Year of the grit

Read time is less than 2 minutes 

Like many others, I cannot start out the New Year without taking a turn at emphasizing the importance of personal reflection and setting a plan for improvement. Let me suggest something that will have more lasting effect than a New Year’s resolution. 

I no longer set resolutions for myself, but rather I choose a single word for myself each year. I start by taking some time to reflect upon my strengths and weaknesses. Then I choose an anchor word to help me build on those strengths and diminish my weaknesses. 2016 is the year of GRIT for me.

 Sarah Brown Wessling, the 2010 National Teacher of the Year, blogged about what makes great teachers and learners. She suggests great teachers have passion, empathy, and grit; and great learners are risk-takers, gritty, and curious. Notice both lists include grit. Grit can be described as motivation to achieve a long term goal. Grit isn’t easily burned up or used up in the short term—think learning versus getting a good grade on a single exam.

Both successful learners and teachers have grit. It doesn’t come easily but there are ways to gain grit. To  gain grit, Mark McCatty  builds on others' work and suggests ideas such as resolve, endurance, and engage. 

Angela Duckworth also offers some tips. She writes that people who have grit are “comfortable being uncomfortable. They’re falling down a lot. They’re playing things that are too hard. They’re attempting challenges that are too high. They’re getting feedback.” Developing grit sounds a lot like good learning and teaching.

The Examined Existence website suggests steps such as delaying gratification and embracing challenges.

Join me. How about it? Are you willing to set out for the bigger, gritter picture?

If it isn’t grit you want to develop, spend some time reflecting on what would be beneficial to you in 2016. Choose your own anchor word.

In the next post we will go back to powerful learning strategies, since no one can develop grit or any other attribute without learning. 

Metaphors and analogies; fuel and fire

Read time is 4 minutes. 

This second week of December seems the perfect time to look at the most complex strategy for identifying similarities and differences--Metaphors and analogies.

 With a winter break looming, this is the time to challenge yourself to try a complex and sometimes difficult strategy. You know you only have a short time before break, so challenge yourself to try something complex in the short time.

A metaphor is a direct comparison of two unlike things. For instance, a book is food for thought. Books and food are not alike, but yet both can feed thoughts. An analogy is a comparison of one set of two things with another set of two other things.  An example of an analogy is the sun is to day what the moon is to night.  More information on the difference can be found at the Difference Between website.

Remember, any age learner can engage in constructing metaphors andanalogies. The learner builds upon what s/he knows to make the unknown understandable. Metaphors and analogies connect concrete knowledge to concepts. The first step is identifying metaphors and analogies. Creating a metaphor or analogy becomes a second step and forces the learner to think clearly about information, concepts, and his or her own current knowledge. Later take the next step by explaining the similarities within the metaphor or analogy.  The final step is explaining where the similarities may break down.

Metaphors and analogies can be used in any discipline.

One example is the often used science analogy of comparing a water system to electricity. Challenge yourself to take that metaphor one step further and explain how the water system and electricity are alike and how they are not alike. Come up with another metaphor or analogy that helps make electricity understandable for yourself. 

Writing and all language arts topics are full of metaphors and analogies. Beginning writers can start by identifying metaphors and analogies and later learn to use them in their own writing.

To become aware of metaphors and analogies, think about them in categories: 

Body Vocabulary 

• the heart of the city 
• the foot of the mountains/bed/stairs 
• to give a hand 
• to break somebody’s heart 

Weather Vocabulary

• a warm welcome
• to freeze somebody out 
• to be snowed under 
• to storm out 
• a hail of abuse 

See more starters for learners at Teaching English.  Spaghetti Box Kids even suggests competitions.

Metaphors and analogies also make math clearer. The operation of unpacking the terms in parenthesis is a metaphor. Unpacking and solving do not at first seem alike, yet taking the symbols out of the parenthesis just as you would unpack a box—one item at a time before  going on to the next is a metaphor. Look at other math operations to see how they are like real world tasks.

Social studies constantly shows comparisons within history and geography and students make sense of their world. For instance, metaphors can show the comparison of trade agreements with building a house.

Anthony Vecchioni sums up the importance of incorporating metaphors and analogies into learning. “Using metaphors pushes the speaker to sift through experience and memory in search of a fitting comparison. What is it like to start your day without coffee, for example? There is no right answer, but the process of finding the right comparison promotes robust reflection.”

While I was writing this post, I was reflecting on an analogy for learning and teaching. “A learner is to fuel what a teacher is to a fire.” How are the two sets alike? Where does the analogy break down?  What other analogy or metaphor describes learning or teaching for you?

In the next post, we will talk more about the importance of personal reflection on learning and teaching. 

Fact, opinion, rule, practice, concept, cause, effect…oh my

Read time is two and a half minutes. 

It is not new that the learning category of identifying similarities and differences has the highest Return On Investment category, a 45 percentile gain.* In the last post we reviewed the simplest strategies for identifying similarities and differences. A more complex strategy for using similarities and differences is  CATEGORIZING.

CATEGORIZING has long been established as an assessment tool; for a selfish learner (see Oct 6, 2015 post) it can also be a powerful learning tool. An assessment might ask the learner to categorize animals into mammals, reptiles, birds, fish, or amphibians. Other examples of categorizing as assessment might be types of math equations, types of literary characters, types of foreign words--you get the idea. 

Let's turn our perspective of CATEGORIZING to learning rather than showing what we have already learned. To make learning deep, categorize the information into something meaningful for yourself. 

Start with just two categories. Take the information you are learning and place it into each category. Do not allow a category called Other. Use broad or narrow categories.

• What I Know, What Is Unknown
• Tangible, Intangible
• Fact, Opinion

Later, add more categories.

• Known, Unknown, Perceived, Imagined, Tested by Hypothesis
• Tangible, Intangible, Noticeable, Detectable, Simulation 
• Fact, Opinion, Rule, Practice, Concept, Cause, Effect

Other categories can be much simpler.

• Color, Size, Shape, Characteristics

Even later, describe why the information fits into the category.

This last step takes the learning deeper.

Categorizing can be done individually, with partners, or in groups. The deepest learning is when partners or group members agree on the categorization and why elements fit in the selected category.

Categorizing materials for K-6 learners can be found at http://www.readworks.org/lessons/concepts/classify-and-categorize  or http://www.education.com/worksheets/sorting-categorizing/

A quick search on Bing, brought up over a hundred graphic organizers for categorizing for learners of any age.

           

  

In the next blog post, we’ll look at the most complex strategy for identifying similarities and differences--Metaphors and Analogies. Any age learner can engage in constructing metaphors and analogies.

*Robert Marzano’s meta-analysis online at  http://www.marzanoresearch.com/  or in print What Works in Schools (2003).

Better than a selfie…be selfish

Read time is less than three minutes.

As promised in the last post, this post begins to discuss efficient learning strategies. Yes, the newness of the school year has probably worn off, but the curiosity of learning never wears off. 

Curious learners are like those annoying selfie takers—they never get tired of taking selfies.  Curiosity never goes away, either. Whether you are a learner or a teacher (parents are teachers), emphasize the curiosity of learning.

One way to become a more curious (and more efficient) learner is to become a selfish learner. Being selfish as a learner is not bad, but actually good. A selfish learner is one who asks herself/himself, “What does this information mean for me?” or “How can I use this information?” This slight turn of perspective makes a huge difference in learning.

As soon as learners are able to see how the content or process or main idea is useful, they are likely to find ways to learn and use the information.

• If you are learner, simply ask yourself how the information is useful NOW to you—and not just so you can pass the class, but what actual way does it help? Does the information expand your communication skills, help you figure a budget, assist you in building a work bench in the garage, aid you in keeping track of a fitness routine, provide a topic of  conversation with your in-laws, help you make wise picks for your fantasy football team? How can it really help now?
• If you are a teacher or parent, ask the learner how the information is useful NOW to him or her—and not just to pass the test or class, but what actual way does it help? Does the information clarify other information, prepare a basis for future information, compare with a video game or YouTube video? How can it really help now?

Let me repeat, the slight turn of perspective makes a huge difference in learning. Become a selfish learner.

Now let’s talk about how to attain that learning. Robert Marzano’s research continues to show that identifying similarities and differences has the highest yield of learning. The Feb. 28, 2015 post provided some simple specifics about using the comparison/contrast strategy. Click here to review that post.

The comparison/contrast is only one strategy of identifying similarities and differences. My next post will discuss other strategies in identifying similarities and differences, the highest Return On Investment learning category.

The first step is to become a selfish learner; the second step is to compare the new material you will learn to something you already know. 

Choosing a color helps save time? Really?

Read time is less than two minutes.
Although, this tip may require a few new purchases, the purchases can be as simple or elaborate as you choose.

Purchase office or school supplies (folders, markers, highlighters, post-it notes, and flags or labels) in as many different colors as there are members in your household.

Have each member choose a color—it could be the same color as the washcloth s/he chose in the suggestion in my last post.

You can see where today’s blog post is headed:

• Put all papers of each household member into her/his folder. Papers that need to be signed and returned, assignments to turn in, RSVP’s, and anything else that needs action.
• Use a flag or a label of each person’s chosen color to mark appointments, games, and practices on the calendar. In a glance, each household member can see if s/he has anything coming up.
• Use corresponding colored post-it notes to post messages on the refrigerator or other central location for each household member. The messages may include to-do items, lists of chores, reminders, and “attaboy” notes. “Attaboy” notes are crucial to encouraging household members to read the messages.

If your school supply budget has already been spent, use supplies that you already have.

• Instead of using a colored folder, simply color the tab on a manila folder with a different colored marker for each person. Each person still has her/his own folder. 
• Instead of putting labels on the calendar, write the appointment with the colored marker for each person or write with pen and highlight the reminders with different colors. 
• Instead of writing the messages on post-it notes to personalize the list, write the messages on one piece of white paper in the central location, using different colors for each member or highlighting the messages for each person.

A tip to save time AND money—my kind of tip.  Next time tune in for study strategies to help during this the-newness-of-school-has-worn-off time.

Not purple people eaters, but purple people washers

Read time is around one minute.

After a long hiatus, I am happy to be back with another simple time saver I learned from my sister Barb.  Barb has a busy, three generation household at times and the young mothers of her family are often washing the sticky hands and faces of little ones at the handy kitchen sink.

To save herself laundry time, Barb bought a stack of purple washcloths and stores several in the kitchen. Now the parents of the little ones need not take a new cloth out of the linen drawer each time a child needs a minor clean-up. They do not wonder for what a particular cloth was last used. They know the purple washcloths are used only for cleaning hands and faces and not for dishes or other household wipe-ups.

This is a simple time saver that can easily be extended. Let each member in your household choose a particular color of washcloth. Now the laundry time of washing, drying, folding, putting away will be cut way down when each member uses one cloth several times rather than reaching for a new one each time.

We will talk more about saving time when family members choose a color in the next post. 

Thirty second rule is not just for food

I often write about Return on Investment ideas and today’s tip is high on ROI. We all know the thirty second rule about dropped food, but here is another thirty second rule to help you stay organized.

Today’s post takes around one minute to read and can save anyone who spends time with others up to ten times that amount of time in a single incident.

An organized person should be able to find whatever s/he is looking for in thirty seconds or less—yes, WHATEVER—that favorite blue sweater, the flyswatter, any document saved on your hard drive—WHATEVER. If you cannot find what you are looking ofr in thirty seconds, make a plan to get more organized. Organization will be continue to be addressed in the next several blog posts.

In the meantime here is the thirty second organizational tip that may surprise you: Offer a finder’s fee. Yes, a finder’s fee. It’s simple, just shout out, “Whoever finds the flyswatter gets twenty-five cents.” Your lost item will be found in less than thirty seconds. Depending on your situation, you may need to offer more than twenty-five cents, but you get the idea. The “fee” could be an extra dessert, a pass on helping clean the kitchen, or an extra ten minutes of time in the bathroom. 

Try it—it will help you find what you need quickly and add some humor in this stressful time of year.

In the next post, I will offer another time saver that I learned from the same sister who uses the finders fee—purple people washers.