Failures
Learning to Approach Failures Differently
Pottery has taught me a lot of life lessons. One of the most important lessons I have learned is that innovation almost always starts from failure. Whether it begins with identifying the ways that a product fails us and trying to make it better, or using the mistakes we make to create new ideas and aproaches. In the pricture to the left (top), you can see what can happen when you pick up a clay pot a bit too aggressively.
Before starting my pottery journey, I would likely have been embarrassed by this mistake and would have started anew. But failure can also provide us with opportuntities to go in new directions. This 'failure' led to a line of cups I lovingly called Mug Mugs. Each one had its own personality, and the textural element (the indentation) was very pleasing to people. The mugs were a hit!
For auditory learners, these videos provide an audio version of the text.
When I started the MET program, I was afraid of failing. I was afraid (despite having a Masters and a PhD) that I was not smart enough. Sometimes I felt like someone had thrown me a ball of clay, pointed at the pottery wheel and demanded a teapot, and I didn’t have a clue where to begin. But the courses I took provided me with new ways to think about failure.
I learned to ask what I could learn from my failures, how I could use those failures to innovate, and how I could approach and encourage failure in my own classes. I also began to imagine how much deeper learning could be if we encouraged our students to experience failure, examine their failures and use them to propel them forward in their learning!
For auditory learners, these videos provide an audio version of the text.
Artifacts
Artifact 1: Click image above to view!
In ETEC 511: New Foundations of Educational Technologies, we were invited to reflect on and create a teaching tool. This was a teaching tool I created after reflecting on the classes where I felt like I had failed. Teaching citation has always been a challenge in my classes. Some students come prepared to cite sources, while others do not understand the need for citation. While many of them will learn the basics of citation in their university writing courses, many do not take this course at all, and some do not take it until they are well into their programs. Therefore, I feel it is necessary to have them learn this skill prior to writing their first paper. Given that students have different levels of knowledge on the topic, I find many students are bored with the topic, while others need more direction than I can give in the short time alotted for this. After examining this failure, I started to brainstorm how I could use technology to help.
The tool I created was a citation tutorial tool that learners can work through on their own time. It has feedback activities and students can test their knowledge as they work through the tutorial. Students can then bring any questions they have to the class. While it is never pleasant examining our failures, doing so can help us to innovate. This artifact allowed me to play with new tools (SMART Goal 2) and consider how they aligned with constructivist learning theories (SMART Goal 1).
For auditory learners, these videos provide an audio version of the text.
Artifact 2: Click image above to view!
In ETEC 511: New Foundations of Educational Technologies, we were invited to reflect on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in education. After reading about virtual proctoring, I was able to reflect on my own teaching practices and how I had failed to consider the impacts of such technologies. While it is tempting to use technology that suits our needs, it is imperative that we consider the impact of the choices we make, especially as they relate to equity, diversity, inclusion, decolonization, and anti-racism (EDIDA).
The artifact that I created was a critique of surveillance software. In particular, I was interested in how artificial intelligence can have varying effects on students with diverse backgrounds and abilities. This artifact allowed me to make links between my existing practices and educational theories (SMART Goals 1 and 2). The artifact also discusses the effects of artificial intelligence and the impacts on EDIDA (SMART Goal 3).
For auditory learners, these videos provide an audio version of the text.