Student interest as learning inspiration

Let’s take a peek into the average elementary or secondary school in Ontario; students are taught lesson plans and then given worksheets to complete that accompany those lectures. Classes are taught in a kill and drill sort of format. Teachers are seen as the all-knowing beings who pour their knowledge into the minds of their students. No matter what the subject or grade, students are taught strict content taken straight from the formal provincial curriculum documents. This is how I’ve been taught over the years. It’s what I know. These traditional methods seemed effective to me; but is that simply because that is what I am comfortable with? As students, we didn’t know any different because all of our classes were structured in this way. Current research on student learning proves that this is indeed not the most effective way to ensure student growth.

Let’s fast forward a few years to university. Teacher education classes preach a plethora of theories that we never actually get the chance to apply. Our professors advocate progressive constructivist methodologies that seem great in theory. However, none of us truly knows how to implement these strategies into our classes. One of the biggest breakthroughs in recent educational theory is the importance on building curriculum through the interests of the students. This theory doesn't sound like rocket science but the smallest tweaks in what their learning can leave a large impact on the intrinsic motivation of your students. Educators around the world are hopping on board with these methods. There are schools all over that have created their entire teaching strategy based on the components of Project- and Problem-Based Learning. 

Project/Problem Based learning; what exactly does this mean & what does it look like when put into practice?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMCZvGesRz8

Professor Susan Drake defined Problem Based Learning as "a lesson that starts with a real world problem that is open-ended and ambiguous. There is more than one solution to these problems and students must gather information to solve the problem" (Personal Communication, October 29). Problem and Project based learning have slight differences. Project Based Learning is built off the creation of a wicked problem, “a problem that is so complex, ill-structured, ambiguous and interconnected that they are probably not solvable” (Personal Communication, October 29). Both methods of teaching are student directed, encouraging collaboration, research, and problem solving; all of which are important 21st Century skills. Students are assessed, and prove their knowledge and understanding, through a Rich Performance Assessment Task (RPAT). Pictured below is a diagram depicting the components of Project Based Learning: 

http://plpnetwork.com/2012/10/19/venturing-project-based-learning/ 

In the article "Enhancing College Students' Life Skills through Project Based Learning", Wurdinger and Quereshi describe project based learning as "a teaching method where teachers guide students through a problem solving process which includes identifying a problem, developing a plan, testing the plan against reality, and reflecting on the plan while in the process of designing and completing a project" (2014). This can be applied to any question that involves research. This type of methodology is most commonly used in math but can obviously be helpful in other subjects as well. As a future French as a Second Language teacher, how can I use this type of learning in my secondary school classrooms to motivate my student’s appreciation and grasp of the language?

Inquiry Hub is a school located in British Columbia that utilizes the strategies of a project based learning community as an attempt to keep all students as engaged and intrinsically motivated in their learning as possible. Many of the students who attend Inquiry Hub are those who felt out of place, or did not thrive, in more traditional school settings. With these constructivist ways of learning in place, many of their students are increasingly more engaged and effective in their studies. Inquiry Hub created seven key aspects, which are featured in the photo below, that guide the actions of their staff and students:

 

http://www.inquiryhub.org/key-aspects/ 

Nowadays, we live in a world of rapid expansions in technology. By integrating technology into the normal routines of the classroom, it encourages students to research and scaffold their own pathways for learning. Teachers are there to set up a general concept and guidelines for the lesson, to guide the learning, but students are expected to create their own projects based on their passion and interests. Students expand in any direction from the basic guidelines provided to showcase their understanding and discoveries.

This new story of student driven education is one that I am going to have to adapt my strategies to include. I know that I can learn from my students and am curious to see what they wonder about. I want to provide my students the opportunity to pursue their interests within my subject domain. Every student has the potential to succeed; now it is my job to set up my lessons in a way that ensures that they do.

References: 

[Buck Institute For Education]. (2010, December 9). Project Based Learning: Explained [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMCZvGesRz8 

No Author. (2015). Inquiry Hub. Retrieved from http://www.inquiryhub.org/

Wurdinger, S. & Quereshi, M. (2015). Enhancing College Students' Life Skills Through Project Based Learning. Innovative Higher Education, 40(3). Retrieved from http://journals2.scholarsportal.info.proxy.library.brocku.ca/details/07425627/v40i0003/279_ecslstpbl.xml&janrain=false&linkcolor=0074be 

Education is not one size fits all.

Previously, the education system has tossed an important question around: is it better to use traditional or constructivist teaching methods? Or maybe a blend of the two? This has been an age old debate that still has no concrete evidence. Teachers teach based on their own opinion. 

My time in school, elementary and high school, was composed of predominantly traditional values with a sprinkle of constructivist activities here and there. Many teachers were not comfortable with, or not exposed to, the abundance of ways to inspire learning in their classes. The traditional style of memorizing and regurgitating suited me fairly well and I became accustomed to this style as learning. For a young student, I was able to focus well and was intrinsically motivated to complete my tasks. The piles and piles of worksheets were never a problem for me. I genuinely enjoyed school. 

However, some of my peers did not have quite the same passion. This style of memorization and standardization was confusing and/or boring for a large chunk of the student population. Something must be wrong. Teachers are bound by the curriculum as to what they must teach their classes, which leaves many of them thinking - how can I possibly vary the lesson plan to make each student successful while making sure that they all engage equally with the material? Each and every one of us learns in a slightly different manner and speed, therefore it is extremely unfair to test us all at the same time on the same material. This is setting students up to fail!

http://honestpracticum.com/differentiated-instruction-at-odds-with-standardized-testing

It is crucial that teachers get to know each and every one of their students on a personal level - not just by looking at their test scores but by constructing a caring relationship with them. The teacher must learn about their students background, home life, interests and hobbies as well as their learning preferences. Based on these student learning preferences they can begin to build a comfortable environment based on differentiated instruction. 

Differentiated instruction (DI) might sound intimidating but in reality it shouldn't be. A Teachers Guide to Differentiated Instruction (2014) explains that DI "does not mean providing separate, unrelated activities for each student but does mean providing interrelated activities that are based on student needs for the purpose of ensuring that all students come to a similar grasp of a skill or idea." 
In the textbook Interweaving Curriculum and Classroom Assessment, Drake, Reid and Kolohon (2014) describe DI as "a method of teaching that attempts to adapt instruction to suit the differing interests, learning styles and readiness to learn of individual students." In summary of these two definitions, differentiated instruction stems from a genuine understanding, on the part of the teacher, of what each and every student in the class needs in terms of support in order to succeed to the best of their ability. 

In Lecture 2, Professor Susan Drake spoke a bit about the multiple facets of instruction and learning. She had briefly mentioned the idea of accommodation and modification. These terms refer to allowing your students to alter their work based on their needs. Some may need more time or more assistance than others. (Personal Communication, September 17, 2015). "When teachers differentiate instruction, they vary not only the materials students use but also the way students interact with them. Varying instructional activities allows all students to learn the same concepts and skills with varied levels of “support, challenge, or complexity” (A Teacher's Guide, 2014). For example, when leading a lesson focused on reading skills, the content of the reading is not as important as the actual reading process. The teacher can provide students fiction and non-fiction books in a variety of topics and allow each student to choose what interests them most. 

There are so many ways that we can alter an assignment that ensures that our students are all successful. When students feel entitled to input in their own learning, this inspires intrinsic motivation. Group work, partner work, and individual seat work are all strategies to help our students comprehension. We must teach in a way that is relevant to each student. Author Ben Johnson of the article entitled "Differentiated Instruction Allows Students to Succeed" reflects on the reasoning behind differentiated instruction from an educators point of view. Johnson (2009) believes that "the ideal is to provide equivalent learning activities that cater to the students' strengths but bring all of the students to the same learning objective." He encourages all educators to motivate their students towards success. A "success" can also mean something completely different from student to student. 

While doing some external research on the topic of DI, I came across this Youtube video called "Differentiated Instruction in the Classroom at Mesquite Elementary School." I found this video very inspirational. It caused me to reflect on the kinds of values and standards that I will strive to uphold in my future classrooms. Teachers must utilize all time effectively to ensure students fully understand the material. But on the other hand, students must also learn to hold themselves accountable for their learning.  

Connie is a teacher from Arizona who worked at a school with a limited budget. Standardized testing was beginning to take over the nation and her school was doing poorly in the rankings. She took a genuine interest in her students and felt a need to ensure that every one of them succeeds. Connie, along with her other staff members, took it upon themselves to create a new learning program called "Reteach and Enrich." This program gives students the "opportunity to be retaught skills that they did not learn" (Edutopia, 2011). This is just one example of how by accommodating our students needs, it really does lend to a higher level of achievement. 

Differentiated Instruction in the Classroom at Mesquite Elementary School 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7kcFkRgiV4

The whole concept of differentiated instruction does sound intimidating and challenging to me. I am so used to one size fits all learning materials and standardized testing that I honestly have no clue how I am going to accommodate all of these different pace and styles of learning. However, I am going to do the best I can. The whole reason I am becoming a teacher is that feeling I get when I help someone to understand a concept they had been struggling with. I am willing to push myself out of my comfort zone to achieve the best results for the kids and I'm hoping that you are too! 

References

A Teacher’s Guide to Differentiating Instruction. (2014, Apr. 30). Retrieved from http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Teacher_s_Guide/

Drake, S. M., Reid, J. L., and Kolohon, W. (2014). Interweaving curriculum 

         and classroom assessment: Engaging the 21^st-century learner. Canada: Oxford     

         University Press.

Edutopia. (2011, Oct. 3). Differentiated Instruction in Classroom at Mesquite Elementary School [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7kcFkRgiV4

Johnson, B. (2009, March 2). Differentiated Instruction Allows Students to Succeed. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/differentiated-instruction-student-success. 

In the world of education, there is one letter that stands apart from the rest. One letter that makes students shudder with terror... the dreaded F. This horrifying letter stands for the word "failure". What is it about this word that makes students so terrified? 

In our second lecture, teaching assistant Gianluca made some excellent points focusing on the positive aspects of failure. He explained to us that as an educator, we must understand what failure looks and feels like. This will help us to become empathetic to those students who may struggle a little more than others. By always succeeding we are actually doing a disservice to our future students. We must figure out a way to allow our students to learn from their mistakes or failures and keep striving towards a level of success (Personal Communication, 17 September 2015).

   http://seanwes.com/podcast/085-failure-does-not-exist/

As you can probably guess based on the fact that I am a student in Concurrent Education, I was, and still am, an academically inclined student. Personally, I have not faced much failure in classroom activities. However, I have struggled in other areas of life, as I'm sure we all have. Since I do not have much experience with educational difficulties, I am going to have to work hard at being empathetic to my students needs. It will be a learning curve for me as well to apply strategies that are effective in boosting my students self confidence. 

In her article Making Friends with Failure, Ainissa Ramirez discusses how to build up our resilience against failure. Children are naturally curious. They grow through questioning and risk-taking. This natural curiosity often dies when put in a classroom setting. All of a sudden, students are becoming afraid of silly things such as sounding dumb or getting the wrong answer. We, as educators, must make the learning environment comfortable for our students. It is crucial that students understand that "if you learned something from the experience, you did not fail" (Ainissa Ramirez, 2013).

Students must approach their learning with a growth mindset rather than a fixed mindset. Someone with a growth mindset believes that they can develop their talents and abilities through practice, slowly working away towards their goals (Drake, personal communication, 17 September 2015). Drake, Reid and Kolohan (2014) expand upon this idea that "students with a growth mindset view failure as a temporary condition because they believe that their abilities can improve with persistent effort; they welcome tackling challenges and overcoming difficulties as an opportunity for learning, and they see practice as an effective strategy to achieve eventual success." In simpler terms, every one of us has the potential to be successful, it just may take a little more time and effort for some than for others. There are thousands of examples of failure that turned into success. Many famous, successful people have had to try and try again in order to get where they now are. As world renowned basketball player Micheal Jordan once said: 

"Some want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen." - Michael Jordan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7p_eKV3SzwE&list=PLnah-hqu5MaQY5t2GjBAwt9E7iJFYPsOA&index=5 

I am going to end my thoughts today with a few wise words from Ainissa Ramirez (2013): "To succeed, we must make friends with failure. Failure makes you a better, kinder, stronger and wiser human being." All in all, the point I am trying to make is that you should never give up!

References

Drake, S. M., Reid, J. L., and Kolohon, W. (2014). Interweaving curriculum 

         and classroom assessment: Engaging the 21^st-century learner. Canada: Oxford     

         University Press.

Horton, N. (n.d.). Failing Forward: 7 Stories of Success Through Failure [online article]. Retrieved from http://breakingmuscle.com/sports-psychology/failing-forward-7-stories-of-success-through-failure

Plasticfantastic777. (2010, March 1). Keep Moving Forward! [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7p_eKV3SzwE&list=PLnah-hqu5MaQY5t2GjBAwt9E7iJFYPsOA&index=5

Ramirez, A. (2013). Making Friends With Failure [online article]. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/learning-from-failure-ainissa-ramirez