Junction Point

Change has been a central tenet in my life over the past few months. I have come to embrace it, appreciate the subtle ways change alters our thinking, our perceptions, our hopes, our motivations. In my personal experience, the process of change is easy compared to the strife of deciding to actually make the change. This has been true personally and professionally. For all of those wonderful people in my life who have been there with a listening ear, I thank you!

The decision to change divisions has been something I have been contemplating since last September. As I worked away on my Masters of Education, I benefited from linking theory with practice in a grade level I was comfortable with. I was able to integrate changing pedagogical beliefs into my practice because of my familiarity with the content and developmental level of the students. I now feel I am ready to apply what I have learned to another realm. My practice as a primary educator has evolved over the course of a decade. I have had remarkable mentors and teaching partners along my journey who have helped shape who I am as an educator. I take this all with me in my transition to intermediate and look forward to developing an understanding of how my current pedagogical thinking will translate to early adolescence. I came across a quotation that stood out for me:

"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." Will Rogers

Junction Point seemed like a worthy title for this blog post. It not only describes the place of convergence; where things come together, but also elicits images of motion. Moving forward through change, recognizing and valuing the precious cargo I carry with me from past experiences, creating new connections and divergent thinking.

Part of being at this junction point is looking forward to this new track ahead. I don't necessary know exactly what the terrain will look like, but I can be prepared to with tips and tools to help along the journey. The remainder of this post is an annotated collection of resources.

For all those of you who have been on this track before, any suggested resources would be greatly appreciated! Feel free to add to the gDoc below.

The process of curating these resources is something in and of itself. Honing in on an area of interest, collecting relevant and credible resources, establishing connections, forming opinions, merging concepts, all part of this process. I hope to model this next year with my students and afford opportunities for them to curate themselves.

A great article about curation as a tool for PD:

Self-Directed Professional Development: Cultivating & Curating Authentic Learning Experiences 
by @romanoj

Content Creation: Tools and Strategies for Teachers by Monica Fuglei

- Access to information ≠ knowledge

- Modelling and practicing mindful consumption

Please click the link for gDoc: Curated Resources for Teaching and Learning in the Intermediate Division. 
I hope this to be collaborative document for sharing, connecting, reflecting.

Of the many resources examined thus far, this infographic from Project Zero resonated with me. Take a peek. This evolution of the KWL chart includes greater emphasis on the process of learning and defines the critical ingredients of inquiry.