The Check-In: A Classroom Routine For Focus, Accountability, and Progress

The 4 Check-in Questions

What If… Overview These are some benefits of “The Check-In Routine,” the third Self-Directed Learning Routine in the Learning Sprint. It makes progress toward the learning goals visible. The visibility evokes conversations and grows students’ capacity to self-monitor, adapt, and seek support. The Check-In Routine is short and frequent. It is typically scheduled at the…

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Why 21st Century Skills?

4Cs of Modern World

21st Century Skills Most of us are familiar with the 4Cs of 21st Century Skills: (1) Creativity, (2) Collaboration, (3) Critical Thinking, and (4) Communication. But why do these matter more today? What is the context that requires us to change how we teach and learn? 21st Century Context The 21st Century is a wildly…

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Video: Agile Classrooms in Action at Grandview Prep

A wonderful video of the results and experience from the Agile Classrooms workshop at Grandview Preparatory School in Florida to enable 21st Century Learning. Thank you to our great partner, the Scrum Alliance, for making the video a reality! It was tons of fun to work with such passionate and innovative educators and their incredible…

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Element 2: The Learning Rhythm

There are 5 Elements to an Agile Classroom. This post will describe the second element, The Learning Rhythm. In an Agile Classroom, learners set and achieve their goals within an iterative learning cycle called the Learning Rhythm. The the cycle is timeboxed from 1-4 weeks. When a cycle of the Learning Rhythm ends, it repeats…

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Evoking Optimal Learning Engagement

Optimal engagement for learners is when they enter a state of consciousness called the flow state1. In flow, one’s mind and body are completely absorbed in the learning at hand, all distractions fade away. Learning becomes so enjoyable that it is pursued for its own sake. The conditions to enter the flow state, according to…

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Agile Classrooms at Grandview Prep

I am very grateful for the continuous requests for learning about Agile Classrooms. My inbox is filled and I wish I could say I have responded to each one.Due to Agile Classrooms consisting of only one person along with my other initiatiave in helping to transform business to grow their Authentic Agility at Righshifter.com and helping…

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Learning Alliance Activity: My World Map

This is the third post in the series of how to Design the Learning Alliance for an Agile Classroom. Through Designing the Learning Alliance, we put ‘Classroom Culture before Covering Content’. Trust Begins With Knowing One Another  We all say we want a culture of trust in our classroom. Trust between the teacher and students.Trust…

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Designing the Learning Alliance 2: Activities

In the last post, we shared the importance of putting Culture before Content. Agile Classrooms sets the stage to grow a positive classroom culture through a set of activities performed the first days of school called Designing the Learning Alliance. This post will outline the activities and tools we use to do so. My World…

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Design the Learning Alliance: The Why

When we see students not behaving in the way we desire, we naturally focus more on classroom management practices. Careful. This paradoxically increases the poor behavior we do not want. By managing student behavior more, we reduce students’ ability to self-regulate and self-correct. Increasing classroom management and behavioral interventions, although sometimes needed, treats the symptoms…

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