If you prefer to listen, click on the video above! Be kind, this is my first time to read my blog....it is not a strength of mine, but thought perhaps this would be better for some of you who would prefer to listen. In January, I decided I needed a hobby. I think for people who work in education, it is really important to have something that is completely for yourself because we spend most of our days serving others and come home to continue to serve others and I think we miss out on the need to also serve ourselves. But this post isn't about that necessarily....it is about my journey in learning to crochet. I hope that as you read this, you compare my journey to the journey kids have in school and could potentially have in your class as they are learning something new, just like I did. Beginning with the endSo I knew that I wanted to learn to crochet, but why? What was I going to use it for?What did I want to create? How would I know I was successful? First of all, I have an undying obsession with blankets. I love them, I use them constantly, and many hold great meaning to me and I wanted to give that to someone else. My friend was having a baby and I wanted to make something personal, so I decided on making a simple baby blanket. I knew that it was small enough that I would be able to finish, which I'll be honest is a BIG deal. I am well-known for starting and never finishing many of my craft projects (my husband was sure to point this out when I told him about my idea). I also loved this idea, because I knew that I could keep it simple, without forfeiting it's beauty or value. Choosing something complex or that required a lot of time would only frustrate me and cause me to give up before I ever really learned. These two principles really guided my decision on my final product. Collecting ResourcesNow that I knew what I wanted to do, I needed to do a little research on crocheting and find a specific example of what I wanted. I went to my favorite site where all my crafting needs are met, Pinterest. From here it was trial and error, I spent some time typing in different searches, "easy crochet baby blanket", "beginners crochet blanket", "how to crochet for beginners", so on and so forth. I built up some resources on a board that I could refer to as learned. My learning processThe Foundation I didn't start right away with the blanket. I started with just trying to learn a basic stitch. So after reviewing my resources, I found that learning the single crochet stitch was the very basic first step. I grabbed a hook, my yarn, and turned on a video....and then when it didn't quite look right, I turned on another video....and this continued through about 4-5 videos until I found one that really spoke to me and made sense. Then I practiced....I probably went about trying this same stitch for about 20-25 mintues. When I thought it looked pretty good, I took a picture of it and sent it to my mom. Apparently, it wasn't really that good. My mom wrote on the picture and showed me where I had messed up. Gave me a smiley face, and told me it was a great try..... I spent another 10-15 minutes correcting my mistakes. Sent my mom a new picture. This time I got it right. So I hung up my yarn and hooks for the evening and decided to come back later and continue practicing. I did just that. The next couple nights I worked on the single crochet stitch. I added a bit to what I learned each night, how to turn and add another line, counting stitches, etc. I continued to send my pics and she continued to help me fix my mistakes. Time to show what I knowAfter I felt pretty comfortable with what I learned, it was time to show it. I was ready to begin making my blanket. At this time I went back to my resources that I had collected on Pinterest and started sifting through some of the baby blankets I had saved. I ruled out ones that were out of my level. See I hadn't learned some of the more complicated stitches, I couldn't complete those blankets, but I had learned something. So I decided on a simple striped baby blanket, that required me to be able to do the single crochet stitch. To begin the blanket I had to make some decisions, what color or colors, how big did it need to be, what size hook did I need, how thick of yarn did I want to use? So I got out my journal and started to plan. Went to the store and purchased my supplies. Then I started....but it wasn't just like I quickly whipped up this blanket without any issues. I knew how to do a single-crochet stitch, but I wasn't perfect. I crocheted for a few days, got 5-6 lines done...took a picture and sent it to my mom. She told me some areas I could improve, and so as I continued with the blanket, I made sure to correct those things. Then it came time to switch colors. I hadn't learned that....yet! Did I just stop? Did my mom tell me, well Meredith, I guess you just get what you get? No, she pointed me to a few more resources, and I learned how to do a color change. A few weeks went by, and my blanket was finished. Well I thought it was. I was so proud! It was beautiful. I went to visit my mom and brought the blanket with me to show her. She praised me and told me how amazing it was. Then she offered a suggestion, what about a border? It will really help clean it up. She showed me how to complete it and that's what I did. Now, I had something even more amazing and beautiful and I was so excited to give it to my friend for her new baby. Continuing my journeySince then, I have created another afghan, using that same stitch. But this time I used two types of yarn to add more effect. I made it larger and so it required a bit more stamina. I am now currently working on a much more complicated project. It requires me to use different types of stitches and lots of color changes. My foundation and level of confidence has allowed me to try these harder things. I still need scaffolding and help from my mom when videos and books aren't enough but that help isn't needed immediately or as often. I do still need her praise. I still send her pictures of what I've accomplished, and I love to hear how proud of me she is. She is still there to support me. So what does this have to do with the classroom?Absolutely everything. 1. Make it relevant. I didn't learn crochet because someone forced me. Now, I know some subjects that is hard to do...but we must TRY! 2. Choose our tools and resources carefully. In my case, crocheting resources are found easily using Pinterest. That was the right tool for the job. Researching how to crochet on CNN, would have proven much less productive. As teachers, instructional technologist, librarians, academic specialists, etc we need to make sure we are using the right tool. Not any tool will do! It needs to be relevant, easy to use, and enhance the learning. I think we also have to give great time in choosing our resources. Text, videos, images, resources on different levels, are all going to be necessary as our students are not one-size fits all. 3. Provide feedback in a timely and well-constructed manner. I didn't get a grade for my first attempt. My mom didn't tell me how bad it looked. She showed me what went wrong, where I probably messed up, and how to fix it. She did it immediately. She didn't wait a day before answering my text. As teachers for adults or kids, we must find ways to provide feedback in a more timely, efficient, and effective manner. Grades aren't the answer. 4. Meet kids where they are. I was a beginner. My background knowledge was low. I didn't create a blanket that was too hard. I created a blanket that I felt confident I could complete, but not so simplistic, that there wasn't room for more growth. Individualize and differentiate content, projects, assignments as much as you can for your students. Provide them choice so you can meet the needs of your learners where they are. 5. Provide enrichment or reflection at the end of units/projects. I thought my blanket was done. I thought there was nothing else I could do, it was perfect. It wasn't. I could add a border to really enhance what I had already done. Just because a student finishes a project, it doesn't mean that it is complete or without error. Find time to allow for reflection and peer feedback. 6. Build confidence. I felt good about my blanket. I was confident that I could create something even better. With confidence we are willing to take risks. We are willing to try things that we would have found impossible before. Keep that in mind when starting school. Start with something that can build confidence in your students and can carry them throughout the year. 7. Give kids time. I didn't learn to crochet in a day. I tried it one day, needed feedback, tried again over the next few days and got some more feedback. I practiced. I asked questions. I re-watched videos. I browsed through pictures of what others had done. It took me time to decide on a product, how I would make it, what it would look like....I started it, restarted it, and revised it. It takes time! I hope that you were able to find my journey in learning something new relevant to learning in the classroom. I hope that as you continue to learn new things you will keep in mind your own process and apply it in your classroom.
As always, would love to hear if you have any other thoughts. Did you get something more than what I mentioned or disagree with a thought? Leave me your comments!
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April 2018
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