The three column table provides a large view of any project. It is a great way to look at outcomes and the associated forms of assessment and how the learner will progress towards mastery of the outcomes through planned activities.
Any teacher will agree that you have to begin a plan with a goal in mind. We have to know what we want the learner to know in the end. What is it that the learner needs to learn from this learning experience? The following lesson is one that I teach currently in 5th grade math. I have included activities that coincide with my desire to see a blended learning environment in every classroom. This frame work is most similar to what I use as an educator now.
BHAG: (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) When this project is complete, I want my students to be able to budget appropriately for major expenses that they will encounter in life. For this project we will focus on planning a trip to provide a relevant simulated real-life situation.
Created using the ideas and templates designed by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighek, another look at the planning aspect of a large project is to break it into components with more detail using a UBD template (Understanding by Design) as shown below. Using the same project parameters, I used more detail to further explain the connection of the small pieces to the larger picture. From the overall goals to the independent objectives, this model creates a very detailed picture. I could see this being a great model for sharing ideas over many districts.
Understanding By Design – Backwards Design Process
(Developed by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, 2002)
5th Grade Math Finance Project
Based on TEKS in Texas
Reference
Wiggins, G. P., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design, Expanded 2nd
Edition. Pearson.
My thoughts on the planning models
Both of these models do a great job of beginning with the end in mind. In my career, I have learned that knowing the ultimate goal of your instruction will drive better learning experiences along the way.
The three column table and the uBd template both offer significant information in the way of goals, learning outcomes, activities to address the outcomes, and ways for the instructor to assess whether or not the learner has mastered particular skills and met the ultimate goal.
The uBd template is so much more in depth in describing activities and assessment procedures than the 3 column table. The 3 column table gives the larger picture and allows more flexibility. The uBd template is unrealistic in my current role. It has too much information that will likely change as the project mores forward. The assessment will drive the project as a whole by providing data as to the level of comprehension by the students. After putting so much work into the uBd template, it would be hard to make myself waver from that plan. The 3 column table is significantly more efficient and user friendly in the field. I already use a similar method when planning large projects that will take place over several weeks.
As I am rolling out my innovation plan to my campus and district, I can definitely see utilizing the 3 column table to help teachers begin to implement blended learning activities, but also sharing the method with them in their own planning within their classroom to ensure that we are not using technology just for the sake of using technology, but rather, truly integrating technology for the enhancement of instruction.
I love to learn. I love how it feels when I am intrigued by something new. I am curious and inquisitive. I love the hunt of a great research project. Alright, maybe I should clarify that a little. I love to research things that I am interested in. I love to read and imagine. I love to design and create. I am the epitome of a lifelong learner. Did my early learning make a great learner? Am I just lucky that learning comes easily to me? Did my up bringing set the stage for my success as a learner? Can anyone really say for sure? I doubt anyone can pinpoint exactly why I love learning and regularly seek learning opportunities and others do not. What I do know, without a shadow of a doubt, is that my passion for learning increases the excitement about learning in my classroom. I know that the relationships I build with my students plays a direct role in their success in learning. I know that students are naturally curious, and you can use that curiosity to guide them into some of the most incredible learning experiences possible. I also know that a single test will never be able to quantify the abilities and knowledge of any person. I know that I am an educator. My role is so much bigger than teaching. I am a coach, a mentor, a facilitator, an advocate, a cheerleader, and more. Most importantly, I am also a learner in the process of teaching. We all are! My title as a teacher is simply that. A title that helps society understand my position. I am the person in the classroom with kids.
What is learning? I could quote the definition from a dictionary and connect all the reasons why it is defined that way. Instead, I will purpose this concept as I would to my students. What do you think learning is? After a discussion, I would share my understanding of learning. Learning is the growth and change of one’s knowledge that is continuous throughout life. Learning is based on perceptions, environment, exposure, interpretations, and personal interest. I do not think that learning can be defined as one particular thing. It is more likely a combination of everything. Regardless of desire, we learn constantly. Some learning simply has more relevance than other learning. Perhaps as we look at the theories about learning, your personal thoughts about learning will become clear.
A Glimpse into Learning Theories
I was an ideal student in school. I was likely a behaviorist’s dream subject! I could recall and memorize information quickly. I could process information and apply it almost instantaneously. Consequences kept me from stepping too far over the line. I conformed in school as I was expected to do. The adults were in charge. The adults imparted their wisdom upon me, and I absorbed it. I regurgitated information on standardized tests with high scores. I was praised which prompted me to continue doing well. I was an easy student. I was an easy child. It’s true! You are welcome to ask my Mom! Overall, I basically learned that if the adults felt like they were in charge, everyone was happy. It mattered little whether I retained the information they “taught” beyond the test. I mattered little if I could apply the knowledge in some way other than an assessment. Does that mean I did not learn? Goodness, no! I learned an extraordinary amount and went on to become a successful college graduate and now a graduate student pursuing an advanced degree. The question is, could I have mastered concepts earlier if they learning theory of the time were different or if the educators had adjusted their instruction to align more with John Dewey’s notion of humanism?
I would identify myself as quite logical and practical. Scientists such as Dewey, Maslow, and Kolb suggested that in order to truly understand the meaning of anything, one needs to find relevance in the information. The relevance is substantiated by one’s life experiences, whatever those may be. I can see that. I can agree that finding connections in life would certainly make concepts easier to understand and retain. For instance, I have never gone hungry. I have felt hunger. I have been delayed in eating and had a rumbling stomach and even felt fatigued from lack of food for a few hours, but I have never been in a situation where I was starving or even had the threat of starvation. Because I have not experienced that, my understanding when someone says, “I’m starving,” is quite different from that of a homeless person that has not eaten in a week. My experience creates meaning for me. If this theory is correct, learning is anything but standard! Each human has a unique set of experiences that pave the road to comprehension of any given concept. Furthermore, humanists found that relationships also impacted learning. Where behaviorism was very cut and dry with the teacher is the expert and the student will simply learn because society agrees that the teacher is right, humanists favor the rapport between adult and student as a piece of the puzzle. Introducing the idea that a relationship must exist points out that students begin to play an active role in their own education by interacting with the teacher for learning to occur. That relationship likely had a very large impact on a student’s capacity for learning. As I have read about humanism, I am reminded of Rita Pierson who said, “Kids don’t learn from people they don’t like.” She was absolutely correct, and Dewey and Maslow knew it.
As time progressed, scientists begin to combine learning theories somewhat. We began to see a shift from the standardized education practices to a more individualized approach. Cognitivism seems largely based on the brain’s ability to retain simple things through memorization and commit them to long term memory for regular recall without effort. The short-term memory or working memory is then free to dive into concepts on a deeper level and begin to interpret information and draw conclusions but insists that the quantity of given information largely impacts the ability to process and comprehend. Coupled with the focus on the brain is the contention that the ability to connect learning in a relevant way sped up the process of committing information to long term memory. Then scientists began to see a new emergence. The change from behaviorism to humanism highlights the need and desire for relationships. Cognitivism focuses on the brain’s need for relevance and being an active part of learning. If you put those ideas together in a pot and stir it, you begin to see the constructivist theory take shape.
Constructivism requires the learner to take an active role in learning while being guided by the instructor. Instead of answering or solving every problem for the student, the teacher takes the role of questioner to force the student to interpret based on prior knowledge and application of what one already knows. Brilliant, RIGHT??? Piaget realized that if we are to really learn anything, we must be able to begin with small pieces that we put together, make connections with new learning, build to a deeper understanding, and repeat! This is where the process of learning takes a greater priority than simply memorizing information. In this approach, we can see how important it is to learn to learn! Add on to that the desire for relationships and we can jump straight into social constructivism. Sounds like this theory just combines the best parts of the theories before it and adds in a social aspect. Sounds much like how I define learning. As we learn more, we adapt. How novel.
Education often centers around the “21st-Century Skills” of collaboration, creativity, communication, and critical thinking. Without these skills, what chance does anyone have of becoming successful in today’s world? When you look at the ide of teaching versus learning, is there really a difference at all? I feel compelled to answer that with a resounding, NO! Learning is teaching and teaching is learning. As I previously mentioned, those titles are to enable society to understand our positions.
What Does it all Mean? What am I?
I have no doubt that I was a behaviorist learner in K-12. Even though alternative learning theories had emerged by that time, teachers had not adopted the new theories just yet. Because that was the way my parents learned, they thought that was how I should learn. At the time, I had no idea what impact it would have on my own beliefs and type of learner I have become.
I struggled early on in college. Not because it was hard, but rather because I was bored. It seemed like I was repeating my high school classes all over again. No challenge. No learning. No interest. It was the same old, same old sit and get education. I was tired of it. I wanted, no I needed something different. I could not take another second of listening to the expert in the front of the room drone on and on about the subject matter. I started sitting in the back of the class, not paying attention, going through the motions and pretty much despising my college experience. In actuality, I just needed my teachers to understand that I needed to play an active role in my learning. I needed the chance to explore and learn on my own. I dare say, everyone in my classes did! Clearly, the constructivist in me was blossoming and nothing would hold her back.
Fast forward a few years and now I am in my ninth year of teaching. I am absolutely a constructivist learner and teacher. I guide and inspire my kids to push harder, dig deeper, and to love learning. I despise sit and get learning. I engage my students. I include my students. I ask for their feedback in making their learning experience meaningful. We have mutually respectful rapport. We build relationships that result in trust. My classroom is a “WE” environment. We support one another and we take risks. We have a safe place to learn. We focus on goals, not grades. Grades are of little importance in my classroom. We are always looking for progress. When creating goals for ourselves, they are never about a grade! This environment allows students to collaborate and be active in learning. We are not bound by conformity but rather encouraged to innovate. We apply the Inquiry Design Process to learning by asking questions and working on skills needed to answer questions or solve problems presented in a real-life context. My students rarely work in the comfortable range. We push for the uncomfortable, because that is where we will see growth. Everything I believe about learning is based on the constructivist model including the social aspect. For this reason, my innovation plan combines the need for collaboration and individual needs. Blended learning provides a balance of instruction that enables students to be active in learning, collaborate with other learners, work at an appropriate pace, exercise choice in how they learn new information, and authentic ways to show evidence of learning.
Teaching. Learning. Learning and Teaching
Investigating early learning theories, I see the very growth I look for in my students. I see that we began with what we knew, what we understood and began to build on that as new learning came to light. We have certainly learned more and more about the brain and education as the years have progressed. I have no doubt we will see more theories emerge with new names and new variations. I do believe that one thing will never change. I believe that no matter how long I teach and not matter what group of students I guide; relationships will have the greatest impact on any student. The relationships I build with my learners will serve to remind them that learning never stops and there is never just one right answer. Having said that, I suppose I have a bit of humanism in me as well!
References
Bathurst-Hunt, R. and Mackenzie, T. (2018). Inquiry mindset: Nurturing the dreams, wonders, and curiosities of our youngest learners. ElevateBooksEdu.
-Combining curriculum with student interest and guiding students to find answers through research and questioning. Engaging in the world around you to learn.
Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. New York, NY: Random House.
-The impact of attitude on learning and abilities. Describes how we can help ourselves or others to transition to a mindset of “yet” instead of giving up the chance of achievement.
Horn, M. B., & Staker, H. (2015). Blended: Using disruptive innovation to improve schools. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
-Using technology to change instruction to include 21st century skills as well as adapt for differentiation within the same classroom. Allows students more autonomy in providing evidence of learning.
Learning Theory Project Team of HKU. (2018) Theories: History of learning theories. What teachers should know about learning theories. kb.edu.hku.hk/learning_theory_history/.
-Overview of the four major learning theories and the scientists that first purposed them.
-How blended learning can be done and how it provides students with their own teacher while you are able to reach every child on a more individual platform. Defines blended learning concepts and guides the view through the flexibility of it all. Allows students to learn from one another as well.
-The correlation between relationships and student progress and success in public school settings regardless of economic situations. Our purpose as educators and why we chose it.
Thomas, D., & Brown J. S. (2011). A New Culture of Learning: Cultivating the imagination for a world of constant change. (Vol 219) Lexington, KY: CreateSpace.
-Using technology effectively to broaden the scope of learning. Collaboration and communication on a much larger scale that will lead to better and more innovation.
As a kid, I remember my Mom singing every song ever recorded by Barbara Streisand. She also watched every movie with “Babs,” as she called her. Most of those movies were musicals. I am pretty sure I can still quote and sing every line from “Hello Dolly.” She always said that she was just making sure we, her kids, were cultured. To my Mom, cultured meant exposure to things like the arts. More importantly, cultured meant experiences. Through those experiences, I learned. She probably did not realize it at the time, but she was shaping my understanding of the world, and how I would operate within it. Fast-forward a few years, okay, many years later and now I am providing learning experiences by changing the culture in my classroom. I am shaping my student’s understanding of the world and how they will operate within it. Most importantly, I have the opportunity to to help lead an educational revolution to change the culture of education.
In reading A New Culture of Learning by Douglas Thomas and John Seely Brown, I have found many reasons to believe that I am heading in the right direction in changing how today’s classroom operates. I have spent time reflecting on the meaning of culture and what that means for me as a teacher and for my students. I have also tried to see the need for change from the perspective of a learner. Being a graduate student makes me a student, but being a learner is much different. I am a learner for life, even when I graduate from an institution with a degree or certification. I want the same for my students. I want them to be learners for life. This requires a shift from the traditional expectation of teaching to a collaborative learning environment. This shift is built on creating learning experiences, not lessons that students get! Education is not something you give, but rather something that is facilitated. Being the “expert” in the room is no longer reserved for the teacher.
My goal is to transition to a more student-centered approach to presenting new information through blended learning stations. Ultimately, each child should essentially have their own teacher. They have the ability to work at a pace that is appropriate for their unique processing time and to provide evidence of learning in an individualized way. This not only allows students choice in proving mastery of standards, but also allows students to take ownership in their learning by setting goals and working to accomplish them. Students use authentic learning strategies to gain new knowledge. Learners are responsible for their own learning. If we are not interested or we can find relevance in what we are learning, it simply does not become true understanding.
As I begin to introduce my innovation plan to my campus, I believe most will share my vision in transitioning to a blended learning model where we focus on the Inquiry Design Process. Since we have become a STEAM Academy, we strive to begin with a question and encourage students to use inquiry to find answers, more questions, and to make connections with learning. Our campus has the training, the curriculum, and the support to successfully implement a new way of learning.
One challenge I foresee will be finding ways to connect the required standards with authentic inquiry based learning in which the students take interest. It will take intentional design and consistency in methodology. I feel that the greatest obstacle will be the failures we encounter as we begin to implement this new culture of learning. The stand and deliver method with a few fun activities is so much easier to predict and prepare. Change is hard. Change means learning new things. If we do not remain steadfast in changing our culture of learning, the few that do, will face great difficulty in implementing true change. We have to accept early on that we will fail, and that is perfectly fine. We also have to accept that students will be frustrated as often as they are excited about this type of learning. We will be pushing our students to interact with each other and the curriculum on a much deeper level than ever before. We will be pushing our students to forget grades, and focus on goals. Students can be just as resistant to change as anyone.
I have been very excited and nervous about rolling out my plan to change the culture of my classroom and my campus. After reading A New Culture of Learning and listening to Mr. Thomas’ Ted Talk, I feel more exhilarated than ever to launch this new wave of education. The validation of the new ways that learners learn has helped build my confidence that this really is the best practice for students.
Creating Lessons– for now, I will continue using stations to practice and spiral content as I have in the past and introduce one new piece at a time. The first change will include a shift from whole group instruction for creating our interactive journal page for our new math concept. This change will add instructional time in the week for small groups instead of doing one large whole group lesson and then several small group mini lessons to ensure mastery of the content.
Use my document camera to video a lesson over a concept and put interactive journal together as I would normally have done live. Students will still recieve the benefit of their teacher delivering the content, but will also allow students to replay or pause if needed in order to complete the journal resource or if they simply need to hear it again.
I will upload the video to my class blog on Kidblog (this is what we use with our kids at school) so that they can ask questions and have discussions about the content with me and each other.
I will be able to answer questions and have discussions with them even if they are not physically in my class at that moment!
Parents can access this so they feel more confident when helping their children at home.
Shift to small group instruction driven by data. Instead of hosting small groups with every student, every week, over the same concept, my small group instruction will be determined by what each group of student needs based on the data I collect. If a student proves mastery of a concept, they will move to an extension activity (using choice menu at first) and then to the next concept. Each child will have individualized instruction
I will track data using weekly formative assessments posted in DMAC (data collecting program we use). The students will also graph data from assessments in their data binders to which they always have access.
Choice in showing mastery.
I will begin with a “Choice Menu” that allows students to choose alternative ways to submit evidence of learning such as a Flipgrid video, a Kidblog post, or the like.
As students become more confident, I will shift to an open ended choice (whatever they come up with to prove understanding).
I will conference with students twice per grading period to review data, help the students set goals for themselves, and reflect on their prior goals.
Classrooms are changing quickly! Our methods must grow and change to meet the demands of student’s needs. Students do not learn in the same ways to which many of us have become accustomed. Student’s lives are more digital than ever. The idea that students simply “sit and get” a lesson and ultimately master content is outdated and false. Students need more ownership in their own learning. Students need to become more independent. Allowing the ownership of learning and the skills to be independent will lead to students that are critical thinkers and innovators.
The question becomes, how do we reach every student on every level with every concept. Some might say that it is unrealistic. I disagree. If we transition from a teacher-led classroom to a student-led classroom with a facilitator, we can reach all students on their individual levels and meet individual needs in ways that we have only imagined. But, what does that look like in the 21st Century classroom? How can we provide instruction to multiple levels with the time constraints as they are? To answer this question, I would like to draw attention to what happens after the 5th-grade math or reading STAAR test. In 5th grade, any student that does not “pass” will have to retest about a month later. Because the state requires the retest, scores for the first round are reported approximately two weeks after the test. That means that the teachers have about two weeks before the second round of testing.
Our best remediation occurs in the two weeks between when we receive scores and when our students retest. If we have such an increase in success from two weeks of remediation, what is different in that time compared to the previous teaching?
One difference is that we have no new content in those two weeks that has to be introduced and mastered. We, as teachers, are completely available to our kids without the pressure of teaching a new concept. Another difference is that we teach in very small groups focusing on very specific skills and we break them into the smaller components needed. We review and build on past learning. We fill gaps in the foundation.
If we taught that way all the time, could we perhaps increase the number of students that meet expectations on the first round of testing? I propose that if we were to use a blended learning station rotation model, like that illustrated in Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools (2014), in the classroom, we could accomplish exactly that. This method of learning allows students to really own their learning and allow students to show us their understanding in unique ways. The stations cover all of the same content without the teacher using valuable class time doing a live lesson introducing a concept and creating a reference in an interactive journal. The teacher could video that lesson prior to class and assign it to students to work through independently. This would allow the student the ability to work through the lesson at the student’s pace by allowing them to pause and rewind during the lesson. Students would also work through other stations that focus on a particular concept but allow for unique proof of understanding through open-ended tasks. In her Ted Talk (2014), Monique Markoff goes so far as to suggest that blended learning could potentially eliminate the need for the intense remediations that we currently provide.
In this model, the teacher is now free to teach more intensely in small groups and really target specific needs. Likewise, the teacher can meet with small groups to extend learning so that the higher level students are never stalled. The teacher is also free to conference with students to help them set goals and plans for meeting those goals. In their book, Horn and Staker (2014) suggest that students will be more engaged and feel more successful when they are able to set weekly goals, develop a plan, and work toward mastery of the goal. The student begins to take ownership of learning and likely will retain more content and be able to apply it in the future.
Students will receive individualized instruction, take ownership of their learning, and be able to show mastery in individual ways with the blended learning model. We already know what works best, so it is time to implement it in the classroom daily to improve the success of our students.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Bloodworth
References
Horn, M. B., & Staker, H. (2015). Blended: Using disruptive innovation to improve schools. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
This program is my pathway to enabling and supporting teachers in using technology effectively and efficiently in the classroom. Daily implementation of technology is important in preparing our kids for the world they live in. I want to help facilitate this in classrooms anywhere!
I think the COVA approach is critical in technology education. Evidence of learning can take so many forms and this approach is brilliantly aligned to allow students to show learning in their own unique way!
The ePortfolio we are constructing will serve as a wonderful artifact of my learning that I can share when I am working with other educators. It will become a tool in sharing my vision and passion for technology in education.
The most valuable lesson so far has been that the mind controls what kind of experience I will have! Positivity and effort will overcome obstacles simply by deciding that failing can teach me as much as succeeding. I can pass this attitude along to other educators and help them open up a completely new world!
I’ve really enjoyed “playing” with programs that I’ve been setting aside for a while now! I also love knowing that there are other people out here as excited about technology in education as I am!
Keeping up with the new and amazing opportunities to learn is so important for all educators! Here are a few pages and communities I have chosen to be a part of to help me be better!
For the first time in my educational career, I have a true vested interest in what I am producing in classes. That’s not to say that I didn’t work hard prior to this, because goodness knows that becoming a teacher is not an easy degree to earn; but , all of the work I did in my undergraduate was hypothetical. Now, I am in the classroom with our kids everyday. I can see the needs of our students in new ways. I can see where we are headed as a society. I can see where we are missing the boat! This perspective changes the investment in myself through this program. I am working toward this degree in an effort to help kids. It’s no longer all about me.
That being said, the portfolio allows me to create, share, and reflect on my own learning. By sharing, I am connecting with others and creating this network of colleagues that both validate and challenge me. I will be a better teacher because I am connecting with other teachers. My portfolio will introduce me to anyone that views it. My work will be part of the educational revolution known as technology.
So who owns the eportfolio. Well, that’s simple…ME. This portfolio is intended to be the product of my learning throughout the program. The evidence of my learning is most meaningful to me. Assessing my evidence is really just a way to provide feedback so that I continue learning and to see new perspectives.
Everyone is able to show evidence of learning in a unique way with an ePortfolio. I am considering using a similar idea with my students. I think it would allow the innovator in each of them to become quite active. For too long, we have been focused on the right or wrong answer, the number grade on a worksheet, etc… Times are changing; so must we.
I stated in my initial post about ePortfolios that they are the new resume. I maintain that way of thinking. The portfolio gives a quick peek into my thoughts and/or philosophy to anyone that is interested. I am able to make connections with people outside of my own organization that can help make me a better teacher. Perhaps I can help others as well. We are able to find people that believe the same things we do, and those that challenge us to think deeper or see things from another perspective.
The eportfolio takes so much time and thought. It is so helpful to have this class to really get it set up and make it something that will serve a greater purpose. I theorize that at the end of this program, I will return to the assignments to remind myself what I believe about learning, especially as it applies to the use of technology. I also think that if I decide to leave the classroom and assume a different role in the school system, it will serve as a great way to introduce myself to prospective employers.
I’ve come to realize that portfolios have always been a great way to introduce yourself to people; especially those that you wish to work with or for. Once upon a time, portfolios were carried in a brief case and passed out as needed. Today, we have the incredible opportunity to share ourselves faster and more efficiently! Our portfolio serves as a “peek” at us! It says so much about our passions. It is so important to ensure that a portfolio is easy to understand. It is equally important to make sure your portfolio tells a story about you. You want to highlight your strengths. The EPortfolio is the new resumé!
Jennifer Bloodworth 