As an educator who is working on an innovation plan that involves developing a technology-enhanced project-based learning curriculum for newcomer emergent bilingual students, I believe that having a focus on learning and creating significant learning environments is essential for the success of my innovation plan. For me, a focus on learning means that I prioritize the learning process and outcomes of my students, rather than the teaching process and outcomes of myself. It also means that I design and facilitate learning experiences that are engaging, meaningful, and relevant for my students, rather than deliver content or information that is boring, irrelevant, or disconnected for them. Moreover, it signifies that I empower my students to take charge of their own learning, rather than controlling or directing their learning for them.
In EDLD 5313, I have learned about the importance of creating significant learning environments for my students, especially for newcomer emergent bilinguals who face many challenges and opportunities in their education. I have explored different theories, models, and strategies to design and assess learning experiences that are meaningful, engaging, and relevant for my students. Here are some of the highlights of my learning journey. I:
- Read the book A New Culture of Learning by Thomas and Brown, which challenged me to rethink my assumptions and beliefs about teaching and learning in the 21st century. I learned about the concepts of play, imagination, and innovation, and how they can foster a culture of learning that is collaborative, creative, and adaptive. I reflected on how I can apply these ideas to my own practice and to my innovation plan of implementing technology-enhanced project-based learning for newcomer emergent bilinguals.
- Wrote my learning philosophy, which is a statement of my core values and principles that guide my teaching and learning. I identified the key influences, experiences, and theories that shaped my philosophy. I also discussed how my philosophy informs my innovation plan.
- Used L. Dee Fink’s 3 Column Table to plan and evaluate the learning goals, activities, and assessments for a unit in my course, based on Fink’s taxonomy of significant learning. I also used the Learning Environment and Situational Factors Outline to analyze the context and characteristics of my teaching and learning situation. I considered the specific and general factors that affect my course design and delivery, such as the goals, expectations, challenges, and opportunities of my school, profession, subject, students, and teachers.
- Also used the UbD Design Template to create a unit plan for my course, based on the Understanding by Design framework by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe. I followed the backward design process, which consists of three stages: identifying the desired results, determining acceptable evidence, and planning learning experiences. I aligned my unit plan with my innovation plan and my learning philosophy, and I incorporated the principles of project-based learning and cross-cultural communication for newcomer emergent bilinguals.
- Revisited and added to my Growth Mindset Plan after reading the findings of a meta-analysis study that challenged the effectiveness of growth mindset interventions or programs that teach students to adopt a growth mindset. Here, I was able to address some of the challenges and limitations of the growth mindset approach, and how I can overcome them by adopting a learner’s mindset.
Through these assignments, I have gained a deeper understanding of how to create significant learning environments for my students and myself. They have also taught me how to design and develop learning environments that are aligned with my learning philosophy and my intended goals/outcomes. By focusing on learning while creating significant learning environments, my innovation plan has been positively impacted and influenced. I look forward to continuing to apply my learning to the rest of the units in the curriculum I am building, implementing my innovation plan, and seeing the results of my learning.
