Same Age, Different Starting Points

When we hear that two children are the same age, it can be easy to assume that they will be ready for the same tasks or need similar support. Working with children has made me think more carefully about that assumption. During the Student Development presentation, the discussion about the illusion of the “typical student” stood out to me. It connected to something I have experienced while tutoring: knowing a child’s age does not tell us everything about how they will approach learning.

While working at a learning centre, I supported two six-year-old children who approached their worksheets differently. One understood what to do right away and was able to work independently, while the other needed more guidance. I scaffolded the task for the second child by breaking it into smaller parts and connecting it to familiar examples from their everyday life. Although they were the same age, the support they needed at that moment was different.

Reflecting on this experience, I think about how easily independence could become the main way we judge a student’s ability. The child who begins immediately might appear more capable, while the child who needs help could be seen as struggling. But how much does that first response actually tell us? A student might be unfamiliar with the task, need instructions explained differently, or need help connecting the idea to something they already understand. Needing support with one worksheet does not give us a complete picture of that child as a learner.

The Student Development presentation helped me connect this experience to the idea that children can differ even within the same age group. Developmental theories can help us understand general patterns and plan appropriate learning experiences, but we still need to pay attention to the individual students in front of us. I also think it is important to recognize that differences in performance are not automatically differences in development. Children bring different experiences and prior knowledge to a task, which can influence how familiar or accessible it feels.

This also connects to scaffolding, discussed in the Learning Process presentation. In my tutoring experience, breaking down the worksheet and using familiar examples gave me a way to respond to the child’s needs while keeping them involved in the task. As a future educator, I want to become more intentional about deciding when to step in, what kind of help to provide, and when to step back. That balance matters because I want students to feel supported while also having opportunities to try things for themselves.

In my future classroom, I would like to build flexibility into my planning. Some students might be ready to begin after a whole-class explanation, while others might benefit from a model, a familiar example, or a brief check-in. I want to notice what students can do with support and how that changes over time. I also want to remain open to the possibility that the student who works independently in one activity may need more guidance in another.

For me, this means getting to know students beyond their age or grade. I want to keep asking: What does this child already understand, and what could help them take the next step? Two children can share a starting age without sharing the same starting point for every learning experience.

SumayyahN@OTU

What are the biggest issues facing education today?

The biggest issues facing education today include severe teacher shortages, student mental health crises, and chronic budget underfunding.

According to the NEA Challenges Facing Public Education, school systems worldwide struggle to balance academic demands with growing social responsibilities. 

Teacher Shortages and Burnout

·        Heavy Workloads: Teachers handle administrative burdens, large classes, and extra non-teaching duties.

·        Low Pay: Stagnant salaries make it hard to recruit and keep qualified staff.

·        Staff Exits: Thousands of educators leave the profession due to high stress. 

 

Student Mental Health and Absenteeism

·        Rising Anxiety: Students face high stress, depression, and academic burnout.

·        Chronic Absenteeism: More students miss school regularly, which harms their graduation rates.

·        Expanded Roles: Schools must provide meals, counseling, and social support with limited staff. 

 

Budget Shortages and Funding

·        Federal Aid Ending: Schools face fiscal cliffs after temporary pandemic relief funds expire.

·        Rising Costs: Inflation outpaces increases in school funding, forcing budget cuts.

·        Resource Gaps: Poorer districts lack basic tools, computers, and books compared to wealthier areas. 

 

Technology and Artificial Intelligence

·        AI Disruption: Generative AI tools change how students complete assignments and challenge traditional testing.

·        Digital Literacy Gaps: Schools struggle to teach students how to use new technologies safely and critically. 

Want to know more about this stuff? Go to: 

https://www.buildingbetterschools.ca/issues

https://jeanawinter.com/ontario-education-what-are-the-issues/

https://www.orilliamatters.com/letters-to-the-editor/letter-ontarios-public-schools-facing-serious-problems-12683595

Courtesy of John@NUO

More Than Just One Type of Intelligence

This week’s class (September 29^th) had quite a few different points that I found interesting. One topic that really stood out to me was learning that there are eight different types of intelligences. This was something that I had never really thought about before. When I was in elementary and high school, we never learned about the different types of intelligence. I remember learning about the three different learning styles: auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. Then, in high school, we took the Myers-Briggs personality test, but I don’t remember ever learning about the different types of intelligence or how they can influence the way students learn.

Learning about the eight different intelligences made me think about my own experiences in school. I can remember that some subjects and activities came more naturally to me than others. It made me wonder if some of those differences could have been connected to the types of intelligence that I was stronger in. It also made me think about how students can sometimes be judged based on how well they perform in traditional academic subjects, even though they may have other abilities that are not always recognized in the classroom.

As a future teacher, I think this is something that will be important for me to remember. Not every student will demonstrate what they know in the same way. Students have different interests, experiences, abilities, and ways of looking at the world. I want to be mindful of this when I am teaching and assessing students.

When I think about my own strengths, I believe that I have interpersonal intelligence. I am able to empathize with others and understand different perspectives. I often try to consider how another person might be feeling or why they may think differently than I do. I think this is something that will be especially useful to me as a teacher because I will be working with students who all have different personalities, experiences, and needs.

Being able to understand and empathize with my students can help me build positive relationships with them and create a classroom environment where they feel respected and understood. I also think that recognizing my own strengths can help me become more aware of the strengths of my future students. This part of the class reminded me that intelligence is not simply about getting good grades or doing well on a test. There are many different ways that students can demonstrate their intelligence, and as a teacher, I want to be able to recognize and value those differences.

As I continue my journey to becoming a teacher, I think this is something I want to keep in mind. What if some students are not struggling because they are not intelligent, but because we have not yet found the way that allows them to show what they know?

AmberG@OTU 

QECO - What is it? You'll Need to Know!

QECO in Ontario

QECO serves teachers who are members of AEFO, ETFO, OECTA, and OSSTF by recognizing their commitment to education and their professional development. QECO is the organization that determines how much you'll get paid!

All teachers who are members of the above-sponsoring affiliates need to be evaluated by QECO to obtain a salary category placement between Category A and Category A4. 

A QECO evaluation is based on individual academic achievement, as determined by Program 5. Teachers submit their documentation to QECO and then you wait.

QECO only communicates with the teacher. After receiving a new QECO evaluation, it is a teacher’s responsibility to submit the QECO Statement of Evaluation to their school board for salary category placement.

You need to know this stuff - if you want to get paid or know what you'll need to do to get paid more, visit the QECO website and get informed >>>> https://qeco.ca/

Courtesy of John@NUO

More Than a Grade: Finding a Reason to Learn

Coming into education from the perspective of a teacher makes you realize how much you need to reflect on your own experiences as a student. Your experiences may not reflect those of others and therefore, your motivations may not be the same as theirs. As a teacher, you will have a diverse group of students. Some are there because they are interested in the topic, some are there because they want the best grade, some may be taking the course for a future program and some are there because they have to be. It is important to recognize that just because something motivated me as a student, does not mean it will motivate someone else.  

Throughout high school and university, my motivation was getting a good grade. I knew I wanted to get the best grade possible so that I’d always have the opportunity to pursue something further in the future if I wished. I do genuinely have an interest in learning new things, but when both of my motivations conflicted, getting good grades is what won. I often approached learning by asking, “What do I need to know to do well?” instead of, “What can I discover about this?”

Looking back, I realize that having that mindset helped me be successful academically and I gained the skills I needed. However, it didn’t give me room to genuinely investigate the topic and learn beyond what I needed to get a good grade. Sometimes I wish I had been able to enjoy the process of learning instead of focusing fully on the outcome.

I recognize that not all students are like me. Some students are motivated by the topic itself and they get their grades along the way. Some students really might not want to be there and are only doing it because of their parents. Now, when you have such different motivations in your class, how do you motivate all students without leaving those who don’t want to be there behind?

Students are not all motivated by the same things, so finding one strategy that makes everyone care is not always practical. Teachers need to create different points where students’ attention can be grabbed and help students develop an interest or want to learn. There are a few steps we can take as educators to achieve this…

Get students interested! Start off your lessons with a hook. This can be a demonstration or a question that gets students thinking. Give students a reason to care about the topic. Even if students don’t have a personal interest in the topic, they can develop a situational interest. By starting off the lesson or topic with a hook, it prepares students to get ready to learn the topic.

I think another important thing to consider is giving students room to fail and discover things. Part of the reason I didn’t investigate topics deeper was because everything counted towards grades. There were fewer opportunities to try something, get it wrong, learn from it and try again without worrying how the first attempt affected my mark.

Some students may not even want to try, because the anxiety of doing badly overwhelms them. So they’d rather not try at all because it will make them feel worse if they fail. Especially if they are already not good at something, they might believe that’s just destiny and not their thing. This is where teacher feedback matters. We need to make our students see failure as a learning opportunity and how to improve. Show them that it’s not the end of the world and that through hard work, they can do better. This can start with the comments we give students. Saying things like “I like how hard you worked on that” instead of “You’re so smart” reinforces students’ motivation to try and improve since we notice their work ethic. Also, where possible, giving students specific feedback on where they can improve will be beneficial in helping them achieve better. This helps students understand that anything is learnable. Even if an assessment doesn’t go as well as they hoped, it doesn’t reflect their potential and ability to do better going forward.

But what about students who don’t care at all? This is a motivation I’m most curious about as a future teacher. I’m concerned with students feeling like they’re being pestered and withdrawing even more when I try to engage them. I think there will always be students who don’t want to learn the material. That’s okay. I think the starting point is to talk to the student and understand if there’s a reason why they aren’t engaging. I think, again, a great way to catch their attention is to connect what we learn to something they care about, let them work with others in the class, give them challenges and spark their curiosity with a hook!

I don’t think students need to love the topic by the end of the course. Instead, I want students in my classroom to have opportunities to participate, improve, learn and find a reason to try and keep going.

AngelaK@OTU

Rethinking Gifted and Talented Programs

In this week's lecture, we touched on the idea of Gifted and Talented programs, what it means to be a gifted student, and the way in which teachers need to differentiate their instruction for these students. Gifted students are typically those with very high verbal skills, which are demonstrated through standardized tests and school achievements. However, the definition has broadened to include unusual skill or talent in a range of activities, such as music or art, for example. Gifted students often learn more independently than other students their age and have exceptional vocabulary and writing skills. They are also usually very motivated even on difficult tasks and tend to hold themselves to higher than usual standards of achievement.

There are some positives to a program like this. For example, a gifted program provides students with academic work that is challenging to them which helps prevent boredom and keeps students engaged. They are also able to form friendships with peers of similar intellectual abilities, which can provide meaningful social and emotional support.

However, this topic reminded me of when I was in grade school. I was never tested for the gifted program. That being said, from grades 2 to 5, I was in a split class with six other students from my grade and we were put in a class with the grade above us. There was also a straight Grade 2 class that comprised the rest of the Grade 2 students. It was never explained to us why we were the chosen students to be in the split grade, but looking back now, I believe that we may have stood out as the more academically inclined students who would be able to take on the challenge of learning content that was above our true grade level. This experience for me was not a positive one overall. I remember feeling upset that I was separated from the rest of my friends. Moreover, as there were only six of us in Grade 2, we essentially skipped getting taught the Grade 2 curriculum and were taught Grade 3 content instead. This experience continued until the six of us were reunited with the rest of our grade in a straight Grade 6 class. I consider my experience to be an example of accelerated learning, as opposed to enrichment learning, where I would have been given additional instruction while still following the regular grade-appropriate curriculum. 

Although my experience was not exactly the same as being in a gifted program, it made me consider the realities of being a young child who gets labelled as gifted. I think gifted students often face the pressure of trying to maintain the persona associated with being “smart”, which often leads to them setting unhealthy standards for themselves and in turn, becoming susceptible to perfectionistic tendencies. This can lead to a lot of anxiety and burnout. Furthermore, students with this title are often afraid of failing as they grow up being praised for their success, and often tie their self-worth to their ability to be successful on any given task. This creates a very risk-averse mentality. Personally, I think it also sets a false expectation that because a student is gifted, it means that they will automatically be successful in life, which is not always the case.

Gifted and Talented programs are likely not going anywhere anytime soon. However, I think that for students who do seem to be inclined in one or more subject areas, there are ways to help mitigate the negative side effects of being labelled as gifted. For example, it is important to praise a student’s effort rather than their intelligence or success to avoid the student tying their self-worth to achievement. Moreover, teachers could design “low-floor, high-ceiling tasks”. This means that all students have the opportunity to start and finish an assignment easily, but the complexity of the task can increase based on a student’s knowledge or experience with the subject. This allows students to do the same work, but the work can meet students at their respective levels of ability. It is imperative to also stress to students the importance of attributes other than intelligence, such as being kind, empathetic, and curious. Perhaps most importantly, teaching an academically inclined student that failure is okay and is actually a crucial part of the learning process will ensure that the student remains open to taking risks. 

It is true that intelligence can be a huge strength, but as future educators, we need to keep in mind that our students are still cognitively developing, and that framing intelligence as the “end-all-be-all” for success can have negative consequences. 

BrooklynW@OTU

Technology for Efficient Educators

What has stood out to me most throughout this course is how technology can be embraced by teachers to improve their practice rather than complicate it. When used with purpose, technology can make lesson planning and delivery more efficient while allowing teachers to focus more of their time and energy on what matters most: the content they are teaching, how they deliver it, and how they support their students. I think this is especially important in a profession where teachers manage many responsibilities beyond classroom instruction and are often stretched for time.

Technology can help minimize some of the tedious work that extends teachers’ working hours and often contribute to burnout. It can also help teachers become more informed, organized, and prepared. Rather than viewing technology as a shortcut, I see it as a way of using available tools to work more effectively and create more time for meaningful aspects of teaching.

My group’s tech tool workshop on Google Classroom reinforced this perspective. Tools such as Gemini can help teachers create visual diagrams, adapt or translate texts, and develop multimedia resources to explain complex material in different ways. Google classroom also helps keep teachers organized and allows them to facilitate a well structured and organized online classroom that students engage with and benefit from.

I have experienced similar benefits as a student. Technology that keeps me organized and reduces time spent on tedious work has made my academic life easier, improved my performance, and expanded the scope of what I can achieve because my learning processes have become more efficient. For me, embracing technology is not about doing less; it is about creating the capacity to focus more on what matters. 

Lucas@NUO

Are humans suffering from Zoochosis?.... The Crisis of Nature Deficit Disorder

In this increasingly digital world, we are seeing the negative effects of a disconnect from nature. You hear stories and see the harmful effects in zoos where wild animals are caged, and experience depression, and a disconnection from their natural behaviour when removed from the environment they were evolutionarily designed for. Some adapt, but not without consequence, in zoos, bears, large marine animals, and large cat species like lions and tigers, face increased aggression, abnormal behaviours, anxiety and depression. This effect is especially evident in social animals like lions, which are often kept alone in captivity, in environments different from their natural habitat. This is often referred to as zoochosis, in which animals exhibit unusual and distressed behaviour as a result of being removed from and isolated from their true nature and natural environment. 

We can see evidence of this in us humans. As our reliance and use of technology grows, we are seeing increasing levels of mental health struggles, isolation, loneliness, anxiety, depression, less physical activity, and a disconnect from nature… our natural environment. I would argue that we are living in an invisible cage. Many of us live in cities, boxed in by concrete, breathing polluted air and completely isolated from silence and nature. Learning and development play a key role in both the problem and the solution. In one sense, we have learned an easier and faster way to receive instant gratification; our increased use and reliance on technology have created, and continue to create, negative effects on our mental and physical health. So what… what can we do about it? How can we learn and develop new neural pathways? Getting back to our roots, we need to reimmerse ourselves in our natural environment, nature! 

In no way am I saying we need to go live outside, but we need to take conscious, meaningful steps to regularly bring nature into our lives. This could be as simple as going for a walk outside, buying a houseplant or noticing the birds in your yard. Or it could look like camping on weekends, meditating in a forest or stargazing on a grassy hill. Being in nature naturally calms our nervous system; it provides a space where time doesn’t exist and allows us to slow down, breathe, stop and notice, to appreciate the natural beauty that surrounds us. 

In grade 7, I stopped attending school for 3 months, my safety teacher was on a medical leave, I had terrible anxiety, and my home life had a dramatic shift. The cherry on top, I was 13, and the worst thing that could happen to 13-year-olds was about to happen. Safe to say I was a mess, I had countless mental health struggles, and a diagnosis. My poor mother tried everything, she tried doctors, counsellors and medication. When I noticed myself getting worked up or emotional, my default was to hide in the basement. I would sit in a dark corner and cry, or rock, or scream, or do whatever I needed to, in an attempt to release my emotions. When I got tired of that, I zoned out, and my tears dried, I would climb out of my basement window and “escape” to the freedom of my neighbourhood. I lived in a nice, newer neighbourhood at the time, so it was fairly safe… but just in case, I would bring my “safety kit,” which contained all the essentials: a pocketknife, extra socks, a toothbrush, and snacks. I would hang out on my fence, visit the playground or walk around the block, but my favourite spot was this giant bush that I would just morph into, like Homer Simpson. And I would just sit there, I would cry some more, I would think about what I did, what I want to do, what I’m doing… and eventually they would come looking for me, of course, but I did this regularly enough that they knew I was safe and probably hiding in a bush somewhere along the street. And I always was. At the time, I did not realize I might have been craving nature, or found comfort in it, but reflecting back now, I can see how that may have been the case. Nature didn’t fix me, but it sure helped when I felt helpless. To help, on weekends, my grandparents would take me camping, and the patience I developed from feeding chipmunks and birds out of my hand, and just staring at leaves, trying to memorize their vein patterns, gave me a stronger appreciation for nature, and both my teachers and family noticed I was calmer and able to focus more when I got back to school.  Since moving to more rural areas, I get outside daily, whether it's talking to my tree in the backyard (yes, I'm crazy, I know it), lying on the grass watching the stars or taking the scenic route, driving the back roads, or identifying the birds in my yard. 

Is this the answer to all our problems? No… but when our bodies are in a more regulated state, our minds work better, and when our minds work better, we as a whole are better. We don’t need to learn some secret to the best life or how to be successful or rich. Success comes from inner peace and, according to Maslow, self-actualization. We know the answer; we’ve known the answer since we evolved from a slimy fish. We need to go back to our roots; we need to slow down, we need to interact with our natural environment, we are nature, and that's where we belong. 

OlyviaD@OTU

Boys will be Boys...

When I think about learning styles, I usually think of the familiar categories: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners. The seminar today discussed these different ways students may engage in learning, but what stood out to me most was the conversation about how boys and girls can be treated differently in the classroom. It made me realize that learning isn't just about how students learn, but also about how teachers perceive them.

One idea that really stuck with me was how the same behaviour can be viewed differently depending on whether it comes from a boy or a girl. For example, when a boy is loud, energetic, or acts out, it is often brushed off as “just being a boy.” When a girl behaves the same way, she may be seen as troublesome, difficult, or disruptive. This made me think about how easily teachers can develop expectations for students based on gender without even realizing it.

I also found myself reflecting on my own experience growing up. I have always loved sports and was definitely an active kid. A lot of my interests were associated with boys, and I often found myself connecting with the boys in my class through sports. I wonder if this also affected how teachers perceived me. I wasn't necessarily the stereotypical quiet girl, and being involved in sports gave me a different way of expressing myself that I think was sometimes more accepted because it fit into what was expected of boys. This made me think about how important it is to avoid putting students into categories. Learning styles can help us think about different ways students engage with learning, but students are much more complex than a label like “visual learner” or “kinesthetic learner.” The same is true for gender. A girl's interests or behaviour shouldn't determine how teachers interpret her in the classroom, just as a boy shouldn't automatically be given more room to be loud or energetic. 

As a future teacher, I think this is something I want to be more aware of. It is easy to carry assumptions into the classroom, especially when we have grown up seeing certain behaviours as “normal” for boys or girls. This seminar reminded me that getting to know students as individuals is just as important as understanding how they learn.

LaraJ@OTU

What If Failure Is Actually the Point?

Rethinking Failure, Play, and Learning Through Theatre

One part of this reading that really stuck with me was the idea that failure is not the opposite of learning, but actually a part of learning. It made me think about how much failure is a normal part of theatre and how much I have learned from it.

Theatre is full of moments where things do not go as planned. You forget a line, miss a cue, go the wrong direction in choreography, or try an acting choice that sounded great in your head but completely falls flat when you actually do it. Sometimes you can rehearse something for weeks and eventually realize, this just isn't working.

But we usually do not stop there. We figure out what went wrong, try something different, and do it again. Sometimes we laugh about it, sometimes we get frustrated, but we keep going. Failure becomes part of the process of making the show better.

I think this is one of the reasons I enjoy teaching drama. There is something really valuable about creating an environment where students can mess up without feeling like they have actually failed. If a student tries an acting choice and it does not work, that is information. If they forget their lines, we figure out what might help them next time. If they are struggling with a dance combination, we break it down and try again. The goal is not to avoid mistakes, but to create a space where students feel comfortable making them.

This also connects to something else we have talked about in class: development is not a straight line. Students are constantly developing at different rates, and part of our job as teachers is to give them opportunities to try, struggle, adjust, and try again.

What Theatre Can Teach Us About Play

I also think this connects to the importance of play. As we get older, we sometimes forget how important it is to play, experiment, and try things without knowing exactly how they will turn out. We become more focused on doing things correctly and avoiding mistakes. In a way, we can lose some of the curiosity and freedom that comes naturally when we are younger.

I think there is actually a lot we could learn from kindergarteners. They are often willing to try something simply because it looks fun or interesting. They will make something, decide they do not like it, and immediately try something else. They do not always worry about whether they are doing it “right.” There is something really valuable in that willingness to play, explore, and fail.

This is something I see in theatre as well. When students are given the freedom to play with a character, movement, voice, or an idea, they often discover things they would not have found if they were only focused on getting it right. Play gives them permission to experiment and take risks.

From Failure to Learning

The reading says, “Failure provides us with the feedback necessitating change.” I really like this idea because it changes the question from “Did I fail?” to “What did that tell me?” Instead of seeing failure as the end of something, we can see it as information that helps us figure out what to do next.

As a future teacher, I think that is something I want my classroom to encourage. I do not want students to feel like getting something wrong means they are not capable. I want them to understand that making mistakes, playing, experimenting, and even failing can all be part of learning.

I also think this is something we sometimes lose as we develop and grow. When we are younger, we are more willing to play, try things, and make mistakes without thinking too much about what other people might think. As we get older, we can become more afraid of being wrong or looking like we do not know what we are doing. Maybe there is something we can learn from those kindergarteners who are willing to just try.

And honestly, if theatre has taught me anything, it is that sometimes the best moments happen because something went completely wrong.

References

Ontario Ministry of Education. (2016). The Kindergarten Program. Government of Ontario.

Taylor, M. E., & Boyer, W. (2020). Play-based learning: Evidence-based research to improve children’s learning experiences in the kindergarten classroom. Early Childhood Education Journal, 48, 127–133.

NoahW@OTU

Interest As A Key To Learning

A topic of interest for me in the profession of teaching is how to use students’ interest to motivate them to learn. I think that this is an interesting topic for me because I think that the easiest way for students to learn any topic is for them to be interested so they are motivated to put in the effort to learn. Many teachers can probably recall a subject or topic that they learned as students just to get a passing grade and move on. If there was little or no interest in the subject matter, you would likely be motivated solely by getting a good grade to pass the course or to put on your report card and wouldn’t remember much about the topic after finishing the class or school year. However, if there was interest in learning about the topic, then there would be more motivation to learn the topic and actually remember it after the school year comes to an end.

Context To Real-World Problems

A key learning technique that teachers can use to encourage interest in a topic is to make learning contextual to real-world problems (McCarthy, 2014). Students cannot see how core concepts are represented in the world beyond the classroom (McCarthy, 2014). First, teachers need to find out what students care about and like to do (McCarthy, 2014). Students need to be given choices, so they can choose activities that align with their interests (McCarthy, 2014). Students should also be given choice in what they produce for assessment (McCarthy, 2014). If students are making something they care about, they will more easily spend more time making it (McCarthy, 2014).

Using Both Intrinsic And Extrinsic Rewards

During a class discussion in EDUC 1301, Learning and Development, on fragile interest as a learning key, teacher candidates defined intrinsic rewards as a feeling of accomplishment that students get after learning a topic or subject matter and extrinsic rewards as external motivators, such as certificates, gold stars, high grades, and others, to complete a task. A discussion among teacher candidates in the class demonstrated that they felt that a balance of intrinsic and extrinsic rewards should be used to encourage students to learn a topic or subject matter. They felt that using extensive extrinsic rewards would motivate students to learn for the reward and not for genuinely wanting to know more about the subject matter or topic. They also felt that using only intrinsic rewards would be challenging to motivate every student to learn. Using a balance between extrinsic and intrinsic rewards was widely believed to be the best approach to developing interest and motivating students to learn.

Experiences As A Student

The challenge of developing interest in students was exhibited in my experiences as a student. I had teachers that used a variety of extrinsic rewards to motivate us as students to develop an interest to learn a variety of topics so that we could develop an intrinsic reward system for learning. In elementary school, I had a teacher that distributed play money for good behaviour and learning habits, like homework completion, throughout the school year. At the end of the school year, the teacher would bring in prizes that we could buy with the play money. This extrinsic rewards strategy was useful as a motivator to develop good learning habits and class behaviour; however, it led to competition among students for the rewards or prizes. I also had a teacher in elementary school that attempted to incorporate new technology, such as computer games, into teaching concepts in social studies and history. This incorporated technology as a way to interest students about topics in history so they were intrinsically motivated to learn about the topic to succeed through levels in the game as an extrinsic reward. This strategy was useful for students who became interested in succeeding in the game and then developed an interest in the topic to learn further, but didn’t interest some students who didn’t understand or want to succeed in the game. These methods demonstrate how extrinsic rewards can be used to develop an intrinsic reward system to learn a subject matter or topic.

Therefore, it can be a challenge to use students’ interests to motivate them to learn. Students may approach a topic or subject matter only to get a passing grade and move on. Teachers need to make learning contextual to real-life examples. Teachers need to balance intrinsic and extrinsic rewards by including some extrinsic reward to encourage students to begin to explore new ideas and topics and ensure that this exploration leads to a development of an intrinsic reward that provides students with interest and motivation to learn more about that topic.

McCarthy, J. (2014). Learner Interest Matters: Strategies for Empowering Student Choice. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/differentiated-instruction-learner-interest-matters-john-mccarthy

RaviT@OTU

Science is more than just a scantron if you value interest.

"Why do we even have to learn this?" Every teacher hears it eventually, and I never want to hear it in my own classroom. A student asking it means their interest has already slipped away.

I know how much a teacher can change that, because of my Grade 10 science teacher who was also my Grade 11 and 12 biology teacher. I was in a STEAM cohort that was mostly boys who liked to say biology was the "easiest" and most useless science. She flipped that completely. She brought real energy into the room, encouraged us to ask weird questions, and taught us that failure is a normal step in the scientific process. She tied lessons to real problems and even gave us a whole class to ask her questions about COVID-19 before lockdown. She didn't tell us science mattered. She showed us.

That memory came back while my group prepared our presentation on interest as the anticipation of pleasure in learning. The reading describes interest as fragile. It starts as situational interest, a short-lived spark tied to something we've enjoyed before, and it can grow into a lasting individual interest and eventually a general love of learning. We summed it up as spark it, support it, let it grow. My teacher did all three.

This is where assessment comes in. You can spark a student's curiosity and then undo it with a multiple-choice test. The reading warns that grades, rewards, and threats can crowd out intrinsic interest, and that students may do only enough to get the reward or avoid the penalty. They pass the exam but don't keep the knowledge. I don't believe a scantron proves who understands, only who can memorize. I would rather grade how a student designs or analyzes a lab, or use short and long answer questions built around real-world scenarios instead of asking for a definition.

Our presentation poll showed the difference. Would you rather read a chapter on insects and answer 20 graded questions, or have your teacher bring in a mounted insect and ask why it looks and behaves the way it does? Or choose an insect you've always wondered about and investigate it? Almost no one picks the 20 questions.

Supporting interest doesn't mean dropping assessment. I like low-weighted check-ins like exit tickets and pre-lab quizzes because they show me who is falling behind while there's still time to adjust. The reading says feedback works best when it describes what a student did well and how much they've improved, not just a number. My own experience points the same way. As a previous peer tutor I had to understand the material well enough to explain it, and as a camp counselor and Science Council executive, I learned that people stay engaged when they have a real role.

I'm not pretending this is easy. Hands-on projects and real-world case studies cost more time and money than a PowerPoint, and I'll still have a mandatory curriculum to cover. Our presentation named the same barriers for teachers, limited time and resources among them. Many students are also used to sitting back and listening, so being asked to lead can make them anxious. That's why building a classroom where mistakes are safe matters so much.

If I do this well, my students will take science because they want to, not because they need the credit. That's the spark I want to give them.

[RachaelD@OTU]

Creating Future Scientists: The Importance of Interest in Science

While it may be in part due to my personal bias, I think that science is just one of those topics that interest is key to fully understanding. 

As mentioned in my group's Learning Key Workshop last week, interest holds the key to future learning. Without interest, there is no desire to learn. A lack of desire to learn leads to poor learning, if any at all, which is definitely not ideal!

The reason that interest is so important to science specifically is because it is so ingrained in the subject. The scientific method is started by asking questions piqued by your interest! First something is observed that creates a question. Then, you think about why this could be, create a hypothesis, test it, and assess your result. These conclusions often create even more interest in the subject, leading to more questions and so the cycle continues! Each step in the process is full of curiosity and a desire to learn more.

Without having an interest in science, no one would ask the important questions that lead us to big discoveries. All great scientists were curious about things, and really cared to look into them further. They took a situational interest, a small spark of an interest in something, and developed it into an individual interest, a key interest that is deeply rooted in their identity. 

Take Galileo Galilei for example. His interest in astronomy led us to so many huge discoveries about our solar system, like the different moons of Jupiter or his major improvements on the telescope. Without such a deep interest, he never would have spent so much of his life searching for answers to his questions, and giving the world so many astronomical advancements (both in magnitude and subject matter!).

It's so important to not only create, but also nurture the interest in young science students. There are many ways to try to create situational interest in students, such as exciting hooks to draw them in, fun experiments, and rotating stations to expose them to a multitude of situations that could be of interest to them. To maintain the interest, we can give individual inquiry-based projects or self-led experiments that give students a chance to pursue the interest that is already there, and support them along the way. I remember being in late elementary school/early high school and being given an assignment to come up with our own idea and use the scientific method to conduct a full-on science experiment. I credit this assignment with deepening my interest in science, as this was one of the first times I was given the agency to delve into something that I was curious about. Giving students the opportunity to lead their own investigations creates a deeper connection to their interest, pushing them to want to learn more.

Overall, I believe that science needs interest in order to create "scientific thinkers" and future scientists. Sparking, nurturing, and encouraging interest is what ensures that students will maintain their love for not only science, but learning as a whole. You never know which student might be the next Galileo!

MorganR@OTU

What Builds Confidence in Classrooms?

I enjoyed learning about confidence and the importance of building this skill within students in the workshop a couple weeks ago, and have since been reflecting on activities within my own K-12 experience that helps build my own. As demonstrated in class, via having two peers ‘argue’ a point, I think learning proper debating techniques, persuasive argumentation, as well as critical analysis are all activities that inherently can hone confidence in students. In all these examples, students would have an opportunity to present an argument and defend their point – and in all of these cases, there would be no one ‘correct answer’, giving students freedom to be creative.

Essay-writing in particular was actually very effective to build my own confidence; I think this is because it involved finding evidence to support my claims - which were sometimes claims I disagreed with - and then having to prove and persuasively argue them. Being able to distill broad ideas into a singular thesis increased my belief in my own competency, and being able to defend it with multiple pieces of evidence, filled me with a sense of confidence in what I was trying to say. The same sentiment extended to when we had debate units in class; if anything, debating filled me with a greater sense of confidence by requiring me to argue with the rest of the class as my audience. While at times terrifying, being pushed into a slightly uncomfortable place while still being provided support, can allow for growth and achievement beyond what was previously thought to be possible. Growth rarely comes from a place of comfort - in fact, some amount of discomfort is needed for optimal growth.

At the same time, it is important to keep in mind that classrooms are full of diverse learners who may have different strengths and different ways in which their confidence can be built. Especially since while discomfort can lead to growth, it is critical not to tip the scales too far in one direction that would lead to severe anxiety or paralysis in students. This is why having a wide variety of activities is important in a classroom. By addressing the different pre-existing competencies of students, teachers can help increase students’ belief in their own capabilities. Furthermore, activities can hone students’ confidence by giving them autonomy and the ability to explore. Feedback and mindset are also important for developing confidence, and designing activities with this goal in mind can be an effective way to foster it.

   GarggieT@OTU

Backward Design Model

 Backward Design Model

For centuries, education has consisted primarily of students sitting before an instructor in a classroom, learning via lecture and note memorization from text books. Although this traditional system was not perfect, it served its purpose as a generally effective way to educate students. The concept of pedagogy has continued to evolve as educators have explored different approaches to teaching and learning.

 

The backward design model as described by Wiggins and McTighe (1995, 2000) provides a framework that can help prospective teachers in a content methods course to begin to transform their content knowledge into pedagogical content knowledge. It also encourages teachers to develop an awareness of both vertical and horizontal curriculum connections. Rather than beginning with the content or activities that will be taught, backward design begins by identifying what students should understand and be able to do as a result of the learning experience.

 

The Three Stages of Backward Design

There are three stages in the backward design model, traditional planning and backward design. Comparing backward design with traditional lesson planning helps to illustrate how the two approaches differ.

 

1.0       Traditional Planning

Stage 1: Curriculum Expectations: What do I want the students to be able to do? The teacher may begin by reviewing the curriculum expectations and determining what content should be taught.

1.0       Backward Design

Stage 1: Identify Desired Results: What enduring understanding about literacy and life inform the standards at this grade level and how can these understanding engage students. (Graff Nelson, 2011).

 

2.0       Traditional Planning

Stage 2: Determine Assessment Level: What do I want my students to learn? Would the lesson be fun, interesting, useful, or engaging? Also, what standards to address when teaching the lesson

2.0       Backward Design

Stage 2: Determine Acceptable Evidence: What evidence can I use to determine whether students have analyzed the materials and developed an understanding of the lesson?

 

3.0       Traditional Planning

Stage 3: Planning Instructions and Learning Experiences: What instructional strategies and activities should I use to help the students understand the lesson?

3.0       Backward Design

Stage 3: Plan Learning Experiences and Instructions: What skills and knowledge do students need to develop in order to be successful? What resources will help students develop those knowledge and skills.

 

The Importance of Alignment

The curriculum expectations, assessment level, planning instructions and learning experiences must work together. If these components are not aligned, the lesson will not be as effective as it should be. The teacher must be specific in what the curriculum planning is for and what the students are expected to learn and how the lesson will support those expectations.  An example will be, if the purpose of a lesson is for students to learn how to complete an invoice, the lesson should focus specifically on that learning goal rather than introducing several different types of invoices. In addition, the assessment must demonstrate achievement of the learning goals-an approach starts with the end in mind making sure that a connection is there between the lesson and the objectives.

 

Beginning With The-End-In-Mind

The backward design model, the end-mind refers to the learning goals and desired outcomes that students should achieve by the end of the lesson. The teacher first considers what the students must understand, know, and be able to do.

 

The desired outcome essentially becomes the destination for students learning. It keeps instruction focused and purposeful, ensuring that classroom activities, assessments, and teaching strategies all work toward clearly defined learning outcomes. 

 

This approach helps teachers prioritize meaningful learning experiences rather than simply covering contents. Instead of focusing primarily on how much material can be presented during a lesson, the teacher can consider whether students have developed the knowledge, skills, and understanding identified in the learning goals.

 

Conclusion

The backward design model provides teachers with a purposeful framework for planning instructions. While traditional planning may begin with curriculum contents, activities, or instructional strategies. Beginning with the end in mind allows teachers to create lessons that are focused, intentional, and meaningful.

 

References

Graff, N. (n.d.). Nelson Graff (Teacher education quarterly, Summer 2011). https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ940642.pdf

 

McTighe, J., & Wiggins, G. (2014b). Do we need an assessment overhaul? Proven Programs in Education: Classroom Management & Assessment, 30–34. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781483365633.n7

 

KarenP@NU