Moving from Engagement to Empowerment
Point of reference, for the past 3 years, I have taught students introduction to computer applications 2 days a week and programming 2 days a week. Computer Apps and Computer Science is a requirement for all Freshman and Sophomore students at my STEM + M school Bio-Med Science Academy Why I want to Empower My Students
“Learn how YOU learn best” is a constant refrain in my classroom. I show students online tutorials printed with step by step directions, we find interactive tutorials (codecademy) and we try out Khan Academy interactive tutorials. I intersperse tutorials lessons with design or project challenges. "Can you apply what you just learned?" Students often will show me “a better way” to do something and I have them make a tutorial to share with class. Example student tutorial on image mapping. By focusing on metacognition, and teaching my students to be reflective learners, to think about how they teach themselves content they are interested in, I believe I empower them and give them the tools they require to be successful 21st century citizens. My goal for my students, is to make myself “obsolete” to them. My favorite student comment is “Ms. Lang, I need help figuring out…. Oh never mind I figured it out myself!” I wonder, as a mentor teacher, how do we apply these ideas to other subjects? How can we empower our students to be self taught lifelong learners? Do you have any teaching resources that help students to learn how they learn? A note of thanksThanks to George Couros for engaging me in his online #IMMOOC and for empowering me to see the power in blogging about my teaching experiences and to engage in “deep reflection.”
Thanks to the team who worked to update the ISTE standards to include student empowerment Final thanks to Kent State for my Library and Media Science endorsement which introduced me to the American Association of School Librarians and the Standards for 21st century learners which have heavily influenced my instructional course design. Citations: Couros, George. The Innovator's Mindset: Empower Learning, Unleash Talent, and Lead a Culture of Creativity. Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc., 2015. "ISTE Standards FORSTUDENTS." For Students 2016. International Society for Technology Education, 2016. Web. 15 Oct. 2016. “Merriam-Webster.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary . “Standards for the 21st Century Learner.” American Library Association, American Association of School Librarians, 2007, http://www.ala.org/.
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