If You Build It Will They Come?
Seemingly overnight, K-12 education shifted from a system of compliance and conformity to an online enterprise, one that could hopefully provide students with authentic academic enrichment.
With the COVID-19 closures, many K-12 districts have mandated no grades, no attendance, and no accountability measures. The classroom walls have been ripped down, the rules of schooling have been thrown out the window, and teachers can only hope and pray for student engagement.
Because I already had a gradeless classroom, I felt a sense of confidence in my ability to create new learning opportunities online. I thought my students would engage in what I provided. Two days before “launching” into remote learning, I was scared. I sat in worry, wondering, “If I build it, will they come?”
It was Friday the 13th the day school was canceled. It was surreal. Some students cheered, others cried, still others questioned the situation. That day is now a page in the history books, another Friday the 13th to remember. No matter what I believed about my teaching—that it was student-centered and intrinsically motivated—I was wrong. At the end of the quarter I still have to report a grade, and students are still required to come to class. Before COVID-19, I had more power over my students than I do now.
This is scary.
Teachers have often felt this vulnerability. They worry whether students will appreciate the love and effort they invest in their lessons, materials, and assessments. In her TedTalk, The Power of Vulnerability, Brené Brown defines vulnerability as “uncertainty, risk and emotional exposure.” Vulnerability is not a bad thing. In a subsequent SXSWedu talk, Daring Classrooms, Brown states, “No vulnerability, no creativity—no innovation.” COVID-19 is opportunity to reflect on our teaching. Educators need to embrace the vulnerability, knowing that it can set the stage for creativity and innovation.
I believe Shelter-in-Place will lead to some positive outcomes in education. I see a push for all the things I have dreamed about: curiosity, innovation, and learning for the sake of learning. I see a push to provide learning opportunities that feed students’ curiosity. I see a push to ditch grades completely, fostering growth and learning through descriptive feedback.
As K-12 moves away from its traditional setting to remote learning, education becomes more of a business. If you disagree, you’re missing the obvious. Educators have a product to sell. If they don’t find ways to improve and market this product, education will go out of business. We need to consider new approaches to engaging our clients, the students.
How can we begin “rebranding” education? How can we better ensure students will engage? Now is the time to try new things. We can give up control, swallow our pride, and inquire about what students want to learn. Educators will know the effectiveness of their lessons because students will be engaged. Blaming the situation will not lead to true engagement and learning.
According to Daniel Pink in Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, autonomy support means respecting the employees’ point of view, providing meaningful feedback, and allowing for choice. Teachers can apply this concept by offering choice in what and how students learn, while encouraging students to try new things,
Not only will kids be happier, they will perform better at their schooling.
But the transition from control to autonomy can’t happen overnight. Pink suggests, “If we pluck people out of a controlling environment, when they’ve known nothing else, and plop them in a results-only work environment or an environment of undiluted autonomy, they’ll struggle.” Teachers need to scaffold in this transition to ensure it is successful. Teachers also need scaffolding as they venture into uncharted territory.
As Rick Wormeli asserted in a recent Zoom chat, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” Wormeli spoke about student autonomy, project-based learning, and ongoing feedback as ways of engaging students during this difficult time. Wormeli suggests that educators need to inspire students to be "active creators" rather than "passive consumers" of learning. Passive consumers memorize and repeat what they are given. Active creators learn by creating, problem solving, asking questions, and applying their knowledge.
Remote learning is an opportunity for educators to reflect on the effectiveness of their pedagogy. During this time, students will disengage for many reasons: lack of reliable internet, demanding work schedules, challenging family dynamics, and myriad other reasons. Let's make sure students don’t disengage because we failed to challenge and inspire them. Our learners are naturally curious: they want to explore new horizons and possibilities. To maintain “customer loyalty” teachers need to engage them in innovative ways.
Ultimately, it’s not if we build it, but how we build it that will determine student engagement.
Rachael Kettner-Thompson is a National Board Certified Teacher and has been teaching middle school Science for the majority of her 19 years in public schools in Arizona, Idaho, and Washington State. She currently teaches 7th and 8th grade Science just outside of Spokane, WA.