9 minute read
The DNA of Learning: Part II
by NYSASCD
The DNA of Learning Part II: Kids Leading the Learning Journey
Robert K. Greenleaf, Elaine M. Millen, and LaVonna Roth
Robert K. Greenleaf, Ed.D.,
has 45 years of experience in education from superintendent to playground supervisor. He was a former professional development specialist at Brown University and an adjunct professor at Thomas College SNHU and USNII-GSC. As President of Greenleaf Learning Bob specializes in strategies for understanding behaviors, learning and cognition. He holds a doctorate in education from Vanderbilt University and is the author of eight instructional books. bob@greenleaflearning.com
Introduction
Each article in this five-part series will unpack a blueprint for re-starting our passion as educators. The collective series will represent a comprehensive outline of fundamental requirements for timeless learning as we emerge from the COVID ashes and rebuild our lives as educators.
FIRST-MIDDLE-END: Know Students Well
Know thy students well, very well, is the overarching umbrella that precedes all else to move learning forward. A simple concept, that requires sophisticated thinking. Knowing students goes deeper than who they are. It means understanding their wants and dreams; their interests and aspirations; their personal goals and what’s important to them as human beings. Teaching must be intentional for students. Knowing each student precedes knowing ways to teach things. Three simple strategies to gather information about students include interest surveys, conferring with students, and the long-tested strategy of K-W-L. Asking students: “What do you already know about the content/concept? What do you want to know/ need to know?” and reflecting on “What have you learned?” means that it is not about content, pedagogy, materials, technology or any other resources.
The traditional curriculum, instruction and assessment diagram that encircles the student at the center is appealing, yet fundamentally flawed with respect to motivating learning. “How will I teach this” is not the same as “How will my students learn this?” More than knowing the curriculum and a toolbox of teaching strategies, it is knowing what
makes each and every student “tick.” Being observant rather than observing is key. This intentional behavior leads to a contextualizing of learning relevant to students. They generate meaning and interest, not the instruction nor the curriculum. Instruction follows an understanding of the student and his/ her interests. Thus, intentional teaching drives the purpose/ application of the lesson and the meaning it has (must have) for the students before you, whether it’s on-line or face-to-face. Where there is no meaning, there is no memory (Levitt, 2010).
Whose learning is it anyway?
At the Thursday PLC meeting eighth-grade teacher, Mary, asked to discuss Cortina with the team. It was common practice to use the meeting to support individual teacher’s challenges with a student. Coffee poured; Mary began her case study.
“Cortina is neither disruptive nor non-compliant. In fact, she could easily be missed in the classroom. She does just enough to get by, getting the grades she needs to pass. She does everything possible to avoid attention, preferring to work alone. Her posture pleads ‘don’t call on me, just tell me what to do, and I’ll do it.’ She sees no reason to be in school. She openly tells me how long and boring her day is. Cortina distances herself emotionally and has no friends at school.
Elaine M. Millen, M.Ed.,
C.A.G.S., has over 50 years of experience in education as a teacher, principal, director of special education, curriculum director and assistant superintendent of schools. She has taught at both the undergraduate and graduate levels in both public and private institutions. As an educational consultant and instructional coach, she has worked with hundreds of school leaders across the country and has written several articles on transforming professional learning opportunities for teachers, students and leaders. Elaine.millen90@gmail.com
LaVonna Roth, M.A.T.,
M.S.Ed. is an engaging and interactive keynote speaker, consultant, educator, and mom. LaVonna bridges her passion for how the brain learns with identifying how every individual S.H.I.N.E.s with their mindset and socialemotional well-being. She supports schools in harnessing the S.H.I.N.E. framework, increasing psychological safety, & building the foundation based on the brain sciences. LaVonna has 3 degrees, is the author of 8 books, and has worked with organizations in the U.S./Canada and internationally. Over the years she has acquired no substantive learning of what really matters.”
We see “Cortinas” every day, recalling what they did or didn’t do, but... do we really know them? Beyond the physical presence and disposition, look inside... do we know what makes her tick? How might we gain insight into what’s relevant to her, so learning could be motivating and applied? An increasing number of kids are feeling they don’t belong, and that school has little purpose for their lives. The pandemic may have exacerbated things, but it’s not the reason. Under duress, we have circled the wagons trying to ensure continuity across hybrid learning venues. Abundant SEL programs were purchased in response and scheduled to teach kids
about handling their emotions. SEL programs, along with scripted academics, are insidiously impersonal. Why? What we know about the essentials of and for learning tell all. Addons inadequately explore who lives inside their respective skins. Everyone notices the acting out or withdrawals, but no one effectively identifies the origins of why. The sustainable carryover of add-on programs is nonexistent. Engaging learners requires more than add-ons. Energetic, inspiring teachers will entertain Cortina and maintain her attention. Long-term retention and understanding will be in short supply.
Letting Go and Moving On
The requisites within the DNA of Learning Blueprint identify the problems. Everything emanates from knowing each student well. This includes understanding their values,
challenges, interests, strengths and how all of this is connected to their learning. Understanding a student’s personal aspirations has a profound impact on classroom culture, emotional health, engagement and learning outcomes. Committing initial and ongoing energy into connecting with students is far more productive than spending energy containing behaviors and implementing new programs (Millen, 2022). Add-on programs don’t fix anything. Let’s refocus.
With curricular goals on the back-burner we build knowledge of self, others and nurture a sense of community. We promote and support interest, motivation, and personalized learning. This is embedded, not scheduled weekly. That is worth repeating. These things are embedded, not scheduled weekly. We stay tuned to Cortina beyond “let’s get acquainted” exercises and inventories. Unpacking what makes her tick is essential to a relationship that can be trusted to receive coaching and learning how to learn instead of regurgitating unremarkable content.
Home-schooling: Getting to know my granddaughter...well!
Caitlyn, while being home-schooled during the pandemic, was instructed to read at levels D or E in the program provided on the tablet that was sent home. These letter designations were due to her performance at school prior to being sent home. Upon looking through the choices of stories at those levels, I quickly summed up that she had interest in precious few. Also of note was that she had started several stories and left them incomplete. When asked why, she said that she didn’t like the stories, didn’t know the answers to the set of questions that followed them-and besides, her friends were reading at different levels. Knowing my “student,” I asked her what she would like to read about. After she mentioned a few things, I looked at the next levels H and I in the on-line program and we found several possibilities. Prefacing our leap into more difficult levels of text, I said, “we are likely to run into some words that you will not be familiar with. We will write those words down, make a vocabulary game, and work to understand them.” Given subject interest, she readily agreed. As we proceeded, she embraced unknown words, writing them on our home-made vocabulary game sheet. We played several times each day. Before long Caitlyn’s fluency at levels H flourished and we added levels J, K and I topic options. The teacher was correct about Caitlyn’s reading level. What was not available was a conferring support that could advance her progress in reading through her passions. With interest as the driver, she became an independent reader that spring!
Teaching Through Student Passions
to do, if you know how to do it!” From our students’ perspective, imagine being exposed to new content every day, and then being tested on it shortly after. What if there’s no personal value discerned? What if relevance to their life or future escapes them? As with Caitlyn, the role of the teacher can make the difference by:
• making connections with students by defining essential learnings
• recognizing personal passions/ aspirations/ hopes of students connected to their learning
• anchoring teaching and learning with relevance to students.
What this means to our present practice is a shift from a scripted teacher’s manual, to anchoring the big ideas of learning to relevant applications for the students.
It means shifting…
FROM starting the lesson focusing on what students will do to meet the objectives/ requirements, “Open your books, workbooks, papers and discuss/write/explore the impact of culture on... Read and answer the following questions, etc...
TO anchoring the purpose of the lesson in relevance and a personal context for students. This is where lessons begin. Start the lesson with questions about how kids see the impact of culture on them. “Do you think what we wear, our fashion preference, is influenced by our culture? What else do you think is influenced by our culture? Writing ALL their thoughts on the white board, validates their thinking. This models acceptance of opinions—that all views are important. No judgment. Because you have spent time getting to know your students’ interests, you can readily use these as examples for application: “Mel, you are interested in fashion design?” (Saul-a truck driver; Joan-a writer). “Why would culture be important to your work?” Stimulating thinking across varied interests and comparing differences in many areas will help construct a deeper understanding of how the concept is useful and can be applied across all disciplines (Millen et. al.2010).
As I prompt students to direct their own learning, they will engage with greater relevance, interest, motivation, and context than if I took charge through a singular focus—the day’s objective. This will extend thinking for transference. Nothing replaces embedded personal interactions! The more acutely we understand their passions, the more accurately we can identify cues that hold meaning for them. We assist students in becoming detectives. We, along with them, begin to connect the dots, like a connectthe-dots puzzle, between the concepts we are asking them to understand through the lens of
their world. By helping our students identify a connection between their world, they learn about themselves, what gives them energy, what drains them, how the world relates across disciplines and in life. This is where we set students up for success. As stated before, it is also where we ignite the light in our students for happiness and fulfillment. Isn’t this what we desire for our students?
Moving to Tomorrow...
STEP 1: Continually learn more about students’ whats and whys
STEP 2: Keep a clipboard to remind yourself of students’ interests
STEP 3: Always remember, “How will I teach this” is not the same as “How will my students learn this?”
After all, Cortina—and her classmates— are counting on us to know them... well! Levitt, Patrick (2010). Lecture at Rhode Island
Hospital. W.M. Keck Provost Professor of Neurogenetics at the Keck School of
Medicine of USC.
Millen, Elaine (2022). Personalized Learning. Paper presented to SAU #9, Conway, NH.
Millen, Elaine; Greenleaf, Robert; Papanek,
Doris: and Orvis, Sharyn (2010). Engaging
Today’s Students. Greenleaf-Papanek
Publications.
