Showing posts with label Digital Learning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Digital Learning. Show all posts
Sunday, September 8, 2024
Monday, September 11, 2023
Monday, April 6, 2020
Adapting to a New Technological Environment
While biological adaptation happens due to environmental stressors over long periods of time, mental and social adaptations can happen much faster under certain conditions. What we are currently witnessing in relation to teaching and learning is a change that not only shows what we, as humans, are capable of but also the degree to which our schools are capable of serving students. While education reform seems somewhat out of reach most days, times like this, although unfortunate in many ways, can force our constructs and viewpoints to change and ultimately result in natural and positive reforms. Dr. Derek Voiles put it best in a recent tweet when he said, “The schools we walked out of won’t be the same schools we walk back into when this is all over. Our schools won’t just be different, they’ll be better.”
Northwest ISD is fortunate to have many resources already in place to help make our staff and students successful during times like this. However, the particular challenge brought about by Covid-19 has shined a light on areas of need and allowed us to take steps to help improve things like online access, technology training, and remote communication. In addition, educators in our district have been given the challenge of using this time to really focus on student relationships, learning, and growth in very innovative ways.
Math typically takes a lot of practice and, traditionally, practice looks a lot like plugging away with a pencil, paper, and a calculator to work out a solution. While that pencil and paper practice is an important part of understanding the way math works, NISD Algebra II teachers took it a step further by trying their hands at an app called Explain Everything on the iPad where they smashed it together with Zoom to create incredible videos that bring calculations off the page for students.
When NISD teachers began looking at the shift to remote learning, many wondered how elementary students would be able to learn without being physically present with their teacher and classmates. How could our youngest children possibly manage their own learning tasks? It became apparent very quickly that most of our elementary teachers were teaching a level of independent learning prior to the break and that many of these students were able to adapt very quickly to a remote situation.
Although the changes in the trajectory of society due to Covid-19 are some that we will be navigating for years to come, the world of education is one that is capable of mastering this shift and the obstacles that come with it. Educators are meeting this challenge head on with every bit of creativity and determination they have for the sake of their students. Some critics are predicting that this change will automate learning in a way that will make teaching an obsolete profession. However, through this, we are not only learning how much technology can help produce student independence but we are also learning how necessary human beings are in making the use of these tools relevant to learning and student success. Without previously established expectations and student relationships, these teachers would be dealing with completely different results. Educators are a necessary element to making learning meaningful for each and every one of their students and they cannot be replaced by technology. Circumstances like this will only enhance skills of both teachers and their students and everyone will grow as a result.
Monday, January 27, 2020
A “Different” Approach to “Leaving No Student Behind”
Educators are always looking for new ways to reach students and help them find methods or paths for acquiring success in the classroom. However, it seems that there are some students who, despite our best efforts (and their own), struggle with the institutional process of acquiring knowledge and skills necessary to meet traditional measures of success. After recently reading the words of Katie Usher, a Texas elementary school teacher, it became clear that well-known classroom differentiation practices, although very effective and successful for some, may not be enough for students who need a completely different learning environment in order to access the content needed for mastery. Although Katie’s experiences are based on a gifted classroom, her words are important for all students. She asserts that “In the digital era, we can provide all of our students with technological ways to enhance their learning, no matter their academic label. Every student is different and needs to be offered a variety of ways to show what they’ve learned in a way that reflects their individuality.” This is exactly the philosophy behind the ever growing "Eagle Strong" cycle recovery program offered at Eaton High School (EHS).
Alicia Dunson, a Professional Communication teacher at Eaton, has spent a majority of her career working to find ways to reach students where they are and to help them progress and find methods for success that work for them. Alicia starts by learning about her students and building relationships with them that allow her to not only ask her students some tough questions about previous academic patterns but she is also able to use her positive relationships to push these students to develop levels of accountability and self-sufficiency that gives them ownership in their own learning moving forward. This philosophy of teaching made Alicia a perfect fit to help develop the "Eagle Strong" cycle recovery program at EHS and to begin working with students to access systems and methods more appropriate for their individual learning needs.
In this program, students are identified as needing intervention before completely failing a course and they are not only given an opportunity to access narrowed and unmastered course content through a self-paced online platform, but they also have the support of certified educators working on campus that can assist as needed. Mrs. Dunson facilitates student progress by helping them learn ways to record and track their own mastery of coursework that work for them and by connecting students with teachers and tutors before, during, and after school hours. Through use of these online tools and content, qualifying students can showcase existing knowledge that might previously have been a struggle for them to display and to do so in a timely fashion without getting behind in credits and while receiving both built-in and in-person remediation. The ability to digitally self-accelerate beyond concepts already mastered and to slow down to focus on more difficult areas of the curriculum make this educational experience unique and more effective for some than a traditional environment.
One student in Mrs. Dunson’s "Eagle Strong" program credits this experience with helping her to revisit and master content from multiple courses without the stress and pressure she typically experiences in a regular classroom environment. She feels that the ability to move through material at her own pace puts the responsibility on her and she says that “You have to learn. You cannot just zone out or not pay attention. It’s all on you.” Another student said that she has learned study skills that can help her in other courses and she feels the online coursework helps her because the courses “have a different way of teaching and gives students different ways to learn the material.” She likes the ability to watch and re-watch a lot of videos that show her examples and also enjoys the freedom to go through curriculum on her own.
While many students thrive in a traditional school environment, some need more than tradition can offer or they may have experienced circumstances that hinder their progress in all or parts of a particular course. In some situations, students simply need other ways to access content in order to master the skills and knowledge necessary to grow and thrive. EHS is providing a method for students to do just that through the development of their cycle recovery program and they are creating options for students to learn and excel that allow flexibility and choice while not compromising student time, interests, and most importantly, confidence. This program, in essence, is an example of differentiation at its best and as our fellow Texas educator, Katie Usher, put it, “Differentiating allows students to have their voice heard, which can lead them to become self-motivated learners. And that in turn can help increase both their learning growth and their self-awareness of that growth.” These achievements in differentiation are much needed components of our educational system that truly provide for a future where fewer students are “left behind.”
Usher, Katie. “Differentiating by Offering Choices.” Edutopia, George Lucas Educational Foundation, 10 Apr. 2019, www.edutopia.org/article/differentiating-offering-choices.
In this program, students are identified as needing intervention before completely failing a course and they are not only given an opportunity to access narrowed and unmastered course content through a self-paced online platform, but they also have the support of certified educators working on campus that can assist as needed. Mrs. Dunson facilitates student progress by helping them learn ways to record and track their own mastery of coursework that work for them and by connecting students with teachers and tutors before, during, and after school hours. Through use of these online tools and content, qualifying students can showcase existing knowledge that might previously have been a struggle for them to display and to do so in a timely fashion without getting behind in credits and while receiving both built-in and in-person remediation. The ability to digitally self-accelerate beyond concepts already mastered and to slow down to focus on more difficult areas of the curriculum make this educational experience unique and more effective for some than a traditional environment.
One student in Mrs. Dunson’s "Eagle Strong" program credits this experience with helping her to revisit and master content from multiple courses without the stress and pressure she typically experiences in a regular classroom environment. She feels that the ability to move through material at her own pace puts the responsibility on her and she says that “You have to learn. You cannot just zone out or not pay attention. It’s all on you.” Another student said that she has learned study skills that can help her in other courses and she feels the online coursework helps her because the courses “have a different way of teaching and gives students different ways to learn the material.” She likes the ability to watch and re-watch a lot of videos that show her examples and also enjoys the freedom to go through curriculum on her own.
While many students thrive in a traditional school environment, some need more than tradition can offer or they may have experienced circumstances that hinder their progress in all or parts of a particular course. In some situations, students simply need other ways to access content in order to master the skills and knowledge necessary to grow and thrive. EHS is providing a method for students to do just that through the development of their cycle recovery program and they are creating options for students to learn and excel that allow flexibility and choice while not compromising student time, interests, and most importantly, confidence. This program, in essence, is an example of differentiation at its best and as our fellow Texas educator, Katie Usher, put it, “Differentiating allows students to have their voice heard, which can lead them to become self-motivated learners. And that in turn can help increase both their learning growth and their self-awareness of that growth.” These achievements in differentiation are much needed components of our educational system that truly provide for a future where fewer students are “left behind.”
Usher, Katie. “Differentiating by Offering Choices.” Edutopia, George Lucas Educational Foundation, 10 Apr. 2019, www.edutopia.org/article/differentiating-offering-choices.
Monday, January 13, 2020
Personalized and Self-Paced Learning for Educators and Students
Classrooms looks different today than they did years ago. We've evolved from a traditional classroom setting where the teacher is lecturing, to a classroom that is active, innovative, and the students are driving the learning. As an Instructional Technologist, I have been fortunate enough to see many different ways educators approach teaching and learning--from the traditional learning model to some of the most innovative and creative classrooms. To create an innovative, open, and creative place for students and teachers to grow, take risks, and feel comfortable in their own patterns of learning three educators have raised the bar to provide those experiences. This past fall semester, Mrs. Roberts, Mrs. Seale (CTE Teachers), and Mrs. Toht (Science Coach for NISD) reached out to their campus Instructional Technologist, Rene' Egle, to brainstorm ideas of ways to raise the level of learning for students and teachers by integrating technology.
The College and Career Ready course called Professional Communications is an 8th grade curriculum taught by Brittany Roberts and Vanessa Seale at Wilson Middle School. Past learning experiences to present the 27 CCR pathways has been a very teacher driven type environment. This 2019-2020 school year the campus Instructional Technologist hosted a TechBytes during PLC’s titled Creating Choice Boards. This inspired Mrs. Roberts and Mrs. Seale to create a choice board of innovative student facilitated learning of the many pathway opportunities that CTE has to offer. Students were able to click to view their options they were most interested in and document using a Google Form that provided interaction and reflection. Mrs. Roberts stated, “This strategy was useful for students and not overwhelming with multiple documents or pages.”
The excitement and benefits of self-paced learning didn’t stop at Wilson, science teachers throughout the district were provided an opportunity to a self-paced learning experience at district professional development held on January 6th. Courtney Toht, NISD Science Coach, brainstormed new ways to introduce the learning experience called Argument Driven Inquiry or ADI which is an eight stage lab process. She wanted to keep her teachers active and engaged while practicing the productive struggle which we expect of our students. After visiting with her campus Instructional Coach Rene' Egle and Library Media Specialist Jamie Eikenberry, she developed an escape room full of interactive tools to work through the learning of the ADI concepts. Courtney stated, “I needed a way to facilitate PD to teachers in multiple rooms. Also, many teachers expressed interest in learning about escape rooms, so what a better way to present this new information that we will dig deeper into during the summer training. I thought it would be a good way to allow teachers to experience an escape for learning purposes and then learn how to make them in another session.
Because educators today want to have evidence that different learning styles have a positive impact on learning, Mrs. Toht developed a puzzle using Jigsaw Planet to provide evidence. Click here for the puzzle
The last step to the ADI Escape room use the tool called a Snote. Snote is a unique and creative way to deliver key words in a secret message. The teachers loved using the directional sliders to find the hidden words. With the conclusion of each category they were given a set of CLUE WORDS to unlock the room, just like the public escape rooms that are so popular today in our communities. Click here for Snote
The choice board and escape room are just a few examples of how technology has helped changed the student/teacher roles in the classroom. Students take responsibility for their learning outcomes, while teachers become guides and facilitators. Technology lends itself as the multidimensional tool that assists that process.
Monday, December 17, 2018
Eroding Away: A Weathering Tour
The Foundation
Study after study shows students learn best when they’re able to engage in authentic and interactive
learning experiences. But, how can teachers provide this when students are studying a process that
can take years and isn’t easily visible in their own neighborhood? That’s the question fifth grade
Math/Science teachers at Nance Elementary worked to solve. The weathering tour activity was
developed as a collaborative effort between, Mrs. Jamie Robinson and Mrs. Heather Morgan, along
with the campus librarian, Mrs. April Scott.
learning experiences. But, how can teachers provide this when students are studying a process that
can take years and isn’t easily visible in their own neighborhood? That’s the question fifth grade
Math/Science teachers at Nance Elementary worked to solve. The weathering tour activity was
developed as a collaborative effort between, Mrs. Jamie Robinson and Mrs. Heather Morgan, along
with the campus librarian, Mrs. April Scott.
Thanks to proper city and community planning, most students today live in communities and
urban areas that actually see little to no deposition or erosion. Since students often lack real world
experience with the area of study, teachers were on the hunt for a digital learning tool that could
provide a way to make connections.
urban areas that actually see little to no deposition or erosion. Since students often lack real world
experience with the area of study, teachers were on the hunt for a digital learning tool that could
provide a way to make connections.
Google Earth Tour Builder proved to be the perfect tool for the task! Students were able to virtually
explore a variety of locations and see real life examples of what they were studying in science.
“It is hard to appreciate and understand the beauty of what is created through nature by just looking
pre-selected pictures in a textbook,” stated Mrs. Robinson. She also described, “This activity
gave them a chance to explore the locations that were assigned, as well as locations they were
curious about.” Students were actively engaged as they surveyed a few of their own favorite spots.
explore a variety of locations and see real life examples of what they were studying in science.
“It is hard to appreciate and understand the beauty of what is created through nature by just looking
pre-selected pictures in a textbook,” stated Mrs. Robinson. She also described, “This activity
gave them a chance to explore the locations that were assigned, as well as locations they were
curious about.” Students were actively engaged as they surveyed a few of their own favorite spots.
The Standard
The standard for this assignment was Science TEK 5.7 B: students should recognize how
landforms such as deltas, canyons, and sand dunes are the result of changes to Earth’s surface
by wind, water, and ice.
landforms such as deltas, canyons, and sand dunes are the result of changes to Earth’s surface
by wind, water, and ice.
The Student Driven Process
“Tour Builder is a Beta Google Experiment that I came across recently”, said Mrs. April Scott.
“I was impressed with how easy it is to use and the students were able to easily present their
information to other classes.” Mrs. Scott explained how to use the tool for learning and because it
was so intuitive, the students went right to work. Mrs. Morgan liked how she could check students
understanding when they added images and videos with each additional stop on their tour.
“I was impressed with how easy it is to use and the students were able to easily present their
information to other classes.” Mrs. Scott explained how to use the tool for learning and because it
was so intuitive, the students went right to work. Mrs. Morgan liked how she could check students
understanding when they added images and videos with each additional stop on their tour.
Students Hayden H. and Veronika C. said, “We love science and weathering and erosion are
interesting, but the best part of the project was working with the third graders.”
interesting, but the best part of the project was working with the third graders.”
@mrsscottreads @MrsJCay collaborating with 3rd grade. My students are teaching them how weathering and erosion shaped the land. Thanks April for this amazing idea. pic.twitter.com/GzUHUSru7z— Jamie Robinson (@jamrobrob) December 11, 2018
"What I liked about this project was the fact that you could actually visit the place just like you
would in real life." "I also like the fact that you can share it so that people can visit places and
discover the place if they haven't been there before," said Queen T.
would in real life." "I also like the fact that you can share it so that people can visit places and
discover the place if they haven't been there before," said Queen T.
Students spent a majority of their time working on their tours in class, however they were able to
go to the library for any assistance that they needed along the way.
go to the library for any assistance that they needed along the way.
Following this, students were given the task to prepare a presentation documenting their findings
and tours to the third grade students who were also completing their unit on land forms.
and tours to the third grade students who were also completing their unit on land forms.
Tuesday, September 11, 2018
A Recipe for Success: "Stringing" A Rhythmic Pattern
Learn.
Act.
Reflect.
Goal Set.
Repeat.
Is nailing down this process a Science or an Art? I'd argue it’s an Art - Fine Arts to be exact. Students in Gary Keller and Sessalie Shapley’s Orchestra class at Byron Nelson High School have perfected this process on a continual, weekly basis to improve students' overall abilities. One might think that Technology doesn’t doesn't have a logical place in an instrumental-based class, but that's far from the truth as this Orchestra class is fully dependent on the technology used in preparation for and reflection of daily performance.
Each class is infused with technology from start to end. For example, students are tasked with the responsibility of tuning their own instrument at the start of class each day; they use readily available, free, phone-based tuning apps such as DaTuner and InsTurner to put the accountability on themselves rather than the teacher to ensure the instrument is in the right key. This process is critical to harmonizing as an Orchestra and developing a natural ear for the correct sounding notes.
To continue in the lesson design, classes often provide traditional opportunities such as learning new music and practicing as a full Orchestra. However, the power of technology is truly evident in the individual practice times. During these times, students participate in the general format as follows:
Recipe for Success:
Students create a video of themselves playing a specific song or section of a song determined by the instructor. During this time, students use a combination of their phone and their computer to have both the online metronome and video camera co-functioning. This video serves as a pre-assessment to create a base-line of performance and needs assessment for the week.
- Self-critique that video to identify one specific goal to work towards throughout the week. This then becomes the targeted focus for all practice times throughout the week. Topics of suggested focus include intonation, bow placement, vibrato, dexterity confidence, or other of choice.
The student then creates an end of week video over the same content and again uses that as direct evidence to self-assess progress towards goals.
- Upload and reflect upon these artifacts in Google Classroom. The Orchestra instructors then review each student's performance to provide individualized attention and feedback focused specifically on the students' performance and self-set goal.
- Based on their self-assessment and teacher feedback, the student then goal-sets via a Google Doc for the following week to continually focus on targeted instruction and self-improvement.
Each of these weekly goal sheets provide evidence for the student to reflect up on their progress towards goals and make new objectives based on previous performance. Since the evidence gets uploaded to Google Classroom, students have a personal Google Folder within their own Google Drive which serves as a private portfolio that stores their yearly progress. Students then have the ability to select which pivotal pieces they would like to showcase within their published ePortfolio.
Assistant Orchestra Director, Sessalie Shapley, comments on the power of infusing technology into their classroom, "Google Classroom video recordings allow me to give feedback to every student based on what I see and hear in their recordings. It is a far more efficient use of time letting the recording and grading happen outside of class instead of one at a time, in class, while all of the other students are waiting;" furthermore, "The video recording assignment allows and even encourages students to record themselves multiple times in order to get their “best” recording" which is the ultimate goal: student-driven success fueled by continual practice in perfecting their art. Best of all, the power of technology has helped Mr. Keller and Ms. Shapley build connections beyond what would be traditionally capable with a large Orchestra on a time-restricted class period as Sessalie continues, "The goal sheets and comments have given me several opportunities to discover something about the student’s expectations and other musical talents, gifts and thoughts, which then allowed for deeper discussion about their playing and their musicianship."
As a natural final step, students reflect on their year in an open-ended format. The power of reflection, goal-setting, and improvement shine through in the following student final responses:
Student 1:
“I thought that the goals were a great way to stay conscious of our playing abilities - to constantly be reminded of our strengths and weaknesses so that we can improve on them over time. I also believe that the exercises we were given are great practice strategies for improving many aspects of musicianship like dexterity and intonation. I think I have certainly seen evidence of our goals in action as the progressed. Some of the goals on the goal sheets did not always pertain to me, but still having to look at them on a regular basis caused me to think more upon how I can always channel my actions in class and practice towards furthering the goals and the overall quality of our orchestra.”
Student 2:
“This year I have heard and felt so much progress in my playing. This was the first year I took private lessons, and I think that was extremely beneficial by itself. But beyond that I have felt so much more confidence in my playing. This was the first year I made it through a solo contest without crying, and the first year I came out of an audition room feeling proud of myself. And confidence alone has made a world of difference in my playing. I have also noticed a lot of progress related to our goals and goal videos. I didn’t realize it in the beginning, but when we came back near the end of the year and redid the dexterity video, it was actually really cool to find how much easier it was for me to do and how much clearer I sounded than in the beginning of the year. It was also useful to see the goals and realize that it’s okay to experiment with the bow and with the left hand, and just that everyone is doing what they can to make beautiful music in the outcome. I have seen so much progress this year in my playing and how I feel about it and I hope to see even more in years to come.”
The presence of technology has empowered these students to find value in the daily struggle of learning, trying, and occasionally failing all while appreciating their own growth that would otherwise not be as apparent strictly as perceptions and memories.
This intentional goal-setting and reflection process meets the following Student ISTE Standards:
Empowered Learner: Students leverage technology to take an active role in choosing, achieving and demonstrating competency in their learning goals, informed by the learning sciences.
- 1a: Students articulate and set personal learning goals, develop strategies leveraging technology to achieve them and reflect on the learning process itself to improve learning outcomes.
- 1c: Students use technology to seek feedback that informs and improves their practice and to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways.
This also exemplified the following TEA Music Level 1 TEKS in which the student is expected to develop processes for self-evaluation and select tools for personal artistic improvement (6c).
Wednesday, March 21, 2018
The Basics of Blending
In the book, Blended
Learning in Action, Catlin Tucker, Tiffany Wycoff, and Jason Green hit the “pulse”
of the blended learning movement as they discuss the need for a shift in the
way schools “puree” and present content to meet the needs of today’s learners.
They explain this by saying, “We are at the moment in education when our schools can determine if they are Netflix or Blockbuster, Amazon or Borders, Samsung or Blackberry. In each of these cases, the successful organization saw that the entire world was changing and decided they were going to change to be ready for it…shifting vision and culture at the time when it was most critical to their survival.” The point here is that current education models are “crushing” student opportunity by “chopping” key elements needed to engage students and prepare them for “shredding” the future demands of a global marketplace. In an effort to address this need, Northwest ISD has begun piloting blended learning courses where that missing link is helping to fill the gap and expose students to nontraditional forms of instruction by providing learning experiences that aid in better acquisition of future ready skills.
There are common misconceptions about blended learning and
what it entails. It is not only integrating technology into the classroom, “flipping”
lessons, or even implementing problem based learning strategies. Blended
learning includes a “mixture” of those things and more! An article by Michael
B. Horn and Heather Staker described blended learning as, “any time a student
learns at least in part at a supervised brick-and-mortar location away from
home and at least in part through online delivery with some element of student
control over time, place, path, and/or pace.” Successfully implementing blended
learning requires a complete shift of culture that empowers both teachers and
students to be active participants in creating learning opportunities. Horn and
Staker explain that making blended learning a reality requires “letting go of
the idea that we always have to teach something in order for students to have
learned it.” Empowering students by allowing them choice and independence within
the pace and structure of the course as well as connecting the traditional,
face-to-face learning time with digital learning time is all key to the success
of blended learning courses and eventually strengthens student capacity for independent
problem solving and critical thinking.
Jennifer Hamzy, a teacher at V.R. Eaton High School, facilitates
the current blended AP Psychology course there and she feels that the digital
days incorporated into the course create an opportunity for “differentiation and
for students to decide what works best for them.” She also appreciates how the
blended format puts more responsibility on the students to develop “better
study skills” and to “learn how to independently read a college text.” Jennifer
frequently encourages collaborative strategies to help guide students on
digital days. They are encouraged to utilize Google Suite tools as well as various
digital study aids like Quizlet, YouTube videos, and online practice
assessments to learn and reinforce concepts on their own while allowing more in
person class time for discussion, teacher guidance, and whole group activity. AP
Psychology students, Anya and Patricia, stated that they enjoyed having “more
time to get work done” independently while also having the option to “meet up to
work together” with other students either digitally or in person.
Although blended learning has been largely successful in
Mrs. Hamzy’s class and she is extremely well-versed in problem based learning
strategies, student goal setting, and differentiation, she feels that she can improve
her blended learning course by providing more specific expectations to students
early on in order to guide them in productive ways to spend their digital days
as well as by incorporating more flipped techniques to help ensure that
students have the necessary background knowledge and preparation to complete
problem-based tasks and projects. Mrs. Hamzy regularly utilizes Google Suite,
Moodle, and other digital resources to engage students with content independently
and collaboratively but is constantly making adjustments and trying new tools
to help her create additional independent learning opportunities for students.
Online resources such as Pear Deck, edpuzzle, FlipGrid, Formative,
Screencastify, and even digital badging can all increase student engagement
with content while allowing students room to individually and collaboratively remediate,
accelerate, or manipulate their own interactions with concepts and skills. Hamzy
describes the transition to a blended learning course as “a process” and says
that teachers new to it should “give themselves a break the first year” as they
take risks with a new role, different strategies, and unfamiliar resources. She
says that as you progress, “you discover that some things work and some do not
but that’s okay” because you adjust and improve for the next time.
As the availability of blended learning courses to NISD
students increase over the next few years, other EHS teachers, like Renata
Schlotzhauer and Ashley Harden, will be expanding this course structure to
other content areas such as science and World Languages. Mrs. Harden says that
she is looking forward to “students growing academically and personally as they
are given more responsibility.” She also feels that it will help to deepen
student understanding in science because they are allowed to cover more
information at a more personalized pace.”
Tuesday, January 9, 2018
A Revelation about Resolutions
Watching a short TED talk on “Grit” by Angela Duckworth, a former consultant turned middle
school math teacher, brought about thoughts of personal goal setting and
perseverance, thoughts of new years resolutions, thoughts of never-ending
attempts at self-improvement, thoughts lacking follow through, and thoughts of failure.
It didn’t take long for those thoughts to bring on an overwhelming feeling of
defeat with reminders of past inadequacies and ineptitude. As a new year
begins, many will set personal and professional goals while trying to figure out how
to keep from losing sight of those intentions and eventually abandoning them
altogether. In that TED talk, Ms. Duckworth said one thing that began to turn lingering self-defeat into clarity and motivation: “…the ability to learn is
not fixed...it can change with your effort…We have to be willing to fail, to be
wrong, to start over again with lessons learned.” She very eloquently explained
that the key to success and growth is not viewing failure as a permanent
condition but as an opportunity for growth and forward progress.
By copying a Google slide deck template, students receive detailed
notes over chapter readings and lessons. In addition, these slide decks ask
students to respond to reflection questions individually in their copy of the
slide deck. They not only are able to increase understanding by making
connections to complex psychology concepts but they can also go back to see
their answers as they review information for course activities and assessments. Mrs. Hamzy’s students also receive a Google sheet that includes built-in fields
and formulas for tracking assessment results and course progress.
This creates
more student independence and allows students to see measured progress and
areas of need or growth in one quick glance. By frequently documenting personal
course data, students who find themselves in situations where they are facing
an obstacle or failure, of sorts, can begin to see areas where they can alter
their course and focus on a change in strategy for progress and growth, thus
correcting previous failures and pushing forward.
Megan’s work with tiny house design is exemplary of how she documents her design experiences, reflects on them in her portfolio
and makes new and improved designs that incorporate lessons she learns from previous architectural designs. Megan’s experiences in Mrs. Holmes’
course have also offered her the chance to develop skills and resources for her
professional goals by participating in mock interviews and professional
document preparation while constantly receiving feedback for improvement. All
of these experiences with goal related tasks give Megan a chance to experience
field specific work and tools that teach necessary skills and aid in
driving her toward her destination.
Humans are conditioned to view failure in a very negative
light and taught to take steps to avoid it at all cost. When failure is
experienced, it is often seen as an endpoint in a journey instead of a brief
detour or change in route. The question of how to change this mindset is one
that is often neglected when working to facilitate skills for student success
and, ultimately, life. However, when searching for solutions to this challenge,
it becomes obvious that key elements for success must include clear and
attainable goal setting and a frequent and effective self-reflection process.
Sticking with the traveling analogy, it stands to reason
that experiential learning is a journey and beginning that journey without a
clear destination in mind is futile and pointless. Even if the goal is to
aimlessly explore and enjoy wherever life takes you, there is a destination, or
goal, of some sort. While traveling, it is also good to keep in mind that when
construction, a traffic problem, or an obstacle in a planned route arises, a
detour can bring about many new and helpful experiences. The discovery of new places,
the skill sets of flexibility and problem solving, and the knowledge of a better
way of traveling for the future are all benefits to diverging from a planned
path. Whatever it is that alters the planned route to a destination, the
“failure” experienced in the pursuit of that original route is ultimately
beneficial and one can only know this by reflecting on those experiences,
understanding lessons learned, and setting a new course for success.
Eaton High School’s current resolution, or “problem of
practice,” is to help students “demonstrate goal setting and reflection to
foster critical thinking.” With this goal at the forefront of instruction, EHS provides
prime examples of students utilizing digital resources for experiential
learning, goal setting, and reflection. One of those examples can be seen in Jennifer
Hamzy’s Psychology classes. Mrs. Hamzy uses Google Suite in two ways to provide
EHS students with opportunities to reflect on content as well as course
progress.
While many students have the opportunity to learn practical
lessons associated with experiential learning, some have thrived and begun to
acquire the “grit” and perseverance necessary to push toward their goals. E-portfolios
are an amazing tool for accomplishing this and for providing students with a platform for self-branding, goal setting, self-assessment, and reflection. One
student who is an ideal example of utilizing digital resources for goal setting
and reflection through experiential learning is Megan, a student in
Kristal Holmes’ architecture course. Megan has set goals for herself related to
professional architecture, design preparation, and future employment. She
utilizes Google Sites to house her e-portfolio showcasing her collection of
designs and floor plans as artifacts documenting her work and progress over the
course of her studies.
Curtis Aguirre’s Spanish I students also utilize digital
feedback and reflection tools as they practice using the Spanish language
orally. These students use a web-based video tool called Recap where they are
able to record themselves speaking Spanish and then receive video feedback
concerning their recordings from their instructor and peers. Students can also
record self-reflections regarding what they are working on and about their
progress with course content. This feedback and reflective work are key to
students seeing any challenges as areas needing focus rather than permanent set
backs and failure.
Kathryn Watson’s French students are also frequently
provided with opportunities to reflect on course assessments and grow through
use of Poll Everywhere for informal personal and class reflection. Mrs. Watson
uses this online survey tool for in-class reflections, discussions, and exit
tickets assessing student feelings and understanding of course content. By
allowing students to regularly utilize this tool for reflective tasks, they are
being given the opportunity to think back on learning experiences and to
contemplate how they dealt with previous assessments and challenges before
attempting new ones.
With a true growth mindset at the forefront, anyone can
find value in working through obstacles and reflecting on failure, which then facilitates independence, positive behavior changes, life-long learning, and permanent
skill development. The learning process is incomplete without reflection. Rather
than spending the new year resolving to learn knitting, overcome a personal
fear, or lose weight, it would be beneficial to reflect on previously
abandoned resolutions and begin to see failure as a temporary road block or
detour pushing toward growth rather than a dead end. If we hope to see our
students begin to drive themselves into the future, we must help them change views
of failure and learn the “rules of the road” by discovering new perspectives
and unearthing new routes along their journey to success.
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