Creating Significant Learning Environments
“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”― Aristotle
Reflecting over the last five weeks of EDLD 5313 Creating Significant Learning Environments, no quote has ever epitomized my experiences more than Aristotle's "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts." The course consisted of five individual parts all strategically planned to take us through the process of creating significant learning environments. Week one started off with a great read titled, A New Culture of Learning: Cultivating the Imagination for a World of Constant Change.
Here the challenge was to create an argument for how a shift to a more holistic view of learning can bring about a change in learning environments. In forming my argument, I discovered the fundamental ideas in A New Culture of Learning very closely model the current teachings of the AVID System. I invite you to view my thoughts on the benefits of a holistic approach in creating significant learning environments. I welcome your feedback.
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With a good foundation of what it takes to create a significant learning environment, week two built upon creating and connecting our individual learning philosophy to an organic environment of flourishing learners. The key to success in this assignment was to understand the difference between a teaching philosophy and a learning philosophy.
Developing my personal learning philosophy forced me to examine myself, as an educator, from the inside out. For the first time in twelve years of teaching, I realized there is so much more to the standard philosophy of "doing what is best for kids" than I was actually modeling for my students. What were my beliefs of learning in general? What did I understand about the relationship between teaching and learning? What truths did I hold about myself as a learner? Did my philosophy of learning change over time? For answers to these intriguing questions and much more, check out the evolution of my learning philosophy.
Developing my personal learning philosophy forced me to examine myself, as an educator, from the inside out. For the first time in twelve years of teaching, I realized there is so much more to the standard philosophy of "doing what is best for kids" than I was actually modeling for my students. What were my beliefs of learning in general? What did I understand about the relationship between teaching and learning? What truths did I hold about myself as a learner? Did my philosophy of learning change over time? For answers to these intriguing questions and much more, check out the evolution of my learning philosophy.
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With a great internalization of my personal philosophy on learning along with the components needed to create significant learning environments, I entered week three poised to identify my biggest learning goal as a teacher/leader and to develop the outcomes, assessments and activities needed to successfully reach my goal.
Up first was an understanding of the acronym BHAG. I was familiar with a BHAP from a sermon I once heard at church. Our pastor challenged us to pray Big Hairy Audacious Prayers. Immediately, I saw the connection when my professor asked us to come up with our Big Hairy Audacious Goal for creating a significant learning environment. So with lots of BHAP's said, I embarked on the journey to creating my very own Big Hairy Audacious Goal for education.
My journey was rough at first as I took on the goal of creating school wide culture by building relational capacity. I realized as audacious as it was to create school wide cultures, my goal was too big and too hairy to complete in a reasonable amount of time. With a little more direction, I was able to narrow down my BHAG to one that focused more on creating significant classroom environments through relational capacity activities. By developing classroom communities rich in relational capacity, it is my hope that a school wide culture of relational capacity will form over time therefore fulfilling my original hope.
With my BHAG firmly in place, the next step was to form a plan of action. The three-column table below outlines my plan for a three day staff development over the benefits of increasing relational capacity in classroom communities. In the plan, I identify six major learning objectives crucial to implementing relational capacity. Activities are linked appropriately to each stage of learning along with opportunities for assessment. The table legend maps out areas where scaffolding, collaboration and technology can be integrated into all levels of learning. This plan is designed to set the stage for creating significant learning environments. Below, you can take a look at my plan. As always, your comments and feed back are welcome.
Up first was an understanding of the acronym BHAG. I was familiar with a BHAP from a sermon I once heard at church. Our pastor challenged us to pray Big Hairy Audacious Prayers. Immediately, I saw the connection when my professor asked us to come up with our Big Hairy Audacious Goal for creating a significant learning environment. So with lots of BHAP's said, I embarked on the journey to creating my very own Big Hairy Audacious Goal for education.
My journey was rough at first as I took on the goal of creating school wide culture by building relational capacity. I realized as audacious as it was to create school wide cultures, my goal was too big and too hairy to complete in a reasonable amount of time. With a little more direction, I was able to narrow down my BHAG to one that focused more on creating significant classroom environments through relational capacity activities. By developing classroom communities rich in relational capacity, it is my hope that a school wide culture of relational capacity will form over time therefore fulfilling my original hope.
With my BHAG firmly in place, the next step was to form a plan of action. The three-column table below outlines my plan for a three day staff development over the benefits of increasing relational capacity in classroom communities. In the plan, I identify six major learning objectives crucial to implementing relational capacity. Activities are linked appropriately to each stage of learning along with opportunities for assessment. The table legend maps out areas where scaffolding, collaboration and technology can be integrated into all levels of learning. This plan is designed to set the stage for creating significant learning environments. Below, you can take a look at my plan. As always, your comments and feed back are welcome.
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Wasting no time, week four took our three-column plan to the next level by incorporating it into a design frame that makes it easier to check the alignment of the outcomes, activities and assessments. The Understanding by Design one-page template comes from a very resourceful book by the same name. I highly recommend adding this one to your educator or administrator library.
Working through my design, I was able to see the true benefits of backward mapping. I found the more purposeful I was in my planning, the more meaningful my learning became throughout the entire process.
Here's a view of my plan build out using the Understanding by Design template.
Working through my design, I was able to see the true benefits of backward mapping. I found the more purposeful I was in my planning, the more meaningful my learning became throughout the entire process.
Here's a view of my plan build out using the Understanding by Design template.
collins_weebly_week4.docx | |
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It had been a long month of personal discovery when week five finally arrived bringing with it even more opportunities to explore how we think about our thinking and view our abilities as educators. We were introduced to the concept of mindsets and their role in stalling or advancing learning. Although, before I could begin growing the minds of my students, I had to first understand my own mindset.
World renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck developed two distinct ways of of viewing one's abilities. The belief that one is born with a certain level of ability that can never be influenced or changed is a fixed way of thinking. While, believing one can develop their own abilities through hard work and effort leads to establishing a growth mindset.
The older I get and the more I learn from Dweck's theories, I realize that I possess both a fixed and growth mindset. However, it is the one I choose to listen to the most that makes all the difference in my eventual success or failure. Dweck lists four steps to train your brain for success or at least help you to recognize which mindset you are in and if a change is needed.
STEP 1: Learn to hear your fixed mind voice
STEP 2: Recognize that you have a choice
STEP 3: Talk back to it with a growth mindset voice
STEP 4: Take the growth mindset action
For most educators, navigating these four steps can be a challenge. In researching growth mindset, I often find myself saying I wish I would have known then what I know now. How many opportunities for growth did I miss out on because I was fixed in a negative mindset believing in the "I can'ts" rather than the "I wills"? I do not want this same realization for my students which is why modeling and guiding my students through these four steps now is crucial to their future success.
Unfortunately, for most students the fixed mindset voice is often the loudest making Step 1 the hardest to conquer. After much thought on ways to help my students navigate the stages of mindset, I discovered that for them the words "I can't" often mean I just don't know how and I'm afraid to ask for assistance. It is much easier for students to use a definitive statement such as "I can't" to mask their fears in trying something challenging and possibly failing. Most students view academic failure as final. They fall into a vicious cycle of fail and move on to the next topic to fail with a sense of satisfaction in receiving an F because that is what is pre-determined for their existence.
In breaking down those stereotypes, it is my job as an educator to communicate the message of "not yet" to students who have fallen into such negative mindset cycles. I need to be the positive force in their academic life that reshapes their view of an F as not a final measure of their effort but as a means to gauge their progress and persist in their learning. I need to be more conscientious in praising the learning process rather than the individual learners mastery of the topic.
Seemingly, learners who have not adequately prepared throughout the entire process often cheat out of fear of failure. Helping students to change their view of failure where they see it as an inevitable part of learning bringing about opportunities for growth will hopefully reduce their desire to cheat.
In researching grow mindset, the available print and media resources on this topic are vast and overwhelming. I rely on educational community websites such as Edutopia and Mindshift for great insight on all things growth mindset.
Thanks to this course, filtering through the array of TedTalks over growth mindset is now on my summer to do list. Be that as it may, in currently geeking out over all things Dweckian, I came across one of my favorite TedTalks on grit by Angela Lee Duckworth. It is definitely worth a watch and ties nicely to growth mindset by promoting learning through motivation and not memorization.
World renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck developed two distinct ways of of viewing one's abilities. The belief that one is born with a certain level of ability that can never be influenced or changed is a fixed way of thinking. While, believing one can develop their own abilities through hard work and effort leads to establishing a growth mindset.
The older I get and the more I learn from Dweck's theories, I realize that I possess both a fixed and growth mindset. However, it is the one I choose to listen to the most that makes all the difference in my eventual success or failure. Dweck lists four steps to train your brain for success or at least help you to recognize which mindset you are in and if a change is needed.
STEP 1: Learn to hear your fixed mind voice
STEP 2: Recognize that you have a choice
STEP 3: Talk back to it with a growth mindset voice
STEP 4: Take the growth mindset action
For most educators, navigating these four steps can be a challenge. In researching growth mindset, I often find myself saying I wish I would have known then what I know now. How many opportunities for growth did I miss out on because I was fixed in a negative mindset believing in the "I can'ts" rather than the "I wills"? I do not want this same realization for my students which is why modeling and guiding my students through these four steps now is crucial to their future success.
Unfortunately, for most students the fixed mindset voice is often the loudest making Step 1 the hardest to conquer. After much thought on ways to help my students navigate the stages of mindset, I discovered that for them the words "I can't" often mean I just don't know how and I'm afraid to ask for assistance. It is much easier for students to use a definitive statement such as "I can't" to mask their fears in trying something challenging and possibly failing. Most students view academic failure as final. They fall into a vicious cycle of fail and move on to the next topic to fail with a sense of satisfaction in receiving an F because that is what is pre-determined for their existence.
In breaking down those stereotypes, it is my job as an educator to communicate the message of "not yet" to students who have fallen into such negative mindset cycles. I need to be the positive force in their academic life that reshapes their view of an F as not a final measure of their effort but as a means to gauge their progress and persist in their learning. I need to be more conscientious in praising the learning process rather than the individual learners mastery of the topic.
Seemingly, learners who have not adequately prepared throughout the entire process often cheat out of fear of failure. Helping students to change their view of failure where they see it as an inevitable part of learning bringing about opportunities for growth will hopefully reduce their desire to cheat.
In researching grow mindset, the available print and media resources on this topic are vast and overwhelming. I rely on educational community websites such as Edutopia and Mindshift for great insight on all things growth mindset.
Thanks to this course, filtering through the array of TedTalks over growth mindset is now on my summer to do list. Be that as it may, in currently geeking out over all things Dweckian, I came across one of my favorite TedTalks on grit by Angela Lee Duckworth. It is definitely worth a watch and ties nicely to growth mindset by promoting learning through motivation and not memorization.
Grit: the power of passion and perseverance | Angela Lee Duckworth. (2013, May 09). Retrieved May 11, 2017, from https://youtu.be/H14bBuluwB8
WOW! How powerful is it to know that developing a grow mindset in our students builds a gritter kid with the individual determination to be successful in life. After watching such an inspiring message, it is easy to say I will do my best to promote a growth mindset all day, everyday! Along with my 24/7 growth mindset attitude, I hope to work on my own grittiness by training my ears to hear the fixed mindset voices of my students and immediately replace them with my growth mindset voice. Working on myself is definitely something worth committing to doing all day, everyday. Eventually, my self-grit will rub off on my students where they are the ones who self-correct or positively advocate for one another before I can even open my mouth.
If you are still having trouble wrapping your head around the enormous amount of information available on mindset, check out this graphic by Nigel Holmes.
If you are still having trouble wrapping your head around the enormous amount of information available on mindset, check out this graphic by Nigel Holmes.
The graphic is great at using adjectives such as, avoid, embrace, give-up and persist to represent the differences between fixed and growth mindsets. However, my favorite graphic comparison came at the end when fixed was described as promoting a deterministic view of the world while a growth mindset lends itself to having a greater sense of free will.
I see flashes of this deterministic view in my low socio-economic students when they view academic failure as pre-determined due to their family life. My challenge is getting those fixed mindset kids to realize that no matter what world they are brought up in, they have the power to choose higher levels of success for their future. With a little grit, they can be and will be the first one in their family to not just go to college but to graduate.
If we as educators can instill a growth mindset in all of our students now, we are changing the future for generations to come. The voice that says, "because you helped my mom and dad graduate from college, now I'm going to do the same" is the only voice we should hear.
Well folks, there you have it, all five parts of this course summed up nice and neat in one synergistic blog entry. It seems as if I have reached the end of this journey on creating significant learning environments but some how I feel my desire to continue learning and ability to embrace challenges will never let me quit reaching for the highest levels of professional and personal achievement.
Special thanks to Aristotle for perfectly describing EDLD 5313 Creating Significant Learning Environments, as the whole experience was and will continue to be greater than the sum of its parts.
I see flashes of this deterministic view in my low socio-economic students when they view academic failure as pre-determined due to their family life. My challenge is getting those fixed mindset kids to realize that no matter what world they are brought up in, they have the power to choose higher levels of success for their future. With a little grit, they can be and will be the first one in their family to not just go to college but to graduate.
If we as educators can instill a growth mindset in all of our students now, we are changing the future for generations to come. The voice that says, "because you helped my mom and dad graduate from college, now I'm going to do the same" is the only voice we should hear.
Well folks, there you have it, all five parts of this course summed up nice and neat in one synergistic blog entry. It seems as if I have reached the end of this journey on creating significant learning environments but some how I feel my desire to continue learning and ability to embrace challenges will never let me quit reaching for the highest levels of professional and personal achievement.
Special thanks to Aristotle for perfectly describing EDLD 5313 Creating Significant Learning Environments, as the whole experience was and will continue to be greater than the sum of its parts.