The Power of Because
Over the course of the 2023-2024 school year, we have worked to assess what the success rate would be if we added the “because” tool within our language arts classrooms. The initial problem of practice was students’ limited ability to apply higher-level thinking skills to their oral/written responses. The idea of this project had us questioning whether or not the “because” tool would increase students’ ability to think critically. Success would be demonstrated through the use of classroom data such as MAP assessments, teacher observations, student work samples and teacher and student reflections. Upon the conclusion of this year, it has been determined that the “because” tool did showcase a significant amount of student gains in critical thinking and processing. Based on the results, we have decided to expand on this work and spend the summer crafting an online video library for our own personal use and the use of our colleagues as we think about moving students forward.
Project Showcase
