I have been taught a lot about CSLE (Creating Significant Learning Environments). CSLE is all about how the students learn and how I as a teacher can help them learn. For true authentic learning to take place there has to be coexistence between the context in which learning happens, the boundaries that define it, the students, and the teacher. While coexisting they need to shape each other in a mutually reinforcing way. When we use the learning-based approach the culture emerges from the environment, it focuses on learning through engagement within the world, and the point of learning is embraced by what we don’t know and then continue asking questions in order to learn more and more, both incrementally and exponentially. This has completely made me step back from my own teaching and really take a look at how effective my kindergarten room truly is. We as teachers need to make sure that when teaching our students we are allowing them to truly learn and connect their learning to their world and not just collect information that they cannot make true sense of. In the past five weeks I had an end goal that was to create my own significant learning environment. I was first asked to begin by looking at a book called A New Culture of Learning (2011). It explains how to cultivate the imagination in a world of constant change. After reading this book I realized I wanted to make sure to create a peer-to-peer learning environment. I want my students to learn through their interaction and participation with one another. No one in this environment is assigned to the traditional role of teacher or student. After deciding that I wanted my learning environment to be based on peer-to peer learning I then needed to construct my learning philosophy. While constructing my learning philosophy I found out that I mostly relate to the Constructivist Approach to learning and the research of Jean Piaget, Jerome Bruner, and Loris Malaguzzi. Their belief that children are curious individuals that are capable of creating their own learning is what I believe. Once I completed the first to tasks I knew I wanted to change how I have been teaching and implement what I found out into my classroom and start making holistic learning possible in my room. In order to do this I then needed to create something that would lay it all out for me and that was by using Fink’s 3 column table. This table was created to align my outcomes, activities, and assessments and allow me to create a Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG) so I could see the bigger picture when looking at my units or lessons. I then looked at the book Understanding by Design (2005) and used the UbD template to help me develop my plan a little more cohesively and allow to create the evidence needed to complete my goals/outcomes. Finally my last task was to read the book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success and create my growth mindset plan. Getting my students to have a growth mindset is the first step in creating holistic learning. The students need to know that they can do anything they set their mind on and by having grit they will always succeed even though the many failures. My innovation plan matches my desire to create a significant learning environment. When students create, explore, and investigate through their steam project they will take ownership of their learning and making connections through questioning and reflections. They will realize there will be times that they may fail but that is going to happen and it is okay. They will learn that through dedication and grit they will succeed it just may take some time and it will not happen right away. Through my CSLE I hope to teach my students how to be lifelong learners and continue through life with having a growth mindset and not a fixed mindset. References
Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. New York: Random House. Fink, L. D., PhD. (n.d.). A self-directed guide to designing courses for significant learning. Retrieved from https://luonline.blackboard.com/bbcswebdav/pid-3042999-dt-content-rid-30108308_1/courses/13583.201810/Self-Directed%20Guide%20to%20Course%20Design%20-%20Fink%20Summary.pdf Thomas, D., & Brown, J. S. (2011). A new culture of learning: Cultivating the imagination for a world of constant change. Lexington, KY: CreateSpace. Wiggins, G. P., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
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AuthorMy name is Andrea Miller. I am a Kindergarten teacher in the greater Grand Rapids area. I love getting feedback and learning new ways to teach material to my students. I love getting them excited about learning and gaining a love for school. Archives
May 2019
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