By Sally Simon, Educational Journalist
In many ways teachers are islands unto themselves. They close the door and have a captive audience. They plan, teach, and assess. Sometimes they work with a colleague to create innovative curriculum, or have a mentor to get through the early years of teaching. But mostly they are alone.
Within those classrooms exciting lessons are taught and students learn skills that last a lifetime. All is well, right? Almost. According to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, one thing is missing. Self-reflection. “Because of their ability to reflect, great teachers know not only what to do, but also why.”
Easier said than done.
Too often teachers don’t have the time to reflect on their practice, or they may not know how. They may feel like they’re in a vacuum.
Although I’m a national board certified teacher, (and went through pages upon pages of self-reflection to achieve that title), I still find self-reflection on a regular basis problematic. I’ve come to believe that, “Reflection is a skill that is best fostered with colleagues.”
So to that end, I introduce you to my latest math-oriented Iditarod assignment, along with examples of student work. Using some key questions, I share with you my reflection of the assignment. Finally, I invite you help me improve the assignment by giving me critical feedback.
Hopefully, we will learn more about self-reflection in the process, and collaboratively revised a worthwhile Iditarod assignment as well!
The Assignment: Create a route for a New York State dog sled race. On a map, show the route including the starting and ending point (Lake Placid), and at least three checkpoints. The race must be between 100-200 miles in length and cover varied terrain. Also include (on the map or in a chart) the distance between the checkpoints and the altitudes of each. Using weather information, decide upon a date for the race. Finally, name the race.
Background Information: Students were introduced to the Iditarod Trail via a map and the Iditarod website, including the “Insider” fly bys. They were given a map of upstate New York printed from Google maps, and shown how to use Google maps. The assignment was given to eleven students in a gifted and talented 5th grade class that meets once a week. They worked individually, and had one week to complete the project.
The Results: Exhibit One—facts sloppily written in red on the assigned map with little to no organization. Exhibit Two—hand drawn map with all the required elements. Exhibit Three—Extended Googlemap with chart attached. Exhibit Four—large poster using Googlemaps with embedded charts printed professionally on photo paper.
(Click the pictures to see a larger image. Be patient, it takes a few moments to load!)
Here are the self-reflection questions I pondered:
What worked in this lesson? How do I know?
1) The interest level was high both because of the Iditarod topic, and that it was a “creative” type of activity. I know because of comments while showing the Iditarod trail and questions after reading the assignment. Comments like, “This is cool,” “I already know where I am having my trail go,” “Can I have my trail go off the map if I can find a bigger one?”
2) The students were very interested in the technology of the Iditarod “Insider” and the Google maps. I know because of their comments, and because several students went beyond what I showed them to include “thumb tacking” the checkpoints on Google maps and using the site to calculate the mileage using the “walking” feature.
3) I know the mathematical requirements were appropriate because none of the students had difficulty with the required mileage or altitude work.
What would I do the same or differently if I could re-teach this lesson? Why?
1) Now that I have given the assignment and have student work to show, I would show exemplar work for students to follow as a guideline.
2) Because of the varying degree of quality, I would develop a rubric to assess the project.
3) I might consider allowing students to work alone or with a partner. Some students like to work alone, but others may have found the geography or computer part overwhelming even though they could do the math. An “artistic” or “techie” partner may have helped.
4) I may also give more than one week to accomplish the task &/or do a more in-depth lesson about the Iditarod Trail, including about how far it is between checkpoints. The students really didn’t have a sense of how far the musher should go between stops.
What may have caused the wide range of quality in this assignment?
1) Students didn’t know what an acceptable project should look like
2) There wasn’t enough time; or students procrastinated
3) Students did not have access to the Internet at home or the technology skills needed for the task.
Overall, I’m glad I gave the assignment, but I believe it can be even better with insight from my Iditarod teaching colleagues.
So, now is your opportunity to join my collaborative reflection team and tell me what you think! And, if you try this lesson with your students, please let me know how it goes! I’ve started a page in the “Educator” Section of the “Discussion Forum” titled “Create a Trail Assignment” so that any interested teacher can leave and view comments. You can also use the email feature there to contact me directly.
For more information about self-reflection and teaching see Educational Leadership, the journal of ASCD, February 2009, “Fostering Reflection,” by Lana Danielson. (http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/feb09/vol66/num05/Fostering_Reflection.aspx)
