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Questions That Need Answers
In the "A New Culture of Learning" TEDTalk, author Douglas Thomas asserts that "learning is fundamentally an easy thing that we do." He continues by saying "it is something we do from the day we are born to the day we die, and it is natural and effortless everywhere but school." Why does an environment designed for learning make learning so hard? What minor modifications can be made to the current learning environment that would result in major change? How can educators create a learning environment that promotes creativity, fun and collaboration?
Why Create Significant Learning Environments?
Lamar University professor, Dwayne Harapnuik suggests a learning environment occurs when learning and the surrounding environment intersect by chance and react to learning dynamics. Teachers relinquish control and assume the role of coach or mentor. This form of interaction produces the best student achievement outcomes.
"Change motivates and challenges. It makes clear when things are obsolete or have outlived their usefulness. But most of all, change forces us to learn differently" (Thomas & Seely Brown, 2011). The evolution of our world is out-pacing the evolution in our classrooms. 22nd-century learners deserve 22nd-century learning environments designed to meet the needs of their world. Too many of our educators are exhausting themselves trying to engage and encourage students and this struggle is reflected in the national teacher shortage. How can teachers develop learning environments that promote student choice, creativity, and collaboration and shift students to the center of their own learning experience? Douglas Thomas and John Seely Brown provide several examples of how incorporating play, collaboration, and inquiry enhances the learning environment and increases student understanding.
PLAY and Significant Learning Environments
Play is a crucial component of creating a significant learning environment. LEGO Papert Professor of Learning Research, Mitchel Resnick, defines play as "an attitude of exploration, risk-taking, and experimenting." The act of play is a natural part of learning. It is something children do without thinking. They use play to learn how to do new things and experiment with trial and error. Young children play with kitchen and hardware sets to learn how to operate the various gadgets and tools. As children grow older, they don't stop playing, they just start playing with more complex toys like gaming consoles, computers, and tablets. When my students start the "I can't do this" song in class, I quickly remind them that they couldn't play Madden or NBA 2K either, but because they continued to play, experiment, and take risks, they learned how to succeed and became great gamers. The COVID-19 pandemic robbed us of time, progress, and direct instruction, but it did not rob our students or us of play. It is an innate ability that does not have to be taught, only cultivated.
"When children play, they become creative" (Foundation, 2019). Sir Ken Robinson famously suggests that schools kill creativity- and they do. The traditional teacher-centered model is a one-size fit all approach that does not leave room for the educator or student to showcase their creativity. Play allows the teacher to take more of a facilitator role in the classroom and allows the students to explore within the boundaries of the lesson. The fluidity and freedom of this instructional style promote peer-to-peer teaching, problem-solving, and inquiry. "Research shows that such inquiry-based teaching is not so much about seeking the right answer but about developing inquiring minds, and it can yield significant benefits. For example, in the 1995 School Restructuring Study, conducted at the Center on Organization and Restructuring of Schools by Fred Newmann and colleagues at the University of Wisconsin, 2,128 students in twenty-three schools were found to have significantly higher achievement on challenging tasks when they were taught with inquiry-based teaching, showing that involvement leads to understanding. These practices were found to have a more significant impact on student performance than any other variable, including student background and prior achievement" (Barron & Darling-Hammond, 2008). In my innovation plan, I proposed implementing ePortfolios in my classroom to get students involved in their own learning and success. I am confident ePortfolios will increase student engagement, encourage reflection and allow students to take a more proactive approach to the content.
Challenges
Recultance is expected when change is happening; however, educators must remember the "why". Why are we creating significant learning environments? What problems will CSLE address?
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Student-centered
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22nd-century skill building
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Declining student engagement
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Content Mastery
As educators, we should shift our thinking from change as a thorn in our sides, to acknowledging our flexibility and adaptability as a superpower. If we model this behavior and attitude to our students they will begin to buy in as well. It would be naive to assume this transition would be seamless, below are a few challenges I expect.
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Students taking advantage of the fluidity and freedom that comes with CSLE
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Poor student attendance, leaving groups incomplete or behind
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Building a culture of learning, inquiry, and reflection
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Inconsistencies, in classrooms where teachers are not CSLE
The Four Ps of Creative Learning
PROJECTS
Projects are a great way to combine multiple skills in one activity.
PASSION
When students are given choice in their learning, they are sure to work in their passion.
PEERS
The ability to collaborate effectively is a vital 22nd-century skill. Students also gain a different level if understanding when learning from their peers.
PLAY
Play isn't just recess, it's an essential teaching tool that allows educators to center learning around the student.