5313
Create Significant
Learning Environments
Lifelong Learner
Education has always been an important part of my life. My grandma and grandpa, (my dad’s parents), were both teachers in a small one-room schoolhouse in Oklahoma. In the above picture, my dad and grandma were teaching me to play dominoes. It was their sneaky way of teaching me how to count and other basic math skills.
When my dad “retired” he became a substitute teacher. Learning is in my blood. I knew that I wanted to be a teacher when I was in second grade. My dad always told me that it didn’t matter what I went to school for, just as long as I went.
My mom always helped me study. She insisted I do my homework every night. If I didn’t have homework, she made up some homework. She pushed me to do my best and be the best. She didn’t accept anything less than perfection. I remember we used to have our spelling tests on Thursdays. If we made a 100, we didn’t have to take it on Friday. Her philosophy was, why do something twice? Just do it right the first time.
When I first started this new learning journey in the DLL program, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was concerned about the requirements and unsure of what to do or how to do things. All I knew was that I wanted to keep my promise to my daddy to complete my Masters Degree.
This program has been useful in my pre-k classroom. It has shed a bright light on new ways to improve the classroom. We started things off on the right foot by learning about a Carol Dweck’s book titled, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. We developed our original Growth Mindset plan during the first class. Currently, I have revisited it and made a few adjustments and now have a working Growth Mindset plan. As we progress, learn more, and become better learners, I will make adjustments as needed.
Creating a significant learning environment is an important part of the learning process and will impact the students' learning. Working on my current learning environment makes me reflect on the different learning environments when I was in school. I remember the classroom bulletin boards having our work on it and we had a cozy reading area.
My mom also created a great learning environment for me at home when I was very young. She wanted me to learn all that I could even before entering school. I remember having a table and chairs, crayons, paper, scissors, glue, and other supplies so I could do my homework. My dad purchased a large chalkboard, chalk, and the all important “chalk holder” just like the teachers had back then. (I still have that chalkboard and holder after all these years.)
In my classroom I want the students to have all their necessary learning tools, space, and be absorbed in learning. Students naturally want to create, explore, and seek out new things. I believe that if they have fun while learning, they would absorb more and there would be less behavior problems. Students need an outlet just like adults to express themselves. Students are little adults with less processing skills and less coping mechanisms. Sometimes school is their safe place where they can feel loved and are able to be themselves. It is important to me to create an environment for my students that will keep them safe, allow them to express their creativity, and help them become successful adults. Research has shown that when incorporating play into the lesson, the students will learn it quickly and retain it for a longer period of time. This reminds me of the Albert Einstein quote, “Play is the highest kind of research.” By focusing on learning and creating significant learning environments it will greatly impact their learning as well as my innovation plan.
My learning philosophy has changed over the years. Being an ESL teacher, educator, mentor, coach, and an educational pilot is what I do and who I am in mind, body, and soul. Each day I inspire my students to come to school, be lifelong learners, and strive to reach their personal and educational goals. Sharing my knowledge, participating in the education process and journey with others is my life’s calling.
My innovation project is to have students at a young age use ePortfolios. At age four, the students are just learning about school, about making friends, and how rules work. They are curious about everything and seem to be fearless.
According to the Use a Learning Theory video, “learning is more meaningful to students when they are able to interact the problem or concept.” My innovation project allows them to take ownership of what they are doing as well as reflect back on their accomplishments.
By using an ePortfolio at an early age, they will see what they learned over time along with how their learning styles will change. They can learn from their own learning. The students will take ownership of what they are doing and how they are doing it. When they are more involved in what they are learning, it will mean more to them. Students are more than a test score. In the real world, the test score will not help them. They need to be able to actually complete a task, learn from their mistakes, and have problem-solving skills.
My BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) is that learners (Pre-K students - four year olds) will become digital collaborators and digital communicators with a sense of good digital citizenship which they will use to build foundational knowledge for their educational future.
While trying to accomplish this goal, I completed two different types of lesson designs. We started with Fink’s 3 column table with a BHAG and then used the Wiggins and McTighe’s Understanding by Design - Backwards Design Process. I prefer the UbD over the learning outcomes with a 3 column table. I preferred the UbD option because working backwards is starting with the end goal in mind. I believe the UbD allows a more focused plan which will help us attain our goals and it lends itself to add more details and be specific.
Using the WHERETO acronym helped focus the learning activities. By using the UbD plan, I have been able to expand my own thinking and think outside of the box for lessons for these curious four year old students.
My pre-k four year old students are excited to learn more and are always asking questions as well as using their problem-solving skills to help them expand their own knowledge. By incorporating all that I have learned in this course, I am able to set them up for success. The environment in my classroom will have structure along with play and a positive growth mindset which will make the possibilities are endless. When my students achieve the goals and have a successful learning outcome it warms my “teacher heart”.
BlueSofaMedia. (2012, December 30). Use a learning theory: constructivism. Retrieved September 17, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xa59prZC5gA
Dweck, Carol. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. New York, NY: Ballantine Books.
Einstein quote, Pinterest, received from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/515802963549539578/?lp=true
Fink, L.D. (2003) A self-directed guide to designing courses for significant learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Godin, S. (2012, October 16). Stop stealing dreams. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXpbONjV1Jc&t=12s
Tedx Talks. (2012, September 12). A new culture of learning: Douglas Thomas at tedxufm. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/lM80GXlyX0U
Thomas, D., & Brown, J. S. (2011). A new culture of learning: cultivating the imagination for a world of constant change. (Vol 219) Lexington, KY: CreateSpace.
Wiggins, G. P., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design, Expanded 2nd Edition. Pearson. ISBN 0131950843
(Google Sites will not let me implement the hanging format for APA style. Click "references" for a formatted copy.)
UPDATED: Final grade 475 out of 500 which is a 95/A.
