WALO : Wicked Awesome Learning Opportunity [My first Draft]

Namita Vadgama
The purpose of learning is growth, and our minds, unlike our bodies, can continue
growing as we continue to live.

~Mortimer Adler

In 21st century Collaboration the key to learning

Topic: [Adaptation] Collaboration, Assessment & Feedback
Inspiration:
I am a kindergarten teacher. This year I am teaching grade Pre K and the age
group of children is 3 to 4 years. I have worked across [Play house, K1 & K2]
Kindergarten has many topics / concepts which we take across. We sow the seeds in
early grades and can see the fruits of the same in grade K2 and ahead. In other
words the foundation is laid in earlier grades and we build upon / strengthen the
topics in further grades. As I have worked across, I got realization that how one
topic gets connected with the next year? And there were some topics where in we
felt that in earlier grades we were giving little more to children [Over whelming].
Hence there was a struggle in the next grade.
How much is too much? alignment was required. At times looking into students
responses one gets carried away either giving more / less than required. Hence
Planning is a key factor. This gave us realization that we are required to sit across
and chalk out the plans so we dont overdo things but we go vertically deeper in the
topic we are covering in each grade instead of going horizontally straight.
Action plan:
Our Mentor Bellamam took initiative and sat with the teachers across [grade PH to
K2]. Deciding on what to take and how much to take at each grade level. What the
previous grade teacher is required to do so in the next grade the teachers can build
upon and move ahead.
Animal unit is one such unit which progresses in different grades.
Play house: naming, building vocabulary
Pre K: naming, comparing body parts, comparing with self [Food, home, clothes],
finding out similarities and differences.
1

K1: On the land, in the sea, camouflage building further on animals topics
K2: Adaptation how animals survive in their natural habitat.

K2s Adaptation is the topic which I had been planning for several years and
each time we had succeeded. As mentioned above this year we are in the
process of changing Bella mam gave a very different eye to this topic.
Making students understand the terms deeper, focus was broadening to
outer world[environment] and narrowing down to self, understanding body
covering and body parts, comparing. Giving awareness to students that our
survival is built around the idea on how well we can adapt to our natural
habitat and same applies to animals.

Across planning

K2 teachers made plan based on our discussion and executed in the class.
Learning: General
While I was going through all sessions taken so far protocol of sticking to the
driving question, objectives, deepening the understanding of terms were followed.
Note: Below is the sample of one of the sessions
Session plan: Day 1
Learning Objectives: Students will show the awareness about - what does the
term comfortable mean to them?
Steps (Process):

 Take children out for playing in hot sun for about 20-30 minutes. Mean
while in classroom, off the fans and AC so while they come back from out,
they continue feeling hot. After coming back from outside start the
session with a question as how are they feeling? Hot, sweaty, sticky.. why?
Take answers.
 Ask what would they like to do to feel cool, calm and comfortable? Take
responses from students and create a words splash on board.
 Forward all the answers on board in form of word splash
 Ask why were they feeling hot outside and why are they feeling cool, calm
and comfortable inside? Expected answers, because it was hot outside,
direct sunlight, dry environment and inside it is cool and comfortable
environment. Sunlight is not entering directly in the room.
 What is environment? Expect answer what we feel and what do you see?
 When all the answers are forwarded on board, ask another question from
selected questions. For Ex. If they are feeling hot, they might say we on
AC but if AC is not there, what will you do? The expected answers are we
take newspaper and use them as fan, or if there is no electricity we use
hand fan. Ask if you are going out in hot sun where there are no facilities
like AC or fan, what you do to make yourself cool and comfortable.
 The reason behind second question is we want them to understand the
difference between NEED and WANT. At this age they might not
understand that need means survival and want means facilities but at
least we want to make them understand that people do live without
facilities and make them comfortable according to the situation.
Closing the Loop:
 Ask students as what did we discuss today? And drive them back to the
question after reading all the forwarded answers on board as we have
discuss today about How can we make us comfortable in environment?

Other sessions followed to build upon the understanding of different terms like.
1. Environment

What is environment?(Definition)

What do you see in environment?

What do you feel in environment?

2. Earth

What is earth made up of? (land and water)

Who lives on earth with us?

3. Water bodies

which different water bodies are there on earth? What are

some of the similarities we find in these water bodies? How they are different?

Which animals/creatures live in those bodies? Why?

4. Land

Different land forms (Mountain, valleys, hills) with their characteristics

What kind of weather do you usually feel on these different forms?

5. Man made

What is man-made? Why do we call it man-made?

Examples of man-made things

6. Natural

What are natural things?

Why do we call them natural things?

Examples of natural things

What is the difference between man-made and natural things?

7. Animals

Name different places where animals live?

How can they live in different environment?

Which are different body parts and body covering which help particular animal

to live in that environment?

Example of the animals live in hot, cold, wet and dry area
After executing few sessions K2 team invited teachers from other grades to assess

students understanding about the terms and give feedback to teachers as well as
students. I was part of it.

Assessing students

Learning: Leading & Collaborating with colleagues

Through this experience [both planning across & bringing change in session plans and
going in K2 class and talking to students] , I realized how comparing broadening the
discussion and then narrowing down to the self was helpful. How it has helped
students to understand the terms deeply. This helped me to enhance my
understanding, also to stay in touch with others grade topics and therefore, foster
our Collaborative relationship towards pushing each others teaching and thinking.
Going cross class was a nice way to connect with my colleagues, know students, their
thinking, providing opportunity to students where they listen to adults other than
the class teachers.
Learning: Action Research
Finally, going for taking up session for assessment purpose helped me in my action
research because I was able to find how connecting environment with self
comparison promotes thinking and bring better understanding amongst students. By
the end the topic is all about celebrating similarities and differences. About how we
adapt to different environment [hot, cold, wet, dry] and how animals [body covering
& body parts] helps animals to survive in their natural environment
Reflection:
This process of planning the lessons, bringing connections to self and outer world
[environment] has benefitted (students, as well as teachers) in terms of getting a
proper focus. Students were able to make the connections with whatever they have
learnt in previous grades. This also allowed us (teachers team) to understand how
our units get connected in grades across.
Questions:
- Will it be possible for us to plan all the topics across in the same manner?
- Will all the teachers still maintain the limit? [not overwhelming]
Next Steps
I have started going to grade K2 for trinity as well, would like to go on and off for
teaching different topics in other grades too and deepen my knowledge vertically.