I haven’t blogged or Twittered much during the pandemic. I’ve been so absorbed in my work and so annoyed with the new block editing system of WordPress, that I have really lapsed in “documenting my learning”.

Yes, that is what I think I am doing here. Why do I think this? -Silvia Rosenthal Tolisano! Some may also know her as Langwitches due to her amazing blog and website.

She was a person that I had never met face to face but stood larger than life in my view. We spoke through Skype, email, and What’s App, and every conversation left my head spinning and my heart recharged to engage in the courageous effort of challenging the definition of literacy and using media as a means to develop it. When I heard that she passed away, I felt great sadness and loss for all the conversations we will never have again. She was a truly remarkable person, a force to be reckoned with, and I was grateful that I got to know her on a professional level.

Through the book (A Guide to Documenting Learning), her blog, and our interactions, she shifted my views as to how I could see, not only education but the world. She had this passion for digital storytelling and always reminded me that educators needed to stay relevant with their technology skills in their pedagogical approaches. She also challenged my thinking of how teachers should document their professional learning as a part of our PLCs–not for the sake of teacher evaluations but for the sake of their professional growth.

She was such a passionate person. Gosh, so many of her ideas were ahead of the times. It feels like there will be so much opportunity to uplevel ourselves as educators post-pandemic and she would have been there, supporting the effort and likely to see more of her ideas put into action. My heart really aches to think Silvia will miss this.

Silvia, thank you. These sentences are just the tip of the iceberg and what an indelible mark you’ve left. It’s really so hard to communicate what an extraordinary person you were and how much I appreciated your ideas and humanity. I feel like I am a better person for knowing you. RIP, beautiful soul.

Translanguaging. A word that makes you cock your head to one side and say, “huh”. It’s a bewildering term.

For quite a while now I have been processing the concept Translanguaging and trying to find space within my existing paradigm to make room for this idea. On the surface, Translanguaging seems like it’s just a way to promote learning a target language, particularly English; but the more and more I learn about it, my understanding is deepened to grasp that this is more than about language. As my knowledge increases, the more I feel a battle cry roar up within me, and I want more schools to develop this approach. I have 3 main “why’s” for schools who serve multilingual students should adopt this approach.

Why #1-Accelerating learning

Many international schools are considered fancy language schools in the parents’ minds so if you know this perspective, it feels like a justifiable approach to learning English or other target languages. I think this is the main reason for schools’ rationale in using this approach is to facilitate the learning of a target language. As I prepare for a parent coffee on this topic, I know that this is my entry point for our discussions: it’s a more efficient way to learn. Moreover, it develops students’ critical thinking skills because students must use their metacognition skills in order to think deeply about language and within a language.

Why #2: Honoring identity and appreciating culture

Through the lens of Translanguaging, students are Thinkers and Communicators, not ELLs or EALs. When we apply those kinds of labels, it is to see them through the lens of a deficit model of what they are “acquiring”, not what they already have. That seems so 1-dimensional to think of students in this way.

When we remember that students come to us with a foundation of their home language and we are building upon it, we can harness their strengths and develop their confidence. Asking them to communicate in “English Only”, is asking them to deny who they are and the wealth of delight and richness that comes from their home language. As an IB educator, demanding students to speak and write in English doesn’t seem very “internationally-minded”, if you ask me. If we say we value other cultures, but deny one’s ability to communicate in their home language, then this seems like an act of cruelty, and an abuse of power. This leads me to my next Why….

Why #3: Promoting principles of diversity, inclusion, equity and justice

Although educators don’t swear the Hippocratic oath, I think all of us could agree that we wish to do no harm to our students. When we examine the ability to express ourselves relegated to the more desirable language in which an English-only policy pervades, it can be thought of as an act of oppression. I know some of you might have gasped at that thought but when you study the history of the English language, I don’t think it’s that far-fetched. When we preclude our students from using their full language repertoire, we are asking them to assimilate into a narrative that’s been promoted for hundreds of years.

“But English is the language of social mobility–it’s what parents want!”, you say. There is truth in that statement. Acquiring English is a status symbol and provides an advantage to many learners. I’m not denying that.

However, can you recognize that when we insist on “English-Only”, we are inadvertedly promoting the “whitening” of our students, making them feel ashamed for who they are and where they come from, diminishing their humanity?

Consider instead that there are opportunities within the layers of this hidden oppression to utilize translanguaging to bring out our students best selves. We CAN simultaneously promote academic language development AND honor the history and home languages of our students. It first begins with our own self-reflection as a pathway to change, and then challenging the institutional policies that propagate practices that deny the child to express their intelligence in a variety of ways.

Although I am grappling with this term and working hard to create value for it within our school community, I think translanguaging is the next step in our evolution, an inroad to de-colonizing our schools and cultivating a truly international-minded community.

Can you think of others reasons why schools should adopt this approach? Please share below so we can grow in our capacity to articulate this stance in our schools.

Since the political season, I’ve been reflecting on how polarized people have become. How have our realities become so splintered? How have people’s opinions become so calcified?  This sense of “you’re either with us or against us” has really permeated the fabric of our society. Is there any way forward for democracy if we can’t listen to differing points of view? 

And so I’ve been wondering what role education plays in all of this–is this inflexibility and warped views of one another the product of a “textbook answer” schooling and overvaluing authority over the good of the group? Surely this cult thinking has its roots in how we’ve been educating children and the enculturation process of young minds. 

When I consider this fact, I feel incredibly proud to be an IB educator, to know that the work I lead in classrooms is fulfilling a mission in which we 

“develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect….students across the world become active, compassionate, and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right. (Read the full IB Mission Statement here)

But whether your school is IB or not, I think we, as educators have an obligation to address this dualistic thinking in our schools. We have to address absolutes and teach into complexity. We must actively teach “grayscale thinking” that helps students grapple with uncertainty and change. They must become aware that there is rarely a “right answer” but many ways to arrive at a solution.  

A few years ago I came across the work of Sue Looney during the Build Math Minds Summit. Her website Same But Different had been a teaching resource for me but I had never considered the bigger picture of the work she does until recently. One would hardly think of Math as a subject to explore grayscale thinking because it is the ultimate “right answer” subject but her work clearly demonstrates that there is really no discipline in which this type of thinking can’t be taught. Complexity exists everywhere. 

 So I’d like to share 3 Concepts that were inspired by Looney’s work which can be taught in any subject area that develops perspective and nuance that we can imbed into our practice. 

The Power of Connection: Relationships

In order to discover the “gray”, you must explore the basis of how things are connected. Examining relationships to see how they are the same but also simultaneously different.  So let’s look at a couple of concepts and their related concepts in which students can start to develop an understanding of connection through a learning lens:

In math, one can explore the relationships through….

• Quantity: Backwards and Forwards

In language, one can explore the relationships through….

• Meaning: punctuation

In science, one can explore the relationships through…

• Properties: states of  matter

In social studies, one can explore the relationships through…

• Time: events (especially when the juxtaposition of the location to show cause and effect)

Identifying Misconceptions: Interpretation

One of the most important aspects of teaching into the “gray” is to use 2 ideas and compare them. When you think about the polarity that exists currently, using this binary approach to encourage the idea of nuance is helpful. Learning things in pairs really facilitates students to develop perspective and recognize distinctions.

Visual information like this is an example of how you can observe something that appears to only be one “way” and yet it can be adjusted to bring out other ideas.

Of course, you could do this in other ways. For example, using a probability continuum with “likely” and “unlikely” on the opposite sides and having plot a concept on it. Getting a kitten? Seeing their grandma during the holidays? Losing a tooth?–it doesn’t have to be big adult ideas because the purpose is to show how a shared experience can be interpreted in different ways. This is the whole point of the learning, and to have children think about where they might put this event/concept is where the thinking happens. Moreover, it doesn’t have to be a probability continuum, you can use emotions with one side “happy” and the other “sad”; the intention is to bring out one person’s point of view can be different from ours when filtered through a personal lens. 

Of course, you can do this in other ways. Let’s say you were doing a nutrition unit and you wanted to teach “healthy foods”. A good many of us would allow students to think that drinking soda is “bad” for us and instead children might drink fruit juice instead. But instead of allowing students to assume this, we could delve into the complexities of how things are processed and provide students with 2 kinds of juice with varying degrees of nutritional value. Can the kids “taste” the difference? Can they tell which one is healthier? How might they investigate these suspicions? (Hopefully, they will read a food label!)

So, there are many ways to explore complexity through interpretation, and hopefully this is sparking your creativity. 

Developing Complexity: Interrelatedness

From a young age, students learn how to categorize things. Sorting things into groups is probably one of the first skills that we teach children. But I want you to think about the last time you used a Venn diagram. This tool helps us to expand on our notions of difference and provides a visual representation of how there is overlap when looking at relationships.

Here are some rather simple examples of how you can use a Venn diagram to demonstrate interrelatedness:

 

Hopefully, these ideas inspire some of your own thinking. Black and white thinking–thinking in absolutes–can be so damaging to our society. As educators, we need to teach into nuance and the subtle differences between things. Developing students’ thinking skills through examing relationships, interpretation, and interrelatedness are key ways to develop critical thinking and an awareness of life’s complexities. 

Recently I saw a friend of mine post that Icelanders give books as a tradition for Christmas eve. How lovely is that? No wonder why such a small population is so incredibly literate–they value literacy and have embedded it into their culture.

But then I started thinking about how much more thoughtful and genuine that is then our typical way of giving gifts to others. Often we give because it’s what we do at Christmas, rarely thinking deeply about what we are giving to someone–a perfumed candle, a gift card, an ugly sweater. We impulsively purchase something in order to fill the void of this tradition. However, if you were to give a book…..well, I think that takes a bit more thought and care. If someone gave me a book–just like with music– it has to be considered with that person in mind, given their experience and preference.

So it got me thinking about what books I might “gift” to a colleague. These are general considerations of titles but these books would suit well a certain audience. I share a quote in order to provide insight into the message and methodologies of each book.

To my first-year teacher, I would give Letters to a Young Teacher by Jonathan Kozol.

To my “new to the PYP” teachers, I would give: Inquiry Mindset:Nurturing the Dreams, Wonders, and Curiosities of Our Youngest Learners by Trevor MacKenzie

Inquiry teachers don’t get bogged down with coverage or content. Rather they focus on slowing down learning to allow opportunities to deepen understanding, better support their students, and embrace the curiosities passions and interests of their learners.

Inquiry Mindset

To my school counselor, I would give: Building Resilience in Students Impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences: A Whole-Staff Approach by Victoria E. Romero, Ricky Robertson , Amber N. Warner 

Unfortunately, professional development does not begin with school staff
exploring self. Most initiatives requiring professional development focus on
educators knowing my practice and knowing my students. Knowing my
practice is more about implementing content. Knowing my students is limited
to viewing them as passive receivers of instruction and not about who they
are as human beings, with strengths rooted in their cultural and ethnic
identities and their emotions…..Opportunity for teachers to know myself and acknowledge where they are professionally or who they are in the equation is usually omitted entirely.

Building Resilience in Students

To my marketing and school relationship department, I would give: Engage Every Family : Five Simple Principles by Steve Constantin

Why? Why would families choose your school? Why would families choose you as a classroom or you as a teacher?

Engage Every Family

To my tech integrator, I would give: Dive into UDL: Immersive Practices to Develop Expert Learners by  Kendra Grant and  Luis Perez

Your assumptions and beliefs are like the clothes in your closet. Some fit
perfectly. Some don’t fit anymore, but still you hang on to them in case they fit again (they usually don’t). Some are old, worn-out favorites that may be worth keeping. Can they be updated and repaired, or should they be replaced with something more up-to-date? Some might be trendy.

Even if these seem to fit, do they stand up to everyday wear? Will they be replaced when the next trend comes along, or does this trend have its roots in solid design?

Just like performing a seasonal closet clear-out, regularly bring your
assumptions and beliefs about learners and learning out into the light and examine them closely. Try them on. Be critical. Consider getting
a new perspective from your trusted peers during this process, especially
those with a critical eye and unflinching honesty!

Dive into UDL

To my principal, I would give: The Innovator’s Mindset: Empower Learning, Unleash Talent, and Lead a Culture of Creativity by George Couros

To my librarian, I would give: Reader, Come Home by Marryanne Wolf

We need to teach children “digital wisdom”, so that they learn first how to make good decisions about content, and second, how to self-regulate and check their attention and ability to remember what they have read during online reading, both in and out of school.

Reader, Come Home

To my learning support coordinator, I would give: The Power of Neurodiversity: Unleashing the Advantages of Your Differently Wired Brain by Thomas Armstrong

Up until now we have tended to use highly negative medicalized language to speak of brain diversity but generally positive naturalistic language to talk about cultural diversity and biodiversity. For the sake of our well-being and health of our society and culture as a whole, it’s essential that we start to use more positive language to talk about the brain in its many variations.

Thomas Armstrong

These are just a few titles that come to mind. What professional books would you “gift” and to whom? What ideas and inspiration would you share with others to demonstrate that you care about them professionally?

Control is an interesting concept, isn’t it? Here we are in the midst of a global pandemic and we are struggling to find some sense and meaning in this crisis. This confusion is the “white noise” that runs in the background of our minds. Within a matter of months, our lives have been turned upside down. We are bearing witness to the failure of our paradigms but where there are children, there is hope. Personally, I find the opportunity that we still can teach in this crisis to be such a refreshing part of all of this. 

But it has made me more aware of the need to develop creative problem solving and imaginative thinking. We need humans who can think for themselves and not only have the intelligence but the empathy to find solutions that benefit all of us. Perhaps it is naive of me, but I believe that if we knew better, we do better.

So I think, more than ever, we have to change our mindset and instead of  “getting through this” challenge, we really “rise above and engage” in the meaningful work that we do every day with students. Resilience has to become our new normal. 

So I think the greatest gift we can get and we can give in this experience is agency. 

(That’s still such a funny-sounding word, isn’t it? Grammarly is always trying to get me to add “the” to it so that it reflects a collective noun vs. an attribute of an individual.)

So whether you are online or in a hybrid situation, we need to be thinking about how we can promote and empower students during these times. Whether our students are 3 years old or 13 years old, we need to provide them with the opportunity to be self-directed and self-regulated. They can’t be waiting for their teachers and parents to tell them what to think or when to think. Thinking and learning must just become like the air that surrounds them–ever-present. They need opportunities to make decisions for themselves and to provide direction in the learning.

So…

How are you using technology to promote student agency?

What structures are you using to promote self-navigation?

Do you give students permission and opportunities to “learn without you” and run a lesson (online or in-person)? 

Let’s give these questions some more airtime….

Technology to Promote Student Agency

The best part of this time is that there are so many apps that are available to promote new forms of learning. The only obstacle we have is our imagination. If you took out a pen right now and listed all the apps you are currently using and then started to brainstorm all the ways you could use it to turn over the learning to students, you could probably come up with a decent list. I’ve set my timer for 1 minute–here’s my list…..

• SeeSaw: 
  • The Choice Board
  • Student to student feedback in the comments
• Student Help Desk using Zoom/Google Meet/Microsoft Teams
•  Flip-Grid
  • Student-Led Book Clubs
  • Board: Student Help Desk with Math problems
  • Board: My home science experiments
• Padlet or Wakelet
  
  • I have a question….who has an answer… (Q and A forum)
  • Boards that allow students to do their own research and content curation 
  • Student “puzzlers” (riddles or games) or jokes
• Student-designed Google Site or Class Blog that they moderate
• Student-designed Bit-Emoji classroom with links to learning websites and books.

Okay, time is up! Hopefully, this 1-minute brainstorm sparks some ideas—What can you come up with?

Structures to Promote Self-Navigation

First of all, I think we need to think about what it means to “self-navigate”. What are the aspects that impact their ability to make decisions in order to direct their learning? I think these are the main ones:

• When they get to Learn: Their use and duration of time
• How they get to Learn: Choice of media
• What they get to Learn: Choice of activities in a content area
• Who they get to Learn with: Choice of learning partners

I think EVERY DAY students need the opportunity to make choices within one or more of these areas. The choices students make reflect the values that they have. As a teacher, I think this is critical information to have as. teacher because it provides insight into the student’s heart and mind, directly impacting their level of motivation.  I don’t care how animated and interesting your teaching style is, in the absence of motivation, learning can’t happen. We know that “thrill leads to skill”. Student choice stimulates engagement and develops stamina to get through challenges. 

Choice boards are definitely a vehicle that can address the How to Learn and the What to Learn but the structure of the Must-Do, May-Do Charts also guide students in their decision-making. But I would also challenge you to let your students create their own choice boards and present it as option to think about how they might design their own learning.

The When and Who of learning is something that could be really helpful if you do hybrid learning because instead of a fixed timetable of lessons, students could create their own learning schedule and you could provide “workshops” on learning topics that are assigned on an asynchronized platform. In that way, you can meet with smaller groups of students (mixing in-person and online students who video conference into these workshops). I think when students return to face-to-face instruction, transitioning back to fixed timetables is going to be really difficult. They may find the pace too slow or too fast. We need to think flexibly about time and allow students to structure their learning in such a way that accommodates their needs and preference.

Permission to Learn (without adults)

A couple of years ago I shared a post about What If Students Ran the School? (#SOL meets #EmpowerBook). I know that most of us predict that we would break into chaos or recreate the “Lord of the Flies”  if we give students the freedom to provide governance in how schools operate. But I think this is an excellent opportunity, particularly with online learning, to invite students into the planning and execution of learning. Moreover, we want students to go beyond the “checklist” approach to learning and be able to articulate the different ways that they can exercise their minds on any given day.  I can’t tell you specifically what to do as a classroom teacher, but I would suggest that you pose some open-ended questions like How might we learn …? or What if we ..? and allow students to fill in the blanks. I think this would be where you could start. Imagine how empowering this would be though if we co-designed learning with our students. 

Gosh, I think doing this would be a ton of fun! 

Your Turn

So as we consider the inflection point we are in education, we need to exercise our imagination and engage in experimentation so we can make learning a “team sport”, bringing students’ voices into our planning and providing them with choice into their learning. Although this post is hardly a blueprint or how-to guide, I do most certainly hope it expands some thinking into how we could use this time of crisis for an amazing transformation in student learning. 

Now it’s your turn–what are you going to do to promote student agency?