I Can. I Can?10/10/2017 Have you seen the new Google Pixel 2 commercial? Before you read any further, take a look: What’s your first impression? Mine is That’s brilliant. But it’s not just the commercial that’s brilliant, it’s the message.:   A question mark changes everything. As the Google design team makes abundantly clear in this ad, statements are limiting, and placing a period at the end of a sentence indicates finality. No more ideas. No more moving forward. The end. Game over. ‘Nuff said. But what if? As we Google fans know (and as the company itself affirms), Google is a company “built on questions.” And as more schools go Google (70+ million G Suite for Education global users), we need to change our mark of punctuation: We are learning. We are learning? Think about our CCSS “I Can” statements--the ones prominently displayed in every classroom to indicate content learned by students. Here’s one for high school biology: I can use a model to illustrate the role of cellular division (mitosis) and differentiation in producing and maintaining complex organisms. (LS1-4) How do we know they can? Well, traditionally, a teacher will prepare slides about mitosis, give lecture notes about mitosis, copy study guides and worksheets about mitosis, assign homework and reading about mitosis, and then finally administer a unit test about mitosis. No more ideas. No more moving forward. The end. Game over. ‘Nuff said. I can. I can? (By the way, notice the verbs I used above to describe the traditional learning process: prepare, give, copy, assign, administer. While these aren’t passive verbs--and this former high school English teacher should know!--they certainly designate passivity when it comes to learning. And notice that all the “work” is being done by the teacher. The students will watch the slides, copy the notes, complete the study guides and worksheets, do the homework and reading, and take the test. Check out the verbs I used in that last sentence. See a pattern? Those verbs make a point, and the point is this: If whoever is doing the talking is doing the learning, then we’re doing it wrong.) A question mark changes everything. What if we changed that period at the end of a traditional "I Can" statement into a question mark? I can use a model to illustrate the role of cellular division (mitosis) and differentiation in producing and maintaining complex organisms? Imagine projecting that question to a class and simply saying, Can you? Imagine allowing them to pursue their own learning, to show, to demonstrate, to create. What if we said, “Figure out a way to show how you can master that standard, whether it’s a screencast, a song, an infographic, a story, an animated Google Slides deck, a carefully-curated assemblage, a playlist...a whatever you can imagine! I’ll be here to guide you, to coach you, to encourage you, to direct you, but I will not do the work for you.” Imagine stepping to the side and allowing them to be active participants and owners of their learning. I can learn. I can learn? Statements finalize possibilities. Questions open them up. Still not convinced? Think about this for a minute: Google didn’t create the latest in innovative smart phone technology by making statements. Google did it by asking questions. So why aren’t we? A question mark changes everything. Note: To learn more about asking questions to inspire learning, check out inquiry-based learning.
101 Comments
Andrea
5/27/2020 09:21:09 am
I love the idea of turning I Can Statements into questions. The only thing that scares me is the kid who has long since decided he cannot do math (I am at HS) and then answers "no" to all the questions because he is asked if he can rather than being told that he can. I think it is possible to cover many standards when we don't control the learning but I struggle with measuring understanding regularly for "new learning" at the high school math level in a way that isn't showing me the math. 5/27/2020 05:06:40 pm
Good point, Andrea. I used to teach high school as well, so I feel your pain! I think this is where we come in as the facilitator to guide students on their path of creativity. I watched my HS senior and his friends ask their teacher if they could re-create their campus in Minecraft as a way to show off their math skills! We need to help guide them in their interests: games, videos, TikTok, etc.
Amanda Stanley
6/16/2020 10:23:14 pm
The idea of changing the "I can" statements into a question. My students with special needs will have some topics that they will really run with and create something amazing! I can think of some topics though where I may have to give a lot more guidance or a choice board for activities that they can do to show their learning. There will be a lot of differentiation opportunities.
Kristina
5/27/2020 10:32:18 am
I think turning the "I can..." statements into questions is a fantastic way to allow students to be more creative with their answer and truly show their own way of demonstrating their knowledge. I agree that a lot of students can just google the answer. By becoming more creative with the way they answer, they can dive into their personal way of demonstrating knowledge and ability while still meeting the standards of learning. 5/27/2020 05:08:39 pm
We need to help them find what they love to do. Gaming? Make a game to teach musical concepts. TikTok? What could they create? Instagram? How would they show what they know in this format. Keep asking questions!
Eddie
5/27/2020 12:57:02 pm
I thought the idea of creating "I can . . . " statements was a great idea! After reading this, I believe I must make them questions. What a wonderful adaptation to make those standard-based statements into something far more creative and engaging. Students who don't wish to engage, will need further guidance in pursing those questions. 5/27/2020 05:10:01 pm
You said it! "Further guidance" is key. Just keep asking questions. Put the onus of learning on our students. As teachers, we all too often feel the need to "solve" things for our students and we rob them of the opportunity to explore!
Monica Cavanaugh
5/27/2020 01:49:05 pm
I love this idea! So simple yet so powerful! It really forces the student to reflect on their learning and their abilities. 5/27/2020 05:11:00 pm
Love it: "THEIR learning and THEIR abilities!" We learn best by DOING!
Andy Brown
5/28/2020 10:37:03 am
I do like the idea behind the asking of questions. One really has to delve into the standard being addressed to create something that answers the question rather than statement. It would be interesting to see how I could use this in my courses that are not governed by statements of standards.
Stephanie DeMichele
5/29/2020 04:29:02 pm
I think if we break up the standard into learning objectives (steps), and then turn those into questions, we'd be good to go!
Mary Beth Thigpen
5/28/2020 02:18:40 pm
I love the I can statements turned into questions. I do think that will allow those who are more creative to show their understanding of skills and concepts. My concern is those who don't engage if we end up teaching virtually. I created many assignments during this quarantine that were both creative and structured. Many kids chose the structured ones because it seemed easier than spending the time to think about something creatively. 5/28/2020 05:45:43 pm
Yes, and that's a total bummer. But kids will always choose the path of least resistance unless we give them no other option!
Ariel K.
5/28/2020 02:42:44 pm
I really enjoy this idea of flipping the language. The skeptic in me has seen how kids handle the W in a KWL chart, they will simply tell me "I know everything" or "But I don't want to know anything about (insert social studies topic)." I think you first have to build a culture of "no opt out" of learning so students already have the emotional buy into learning new standards.
Stephanie DeMichele
5/28/2020 05:46:31 pm
Ooooooh...I like that statement: "a culture of 'no opt out'."
Misty W
5/28/2020 03:44:08 pm
I love the idea of making I can statements into questions instead. I love the idea of allowing students to show that they can in whatever way they'd like. I did, however, have students this year that required a lot more structure, though I think this is because they hadn't ever had the opportunity to choose HOW they represented their learning. I think students might need to be offered a rubric so they know ultimately what they need to demonstrate to the teacher, but otherwise, I like the question being posed and them answering it however they wish. I definitely think it is still possible to cover standards if the students control the learning they do. In lower grades, I just think teachers might potentially need to do more check ins and act as guides.
Stephanie DeMichele
5/31/2020 11:35:45 am
Yes, Misty, acting as a guide on the side while students create is probably a useful idea. We would want to add feedback. I feel that if students are creating via choice, we'd have more opportunities to provide meaningful feedback instead of simply checking for compliance.
Jen W.
5/29/2020 11:27:25 am
I love the idea of turning I can statements into questions. You made the perfect comment that a statement indicates finality. It would be amazing to allow students to show their learning in different ways. I think at times we have set school up to be this is the way you do things and some kids are afraid to go out of the box even when it is offered by the teacher. The students that have the confidence to try different learning approaches will jump in head first and some won't. I think if we can change the perception that that there is only one way to do something, kids will feel more confident to show their learning in different ways. As teachers, we can provide more support to those not ready for that challenge right off the bat.
Stephanie DeMichele
5/31/2020 11:38:28 am
Yes, Jen! It's all about providing support and opportunities! Our students are used to having information "deposited" into them, but if we, maybe from the start of our school year, established the mindset that learning is in their hands, we could definitely change the culture of our classrooms. Thanks for sharing!
Jason Light
5/29/2020 02:12:56 pm
I think it is a wonderful idea to change them into questions. Maybe start with the anchor standards and move from there?? I love to question my students, just never thought of this type of questioning before.
Stephanie DeMichele
5/31/2020 11:39:50 am
Hi, Jason. That's a good start and to do it right at the beginning of the year. Again, it puts the learning in their hands.
Jolene Reese
5/29/2020 05:50:06 pm
I think this is a great idea! Time to change periods into questions.This is a new way to think about things.
Stephanie DeMichele
6/2/2020 10:43:45 am
Hi, Jolene. I hope this easy mindshift helps your students!
Heather Wurm
5/29/2020 07:10:40 pm
I love the idea of changing the I can statements into questions. By doing this, I think the students would be more likely to take charge of their own learning and be thinking about the question as they understand a concept more. It's easy to say, "I can do that", but to be able to show mastery of the content through different ways is powerful.
Stephanie DeMichele
6/2/2020 10:44:54 am
Hi, Heather! When we as teachers make the statements, we own it. But if we pose the question and hold kiddos accountable for showing us what they know, then THEY own it!
Paul Sharaba
6/1/2020 10:41:57 am
I think this is a fantastic way of getting students involved in their own learning. We often have the "I can" statements so that students know what they need to be able to answer, but never the how or why. I think by giving it as a question, students can find different avenues to provide the answer in different forms.
Stephanie DeMichele
6/2/2020 10:50:01 am
Hi, Paul. Yes, if we provide them the guidance, resources, and feedback, we should be able to let them be free to pursue learning on their own!
Colleen Ready
6/1/2020 01:46:28 pm
I think that asking questions is a wonderful way to get the students engaged and using whatever avenues they'd like to find the solution/explanation to the answer. There are so many processes that are covered in the biology standards that it would interesting to see how the students explain/show me how photosynthesis works instead of me leading the way. I do have reservations using this with students that need more guidance on a daily basis, especially with some of my students on an IEP who thrive on following steps,directions and having constant guidance.
Stephanie DeMichele
6/2/2020 10:51:20 am
Hi, Colleen. Thanks for sharing. Yes, we all have different learners, and how awesome would it be if we could have more time for our students with special needs while allowing our other students to independently pursue their learning?
Dan Brubaker
6/1/2020 03:15:14 pm
I like the idea of throwing students the content as a question, and then seeing what they come up with to answer the question. I definitely think there needs to be some structure or guidance in terms of how they choose to answer the question, and I think what can make this challenging is that a lot of times, kids don't know what they don't know -- they might think they've answered the question to a satisfactory level when they've barely scratched the surface.
Stephanie DeMichele
6/2/2020 10:52:50 am
Hi, Dan. If you haven't yet heard about it, the single point rubric by Jennifer Gonzalez is a GREAT way to systematically keep providing valuable feedback to students as they work through their learning.
Devan Kobak
6/2/2020 01:42:15 pm
The idea of turning statements into questions intrigues me. Even just by watching the video, I started to think about how much more effective our instruction could be if we made this change. Yes, it is possible to cover the standards when we don't control the learning. I feel students would enjoy taking ownership of their own learning and think more deeply about concepts. Students would enjoy sharing what they find online or from resources with their classmates.
Stephanie DeMichele
6/2/2020 02:10:53 pm
Thanks for sharing, Devan. And yes, I think this would make learning more engaging and exciting--and think how much students would learn from each other when they see new/other ways their peers present information.
Destiny Prusky
6/2/2020 01:42:19 pm
For me, the idea of turning statements into questions somewhat scares me. At first thought, my mind goes to the idea that my population of students need the teacher direction and guidance to apply themselves for reassurance. I feel as though my elementary intervention kiddos are used to being so guided and structured that they are scared to explore and create on their own with the potential of making a mistake or not doing it the so called "right" way. The article has definitely portrayed a concept I have not thought about before and it would be really cool to shift our thinking to this in order to make learning limitless!
Stephanie DeMichele
6/2/2020 02:13:00 pm
Thank you, Destiny, for really putting it out there. Change can be scary, and as classroom teachers, we feel we must control every aspect of the learning. We need to ask ourselves, "Are THEY scared, or are WE?" Littles are historically fearless in trying, failing, and trying again.
Sarah I.
6/2/2020 03:17:24 pm
I LOVE inquiry based learning! Our district requires us to use learning targets, but I have moved away from them in writer's workshop. I like to spend about a week in each unit looking at lots of examples of the type of text I want my writers to be able to write. I pull all of the books of that genre from my library and place them in the front of the room for independent reading and I choose 1-3 mentor texts to read aloud and really analyze. We create a chart as a class trying to answer 3 questions: What kind of work do we think writers of _____do? What do writers of____ write about? What else do we notice writers of _____do to make it interesting to read? I try to weave their "noticings" into our common rubric. The students tend to "notice" and chart exactly what our rubric has on it anyways and they always discover so much more! I would love to be able to teach more subjects/units this way!
Stephanie DeMichele
6/4/2020 11:25:35 am
Thank you for giving your students the opportunity to answer questions instead of being given answers!
Debbie
6/3/2020 05:30:34 pm
I like the idea of shifting the punctuation to a question mark. It is a good continuation of the individual growth I feel my students made during this spring.
Stephanie DeMichele
6/4/2020 11:26:11 am
And it's such an easy thing to do to promote student agency!
David W.
6/5/2020 03:38:09 pm
The idea of the learning targets as questions was really powerful.It seems like that would be a good quick write response or flip grid response at the end of the lesson too.
Stephanie DeMichele
6/8/2020 12:40:35 pm
I 100% agree with you about math. Students should be able to explain their thinking, and not just answer questions. I've had a lot of success with math students creating video tutorials and "handbooks" by standard as a resource for students who will take the class next year.
Sue
6/5/2020 06:52:49 pm
I find myself asking questions all the time to students. When I am team teaching with another teacher and students answer a question, I am always asking why do you think that or how do you know that. In math, I will put a problem on the board and always ask them how do you solve this? When I work with students, I keep in mind not to tell students answers, but let them discover or themselves. Sometimes they come up with better ideas than I originally thought. I believe when they are able to come up with their own answers, they will retain the information and make their own connections.
Stephanie DeMichele
6/8/2020 12:41:25 pm
And how amazing is it for them when they can come up with better ideas than we can? Thanks for sharing!
Dave Verhotz
6/10/2020 01:04:19 pm
I think flipping the I can statements into questions is a great idea. Students will find different ways to get assignments done with traditional learning methods. I have used KWL charts in the classroom many times. I like the idea of taking the history standards and having students reflect on them using their own ideas. I think utilizing flipgrid for this type of assignment would be excellent. In history also, there are many topics students can debate and give their own opinion on so these types of lessons could really connect the students with the subject through the higher levels like you described with blooms taxonomy.
Stephanie DeMichele
6/11/2020 10:41:19 am
Like you said, allowing students to share their own ideas is an important part of the learning process. AND how perfect is that for history?
Christin D
6/11/2020 02:01:20 pm
It's amazing how many kindergarten students need guidance, assistance and practice to ask questions in the first place...this way of approaching every standard and topic from a young age could yield so much growth and depth over the years!
Stephanie DeMichele
6/12/2020 10:45:14 am
It's an odd lesson for us teachers to learn. We're so used to "telling." This generation of learners need us to ask questions and then let them be free-range chickens!
Angela
6/12/2020 12:08:28 pm
It is definitely a different way of looking at our standards. Some lessons/standards would work very easily to flip this mentality. Definitely would need to spend time working with students to retrain how they have been "taught" to learn. In some ways, so many bad habits to undo (both as the teacher and a student.)
Stephanie DeMichele
6/15/2020 10:56:55 am
I like how you phrased that. Yes, we all have some re-learning to do! It's hard for us as teachers, because we're used to giving information. Stepping back and letting them explore seems counter-intuitive to how we've been doing things. It will be uncomfortable at first, but as Brene Brown says, "You can choose courage or you can choose comfort; but you can't choose both."
Sarah Duke
6/24/2020 11:40:19 am
This is a very interesting way of looking at "I can" statements! It sounds like it could be more engaging and thought provoking.
Cassidy Powers
6/24/2020 12:56:55 pm
I like the idea of passion projects for the students to complete to create answers to I can statement questions. It opens up the freedom to the students, which they might feel like it is more fun, but in reality they are showing us a lot of knowledge in a different way.
Kate Long
6/24/2020 01:30:33 pm
I do agree that the concept and, maybe more importantly, the impact of changing statements to questions in education is intriguing. I also agree that every process is designed to the results that it ultimately gets and therefore the quality of the question becomes vital and as important as the answer. I think that our building has already taken some steps in this directions by employing CFA 2.0 and the creation of essential questions that are tied to our standards. The strength, value and importance of these questions carries a greater weight than ever before. Incorporating these essential questions into our virtual space and our classrooms is a way to make it possible to cover the standards without necessarily directly controlling student learning.
Stephanie DeMichele
6/25/2020 08:34:37 am
Kate, I really appreciate the thoughtfulness of your response, especially the part about "every process is designed to the results that it ultimately gets." Essential questions are so vital to the learning process, and it helps us as teacher resist talking AT students.
MIKAYLA
6/25/2020 10:53:53 am
A few years back I studied choice based learning environments-specifically related to Visual Arts education. I chose to invest my time into this topic because teaching had become stale. It seemed impossible to create lessons that appealed to all students and the work that was being created became anticipated and redundant. It was when I had kiddos really pushing boundaries and stepping outside of the box that I saw evidence of authentic learning happening. As an educator, it is hard to re-train your brain to a new thinking style. It is intimidating to look at the standards and think about how you will cover them and show growth in a learning environment in which 25+ students are all on their own personal learning journey. However, when you figure it out, you really start to see the strengths and potential in each kid and give every kid a chance to be excited about their learning! In my studies the term ¨4 Cś of 21st Century Learning" came up often: Communication, Collaboration, Critical Thinking and Creativity. If you give students a platform for applying these skills, no matter the age/subject area, you are giving them skills to set them up for success in all areas of life and giving them the tools necessary to seek out the answers to their own questions rather than just spoon feeding them knowledge that may or may not be retained.
Stephanie DeMichele
6/25/2020 01:57:51 pm
Hi, Mikayla. Thank you so much for your thoughtful response. "Re-training our brains is a toughie, I know. But I think you're on the right track with your idea of a personal learning journey. Learning SHOULD be personalized, and as long as our kiddos have met the standards, there's no one right way to learn!
Jennifer Krontz
6/30/2020 12:28:53 pm
The idea of turning I can statements into questions is one that I feel we've been working towards in education the last few years. I found with the way we are unpacking the standards for the kids lately, with wording, that it is becoming more open like a question would be. Sadly by the time many student reach high school art they've allowed their creativeness and willingness to experiment in art to die out. Not all but many. The statement I hear often is "I can't draw" they aren't open to the idea that they can draw, they have already decided by this point that they cant. I work on fostering their creative side to come back out with the point of "you're hear to learn to draw, I don't expect you to know anything coming in. If you do that's a bonus". Even then I feel like many kids have been shut down by high school and not feeling like artists so many of their answers would be no they can't, when really they can. I usually take that as my challenge as a teacher to show them they actually can. The best moments for me are when the students say "wow I really can draw!"
Stephanie DeMichele
7/6/2020 07:18:15 am
Hi, Jennifer! I was one of those kids in high school that you've described. I wonder if I were just given a question and some ideas of the standards I needed to cover--would I have thrived?
Aubrey Heiskell
7/2/2020 05:21:29 pm
The idea of turning I can statements into questions both excites me and scares me a little at the same time. I think that is just coming from the population of students that I work with. Working with students with disabilities in the k-2 resource classroom, these students are definitely reliant on our direct instruction and are so unique in their ways of learning/need of supports. Finding ways to flip the script, so to speak, is something I am definitely always working towards and am constantly searching for new ways to allow my students to show me what they know.
Stephanie DeMichele
7/6/2020 07:20:06 am
Aubrey, you bring up a point to ponder. I'm a big fan of everything in balance, so of course we would need to customize our expectations and facilitation based on the needs of our learners. Maybe it wouldn't be an everyday thing in your case, but something that could be an "every once in a while" thing.
Emily Christman
7/2/2020 08:32:23 pm
Turning "I can" statements into questions is a very innovative way to approach learning. It really got me thinking of different ways I can use and adapt this method while applying it to speech-language therapy sessions. I think using the statement to question method would be useful in motivating students to help them show that they are able to demonstrate a learned skill or concept after pre-teaching during speech therapy!
Stephanie DeMichele
7/6/2020 07:21:16 am
Emily, I had a son who did speech therapy, and I think I'm 100% behind you on this one.
Lydia Kulesza
7/6/2020 12:40:51 pm
I have been saying for years that my students are "input junkies". For instance, I have a Poetry Unit that I designed. Embedded in the units are activities in which students create their own poem using different poetry formats. A majority of the students want me to tell them what topic to write about, which words to use, and whether they are "doing it right". Most of the unit centers around student choice and student voice.
Stephanie DeMichele
7/7/2020 08:39:02 am
Hi, Lydia! It's a classroom culture shift for sure! I think if we start the year asking questions, we can transform students from "input junkies" to creators!
Carolyn Van Bell
7/8/2020 08:39:37 am
I love what you wrote about all the "work" being done by the teacher. With digital learning, I feel overwhelmed with the amount I have to create for my students. Now, I feel much more at ease knowing the students should be doing the creating!
Stephanie DeMichele
7/9/2020 02:34:05 pm
Absolutely! Students should be part of the process, too, and considering that even some of our youngest kiddos have their own YouTube channels, I'd say they're pretty creative! The onus of learning should be on the LEARNER.
JOHN MARFY
7/8/2020 03:36:05 pm
OK-first: I really like Yakety Sax (the subway buskers in the commercial). This is a great idea. Our CTE standards are too many, too long, and too vague. Asking students questions might enable them to see beyond the words on the page and understand the standards better.
Stephanie DeMichele
7/9/2020 02:34:57 pm
When we ask questions, we get students THINKING! How much thinking is done with statements? Lecturing?
Chelsa
7/13/2020 09:20:16 am
I think this idea is amazing! The hardest part about beginning as a teacher for me was posting I Can statements and making students read, repeat, and/or understand the words in them. It literally made no sense to me. I wholeheartedly wanted students to know what we were learning and the reason why but I did not understand how that processed helped make it happen. I believe that making that one change on its own can make a huge difference in a classroom! I believe that it is possible to cover the standards and honestly it might be even easier to when we aren't trying to control it. However, I do strongly believe that for that to work out, the teacher needs to really have a good grasp on the standard first which is really difficult in my opinion until you have a taught it at LEAST a few times. I was lucky enough to have a wonderful team who laughed at me but always explained when I asked "what does that even mean?", which helped me through but I still crashed and burned a few times. I think if they would have always been questions I would have not only thought of an answer myself but looked forward to all the varying students answers.
Stephanie DeMichele
7/13/2020 05:58:53 pm
I so appreciate your honesty, Chelsa! And you're right: being asked a question and trying to answer it is growth in action.
Holly
7/13/2020 10:22:11 am
I believe "I can" statements turned into questions are far more powerful. At our district we are shifting toward this as we continue to incorporate CFA 2.0, which encourages to write the big idea questions on the board at the beginning of a unit rather than the "I can" statement. Posing the big idea question to your students is of course just the starting point. How we get our students to answer these big questions is the challenge and shift many educators need to tackle.
Stephanie DeMichele
7/13/2020 05:59:40 pm
Thanks for sharing! The big question allows us to guide students to meaning--not provide it for them.
Melissa Kerst
7/14/2020 02:41:47 pm
I have never really considered how an "I can" statement could be perceived by students, so thank you for challenging me to consider this. You are right; statements are final and sitting here, thinking like a student, I could see how an "I can" statement could leave our hard to motivate students thinking "Well, I can't" without even trying and then just going through the motions to complete the assignments. Or, better yet, not completing them at all. "I already know I can't, so what's the point?" Turning the statement into a question, at least for me, makes me want to try! It challenges me to try even if I am not sure I can do it or not. Can I? I don't know, but I sure know I want to try and see.
Stephanie DeMichele
7/14/2020 03:49:25 pm
WOW, Melissa! You gave me so much to think about. I don't even know where to begin. Thank you for your honest reflections. I like the example you used. I didn't know how to fix my vacuum cleaner, but with YouTube, I was able to do it! And I felt so empowered!!! I especially like your idea of mini-lessons or check-ins to make sure we've covered a standard and then to maybe address it real time. Great idea!
Jason
7/20/2020 09:40:54 pm
I can statements are a good way to challenge students to explain and demonstrate how they understand the subject matter in a way that makes sense to them. It provides choice, an avenue for creativity, use of imagination, and an opportunity for the teacher to better recognize each student's level of knowledge on each topic.
Melissa Miller
7/22/2020 01:27:08 pm
I think changing I can statements into questions is a great idea. I also look at it from a teaching point of view as well. For example Teachers using it to reflect on their teaching. Did I teach students to ....? Did 80 percent of my students master.....?
Stephanie DeMichele
7/22/2020 03:39:19 pm
Hi, Melissa. That's a really interesting reflection! I never thought about turning it around on us. Nice!
Amy McMahon
7/30/2020 05:30:54 pm
I’m glad I got started on this class a bit late because I love going through and reading everyone’s responses! I agree with so much of what has been said. I love the idea of turning the statements into questions for the students; I think it will require so much more valuable thought and follow through on their end. I agree with what Dan B said in that I worry about the need to provide them with structure, although is that because I am used to providing them with so much structure? I am going to look into that single point rubric you mentioned.
Kimberly Marfy
8/2/2020 01:46:35 pm
Does the idea of turning statements into questions intrigue you? Yes!
Jami Cutlip
8/3/2020 05:24:26 pm
As most of my colleagues have said, of course it's great to get kids thinking about their own learning. One way to prompt this may be to convert "I can" statements into a question and then let them come up with answers, and, of course, proof.
Colleen Schveder
8/4/2020 10:56:15 am
Being a science teacher, I'm all about questioning. I like the idea of taking the standards-based "I can" statements and rewording them as questions, but I agree with Dan Brubaker's statement about kids not knowing what they don't know. I heard once that kids today "don't know what to do when they don't know what to do." I think that this approach will require a little guidance to begin with, since they are unaccustomed to this approach, but it has great potential after they realize how to go about the process of finding the answers.
Tammy Anfang
8/4/2020 02:47:55 pm
I see the idea of turning statements into questions as another tool to hold students accountable for their own learning. When we just give students recall or other simple questions, most can answer them, and then they get this false sense of understanding. I have watched students' stunned faces when I ask them to explain, elaborate, annotate, show support, etc. I have been trying to make this part of learning more tangible, concrete, and visible for my students to model how to answer a question in more detail to "show what they know." Sentence stems, response frames, and other mnemonic models are necessary to help students answer these statements as questions.
Mark G.
8/5/2020 12:37:21 pm
I believe there is more than one way to learn, so why not ask questions and tailor learning to the students strength. If they can demonstrate an understanding by writing the answer out, performing a skill and or whatever else they could come up with is all amazing.
Randi Jordan
8/7/2020 07:44:16 pm
I love that this really made me reflect as a teacher. I think asking questions rather than making a statement is going to turn your students into thinkers, problem solvers and seekers. This will also aid with creating lessons that are more student centered. This was great information that alter my thinking process and my teaching techniques.
jo Walsh-Cobb
8/9/2020 03:40:39 pm
I love the imagery that goes with this idea. I had started to play with this concept in my classroom pre-pandemic. I read a wonderful book about Visible Learning. In short, how do kids and teachers know if they have achieved their learning target? My kiddos created a list of ways that they could demonstrate their understanding. I feel like my technology understanding and their's, was too limited at that time. I am excited to expand on this idea - it goes along with your ideas on passion projects.
Alyssa Head
8/10/2020 03:21:39 pm
I am all for turning I can statements into questions. We already began doing that this past school year. I am hoping to ask more questions moving forward. The whole idea definitely allows students to self-assess themselves and take learning into their own hands.
Trish
8/13/2020 07:38:34 am
I am excited to try this with my students. As an interventionist, my students have many talents and creative ideas that could be expressed by asking a question. I sometimes feel that traditional instruction hinders their expression of their creativity or ideas.
Teresa Skully
8/13/2020 06:51:19 pm
Visual Art is all about answering questions to solve creative problems- we already do that all the time, but I like the idea of posing the art standards as a question- that would be a creative way to get students thinking about them. Who doesn't like a good question?
Amanda K
8/19/2020 05:55:34 pm
I love the idea of asking questions, something that I have done in my classroom is change our "I can" statements into a "Can we...?" to put a question mark behind it. It has gotten my students to really look at the standard to see if they have learned it instead of just assuming mastery from the statement.
Jen Stephens
8/19/2020 10:12:21 pm
I love what you said about taking some of the pressure off teachers and placing it on students. I always feel that I want to be such a perfect teacher and have all the answers and the perfect answer, question, activity, or whatever. But as I was reading this I started thinking about my favorite subject to teach is math and mainly it is because I love our daily number talks where it is all student directed. The students come up with such creative ways to solve problems.... ways I often wouldn't think of myself. I find students are more engaged and so am I.
Megan Feaster
8/24/2020 05:33:06 pm
The last sentence in the blog "Statements finalize possibilities. Questions open them up." We want our students to open up and realize the endless possibilities that are out there for them and their learning. In the high school we want them to go out into the world with a set of tools for life. This is one of those tools.
Kristina
8/25/2020 01:15:35 pm
I love this idea! It seems like such a different way to get kids thinking about their learning. Now they are having to prove or explain their thinking, which is required a lot in our math course. Too many times they come up with an answer but have no thoughts about how they got it.
Wendy
8/27/2020 02:02:23 pm
I think posing questions is an interesting way to approach learning. I do worry some kiddos would just say no. Working with struggling kids, we do so much to promote a positive mindset that asking it as a question can be intimidating. Perhaps changing it back to "I can" statement after solving then the student can really take ownership of the learning and success.
Kara
8/27/2020 02:38:11 pm
The idea of turning "I Can" statements into questions definitely intrigues me! This idea reminds me of the concept of number talks. Where the students guide the conversation and explain their thinking. It is always interesting to see the thinking process of each student. I think turning "I Can" statements into questions is powerful and would help encourage creativity!
Rachel G
8/28/2020 10:08:42 pm
This is something I normally do in my classes-I love this strategy. We were taught this idea in my undergrad-we were required to take a teaching through inquiry course specifically in science. This year I am switching from Special Ed to FCS-all summer long I keep asking myself questions like "Is there a proper way to cut a strawberry?" as I'm doing my daily activities....I am hoping to provide myself and students opportunities to explore these types of questions together.
Susan M.
8/29/2020 05:44:15 pm
I have never liked "I Can" statements. It always seemed to me that they went against the grain of "need to know" inner motivations. They ruined the surprise before you opened the gift. My favorite part of class instruction comes when students ask questions. Along the way I learned "my teacher never gives me the answer" was best practice. Now we can use online platforms to improve the process by simply asking the question. I loved these interactions I recently discovered on facebook. What insight/smarts dad and daughter are exchanging! https://www.good.is/articles/funny-five-year-old
Lesa R
8/29/2020 08:25:00 pm
"I Can" statements are good, but turning them into questions is way better! "I Can" statements were great in that they put complicated teacher-speak into student-friendly language. However, turning them into questions will turn our students into more active learners, knowing that they just can't answer "yes" or "no" or check a box! You wouldn't choose members of a sports team with yes and no questions; they would have to demonstrate their skills. The same should be true in our classrooms.
Emily Carney
8/29/2020 08:45:29 pm
I really love turning I Can statements into questions. A quote that stuck out to me was "Statements are limiting" However, when you turn that statement into a question it promotes deeper thinking and an expansion of the subject.
Aaron Rauber
9/1/2020 01:58:02 pm
I like the idea of students making content connected to their learning. I think it is possible to cover the standards while having students controlling the learning. Students need to be able to accept the fact that what they are doing may not be good or acceptable the first time. Many times students do not have the tenacity to keep going when they run into problems and difficulties. Students also need to be able to think outside of "typical" learning (lecture and tests) that has been the norm for so long.
Goodchild
9/2/2020 11:15:18 am
As students progress though a lesson, I rely on "I can" statements so the students are aware of the progress necessary to move on deeper into a topic. I feel that it is important to decompose each standard into student-friendly language, and a simple way to do this is by phrasing the statements to the form of a question. From here, it becomes more clear to the students to identify if they learned the still being described in the standard.
Marie Rauber
9/3/2020 08:49:10 am
The idea of turning "I can" statements into questions doesn't scare me. In a way, I think some of our best work as educators already does this. For example, "I can understand the theme," becomes "can I understand the theme?" I love giving students choice in their assignments, and changing statements to questions does exactly that. I also appreciated the mention of the passion projects (in the webinar link). Passion projects have interested me for a while. Why not use the pandemic as a perfect opportunity to grow as a student, teacher and person? I also think passion projects are a great way to creatively cover the standards when we don't control the learning.
Erica Irvine
9/3/2020 04:43:54 pm
I love the idea of turning "I Can" statements into questions in some instances... However, I believe that some struggling students need to hear/see that they can and benefit greatly from the inspirational piece of the way they are delivered. I am excited to utilize both models and see my students creative minds in action! Leave a Reply.
Stephanie DeMicheleLearning Designer. Instructional Coach. Trainer. Working my hardest to create Teacher-Bordered Classrooms. Categories
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