How do i love thee?
Module 1: DEja Vu
Object Photos
Object Photo Complete
Module 2: Perceiving
Weather
Perceiving may be described as a process of seeing an object through more than just the sense of sight. This is the way I started my observation for this module. I began this process by choosing the topic of weather. This was of interest to me because I could link it to my first grade science curriculum and recognize that it is ever changing, especially in a place like Michigan. Most of my photos about weather were taken because of the location. I often find that many of my most captured photos are when I’m traveling or in places that surround me on special occasions. I’ve traveled a fair amount (“the mitten” having some great photo-ops) and in other parts of the US. Most of my photos may appear to be of scenery and nature. This was my initial observation. Much of my interpretation and conceptualization had to do with the sense of sight and of the beauty of what I was photographing.
In re-imaging the weather, I found that many of my photos were captured because they were visually appealing, but as I continued to look at these photos, I began to realize that many of them were taken because of some emotional significance. Why did I choose to take a photo of that very object/place/scene? I began to analyze my collection of photos and go back to the moment I captured them. During this re-imagining I was able to think back to those specific times in my past and realize that there must have been a bigger reason, not knowing then, that I chose to capture these particular moments. It was only with this re-imagining that I now look at my photographs with more sentiment, and detailed memories, than before.
This new understanding, the emotional impact or sentimental value, which these photos hold is that the weather provides an experience in time. The seasons, temperature, colors, smell all link to our memories, but I did not equate weather to one of those memories. By re-imagining weather, I have found that most of my personal experiences, vacations and memorable moments can be described by a time, yes, a place, yes and even the type of weather that surrounded that particular event.
This relates to my classroom as well. We graph the weather daily and learn about scientific instruments. But now, with my new understanding of weather, I believe that many of my students will be able to retell or reflect on their time in my classroom by remembering the setting as well. They may share their enjoyment of recess in the winter, building snow forts and running in their boots. They may describe the mornings at their seats where the sun slowly beams in the classroom and shines upon their desks. They may talk about sitting at the window bench in the classroom and how the afternoon breeze would come through the shades and cool the down our room.
This topic of weather was first observed through the sense of sight. I often find myself taking photos of places and scenery that showcases the true beauty of nature. While these photos provide great “Pure Michigan” moments, my second round of observations was done through emotion; going back to the very moment I captured these pictures. Photographs capture great moments to look at, however, for this assignment, I wanted to express what I was feeling in these moments and express why I deemed them “photo-worthy”.
References
Root-Bernstein, R., & Root-Bernstein, M. (1999). Sparks of genius: The Thirteen Thinking Tools of the World’s Most Creative People (First Mariner Books ed.). Houghton Mifflin.
Click through the gallery of photos below to read my memories from each moment.
Perceiving may be described as a process of seeing an object through more than just the sense of sight. This is the way I started my observation for this module. I began this process by choosing the topic of weather. This was of interest to me because I could link it to my first grade science curriculum and recognize that it is ever changing, especially in a place like Michigan. Most of my photos about weather were taken because of the location. I often find that many of my most captured photos are when I’m traveling or in places that surround me on special occasions. I’ve traveled a fair amount (“the mitten” having some great photo-ops) and in other parts of the US. Most of my photos may appear to be of scenery and nature. This was my initial observation. Much of my interpretation and conceptualization had to do with the sense of sight and of the beauty of what I was photographing.
In re-imaging the weather, I found that many of my photos were captured because they were visually appealing, but as I continued to look at these photos, I began to realize that many of them were taken because of some emotional significance. Why did I choose to take a photo of that very object/place/scene? I began to analyze my collection of photos and go back to the moment I captured them. During this re-imagining I was able to think back to those specific times in my past and realize that there must have been a bigger reason, not knowing then, that I chose to capture these particular moments. It was only with this re-imagining that I now look at my photographs with more sentiment, and detailed memories, than before.
This new understanding, the emotional impact or sentimental value, which these photos hold is that the weather provides an experience in time. The seasons, temperature, colors, smell all link to our memories, but I did not equate weather to one of those memories. By re-imagining weather, I have found that most of my personal experiences, vacations and memorable moments can be described by a time, yes, a place, yes and even the type of weather that surrounded that particular event.
This relates to my classroom as well. We graph the weather daily and learn about scientific instruments. But now, with my new understanding of weather, I believe that many of my students will be able to retell or reflect on their time in my classroom by remembering the setting as well. They may share their enjoyment of recess in the winter, building snow forts and running in their boots. They may describe the mornings at their seats where the sun slowly beams in the classroom and shines upon their desks. They may talk about sitting at the window bench in the classroom and how the afternoon breeze would come through the shades and cool the down our room.
This topic of weather was first observed through the sense of sight. I often find myself taking photos of places and scenery that showcases the true beauty of nature. While these photos provide great “Pure Michigan” moments, my second round of observations was done through emotion; going back to the very moment I captured these pictures. Photographs capture great moments to look at, however, for this assignment, I wanted to express what I was feeling in these moments and express why I deemed them “photo-worthy”.
References
Root-Bernstein, R., & Root-Bernstein, M. (1999). Sparks of genius: The Thirteen Thinking Tools of the World’s Most Creative People (First Mariner Books ed.). Houghton Mifflin.
Click through the gallery of photos below to read my memories from each moment.
Module 3: Patterning in weather
The weather patterns that can be observed through sight can typically be described by the four seasons. Michigan has the luxury and pleasure of experiencing four defined seasons throughout our year. These four seasons are easily identified through distinct traits that help students recognize the changes they will experience throughout the months of the year.
Students can more clearly understand the similarities and differences in the weather when there are more concrete examples to categorize the weather.
First grade students develop a deeper understanding of the weather when they are able to “sort” the different types of weather we may encounter during the twelve months of the year. Precipitation changes, leaves fall and then snow, flowers bloom and the weather warms up. These types of observable weather changes help students have more knowledge of the seasonal changes we experience in Michigan.
One way that these types of patterns hinder students is that they are lead to believe that these are the only ways to identify the seasons. There are, however, ways our seasonal patterns may not necessarily “follow suit”. For example, the most of the month of September is technically still considered to be summer, as the official first day of fall began on September 23 and the first day of Spring is in March when there may very well still be snow on the ground! Some of these variables can alter the way students identify the weather.
These seasonal patterns are often represented in my classroom with posters and during our calendar routine. These visuals help guide students into the seasonal changes they will see and later write about and analyze.
The poster to the right is similar to the ones that are used in the lower elementary classrooms in my building. While this provides a useful visual of the seasons, there are other ways in which seasons may be identified that can be shared with students and this is one patterning trait that I can envision in my own classroom and provide my first graders with more understanding and variables in identifying the weather, other than with their sense of sight.
Students can more clearly understand the similarities and differences in the weather when there are more concrete examples to categorize the weather.
First grade students develop a deeper understanding of the weather when they are able to “sort” the different types of weather we may encounter during the twelve months of the year. Precipitation changes, leaves fall and then snow, flowers bloom and the weather warms up. These types of observable weather changes help students have more knowledge of the seasonal changes we experience in Michigan.
One way that these types of patterns hinder students is that they are lead to believe that these are the only ways to identify the seasons. There are, however, ways our seasonal patterns may not necessarily “follow suit”. For example, the most of the month of September is technically still considered to be summer, as the official first day of fall began on September 23 and the first day of Spring is in March when there may very well still be snow on the ground! Some of these variables can alter the way students identify the weather.
These seasonal patterns are often represented in my classroom with posters and during our calendar routine. These visuals help guide students into the seasonal changes they will see and later write about and analyze.
The poster to the right is similar to the ones that are used in the lower elementary classrooms in my building. While this provides a useful visual of the seasons, there are other ways in which seasons may be identified that can be shared with students and this is one patterning trait that I can envision in my own classroom and provide my first graders with more understanding and variables in identifying the weather, other than with their sense of sight.
One way that seasonal patterns can be identified is through taste. How many people count down to the release of the Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks? The Peppermint Mocha Latte during the winter to warm you up during the cold days? Then, once springtime hits, let the flowers bloom and so does their new spring-time brew! Refreshing iced teas and coffees for breaks during the workday come during the summer when the weather is hot and the drinks are cool.
Another way the seasonal patterns can be identified is through scent. Bath and Body Works' entire marketing system is based on the scents of the seasons. Their promotions, labels and gift sets all revolve around the seasonal smells and happenings in nature.
While these tastes and scents resonate with most adults, often times elementary students aren’t exposed to these different seasonal patterns. One way that the seasonal pattern would be beneficial would be how the weather affects the “in season” foods at the grocery store. This is a place where students would travel with their parents or siblings and would be able to identify the differences they see in the produce section, the displays outside (pumpkins, hay versus potted and hanging plants). This is yet another way to identify seasonal patterns in a more “hands-on” and concrete way for young learners.
Additionally, students may be able to help out at home in making seasonal dishes. This is something that could be a project in the lower elementary grades. While most of the workload in first grade is done through parent assistance, they would be able to provide a recipe to send in with their child to discuss with the class. This recipe could be collected into a seasonal recipe binder and students may sort the various recipes based on the season they may most likely be made in. Fall may have recipes that include apple crisp and pumpkin pies. Wintertime may be filled with pot-roast or chili recipes. Spring and summer time may include fruit pies and other “light” dishes.
By categorizing the different seasonal foods and drinks, students would be able to better understand weather patterns and how it affects the growth of plants, vegetables and other things that they may encounter at home or at the store.
By categorizing the different seasonal foods and drinks, students would be able to better understand weather patterns and how it affects the growth of plants, vegetables and other things that they may encounter at home or at the store.
Breaking apart the traditional patterns that may be seen in the weather or in other areas is a valuable lesson for students. "Making patterns for oneself is a lot more fun than memorizing - and a lot more valuable. Teasing apart one pattern and composing another requires real understanding of the basic elements of phenomena and precess. More, it opens up the whole new worlds of knowledge" (Sparks, 2009, p. 135). This type of thinking is one that would give young students a larger and more differentiated way to complete their assignments or projects. It would give students the chance to experience the same content differently and develop their own understanding all while gaining informational content in relation to that specific topic. First graders are developing mentally, physically and emotionally. What better way to get a new meaning and understanding from someone who's mind is seeing many things for the first time and can have a more valuable way of identifying weather rather than "memorizing" the traits that may be seen on a poster or in a book.
References:
Bernstein, R., & Bernstein, M. (1999). Sparks of genius: The thirteen thinking tools of the world's most creative people. Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin.
References:
Bernstein, R., & Bernstein, M. (1999). Sparks of genius: The thirteen thinking tools of the world's most creative people. Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin.
Module 4: abstracting
Medium #1: Weather Through Sound
Click the audio files below to download the sound effects I created to represent each season. These sounds were made using household objects or venturing out into nature. See if you can guess what I used to create these different sounds and what "seasonal sound" I tried to recreate. Then click on this "seasonal audio table" to see if your guesses were accurate!
Click the audio files below to download the sound effects I created to represent each season. These sounds were made using household objects or venturing out into nature. See if you can guess what I used to create these different sounds and what "seasonal sound" I tried to recreate. Then click on this "seasonal audio table" to see if your guesses were accurate!
Medium #2: Weather Through Poetry
Another way to represent the weather was done through poetry. Click the button below to be directed to the collection of seasonal poems I created to represent weather through words.
Abstracting to me is taking something in its natural state and representing or changing it to be seen through a different “light” or perspective one may not see on it’s surface. The specific abstraction I chose for my topic of weather is through two different mediums. I began this process by first thinking of the weather in a realistic way – what we see out our window and the temperature we see when we check our phones. Then I started to break down weather even further with what we associate certain seasons with through sound and feeling. This is where I came up with representing weather through the sounds of the season’s fromYouTube video clips and through poetry.
While seasonal patterns was something I tried to “break apart” before, I feel that providing an auditory experience of these seasons allows one to travel to those parts of the year and connect to them. Each seasonal sound clip can take individuals back to unique places and times in their lives that vary greatly. I think that these sounds provide more “traditional” views of the weather but in a different light. Even with our eyes closed, many would be able to identify these sounds and label them by season.
I chose to include poems as my second medium that linked to the seasonal video sounds through words. These poems described the seasons through words and sounds that we experience with each change of weather. These poems can be understood by people of all ages which makes it an appropriate and accurate way to portray the weather. Poems can make you think, analyze and spark conversation, but also evoke emotion and feeling. These poems can take you to those specific times of year and experience those different seasonal patterns they are describing.
Abstract concepts and first grade don’t usually mix well. Many times students are presented with concepts that six and seven year olds aren’t necessarily developmentally ready for. The abstract concept of weather that I have addressed through sound and poems proves to be something my students would be able to grasp. While it’s abstract in that we don’t “see” the sun or rain, students may still be able to identify the proper season being described in poems. Giving students the opportunity to “listen” to the seasons through audio clips would not only be engaging to students but also address a wider variety of learners – a big focus in teacher instruction in today’s world. Reaching all types of learners is a challenge, but can be easily addressed with these types of accommodations.
While seasonal patterns was something I tried to “break apart” before, I feel that providing an auditory experience of these seasons allows one to travel to those parts of the year and connect to them. Each seasonal sound clip can take individuals back to unique places and times in their lives that vary greatly. I think that these sounds provide more “traditional” views of the weather but in a different light. Even with our eyes closed, many would be able to identify these sounds and label them by season.
I chose to include poems as my second medium that linked to the seasonal video sounds through words. These poems described the seasons through words and sounds that we experience with each change of weather. These poems can be understood by people of all ages which makes it an appropriate and accurate way to portray the weather. Poems can make you think, analyze and spark conversation, but also evoke emotion and feeling. These poems can take you to those specific times of year and experience those different seasonal patterns they are describing.
Abstract concepts and first grade don’t usually mix well. Many times students are presented with concepts that six and seven year olds aren’t necessarily developmentally ready for. The abstract concept of weather that I have addressed through sound and poems proves to be something my students would be able to grasp. While it’s abstract in that we don’t “see” the sun or rain, students may still be able to identify the proper season being described in poems. Giving students the opportunity to “listen” to the seasons through audio clips would not only be engaging to students but also address a wider variety of learners – a big focus in teacher instruction in today’s world. Reaching all types of learners is a challenge, but can be easily addressed with these types of accommodations.
Module 5: Embodied thinking
raindrops
Embodied thinking is taking an object or person and reimagining or empathizing it in a way that aids in developing a deeper understanding of that object or person.
I chose to embody a raindrop because it relates to my topic of weather. Rain is something students are able to identify in my classroom but recognizing the way rain develops and it the science behind it is meaningful. It’s also quite mesmerizing to follow the life cycle of rain and realize the various forms it can take. This is a concept that many students, from young to college age, would be able to comprehend – just presented differently.
Additionally, rain is also something that many, including myself, find to be a soothing and peaceful background noise. When drifting off to sleep, some may find that the added rain sound will allow them to fall asleep more quickly or comfortably. Many apps have been created that have “rainfall” sound effects to aid people to a restful sleep.
Understanding how raindrops begin to fall and the way they help plants is a focus in first grade’s science curriculum. Students study the weather yearlong and build up the knowledge of the many types of weather they may observe and the ways in which weather changes seasonally. In the spring, students begin a New Plants unit where they care for their own grass and brassica plant by understanding the needs these plants have and how to best care for them. By recognizing the value of water, in any form, in addition to other types of natural resources, students gain the knowledge they need to comprehend what a plant needs to survive. These needs can also relate to wants versus needs in humans.
I chose to embody a raindrop because it relates to my topic of weather. Rain is something students are able to identify in my classroom but recognizing the way rain develops and it the science behind it is meaningful. It’s also quite mesmerizing to follow the life cycle of rain and realize the various forms it can take. This is a concept that many students, from young to college age, would be able to comprehend – just presented differently.
Additionally, rain is also something that many, including myself, find to be a soothing and peaceful background noise. When drifting off to sleep, some may find that the added rain sound will allow them to fall asleep more quickly or comfortably. Many apps have been created that have “rainfall” sound effects to aid people to a restful sleep.
Understanding how raindrops begin to fall and the way they help plants is a focus in first grade’s science curriculum. Students study the weather yearlong and build up the knowledge of the many types of weather they may observe and the ways in which weather changes seasonally. In the spring, students begin a New Plants unit where they care for their own grass and brassica plant by understanding the needs these plants have and how to best care for them. By recognizing the value of water, in any form, in addition to other types of natural resources, students gain the knowledge they need to comprehend what a plant needs to survive. These needs can also relate to wants versus needs in humans.
Click the link to read my poem about Ruth the Rescue Raindrop.
Module 6: Modeling
Weather fronts
This module focused on modeling and dimensional thinking. These two ways of interpreting information consists of higher level thinking skills that gives individuals the opportunity to view a concept in a different way.
I took this process and began to think of ways to represent the weather through modeling. Most of our weather unit of study consists of identifying the different types of weather we see each day during our morning calendar routine, understanding the seasonal weather patterns, and becoming familiar with different science instruments and tools that are used to help measure or understand weather such as a barometer, thermometer and anemometer. As we enter a new season, I went with the change in temperature students are experiencing to create a way to explore weather fronts.
By observing a map, students noticed “blue and red ribbons” that sometimes float across the US map. These “ribbons” were identified as warm and cold fronts. First we defined a weather front as: a boundary or line between two air masses. We then defined the two fronts we recognized on the map. A cold front is a blue line with the teeth pointing toward the direction of the movement. A warm front is represented as a red line with half circles pointing toward the direction on movement.
I took this process and began to think of ways to represent the weather through modeling. Most of our weather unit of study consists of identifying the different types of weather we see each day during our morning calendar routine, understanding the seasonal weather patterns, and becoming familiar with different science instruments and tools that are used to help measure or understand weather such as a barometer, thermometer and anemometer. As we enter a new season, I went with the change in temperature students are experiencing to create a way to explore weather fronts.
By observing a map, students noticed “blue and red ribbons” that sometimes float across the US map. These “ribbons” were identified as warm and cold fronts. First we defined a weather front as: a boundary or line between two air masses. We then defined the two fronts we recognized on the map. A cold front is a blue line with the teeth pointing toward the direction of the movement. A warm front is represented as a red line with half circles pointing toward the direction on movement.
THE EXPERIMENT
"In school, modeling can also be directed toward mastery of various subjects" (1999, p. 245). In support of this mindset as described in the text, I created a weather model that would be a more visual way of showing how weather fronts separate and move through the air. The goal of this model was for students to understand that warm weather pushes the cooler air out to change the temperature.
Version #1
I filled a container with water and left it out over night to become room temperature. The next day, I brought in ice cubes that I dyed blue to act as the cold front. I had students take turns dropping the blue ice cube into the room temperature container of water. We carefully watched the blue dye sink to the bottom of the container. From earlier discussions, students began to realize that this drop in blue was because the ice cube was much colder than the clear water in the container. The cold water sunk to the bottom and the warm water stayed on top.
Version #2
We then tried a second version of this separation of water based on temperatures by pouring warm water (dyed red) in to a container filled with cold blue water. As the water settled, students observed a separation between the cold blue water and the warm red water.
"In school, modeling can also be directed toward mastery of various subjects" (1999, p. 245). In support of this mindset as described in the text, I created a weather model that would be a more visual way of showing how weather fronts separate and move through the air. The goal of this model was for students to understand that warm weather pushes the cooler air out to change the temperature.
Version #1
I filled a container with water and left it out over night to become room temperature. The next day, I brought in ice cubes that I dyed blue to act as the cold front. I had students take turns dropping the blue ice cube into the room temperature container of water. We carefully watched the blue dye sink to the bottom of the container. From earlier discussions, students began to realize that this drop in blue was because the ice cube was much colder than the clear water in the container. The cold water sunk to the bottom and the warm water stayed on top.
Version #2
We then tried a second version of this separation of water based on temperatures by pouring warm water (dyed red) in to a container filled with cold blue water. As the water settled, students observed a separation between the cold blue water and the warm red water.
Interpreting Our Observations:
The warm water was less dense than cold water, just as warm air is less dense than cold air. So when the two air masses of different temperatures met, the warmer one rose over the colder one. This means that warm fronts are the “bossy” front and push the cold front through. We discussed how warm and cold air masses are in constant motion due to the winds.
This experiment was helpful to students so that they could understand what causes temperatures to change. Additionally, students can build upon their warm and cold front knowledge when they begin to learn about storms and how they form from temperature changes.
Most notably, this allowed students to make connections with things they already know about. One student remembered information about heat rising in our fire safety assembly where the firefighter said that the smoke would continue to move throughout your house because hot air rises. Another student asked if their basement is so cold because cold air sinks. A third student explained that sometimes they test their pool water by putting their toes and it’s warm, but when they jump all the way in the water is much colder at the bottom. These meaningful post-activity discussions demonstrated how valuable this content is and ways it can be interpreted in various areas.
Like it was said in Sparks of Genius, "In almost all cases, the point of a model is to make accessible something that is difficult to experience easily" (1999, p. 229). This speaks to the weather front model created with my first grade class. It's may be considered an "abstract concept" for six year olds, but by utilizing a model to create a visual representation of this scientific concept, students can better understand the weather and world around them.
Module 7: play
Becoming the seasons
After reading from Sparks of Genius defined play as, “Play is simply for the fun of it, for the enjoyment of doing and making without responsibility. There is no success or failure in play, no holding to account, no mandatory achievement” (2013, pp. 248).
For this module, we were asked to create an introduction to our topic in a playful and meaningful way. The description of play as described in the course text allowed me to brainstorm options of how to introduce weather to my first graders in a playful and meaningful way where their final product did not have a “pass/fail” outcome.
First grade is a big transition year for many students. Often times the curriculum demands can become overwhelming for teachers to keep up with and for students to master at such a developmental age. With that in mind, I decided to get my students moving to introduce the seasons through make-believe/ “theater”. I gave each student a name-tag that said season. I told students that they became that season and were to talk with three friends as that season. Students then walked around the room and introduced themselves as that season to a friend. Students walked, wiggled, floated, spun, and hopped throughout the room and talked as if they were that season.
Conversations were similar to our module of “embodied thinking” where we became a part of our topic. These conversations were meaningful because it got students talking about seasons – patterns they see, clothes they wear and activities they do. This lesson is playful because students were able to play “make believe” at school – something six year olds do at recess, home, and anywhere in between. This allowed students to think differently, through a different perspective, and somewhat personify something that may not have been done before. It was interesting to listen to students introduce themselves to friends in class. As described in the text, there was no failure in play, no mandatory achievement. Some conversation quotes include:
For this module, we were asked to create an introduction to our topic in a playful and meaningful way. The description of play as described in the course text allowed me to brainstorm options of how to introduce weather to my first graders in a playful and meaningful way where their final product did not have a “pass/fail” outcome.
First grade is a big transition year for many students. Often times the curriculum demands can become overwhelming for teachers to keep up with and for students to master at such a developmental age. With that in mind, I decided to get my students moving to introduce the seasons through make-believe/ “theater”. I gave each student a name-tag that said season. I told students that they became that season and were to talk with three friends as that season. Students then walked around the room and introduced themselves as that season to a friend. Students walked, wiggled, floated, spun, and hopped throughout the room and talked as if they were that season.
Conversations were similar to our module of “embodied thinking” where we became a part of our topic. These conversations were meaningful because it got students talking about seasons – patterns they see, clothes they wear and activities they do. This lesson is playful because students were able to play “make believe” at school – something six year olds do at recess, home, and anywhere in between. This allowed students to think differently, through a different perspective, and somewhat personify something that may not have been done before. It was interesting to listen to students introduce themselves to friends in class. As described in the text, there was no failure in play, no mandatory achievement. Some conversation quotes include:
- "I'm fall and I bring the wind!"
- "Hi, I'm summer and I make everything melt, but not Olaf!"
- "My name is spring and I cry a lot."
- "I'm winter and I like to twirl like this."
seasonal play-doh models
I took this lesson one step further and then had students use Play-Doh to create something that represented their season. I told students to take off their name-tag and create something they felt would represent their season. This was so interesting to see what students came up with to represent their name-tag season. Students worked independently at their seats and had a few minutes to build with their Play-Doh. This was playful because students worked with Play-Doh to build and create, yet meaningful because we could go around the classroom and find similarities in the Play-Doh creations among the seasons.
I developed this lesson because it got students familiar with the four season we will be learning about and were able to share their background knowledge of those seasons with their classmates. Lessons in first grade can be challenging because students have such little life-experience compared to upper grades and into middle/high school. Students in first grade have practiced the seasons in kindergarten and have been exposed to the four seasons in Michigan, which can also trigger background knowledge.
Both of these activities of introducing weather got my students moving. Students are expected to accomplish so many things in a school day. These moments where students can get away from pencil-to-paper work in a “kid-friendly” way allow students to make deeper connections and gives the lesson more meaning. Not to mention, the students loved both of these activities. My students wanted to wear their name-tags all day and create new "names" to turn into.
I developed this lesson because it got students familiar with the four season we will be learning about and were able to share their background knowledge of those seasons with their classmates. Lessons in first grade can be challenging because students have such little life-experience compared to upper grades and into middle/high school. Students in first grade have practiced the seasons in kindergarten and have been exposed to the four seasons in Michigan, which can also trigger background knowledge.
Both of these activities of introducing weather got my students moving. Students are expected to accomplish so many things in a school day. These moments where students can get away from pencil-to-paper work in a “kid-friendly” way allow students to make deeper connections and gives the lesson more meaning. Not to mention, the students loved both of these activities. My students wanted to wear their name-tags all day and create new "names" to turn into.
Module 8: Synthesis
White paper
In today’s classrooms, students are used to instant results, stimulation of the senses and what some may argue is a very demanding set of state standards to be achieved by the end of the school year. Yet, within those standards, there is no requirement or outlet for creativity. Creativity is necessary in today’s classrooms and builds upon seven teachable tools that all students can use so that these lessons are more meaningful. These tools are also important to students as they provide students with the chance to use these tools not only in one subject area, such as science, but in other areas as well. Once students have the tools, they can use the knowledge they have gained and transform it in other ways – giving students the opportunity to create and learn to their fullest potential.
As teachers, it is our responsibility to share out these tools and allow students to experience the ways in which they can create in a classroom to enhance learning experiences. These seven tools build upon each other and can be adapted for any grade or age. By using our senses, changing perspectives, creating models and promoting an engaging and risk-taking environment, students will have the resources to become creative learners.
Over the course of this semester, I have learned so much about what creativity is and how I can implement it into my everyday curriculum with first grade students. I discovered a significant amount about the topic of creativity and its relation to my subject area of weather through these seven modules and Root-Bernstein’s: Spark of Genius. As I worked on each module, I felt as if my students and I were learning together about these seven modules to creativity that neither of us knew we were missing out on.
Perceiving may be described as a process of seeing an object through more than just the sense of sight. This cognitive tool of creativity gives minds the chance to re-imagine a topic, object or lesson to gain a new understanding. In science, the weather is captivating and dictates many decisions on a daily basis. Weather is also very “photogenic” and captivating, but why? This is something I pondered and reflected on in many of the photos I have captured and their emotional relevance to my life. Through perceiving, I was able to have re-imagined the significance of these photographed moments of my life.
Patterning is the process of identifying and organizing a series of repeating elements in a work and the subsequent recombination of those simple and basic elements in different and often more complex to produce a surprising and unexpected end (Sparks, 2009, p. 135). Breaking apart the traditional patterns in the topic of weather or other areas is valuable lessons to students.
“Making patterns for oneself is a lot more fun that memorizing – and a lot more valuable. Teasing apart one pattern and composing another requires real understanding of the basic elements of phenomena and process. More, it opens up the whole new worlds of knowledge” (Sparks, 2009, p. 135). This thought is one that would give young students a larger and more differentiated way to complete their assignments.
Additionally, it would give students the chance to experience the same content differently and develop their own understanding all while gaining informational content in relation to that specific topic. First Graders are developing mentally physically, and emotionally. What better way to get a new meaning and understanding from someone who’s mind is seeing many things for the first time and can have a more valuable way of identifying weather rather than memorizing the traits that may be seeing on a poster or book.
Abstracting is taking something in its natural state and representing or changing it to be seen through a different “light” or perspective one may not see on it’s surface. The specific abstraction to weather could be accomplished through sounds and poetry. Giving students the opportunity to “listen” to the seasons through audio clips representing the four different sounds of each season was not only engaging to students but also addressed a wider variety of learners – a big focus in teacher instruction in today’s world. Reaching all types of learners is a challenge but can easily be addressed by using the cogitative tool of abstracting which helps students focus on one simple aspect of the topic rather than the topic at large.
Embodied Thinking involves taking an object or person and reimagining or empathizing it in a way that aids in developing a deeper understanding of that object or person. This process gets your body moving to assist your thinking and understanding of the content. First graders are always active in class and this is a great way for students to become or imagine parts of a lesson differently. Writing poems from the perspective of a raindrop gives students an understanding about the water cycle and the places a raindrop travels in it’s “lifetime”. The poem, Ruth Raindrop to the Rescue could be read with students along with an activity in which they are moving around the room for each stage of the raindrop’s story.
Modeling involves dimensional thinking and viewing/interpreting things from a different perspective. Modeling is something teachers practice daily when sharing expectations of a project or assignment for students. Modeling in science in relation to weather can be accomplished through a wide variety of ways. In my classroom, modeling a cold and warm front as seen on weather forecast was an effective lesson for students to gain deeper understanding of the causes of temperature changes. Students participated in creating a model of warm and cold fronts as a class to reinforce the concept of hot air rising and cold air sinking. This hands-on, design-based type of learning is meant to reinforce concepts in a more meaningful way rather than reading it on paper. Modeling also sparked great post-experiment conversations where students applied their understanding of the content of warm and cold fronts to things they’ve already experienced. Students shared out thoughts about their basement being cold because cold air sinks and pool water being warm on top and colder at the bottom once they jump in. These moments of discussion highlight the importance of modeling and allowing students to make connections of their own to a lesson.
Playing is a creative tool that I personally feel most first graders do not find any challenge with incorporating in their daily lives at school and at home. Play is defined as, “Play is simple for the fun of it, for the enjoyment of doing and making without responsibility. There is no success or failure in play, no holding to account, no mandatory achievement” (2013, p. 248). While play is a limitless cognitive tool with room to take risks during lessons, it is also one that can create meaningful lessons out of complex or abstract topics.
Students should be encouraged to take risks and feel the ability to be themselves through play. This module also highlighted how lessons can be playful and how lessons can be meaningful. This part of the module was particularly important and interesting because it shed light in the ways I would interpret what I saw and heard my class doing during the play lesson. Play gives students the chance to use many other tools of creativity including modeling and embodied thinking, which reiterates the value of incorporating all seven cognitive tools of creativity into classrooms.
Synthesizing involves unifying interactions to produce an insightful understanding. Root-Bernstein argues that it’s not about changing what we teacher, but rather how we teach. Over the course of this semester, I feel that I have learned so much about the world of creativity and it’s importance in education. Most notably, I feel that I have learned a lot about myself. This course allowed me to take risks and become more “playful” with my instruction. Without all of these tools of creativity, many ideas would not come to light.
The unit of weather in the first grade curriculum now has new significance to me. I will be able to create more meaningful lessons using models to deepen comprehension. I will be able to foster connections between these tools to create a transdisplinary, synthetic education by altering the strict expectations of first grade curriculum so that students can see the value of understanding all aspects of a topic. As teachers it is important to use the cognitive tools of creativity and share out our resources so our students have been enriched with the same content that can allow them to live a life to their fullest potential.
References
Root-Bernstein, R., & Root-Bernstein, M. (1999). Sparks of genius: The Thirteen Thinking Tools of the World’s Most Creative People (First Mariner Books ed.). Houghton Mifflin
As teachers, it is our responsibility to share out these tools and allow students to experience the ways in which they can create in a classroom to enhance learning experiences. These seven tools build upon each other and can be adapted for any grade or age. By using our senses, changing perspectives, creating models and promoting an engaging and risk-taking environment, students will have the resources to become creative learners.
Over the course of this semester, I have learned so much about what creativity is and how I can implement it into my everyday curriculum with first grade students. I discovered a significant amount about the topic of creativity and its relation to my subject area of weather through these seven modules and Root-Bernstein’s: Spark of Genius. As I worked on each module, I felt as if my students and I were learning together about these seven modules to creativity that neither of us knew we were missing out on.
Perceiving may be described as a process of seeing an object through more than just the sense of sight. This cognitive tool of creativity gives minds the chance to re-imagine a topic, object or lesson to gain a new understanding. In science, the weather is captivating and dictates many decisions on a daily basis. Weather is also very “photogenic” and captivating, but why? This is something I pondered and reflected on in many of the photos I have captured and their emotional relevance to my life. Through perceiving, I was able to have re-imagined the significance of these photographed moments of my life.
Patterning is the process of identifying and organizing a series of repeating elements in a work and the subsequent recombination of those simple and basic elements in different and often more complex to produce a surprising and unexpected end (Sparks, 2009, p. 135). Breaking apart the traditional patterns in the topic of weather or other areas is valuable lessons to students.
“Making patterns for oneself is a lot more fun that memorizing – and a lot more valuable. Teasing apart one pattern and composing another requires real understanding of the basic elements of phenomena and process. More, it opens up the whole new worlds of knowledge” (Sparks, 2009, p. 135). This thought is one that would give young students a larger and more differentiated way to complete their assignments.
Additionally, it would give students the chance to experience the same content differently and develop their own understanding all while gaining informational content in relation to that specific topic. First Graders are developing mentally physically, and emotionally. What better way to get a new meaning and understanding from someone who’s mind is seeing many things for the first time and can have a more valuable way of identifying weather rather than memorizing the traits that may be seeing on a poster or book.
Abstracting is taking something in its natural state and representing or changing it to be seen through a different “light” or perspective one may not see on it’s surface. The specific abstraction to weather could be accomplished through sounds and poetry. Giving students the opportunity to “listen” to the seasons through audio clips representing the four different sounds of each season was not only engaging to students but also addressed a wider variety of learners – a big focus in teacher instruction in today’s world. Reaching all types of learners is a challenge but can easily be addressed by using the cogitative tool of abstracting which helps students focus on one simple aspect of the topic rather than the topic at large.
Embodied Thinking involves taking an object or person and reimagining or empathizing it in a way that aids in developing a deeper understanding of that object or person. This process gets your body moving to assist your thinking and understanding of the content. First graders are always active in class and this is a great way for students to become or imagine parts of a lesson differently. Writing poems from the perspective of a raindrop gives students an understanding about the water cycle and the places a raindrop travels in it’s “lifetime”. The poem, Ruth Raindrop to the Rescue could be read with students along with an activity in which they are moving around the room for each stage of the raindrop’s story.
Modeling involves dimensional thinking and viewing/interpreting things from a different perspective. Modeling is something teachers practice daily when sharing expectations of a project or assignment for students. Modeling in science in relation to weather can be accomplished through a wide variety of ways. In my classroom, modeling a cold and warm front as seen on weather forecast was an effective lesson for students to gain deeper understanding of the causes of temperature changes. Students participated in creating a model of warm and cold fronts as a class to reinforce the concept of hot air rising and cold air sinking. This hands-on, design-based type of learning is meant to reinforce concepts in a more meaningful way rather than reading it on paper. Modeling also sparked great post-experiment conversations where students applied their understanding of the content of warm and cold fronts to things they’ve already experienced. Students shared out thoughts about their basement being cold because cold air sinks and pool water being warm on top and colder at the bottom once they jump in. These moments of discussion highlight the importance of modeling and allowing students to make connections of their own to a lesson.
Playing is a creative tool that I personally feel most first graders do not find any challenge with incorporating in their daily lives at school and at home. Play is defined as, “Play is simple for the fun of it, for the enjoyment of doing and making without responsibility. There is no success or failure in play, no holding to account, no mandatory achievement” (2013, p. 248). While play is a limitless cognitive tool with room to take risks during lessons, it is also one that can create meaningful lessons out of complex or abstract topics.
Students should be encouraged to take risks and feel the ability to be themselves through play. This module also highlighted how lessons can be playful and how lessons can be meaningful. This part of the module was particularly important and interesting because it shed light in the ways I would interpret what I saw and heard my class doing during the play lesson. Play gives students the chance to use many other tools of creativity including modeling and embodied thinking, which reiterates the value of incorporating all seven cognitive tools of creativity into classrooms.
Synthesizing involves unifying interactions to produce an insightful understanding. Root-Bernstein argues that it’s not about changing what we teacher, but rather how we teach. Over the course of this semester, I feel that I have learned so much about the world of creativity and it’s importance in education. Most notably, I feel that I have learned a lot about myself. This course allowed me to take risks and become more “playful” with my instruction. Without all of these tools of creativity, many ideas would not come to light.
The unit of weather in the first grade curriculum now has new significance to me. I will be able to create more meaningful lessons using models to deepen comprehension. I will be able to foster connections between these tools to create a transdisplinary, synthetic education by altering the strict expectations of first grade curriculum so that students can see the value of understanding all aspects of a topic. As teachers it is important to use the cognitive tools of creativity and share out our resources so our students have been enriched with the same content that can allow them to live a life to their fullest potential.
References
Root-Bernstein, R., & Root-Bernstein, M. (1999). Sparks of genius: The Thirteen Thinking Tools of the World’s Most Creative People (First Mariner Books ed.). Houghton Mifflin
elevator pitch
twitter post
the creative i
Defining Creativity
Part I
Interview Summary
I interviewed my long-time friend, Emily, for this Creative I project. I chose to interview Emily because as long as I have known her, I have known how innovative and, well, as this module calls it, “creative” she is. She comes from a mother who can sew and enjoys DIYs and a father who works with an advertising agency and showcases his creativity though commercials and more public-forums. Emily graduated from MSU with a degree in Media Arts and Technology and has been working with a company as their graphic designer.
Emily said that creativity is hard to define because it can be defined in so many ways. Her personal definition of creativity might be: Creativity is fun. It is being your own person. It is having and expressing individual ideas and thoughts. Creativity is being inventive whether it’s with your job, crafts, gifts, food, fashion, etc. She elaborated that creativity relates to her life almost 24/7. She is a graphic designer at an ad agency so her job is create day including design layouts, logos, etc. When she’s at home she continues the creativity with freelance design work, crafts and things like greeting cards for her Etsy page.
Her creative process varies depending on what she’s doing. For design work at her job, the process usually begins with being told the request, brainstorming (alone or with a team) followed by researching, which is plentiful with the help of the Internet. Third, she creates different options of the project. Last, she consults with others to get feedback from—good or bad as it is helpful and productive.
For the full interview, click here.
Reflection
I had asked Emily questions about her creative past and how school may have encouraged or discouraged her creative outlets. I had asked a question about the way in which classrooms have evolved: more technologies, group work, promoting student engagement and involvement. Creativity in today’s classroom may be seen through student work, conversations and ideas. Emily agreed and said that today’s classrooms may focus on differentiated instruction, student-engagement, more student-driven lessons to promote with individuality and creativity.
Additionally, this interview gave me insight to how Emily’s creativity developed from her elementary years. She remembers being encouraged to be creative all throughout school. Whether it was through art, essays, sports, or even cooking (foods class) and that there’s opportunity to be creative in whatever you’re doing.
Lastly, I wondered from the readings about what types of factors may impact creativity. Emily had said I think your age affects your LEVEL of creativity, but not the creativity itself. Young kids who are painting, coloring, playing, are creative in their own way. Different to how an adult in the working world (advertising, teaching, art, etc.) is creative. This response reinforces the concept that creativity has many realms and as long as it has the NEW formula as described in A New Approach to Defining and Measuring Creativity: Rethinking Technology & Creativity in the 21st Century”, it should be successful.
References:
Mishra, P., Henriksen, D., & the Deep-Play Research Group (2013). A NEW approach to defining and measuring creativity. Tech Trends (57) 5, p. 5-13.
Interview Summary
I interviewed my long-time friend, Emily, for this Creative I project. I chose to interview Emily because as long as I have known her, I have known how innovative and, well, as this module calls it, “creative” she is. She comes from a mother who can sew and enjoys DIYs and a father who works with an advertising agency and showcases his creativity though commercials and more public-forums. Emily graduated from MSU with a degree in Media Arts and Technology and has been working with a company as their graphic designer.
Emily said that creativity is hard to define because it can be defined in so many ways. Her personal definition of creativity might be: Creativity is fun. It is being your own person. It is having and expressing individual ideas and thoughts. Creativity is being inventive whether it’s with your job, crafts, gifts, food, fashion, etc. She elaborated that creativity relates to her life almost 24/7. She is a graphic designer at an ad agency so her job is create day including design layouts, logos, etc. When she’s at home she continues the creativity with freelance design work, crafts and things like greeting cards for her Etsy page.
Her creative process varies depending on what she’s doing. For design work at her job, the process usually begins with being told the request, brainstorming (alone or with a team) followed by researching, which is plentiful with the help of the Internet. Third, she creates different options of the project. Last, she consults with others to get feedback from—good or bad as it is helpful and productive.
For the full interview, click here.
Reflection
I had asked Emily questions about her creative past and how school may have encouraged or discouraged her creative outlets. I had asked a question about the way in which classrooms have evolved: more technologies, group work, promoting student engagement and involvement. Creativity in today’s classroom may be seen through student work, conversations and ideas. Emily agreed and said that today’s classrooms may focus on differentiated instruction, student-engagement, more student-driven lessons to promote with individuality and creativity.
Additionally, this interview gave me insight to how Emily’s creativity developed from her elementary years. She remembers being encouraged to be creative all throughout school. Whether it was through art, essays, sports, or even cooking (foods class) and that there’s opportunity to be creative in whatever you’re doing.
Lastly, I wondered from the readings about what types of factors may impact creativity. Emily had said I think your age affects your LEVEL of creativity, but not the creativity itself. Young kids who are painting, coloring, playing, are creative in their own way. Different to how an adult in the working world (advertising, teaching, art, etc.) is creative. This response reinforces the concept that creativity has many realms and as long as it has the NEW formula as described in A New Approach to Defining and Measuring Creativity: Rethinking Technology & Creativity in the 21st Century”, it should be successful.
References:
Mishra, P., Henriksen, D., & the Deep-Play Research Group (2013). A NEW approach to defining and measuring creativity. Tech Trends (57) 5, p. 5-13.
Variations on theme
Part 1
I rewrote the lyrics to Twinkle Twinkle (which is also the same tune as the ABCs) to explain my understanding from the article below.
Sometimes I think that what I see
is so very neat or is it me? My life, my past helps me frame what I'm seeing and connect the dots. But anyone can do the same If they know the knobs to use. Anyone can see things differently This idea isn't new but my point of view. I can see it oh so clearly from my very own experiences. This includes places I've been or This includes the people I've met . When I see those dots appear I know how to connect them perfectly. |
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Part 2
I have learned about the broadness of the word “creativity”. One of the most telling moments of this was during my interview with my graphic designer friend. I noticed how much thought went into each response. How defining creativity in her own words, to reflect on how she is creative in different lights and where her creativity stems from all made her think more deeply of the word’s meaning.
Promoting creativity through writing, art or in less “concrete ways” such as mathematical solving skills all have prompted deeper thought in my daily instruction and ways in which I can adapt my lessons to motivate creativity. An article gave great perspective of what types of qualities define creativity with the NEW acronym: Novel, Effective, Whole. It is important to take these concepts and transfer that knowledge into my professional life.
Another reading gave encouraging thoughts on creativity. “It is essentially a way of putting a new spin or twist on that which came before.” The idea of taking old material and making it “new” again so students can connect with the content makes lessons more meaningful.
Promoting creativity through writing, art or in less “concrete ways” such as mathematical solving skills all have prompted deeper thought in my daily instruction and ways in which I can adapt my lessons to motivate creativity. An article gave great perspective of what types of qualities define creativity with the NEW acronym: Novel, Effective, Whole. It is important to take these concepts and transfer that knowledge into my professional life.
Another reading gave encouraging thoughts on creativity. “It is essentially a way of putting a new spin or twist on that which came before.” The idea of taking old material and making it “new” again so students can connect with the content makes lessons more meaningful.
Architecture of Space
part 1
My creative space is the city library. This library was added to the city of Grosse Pointe Woods within the past ten years after previously being attached to one of the city’s middle schools. The library sits on the corner of a busy intersection and is occupied by city residents and library-goers alike.
One reason I find this place to be so engaging and useful is because of its stark contrast to what was previously the city library. The old library was one floor with windows that filled only the very top slots of the walls. The open space was noisy and did not easily eliminate sound or distractions.
The library has two floors that have a well-thought-out floor plan. The main floor is filled with a youth book section with tables and computers, story time room, the media room and check out counter for adults and children to easily enter and exit without causing distractions to those who are studying or reading.
My most frequently visited area is on the second floor. This floor is filled with floor to ceiling windows and comfortable wingback chairs to enjoy a book or use your laptop with a pleasant and peaceful view. This was captured in one of my pictures on a beautiful sunny afternoon. It’s a quiet workspace and secluded to maintain focus and privacy. This is a beneficial lay out for me when I have needed to work on individual assignments, check papers or lesson plan. I find it to be a warm place where I can develop ideas creatively for my lessons at school or complete assignments for my own master’s classes.
The second floor of the library also provides an area for group work with tables surrounding a fireplace. This is one of the most unique additions to the library that gives library guests a “homey” feeling, although they are in a public place. This is something many people may seek in a creative work space – a combination of warm and inviting but also a place where there is less likelihood of at-home interruptions. This is evident through limited seating in this room of the second floor.
One reason I find this place to be so engaging and useful is because of its stark contrast to what was previously the city library. The old library was one floor with windows that filled only the very top slots of the walls. The open space was noisy and did not easily eliminate sound or distractions.
The library has two floors that have a well-thought-out floor plan. The main floor is filled with a youth book section with tables and computers, story time room, the media room and check out counter for adults and children to easily enter and exit without causing distractions to those who are studying or reading.
My most frequently visited area is on the second floor. This floor is filled with floor to ceiling windows and comfortable wingback chairs to enjoy a book or use your laptop with a pleasant and peaceful view. This was captured in one of my pictures on a beautiful sunny afternoon. It’s a quiet workspace and secluded to maintain focus and privacy. This is a beneficial lay out for me when I have needed to work on individual assignments, check papers or lesson plan. I find it to be a warm place where I can develop ideas creatively for my lessons at school or complete assignments for my own master’s classes.
The second floor of the library also provides an area for group work with tables surrounding a fireplace. This is one of the most unique additions to the library that gives library guests a “homey” feeling, although they are in a public place. This is something many people may seek in a creative work space – a combination of warm and inviting but also a place where there is less likelihood of at-home interruptions. This is evident through limited seating in this room of the second floor.
part 2
After reading the article, A Room of Their Own, I learned some valuable things about creating an engaging and creative workspace for my students and myself. I separated the ways in which I could implement or reflect in a personal perspective as a learner and then as in professional perspective as a first grade teacher.
I found on section of the article to be particularly beneficial and insightful. The author’s described what would be considered a “design flop” stating that, “Clearly, Niemeyer’s top-down beautiful design failed be- cause it did not consider the organic interactions between the living space and its inhabitants.” (2013, p. 6). This was significant to me as I reflected personally on the library reconstruction and the differences I saw when I began to compare and contrast the old design with the new design. This theory from the article spoke to the way I felt the previous library designer seemed to lack organic interactions between the people occupying the library and it’s design. I find I need to have a more warm and inviting place to be creative and engaged.
Each school year brings new students with new needs and learning styles. It’s important as a teacher to constantly reflect on lessons and outcomes so that each learner is reached in the ways they find useful and productive. It was said, “that observing and understanding the manner in which educators and learners construct their own (“naturally built”) learning spaces, when provided the opportunity to do so, is something we should embrace” (2013, p. 5). As a professional, I must be mindful of providing my students with the opportunity to construct their own learning spaces.
This can be seen during centers when students have freedom to sit where they choose or providing them with center options to choose from. By doing this, students will comfortable and more at ease with the art of creating and feel more "in control" of the lesson, although I guided their decision making with structured choices. Having desks arranged in tables for student collaboration and using conversation time during lessons through "turn and talk" also provide students with moments of engagement in their learning space. Not only should I provide my class with these opportunities but also embrace these learning spaces. As the year continues I can develop or adjust lessons based on what I see my students need.
I found on section of the article to be particularly beneficial and insightful. The author’s described what would be considered a “design flop” stating that, “Clearly, Niemeyer’s top-down beautiful design failed be- cause it did not consider the organic interactions between the living space and its inhabitants.” (2013, p. 6). This was significant to me as I reflected personally on the library reconstruction and the differences I saw when I began to compare and contrast the old design with the new design. This theory from the article spoke to the way I felt the previous library designer seemed to lack organic interactions between the people occupying the library and it’s design. I find I need to have a more warm and inviting place to be creative and engaged.
Each school year brings new students with new needs and learning styles. It’s important as a teacher to constantly reflect on lessons and outcomes so that each learner is reached in the ways they find useful and productive. It was said, “that observing and understanding the manner in which educators and learners construct their own (“naturally built”) learning spaces, when provided the opportunity to do so, is something we should embrace” (2013, p. 5). As a professional, I must be mindful of providing my students with the opportunity to construct their own learning spaces.
This can be seen during centers when students have freedom to sit where they choose or providing them with center options to choose from. By doing this, students will comfortable and more at ease with the art of creating and feel more "in control" of the lesson, although I guided their decision making with structured choices. Having desks arranged in tables for student collaboration and using conversation time during lessons through "turn and talk" also provide students with moments of engagement in their learning space. Not only should I provide my class with these opportunities but also embrace these learning spaces. As the year continues I can develop or adjust lessons based on what I see my students need.