Sun Tzu says, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” This is my journey.
Embracing Disruptive Innovation in Education
In the ever-growing scope of education, the concept of disruptive innovation has emerged as a powerful force for change. Disruptive innovation challenges traditional methods and introduces new approaches that fundamentally alter the way we teach and learn. One such innovation that has gained prominence in recent years is blended learning. I have particularly been drawn to the implementation of blended learning through the station rotation model.
When I first began my journey in the Applied Digital Learning program last summer I had never heard of disruptive innovation and had only heard the term “blended learning” in passing. Horn & Staker (2015) define blended learning as:
“a formal education program in which a student learns at least in part through online learning with some element of student control over time, place, path, and/ or pace and at least in part at a supervised brick-and-mortar location away from home.”
Doing more research on blended learning I landed on the station rotation model that allows students to engage in various learning activities at different stations, thereby personalizing their learning experience. This approach not only fosters student autonomy and ownership but also enhances collaboration and critical thinking skills.
As I reflect on the implementation of blended learning through the station rotation model, I am reminded of the COVA approach (Dwayne Harapnuik, Tilisa Thibodeaux, & Cynthia Cummings, 2018), which stands for Choice, Ownership, and Voice, and Authentic learning. COVA serves as a guiding framework that aligns seamlessly with the principles of blended learning, empowering students to take control of their learning journey.
Coursework
During my time in the ADL program I have created and work on several different components to my innovation plan: Blended Learning in Kindergarten. I first dove into my “why”. John Kotter (2011) says that we must start with the heart. We don’t need to just get people to think differently, we need them to feel differently. When we start with our “why” we give our stakeholders a direct emotion to emotion connection and that is what changes behavior.
I believe that students, no matter how young, should and can own their learning. Doing so, will make an impact in their education careers and beyond. My goal is to use a blended learning environment to engage my students in hands-on stations, as well as age-appropriate technology-based stations and STEM opportunities.
Implementing a blended learning environment in my kindergarten classroom will promote and foster a growth mindset for students to work towards self-selected goals. An environment where students feel that it is safe to take risks and make mistakes is a place that real learning can happen. I truly believe in the power of “yet”. Instead of creating an attitude of defeat, the power of “yet” brings hope.
However, I will be mindful not foster a “false growth mindset” claiming one thing but my actions and words saying another. I revisited my growth mindset plan midway through my ADL journey. It is interesting to see where I began, where I was midway through and where I am now. I truly believe that we are always going to be learning and growing. There is always something that we can make better or reflect upon.
During my learning I have also discovered my learning manifesto as well as my Learning Philosophy. These were both so interesting and insightful to learn and write. I discovered things about myself that I had never known or thought about. And when you can discover something new about yourself and actually put that into words it is so powerful. These two perspectives and beliefs really focused my view on education and my role within it. Because I identify as a “behavior constructivist” I believe that meaning is constructed through experiences, as well as repetitive practice. I also believe that learning should be natural and encouraged, not forced and rigid.
Because of these core beliefs I landed on implementing blended learning through the station rotation model because it supported COVA so seamlessly.
Choice: Blended learning offers students the freedom to choose how they engage with course material, whether through online modules, group discussions, or hands-on activities at various stations. This freedom of choice cultivates a sense of responsibility and accountability, as students are encouraged to select learning pathways that align with their interests and learning styles.
Ownership: By actively participating in the station rotation model, students assume ownership of their learning process. They set goals, monitor their progress, and reflect on their learning experiences, thereby developing metacognitive skills essential for lifelong learning. This sense of ownership fosters a deeper connection to the material and promotes intrinsic motivation, driving academic success.
Voice: Blended learning creates opportunities for student voice to be heard and valued. In my classroom we utilize Seesaw reflections, as well as paper reflections, to encourage students to express their thoughts, opinions, and insights. This emphasis on student voice not only promotes meaningful engagement but also fosters a sense of community and belonging within the classroom.
Authentic Learning: The COVA approach emphasizes the importance of authentic learning experiences that are relevant and meaningful to students' lives. Blended learning, with its integration of technology and real-world applications, provides students with opportunities to apply their knowledge in practical contexts. Whether it's conducting research online (PebbleGo), collaborating with peers (stations), or presenting findings to a wider audience (Seesaw or stations), students engage in authentic tasks that prepare them for success beyond the classroom.
During my journey in the ADL program, I have learned many new things that I have transferred to my classroom and personal life. Currently, I am implementing my innovation project as a pilot program in my current classroom. I have reflected and modified many times throughout these last few months to better meet the needs of the learners in my classroom.
Implementation
During one of my courses, I created an implementation timeline. While I am slightly behind in my actual dates, I have stuck close to the initial timeline. I am currently in Phase 2: Pilot Implementation and working towards Phase 3: Final feedback and pilot analysis. During Phase 2 I began to implement the pilot program into my classroom. I have had a couple setbacks causing me to pause, reflect and modify my initial plans. However, each time I have had to pause and reflect has made me consider more in depth the needs of my learners.
This year I have an especially tough class behaviorally. This highly effects the dynamics and structure of my classroom systems and expectations. Early in the year, I realized that this class was going to need a lot more support in the modeling process of expectations and routines. Because of this, I had to redesign my initial plan a bit to include a few more independent stations as they were not ready to engage fully in cooperative settings without the facilitation and oversight of the teacher.
However, once modifications and adjustments were made students were more readily able to utilize the blended learning environment that I envisioned. Moreover, I am constantly assessing and reevaluating the stations, processes, and activities that I have my students engaging in. Doing this ensure that my students are continuing to be supported by the COVA approach.
I hope to have Phase 3: Final Feedback and pilot analysis completed by the end of this school year. I need to contact my literacy coach to arrange a time to observe my classroom, as well as, have my team members to do so. During this time, I will begin to have conferences with students to hear from them how they feel their growth has been and give them an opportunity to share their growth with peers, parents, and other teachers.
Since I am slightly behind on my timeline, I will use the summer months to compile all the data collected throughout the school year and use it to self-reflect and self-assess. During this time of self-assessment, I will use feedback from students, peers and my self to make even more changes for the upcoming year.
However, going into the self-assessment and reflection process I will hold close to the idea that all classes are different and that just because something worked this year does not mean that it will next year. And just because something did not work for this year’s class does not mean that it isn’t effective for a different classroom dynamic. I will continue to learn and grow every year as a promise to my students to continue to offer each learner authentic learning experiences.
Once I am done reflecting, I will move into Phase 4: Implementation.
When school starts back in August, I plan to pick back up on my implantation timeline and begin sharing data to my kindergarten team. I will communicate the vision of blended learning through my Call-to-Action video to enlist other team members to begin implementing blended learning in their own kindergarten classrooms. I will provide current examples and the research behind blended learning.
Once I have enlisted some or all my team to join me on this journey to offer real, authentic learning to our young learners, I will support my team with the Professional Learning that I developed.
During this professional learning, I will utilize station menus for my team members. I have specifically designed it this way so that they will be able to experience firsthand the benefits of blended learning and COVA. Once they understand and see the benefits, they will be more readily willing to follow my lead and leap into implementing into their classrooms. I will also utilize the slide deck that I created to begin each professional learning session. Each session is designed to begin together with collaboration and discussion and then break out into self-selected stations.
Going forward.
Knowing what I know now, I would have begun this journey sooner. I was already using station rotations in my classroom, but I wasn’t using it as purposeful as I could have been. When I really began to think about and know the learners in my classroom, I knew they needed more. They deserved more. That is what lead me to blended learning. I built upon something I already knew and used; I just wanted to know and use it well.
During my research and my time in the ADL program I have begun to understand the needs of my learners more and have learned how I can better support them through the COVA framework. While I have begun to implement my innovation project, it will always be a work in progress because the needs of my learners will be ever growing and changing. While the framework is the same every year, the implementation will look different for every class. However, I am committed to this journey and intend to continue my growth and learning through action research.
Action research is an approach that empowers individuals and organizations to drive positive change through a structured process of inquiry, reflection, and action. It promotes continuous improvement and learning, making it a powerful tool for educators striving to effect meaningful and sustainable transformations in their classrooms. I will follow the process of action research to develop new hypotheses, collect data, analyze, form a conclusion and repeat.
Final Thoughts
The introduction of blended learning through the station rotation model represents a disruptive innovation in my classroom, one that embraces the COVA approach to empower students as active participants in their learning journey. By providing choice, ownership, voice, and authentic learning experiences, blended learning has transformed my classroom and is preparing my students for the challenges of the 21st century.
Resources
Dwayne Harapnuik, Tilisa Thibodeaux, & Cynthia Cummings. (2018). Choice, Ownership, and Voice through Authentic Learning COVA. Creative Commons License. https://doi.org/https://gallery.mailchimp.com/1bdbac4d4fbdff334a642eb11/files/8b18ae2 a-8696-4d58-9b80-192f4cc6624c/COVA_eBook_Jan_2018.02.pdf
Dwayne Harapnuik. (2015, May 9). Creating Significant Learning Environments (CSLE) [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/eZ-c7rz7eT4
Horn, M. B., Staker, H., & Christensen, C. M. (2015). Blended: Using disruptive innovation to improve schools. Jossey-Bass.
Mertler, C. A. (2019). Action research: Improving schools and empowering educators (6th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.
Staker, H., & Horn, M. B. (2012). Classifying K–12 blended learning.
Thomas, D., & Brown, J. S. (2011). A new culture of learning: Cultivating the imagination for a world of Constant Change. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
Thomas, D. [TEDx Talks]. (2012, September 12). A new culture of learning, Douglas Thomas at TEDxUFM [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM80GXlyX0U&feature=youtu.be
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