5 Surprising Results of a Self-Paced Classroom | ISTE

The self-paced method allows students to design their own learning experience, not only at their own pace, but according to their own interests ... × Skiptomaincontent Menu ENENES   LoggedInMenu Useraccountmenu Useraccountmenu(mobile)   ISTEBlog 5surprisingresultsofaself-pacedclassroom 5SurprisingResultsofaSelf-PacedClassroom Logintopostcomments CatherineStanley December21,2021 "It'slikethey'vebeenspoon-feduntilnow." "Howaretheygoingtomeetdeadlineswhenthey'readults?" "Whatdoesittaketogetstudentstothinkforthemselves?" Untilrecently,thesewerethewordsmycolleaguesandIwouldutterwhenwefoundourselvesfrustratedbyourstudents’lackofintrinsicmotivation.Theyoftenseemedunabletofigurethingsoutforthemselves,andasmuchaswetried,itwasachallengeforustohelpthemovercomealacklusterapproachtotheiracademicresponsibilities. Inmysearchforasolution,Ibegantothinkaboutthestructureofmyclassroomandhowthetraditionallearningenvironmentshapesstudentengagement.Asafirmbelieverthatpeoplerespondtotheirsurroundings,Iaskedmyselfthefollowingquestions: HowdoIallowstudentstotakeresponsibilityforthemselves? DoIgivestudentsenoughopportunitiestomakedecisionsabouttheirlearning? HaveIshownthatItruststudentstoshapetheirownlearningenvironment? Inmyreflection,IrealizedIhadplentyofroomtogrowincreatingalearningenvironmentthatfostersindependence,choiceandstudentdecision-making. Fortunatelyformystudents,myschoolofferedaprofessionaldevelopmentsessiononself-pacing,whichisthepracticeofimplementinginstructionbasedonindividuallearnerresponse. Whatisself-pacedlearning? Self-pacedlearningdiffersfromthetraditionalteacher-led,whole-classlessonsinthatitallowsstudentstousematerialsandresourcestocustomizethewaytheylearninclass.Theself-pacedmethodallowsstudentstodesigntheirownlearningexperience,notonlyattheirownpace,butaccordingtotheirowninterestsandlearningpreferences.Theroleoftheinstructoristoprovideguidance,feedbackonproficiencyandtailorthelearningenvironmenttostudents' needs. Idecidedtogiveitatry.Mycolleagues,CristieWatsonandLoganRiley,andIworkedtogethertocreateourfirstself-pacedunit.Here’showwemadeitworkourclassroomsusingstate-mandatedcurricula: Choosean activity.First,wehadstudentsaccessaGoogleDocthatgaveanoverviewoftheunitandoutlinedthelearninggoalsandvariousactivitiesassociatedwitheach. Studentsbrowsedthelist,pickedanactivitythatinterestedthemanddecidedhowtheywantedtointeractwiththecontent.Forexample,somestudentstookCornellnotesonreadings,otherscreatedMinecraftstructuresdepictingalearninggoaltopic,andmanyengagedwithEdPuzzlevideoswithembeddedquestionstoguidetheirlearning.Studentscouldgoonlinetodoresearchorfindresourceswhenevertheyneededto. Requestanassessment.Whenstudentsfeellikethey’vemasteredthematerial,theycanrequestacheck-in,whichinvolvesansweringaquestioninwritingonthelearninggoal.WediscusstheiranswerandifIfeelthey’vedemonstratedmastery,theymoveontothenextlearninggoal.Ifnot,theycanselectadifferentactivityandtryagain.   Otherbenefitsofself-pacedlearning Notsurprisingly,moststudentslikedhavingchoiceintheirlearning andremainedengagedintheacademiccontent.Butengagementwasn’ttheonlybenefitofthenewformat.Herearefiveunexpectedsurprises: 1.Movement Studentswerefreetoleavetheirseatsasmanytimesastheyneededtoselectmaterialsfortheirlearningactivities,answercheck-inquestionorgatherresources.Beforewetriedthisapproach,studentshadfewopportunitiestoleavetheirseatswithoutamovement-basedactivity.Iwouldpassoutourwhole-classmaterials,andstudentswouldn’thavetomoveamuscle.Asyouknow,notmovingamuscleforanhourisuncomfortableformostofusbutcanbeexcruciatingforactivekids. Iwonderedifallowingadditionalmovementwouldbedistractingandpromotewandering,butIdiscovereditwasnot.Studentsknewwheretogoandwhattodo.Theyweremorepurpose-drivenintheiractionsbecausetheywereallowedtochoosewhattodo.Theyhadtothinkforthemselvesabouttheirnextstepsasopposedtobeingtoldwhattodo. Oddlyenough,inadditiontomoremovementintheclassroom,therewasalsolessmovement.Thefactthatstudentswereallowedpurpose-drivenmovementcutdownonrandomchairscraping,loudfoot-flopping,annoyingpencil-rappingandfree-wheelingpen-clicking. 2. Organization Inorderformystudentstoindependentlyselectlearningmaterials,Iwascompelledtoreorganizemyclassroominathoughtful,deliberateway.Iclearlylabeledthelearningstationswithinstructions,andImodeledhowtomovethroughthem.Thishelpedstudentsgrasptheliteralmotionsofself-pacedlearning. Asateacherandmom,organizationissupposedtobeoneofmystrengths.It'snot.BecauseI'mateacherandmom,mybrainfunctionalityisthatofabrowserwithdozensoftabsopenatonce.Becomingorganizedallowedstudentstofunctionastheyshouldinaself-pacedclassroom—andclosedafewtabsinmymindaswell. 3.Moretimeforrelevance Anamazingthinghappensinaclassroomwherestudentsselecttheirlearninggoals,collecttheirmaterialsandknowwheretofindadditionalsupplies.Theyindependentlyengagewithtechnologyandcontent,andIgettodowhateveryteacherdreamsofbeingabletodo.Iamfreetofloatfromstudenttostudenttoanswercontent-relatedquestions.Withoutabarrageoflogisticalquestions,Inowhavetimetoworkwithstudentsoneononetofosterstudentunderstandingandcritical-thinkingskills. 4.Quickresults Iexpectedsomestudentstolagbehindonself-pacedlearning.Tomysurprise,manystudentswerecompletingactivitiesandcheck-insmuchmorequicklythantheyhadfinishedwhole-classactivities.Andyet,theircheck-inresponsesdidnotseemrushedorcomposedwithintentionalmediocrity.Studentssimplyworkedataquickerpacethanmypreviousclassroomstructurehadpermitted.Thequickresultsallowedmetoprovidesame-dayanddirectfeedback,ratherthangoingovercheck-insduringtheevenings.Studentswereabletorethinkandreviseimmediately,withnolapseintimetohinderfullunderstandingofourlearninggoals. 5.Effective,personalizedfeedback Priortoself-pacedlearning,Iwouldoffergeneralfeedbacktotheentireclassaboutcheck-inresponsesinsteadofgivingindividualstudents.Imightsay:  "I'venoticedthatsomecheck-inssimplylistalotoffactsaboutthesubjectofthequestion,butdonotanswerthequestion.Forexample,ifaquestionaskshowthepyramidsreflectthevaluesoftheAncientEgyptians,I'mreadingsomelaundrylistsoffactsaboutpyramids,butnothingaboutthevaluesthatthepyramidsrepresent." Irealizedthatpresentinggroupfeedbackfellflatbecauseoftenstudentsfeltliketheadvicedidn’tapplytothem.WhenIgivedirectfeedbacktostudentsindividually,theyknowthatI’mtalkingabouttheirworkspecifically.ItresonatedmoredeeplythanwhenIwouldofferfeedbacktothewholeclassatonce. Self-pacedlearningboostsconfidence Self-pacedlearninghasproventobeaneffectivewaytoallowmystudentstocustomizetheirlearningenvironmenttofittheirneedsaslearners.ItalsoshowsthemthatItrustthemtodesigntheirownlearning,givesthemasenseofresponsibilityfortheiracademics,boostsconfidenceintheirchoices andallowsmetogivedirect,immediatefeedbacktoeachstudentatleastonceaday. Ontopofthat,studentsusetechnologyeverydaytoaccessonlineinteractives,whichgivesthemendlesspossibilitiestoshowtheirlearning. Aseducators,weexhaustourselvestryingtofigureouthowtobestteachourstudentsindividually.Self-pacedlearningallowsstudentstoshowforthemselveshowtheybestlearnandtogainvaluableinformationabouttheirownlearningthattheycancarrywiththemforlife.Self-pacedlearningtrulytransformsaclassroom. Watchthevideobelowtolearnmoreabouttheself-pacedclassroom:    CatherineStanleyisasixthgradeEnglishlanguageartsandsocialstudiesteacheratGravellyHillMiddleSchool. Shebelievesinstudent-teacherrelationshipstofostersuccessintheclassroom.ConnectwithheronTwitter@TeachStanley.ThisisanupdatedversionofablogpostthatoriginallypublishedonNov.19,2019.    Tags Studentchoice AllISTEBlogTopics RelatedArticles 5SurprisingResultsofaSelf-PacedClassroom"It'slikethey'vebeenspoon-feduntilnow." "Howaretheygoingtomeetdeadlineswhenthey'readults?" "Whatdoesittaketogetstudentstothinkforthemselves?" 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