SOLE Hangout July 30

Google SOLE Hangout. See tonight's work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Av8KUgHZmGI

Schoogle

SOLE Interview

here is an interview I had about SOLE.

https://plus.google.com/events/clu1oa5pds2im2l09mho714161g

Testing? Comparing?

In my class I talk at great length about how comparing yourself to another person is like comparing an orange to a dog. They both have great qualities but are vastly different. Each has a special purpose that is not related to each other. Children are the same. They each have their special purpose, that part that is unique and special. It is who defines them. And then we test them so they can see who is smarter than they are or less likely to succeed than they are. Tests create cultural and class distinctions. They create comparisons that can destroy egos. We test children because that has what has always been done. We need proof that they are learning. But what if we didn’t test them or draw comparisons to others? What if we encouraged students to learn and explore and develop their innate talents?  What if we set problems and had them solve them? What if their reading levels improved innately because of this research? What if their communication skills and self awareness grew exponentially because they learned to believe in what they can do? In my class students were doing all this and more. This is because of SOLE.

This is a video made on July 24 that explains about SOLE.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtVQAgzJCFo

SOLE Hangout Education

Let me know if you are interested in participating in a SOLE. Two groups 7- 9 and 10 - 12 year olds.

4 or more kids
Google Hangouts
A topic of interest to research
40 minutes
Lots of discussion about their findings
Recording info on Google Docs in point form
Present your findings

Results?
A greater understanding of the topic.
Stronger social interactions.
Meeting new people
Stronger reading and comprehension skills
Increased confidence

What could be better than meeting new friends, learning new things, and talking to people about your interests?

I am looking for students who would like to work together to perform research using the SOLE method. Please contact me if you are interested.

Engaged Reading Leads To Improved Reading

I love it when the way I teach is supported by research. Below is a summary of the research done by Ivey and Johnson:

Engagement with Young Adult Literature: Outcomes and Processes

Gay Ivey and Peter Johnston

Reading Research Quarterly, 48, 355-375 (2013)

They are talking specifically about books to have the engagement in reading where I used technology to get the same results.   

• Engaged reading. Students reported (and the researchers and teachers noted) deep engagement with books and book characters not only during class, but also outside of class—students said they were getting in trouble for reading during other classes and after bedtime. Others even reported reading instead of watching television and playing video games.
• Talk through and about books. Students said they talked more about books, both in spontaneous conversations with their classmates, and with friends and family outside of school.
• Relationships. Students described changes in their personal relationships that they attributed to their engagement with reading. They often used the books they read as a way to make new friends, deepen existing friendships, and grow stronger and more complex relationships with teachers and parents.
• Identities/selves. Many students saw themselves in a new light as a result of engaging deeply with reading. For example, one student identified herself as a bookworm; another student commented that his reading had improved to the point that he no longer considered himself a “slow” reader.  Other students’ comments reflected a similar shift from a fixed performance mindset to a dynamic view of learning.
• Agency. Many students in the study reported an increase in agency—the sense that they have the power to make positive changes in their social relationships, academic and personal lives, and in their communities.

SOLE Hangout

A SOLE Hangout! This is an example we recorded a while ago!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39hB24VQNbQ

SOLE Hangouts

I have started a G+ community to help people find each other for a hangout to do a SOLE. Leave a message on the page. I will try to set it up for the earliest I can once we have 4 people.

https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/103890736437357930241

This is a great way for kids to meet each and share their little bit of the earth.