Creating Significant Learning Environments
“Change motivates and challenges. … change forces s to learn differently.” (Thomas, 2011) As the GFE kindergarten team and beyond starts to adopt the mindset of creating significant learning environments using blended learning through the station rotation model, our students will begin to experience school in a way that incorporates fun and self-directed learning. Because children use play and imagination as the primary tool for making sense of the world around them, they need leverage that innate curiosity to continue to make sense of the influx of new information in this ever-changing world. As educators we must embrace this new way of leading our classrooms so that students will begin to own their choices and learning in a fun and challenging way. When students experience COVA the shift in our educational approach turns towards a culture of play-based learning that not only prepares students for the ever-changing world but also instills a deep, lifelong love for learning.
I believe that there is more to learning than just mastery; learning should be fun, challenging, innovative and explorative. Therefore, I believe that meaning is constructed through experiences, as well as repetitive practice. Learning should be natural and encouraged, not forced and rigid. While I identify mostly as a behavioral constructivist, I also know that students and the world is constantly changing. And because I wholeheartedly believe that learning is a process, I know my learning and teaching philosophy will likely grow and change as well. Read my philosophy on learning here.
When creating significant learning environments, it is important that outcomes, activities, and assessments are aligned. Fink’s taxonomy revolves around six key questions for formulating significant learning goals: Foundational Knowledge, Application, Integration, Human Dimension, Caring, and Learning How to Learn. By addressing these questions, educators can create learning goals that not only communicate subject-specific knowledge but also cultivate critical thinking, adaptability, and ownership in their students.
The Understanding by Design template, developed by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, stands out as a comprehensive framework for curriculum design, emphasizing the critical principle of backward design. This framework consists of three stages: the first directs educators to identify desired results, emphasizing the definition of overarching learning goals, essential questions, and key understandings. In the second stage, the template prompts the determination of acceptable evidence, where specific criteria are established for assessing student understanding and performance. Finally, the third stage focuses on planning learning experiences and instruction, ensuring that strategies and activities align cohesively with the established learning goals. The significance of UbD lies in its commitment to beginning the curriculum design process with the end in mind, fostering purposeful, student-centered learning experiences combined with meaningful assessments.
Carol Dweck defines a mindset as how a student "perceives their abilities". These mindsets play a key role in how students perform and in their overall motivation. However, changing just our way of thinking isn't enough. It is more than just tacking on "yet" to the end of a "I can't" statement. Read this post to see how my thinking has shifted and how I still plan to use my Growth Mindset Plan from my previous learning to foster the Learner's Mindset in myself and my learners.