“Either we shall all hang together or be hanged separately:” Standing on the threshold of yet another Social Studies Assessment

7-1 students will commence their assessment on chapter 5. It will take about two weeks to complete. The first portion is a multiple choice exam on chapter 5. It consists of 25 questions that survey the steps taken to the American Revolution. This will be completed on Monday. The more interesting component of the assessment resides in the domain of writing. Students will have to compose four separate writing samples. The first two will be rooted in colonial resistance to British acts of encroachment. Students will have to choose two of four writing options. These options are designed for students to access their dominant, subdominant, auxiliary, or inferior learning styles. It will be interesting to see what kind of thinker each of the 7-1 students is as their choices will reflect their learning modality. I believe that making conscious choices about how we learn is as important, if not more, than what we learn. Again, the theme of metacognition will be emphasized through the assessment of chapter 5.
The second set of writing prompts will be on Cervantes’ Don Quixote. In reflection about the lesson from last week, I cannot express my level of admiration for so many of our learners. To reconfigure the experience shows how the growth of intellectual toughness within the 7-1 student. They approached the classroom and saw a foot and a half pile of lecture notes. Each set of lecture notes was 10 pages, back to back. They examined the document within the first moments of Monday’s class and then saw over 80 words in bold font and underlined, to be added to students’ personal dictionaries and to be incorporated within their frame of references. Then, the lecture began. Students settled in for three straight days of “bell to bell” lecturing about Cervantes’ work. While I was lecturing on many occasion, I marveled at how our students attempted to engage themselves in a novel that they might not have ever read, or possessed any sense of understanding prior to that exact moment. I looked at students who were locked in with a sense of focus at hearing about Quixote’s and Sancho’s adventures and how their experiences reflected philosophical reality and American history. I saw students trying to grapple with the fact that they are the authors of their own reality, and that they might be the characters in Cervantes’ text. I was able to see students realize the Nietszschean idea of truth being a mobile army of metaphors; students appropriated new recruits in their army whose name was Dulcinea, Cervantes, Quixote, or Sancho. At the conclusion of the lecture, students breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps, because it was over, but I did notice some of them taking a moment to tarry as they began to understand that while the lecture might have been intense (certainly, there is a cabinet, I mean, windmill, I mean, monster, that could concur), the assessment component that would follow would be that much more demanding. In the words of one student, “Only you would rob the fun out of a field trip.” We both smiled when we both understood the truth behind such words. When students attended Thursday’s field trip, I noticed that they were aware of what was happening on stage, and even critiquing it to some extent. At the conclusion of the excursion, I heard students arguing about whether the production was true to Cervantes’ vision. To quote another budding scholar: “That play was nowhere near what Cervantes’ wanted for Quixote.” It was a moment in time. It cannot be reflected in a test score or in some level of a notation, but to have students become a participant in an ongoing intellectual and historical dialogue is something that creates a sense of wonderment in both teacher and learner.
The notion of collaboration is a reality that must continue as students compose their writing prompts on Don Quixote. The 10 prompts are challenging, but like so much in this course, the toughness needed to succeed does lie in our students. I believe that if students display the focus and commitment that has begun to emerge within the conditions of scholarship, they will find success. In the final analysis, should a student be able to ruminate upon their time in a seventh grade classroom and conclude that they engaged in a study of Don Quixote, success would have been recognized. The difficulty of the tasks should not be a reason for retreat and silent isolation into a shell of helplessness. I believe that students will have to continue to keep the lines of dialogue open in order to find greater success. This is another aspect of intellectual strength developing in our students: The notion that collaboration and seeking assistance is not a sign of weakness, but actually a revelation of intense strength. If we stick together, students and teachers, we will find success. We will discover success. We will represent or be success.
Over the last week, I have been most amazed at how quickly our students, your children, took to the idea of learning about Literature in a History classroom. This embrace of interdisciplinarity has been something that left a distinct impact on my perception of these learners. It also is another benchmark of scholarship as it seeks to eliminate arbitrary and territorial boundaries in the learning process. Writing assessments will be collected on November 8, as students can compose the four writing samples at home and in class. I eagerly anticipate what chances will be taken, what intellectual gambles will be taken, and what exciting and zealous work will emerge from challenge and intensity. On a red tape note, I encourage all stakeholders to check out the “Helpful Links” on the left side of this blog. All classroom documents have been converted into pdf forms.
All best, happy hunting, and go battle a windmill.
Mr. Kannan

Requiem for dreams or Fighting Windmills: Don Quixote, American Independence, and 7-1 students post conferences/ pre chapter 5 assessment

This week will bring about a rather unique combination of forces upon the shoulders of students. We have our focus placed upon the assessment for chapter 5, as well as the lessons of the man of La Mancha. Students will be introduced to the narrative and lessons of Don Quixote in preparation for Thursday’s field trip. I am confident that this will reveal much to students about a landmark of literature and allow students another metaphor with which to analyze the American Experience.
One lesson that I hope to evoke through the instruction about Don Quixote is the power of dreams. Quixote is a character who is animated through his dreams, but also crushed underneath the weight of those dreams. He is an individual who believes in ideals, yet never fully realizes them. His story is a tale of what it means to possess multiple narratives, the world of what is and what should be. In analyzing the story of Don Quixote, and the world of La Mancha (the stain), I hope to evoke a story of American Democracy, and the fight for freedom; one whose beat continues. As we examine how the colonists waged a fight for independence, similar to Quixote’s defense of the lovely, but invisible Dulcinea, one can see how freedom, as a concept, is a quixotic vision. I hope to counter the belief that the colonists knew the exact and perfect forms of freedom, liberty, and independence. When the world mocks and derides Quixote for fighting something that is not fully recognized, we are left to ask ourselves if this is not the fate of any person, group, or society who strives for something that is not recognized. One element of philosophy which is of personal fascination is the idea of introducing “newness” into the world. What happens when one brings sound into that which was silent? Certainly, a theme that was evoked through this week’s conferences was the development of student voice. What does it sound like when one evokes chords of scholarship through notes of inquiry in a domain of silence? What was it like for Quixote to fight his first windmill or fight his first battle for the honor of the dispossessed? What was it like for the colonists to first sound the call of freedom? I believe that all three questions are related for their answers lead to a new realm where the element of newness is brought into the world. Quixote, the colonists, and our 7-1 students are all linked to one another not merely chronologically, but thematically. Imagine our students as quixotic knights or visionary colonists and one has a new image of life in the C wing of the first floor.
Quixote relished the new quest, the new journey, and the language of newness. He spoke in dialects that others could not fathom. Quixote’s commitment to the chivalry way of life and the belief in nobility collided with Sancho’s platitudes and belches. Quixote’s faith in the role and power of ideas conflicted with a world where others lacked vision. Quixote was a living embodiment of his ideals and never showed fear. I believe 7-1 students must adopt a similar stance this week as they prepare for their assessment on chapter 5. In accordance to the idea of strength and honor, students will be asked to summon all of their powers without the assistance of study sessions or study guides. We will be reviewing essential topics of the exam in a station rotation task on Tuesday and Wednesday. We will spend Friday taking final questions on the exam and commence with the assessment on Monday. The first day will be a multiple choice exam, while the second day will consist of explaining the writing components. As Quixote sojourned with Sancho by his side, I hope 7-1 Students will travel the path of scholarship with their notes and understanding by theirs. As always, if I can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me via email, post a response to this blog, or contact me at home.

All best, happy hunting, and safe travels you Quixotes of scholarship and inquiry!

Mr. Kannan

Articulating a Vision: Student Led Portfolio Conferences and the Journey

As we approach the midterm of the trimester, we should take a moment to honor all the steps taken thus far in our journey. Simply put, I feel that 7-1 students have grasped how their Social Studies class works. When introducing a task, I sense a different perspective on how it should be undertaken. I see students asking for my advice on written work because they feel “that more can be there.” I am listening to students argue with one another: “Lexington and Concord were important, but not as important as the Boston Massacre- that started it all.” Students are trying to troubleshoot problems by posing workable solutions. I find myself hearing students ask if they can take a task in a way that I might not have seen. Their autonomy is becoming increasingly apparent. Students are becoming more open to the postmodern idea of truth being a mobile army of metaphors. Concepts such as midnight and inevitability have become part of the linguistic pattern of recognition of many a student. Some have even taken to developing their own arguments and ideas about how American history functions. I am having students develop ideas such as “We all live in our own universes,” or “The Revolution might not have been inevitable, but struggle for rights is inevitable,” or “What good are political rights if you have no money?” I see students studying my copy of Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children, and asking to borrow it during a silent reading moment. Some will argue that this might not be a representative of all 7-1 students. I suppose that I borrow a gardening image for a response. I sense that the conditions have been created so that all flowers can grow and some take more time than others. Once the garden has been configured properly, growth is inevitable… as is the struggle. The midterm point has revealed flowers ready to bloom. Our garden is looking pretty good in terms of becoming into one where a thousand flowers bloom and the intellectual market of ideas is open for business.
Conferences will illuminate such growth this week. I hope that all of our student conferences reveal student maturation and evolution. I do hope that all stakeholders of the process can listen to how students describe their own world and their own sense of education. Traditional conferences have a tendency to silence the student voice in the discourse of student progress. Student- led portfolio conferences are unique. The students lead and drive the conference. The role of the teacher is more facilitating the dialogue. No doubt that this dialogue happens outside of class with parents and family members. Yet, rarely does it happen with the entire triad of student success: student, family members, and teacher. This is critical for this partnership locks in the highest caliber of student achievement. It is my hope that conferences display how far our students have come thus far on their journey and how much more they have to go.
With conferences this week, student homework might not be as much as one might have come to expect. Students have a writing task that is due on Tuesday, extended from its original Monday deadline. Additionally, students will have to finish reading chapter 5, section 4. The assessment on chapter 5 is forthcoming as well as an introduction to the world of Don Quixote, windmills and monsters, and the dream of democracy. This will segue into our fieldtrip. At the time of posting, my district website does not seem to be functioning properly, so if you require pdf copies of documents, please check back frequently, until I can determine the cause of this. Once again, technology and I seem to be at odds. As always, if I can be of any further assistance or clarification, I invite you to contact me at school, via email, posting a response to this blog, or contacting me at home.

All best and happy hunting. Happy conferencing, as well.
Mr. Kannan

The Ongoing Academic Dialectic for 7-1 students or How I learned to appreciate gardening.

The German Philosopher G.W.F. Hegel might not have been the first to speak of the dialectic in his philosophy, but he may have demonstrated the most compelling use of it. Hegel argues that historical reality and individual consciousness unfolds through a dialectic, or collision of opposing ideas. The result of this collision is a synthesis where distinct remnants of each seem to be evident, yet giving way to a new collision. The unfolding of the human predicament, Hegel argues, is the revelation of this dialectic. It becomes essential to human growth and social advancement. To understand and embrace it is to validate a portion of who we are as social creatures and individual human beings.

As we approach progress report week and Fall conferences, this metaphor holds special meaning to the experiences of 7-1 students. I can sense that many of them are beginning to understand what the process of the dialectic means. At first, there is a level of comfort or understanding with who they are and what they know. This would be a type of thesis. Then, its countervailing and powerful force, the antithesis, reveals itself another reality juxtaposed to their own notions of self. The antithesis comes in many forms: A challenging in class task, homework that seems relatively easy, but can be deceptively intricate, or a wide ranging and different form of assessment on material thought to be grasped. The struggle now emerges where students seek to bring the synthesis and the antithesis together. From a pedagogical and metacognitive point of reference, it becomes exciting to witness this battle take place. Armies seem to assemble on each side, as the dialectic reveals itself. Students find themselves pulled between equally powerful, and seemingly, incommensurate forces of the good. The dialectic becomes one that can only be endured through intestinal fortitude. Paraphrasing the words and thoughts of Brian Robeson in Hatchet, “tough hope” must emerge. Out of this, though, the synthesis is something new and beautiful. Students create something that has combined both thesis and anti-thesis in a new conception.
As progress reports and conferences approach, I believe that this dialectic is an essential component to the experience of 7-1 students. In the next week, students will be confronted with midterm grades and assessments of their performance. For some, the antithesis will be the need to continue the good work done and progressing at their current pace. For others, the antithesis will be the need to give more and demand more of themselves in order to meet the demands placed on their broad shoulders. How our students/ emerging scholars rise to and endure through this dialectical process will be critical to their growth. I invite them to examine how they will allow the revelation of their own dialectic in better understanding not only the content that is to be placed in front of them, but also of themselves.
I used to detest gardening. I found it pointless and without meaning. Yet, over the summer, in trying to reconceptualize my own teaching and student learning, I began to examine the metaphor of gardening. I discovered that the ideas presented within gardening can have great meaning to both content and cognition. For example, the blooming of the rose can hold so much meaning. When we examine how a rose blooms into its final form, we can see the elements of the dialectic at full play. The difficulty of tilling the soil, creating conditions optimal for growth, continuing nurture and care, as well as providing regular modifications so that development becomes a reality are all evident in both the content of American History and the maturation of our students. More and more, I am beginning to see some of the difficulty experienced evolve into conditions that will allow growth in the roses in our garden. (“Eggshells and Miracle Gro” not withstanding. Extra credit if you can identify the film from which this “recipe” emerges.)
With so much to do and so far to go, our dialectic will reveal wonder. It will allow us to hold moments that represent pure learning. There is much to be harvested here, as the rose bushes grow extremely well in certain conditions, and must endure difficulty at the rise and setting of every day’s sun. As we embark on our assessment of chapter 5, I stress to students/ emerging scholars to remember from where we have come, how far we have gone, and how much more we need to go. As always, if I can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me via email, at my home, or by posting a response to this blog. As we approach conference times, my conference times are posted on my website, underneath the links to "Current/ Prospective Assessments/ Assignments."

All best and grow well, you kings and queens of an intellectual garden.
Mr. Kannan