NARRATIVE

Self-directed education is the most natural and joyful form of education. Children are born with an innate desire to provide this self-directed education for themselves.

Throughout childhood, a specific type of happiness comes from obtaining self-directed success. At Winfield Middle School, we want our students to maintain that happiness by continuing a self-directed learning attitude. We encourage and reward that inward drive for success.

Using self-directed lessons, teachers strive to create a relationship with their students that is built on trust. They focus on relationships without fear of punishment, ridicule, or embarrassment. With this type of relationship, students not only become goal setters; they become goal achievers. They become positively engaged. Instead of simply watching and listening, they are involved in active experiences.

Curiosity is the fuel for problem-solving. Allowing students to be curious and self-direct means that the teacher does not provide the solution. Self-direction gives plenty of thinking space for possible solutions, predictions........and often times.....failure. With self-direction, however, students will discover that failure is an awesome opportunity. They are awarded an opportunity to keep trying something new and different until they discover a solution.

The by-product of self-directed learning is that learning, in itself, becomes extremely valuable. At Winfield Middle School, we exemplify the value of learning by allowing students to see the high standards that we, as teachers, have on learning ourselves.

Self-directed learning helps create a trusting environment that provides students with the freedom to set goals.

Self-directed learning nurtures that amazing desire they had as a child to figure things out on their own.

Self-directed learning goes beyond the academic sector and fosters a student's social, emotional, and intellectual requirements.

Self-directed learners who are engaged in the classroom obtain the ability to solve complex problems.

Self-directed learning provides students with crucial skills.

We are confident, at Winfield Middle School, that the skills created from self-directed learning are capable of preparing our students, not only for the next grade but for life.

Strengths: Winfield City School System displays strength in the high expectations placed on student learning. Self-directed learning is shown through Winfield's inquiry-based learning activities, collaborative student work, cross-curricular units, and Engineering Design Process activities/projects.

Opportunities to Improve: Winfield City School System is always on the search to learn and grow our student learning process. Therefore, Winfield always has the opportunity to improve in this standard. Winfield City School System can work on collecting data in order to provide more opportunities for teacher support, analyze data to display the growth of student STEM learning over time, and we feel as if we can always do more to work on complete STEM embeddedness into our culture.

Mouse Trap Cars

A mousetrap car is a vehicle that is designed to run on the energy that can be stored in a wound-up mousetrap spring. In the most basic design, a string is attached to a mousetrap’s arm and wound around a drive axle (such as a wooden dowel or metal tube) as the arm is pulled back. Once the arm is released, the string is slowly pulled off the drive axle, causing the wheels to turn. The car is then propelled forward!

Within small groups, students were given a mousetrap, balsa wood, cardboard, string, old CDs (useful for wheels), wire hangers, wooden dowels, tape, glue, and thread spools.

The groups were given the task to create a vehicle that can be powered only by a mousetrap. Their vehicle must also adhere to the following rules:

1. The vehicle may not be started by a push or a pull – the trap must be sprung in order to get the vehicle moving.

2. The vehicle must travel the greatest distance possible in a relatively straight line.

3. No other forms of propulsion (like a motor or batteries) may be used.

4. The car had to travel at least 10 inches when tested.

Students used the Engineering Design Process and teamwork to construct successful cars!

As a writing extension, students explained the scientific principles at play in their science journals.

20211210_123655.mp4

Chemical Reactions!

ALCOS 6 and 7

Students were tasked to research different types of chemical reactions that occur. They had to describe the reaction, discuss what is formed, create a model of the reaction, and identify similar reactions. The students used research, presentation skills, and the Engineering Design Process to complete this activity.

Pinewood Derby

Students worked collaboratively in groups in their mathematics and science classrooms to build a pinewood derby car in a performance-based project. The students designed their cars to race at the highest speed possible. The students were allowed to do trial runs before racing against their peers. On performance day, the students raced their cars against each other to see whose car achieved the highest velocity. The students researched different car designs and weight distribution methods that allowed them to achieve the highest velocity with the least amount of resistance. They then calculated velocity of the car in a real world setting. After testing their car three times, the students recorded an analyzed their results to make the appropriate modifications to achieve their top speed.

WMS iReady 2021-2022.pdf

iReady Personalized Instruction

i-Ready Personalized Instruction uses insights from i-Ready Diagnostic to create a personalized path of engaging online lessons. In this way, students receive instruction and practice in areas where they need the most support. They feel motivated in the lessons because they are active, supportive, and relevant to their lives. Teachers love the program because they can add lessons, adjust the lesson sequence for their students, and know that their students are receiving explicit and systematic instruction. i-Ready Personalized Instruction supports all students. That includes those at greatest risk of getting left behind as well as those working above grade level.

All students at Winfield City School System has their own device: laptops, Chromebooks, or iPads. The students are able to use their devices in order to invest 45 minutes per week to complete the individualized iReady Reading and Math lessons. This work is to be completed individually through self-directed learning.