structure “inspire creativity and respect student agency,” says Spencer.

            • Myth #2: Creative projects are possible only in certain subject areas. Math seemed out of bounds when Spencer taught in a self-contained class, but then he discovered all kinds of possibilities: board games tied to probability, tiny houses using proportional reasoning, volume, and surface area, and a Scratch game reinforcing the X-Y axes and logic. He broadens the definition further: “It can mean exploring ideas and navigating information until you become an expert curator. It can mean designing systems that empower the creative work of others. It can mean creating change in the world by speaking truth and leading movements and interacting with people.”

            • Myth #3: Creative projects are best for advanced students. This is expressed in teacher comments like, “He’s just not ready for this,” “She should really focus on skill practice first,” or “My kids aren’t far enough along for that.” Spencer believes all students can benefit from creative projects, and can be successful if there’s enough scaffolding and support. One caveat: if students are working in groups, teachers need to build in structures so that one student doesn’t do all the creative work while others tag along. 

            • Myth #4: There isn’t time for creative work. It feels that way to many teachers, which is why projects are often left till the end or not done at all. The trick, says Spencer, is integrating projects into curriculum units, so students are learning higher-level concepts and doing hands-on work while practicing skills.

            • Myth #5: I’m not a creative teacher. Everyone has creative facets, says Spencer, and within a teacher team, there are likely to be some of these:

-  Artist – creativity through original thinking and making;

-  Point guard – creativity through strategic action and empathy;

-  Hacker – creativity through divergent thinking and breaking systems;

-  Astronaut – creativity through curiosity and exploration;

-  Geek – creativity through experimentation and analysis;

-  Architect – creativity through designing and building systems;

-  Engineer – creativity through problem-solving and fixing.

“When teachers team together to design and implement creative projects,” says Spencer, “they are able to tap into one another’s strengths in a way that wouldn’t be possible on their own.” 

            • Myth #6: Creative projects have to use technology. Not necessarily, says Spencer; the 

technology might be nothing more than cardboard and duct tape, sticky notes, or an in-person 

service project.

            • Myth #7: Assessment is difficult with creative projects. It’s true that grading students on projects can backfire, fostering anxiety and stifling creativity. But not assessing can signal that creative work isn’t valued by the teacher or the school. Spencer suggests:

-  Break down assessment into specific, measurable areas such as research and development, idea creation, problem-solving, and risk-taking.

-  Assess components formatively, giving students opportunities to improve performance. 

-  Get students involved in self-assessment and assessing their peers’ work.

-  Focus on growth and celebration. 

“Seven Myths Keeping Teachers from Implementing Creative Projects” by John Spencer, April 4, 2019, http://www.spencerauthor.com/creative-myths/; Spencer can be reached at jspencer@georgefox.edu.

Click here for a prize...  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QtuQwuDKysuld7IONY-yTxEJHvmxNUuu0yLgD9kR3D8/edit