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New Year, New Learning On the crest of the New Year many of us think about about making resolutions. It makes me wonder...

What percent of people achieve the goals they set for themselves at New Year's?  This post suggests it is only 8%.   So it's not too surprising to realize I've often been a part of the 92% who don't seem to succeed when it comes to New Year's Resolutions.  (More interesting statistics HERE.)

The Forbes article suggests that people have trouble following through because the goals people set are often many and vague.  Therefore, setting smaller goals which are tangible lead to seeing one's goals to fruition.

In my new role as the Digital Learning Coach, I need to be thinking about the types of goals I am setting for myself and my colleagues.  Positively impacting student learning needs to be at the forefront of all my objectives.

The article above also suggest that stating goals publicly also increases the likelihood of succeeding.   So, here are my goals: Should you be interested in setting goals with your students, this site offers 4 Steps to Helping Children Set Goals.   You can email BigJournal and receive a worksheet like this for your students. This site also has some HEALTHY goals for children.

What goals will you set for yourself (or have set for yourself already)? Please share one of your goals with me (as making them public increases the likelihood of succeeding!)

Wishing you a Happy, Healthy & Prosperous New Year! Posted by Nancy Carroll at 10:26 AM 9 comments: 


Fourth grade is one of those pivotal years when it comes to friendships! Some students have been friends for many years, meeting each other in preschool or kindergarten.  Others are making new friends each year in their new classroom.   Whatever the case may be, there's always a lot happening with friendships on the playground, in the lunchroom and during class time.

While the students are at recess,  I'll take a moment to go outside or watch through the window to get a better sense of which students are playing together.  When students come to me about something that has happened outside, knowing a little bit about their friendships helps them maneuver this part of the school day.

As a class we have been focusing on "kindness" this year. Mostly, we have been focusing on the topic through reading books. Some have included Have You Filled A Bucket Today: A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids by Carol McCloud; Ordinary Mary's Extraordinary Deed by Emily Pearson; Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson & The Boy Who Grew Flowers by Jennifer Wojtowicz.  Our class has even participated in two Twitter chats (#4thbookchat) around the last 2 books.  While these books are speak to the theme of 'kindness' they also touch upon 'friendship'.

Recently, the students had a guidance lesson around the topic of Friendship.  The lesson got interrupted and so it wasn't quite finished.  In an effort to wrap up the lesson, I asked the students to share some information about qualities they thought friends possess and to provide evidence of those qualities. Here's a sampling of what these sweet 10 year olds had to say about friendship.  Qualities that were most stated were Loyal, Trustworthy & Caring.

Even more amazing were their responses to the open ended question of "What else can you say about friendship".  Here is what these 4th graders had to say:

While in elementary school we continue to help students navigate the fine are of making and keeping friends, it's nice to know that these students have some definite ideas about mutual trust and understanding. It just goes to show that these kiddos have a strong foundation to build upon.

What do you do to promote "good friendships"?


PBS: Parenting: Raising Girls: Understanding Elementary School Friendships
Parenting Science: How to Help Kids Make Friends
Health Line: 10 Top Friendship Games & Activities
Today's Parent: How to Help your Child Make Friends
Understood: 7 Ways the Teacher Can Help Your Child Make Friends Posted by Nancy Carroll at 9:49 PM 3 comments: Labels: friends; social skills


Digital Breakouts

A few weeks back I attended a conference in a neighboring district, #MedfieldDLD (Medfield Digital Learning Day!) It was a day filled with lots of great conversations & lots of learning.  Sessions I attended included: Hyperdocs; NEW Google Sites for Digital Portfolios; Homework: Shifting the Perspective and BreakoutEDU.  While I plan to incorporate ideas from all of these in my classroom somehow I was able to start immediately with the help of this BreakoutEDU slidedeck that Kerry Cowell presented.

BreakOuts are a game where "players use teamwork and critical thinking to solve a series of challenging puzzles in order to open a locked box." Literally, the box is locked with several different types of locks! (Number locks, key locks, word lock & direction locks)  Kerry's Breakout was related to the "Back to the Future" theme of the day and very challenging. As we worked through the clues, my team and I felt what it would be like for the students to solve such a puzzle since we had no idea of the answers.  It took some creative thinking and collaboration.  (On the BreakoutEDU site there are plenty of games of all levels for you to consider for your class.)

Since I didn't have a box or locks I decided I would try the  DIGITAL BREAKOUTS site that Kerry shared during her presentation.  The next day I decided to have my students participate in our first Digital Breakout, "Open the Pool. " Pretty much all I did was explain the premise to the kids and then we started looking for clues.  They were hooked!!! Since that time we have participated in 4 others.

It takes about 20 - 40 minutes for the ones we have tried (hardest has been a level 5). I have broken it up over a several days (10 minutes each day). In this way it gets the students excited and their minds in the mood to think the rest of the day!  To place the students in teams before the breakout, I created some grouping statements (around the topic of the breakout). Students had to find their partners without my help. Here's an example of the ones I used for the National Park Digital Breakout.  (This is almost as interesting as the breakout as the students think and work to find their partners!)

Once a breakout is completed there is a little sign or even a little prize.  But the point is not to get the prize, but rather it's the idea to "get to" the prize (if that makes sense).  I have created little stickers to give out at the end of the Breakouts for students to collect, which makes them happy! (But not necessary - their fist pumping shows it was worthwhile!)

One suggestion I'd make, while mostly I tell the students I don't have the answers, I do TRY the breakout before having them complete it so I can give out "ONE" hint.  There is one clue I don't know the answer to in the current breakout. Students take that as an extra challenge to get it before me!

I can't say enough about the thinking that takes place and the teamwork needed to work through the Digital Breakout. I can't say enough about how much the students LOVE it.  When someone says, "can I do this at home" you know you're on to something!
Let me know if you decide to try one! Good luck! Posted by Nancy Carroll at 3:27 PM 8 comments: Labels: breakout, problem solving


Engagement & Perseverance

Why is it that some problems are more engaging than others? You know the kind I'm talking about...the kind where kids WANT to work through Recess..the kind where the kids CONTINUE to solve it while you're trying to 'move on'...the kind that has kids ASKING for more...the kind that has kids TALKING about it with their classmates. The other day I stumbled upon one of these types of problems.  I subscribe to Marilyn Burns Math Blog as she is a math guru and seems to have wonderful ideas and practical resources regarding math. The actual post was titled "When Should or Shouldn't We Give Answers?" In the post she shares the "1 to 10 Card Investigation" (Read her original post about it here.) I was actually intrigued by the problem.
So during math class, I mentioned the post to my students.  I happened to say that I DID NOT know the answer to the Card Investigation myself.  This seemed to be a challenge they wanted to take on so I showed them Marilyn's video about how to set up the cards. When my homeroom students returned before lunch, their classmates mentioned the challenge to them.  I shared the video once again (quickly) before we headed to the cafeteria. I had no idea how it would take off.  The kids were abuzz about this problem.  (One student even made her own set of 1-10 from index cards!)
Upon returning from lunch many students started heading to the math center to find the playing cards. Some students paired up but many worked alone.  We didn't have much time as the class was headed to Phys. Ed.  But when they came back they REALLY wanted to try.  How could I say no? It's a math puzzle after all! So I let them work on it for about 15 minutes. The "awwwws" were audible when I told them they'd have to put their cards away so we could continue with our science (which is usually their fav!).
To my surprise, students went home that evening and worked on the problem (without direction from me to do so).  A few came in with the problem solved while others were "soooo" close to the solution.  Really, the only direction I gave them was that they should be keeping track of their trials (as Marilyn Burns suggested). Again, the students wanted to work on this problem throughout the day.  Students who were successful got the extension activity that Marilyn had suggested.

The students ALL agreed that the problem was difficult.  No one gave up! It was so fun to watch the smiles on the faces of those who figured it out.  It was heartwarming to see classmates helping each other solve without giving the solution away.  It was most amazing to hear students ask for extension after extension. (Several students are working on putting 4 cards under - this will make sense if you read the problem).  This was "perseverance" at it's best! This alone could have been the lesson!
All of this is wonderful, but it makes me ask the question again, "Why is it some problems are more engaging than others?"  I asked my students why they loved this problem.  Some of the responses included "It's fun!" "It's challenging." "I like cards!" Could it be that they felt comfortable with the using smaller numbers? Or was it because they thought it was a "trick?" Or was it simply they like using the cards?
I would love to hear your ideas on what types of problems 'hook' your students and I'd love to learn how we find more of these types of problems that help our students learn? Posted by Nancy Carroll at 3:15 PM 2 comments: Labels: math; problem solving