This blog will be the place for my musings as a music teacher who is currently enrolled in a program called Designing Digital Learning in Schools
After our first class, we were challenged to think of teachers as designers, rather than planners. After 24 years teaching, this would be the first time I've heard teachers referred to in this way.
As teachers, our primary goal is to cause our students to learn. Thinking of the end goal of our design... learning.... and not only just learning but learning that is meaningful and linked to real life situations.
But how do we do that?
But how do we do that?
Instead of haphazardly and continually throwing together lesson plans, teachers need to answer this question.... "how do I move from an existing state to a desired state?"
How do I cause my students to learn?
In my teaching practice, I've always tried to maintain a balance between the 3 C's ; Communication, Content and Child.
Communication: In what ways am I going to communicate the lesson? How do i best utilize every modality and technology to best communicate the lesson? This is where design comes in... designing a lesson that will answer these questions.
Content: How do I make this content meaningful and relevant to the student? How do I inspire and intrinsically motivate them to want to learn this content? Design is also involved in this step because you are designing how to make your content relevant to real life.
Child: How do I show this child that I care about them and want to reach them? What element of design do I employ to demonstrate my deep commitment to each and every child?
Teachers are designers because they link thoughts with actions. They consider these questions and then design a plan to answer them.
In my experience as a teacher, my best lessons have begun with design in mind. But I definitely have a long way to go from thinking like purely a planner to more of a designer.
What is the bigger goal and objective? And how do I address the 3 C's with that in mind?
What is the bigger goal and objective? And how do I address the 3 C's with that in mind?
My goal this week is to move away from the idea of lesson planning and move toward the idea of lesson designing.
Teachers are Designers.
Hey Kim!
ReplyDeleteThanks for being the first one to comment on my blog. I appreciate your kind words. I'm looking forward to sharing more of my teaching and education experience. As I read your post I thought, wow, those are such noble and lofty goals! I couldn't help thinking that my first few years of teaching were really about just keeping afloat. I think this is probably normal for most inexperienced educators. Despite our best intentions, we do sometimes haphazardly throw together lesson plans, hope that our kids take away something and observe the mantra of "no smiles 'til Christmas". I think of teaching above this level as a kind of enlightened state. Like a monk meditating on a mountaintop, experienced and thoughtful teachers have reached a stage of enlightenment that we young teachers only aspire to. Until we can balance all that we need students to know, all that is important to make them "capable global 21st century citizens" while caring for their well being and at the same balancing all the other duties that our jobs require of us, we remain humble acolytes who have not yet achieved teaching nirvana.
Hi Kim!I love love love your questions "How do I cause my students to learn?" We too often ask ourselves "how do I teach my students..." I can technically teach my dog to play the piano but he surely isn't going to learn anything.
ReplyDeleteFor your three C's, I think the way you describe Content and Child go hand in hand. I care about my students and want them to be happy, successful, confident, and proud. In order to do that, I need to make my lesson engaging and make the student WANT to learn more and work hard so that he ends up being all of those things!
Kim, I found it interesting that we both have 24 years of teaching experience and both referred to having some essential questions, or principles, that guide our teaching practice. I also ask, “Is the content meaningful and relevant to the student”? But, I like how you further asked, “How do I inspire and intrinsically motivate them to want to learn this content?” Sharing the purpose of why learning a particular concept, skill, or solving a problem is important up front with students is at the heart of design. As teachers become better at designing learning, hopefully this will inspire students to want to learn, in addition to allowing them the opportunity to take more ownership of their learning. Like you stated so well, “Our primary goal is to cause our students to learn.” I am curious, as you are also a specialist who works with many students of all grade levels, how frequently to you get to work with your classes, and for how long with each grade level?
ReplyDeleteHi Kim, being in my second year of teaching I am soaking up these great principles, specifically your 3 C's ; Communication, Content and Child. Your explanations of each are very helpful. I also like your question that teachers should ask themselves "How do I cause my students to learn?" As we are learning, becoming designers rather than planners is a wonderful start. I look forward to reading more of your posts.
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