The most common question I hear is about my one time funding learning leader position is “What do you do?” Something changed last week. Standing by the recycling bins at 7:30 am after just having walked in the door. A colleague asked me…
“Can we work together to build out a task that I thought of last night? My students are learning about telling time and I have some who already know how to tell time. I had them do a scavenger hunt using QR codes but for those who already know how to do this it seems like a waste of time and they need a challenge.”
Fast forward to 9:00 am… same day!
The students who already knew how to tell time were challenged to make their own scavenger hunt using QR codes. Their task… Make it challenging. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Be kind to the environment. The discussion was electric as they got down to business. Really, I was no longer needed! Click. Drag. Create. Test. Fail.
Try again.
They rose to the challenge with rigor and enthusiasm. It was almost too easy.
What did I learn today? Task design doesn’t have to be elaborate or planned out over several hours. It can be born from a quick conversation with a colleague by the recycle bins. Teachers work best in the company of their peers.
Donna Gimbel is a learning leader at Douglasdale School with a passion for musicals and making learning engaging for all.
The students who already knew how to tell time were challenged to make their own scavenger hunt using QR codes. Their task… Make it challenging. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Be kind to the environment. The discussion was electric as they got down to business. Really, I was no longer needed! Click. Drag. Create. Test. Fail.
Try again.
They rose to the challenge with rigor and enthusiasm. It was almost too easy.
What did I learn today? Task design doesn’t have to be elaborate or planned out over several hours. It can be born from a quick conversation with a colleague by the recycle bins. Teachers work best in the company of their peers.
Donna Gimbel is a learning leader at Douglasdale School with a passion for musicals and making learning engaging for all.
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