This morning starting at 7:30 parents and kids came in. It's Student Led Conference Day and is a fabulous day here in the 5/6 classroom. Portfolios will be poured through, notebooks reviewed, and writings analyzed while the kids talk to their parents about their learning and the learning process.
The academic work in Expedition (Position, Prosperity, Principles, and Posterity), Math Investigations, Reader's and Writer's Workshop, P.E. and the Haiti Project were the areas that have been chosen by the kids to showcase. Each student chose 3 pieces of work to explain using a reflection template. The process takes the parents through how learning is deep by revealing the layers to how each area is relevant because the work follows Idaho State Content Standards and a connected skills.
The evaluation process for the kids is hard and fun. Reflection took us a full week. We had to start with everyone understanding the document and the "why" behind doing this kind of thinking/reflecting deliberately. We did peer review and individual sessions with me for oversight.
It is interesting to watch the parents see all kinds of work that get presented and this is cool because it isn't just "showcase" pieces, but pieces that the kids feel connected to. Today is all about the kids communicating what is happening in their day and how they are progressing through the content using critical thinking skills.
More than anything else, it is so rewarding for the kids to be articulate and feel confident is presenting their learning. There are long conversations about content, questions arise, and discussions erupt because the parents become more and more interested. Every parent wants their child to be doing well, but many get to see another facet of the wonderful offspring. The conferences generally last 50 minutes.
This year there was 100% connection with the parents in communicating about conferences through the planners--evidence of how good the kids are at talking to the parents about what is going on at school. The kids are showing responsibility and accountability. I am proud of how well they are thinking and communicating.
Be sure to scroll down the page to see pictures of parents and kids in conference...
Ms. Bonzo's PPSEL 5-6 Crew... Be sure to scroll past the posts to get to all the pictures... This is the blog for the 5th and 6th graders at Palouse Prairie School of Expeditionary Learning. These kids are terrific and these pages and pictures are for their parents and community to know what they are doing and learning with a focus on the 10 Design Principles of Expeditionary Learning.
