Mindset Changes
Title of Project: Mindset Changes
Schools and Teachers
Munsey Park Teacher: Jessica Zoller, Alanna Siegel, and Adriana Marquez
ENL Proficiency Level | ENL Program | Standards | Technology
Appropriate for all English Proficiency Levels | Stand-Alone | 2W4, 3W4, 4W4, 5W4, 6W4, 2SL5, 3SL5, 4SL5, 5SL5, 6SL5 | Canva, Google Slides
Assessments
Students will be assessed informally throughout the lesson through exit slips. Students will be formally assessed on their final project based on new vocabulary learned throughout their research.
Description
In this lesson, students will identify a problem they are facing within their school. Students will brainstorm a variety of ways to solve the problem. Students will use project based learning to develop a school wide solution.
Content
I can use project based learning to come up with solutions to problems in my school.
Language
I can use academic vocabulary to promote a positive mindset among my peers.
Technology
I can use Canva to create posters to share my ideas to the school.
Student work
Procedure
Students identified a problem within the school: there is too much fighting on the playground. The students came up with a variety of ways to incorporate mindfulness and growth mindset to solve the problem. As students developed their projects, the teachers created scaffolds using technology to aid their thinking. Students were able to use online resources like Google slides and Canva to create school wide lessons and posters to help spread mindfulness throughout the school.
We can be more grateful for the things that we have in our lives.
We can be mindful and use breathing activities.
We can use growth mindset in order to believe in ourselves as we take on a new task.
We can use learned optimism in order to think more positively.
Resources and Other Materials
Canva
Google slides
Youtube
Headspace
Reflection
The empathy unit was one of our favorite units taught this year. The students provided my co-teacher and I with positive feedback. They shared with us that they enjoyed getting to choose what book they wanted to read. The ELLs in the class were especially pleased with the selection of books because they felt that they were able to culturally connect with the book that they chose, and they had not felt that way with the books we are required to read through our curriculum. Giving students choices and freedom to deviate from the required curriculum is important and engaging. The teaching strategies used were engaging for all students because the unit was integrated achieving content, language, and technology standards; this supported not only the ELLs, but all students. The implementation of technology was especially exciting for students. It was wonderful to see them work together to use their creativity and add their own flair to their projects using technology. All of these factors had a noticeable positive impact on student engagement and learning.