Mindful Ed

As part our final M.Ed. Capstone course entitled , Collisions, Disruptions, and Diffusions , we were presented with the challenge to facilitate a seminar based on an area of personal interest in education. Over the past 3 years, themes of technology integration and teaching through inquiry have become central in my journey, as I have aimed to link theory and practice. Through this experience I have come to the realization that assessment needs to change along with teaching practices. This same wondering came to light for my Master Class co-facilitator, Jenny Loebsack. As we began preparing, we understood that this topic would lead to some collisions, disruptions, and diffusions in our discussions. Our goal was to elicit reflection and discussion on current assessment practices, how they might enable/interfere with learning, and how we might begin rethinking these practices in light of what we know and understand about learners. As stated during our seminar by a classmate, we need to

What do a box of recycling and an excerpt from a Bailey School Kids chapter book have in common? They can both lead to "Just In Time" learning.  Embracing the spontaneous learning moments that happen throughout the day is not always an easy task. Thoughts about 'what's next' and time pressures often get in the way of this. What I have come to find is that when we stop, think, act, and reflect on these moments we are not only facilitating meaningful learning for our students, but also modelling an inquiry stance. This is what it looks like and sounds like to be a critical thinker and learner in the world.    In Literacy, we are learning to Stop and Jot about our thinking. This includes making predictions, asking questions, connecting with characters, and identifying themes. Think Alouds and guided reading sessions are helping students maintain meaning as they read and 'think about their thinking'. We are currently reading a Bailey School Kids