Reflection Graphic + Explaination
Throughout this week I have felt proud to be part of a group which consistently works with direct intent. A portion of my focus within PLP structure and implementation has been around language. Specifically, how do we effectively use what we say, to guide our students toward authentic end results. Through the filter of "language" I have been collecting (at times concretely and at others passively) vocabulary, phrases and skills which we as adults comfortably use in order to effectively unpack our sizeable goal. With the belief that all of our students can meet with success along this PLP mission, I am aiming to translate our capacity for problem solving into student friendly actions.
Since identification of what-to-translate is an important first step, I drew up this graphic which demonstrates a mixture of specific and overall verbiage. We know effective use of language enables critical thinking, demonstration of democratic values, and enhances growth and development. How we have been doing this work demonstrates many transferable skills that we can model for our students: how to ask questions which benefit the whole group, how to build on or clarify another person's idea, and how to critique a teammates comment, are all skills which sit on the foundation of language.
The work done thus far has encouraged me to feel more comfortable and excited about implementation this fall. So much has become more clear for us (time tables, stages, the how) that I feel certain (knock on wood) that by the end of the week we will have an articulated package to share with our extended team and our students, which includes developmentally appropriate language. It feels that we started with a modpodge of agreements and have come to more gelled commonalities. Moving forward we know what we need (tech agreement, and faculty/student support materials) in order to be successful. We now have an exciting potential to share and are putting the steps in place to make the potential actual.
