Shake Up Learning: Ch. 1: 21st Century Change

I have joined Kasey Bell's book study for her book, Shake Up Learning: Practical Ideas to Move Learning from Static to Dynamic.

Here is my reflection on Chapter 1, 21st Century Change:

Last summer I took part in an incredible opportunity in the White House History Teacher Institute. It was there that I created my Twitter account and gained my first followers. Since then, my eyes have been opened to a whole new realm of possibilities. I discovered individuals such as Kasey Bell who inspire me to be the best teacher I can be. I want to break the mold and be inspiring. My goals are to beef up my repertoire and to learn new ways that I can try new things and, most importantly, encourage my students to be fearless and do the same.

In the 21st century, learning is primarily self-paced. It is based on the interests of the individual. It is instant. If I suddenly have the urge to try a new DIY project, I can look up how to do it online and find hundreds of thousands of results on Pinterest, YouTube, etc. If one method doesn’t work for me, I can simply try another method. This is how people learn now. We don’t always wait for someone to tell us what we should know, and how we should learn it. Once we are interested, we go for it and try to accomplish our goals on our own. Some people continue on their own. Others find more people in the same situation and collaborate in order to meet their goals. In general though, one thing is the same: Self-motivation is necessary to begin a successful journey of learning.

As for my students, I am trying to help them realize this. As their teacher, I am a facilitator. It is not my job to stand in front of the room and tell my students what they should know. Instead, my job is to spark their curiosity, and to get them interested in learning the subject(s) that I am teaching. Once they are interested, the rest comes easier. I model the skills that they need to continue learning on their own, and let them loose. Students need to try things, and to fail, in order to learn. Absorbing information is not enough. All students must be willing and able to try new things in order to reach their goals, or to perfect the methods that are most useful to them individually.

I embrace change, and I work with my students to help them to do the same. Change is inevitable, and things are changing faster than ever. All of us (teachers and students) must be prepared to adapt to these changes and to make the best of it. This doesn’t mean reinventing the wheel every time something changes. This is changing what works well to fit the new model, or changing the new model to fit what has been working well. Keeping this in mind, not all changes are good changes. I also hope to help my students learn how to tell when to jump toward a new change and when to resist a bit. We have to have our goals, priorities, and what is best for us in mind before blindly starting a new initiative.

Sometimes I do feel like part of the “factory.” Every school has rules to follow, and even if some are a bit silly, they are there for a reason. Enforcing silly rules sometimes makes me feel like part of the factory, but if, even in minor ways, the silly rule helps my students learn, I will stand behind it in order to help help keep up the cohesion in our school staff. On the other hand, I encourage my students to push back against rules that they don’t like, as long as they can prove a foolproof, ironclad reason for not liking the rule. Encouraging my students to think for themselves is essential, and sometimes friction is a good thing.

I am beginning a new chapter at a new school this year, and I can’t wait to make this classroom into everything I’ve dreamed of. The new classroom will belong to my students and myself. It will be a collaborative environment where students feel safe to share and collaborate, while still providing quiet spaces for students who need to be alone to work some of the time. Student work will decorate the classroom and students will help me design the space. Lighting will include a variety so we can adjust lighting easily: a floor lamp, some table lamps, overhead lights, and/or a wall of windows. I have inviting, warm, colors to bring in; navy blue, brown, a cream color, mostly colors that I would like in my living room because they are relaxing and comforting. Once my students feel at home and comfortable, learning can become less stressful. I will allow them to find the spot that helps them learn the best. Students who enjoy a traditional school environment can sit in a desk, whereas other students can use the kitchen table or the window seats. I also have a desk built into the wall that will seat 2-3 students. The rule here will be that students in this area prefer to be left alone to work. No one will be allowed to disturb them there. My favorite change is that there is no teacher desk, and there is no front of the room. The learning is focused in the center, right where my students sit.