What is Action?
Many people think that Action is easy to define. It is something you do, right? But Action is much more than that. Action is a part of who we are. If we want to change the world we need to start with changing ourselves. But sometimes change is hard. How do we make changes to the way we think so we can help the world?
If we want children to make a difference in the world we need to help them personalize the action they take, and understand that it is not just a mandate from their teachers and parents, but a life long mindset they develop.
Taking action can happen at any age. It’s all about how we as parents, educators, and the community, support children and youth as they begin the learning journey towards becoming adults that are change agents!
Every teacher wants their students to take action that makes a difference to and in the world. I believe that the concept of action is more a state of mind than a product. Action can only make a resonating difference to and in the world when it is developed in tandem with a toolbox of explicitly taught skills, modeled behaviors, scaffolded plans and a gradual release of responsibility.
Teachers need to provide the scaffolded learning experiences that help students gain the skills (including how to collaborate and how to focus on solving challenges) and knowledge to take sustained and meaningful action.
If we want children to make a difference in the world we need to help them personalize the action they take, and understand that it is not just a mandate from their teachers and parents, but a life long mindset they develop.
Taking action can happen at any age. It’s all about how we as parents, educators, and the community, support children and youth as they begin the learning journey towards becoming adults that are change agents!
Every teacher wants their students to take action that makes a difference to and in the world. I believe that the concept of action is more a state of mind than a product. Action can only make a resonating difference to and in the world when it is developed in tandem with a toolbox of explicitly taught skills, modeled behaviors, scaffolded plans and a gradual release of responsibility.
Teachers need to provide the scaffolded learning experiences that help students gain the skills (including how to collaborate and how to focus on solving challenges) and knowledge to take sustained and meaningful action.
Ask Yourself
Q1. What does student initiated action look like ?
Q2. What does action look like at different ages?
Q3. How is student action recorded?
Q4. Is action assessed and reported on? How?
Q5. How is action modeled and valued by teachers and parents?
Q6. How is action celebrated in your school community?
Q7. How does reflection inspire action?
Q8. How does a conceptual curriculum support action?
Q9. What is inquiry's relationship to action?
Q10. How are skills scaffolded so students have capacity to take action?
Q2. What does action look like at different ages?
Q3. How is student action recorded?
Q4. Is action assessed and reported on? How?
Q5. How is action modeled and valued by teachers and parents?
Q6. How is action celebrated in your school community?
Q7. How does reflection inspire action?
Q8. How does a conceptual curriculum support action?
Q9. What is inquiry's relationship to action?
Q10. How are skills scaffolded so students have capacity to take action?
www.HelpTakeAction.com provides a free curriculum framework and supplementary resources to implement the scaffolding of the necessary skills that students need in order to take action. The site includes an Action Phase Document, accompanied by resources that focus on the following:
The Tuning In stage of taking action requires that teachers and students become aware of the structure of the classroom environment and how they engage, scaffold for, and approach problem solving in the learning community. At this stage, teachers assess prior knowledge of skills and work collaboratively with students to develop a conceptual understanding of what action is within their classroom.
The Finding Out stage of taking action requires that teachers and students investigate experiences that add to their knowledge base. At this stage, teachers and learners place emphasis on the development of the skills needed to gather and record data in a variety of ways.
The Sorting Out stage of taking action requires that teachers and students plan and prepare for ways in which they envision themselves taking action. At this stage, teachers will foster the creation of systems for students to organize, analyze and communicate the information they have gathered. The learning community will set goals for plans of action and track their progress over time.
The Going Further stage of taking action requires that teachers and students act on the plans they have made. At this stage, the teachers provide opportunities for students to pursue the action they want to take and support the learners in the choices of appropriate mediums to take action. Students at this stage may raise and revisit questions, problems or complications to further the scope or direction of their action.
The Sharing Findings stage of taking action requires that teachers and students advocate for the action that they have taken. At this stage, teachers focus on fine tuning the skills needed to have the students’ message reach a larger audience. Additionally, students are now experts in their understandings and identify multiple avenues for application.
The Sustainable Action stage of taking action requires that teachers and students create, monitor and foster systems to sustain the action they have generated. At this stage, students reflect on the action they have taken and ways in which they can broaden their base of influence. The goal is to have the action become extended beyond the original creator of the idea. To take the action from a local to global platforms.
The Tuning In stage of taking action requires that teachers and students become aware of the structure of the classroom environment and how they engage, scaffold for, and approach problem solving in the learning community. At this stage, teachers assess prior knowledge of skills and work collaboratively with students to develop a conceptual understanding of what action is within their classroom.
The Finding Out stage of taking action requires that teachers and students investigate experiences that add to their knowledge base. At this stage, teachers and learners place emphasis on the development of the skills needed to gather and record data in a variety of ways.
The Sorting Out stage of taking action requires that teachers and students plan and prepare for ways in which they envision themselves taking action. At this stage, teachers will foster the creation of systems for students to organize, analyze and communicate the information they have gathered. The learning community will set goals for plans of action and track their progress over time.
The Going Further stage of taking action requires that teachers and students act on the plans they have made. At this stage, the teachers provide opportunities for students to pursue the action they want to take and support the learners in the choices of appropriate mediums to take action. Students at this stage may raise and revisit questions, problems or complications to further the scope or direction of their action.
The Sharing Findings stage of taking action requires that teachers and students advocate for the action that they have taken. At this stage, teachers focus on fine tuning the skills needed to have the students’ message reach a larger audience. Additionally, students are now experts in their understandings and identify multiple avenues for application.
The Sustainable Action stage of taking action requires that teachers and students create, monitor and foster systems to sustain the action they have generated. At this stage, students reflect on the action they have taken and ways in which they can broaden their base of influence. The goal is to have the action become extended beyond the original creator of the idea. To take the action from a local to global platforms.
Excellent resource for any classroom, especially International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP) classrooms and teachers facilitating The PYP Exhibition. I really enjoyed the use of the IB Learner Profile attributes and the PYP attitudes throughout the book.
-Katryna Jacober, IB Teacher and IB PYP Coordinator