A New Culture of Learning
Learning is that part of life we can not dodge. No matter how old we get or how we feel, no one is ever too old to learn some new knowledge. Lynda Kelly described learning as “something we just do, without ever thinking too much about it” (2002). Traditional face to face teaching and learning is not helping students succeed anymore. When I say traditional face to face I mean an adult standing in front of a class lecturing to students, reading off a PowerPoint and not making it fun or engaging. Significant learning is the new way of learning. Focusing on the students and WHAT tools they need to help them WANT to learn. Getting students involved, talking, and active in learning is a start to a new culture of learning. Numerous resources are out there, we just have to start utilizing them. My innovation plan is to help students have more peer to peer interactions to learn from each other, creating better social and academic goals.
"If we teach today's students as we taught yesterday's, we rob them of tomorrow."
John Dewey
Peer to Peer Learning
I want to have a classroom environment where not only the teacher teaches, but also gives the students an opportunity too. A fundamental idea I have incorporated is more group/ one on one assignments. I feel like when students only learn from teachers, they are listening for memorization, not actual learning. They want to remember the correct answer for the test/quizzes and listen for what the teacher wants to hear.
When students are learning from each other, they have different ways of teaching. Some students may use an example, other students might use action. There are plenty of ways we can get an answer to a question and that is utilizing the resources that are around (ex; students). Having group and one-on-one learning also allows students to see things in a different perspective. A student can listen to a teacher teach the same thing for hours and still won't understand. But as soon as a student puts it in a different perspective, they will then get it. This peer to peer learning will also go great with having kids learn through things they are interested in. When students have things in common, I feel they can use that to teach each other. For example, if two football players are learning math, they could use the yard line numbers to learn.
Learning should go from personal to collective. Not only should learning be educational but it should also be authentic (Anderson 2017). Knowing what students are interested in and including that in teaching will have the students engaged and ready to learn from something they can relate to. Students will create personal interests blogs once a month for teacher and student use. I will incorporate things that students are interested in in my lessons to get them more engaged and eager to learn as a collective (Thomas and Brown 2011).
Challenges with Implementing
Creating Significant Learning Environments with the generations today is a challenge itself. Getting students to step out of their comfort zone to teach/ be taught by other students will not be easy. Especially with SpEd students, they are so used to learning at their own pace and centered around adults. But all that is changing with the new way of learning. Learning will be fun and engaging for everyone, but to students who have disabilities some are being held back from their full potential. SpEd students will not only have other students with the same interests as them, they get a chance to engage with someone other than a teacher.
Another challenge I see arising will be the proper support from other staff members who aren’t a part of my SpEd team. Gen. Ed. Teachers might not be as optimistic as I am by having students teach. For teachers to fully understand this new way of learning they have to come in with a growth mindset. Seeing children with disabilities should not make a teacher think they can not do something. Assuring teachers to always pressure the children that they can do/ learn anyway they put their minds to.
Impact on My Organization
The new learning environment I am creating for my students might look and feel weird at first and make them feel shy. But, by creating more peer and social environments for the children, students will also be learning while making new friends and building relationships. CSLE is all about getting students out of their comfort zone and to be more confident in themselves. With more peer relationships, classrooms will be more of a collective and a community. Insuring the students that we are all here for one another and knowing that they do not only have to go to the teacher(s) for help but that they can learn from other students.
Moving Towards a Holistic Approach
A holistic learning environment should be a priority for everyone who is centered in education. Holistic Learning Environment is described as one that nurtures all aspects of life (Modell, DeMiero, Rose) whether its a safe environment, supportive environment, and provides the proper opportunities to help students deal with nonacademic factors (2009). Teachers are not only there to teach students. They are also there to serve as their counselor, mentor, protector and any other major role they can think of.
Ways I can get my organization to move towards a holistic approach would be first and foremost making sure everyone has a growth mindset. Encouraging everyone to read my approach on The Growth Mindset will get them open to change. After reading my approach on the growth mindset, I will encourage all to read A New Culture of Learning by Douglas Thomas and John S. Brown. Modeling will then come into effect after both readings have been completed. Having teachers become engaged and model to each other this approach will give them a better understanding of the change.
Next, I will use student engagement and feedback, teacher engagement and feedback to get teachers open to accepting change and ensuring them that it is not a bad or compromising thing. For teachers to adopt this perspective, they must know they are not there to just teach. This opportunity will give the students a chance to open up more to teachers, improving their academic achievement, mental and emotional well-being, and increase problem solving ability.
References
Anderson, S. W. (2017, May 4). 10 characteristics of an authentic-based learning classroom. 10 Characteristics Of An Authentic-Based Learning Classroom. Retrieved September 6, 2022, from http://blog.web20classroom.org/2017/02/10-characteristics-of-authentic-based.html
Kelly, L. (2002). What is learning … and why do museums need to do something about it? A paper presented at the Why Learning? Seminar, Australian Museum/University of Technology Sydney, 22 November. [https://australianmuseum.net.au/uploads/documents/9293/what%20is%20learning.pdf. Retrieved June 7, 2018].
Modell HI, DeMiero FG, Rose L. In pursuit of a holistic learning environment: the impact of music in the medical physiology classroom. Adv Physiol Educ. 2009 Mar;33(1):37-45. doi: 10.1152/advan.90149.2008. PMID: 19261759.
Thomas, D., & Brown, J. S. (2011). A New Culture of Learning: Cultivating the imagination for a world of constant change. Lexington, KY: CreateSpace.