As I am thinking about all that I have done in the Masters of Arts in Educational Technology program, it has involved a lot of learning, failing, and making. Towards the beginning of the program, I was teaching in a 3rd-grade classroom. I was developing lessons like the Neighborhood Development Project, talking to students about learning, failing, and making. This project stands out in my mind because it was one of the first times I was able to bring a project-based learning opportunity that involved making. Making is a movement that involves students creating physical and digital artifacts to aid in their understanding (Cohen, Jones, & Smith, 2017). It's also the first time that I saw the true potential of constructionism in action. Constructionism draws on the "significance of making things" (Ackermann, 2001). The project involved using math and social studies concepts to create neighborhoods collaboratively. Students were grappling with complex concepts and having fun doing it. Conversations with students around failure was productive and enlightening for students. For students, failure was expected, and while a frustrating process, they would often move on from their failure. The excitement of the project and the support of other group members made failure something to learn from. This project stands out as being a turning point in my understanding and direction of teaching. It was the catalyst for the path I took in both the MAET program and my career. Below is an infographic that combines the design cycle and the Neighborhood Development Project: My continuation down the path of constructionism in the classroom brought me to a K-8 computer science position, where I acquired a 3d printer through donations. A 3d printer provided the perfect opportunity to incorporate constructionism concepts and experience with failure. The ability of a 3d printer to produce tangible items using mathematical concepts drove student learning. Student's that would otherwise steer away from math, making comments like "I'm not good at math," would suddenly show interest. Failure came in the form of miss calculation on measurements or scale. It was a valuable learning experience because the excitement of creation would void the discouragement of failure. Students were ready to jump right back into a design process state of thinking without even knowing it. Students would define what went wrong with the print, brainstorm ideas that could solve the problem, collaborate with the teacher or other students, and develop a solution. They would redo their print and see if their hard work paid off.
When I started working as a teacher, I would do everything in my power to avoid failure at all cost. I saw showing any failure as a reflection of being a poor teacher. It was not until I saw my students grappling with failure and having adverse reactions with it that I began to look introspectively. It took some time for me to shift my teaching and my attitude towards failure for myself before I could feel comfortable with the vulnerability of failure in front of my students. My career has shifted to adult learning and is very different from a classroom experience. Even though the lessons I learned on failure in a K-12 classroom may look different, it is still essential to remember that failure presents opportunities to learn. When I show someone how to navigate medical software, they must have a failure positive mindset (Cohen, et al., 2017). Without a failure positive mindset, it is far too easy to slip into a frustrated state of learning that will not be conducive to the process of learning. References Ackermann, E. (2001). Piaget's constructivism, Papert's constructionism: What's the difference. Future of Learning Group Publication, 5(3), 1-11, doi:10.1.1.132.4253 Cohen, J. D., Jones, W. M., & Smith, S. (2018). Preservice and early career teachers' preconceptions and misconceptions about making in education. Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education, 34(1), 31-42.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorMy name is Ryan MacLeod and I live in Seattle, WA. I am currently a K-8 Lab Coordinator. I have a passion for educational technology integration and curriculum design, especially when it comes to the social sciences. Archives
April 2021
Categories
All
|