5305
Disruptive Innovation in Technology
Students and teachers alike are becoming more and more frustrated with the current state of education and there seems to be no real relief in sight from the higher powers that be in the state of Texas. Teachers are on their own creating environments that support student learning, but we are struggling with how to format lessons that benefit everyone when there are so many diverse needs and record numbers of students. Class sizes are increasing and we are still facing a massive teacher shortage, so obviously we need change that will help maximize our impact on student achievement while freeing us up to create lasting connections between content and the real world.
Leaning on technology and using it to our advantage is the best way to do all this. By creating online learning opportunities that give students voice and ownership of their learning we will be free to work with our students and give them the quality interactions and conversations they deserve. We will be able to pull small groups to help fill gaps in academic knowledge and we will be able to pull small groups of gifted students and give them challenges and real life conversations that will challenge them and grow them as learners and people. Teachers need technology that we can count on to create better learning and differentiation in our classrooms so that we can do what we do best - love, encourage, and guide our students to be the best versions of themselves.
Innovation
Proposal
Disruption is the first step in change. Without disturbing the status quo, you cannot grow as an individual or society. This is especially true in education today. Our system is broken and we need to fix it. Demands for differentiation and engaging lessons are only increasing; we need a solution that is sustainable for teachers and engaging to students if we want a fighting chance at creating well-rounded individuals for our society and workforce. To learn about how I will use technology to revolutionize the way we teach click below.
Literature
Review
I think the best way to solve the differentiation issue we are currently facing is to implement a rotational blended learning style to focus on allowing students to have their voices heard through project based learning. Research has shown that when looking just at the growth of students as individuals the data supported the current theories that blended learning when designed correctly can positively impact student learning that is meaningful and empowering to students no matter what academic level they may be at in their educational journey (Fazal and Bryant, 2019), (Rose and Beck-Hill, 2012). Since all students will feel their work is interesting and valuable in some way, we will be freed from just managing behaviors and imparting wisdom to actually leading meaningful discussions and guiding students in their educational journeys. This will help fill in our gaps while making sure no student is not being challenged because we as educators will be freed up to actually differentiate learning and guide students. We meet the lowest learner where they are at in small groups and one-on-one interactions while challenging students that are more academically prepared with strong beliefs in themselves and at least some openness in the growth mindset. To learn more about the literature regarding blended project-based learning click below.
Implementation Outline
Due to the nature of the innovation I am planning, my timeline is going to take about eighteen to twenty four months before it’s realized at the level that includes the whole eighth grade and even longer than that to expand to the entire campus. There will be five major phases of rolling out my project-based rotational blended learning units. They are my classroom only, based on the feedback I will then roll out to the 8th grade science department team, use that feedback and then roll this innovation out to the entirety of the campus science department. In between each major phase we will have time to reflect, redesign, and perfect the program as we continue expanding rotational blended learning units with project based learning summative assignments at the end of each unit. If you are interested in learning more about the phases of implementation click the button below.