Essential Questions Post #2

The following blog will consist of my own ideas/thoughts and research from both books and online sources. It will address the following question:



How can you empower learners, both students and staff, in your school?







Couros (2015) said it best: “Our job as educators and leaders is not to control others, but to bring out the best in them” (p. 98). Change is an opportunity to do something amazing. “If we embrace this mindset and become the innovators our learners need, and need to be, the opportunities in front of us are endless” (Couros, 2015, p. 10). If you have not read “The Innovator’s Mindset” by  George Couros, I would highly recommend that you head over to Amazon to order either your hard copy or audiobook version! It’s a game changer!



Students:

Every teacher wants their students to feel involved in the learning process. Knowing how to empower students is a valuable skill. “Student empowerment is an approach to teaching that puts students at the center of the learning process, allowing them to make decisions about their education and giving them the confidence to achieve their goals. Through student empowerment, teachers seek to create a learning process where students feel that their voices are heard and their opinions matter”. (Southeastern University, 2019, para 1) In this article, it shared six ways to encourage student empowerment within the classroom: student-led learning, asking for feedback, incorporate self-assessment, prioritize real-world application, encourage use of student portfolios, and provide choice.




Student-Led Learning:

Southeastern University (2019) states, “One of the simplest ways to empower students is by encouraging leadership behaviors. Provide ample opportunity for students to take charge, whether that’s through group activities or explaining a concept they’ve grasped to the rest of the class” (para 6).




Ask for Feedback:

“Students respond well to being asked for their opinion. Consider giving students a chance to provide feedback about assignments, routines and other elements of the day” (Southeastern University, 2019, para 8).



Incorporate Self-Assessment:

Southeastern University (2019) mentions, “Giving students opportunities to assess their own learning helps them understand their own strengths and struggles” (para 11). Here are a few self-assessment/reflective questions to utilize:

• What did I learn today?
• What interested me most?
• What am I confused about? 
• What questions do I have?
• How can I apply the concepts that I learned today inside and outside of the classroom?

Prioritize Real-World Application:

Many students feel that what they learn isn’t applicable to their lives outside the classroom. Knowing this, it’s important for teachers to connect the outside world to the classroom. “This can come in many forms, including volunteering, incorporating community projects into units or sharing what is learned with outside communities who could benefit. When students understand their education has value beyond tests and grades, they are more likely to engage with the material” (Southeastern University, 2019, para 13).




Encourage Student Portfolio Use:

The use of digital portfolios is a great way to empower students. Doing so “encourages them to put more time into the assignment and inspires confidence when the work they’ve done is chosen to be shared” Southeastern University, 2019, para 15). Here is a list of possible digital portfolio options to explore:

• SeeSaw
• Evernote
• Weebly
• Three Ring
• Padlet

Provide Choice:

“Giving students a say in how they learn shows them that you are willing to be flexible by empowering students to make decisions about their education” (Southeastern University, 2019, para 22). Something as simple as letting a student choose whether they want to write a book report or present the book to the class can help them engage better with concepts. Couros (2015) said it best: “Our job as educators and leaders is not to control others, but to bring out the best in them” (p. 98). Couros (2015) often refers to this as “strength-based learning” (p. 185).

Here are more ways to incorporate student choice:

• Assign math problems from weekly objectives, but allow students to choose which ones to complete within a preset minimum.
• Provide testing options (i.e. multiple choice, essays or short answer questions) and allow students to choose how to showcase understanding
• Makerspace /STEM Activities and Challenges
• Personalized Genius Hour Projects

Staff:

The Common Sense article, Three Ways to Empower Teachers and Transform Classrooms, Passeport (2016) states “many teachers find it difficult to teach creativity and engage students in becoming the agents of their own learning, largely because they aren't experiencing it themselves” (para 1). This article is a great resource for those who are ready to establish a culture of empowerment. Passeport (2016) provides three suggestions on how to kick start the process: exploration, collaboration, and personal reflection.



Exploration:

In order to empower our students, teachers should first empower themselves (Passeport, 2016). Passeport (2016) notes, “One essential element needed to empower teachers is to shift focus from teaching to learning -- teachers should immerse themselves in rediscovering the magic of learning, the necessity of making mistakes, and encouraging resiliency by constantly challenging their learning experiences” (para 4). Educators focus far too much on discussing teaching and not enough time is spent fully immersing themselves into personal experiences and modeling. “We often create what we experience, which means the experiences we create in our professional learning must change” (Couros, 2015, p.182). Couros (2015) stresses that in order to truly integrate new learning, it is critical to carve out time for exploration.



Collaboration:

From there, the power of collaboration comes into play. Our new learning experiences are great opportunities to rediscover or awaken the skills that we never took the time to delve in to, so why not share with our colleagues? “When we share our learning experiences and skills, teachers encourage classroom innovation, break down classroom borders, and facilitate meaningful collaboration” (Passeport, 2016, para 5). Couros (2015) says that the simple ability to connect provides major benefits for educators. “It enables us, as leaders and continual learners, to accelerate and amplify powerful learning opportunities for ourselves and those we serve” (Couros, 2015, p. 196).



Personal Reflection:

Finally, after “letting go of the reins” and taking risks in implementing new ideas, it’s imperative that teachers carve out time for self-reflection. After allowing students to take lead, facilitate student growth and learning opportunities, they are "preparing" less and "postparing" more -- self-reflection and evaluating feedback helps them to better understand what to improve and how” (Passeport, 2016, para 7). Couros (2015) says it best, “Our thinking must focus on what learning truly can be, not what it has been” (p. 100). Reflection is powerful for learning and for personal growth. Couros (2015) stresses that it’s something that should be embedded into all of our professional learning.





References:

Couros, G. (2015). The innovator’s mindset. San Diego CA: Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc.



Passeport, F. (2019, April 15). 3 Ways to Empower Teachers and Transform Classrooms. Retrieved May 21, 2020, from https://www.commonsense.org/education/articles/3-ways-to-empower-teachers-and-transform-classrooms



University, S. (Ed.). (2019, August 15). Empowering Students: 6 Proven Strategies: SEU Online. Retrieved May 21, 2020, from https://online.seu.edu/articles/empowering-students/

Essential Questions Post #1

The following blog will consist of my own ideas/thoughts and research from both books and online sources. It will address the following question:




How do you know what you're teaching is important for your students to learn?








According to Gregory & Chapman (2013), “Individual items of clothing are put together to form a wardrobe. Wardrobes evolve and build over time as we add and discard articles.”Gregory and Chapman (2013) mention that just as we create wardrobes, make adjustments, and wear them in different ways, a variety of instructional tools can be built, developed, and delivered in different ways as well. “The curriculum can be delivered in many ways so it will appeal to individual learners and their needs for novelty, engaging activities, and quests for meaning” (Gregory & Chapman, 2013). As I reflect upon my studies, I am better able to understand the importance of how multiple forms of communication can convey ideas, foster self-expression, and build relationships within the classroom setting.


Today, educators are being held to new levels of accountability for improved student outcomes. “Teachers need to recognize that all learners bring to their learning varying experiences, abilities, talents, and prior learning, as well as language, culture, and family and community values that are assets that can be used to promote their learning” (Council of Chief State School Officers, 2013). The Council of Chief State School Officers (2013) states that the surge in learner diversity means teachers need knowledge and skills to customize learning for learners with a range of individual differences. “These differences include students who have disabilities and students who perform above grade level and deserve opportunities to accelerate” (Council of Chief State School Officers, 2013). The primary responsibility for all teachers is to create and support safe, productive learning environments that result in learners achieving at the highest levels. It’s imperative to foster a safe environment in which all students are willing to learn and take positive risks as they journey through their education. Emotions play a large part not only in garnering attention but also in memory and learning. “This research suggests that superior learning takes place when classroom experiences are enjoyable and relevant to students' lives, interests, and experiences” (Willis, 2007). “Classrooms everywhere offer a diversity of faces and shapes and sizes, but underneath the diversity; there are fundamental elements that all learners need in order to succeed and to feel positive about their experiences in school” (Gregory, 2013).


Students need to believe that they have the capability to learn. They need to believe that what they are learning is “useful, relevant, and meaningful for them” (Gregory, 2013). If students have these beliefs, they become responsible for their learning and personal growth. Effective teachers’ words and actions should “give the message of possibility and influence the students’ perception of their capabilities while fostering optimism and tenacity” (Gregory, 2013). This instills self-efficacy, which directly impacts the culture of classrooms and learning communities.


Content and skills are tightly related and as much attention needs to be given to skills development as to content acquisition to ensure that learners graduate with the necessary knowledge and skills for a digital age (A. Bates, 2015). “Knowledge involves two strongly inter-linked but different components: content and skills. Content includes facts, ideas, principles, evidence, and descriptions of processes or procedures” (A. Bates, 2015). Bates (2015) states that the skills required in a knowledge society include: communication, the ability to learn independently, teamwork and flexibility, critical thinking skills, digital skills, and knowledge management. An example of simple, yet highly-effective cooperative strategies are the Kagan Strategies. In Kagan’s book, they mention the "The Essential 5!" Their five essential strategies are called; "Rally Robin", "Timed Pair Share", "Round Robin", "Rally Coach", and "Stand Up, Hand Up, Pair Up". Kagan says that these strategies "can make a huge difference in achievement and engagement and can take their students a very long way simply instead of "calling-on-one." Along with higher academic achievement you will also see a reduction of the gap between high and low achieving students, improved social skills and cooperativeness, improved self-esteem, increased liking for school and learning, improved classroom climate, decreased discipline problems, increased leadership and employability skills, improved conflict resolution skills" (Kagan, 2020).



Teaching and learning should be designed to follow the basic tenets of the Universal Design for Learning. “The UDL focuses on providing students with multiple means of representation, engagement, and expression . It is equally important to select materials that help students retain the information” (Voltz, Sims, & Nelson, 2010). Learning is not useful if students forget what they have learned. According to Rief (1993), “Students retain 10 percent of what they read, 20 percent of what they hear, 30 percent of what they see, 50 percent of what they see and hear, 70 percent of what they say, and 90 percent of what they say and do”. These statistics remind us that it is important to use multisensory material whenever possible. “It may not be feasible to use multisensory material for every lesson you teach. As you vary how you present information in your classroom, students will be more engaged in the learning process” (Volz, Sims, & Nelson, 2010). Improved student engagement will result in improved academic achievements.

Technology is a must in classrooms today. Changes in technology continue to alter possibilities for learning and create new challenges in pedagogy. With the push for implementation of 21st century learning skills, the introduction of mobile device technologies in the classroom is at an all-time high. The aspect of the power of technology is that it has made learners both more independent and more collaborative. “Today’s learners need both the academic and global skills and knowledge necessary to navigate the world—attributes and dispositions such as problem solving, curiosity, creativity, innovation, communication, interpersonal skills, the ability to synthesize across disciplines, global awareness, ethics, and technological expertise” (Council of Chief State School Officers, 2013). Technology can be integrated by some of the following: digital field trips, gamified learning, gathering student feedback, creating digitized content, reviewing and critiquing classwork, incorporating multimedia in daily lessons/presentations, and differentiated online activities/applications for students.


Gregory & Chapman (2013) state, “One size assessment doesn’t suit. These diverse learners we serve all have had prior experiences and come with different understandings related to content and skills”. The Council of Chief State School Officers (2013) pointed out in their article that cross-disciplinary skills (e.g., communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and the use of technology) are woven throughout today’s teaching standards because of their importance for learners. Educators have a tremendous opportunity to utilize a wide variety of curricular approaches, instructional strategies, and resources to engage students in learning, as well as support content and skill development. As an instructional coach, part of my job is to focus on student outcomes by collaborating with classroom teachers to create authentic, meaningful, and engaging opportunities for all learners.





References:


Gregory, G., & Chapman, C. M. (2013). Differentiated instructional strategies. One size doesn’t fit all. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.


Willis, J. (2007). The Neuroscience of Joyful Education. Educational Leadership, 64.

Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/files/attachments/4141/the-neuroscience-joyful-education-judy-willis-md.pdf


Council of Chief State School Officers. (2013, April). Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards and Learning Progressions for Teachers 1.0: A Resource for Ongoing Teacher Development. Washington, DC: Author.


Bates, A. (2015, April 5). The skills needed in a digital age. Retrieved May 221, 2020, from https://opentextbc.ca/teachinginadigitalage/chapter/section-1-3-the-skills-needed-in-a-digital-age


Voltz, D. L., Sims, M. J., & Nelson, B. P. (2010). Connecting teachers, students, and standards: strategies for success in diverse and inclusive classrooms. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.


Kagan, S. (2020). Kagan Publishing & Professional Development. Retrieved May 20, 2020, from https://www.kaganonline.com/free_articles/research_and_rationale/330/The-Essential-5-A-Starting-Point-for-Kagan-Cooperative-Learning