WEBVTT 00:00:00.050 --> 00:00:02.150 Today we are welcoming back to Blooming. 00:00:02.150 --> 00:00:04.729 Curious for the second time, Jessica Vance. 00:00:04.760 --> 00:00:09.679 Jessica is a passionate inquiry educator and author, and today we're gonna talk 00:00:09.679 --> 00:00:15.560 about her second and latest publication, Evidence of Inquiry, A Hands-On Guide to 00:00:15.560 --> 00:00:21.650 Making Learning Visible and Building a Culture of Inquiry Through Learning Walls. 00:00:22.310 --> 00:00:26.675 And Jess, I bet that says exactly what it does, on the can. 00:00:27.365 --> 00:00:31.055 So welcome back, Jessica, and it's just wonderful to have you here 00:00:31.055 --> 00:00:35.495 again and to talk about inquiry and of course this latest book of yours. 00:00:35.495 --> 00:00:38.285 So congratulations on this publication. 00:00:38.285 --> 00:00:39.365 Thank you so much, Edwina. 00:00:39.365 --> 00:00:40.415 It's good to be back. 00:00:40.475 --> 00:00:42.260 Uh, I can't believe it's almost been a full year since 00:00:42.260 --> 00:00:43.745 I got to see you in person. 00:00:44.195 --> 00:00:44.285 I know. 00:00:44.285 --> 00:00:45.860 Time flies. 00:00:47.315 --> 00:00:48.125 It does. 00:00:48.125 --> 00:00:52.595 And being on the podcast before I was writing the book, um, and we were talking 00:00:52.595 --> 00:00:57.245 about floor books and some other, um, parts, um, that nobody else around 00:00:57.245 --> 00:00:59.285 the world was privy to, then even you. 00:00:59.285 --> 00:01:02.794 So getting to have this book out in print and then reconnecting 00:01:02.794 --> 00:01:03.905 with you is really special. 00:01:03.905 --> 00:01:04.775 So thank you for having me. 00:01:05.104 --> 00:01:06.875 Oh no, it's such, such a pleasure. 00:01:06.875 --> 00:01:09.125 I can't wait to sort of dig into it. 00:01:09.664 --> 00:01:12.995 Um, it's something that I've been talking about even on the podcast quite 00:01:12.995 --> 00:01:16.835 a bit is, learning walls, and also the differences, but I'm hoping you're 00:01:16.835 --> 00:01:21.005 gonna dip into that between a learning wall and a wonder wall, which I see 00:01:21.005 --> 00:01:23.015 a lot of when I go into classrooms. 00:01:23.735 --> 00:01:27.515 So let's talk about the title, which is really powerful. 00:01:27.785 --> 00:01:27.875 Mm-hmm. 00:01:28.295 --> 00:01:30.005 Can you unpack that a little bit? 00:01:30.035 --> 00:01:31.145 And also. 00:01:31.805 --> 00:01:35.285 Why you felt that this book had to be written now. 00:01:35.345 --> 00:01:38.465 Obviously you've been writing it for a while, but it's just been published. 00:01:39.395 --> 00:01:41.245 What, were your thoughts behind that? 00:01:41.245 --> 00:01:46.675 So really the book, um, and if you open up, uh, the first Roots of Wonderings, 00:01:46.705 --> 00:01:50.905 um, I, I talk about how and why this book came about and really it's from 00:01:51.415 --> 00:01:55.405 my learners, the adults, whether they'd be physically with me or those on 00:01:55.405 --> 00:02:00.655 social media, asking questions about my own documentation process that I 00:02:00.655 --> 00:02:02.485 was tinkering with and playing with. 00:02:02.695 --> 00:02:03.625 How do you do that? 00:02:03.625 --> 00:02:05.125 Where do you put that artifact? 00:02:05.510 --> 00:02:09.320 And the more questions that I got, the more patterns and trends that I saw that 00:02:09.320 --> 00:02:12.829 this was an opportunity or just something that people were really curious about. 00:02:13.099 --> 00:02:17.240 So just as all good inquiry educators do you follow your learners' 00:02:17.240 --> 00:02:23.180 questions, um, which I thought would be a very simple small book. 00:02:23.785 --> 00:02:27.775 Um, it started off with the sketch note, how to build a learning wall. 00:02:27.775 --> 00:02:33.145 I had my amazing, illustrator, Ryan Bear put that together and I started utilizing 00:02:33.145 --> 00:02:35.005 that with schools and with coaching. 00:02:35.215 --> 00:02:37.195 And so I all thought this would be easy peasy. 00:02:37.195 --> 00:02:39.205 I'll write a chapter on each of these steps. 00:02:39.415 --> 00:02:43.225 And then a year and a half later, I found myself knee deep in so much 00:02:43.225 --> 00:02:47.905 research, um, and some really great connections with other educators 00:02:47.905 --> 00:02:49.825 tinkering with some of these ideas 00:02:49.855 --> 00:02:53.290 Which you see in part three of the the publication. 00:02:53.590 --> 00:02:57.850 Um, and so I think that's a little bit of the why, and, and when I go back to 00:02:57.850 --> 00:03:01.975 look at my first publication Leading With a Lens of Inquiry, there's a very early 00:03:01.975 --> 00:03:03.925 stages of some learning walls there. 00:03:03.925 --> 00:03:07.855 And to see that and then now to see what it's progressed to, uh, 00:03:07.855 --> 00:03:11.395 and what I see people doing with an authentic documentation process, 00:03:11.725 --> 00:03:14.995 my goodness gracious, how I much I have learned and grown myself. 00:03:15.325 --> 00:03:20.215 Um, and, uh, you know, I'd say in regards to the title, I was really 00:03:20.215 --> 00:03:24.505 tinkering with, um, something around leading with a lens of inquiry. 00:03:24.505 --> 00:03:25.730 I wanted to play with that idea. 00:03:26.680 --> 00:03:32.350 And then I realized that I, it was really also important to be able to name the 00:03:32.350 --> 00:03:34.390 thing that this book is about, right? 00:03:34.390 --> 00:03:38.770 It's evidencing and documentation, and then of course connecting that to 00:03:38.770 --> 00:03:43.000 inquiry and really inquiry can feel as, you know, sometimes this really big 00:03:43.000 --> 00:03:47.175 ambiguous thing and how do we unpack it and make it something that we can. 00:03:47.845 --> 00:03:51.234 Show and document the process of learning over time. 00:03:51.565 --> 00:03:53.545 Um, hence the title there too. 00:03:53.545 --> 00:03:58.704 So again, following my learners and then not being afraid to name what 00:03:58.704 --> 00:04:02.515 it is, being a little bit bolder in this publication, I do have to say, 00:04:02.765 --> 00:04:06.454 which comes, I think around having a second publication out there. 00:04:06.454 --> 00:04:09.635 I, I kind of know the ins and outs of how to write a book and what needs to be said. 00:04:09.904 --> 00:04:12.454 And then again, just being able to partner with phenomenal 00:04:12.454 --> 00:04:16.055 educators and leaders, curriculum coordinators, you kind of name it. 00:04:16.344 --> 00:04:19.644 They're in there and their feedback has just been really, really pivotal 00:04:19.644 --> 00:04:23.284 in the putting together what you probably have on your bookshelf. 00:04:23.884 --> 00:04:25.205 No, I actually don't. 00:04:25.414 --> 00:04:31.624 Behind me, I have, I, behind me I have Leading With the Lens of Inquiry. 00:04:32.204 --> 00:04:35.489 But I actually haven't got your book yet, so I'm waiting for that to arrive. 00:04:36.549 --> 00:04:37.299 So I'm waiting for that. 00:04:37.299 --> 00:04:37.509 Okay. 00:04:37.509 --> 00:04:39.944 I thought I saw in the back, I thought I saw in the back there. 00:04:40.604 --> 00:04:44.649 No, there's, um, Leading With a Lens of Inquiry is there. 00:04:44.774 --> 00:04:45.064 Okay. 00:04:45.069 --> 00:04:45.729 Okay. 00:04:45.729 --> 00:04:46.449 That's amazing. 00:04:46.449 --> 00:04:48.069 But your newest one isn't there. 00:04:48.129 --> 00:04:53.319 And really the difference was, um, your Leading With a Lens of Inquiry is really 00:04:53.319 --> 00:04:55.569 more publication for leaders, wasn't it? 00:04:55.899 --> 00:05:01.029 To get school leaders on board with, um, evidencing learning and even 00:05:01.029 --> 00:05:04.349 learning of their own learners, which are the teachers in schools, right? 00:05:04.354 --> 00:05:04.374 Mm-hmm. 00:05:04.559 --> 00:05:04.649 Mm-hmm. 00:05:04.889 --> 00:05:08.849 Whereas this book is more, I have been reading up about it and, 00:05:08.909 --> 00:05:10.769 and getting all the information. 00:05:11.039 --> 00:05:17.294 This one is more about actual teachers and educators and how they actually physically 00:05:17.294 --> 00:05:19.364 use learning walls in their spaces. 00:05:20.024 --> 00:05:24.174 So I think that's really powerful because I think teachers need as many 00:05:24.174 --> 00:05:29.514 tools and as many arrows in their little toolkits as they possibly can get. 00:05:30.114 --> 00:05:35.334 So I think from there, you know, when I go into classrooms, 'cause I do 00:05:35.334 --> 00:05:37.074 a lot of substitute teaching still. 00:05:38.469 --> 00:05:45.519 I still see a lot of wonder Walls where children's wonderings are, and I actually 00:05:45.519 --> 00:05:49.329 have made a podcast episode about this because I often think it's where their 00:05:49.329 --> 00:05:56.019 wonderings go to die, um, because they put them up there, but then nothing happens. 00:05:56.409 --> 00:06:01.734 So I guess I want you now for everybody listening to explain the difference 00:06:01.734 --> 00:06:06.294 between a learning wall and what its function is and how teachers 00:06:06.294 --> 00:06:13.885 actually use it to mm-hmm document, um, and to make learning visible. 00:06:13.885 --> 00:06:13.974 Mm-hmm. 00:06:14.304 --> 00:06:18.835 Because I think it, it, it's a powerful tool, but like all tools, unless you use 00:06:18.835 --> 00:06:21.715 it properly, it doesn't have much value. 00:06:22.044 --> 00:06:26.515 So, and learning walls are just such a great, powerful. 00:06:27.534 --> 00:06:32.064 I guess a visual representation of what's going on in children's 00:06:32.064 --> 00:06:34.074 minds and in that space. 00:06:34.194 --> 00:06:34.284 Mm-hmm. 00:06:34.704 --> 00:06:39.624 So maybe you can unpack that a lot better than I can for those that are listening. 00:06:41.544 --> 00:06:45.174 Of course, you know, I started with a Wonder Wall too, when I first jumped into 00:06:45.174 --> 00:06:50.094 the world of inquiry teaching, um, in an elementary classroom at a PYP school. 00:06:50.304 --> 00:06:53.455 I had a program of inquiry up there because that was our checklist. 00:06:53.455 --> 00:06:54.744 We had to have that up there. 00:06:55.044 --> 00:06:57.655 Um, then I had my Wonder Wall, because you were supposed to, but just like 00:06:57.655 --> 00:07:00.775 you said, the Wonders just sat there and then oh my goodness, it's been six 00:07:00.775 --> 00:07:02.065 weeks and I totally forgot about it. 00:07:02.065 --> 00:07:02.455 Right. 00:07:02.695 --> 00:07:02.844 Yeah. 00:07:02.905 --> 00:07:07.794 Um, so a, a common misstep and I'd say, you know, there's, yeah. 00:07:08.090 --> 00:07:14.150 A few things that, um, you know, with a learning wall look and sound 00:07:14.150 --> 00:07:17.030 different than some of the classrooms that you've described, or even the very 00:07:17.030 --> 00:07:19.640 classroom that I had many years ago. 00:07:19.670 --> 00:07:21.710 Um, and that a learning wall is not static. 00:07:22.465 --> 00:07:27.925 A learning wall is something that's active, um, and both the teacher or the 00:07:27.925 --> 00:07:33.415 educator who's facilitating the learning is utilizing it to be able to document 00:07:33.415 --> 00:07:37.945 and gather evidence across some sort of time, whatever that learning narrative is. 00:07:38.155 --> 00:07:41.844 And a learning narrative could be two weeks, it could be a term, it 00:07:41.844 --> 00:07:43.405 could be a whole entire year long. 00:07:43.675 --> 00:07:47.305 You get to decide and determine like, what's your intention and what is 00:07:47.305 --> 00:07:48.835 that learning narrative gonna be. 00:07:49.179 --> 00:07:53.530 Now I will have to say that as, um, you know, a school leader, it's 00:07:53.530 --> 00:07:56.979 okay that your adult learners aren't interacting with it all of the time. 00:07:56.979 --> 00:07:59.320 The key here though, is how is it not static? 00:07:59.320 --> 00:08:03.130 How are you collecting evidence to help you learn about your learners, 00:08:03.130 --> 00:08:04.630 to be able to guide next steps? 00:08:04.749 --> 00:08:07.119 Same thing for classroom teachers as well. 00:08:07.630 --> 00:08:10.720 I'd say that's, you know, a really big difference with a Wonder Wall. 00:08:10.720 --> 00:08:12.520 A Wonder Wall is a really great start. 00:08:12.789 --> 00:08:17.409 I even actually talk about, um, what a learning wall is and what a 00:08:17.409 --> 00:08:21.730 learning wall is not in part one of the publication, and I do say that a 00:08:21.730 --> 00:08:23.350 Wonder Wall is not a learning wall. 00:08:23.380 --> 00:08:25.059 'cause a Wonder Wall is one noted. 00:08:25.520 --> 00:08:28.459 It's usually where we'll put up some wonders, they'll hang out there. 00:08:28.459 --> 00:08:30.319 Maybe we'll kind of glance at them. 00:08:30.590 --> 00:08:31.669 Um, hopefully not. 00:08:31.669 --> 00:08:33.409 That's how you're utilizing your Wonder Wall. 00:08:33.409 --> 00:08:35.299 But typically that's how they are used. 00:08:35.449 --> 00:08:40.850 And I find that a learning wall, maybe with a Wonder Wall near it or kind of 00:08:40.850 --> 00:08:45.560 part of that process helps us pull up a chair to the thinking, if you will. 00:08:45.885 --> 00:08:50.145 Um, to be able to look at the evidence and ask ourselves, you know, where have 00:08:50.145 --> 00:08:52.545 we come from and where are we going? 00:08:52.785 --> 00:08:57.375 And what might be some artifacts or evidence or things that my learners 00:08:57.375 --> 00:09:01.845 need, some universal supports or scaffolds in order for us to get there. 00:09:02.055 --> 00:09:06.045 And so utilizing, um, you know, reflective questions like this, help us think 00:09:06.045 --> 00:09:11.295 about the artifacting and evidencing process a little bit differently than 00:09:11.295 --> 00:09:15.045 perhaps if you have listeners who are at an IB school and have their, you 00:09:15.045 --> 00:09:19.844 know, PYP wall or their IB wall, which I had an educator, uh, playfully just 00:09:19.844 --> 00:09:23.745 call it, um, IB wallpaper, which I definitely kinda see that there too. 00:09:24.495 --> 00:09:25.064 Um. 00:09:25.375 --> 00:09:29.785 And, and I'd say, you know, one more thing just to kind of add to, and I, 00:09:29.785 --> 00:09:34.645 I mentioned it kind of briefly is, you know, how might you ask or invite 00:09:34.645 --> 00:09:36.835 your learners to go use the wall? 00:09:36.925 --> 00:09:41.335 And if this is not a practice that our learners or ourselves aren't really. 00:09:41.875 --> 00:09:46.405 Used to then how might we think about structures and systems that help our 00:09:46.405 --> 00:09:48.655 learners see the four walls differently? 00:09:48.954 --> 00:09:52.345 Right now, most students probably look at the four walls and be like, 00:09:52.345 --> 00:09:54.775 well, these are the teacher's, these aren't necessarily mine. 00:09:54.985 --> 00:09:58.675 And just 'cause we point to an anchor chart or we say this is important, does 00:09:58.675 --> 00:10:04.270 not hold the same value as pulling up a chair with our learners or asking 00:10:04.270 --> 00:10:07.689 our learners to go to the learning wall and grab some evidence to support 00:10:07.689 --> 00:10:11.140 them while they're engaged in some writing or reflection with a peer. 00:10:11.470 --> 00:10:16.000 So again, that static is not only in the artifacts moving and changing 00:10:16.000 --> 00:10:19.990 and ebbing and flowing, but also how are we using them differently 00:10:19.990 --> 00:10:24.339 than a traditional display or as you shared before, a Wonder Wall. 00:10:26.319 --> 00:10:29.259 I just had two thoughts as you were talking there. 00:10:29.560 --> 00:10:34.639 One, in terms of the Wonder Walls, when I, I actually had Tonya 00:10:34.660 --> 00:10:35.995 Gilchrist on the, on the show 00:10:36.895 --> 00:10:37.885 some months ago. 00:10:37.890 --> 00:10:38.089 Mm-hmm. 00:10:38.089 --> 00:10:38.369 Mm-hmm. 00:10:38.515 --> 00:10:42.114 And she was saying about those wonder questions, which are a great start to 00:10:42.114 --> 00:10:47.545 inquiry, but then she's, those are often the questions that are very, um, off 00:10:47.545 --> 00:10:51.714 piste, you know, so they might be a little bit different to what your curriculum 00:10:51.714 --> 00:10:56.185 or what you're doing, but they're great questions to give kids agency. 00:10:56.574 --> 00:11:01.285 So she said you could make some time once a week or however much time you 00:11:01.285 --> 00:11:05.859 wanted spend on it and then just pull out one or two of those questions and 00:11:05.859 --> 00:11:09.879 those kids feel that their questions have been honored that they have some agency. 00:11:10.149 --> 00:11:12.969 So I always thought that was a really nice way of actually 00:11:12.969 --> 00:11:14.619 utilizing your Wonder Wall. 00:11:14.949 --> 00:11:18.009 You don't have to answer all the questions, but at least you know every 00:11:18.009 --> 00:11:19.359 week you could address some of them. 00:11:20.329 --> 00:11:24.380 Um, and the other thing when you were talking about, you know, how children, 00:11:24.530 --> 00:11:27.949 and I've experienced this in my class, you know, you've made massive displays. 00:11:27.949 --> 00:11:31.510 It's, do you think it's just the fabulous thing, and kids don't even look at it. 00:11:31.960 --> 00:11:37.930 And so what I've realized was that like with all good instruction, you 00:11:37.965 --> 00:11:43.609 have to explicitly teach kids how to use that display or that learning 00:11:43.609 --> 00:11:45.530 wall, you've gotta physically mm-hmm. 00:11:45.829 --> 00:11:48.530 Well, I can speak only from an elementary point of view. 00:11:48.979 --> 00:11:49.069 Mm-hmm. 00:11:49.310 --> 00:11:52.129 But I found that you have to sort of model how to use it. 00:11:52.129 --> 00:11:54.229 You've gotta model, oh, so we're doing this. 00:11:54.229 --> 00:11:58.579 We are gonna put this up and if you wanna know anything, this is where you go look. 00:11:58.579 --> 00:12:02.930 Or I think you have to be very explicit in your modeling of how to use it, 00:12:02.930 --> 00:12:04.160 because otherwise children won't. 00:12:05.415 --> 00:12:08.015 I dunno if that's what you're advocating for it. 00:12:08.134 --> 00:12:12.094 Um, when you evidencing and when you're inviting children 00:12:12.094 --> 00:12:13.415 to interact with the wall. 00:12:14.435 --> 00:12:17.589 I've always said they don't know what they don't know, so you actually 00:12:17.589 --> 00:12:20.829 have to show them, 'cause sometimes they might think, oh, like you said 00:12:20.829 --> 00:12:24.520 before, it is the teachers and I can't go there and I can't touch it. 00:12:24.849 --> 00:12:24.939 Mm-hmm. 00:12:26.099 --> 00:12:26.349 Mm-hmm. 00:12:27.040 --> 00:12:28.930 I love that you're lifting that up Edwina. 00:12:28.930 --> 00:12:33.969 Um, and know that doesn't just belong in the elementary space, uh, that that 00:12:33.969 --> 00:12:39.399 explicit teaching also lives in our middle school or secondary spaces. 00:12:39.969 --> 00:12:44.079 There's a, a school in Shanghai, China that I was supporting this year. 00:12:44.350 --> 00:12:47.949 And they have been focused on authentic documentation. 00:12:47.949 --> 00:12:49.840 What does that look like and sound like? 00:12:49.930 --> 00:12:53.290 And that was this, um, barrier that they kept running up against, 00:12:53.290 --> 00:12:55.569 well, shouldn't our students know how to go do this already? 00:12:55.569 --> 00:12:57.220 They're X, Y, or Z Age. 00:12:57.400 --> 00:12:58.900 They said, well, have you showed them? 00:12:59.290 --> 00:13:00.130 Well, no, not yet. 00:13:00.160 --> 00:13:00.760 I said, okay. 00:13:00.760 --> 00:13:02.470 So what are the collaborative structures? 00:13:02.470 --> 00:13:03.640 What are the routines? 00:13:03.850 --> 00:13:07.750 How have you baked how you want your learners to be able to interact with 00:13:07.750 --> 00:13:09.850 the wall into your lesson design? 00:13:09.944 --> 00:13:15.885 And so that explicit teaching, um, was a necessarily a change that they had to 00:13:15.885 --> 00:13:17.834 do in regards to their lesson planning. 00:13:18.285 --> 00:13:23.444 And then as they started modeling that, you know, then the students begin to see 00:13:23.444 --> 00:13:25.515 that, oh, okay, this is a space for me. 00:13:25.734 --> 00:13:29.274 They begin to flex that agency and utilizing that wall. 00:13:29.484 --> 00:13:31.824 We model the model, if you will, right? 00:13:31.824 --> 00:13:34.254 Going up to the wall, pointing to the different artifacts. 00:13:34.404 --> 00:13:35.994 We're conferring with the student. 00:13:35.994 --> 00:13:37.344 We can say, Hey, come over here. 00:13:37.555 --> 00:13:40.794 Let's go take a look at a couple of these anchor charts that we created together. 00:13:41.114 --> 00:13:44.774 How might some of this language help you in what you're working with now that 00:13:44.774 --> 00:13:49.814 modeling that conferring is essential, you know, and it makes me also think of Trevor 00:13:49.814 --> 00:13:52.035 McKenzie's types of inquiry pool, right? 00:13:52.035 --> 00:13:54.404 And we're starting with that like guided inquiry. 00:13:54.644 --> 00:13:57.824 It's necessary for that explicit instruction. 00:13:57.974 --> 00:14:01.064 And as we move across the pool, we'll have learners who are more 00:14:01.064 --> 00:14:06.254 independent know what it means to be able to activate that voice and choice 00:14:06.254 --> 00:14:07.694 and ownership over their learning. 00:14:07.785 --> 00:14:09.404 And of course, some students. 00:14:09.655 --> 00:14:12.535 Get to that deep end and not all, and that's okay too. 00:14:12.834 --> 00:14:14.185 But are they in the pool? 00:14:14.214 --> 00:14:14.574 Right? 00:14:14.724 --> 00:14:20.094 Are they engaging with this evidencing process and practice so that they see the 00:14:20.094 --> 00:14:24.564 value of these resources and they know how to think about them critically to be 00:14:24.564 --> 00:14:29.155 able to, um, scaffold and support what next steps that they have as it relates 00:14:29.155 --> 00:14:31.464 to deeper learning and connection making? 00:14:32.994 --> 00:14:37.914 I think it's just where inquiry teachers are really different to other teachers. 00:14:38.004 --> 00:14:42.294 As you said, you know, you, I think your enthusiasm as an inquiry 00:14:42.294 --> 00:14:43.644 teacher has to come through. 00:14:43.704 --> 00:14:47.634 You know, it has to come through in that you just, oh, come over, look over this 00:14:47.634 --> 00:14:51.774 and come over here and check this out and see if you can add something to this. 00:14:52.044 --> 00:14:58.614 I think we have to be that, you know, we are the catalyst for inquiry, 00:14:58.614 --> 00:14:59.964 and I think that if we're just. 00:15:00.879 --> 00:15:04.089 Flat, then the learning is flat, and I think that's what 00:15:04.089 --> 00:15:06.879 makes inquiry really exciting. 00:15:07.659 --> 00:15:14.109 Because it needs enthusiasm and it's not that, oh, just go free range, 00:15:14.109 --> 00:15:15.459 do what you want, kind of thing. 00:15:15.489 --> 00:15:18.999 It's really explicit and it has lots of modeling in it because I, 00:15:19.479 --> 00:15:21.129 we've gotta teach kids the skills. 00:15:22.144 --> 00:15:24.124 And they don't often have them. 00:15:24.424 --> 00:15:29.524 So including that skill of how do you go to the learning wall and 00:15:29.524 --> 00:15:30.904 how do you use the learning wall? 00:15:31.834 --> 00:15:37.384 So that I think is super powerful and a great tip, I think is that whole 00:15:37.384 --> 00:15:41.764 model, the model of how you want the children to actually interact and use it. 00:15:41.764 --> 00:15:43.204 So thanks for that, Jess. 00:15:44.224 --> 00:15:50.769 Now I know, that there will be educators out there thinking, how do I start? 00:15:50.829 --> 00:15:55.294 And obviously the first place to start is to get your book, but if they don't 00:15:55.404 --> 00:16:00.639 have the book, um, how would you always, or how do you go about when you go 00:16:00.639 --> 00:16:04.910 into a school and you're trying to get them to, use learning walls, how 00:16:04.910 --> 00:16:07.280 to evidence their students' learning? 00:16:07.610 --> 00:16:11.870 Where do, where do people start and how do they, how do they go along with that? 00:16:13.459 --> 00:16:14.000 Yeah. 00:16:14.030 --> 00:16:14.240 Yeah. 00:16:14.240 --> 00:16:16.339 Starting sometimes is the hardest part, isn't it? 00:16:16.339 --> 00:16:16.880 Edwina? 00:16:17.209 --> 00:16:23.120 Um, I, I'd say, you know, when we build a learning wall, we really have to be 00:16:23.120 --> 00:16:26.569 intentional, not only the ways that we've outlined already with utilizing it. 00:16:27.480 --> 00:16:30.000 But what's your intention for documentation? 00:16:30.120 --> 00:16:32.370 And there's a lot of different choices, which I know might feel 00:16:32.370 --> 00:16:34.110 really overwhelming for your listeners. 00:16:34.110 --> 00:16:35.699 Like, ah, just tell me something. 00:16:35.970 --> 00:16:38.580 Um, your start could be an essential question that comes 00:16:38.580 --> 00:16:39.660 straight from your curriculum. 00:16:39.930 --> 00:16:43.680 I've done that with many teachers who don't really have a lot of agency to 00:16:43.680 --> 00:16:45.210 move things around in their curriculum. 00:16:45.390 --> 00:16:46.860 So, okay, let's go take a look here. 00:16:47.184 --> 00:16:50.094 Where and what might be important that we can directly pull up. 00:16:50.094 --> 00:16:53.214 So the essential question becomes maybe like the center 00:16:53.214 --> 00:16:54.774 point of our learning wall. 00:16:54.924 --> 00:16:58.284 If we're using kind of more of like a spider web diagram or 00:16:58.284 --> 00:17:01.944 maybe we use a timeline and we're starting with an essential question 00:17:02.064 --> 00:17:03.834 and we can move across a wall. 00:17:04.194 --> 00:17:10.734 Um, I've seen learning walls, um, be able to be used for, um, academic vocabulary. 00:17:10.734 --> 00:17:13.134 Tier one, tier two, tier three vocabulary. 00:17:13.790 --> 00:17:16.669 But really how are we invite, it's not a traditional word wall. 00:17:16.669 --> 00:17:20.419 Remember, how are we inviting our learners to interact with it? 00:17:20.480 --> 00:17:23.629 Um, add to it, move things around, if you will. 00:17:23.929 --> 00:17:26.509 Um, so that's, again, straight from your curriculum. 00:17:26.869 --> 00:17:27.500 Um. 00:17:27.875 --> 00:17:30.335 A provocation is another right one as well too. 00:17:30.335 --> 00:17:31.025 Edwina. 00:17:31.205 --> 00:17:34.864 If you have maybe a provocation that's a series of photos and you've done a 00:17:34.864 --> 00:17:38.284 chalk talk or you've had students say the things that they've noticed and 00:17:38.284 --> 00:17:40.864 wondered, could you use that as the start? 00:17:40.864 --> 00:17:44.315 I've seen teachers do that both physically and then also those of 00:17:44.315 --> 00:17:47.014 them who have like a, a, a panel. 00:17:47.514 --> 00:17:50.304 They're writing directly on kind of like a digital panel and then 00:17:50.304 --> 00:17:51.925 that becomes their learning wall. 00:17:52.135 --> 00:17:53.905 So provocations are really great. 00:17:53.905 --> 00:17:55.465 Student questions are really great. 00:17:55.764 --> 00:18:00.775 Um, and, and I'd say, you know, if thinking about the structure of 00:18:00.775 --> 00:18:04.135 your learning wall is also really essential, you can put a bunch of 00:18:04.135 --> 00:18:07.885 things up, but that's also might feel really messy and really overwhelming. 00:18:08.194 --> 00:18:11.884 So one of the structures that I shared is, you know, a spiderweb diagram 00:18:11.884 --> 00:18:14.884 where just kind of that traditional like graphic organizer that we use 00:18:14.884 --> 00:18:16.774 to help students brainstorm ideas. 00:18:17.134 --> 00:18:19.264 That's a structure we've used in a different setting. 00:18:19.264 --> 00:18:20.464 Like, let's go use that here. 00:18:20.464 --> 00:18:21.875 Let's not reinvent the wheel. 00:18:22.054 --> 00:18:23.705 Use something that they're familiar with. 00:18:23.705 --> 00:18:25.625 A timeline is another favorite one. 00:18:25.924 --> 00:18:29.074 Um, I'm a little bit more organic when I build a learning wall, but I 00:18:29.074 --> 00:18:30.725 also feel really comfortable with it. 00:18:30.935 --> 00:18:35.254 I find that that organic kind of nature helps me be more playful with it. 00:18:35.629 --> 00:18:39.020 But, um, I also understand that some teachers that feels really messy. 00:18:39.020 --> 00:18:42.770 So I've also seen like week one, week two, week three. 00:18:42.980 --> 00:18:43.129 Oh, okay. 00:18:43.129 --> 00:18:45.560 Just to be able to have a little bit of that structure. 00:18:45.560 --> 00:18:46.670 There's nothing wrong with it. 00:18:47.284 --> 00:18:50.495 Again, it's how are you asking your learners to make those connections? 00:18:50.705 --> 00:18:55.955 Um, and there's, uh, on my website, if your listeners jump over there on 00:18:55.955 --> 00:19:02.075 the evidence of inquiry page, there's a PDF companion guide that has color, 00:19:02.105 --> 00:19:05.345 um, images of all of the learning walls that are in the publication. 00:19:05.675 --> 00:19:09.815 That way you can kind of get a peek at what these look like and sound like. 00:19:10.085 --> 00:19:12.755 They're not all gold stars, but they're a process. 00:19:12.755 --> 00:19:17.915 They are a start and hopefully motivation for other educators or leaders to 00:19:17.915 --> 00:19:22.295 be able to feel inspired and, and know where they might begin next. 00:19:23.225 --> 00:19:24.395 Oh, that's fantastic. 00:19:24.395 --> 00:19:27.305 I will, I'm just writing that down so that I remember. 00:19:27.365 --> 00:19:30.995 Yeah, I will put that link in the show notes for everybody so that 00:19:30.995 --> 00:19:33.185 they can go and get that right there. 00:19:34.205 --> 00:19:41.795 So it sounds to me very much like learning walls also have to mimic your personality. 00:19:41.825 --> 00:19:44.795 It's not something or your teaching style, right? 00:19:44.795 --> 00:19:48.755 It's, it's not a one size fits all, but the most important 00:19:48.755 --> 00:19:50.945 thing is to just start and 00:19:52.129 --> 00:19:52.969 start somewhere. 00:19:53.659 --> 00:19:57.409 I must say I really am probably quite, I dunno, I think 00:19:57.409 --> 00:19:58.729 I've changed over the years. 00:19:58.804 --> 00:20:01.944 I was, probably very structured and wanted everything perfect and neat in 00:20:01.944 --> 00:20:05.634 the beginning of my journey, and then discovered that it's so much more fun 00:20:05.634 --> 00:20:08.244 just to let it go and, and to be organic. 00:20:08.274 --> 00:20:12.384 And I am a very big fan of those spider webs and 00:20:12.434 --> 00:20:15.349 mind maps, so to speak, because I think mm-hmm, mm-hmm. 00:20:15.474 --> 00:20:20.429 I just discovered that's how my mind works and that's how I teach, and 00:20:20.429 --> 00:20:22.199 that's how I've trained children. 00:20:23.519 --> 00:20:27.029 So, and that is a, a favorite, a favorite strategy anyway. 00:20:27.029 --> 00:20:28.949 And I think that that works just fine. 00:20:28.949 --> 00:20:33.539 But we all have to find what works for us and what we are comfortable with. 00:20:34.499 --> 00:20:38.429 You say, you know, you use them as a tool to support, reflection 00:20:38.429 --> 00:20:40.679 and agency and deeper thinking. 00:20:42.090 --> 00:20:42.389 Okay. 00:20:43.409 --> 00:20:47.489 I'm trying to put myself into the shoes of educators and think what 00:20:47.489 --> 00:20:56.310 they would be asking and thinking, how would we use the Wonder Wall to help 00:20:56.310 --> 00:21:01.800 or assist us in our own assessments? 00:21:01.800 --> 00:21:07.050 And when it comes to reporting or even meetings with parents 00:21:07.110 --> 00:21:09.780 or administrators, mm-hmm. 00:21:10.020 --> 00:21:15.450 How would you say the learning wall is a tool that can easily be used 00:21:15.660 --> 00:21:21.540 to help us with our assessment of children's abilities and skills? 00:21:21.780 --> 00:21:24.060 Can educators use it that way? 00:21:25.920 --> 00:21:26.340 Yeah. 00:21:26.340 --> 00:21:30.870 You know, I'd say that baked into this process of collecting 00:21:31.350 --> 00:21:33.120 evidence is assessment. 00:21:33.120 --> 00:21:34.560 It's that backwards design. 00:21:34.560 --> 00:21:38.040 So when I said we set an intention and we're intentional, we should 00:21:38.040 --> 00:21:39.840 have that backwards design in mind. 00:21:40.140 --> 00:21:42.120 Now I will say, sometimes I start a learning wall. 00:21:42.120 --> 00:21:43.560 I'm not sure where I wanna go. 00:21:43.890 --> 00:21:46.320 That's just kind of tinkering and playing, and that's okay too. 00:21:46.560 --> 00:21:48.420 But yeah, assessments are part of our day to day. 00:21:48.420 --> 00:21:50.430 And what does that look like and sound like? 00:21:50.730 --> 00:21:55.500 Um, you know, there's a secondary teacher who built a learning wall 00:21:55.500 --> 00:21:59.880 or co-constructed a learning wall alongside his learners um, knowing at 00:21:59.880 --> 00:22:04.230 the very end of a novel study, they were gonna have to write an essay. 00:22:04.530 --> 00:22:08.070 So all of the artifacts that were collected across time, whether it 00:22:08.070 --> 00:22:12.510 be, you know, um, topic sentences that really captured the students, 00:22:12.510 --> 00:22:16.710 or some figurative language or maybe some character description, 00:22:16.710 --> 00:22:18.360 all those things that he knew, 00:22:18.630 --> 00:22:21.120 they would need to be writing about, he collected some sort of 00:22:21.120 --> 00:22:24.120 evidence or asked the students, you know, at the end of a chapter or 00:22:24.120 --> 00:22:25.590 to turn and talk with a partner. 00:22:25.830 --> 00:22:28.140 So guess what happened at the very end of the novel? 00:22:28.140 --> 00:22:30.570 Well, there was a bunch of evidence on the wall to support them. 00:22:30.570 --> 00:22:31.500 Write that essay. 00:22:31.710 --> 00:22:34.980 And wouldn't you think that they could write much richer and deeper 00:22:34.980 --> 00:22:38.940 thinking essays because they had that evidence to refer to? 00:22:38.940 --> 00:22:43.285 So a richer assessment practice, because there was formative assessment 00:22:43.285 --> 00:22:46.765 really mindfully and intentionally baked within his lesson design. 00:22:47.095 --> 00:22:49.465 Mm. Um, and that was in the secondary space. 00:22:49.855 --> 00:22:50.185 Um. 00:22:50.910 --> 00:22:55.230 I've seen some elementary teachers and middle school teachers as well 00:22:55.440 --> 00:22:59.640 utilize a learning wall and then ask and task their students to be able 00:22:59.640 --> 00:23:03.330 to reflect on a couple of different pieces and parts, some of those 00:23:03.330 --> 00:23:04.770 coming straight from their curriculum. 00:23:04.770 --> 00:23:08.040 So you know, what are some of those standards and the students have to go find 00:23:08.040 --> 00:23:10.140 some evidence to be able to speak to that. 00:23:10.350 --> 00:23:12.990 So a couple of prompts, maybe three to five prompts. 00:23:13.225 --> 00:23:16.915 They could use, you know, some types of, you know, apps that they have on their 00:23:16.915 --> 00:23:19.255 computers or other types of devices. 00:23:19.525 --> 00:23:22.315 Of course, the teacher can simply pull up a chair and do a little 00:23:22.315 --> 00:23:26.935 bit conferring, have a five minute face-to-face conferring, using a little 00:23:26.935 --> 00:23:29.725 bit of that checklist of things that they have to put in their marking. 00:23:30.115 --> 00:23:33.835 Um, and I've seen some, um, uh, really amazing early years educators. 00:23:33.865 --> 00:23:35.665 I, I know I keep saying pull up a chair. 00:23:35.970 --> 00:23:39.330 Because we gotta pull up a chair to be able to look at what 00:23:39.330 --> 00:23:42.630 they've collected across time to do their narrative reporting. 00:23:42.900 --> 00:23:45.870 And if they've been mindful and intentional, they have the evidence 00:23:45.870 --> 00:23:50.520 right there to be able to show growth over time or some strengths 00:23:50.520 --> 00:23:52.200 and stretches within their students. 00:23:52.500 --> 00:23:56.070 Um, and so those are some of the few things that stand out to me right away. 00:23:56.070 --> 00:23:57.600 Some easy, tangible ones. 00:23:57.670 --> 00:24:01.990 But again, notice too that backwards design, it is baked in why we're 00:24:01.990 --> 00:24:05.800 collecting the evidence and what the evidence might be used for. 00:24:06.130 --> 00:24:10.870 Um, you know, I'll share one more, uh, especially if you have some school leaders 00:24:10.870 --> 00:24:15.280 on here who are listening to your podcast, um, or some coordinators of sorts, 00:24:15.685 --> 00:24:19.735 Have some strategic plans or goals, and that's the framework or that's 00:24:19.735 --> 00:24:21.175 the start of their learning wall. 00:24:21.295 --> 00:24:26.065 And so when they add evidence and artifacts up there, those are used as, 00:24:26.275 --> 00:24:30.085 um, an assessment of whether or not they, they've met their goal or how they've 00:24:30.085 --> 00:24:31.945 made progress towards those goals. 00:24:32.155 --> 00:24:35.335 So again, modeling the model, what we're doing in the classroom is what 00:24:35.335 --> 00:24:37.015 we should also be doing as leaders. 00:24:37.255 --> 00:24:41.695 Um, the, the learning wall that I built last year, we had our strategic 00:24:41.695 --> 00:24:46.105 goals for three years and we collected evidence across those years and 00:24:46.105 --> 00:24:50.794 we're able to really report to our district, , the, ways that we grew over 00:24:50.794 --> 00:24:53.225 time really authentically and richly. 00:24:53.344 --> 00:24:57.004 And what was really amazing about having that for us as leaders 00:24:57.004 --> 00:24:58.864 is when we had parents come in, 00:24:59.254 --> 00:25:03.695 they could see that we were entrenched in this documentation process and really 00:25:03.695 --> 00:25:07.534 learning about who we were as a school and how we were trying to get better. 00:25:07.534 --> 00:25:11.254 And so it really was something that not only helped us kind of check 00:25:11.254 --> 00:25:14.524 the box, if you will, and also too invited our school community to 00:25:14.524 --> 00:25:16.774 see, um, school in a different way. 00:25:18.184 --> 00:25:23.764 So it really sounds like that if somebody really wants to start dipping their toe 00:25:23.824 --> 00:25:29.225 into inquiry, which everybody should, if you want to teach the whole child, 00:25:30.124 --> 00:25:31.804 I feel really strongly about that. 00:25:32.254 --> 00:25:35.944 If you say that you wanna teach the whole child, then you have 00:25:35.944 --> 00:25:37.804 to be an inquiry educator. 00:25:37.804 --> 00:25:41.614 But if you wanna just start and that even with that, it's so important, 00:25:41.614 --> 00:25:43.414 just dip your toe in and have a go. 00:25:43.414 --> 00:25:47.884 Because one part of inquiry is of course, the student Voice and student agency. 00:25:48.409 --> 00:25:52.340 And it sounds from what you're saying, that the learning wall is a perfect 00:25:52.340 --> 00:25:56.539 place if you don't know how to, you know, bring that in for you just to 00:25:56.539 --> 00:26:01.219 start, because, and if you're modeling the model, and I've always found that 00:26:01.249 --> 00:26:04.340 when you're learning something new and you share that with students and 00:26:04.340 --> 00:26:08.360 you tell them that you're both on this learning path, that you're both learning, 00:26:08.959 --> 00:26:11.360 they really get on board with that. 00:26:11.509 --> 00:26:16.739 And so I'd say that if you're just starting out a learning wall is one of 00:26:16.739 --> 00:26:21.569 the best tools to use because not only is it going to give children that voice 00:26:21.569 --> 00:26:29.189 and that agency, but also it's going to get them out of their chairs, out 00:26:29.189 --> 00:26:34.290 of their seats, and being the kind of learners that they naturally want to be. 00:26:34.780 --> 00:26:39.220 Learning how to use a tool where it's almost metacognition, right. 00:26:39.250 --> 00:26:43.060 Where they can then see how they're learning and that's, mm-hmm. 00:26:43.899 --> 00:26:45.100 Very powerful. 00:26:45.835 --> 00:26:46.620 So, mm-hmm. 00:26:46.855 --> 00:26:51.264 I think our message to all educators out there is to get on board. 00:26:51.385 --> 00:26:52.524 Don't be left behind. 00:26:52.764 --> 00:26:58.075 If you wanna stay ahead of the game and you want to be advocating 21st century 00:26:58.075 --> 00:27:00.445 learning, then this is the way to go 00:27:00.445 --> 00:27:01.075 people. 00:27:02.125 --> 00:27:03.655 There really is no other way. 00:27:06.025 --> 00:27:08.635 Well, it gives us a little bit of the bumper, right? 00:27:08.635 --> 00:27:10.795 Like when we hear agency, that's big and scary. 00:27:10.825 --> 00:27:12.115 Yeah, exactly 00:27:12.165 --> 00:27:15.705 when we hear, you know, follow your learners or co-construct, 00:27:15.705 --> 00:27:17.145 those are big, scary words. 00:27:17.145 --> 00:27:21.034 And so I'd say, yeah, learning walls are an avenue for that. 00:27:21.034 --> 00:27:24.945 Thinking routines, of course, do something similar as well too, and so 00:27:25.125 --> 00:27:30.345 giving you that pathway forward and then also helping you slow down and make 00:27:30.345 --> 00:27:33.585 sense of what's happening before you so you don't have to waste your time on 00:27:33.585 --> 00:27:34.845 things that don't necessarily matter. 00:27:35.324 --> 00:27:38.774 And you can really spend time on the things that really do matter 00:27:38.774 --> 00:27:41.564 and you want your learners to be able to retrieve across time. 00:27:41.564 --> 00:27:41.745 Yes. 00:27:41.745 --> 00:27:46.334 I remember last time you were on the show, you talked about, it's stuck in 00:27:46.334 --> 00:27:51.195 my head ever since you told us, uh, how, you know, how this issue with children 00:27:51.195 --> 00:27:53.774 that they can't connect across subjects. 00:27:53.804 --> 00:27:53.895 Mm-hmm. 00:27:54.135 --> 00:27:54.225 Mm-hmm. 00:27:55.235 --> 00:28:01.065 And I remember you giving advice about that and how a learning wall helps you 00:28:01.065 --> 00:28:05.985 make connections across subject areas because it's not just, okay, this is 00:28:05.985 --> 00:28:10.635 what you're gonna do in literacy, and this is your math and this is your, um, 00:28:10.845 --> 00:28:16.005 social studies or whatever it might be, that there's a learning wall can help you 00:28:16.130 --> 00:28:19.770 bring in all your subjects and mm-hmm. 00:28:19.850 --> 00:28:25.199 Get children to make connections across curriculum areas. 00:28:25.300 --> 00:28:28.690 So I always thought that that was really powerful because one of the things 00:28:28.690 --> 00:28:34.240 to obviously see where the children can take the learning and then uh, 00:28:34.240 --> 00:28:38.950 transfer to other areas has always been really important, and then sometimes we 00:28:38.950 --> 00:28:42.340 don't know how to do that, but I think that the learning wall really gives 00:28:42.340 --> 00:28:45.400 us that opportunity to explore that. 00:28:45.760 --> 00:28:47.710 So I hope that's right. 00:28:47.800 --> 00:28:48.520 Do you agree with that? 00:28:50.545 --> 00:28:51.145 Yes. 00:28:51.145 --> 00:28:51.655 Yeah. 00:28:51.715 --> 00:28:55.465 Uh, you know, I'd say that connection making, sometimes we'll 00:28:55.465 --> 00:28:59.905 do with a string, physically across the wall, across subject areas. 00:29:00.235 --> 00:29:02.785 Um, and really when we do that connection making, that's where we 00:29:02.785 --> 00:29:04.105 get to the deeper learning, right? 00:29:04.105 --> 00:29:07.765 That's when we're really like synthesizing and, and making new meaning with the 00:29:07.765 --> 00:29:09.270 facts and kind of figures that we've heard 00:29:10.055 --> 00:29:10.835 across time. 00:29:10.835 --> 00:29:13.595 So I'd say, yeah, um, learning walls have a way of doing that. 00:29:13.865 --> 00:29:15.605 I do that constantly. 00:29:15.605 --> 00:29:19.625 I did today I have a virtual learning wall that I've built across this last 00:29:19.625 --> 00:29:23.135 year that I've kind of been capturing different projects that I've been working 00:29:23.135 --> 00:29:24.965 on and being able to zoom in and zoom out. 00:29:25.695 --> 00:29:29.175 Helps me see different connections that I might have missed if I didn't 00:29:29.175 --> 00:29:31.035 necessarily document things in that way. 00:29:31.035 --> 00:29:33.675 And I'd say the same thing goes for our learners as well too, 00:29:33.675 --> 00:29:35.655 of the documentation process. 00:29:35.895 --> 00:29:35.985 Mm-hmm. 00:29:36.225 --> 00:29:40.875 Um, allows it, it more easily allows learners to be able to see it because 00:29:40.875 --> 00:29:44.085 we can settle and we can sit in it a little bit more, if that makes sense. 00:29:44.085 --> 00:29:44.475 Yeah. 00:29:44.925 --> 00:29:48.070 And what have you used for your virtual learning wall Jess? 00:29:48.180 --> 00:29:51.780 Yeah, I mean, I definitely favor an in-person learning wall, but sometimes 00:29:51.780 --> 00:29:54.990 that's kind of what you have, and I also do love the way that I can kind of 00:29:54.990 --> 00:29:56.820 link things that I'm, I'm working on. 00:29:56.850 --> 00:30:01.970 But, uh, virtual learning walls I love, fig Jam, , is, uh, an app that I use. 00:30:02.030 --> 00:30:06.230 Um, and then I also, Miro is another favorite of mine as well too. 00:30:06.530 --> 00:30:08.480 So those are two that I use a lot. 00:30:08.510 --> 00:30:11.120 Um, I have also used Padlet. 00:30:11.210 --> 00:30:13.730 Um, there's a sandbox feature on there. 00:30:14.104 --> 00:30:14.975 Um, yeah. 00:30:14.975 --> 00:30:18.725 The Sandbox feature allows you to build something a little bit more organic, and I 00:30:18.725 --> 00:30:23.465 love that for our younger learners because everything is a little bit more, um, 00:30:23.514 --> 00:30:27.715 contained, if you will, Figma, um, can get a little bit expansive 00:30:27.715 --> 00:30:29.845 and it can get easily lost. 00:30:30.264 --> 00:30:33.504 Um, uh, so those are the ones kind of I favor for now that 00:30:33.504 --> 00:30:34.495 I've been tinkering with. 00:30:34.495 --> 00:30:37.885 But there's educators who all the time will see me at conferences or work that 00:30:37.885 --> 00:30:40.585 I'm doing with their schools and say, can I show you what I'm trying now? 00:30:40.795 --> 00:30:43.524 So there's always things that kind of bubble up across time, but again, that's 00:30:43.524 --> 00:30:45.565 an intentionality around the tool. 00:30:45.745 --> 00:30:46.555 Does it fit? 00:30:46.555 --> 00:30:50.514 How are you asking your learners to be able to reference it and utilize it? 00:30:50.514 --> 00:30:54.710 So um, yeah not, saying no to virtual learning walls. 00:30:55.010 --> 00:30:57.560 Um, it's just that intentionality around as well too. 00:30:57.560 --> 00:31:01.850 So, and I'll make sure that I share with you um, there's a virtual 00:31:01.850 --> 00:31:05.120 learning wall resource that I also have linked on that website page too. 00:31:05.210 --> 00:31:05.270 Oh, okay. 00:31:05.630 --> 00:31:07.580 That has a couple of features Yeah. 00:31:07.580 --> 00:31:08.255 For teachers to use. 00:31:08.415 --> 00:31:11.420 'cause I didn't want those who, maybe that's the only pathway 00:31:11.420 --> 00:31:14.060 and avenue that they have to say, well, I can't go do that. 00:31:14.065 --> 00:31:14.375 Mm-hmm. 00:31:14.460 --> 00:31:16.790 You know, my, my thought and feeling about a Yeah, but. 00:31:16.850 --> 00:31:20.510 To me, the barrier is the way, and so I don't avoid that. 00:31:20.750 --> 00:31:24.620 Uh, I playfully say yeah, but okay, let's, yes, and together. 00:31:24.620 --> 00:31:25.820 And how might we do that? 00:31:26.000 --> 00:31:30.919 So there's a virtual learning wall, a resource that I created, um, that has, 00:31:31.120 --> 00:31:34.989 little like virtual sticky notes and some string, if you will, just like you 00:31:34.989 --> 00:31:36.820 were saying for that connection piece. 00:31:37.030 --> 00:31:40.000 Some phases of inquiry cycle, some numbers, and maybe 00:31:40.000 --> 00:31:41.260 some other playful icons. 00:31:41.260 --> 00:31:44.080 So, um, we'll make sure that your listeners also have 00:31:44.080 --> 00:31:45.489 accesss to that as well. 00:31:46.175 --> 00:31:49.745 I do think though, that in, uh, an elementary school, there's nothing 00:31:49.745 --> 00:31:52.175 better than a physical learning wall. 00:31:52.235 --> 00:31:53.105 We need that. 00:31:53.255 --> 00:31:57.455 But I was just thinking if people are in middle school and a high school, and 00:31:57.455 --> 00:31:59.645 maybe you're an educator that travels, 00:32:00.035 --> 00:32:02.045 I mean, I've seen examples that you've done. 00:32:02.045 --> 00:32:05.615 There are ways to, uh, overcome that with big roll of paper. 00:32:06.005 --> 00:32:09.545 But if you were a traveling educator, you could have something, 00:32:09.815 --> 00:32:12.090 digitally if you weren't mm-hmm. 00:32:12.170 --> 00:32:15.425 If you didn't have the space in you borrowing a classroom. 00:32:15.430 --> 00:32:15.450 Mm-hmm. 00:32:15.530 --> 00:32:16.330 You know, something like that. 00:32:16.330 --> 00:32:16.331 Mm-hmm. 00:32:16.985 --> 00:32:20.385 So, again, there's no barrier. 00:32:20.385 --> 00:32:20.774 Right. 00:32:20.804 --> 00:32:22.665 We just find a way, a workaround. 00:32:23.235 --> 00:32:30.554 Jess, your book is full of real examples mm-hmm of learning walls, can you 00:32:30.554 --> 00:32:36.899 share a favorite moment or story from a classroom that really captures the 00:32:36.899 --> 00:32:39.810 power of learning walls in action. 00:32:42.090 --> 00:32:44.370 Oh I don't know if I can choose one. 00:32:44.429 --> 00:32:48.239 Um, while I'm kind of, you know, noodling on it. 00:32:48.239 --> 00:32:53.519 You know, part three of the publication has educators all the way from the, 00:32:53.519 --> 00:32:57.929 um, early years classroom all the way up to the collegiate level, and 00:32:57.929 --> 00:32:59.729 even some school leaders as well too. 00:33:00.149 --> 00:33:05.009 Talking about their process of building a learning wall, um, and, 00:33:05.009 --> 00:33:08.609 and kind of walking you through their thinking, their missteps, the things 00:33:08.609 --> 00:33:10.589 that they learn, those aha moments. 00:33:10.769 --> 00:33:15.419 And so, um, you know, I, I definitely tapped on the shoulders of these educators 00:33:15.419 --> 00:33:19.799 just because I really appreciate, their vulnerable sharing and, and how they 00:33:19.799 --> 00:33:24.024 were tinkering with maybe an idea that was not really, um, common practice 00:33:24.024 --> 00:33:27.444 within their school or was just kind of something that was newer for them. 00:33:27.654 --> 00:33:30.054 So these are definitely a lot of my favorites. 00:33:30.414 --> 00:33:34.074 Um, you know what I'd say, uh, one of my favorites actually comes 00:33:34.074 --> 00:33:35.725 from an early years educator. 00:33:36.144 --> 00:33:41.094 Um, she ended up built building a learning wall just on that sheet, 00:33:41.154 --> 00:33:45.504 uh, a roll of butcher paper, um, for a two week unit of inquiry 00:33:45.504 --> 00:33:47.514 focused on the concept of movement. 00:33:47.874 --> 00:33:53.609 Um, and I really love how she intentionally not only attached 00:33:53.609 --> 00:33:57.299 different types of artifacts, even kind of some 3D and tactile ones, 00:33:57.689 --> 00:34:00.509 but here's the thing, it wasn't the actual building of the learning wall 00:34:00.509 --> 00:34:02.219 that stands out that it's my favorite. 00:34:02.459 --> 00:34:04.649 It's because of what happened afterwards. 00:34:04.649 --> 00:34:07.049 So she didn't have a whole lot of wall space. 00:34:07.199 --> 00:34:09.629 She would, um, unroll this sheet of butcher paper. 00:34:10.545 --> 00:34:14.565 Take new magnets and put it onto her, um, whiteboard and then take it down. 00:34:14.565 --> 00:34:16.995 And then she ended up just rolling this out and keeping 00:34:16.995 --> 00:34:18.435 it in a little bit of a bin. 00:34:18.764 --> 00:34:22.364 Um, and then she collected these across the school year. 00:34:22.514 --> 00:34:26.955 Well, at the very end of the school year, she had student led conferences. 00:34:27.134 --> 00:34:30.999 Her students who were learning English as a second language, and they now 00:34:30.999 --> 00:34:36.309 could read and share their own learning journey to their families, and they 00:34:36.309 --> 00:34:39.939 got to choose which of their learning journeys spoke to them the most. 00:34:40.179 --> 00:34:46.059 So I'd say that is definitely a favorite just because of that empowering experience 00:34:46.059 --> 00:34:50.049 for these students who couldn't speak English at the very start of the year, 00:34:50.049 --> 00:34:54.849 and how they just felt so confident and proud of who they were as a 00:34:54.849 --> 00:34:58.659 learner and how they got to participate in this practice that we always 00:34:58.895 --> 00:35:02.585 or sometimes I should say think is for older students. 00:35:02.615 --> 00:35:07.205 Um, and just that flexibility and that playful mindset and that practice, 00:35:07.325 --> 00:35:12.335 that explicit teaching that she kept going back to across the year, um, 00:35:12.395 --> 00:35:17.255 ended up in, in such a powerful, um, experience for learners and 00:35:17.255 --> 00:35:18.965 also for their families as well. 00:35:19.859 --> 00:35:21.540 Jess, that's just beautiful. 00:35:21.810 --> 00:35:23.640 That's almost made me emotional. 00:35:24.935 --> 00:35:27.540 Ah, that's a good one, isn't it? 00:35:28.229 --> 00:35:30.390 Geez, that is, that's pretty good. 00:35:30.479 --> 00:35:31.379 That's pretty good. 00:35:31.489 --> 00:35:35.749 Jess, listen, I think it's almost getting time to finish up here. 00:35:35.749 --> 00:35:42.814 So let's think about wrapping up and let's finish with, what do you hope teachers 00:35:42.814 --> 00:35:45.774 take away from Evidence of Inquiry, 00:35:45.834 --> 00:35:52.404 your, your latest publication, and how do you see this work, transforming classrooms 00:35:52.494 --> 00:35:55.734 and the culture in classrooms over time? 00:35:59.184 --> 00:36:00.084 A great question. 00:36:00.084 --> 00:36:00.744 Edwina. 00:36:00.774 --> 00:36:01.404 Um. 00:36:02.274 --> 00:36:08.184 Gosh, I think that I want educators to feel empowered. 00:36:08.184 --> 00:36:12.684 I think the same theme ran true with my first publication. 00:36:12.984 --> 00:36:16.494 I wanted inquiry and I want inquiry to feel tangible. 00:36:16.494 --> 00:36:18.684 There, of course, is a depth and complexity to it. 00:36:18.684 --> 00:36:22.104 I'm still learning so many things, and I've been practicing 00:36:22.104 --> 00:36:23.094 as an inquiry educator 00:36:23.439 --> 00:36:24.729 for quite some time. 00:36:25.239 --> 00:36:29.829 Um, and also I want everybody to feel like they can take that first step. 00:36:30.069 --> 00:36:35.289 So, um, I was really adamant with the learning walls that are here to not always 00:36:35.289 --> 00:36:40.749 be those gold stars and to have spelling mistakes and to be these imperfect, um, 00:36:40.754 --> 00:36:46.419 works of, of authentic documentation so that way everybody could see themselves 00:36:46.824 --> 00:36:48.564 within this publication. 00:36:48.834 --> 00:36:57.264 Um, and I think that, you know, beyond this, I hope that this is a provocation 00:36:57.264 --> 00:37:01.794 for educators to think about their documentation practice differently for 00:37:01.794 --> 00:37:06.474 school leaders to think about how they're documenting, how they're modeling the 00:37:06.474 --> 00:37:08.874 model, um, maybe a little bit differently. 00:37:09.264 --> 00:37:11.214 Um, and then of course, you know 00:37:12.339 --> 00:37:17.679 there's amazing educators who I'm following with this publication, you 00:37:17.679 --> 00:37:21.639 know, like Mark Church and Ron Ritchart and their work with thinking routines. 00:37:21.639 --> 00:37:26.409 Just, you know, super grateful and honored that Ron, um, wrote 00:37:26.409 --> 00:37:30.169 an endorsement for the publication and find such value in the work. 00:37:30.169 --> 00:37:33.199 And, you know, of course Kath Murdoch and the work that she's done in 00:37:33.199 --> 00:37:37.069 schools for so many years, I mean, the list definitely does go on. 00:37:37.069 --> 00:37:41.299 And so just, um, inviting other educators to, of course, connect 00:37:41.509 --> 00:37:44.989 with those leaders in this space who maybe they are not familiar with. 00:37:45.314 --> 00:37:49.634 And then also the amazing educators who are in this book who don't have their 00:37:49.634 --> 00:37:53.954 own publication, but getting to be inspired by them reaching out to them 00:37:53.954 --> 00:37:58.334 and staying connected and, and sharing our learning walls in spaces with each 00:37:58.334 --> 00:38:02.774 other, whether it be on LinkedIn or in Instagram or or wherever it might be. 00:38:02.774 --> 00:38:05.924 Sending them my way so I can share them a little bit more broadly. 00:38:06.104 --> 00:38:10.964 We really are all better together and, um, like I said when we started 00:38:10.964 --> 00:38:15.914 today's, um, podcast, like I have gotten better because of other educators 00:38:16.124 --> 00:38:18.464 teaching me and tinkering with ideas. 00:38:18.464 --> 00:38:23.174 And so I hope the conversation doesn't stop after, um, your 00:38:23.174 --> 00:38:27.734 listeners, you know, finish up this almost 400 page publication. 00:38:28.154 --> 00:38:32.354 I hope that the continuation of the conversation, uh, you know, is just, 00:38:32.384 --> 00:38:33.884 um, the beginning, if you will. 00:38:35.584 --> 00:38:37.684 Jess, is there another one in the pipeline? 00:38:37.684 --> 00:38:39.184 Do you have another one up your sleeve? 00:38:41.614 --> 00:38:44.014 Uh, never say never. 00:38:44.074 --> 00:38:48.844 Um, I do have some ideas, but I, I am gonna push pause for a little bit. 00:38:49.174 --> 00:38:49.939 Um, but yes. 00:38:50.294 --> 00:38:52.184 There, there will be more sometime. 00:38:52.184 --> 00:38:55.819 Right now I'm just savoring and enjoying all that, that, 00:38:55.904 --> 00:38:57.284 um, publishing a book brings. 00:38:57.284 --> 00:38:57.764 So, yeah. 00:38:59.564 --> 00:39:06.464 Jessica Vance, thank you so much for everything you do for education, uh, 00:39:06.464 --> 00:39:13.939 especially in the space of inquiry and your publication, which is now in print. 00:39:14.029 --> 00:39:18.979 It's a book, it's a physical thing that we can see and hold, and I really 00:39:18.979 --> 00:39:24.199 encourage everybody out there to go and get it and to just dip your toe in and 00:39:24.199 --> 00:39:26.299 have a go, just like all of us have. 00:39:26.959 --> 00:39:29.449 Uh, and it will be the best thing that you've ever done 00:39:29.449 --> 00:39:30.739 for yourself and your students. 00:39:30.739 --> 00:39:36.229 So thank you so much for being the lighthouse and for your inspiration 00:39:36.229 --> 00:39:40.609 to all inquiry educators and actually just to all educators out there. 00:39:40.639 --> 00:39:47.109 I hope that if anybody listening will be inspired to just start this way 00:39:47.109 --> 00:39:51.609 of learning and teaching, which is just so powerful for our students. 00:39:51.609 --> 00:39:54.699 Thank you so much for adding to the joy. 00:39:55.024 --> 00:39:55.954 You are very kind, Edwina. 00:39:56.104 --> 00:39:57.274 Thank you for having me. 00:39:57.274 --> 00:40:01.234 And if you have listened to the end of this podcast, grateful for you all. 00:40:01.234 --> 00:40:02.854 And yeah, please stay in touch. 00:40:02.854 --> 00:40:07.384 You can say hello, um, share your learning wall and yeah, um, 00:40:07.384 --> 00:40:10.634 hopefully I'll get to come back with whatever I have next Edwina. 00:40:10.774 --> 00:40:11.164 Thanks again.