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Video Resources

Martin Seligman - Positive Education
04:29

Martin Seligman - Positive Education

Commonly known as the founder of Positive Psychology, Martin Seligman is a leading authority in the fields of Positive Psychology, resilience, learned helplessness, depression, optimism and pessimism. He is also a recognized authority on interventions that prevent depression, and build strengths and well-being. He has written more than 250 scholarly publications and 20 books. Dr. Seligman's books have been translated into more than twenty languages and have been best sellers both in America and abroad. Among his better-known works are Flourish, Authentic Happiness, Learned Optimism, The Optimistic Child, Helplessness, and Abnormal Psychology. His book Character Strengths and Virtues: A handbook and classification, was co-authored with Christopher Peterson. In 1998, Dr. Seligman was elected President of the American Psychological Association. His primary aim as APA President was to join practice and science together so both might flourish - a goal that has dominated his own life as a psychologist. Since 2000, his main mission has been the promotion of the field of Positive Psychology. Dr. Seligman is expanding Positive Psychology to education, health, and neuroscience, and has applied his research to groups like teachers and students, the U.S. Army, athletes, and every-day people. His goal is to make the world happier. Dr. Seligman was born in Albany, NY and received his B.A. from Princeton University, Summa Cum Laude (Philosophy), 1964; Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania (Psychology), 1967; Ph.D., Honoris causa, Uppsala University, Sweden, 1989; Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris causa, Massachusetts College of Professional Psychology, 1997; Ph.D., Honoris causa, Complutense University, Spain, 2003; and Ph.D., Honoris causa, University of East London, 2006. Dr. Seligman lives with his wife, Mandy, and their children. He is an avid bridge player and has won over 50 regional championships. He was inspired by Aaron Beck, a renowned psychiatrist at the University of Pennsylvania and the father of cognitive therapy.
Empowering Students to Own the Assessment Process
03:53

Empowering Students to Own the Assessment Process

► Please Subscribe to My Channel Here - http://bit.ly/spencervideos Here's a sketch video about self-assessment and peer assessment. It includes an explanation of specific strategies you might use. Transcript: Assessment is all around us. If you’re a skater at a skatepark, you’re engaging in self-assessment every time you reflect on your progress and plan next steps. If you’re a runner training for a marathon, you look at time splits and compare it to your goals. If you’re a musician, you’re engaging in assessment every time you listen to yourself play and make modifications on your approach. As an author, you engage in self-assessment when you revise your work. It’s not always individual. Often, assessment happens in community. If you’re a chef, you’re engaging in peer assessment when you ask a trusted fellow chef, “how does this taste?” If you’re an artist you might ask for an extra set of eyes on a particular project. If you’re an engineer, you might observe users to see if your design is working. If you do any kind of creative work, both self-assessment and peer assessment are vital for improving your craft. It helps you refine your process and helps you improve your products. Assessment helps us figure how what we know, what we don’t know, and what steps we need to take in the future to master a skill or understand a concept at a deeper level. But what does this mean in the classroom? It starts with self-assessment. Here students engage in goal-setting: where they set goals, plan their approach, and keep track of the progress. They also engage in self-reflections. Here, they can reflect on their learning process but also focus on the strengths and weaknesses of their products, which then leads to new iterations. A similar option is a student survey with multiple choices, checkboxes, and Likert scales. In some cases, students might use a self-assessment rubric. Students are able to look at the progression from emerging to mastering with specific descriptions in various categories. They are able to gain an accurate view of how they are doing, while also having a clear picture of where they need to be. Students might also use checklists. These can be a powerful diagnostic tool that students use before, during, and after a task. When projects are done, they can present their work in a portfolio, where they reflect on what they’ve learned. Peer assessment is also important. One option is the 10-minute peer feedback system. This begins with one student sharing their work or pitching an idea while the other student actively listens. It then moves into a chance to ask clarifying questions, get feedback, respond to feedback, and chart out next steps. Another option is structured Feedback with Sentence Stems. Or you could use the 3-2-1 Structure. This is simple. Students provide three strengths, two areas of improvement and one question that they have. Or you could do a feedback carousel. Each group gets a stack of sticky notes and offers anonymous feedback as they move from group to group. Or you could keep it more open-ended with Peer Coaching: Students interview each other about the process, guide reflection, and provide feedback. We often think of classroom assessment as a conversation between teachers and students. But in life, students won’t always have a teacher to grade their work or provide them with necessary feedback. This is why we need self-assessment and peer assessment. The more we can integrate this into our lessons, the better prepared our students will be for the creative life.
Project-Based Learning: The Future of Education
04:28

Project-Based Learning: The Future of Education

This video is about Project-Based Learning. This is me in the 8th grade. I was a combination of shy and nerdy. My whole goal was to remain invisible. I had one friend, this kid named Matt. We were two nerds in a pod.  And, fortunately for me, he had perfect attendance year after year. Until, one day he was sick. I stood in the cafeteria, looking out at the sea of students, someone would invite me over. But it didn't happen. I hid in boy's restroom for the next 24 minutes. I was invisible. But not to Mrs. Smoot and Mr. Darrow. They knew me. They knew I cared about social justice and baseball and history, so they invited me to do a History Day project. Although it was fun, it was also terrifying. I had to plan the entire project and track my own progress. I had to figure out what questions to ask and where to find the answers. I had to narrow down my topic to something I cared about-in this case, Jackie Robinson and the integration of baseball. I wrote letters to newscasters and made phone calls to former players. I remember picking up the phone, my hands trembling, as I read aloud my pre-recorded script and waited for the stranger to respond. I eventually worked on a slide presentation. The most nerve-wracking moment occurred when I sat in a radio studio recording my script. When I listened to my voice for the first time, I hated it. At one point, I threw my hands up in the air. "I'm not doing this," I said. But Mrs. Smoot looked me in the eyes and said:  I ended up sharing it with my class and then in the district competition, state competition and eventually in Washington D.C. Although I didn't realize it at the time, Mrs. Smoot was why I became an educator. That project helped me grow into a creative thinker and problem-solver. And that experience is why I ultimately embraced project-based learning. Project-based learning is different from traditional classroom projects Learning through projects culminating projects Student choice in design vs. following a set of instructions Student inquiry vs. Pre-planned questions Self and peer assessment vs Teacher assessment Student ownership of process vs. Teacher ownership of process The Buck Institute identifies the following seven project design elements: 1. Challenging Problem or Question 2. Sustained Inquiry 3. Authenticity 4. Student Voice & Choice 5. Reflection 6. Critique & Revision 7. Public Product Note that project-based learning can work in tandem with other pedagogical models, like inquiry-based learning, design thinking, and problem-based learning. But the key idea remains that students are learning through projects and as a result they engage in deeper learning. SOURCES: Blumenfeld, P. C., Soloway, E., Marx, R. W., Krajcik, J. S., Guzdial, M., & Palincsar, A. (1991). Motivating Project-Based Learning: Sustaining the Doing, Supporting the Learning. Educational Psychologist, 26(3–4), 369–398. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.1991.9653139 Martinez, F., Herrero, L. C., & de Pablo, S. (2011). Project-Based Learning and Rubrics in the Teaching of Power Supplies and Photovoltaic Electricity. IEEE Transactions on Education, 54(1), 87–96. https://doi.org/10.1109/TE.2010.2044506 Ulrich, C. (2016). John Dewey and the project-based learning: landmarks for nowadays Romanian education, VI(1B). Retrieved from http://academiapedagogilor.ro/images/9.pdf What is PBL? Buck Institute for Education. Retrieved 2017-12-03

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