A Knowledge Building Educational Environment

CSILEComputer Supported Intentional Learning EnvironmentsJefferson County Public Schools

This year…

How do you want your students to learn?

Agenda

1. The What & Why of Knowledge Building2. Results of Creating a Knowledge Building

Educational Environment 3. Implementing Knowledge Building in the

Classroom4. Knowledge Forum5. KBIP (Knowledge Building International

Project)

Your Understanding

What does Knowledge Building mean to you?Read the article" Student Communities for the

Advancement of Knowledge”

1.The What & Why of

Knowledge Building

Why Knowledge Building

Learning is an active, constructive process

What is Constructivism?

DefinitionConstructivism is a reality of learning founded on the premise that, by reflecting on our experiences, we construct our own understanding of the world we live in. Each of us generates our own "rules" and "mental models," which we use to make sense of our experiences. Learning, therefore, is simply the process of adjusting our mental models to accommodate new experiences.

What is Constructivism?

Why Knowledge Building

Learning is an active, constructive process Understanding is critical

Why put student ideas at the center?

“I don’t understand, but I got it done.”

Age 6

Why Knowledge Building

Learning is an active, constructive process Understanding is critical Working collaboratively is preferable to working

in isolation

Working Collaboratively“If it is by yourself then you only have one idea — yourself idea and the teacher. But if there is many people in the class, and they put up their hands, then you can think of whatever they say — not only your own things, but everyone will say what they think, and then you will have many ideas to think about.”

Working CollaborativelyCollaboration is the fuel that powers a

Knowledge Building community

“No one of us is smarter than all of us…”

Why Knowledge Building

Learning is an active, constructive process Understanding is critical Working collaboratively is preferable to

working in isolation Knowledge advancement is based on

improvable ideas by asking high-level questions

Ideas are Improvable

“Mendel worked on Karen’s question.”

5th grader

Ideas are Improvable

K: I don’t really agree with that… that could play a factor but, um, there’s not much water in the desert either. So I don’t really agree with that…

M: Was this person an expert?K: Yeah, and so he should

know, but… We kind of think that he is partially right, but we don’t understand why that would be true.

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QuickTime™ and aVideo decompressor

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Why Knowledge Building

Learning is an active, constructive process Understanding is critical Working collaboratively is preferable to working in

isolation Knowledge advancement is based on improvable

ideas by asking high-level questions Knowledge advancement is also based on a thorough

understanding of what you don’t know

Understanding of What you Don’t Know

“You know how you say two or three heads is better than one? Well, it’s like the same thing on the computer; it’s like just what she said. If someone read a book or something and they know more about it, you can go to their note and get some references from theirs, and then it’ll help your answer be better…”

Why Knowledge Building

Learning is an active, constructive process Understanding is critical Working collaboratively is preferable to working in

isolation Knowledge advancement is based on improvable ideas

by asking high-level questions Knowledge advancement is also based on a thorough

understanding of what you don’t know Increases opportunities for reflection and self

assessment

Reflection and Self Assessment

“I think that I can tell if I’ve learned something when I’m able to form substantial theories that seem to fit in with the information that I’ve already got. So it’s not necessarily that I have everything–I have all the information–but that I’m able to piece things in that make sense and then to form theories on the questions that would all fit together.”

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QuickTime™ and aVideo decompressor

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2. Results of Creating a Knowledge

Building Educational

Environment

After 15 Years of ResearchingClassroom Practice

“…of greatest significance is a radical shift in classroom practice,

moving from a focus on ‘activities’ to public knowledge jointly constructed by

students.”Marlene Scardamalia

Frequency of Misconceptions

Number of notes in “force” unit 455Instances of misconception or

misinformation 122Percentage of notes containing

misconceptions or misinformation presented as information rather than as problem or conjecture 2%

How Students Dealt with Misconceptions

Reinforced 3%Ignored 60%Partially resolved 27%Resolved 10%

What Teachers Said

“ I saw kids with intent to learn. I was involved in more ‘teachable moments’ than ever before.”

Bill Peters

“ I have had the freedom to be a learner, questioner, and seeker of knowledge. Not knowing an answer is now a strength and a point of connection to my fellow students.”

Carol Cassells

…Teachers Said

“ I have come to understand more clearly how students think, how students get motivated, how the use of technology at our fingertips has enhanced this research gathering.”

Karen Wesack

“ I’ve experienced moments of ‘this is it!’…more than in any other of my 30+ years in teaching. I must be coming closer to educational Nirvana.”

Myrna Cooney

Why Are we Doing This?

Did You Know?

A TEST !!!

3. Implementing Knowledge Building

in the Classroom

Implementing Knowledge Building

Choose one topic or curriculum area Determine the curriculum goals to be achieved Devise a ‘big’ question or problem for students to

tackle Set up classroom management structures for

collaborative learning and sharing ideas Use tools like Knowledge Forum®

Determine how you will introduce classroom management and software to students

Knowledge Forum…The Product to Implement Knowledge Building

Develops a collaborative learning environment

Creates student-centered activity Supports Knowledge Building communities Increases test scores

Features of Knowledge Forum that Support Knowledge Building

Based on communal workspace — all students see all other students’ work

Features of Knowledge Forum that Support Knowledge Building

Based on a communal workspace Helps students think about the concept

Features of Knowledge Forum that Support Knowledge Building Based on a communal workspace Helps students think about the topic Encourages interaction and communication

Features of Knowledge Forum that Support Knowledge Building

Based on a communal workspace Helps students think about the topic Encourages interaction and communication Keeps a history of work and students’

knowledge growth

Teacher’s Role

Become research leaders and intentional learners themselves

Monitor student learning Direct students toward useful resources Push students toward independence Honor student ideas Know when to step in

Teacher’s Role

“ The biggest difference right from the very beginning was the amount of writing being done this year… Last year we had science binders, and, um, I would make all the forms. I would design the experiments. And this year you see it’s all owned by the children. It’s all totally grown from the children’s interest, from their questions, and… You know I’ve had to run ahead and get some of the research books and read it, but it has come from their interests. It’s like they are designing the pathway and… They have gone this year beyond what I could have planned by myself…”

Students’ Goals

Develop proficiency in working with information — become a knowledge-worker

Learn material faster and more in-depth Develop collaboration and communication skills —

verbal and written Become comfortable with technology Improve cognitive skill development

Student’s Role

“Well, first we started with sticky notes, and we wrote it a good question of what we thought a good question would be about Native Americans. And we complete, we are trying to complete it by finding out more information about it, and, um, we started with my theory and more about what we researched and what Web sites we have researched.”

“Therefore, teaching students to be proficient requires a different approach to teaching. In addition to communicating high expectations for academic achievement to students, we need to:

Focus on depth rather than breadth in our teaching.

Move from short periods of instruction to extended learning opportunities.

Provide inquiry-based instruction that engages students and offers a deeper understanding of the subject, rather than surface knowledge.

Parent Connection: September 2007

Therefore, teaching students to be proficient requires a different approach to teaching. In addition to communicating high expectations for academic achievement to students, we need to:

Take a diagnostic approach to teaching in which teachers study student work to check for understanding and adjust their instruction accordingly.

Utilize different approaches to reach students with differences in abilities and learning styles.

Shift from simply monitoring performance through tests to providing students with authentic opportunities to demonstrate the depth of their understanding”

Parent Connection: September 2007

In Summary