Through out the courses of DLL program I have been working on on creating my innovation plan for blended learning.  I am now in my fifth class of the program and reflection is needed from time to time.   In just five classes I feel as though I have grown more as an educator then the past 14 years of my career.  In 5302 Learning Mindset I developed a Growth Mindset Plan.  I have used this for both teachers and students.

My goal with this presentation is not only to inform them on what a growth mindset is but to also help them explore where they are in their own learning mindset.  I know that the growth mindset is not something that is developed over night.  It takes practice and modeling.  I have tried to model this in my everyday life through classes that I teach.  I strive to push students to grow their own minds to become future minded thinkers. When I feel that they are not pushing themselves to their full potential I return or ask for further learning to be done by giving them a “Not Yet” feedback.  This alone has pushed students to look for deeper understanding.  That is my biggest hope from helping students develop future mindsets.  Students will need to develop mindsets that can solve future problems and create new ideas.

The growth mindset was the first step in the process of developing my Innovation Plan for Blended Learning.  In a blended learning environment having a growth mindset is great for personal growth.  In a blended learning environment learning is individualized for students to show growth and authentic learning.  The combination of the growth mindset and blended learning environment lends itself to developing a significant learning environment.

In developing a significant learning environment students can embrace the new age culture of learning.  Take a look at how I plan on developing a significant learning environment further.  With the change world of today, students need to be able to adapt and change with it.  That is why developing such learning environments is important for the future of education.

In creating a significant learning environment I needed to have a little self exploration of my own learning.  In a new age of learning how am I working to change my own learning as well as my students?  Here I looked back at three ideas of thought Behaviorists, Cognitivist, and Constructivist.  Where I found that I started out mostly as a cognitivist.  It’s not to say that I was a bad teacher starting out.  I would say that I didn’t know any better.  By exploring with my own learning philosophy, I am able to create a foundation for all learning in my classroom. To take a further look and my own personal learning philosophy click here.  This will be the foundation for my innovation plan and creating powerful learning environments.

Now that I have a foundation of understanding my own learning and teaching.  I need to look further into creating those significant learning environments.  Two ways of creating lesson plans that fit with SLE are Fink’s 3-Column Table and Wiggins and McTighe’s Understanding by design.  Both incorporate the backwards design and help create significant learning environments.

3-Column Table

Fink pushes educators to go beyond the content and develop learning for the sack of learning.  Push students to have a deeper understand and reach a BHAG.  In order to create such an environment, I needed to answer some questions.  Fink has develop two worksheets to help teachers understand where they will be starting and where they will be finishing.  Here is how I answered these questions in preparation for creating my 3-Column Table.

• Formulating significant learning goals- Click Here

• Learning Environment & Situational Factors to Consider – Click Here

These two worksheets are important in developing a 3-column table.  Here is an example of what a 3-column table looks like.  A 3-column table is wrapped around the BHAG.  With out the BHAG there is no true direction for the lesson.

UbD

Understanding by Design was developed to have a very detailed format for lessons.  Again this type of lesson format helps in developing a learning environment that students can have deeper understand and meaning. In order to compare the two formats I used the same lesson and goal.  You can take a look at how my UbD lesson compares to a 3-Column Table.

No matter which template one decides to use both will push educators to think differently about how they design lessons for their classrooms.  I look at them and see authentic learning for students.  When developing my lessons for blended learning students will be given opportunities to show authentic learning.  This will also help students understand the power of having a growth mindset.

Resources

Wiggins, G. P., & McTighe, J. (2008). Understanding by design. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Fink, L. D. (2003). A self-direct guide to designing course for significant
learning [Pamphlet]. San Francisco, CA

 

 

 

Teaching is an art.  I have been teaching for the past 14 years and have worked with different lesson templates.  From Marzano’s intentional thinking map’s, Fink’s 3 column table, and now UbD lesson design.  Creating an effective lesson for the classroom can be daunting to say the least.

UbD Design

The UbD lesson design is very detailed and very organized.

Step I: Desired Results – First I started out by creating a goal.  This is different from my course standards or my state standards.  My goal is important for understanding the overall outcome that I am wanting from my students.  In this step I am looking at making connections to my goal.  The next thing that I think is important in this step is creating essential questions.  You need to have essential questions that can drive student learning towards the over all goal.  Next is writing out specifically what students will know and be able to do.  These statements again will point back to the goal that was laid out at the begin of this step. On to Step II.

Step II: Assessment Evidence – In step two it is important that I now look at how I am going to assess learning.  What is it that I am going to be looking for.  What type of assessment platforms will I use.  In UbD assessment is broken into two phases.  Performance task and other evidence.  I look at performance tasks as what the students them selves will be creating or doing.  For example in my psychology class we have weekly discussions based around the unit’s concepts.  I assess students learning through their discussions and over all understanding of those concepts.  In the other evidence category I placed my formative assessment quizzes.  I use these to gauge my own teaching as much as my own student’s learning.

Step III: Learning Plan – In this step I am laying out all the moving parts of the unit.  Here I am trying to fill in the W.H.E.R.E.T.O acronym.  Think of this as a road map to lesson success.  By making sure that these letters are each developed around the goal, I can be sure that my lessons will be well rounded and effective.

You can find my lesson create with the UbD template at the bottom of this blog.  You can also click here to see my 3 Column Table based on Fink’s design.  I used the same course content for both.

Comparing UbD to 3 Column Table

Let’s compare last week’s design to this week’s design.  In Fink’s 3 column table I like the simplicity of its design. I found his design to be more troublesome in my own thinking.  I struggled to be able to develop those extremely focused ideas that the 3 column table requires.

In the UbD design you can clearly see that this design is much longer and more specific in certain areas like Step III.  That is why it is broken down into 4 unit lessons rather than one single page like the 3 column table.  I gravitated to this design easier than I did the 3 column table.  I think it is easier in the way that I was taught to write lessons.  One thing that I worry about with the UbD design is flexibility.  How flexible is it or will teachers be?  When things don’t go as planned will teachers be able to adjust? Also is the 3 Column table better when thinking about giving students a clean slate to learn.  The UbD platform seems so specific and may be too specific that it takes away the creativity of the students.

Over all both designs require the teachers to deconstruct how they think about the students learning.  If I had to choose one today, I would choose UbD.  I find it to be easier in my own way of thinking when it comes to teaching.  I like the laid out plan and step by step template.  With more practice I could really see my self using this lesson design platform.

UbD Psychology Lessons

Resources

Wiggins, G. P., & McTighe, J. (2008). Understanding by design. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

When thinking about developing a game plan for teaching. I have to admit this is one of my weakest areas.  I started to read this weeks reading A Self-Directed Guide to Designing Courses for Significant Learning by L. Dee Fink, and learned that one must start with the end in site.  I must say that there have been times when the end was not always in site when creating units.

It is important as an educator that I create significant learning environments.  In order to do that effectively I need to understand what I what in the end for my students.  That is easier said than done. I, like most teachers were taught to how to write lessons but not in the way that Fink describes.

When looking at significant learning environments one must first start at the end.  In order to do this Fink has developed some helpful worksheets that can help get those thoughts written down.

First Step: Consider the Situational Factors

So first I took a look at the situational factors.  Here I was able to look at the course carefully.  In this step I was able to look at the situational factors that are present for the course.  Some of the factors are more important than others.  Some factors will play a more specific role in the creation of the class while others will play a limited role.

The general categories that Fink found useful to consider are the following:

• Specific Context of the Teaching/Learning Situation

• General Context of the Learning Situation

• Nature of the Subject

• Characteristics of the Learners

• Characteristics of the Teacher

To read more about my Situational Factors Click Here.

Second Step:Questions for Formulating Significant Learning Goals

The second step of this process was the most difficult part for me.  This is not something that I am accustomed to doing.  This step really made me think about what was important in this course.  How do I want this course to be developed?  I know what I teach but in the end I need to know what I want my students to know.

To read more about my Significant Learning Goals Click Here.

Step Three: Creating a Three Table Column

By using Fink’s self directed outline I came up with this three table column.

 

Reference

Fink, L. D. (2003). A self-direct guide to designing course for significant
learning [Pamphlet]. San Francisco, CA

1. Specific Context of the Teaching/Learning Situation

How many students are in the class?  Is the course primary, secondary, undergraduate, or graduate level?  How long and frequent are the class meetings?  How will the course be delivered: live, online, blended, flipped or in a classroom or lab?  What physical elements of the learning environment will affect the class? What technology, networking and access issues will affect the class?

22 secondary students in 1 section.

Students meet every day for 42 minutes.

Students will have a mixture of live and online learning in a blended learning form.

Students will receive information through google classroom.

2. General Context of the Learning Situation

What learning expectations are placed on this course or curriculum by: the school, district, university, college and/or department?  the profession?  society? 

The purpose of this course is to introduce the high school student to the study of Psychology.

• Create compelling questions representing key ideas within the disciplines.
• Develop supporting questions that contribute to an inquiry and demonstrate how, through engaging source work, new compelling and supporting questions emerge.
• Gather relevant information from multiple sources representing a wide range of views while using the origin, authority, structure, context, and corroborative value of the sources to guide the selection.
• Evaluate the credibility of a source by examining how experts value the source.

• Construct arguments using precise and knowledgeable claims, with evidence from multiple sources, while acknowledging counterclaims and evidentiary weaknesses.

 

3. Nature of the Subject

Is this subject primarily theoretical, practical, or a combination?  Is the subject primarily convergent or divergent?  Are there important changes or controversies occurring within the field?

Students will be shown both the theoretical and practical practices of psychology.  

4. Characteristics of the Learners

What is the life situation of the learners (e.g., socio-economic, cultural, personal, family, professional goals)?  What prior knowledge, experiences, and initial feelings do students usually have about this subject?  What are their learning goals and expectations?

Students will assess how psychology can be applied to a wide range of areas in their lives.  Students need not have any prior knowledge about psychology.  Their past experiences will be used to make connections to psychological principles and concepts.

5. Characteristics of the Teacher

What beliefs and values does the teacher have about teaching and learning?  What is his/her attitude toward:  the subject? students? What level of knowledge or familiarity does s/he have with this subject?  What are his/her strengths in teaching?

As the teacher of this course for several years, I feel it is important that all students have a basic understanding of psychology.  The reason being is that no matter what area of education they plan on following psychology will play a part.  It is my belief that students need to have a basic understanding of psychological concepts better help them understand how they learn and others around them learn as well.

Questions for Formulating Significant Learning Goals

“A year (or more) after this course is over, I want and hope that students will be able to apply basic psychological concepts in their daily lives.

My Big Harry Audacious Goal (BHAG) for the course is:  

Students will be able to create an understanding of how psychology can be applied in everyday life.  They will apply this understanding throughout the course by applying concepts to real life experiences.

Foundational Knowledge

• What key information (e.g., facts, terms, formulae, concepts, principles, relationships, etc.) is/are important for students to understand and remember in the future?
• What key ideas (or perspectives) are important for students to understand in this course?

Be able to identify early founders of psychology and their concept contributions to the field of psychology.

Be able to recall concepts like Behaviorism, Gestalt Principles, Sensation, Perception, Cognitivism, Nature vs. Nurture, and Functionalism.

Application Goals

• What kinds of thinking are important for students to learn?
• Critical thinking, in which students analyze and evaluate
• Creative thinking, in which students imagine and create
• Practical thinking, in which students solve problems and make decisions
• What important skills do students need to gain?
• Do students need to learn how to manage complex projects?

Students will be asked to think critically as to how psychological concepts can be applied to their everyday life.

Students will be able to use creative thinking by showing learning of psychological concepts through complex projects.

Students will also develop important skills through the use of technology. 

Integration Goals

• What connections (similarities and interactions) should students recognize and make…:
• Among ideas within this course?
• Among the information, ideas, and perspectives in this course and those in other courses or areas?
• Among material in this course and the students’ own personal, social, and/or work life?

Students will be able discuss how cultures can impact a person’s psychological makeup and understanding.

Students will be able to make connections to their own personal and social lives. 

Human Dimensions Goals

• What could or should students learn about themselves?
• What could or should students learn about understanding others and/or interacting with them?

Students will develop a deeper understanding of their own psychological thinking.

Students can have deeper individual meaning to how they think, feel, and socialize in everyday life.

Caring Goals

• What changes/values do you hope students will adopt?

            Feelings?

            Interests?

            Values?

It is my hope that students will develop a sense of compassion and empathy for all humans and all human differences.

It is my hope that students will see potential in psychology and its importance in their future.

“Learning-How-to-Learn” Goals

• What would you like for students to learn about:
• how to be good students in a course like this?
• how to learn about this particular subject?
• how to become a self-directed learner of this subject, i.e., having a learning agenda of what they need/want to learn, and a plan for learning it?

Being a good student is not about getting good grades but showing learning in an authentic way.

Students can learn how they see best fits their learning style.  They should venture into a wide range of primary and secondary sources to develop their learning.

What is your theory of learning as an educator?  That is a question that I have asked my-self several times over.  Learning can be demonstrated in many different ways.  Some of the different theories of learning that I have taken a look at are Behaviorist, Cognitivist, and Constructivist.  These are all theories of the 20th century.

20th Century Learning Theories

1. Behaviorism

Behaviorist learning focuses on learning that can be observed and measurable.  Ivan Pavlov was one of the first to take a Behaviorist approach.  His learning theory became known as Classical Conditioning.  Another contributor to the Behaviorist theory was B.F. Skinner.  B.F. Skinner was different from classical conditioning.  His type of conditioning was Operant Conditioning.  One of the best examples of B.F. Skinner is this quote.

I couldn’t agree more with this as a teacher.  Children are born with an ability to learn for the sake of learning.  Why does this disappear?  B.F. Skinner would look at the student’s behavior and observe over the years.  He would claim that Students are conditioned to stop wanting to learn in the ways that they are born.  Teaching is training for new behavior

2. Cognitivist

Learning here is the process of information.  This theory originated from the creation of the computer.  Like a computer Cognitivist look at how humans process and make meaning of information.  Information is processed into meaningful wholes that are connected to prior learning.  Through this form students are asked to make connection to past learning.  In this theory the students is only asked to learn what the teacher presents.  Teaching is a transmission of information to learners.

In looking at my past I would say that I first started out as a teacher in the cognitivist approach.  I spent a large amount of time creating lessons that were primarily teacher centered.  As I started to develop my own teaching style I started to move farther away from this approach.

3. Constructivist

Constructivist developed out of behaviorists and Cognitivists ideas.  In this theory learning is making meaning of doing.

Jean Piaget’s quote is the embodiment of what he thought learning should be.  Students should be learning through exploration and self discovery. Teachers facilitate activities for students to make meaning. In this theory students fit into the idea of B.F. Skinner and the growth mindset.  Students explore and create their own meanings.

21st Century Learning Theories

1. Collaborativist

In this theory students focus on the knowledge building process. Collaborativism provides a learning theory and pedagogy that addresses 21st-century needs and opportunities. In an online world students work to build on the vast amounts of information that is provided further than the textbook.  Groups of students work together in order to develop their own set of understanding and learning.

2. Connectivist

In 2004 Stephen Downes and George Siemens pronounced this new age approach to learning. They argued that learning is a process of connecting with modes of information and that learning resides not only in the human learner but also in non-human appliances.

“it would flex and bend and reshape itself minute by minute according to where you are, who you’re with, what you’re doing, and would always have certain resources top of mind could be displayed in any environment or work area” Stephen Downes (Harasim, 2017)

So what is my philosophy of learning?

Early on in my career I would say that I was a Cognitivist. I spent days on end lecturing and expecting students to transfer that information back to me.  That is what I thought good social studies teachers did.  Over the past several years I have spent more of my time trying to develop more along the lines of Collaborativist and Connectivist.  This is also why I am trying to incorporate Blended Learning into my school district.  When I looked at the 21st century learning theories it couldn’t have fit any better with blended learning.

So what is my learning philosophy?  Just like blended learning I would like to think that it is a combination of several learning philosophies.  I know that I was once a Cognitivist and that I am trying to move closer to collaborativist and connectivist. So what does this look like.  It looks like creating an environment of learning where students work together collaboratively.  They look over a variety of materials trying to make connection to real life experiences.  I believe that these connections are the true future of education.  These ideas are built on the ideas of Piaget with constructivism.  By building a blended learning environment learning is turned back to the students.  Students are given the freedom to develop their own sense of learning.

That sense of learning goes along with my Significant Learning Environment.  As an educator I need to create the right environment for my students to be able to incorporate collaboration and making connections to learning.  In order to do that I need to understand my own learning.  I look back at some of my most meaningful learning experiences.  I think the key word is experiences. I spent many of days working in the garage with my father.  The relationship that was create in those hours of working in the garage helped develop my learning.  I think that is the next piece to my learning philosophy.  As an educator I need to continue to develop relationships with my students.  By building these relationships I can create the learning experiences that can be meaningful. By understanding my learning theory, I can reflect on my practice, improve upon, reshape and refine my work, and contribute to advancing my classroom.

Resources

Blake, B., & Pope, T. (n.d.). Developmental Psychology: Incorporating Piaget’s and Vygotsky’s Theories in Classrooms . Journal of Cross-Disciplinary Perspectives in Education , 1(1), 59–67. Retrieved from https://tobh.pw/1560942072.pdf

This article discusses Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky theories of student learning and how they can be incorporated into the classroom.

Harasim, L. M. (2017). Learning theory and online technology: how new technologies are transforming learning opportunities. New York: Routledge.

In this book Harasim, looks at past theories from the 20th century Behaviorist, Cognitivist, and Constructivist.  It also looks into new learning theories like Collaborativist and Connectivist.