Students are PRODUCERS rather than consumers!

I first heard this statement from my former amazing academic director, Eileen Freely Baker, and it has guided me well in my classroom practice. It compelled me to hone my conceptual inquiry-based teaching and learning. Of course, it wasn't and will never be a walk in the park, but my experience and reflections made me and will continue to make me better for my students.

Living with this statement, I figured out that students could successfully become great producers (with or without the use of their iPads) if I do the following:

1. clear expectations

• set clear expectations before doing their tasks

• students in pairs or groups go over the rubric or checklist thoroughly

2. timely and constructive feedback

• roam around the room (This is the reason why I don't have a teacher's table in my room because I need to force myself to go around and check how my students are working)

• challenge students' thinking

3. modelling and exemplars

• model skills and processes

• show exemplars, not to copy content but to inspire students to come up with better ideas (I always use the best products of my past students.)

• let students ramble around and see what their classmates are doing so they can get inspiration

​4. peer feedback

• let students share their plans with their buddy or with another group so they can get feedback for improvement

• in the middle of the activity, give students time to share what they finished and plans in completing it so they can get feedback for improvement

The most exciting part is when students display their work around the room. It's a celebration of their hard work and creativity! Through the years, I learned how to organise my classroom not only to showcase and celebrate their thinking and creativity but so they can use the same to reflect on their processes and learn from each other. Moreover, I learned NOT to display students' work if:

1. students haven't shared them- whole class, in pairs or groups;

2. students haven't reflected on them, either orally or written;

3. students haven't done self-assessment and/or peer assessment, either orally or written (rubric, checklist);

4. I haven't formatively assessed them to inform my teaching;

5. they don't show thinking and learning processes- No worksheets!;

6. I don't have a brief description of the task.

The pictures below were from my classroom. I was teaching Year 6 at Khartoum International Community School. Please note that I took these pictures during our 6th week of school. Those tasks made by the students through their iPads are not displayed.