Jennifer: Learners Seeing Learners

When I started my new job last fall, I needed to obtain a second credential in order to meet my students’ needs (well, and California’s…). I took one course on reading instruction, and the professor always emphasized the importance of students being able to “see themselves as readers.”

Day in and day out, I think about that as I encourage my students to read in groups, together as a class, and even when they work together using their various forms of communication to complete a task. Some of them are excellent readers, while others need consistent prompting. I’ve spent a lot of time trying to figure out how in the world to get my struggling students to “see themselves as readers” when it takes so much motivation and encouragement to even get them to try to read.

I’ve realized that before they see themselves as readers, they need to see themselves as learners.

I’ve written before about how there are gaps in my students’ learning simply due to how they access curriculum. Computers only scan so quickly, on-screen keyboards and even word-predict programs only type out as fast as the mouse moves, and focusing on material requires a great deal of muscle control. In order to fill in the gaps, I sneak in mini-lessons, develop transition games to at least introduce them to new material, and really try to touch on subjects that may have gotten passed over on the priority list.

While my students have been receptive to these lessons and have retained a lot of the information, the spike in motivation I saw when I started this new daily format has dwindled. I can’t keep changing our schedule around, so I need something else to keep them excited about learning.

So this past week I asked my students what they would learn about if they could choose any topic under the sun. I thought that if I let them take more control over their education, they would be much more engaged and begin to experience how much fun learning can be. We had a class discussion about how many amazing things there are to learn about in the world around us. But I knew I was in trouble when I reminded them that I am still in school; two of them looked at me like I was crazy and another one flat-out said, “What?? Why?!?” — like I had clearly missed the memo that said I could stop now if I wanted to. I don’t think some of my students really understand what it is like to discover something they want to learn about, all on their own.

Anyway, I let one student at random select something she really wanted to learn about, and she chose bugs, particularly ladybugs. I’ve never seen her jump so fast to use her DynaVox; I thought she was going to hit herself in the eye. So, in the spirit of old-fashioned experimentation, I’m planning some lessons and games about bugs this week, and I think I’m required to buy a ladybug habitat too, right? But if that level of excitement is the response I get, then the $14.95 plus shipping and handling will be totally worth it.

I hope that this will kind of be like “show-and-tell” — but instead of looking forward to choosing an item to share with the class, the students will be excited about sharing something they just learned.

Luckily, the state also requires me to take an assessment course, so I’ll simultaneously be tracking the effectiveness of this idea.  :-)

Comments

[Carlene]

Awesome!

[Mike J]

Jennifer,

What a great story. By allowing the students to take control of their own learning we tap into the internal motivations that make learning a life-long pursuit. When they begin to see learning as something that can be enjoyable and not just drudgery or even worse an unpleasant experience. The ladybug student, having applied the strategies to something she enjoys, can begin experimenting with applying the strategies to her other subjects.

[Meghan]

Jennifer,

I think that this is a great way to make the classroom interactive and allow the students to take ownership of their learning! The students are engaged because the topic is something that they are truly interested in for once, instead of something we are telling them they should be interested in. I have also been trying this approach with my reading groups and I have noticed an increase in their motivation and engagement. I would love to hear how this continues to work in your classroom! Good Luck!

[Kelly Loftin]

This is awesome. It is a way to make the classroom more interactive. For so long the students have only retained what information that "we" felt was important. This is a way to have them learn, but in a FUN way. They are excited about learning. After all, isn't this what teaching is all about? These are those teachable moments that we all strive so much for. To you I say GREAT JOB!

[Cheryl]

Jennifer,
I think sometimes we have to make those exceptions to let the students pick something they want to learn about. By doing this maybe the class will see how much fun it is to learn, and watch, and read about the ladybugs. They can possibly even write about it. By doing this activity they will learn and teach others in their class or at home and then they can realize that they taught someone else. They are the teacher per say. This will excite them and see that they had fun learning I am sure there is somehow you can relate this to the curriculum you are required to teach. Sometimes we have to make those professional decisions to try something new-outside the box.

[Angela]

I agree. In order for students to want to see themselves as readers they have to first see the benefit to reading- which in a large sense is the benefit of learning in general. Reading can easily become the means a student learns by. If students understood this and are taught to value learning than seeing themselves as readers is a natural next step.