Book Club 2023-24 - Michigan CoOp

Unlearning

by Allison Posey and Katie Novak

Learning to Unlearn

Why is changing what we do so hard? Posey and Novak posit that, to change how we think about teaching, how to manage classrooms, and how to develop curriculum, we must unlearn. In a profession that spends so much time thinking about learning, the process of unlearning is what needs to happen before real change can happen. This book is for teachers and the professionals who support them. It is for educators who are interested in UDL but have not been able to transform practice to increase the outcomes of all learners.

Order Unlearning on Amazon

Schedule

All dates meet at 4:00 pm Eastern Time Zone

DATE	DISCUSSION
October 26, 2023	Book Club Kick-Off/Three Teaspoons of Lemon Juice In this first meeting of our book club, we will spend time meeting one another and why we want to read this book. We’ll also spend a little time discussing the “not an introduction” of Unlearning.
January 10, 2024	Chapters 1-2 Reflection/Potential Discussion Questions What current options do you offer your students to engage them in their learning and to demonstrate their knowledge? Does your “buffet” include options for Engagement, Representation, and Action and Expression (UDL principles)? What practice did you doodle about on page 11? Did it change your thinking about students’ variability? Did a specific student (or students) come to mind that you wrote or doodled about on page 17? Have you had an “aha” moment like the ice cream shop? How did it shift your thinking? How do you set meaningful and relevant goals with your students? How do you and your students monitor their progress and know when they’ve reached those goals? Consider reading or watching some resources that go along with these chapters. Download a copy of the UDL guidelines at bit.ly/CAST-UDL-guidelines Explore this article from Katie Novak on asset-based vs. deficit-based mindsets at www.novakeducation.com/student-variability Read this article “Beyond Average” from Harvard Ed. Magazine at bit.ly/Beyond-Average Watch this TEDx with Todd Rose at bit.ly/Todd-Rose-TED Check out this article from Katie Novak which features a helpful UDL Flowchart to leverage bit.ly/UDL-Flowchart Watch this TEDx talk from Alan Norman which features a great example of the benefit of empowering learners through goal setting bit.ly/Alan-Norma-TEDx
March 5, 2024	Chapters 3-4 Reflection/Potential Discussion Questions What habits have you tried to break and how did you do it? Share small changes you have tried and the results of those changes. What strategies do you use to relieve your own cognitive load in some situations (at home or at school)? What barriers do you face to engaging in UDL implementation? What “moment of wonder” can you share about your classroom that was a result of UDL implementation? Consider reading or watching some resources that go along with these chapters. Explore unlearning thinking models at shift.to/essentials-guidebook/unlearning. Tips and tricks for building UDL in your classroom from EdSurge. 13-minute interview video with Malcolm Gladwell, author of The Tipping Point.
May 8, 2024	Chapters 5-6 More details to come