The Learner First #IMMOOC

Week 4 – IMMOOC – Chapters 6 & 7 – with Patrick Larkin

I really enjoyed the YouTube chat (as seen below). Focus on the learner was my biggest take-away. I agree with relationships. In fact, I think it’s a given (although they could be better from time to time). What I loved about this chat is the idea that we need to focus on student learning… the student could be the students… or the teacher… or whomever. What are their needs and how can be empower them? I was struck by comparing ENGAGEMENT VS. EMPOWERMENT and thinking about myself as the learner.

I am “engaged” with IMMOOC as learner, but not “empowered” (until I did my video on this question on Twitter). I never wanted to post a video of myself on Twitter… or anywhere. I am an extrovert and I post a lot on Twitter… but retweeting, posting, or replying to others is a level of engagement. I always admired those who were able to put their BIG HEAD on Periscope or other apps on Twitter (or Facebook) to talk about your thoughts. I did not have the courage or the grit to engage in such an activity (until IMMOOC and our last Twitter chat). I felt encouraged to JUST DO IT… and so I did.

I said to be engaged is to be a KNOWLEDGE CONSUMER and to be empowered is to be a KNOWLEDGE CONTRIBUTOR. What I mean by that directly connected to what Patrick Larkin was saying. Students (or the learner) needs to have a voice in what they are learning and an opportunity to influence and contribute to the system as a whole. I love how there was a rant about having student forums, listening to students, and patting ourselves on the back. I totally agree. THEN WHAT? We need to do something with that information. I loved the computer example of choosing iPads and the entire conversation about designing schools, our classroom, and shall I say the system that caters to our students (of the time) to best meet their learning needs and they have a SAY.

I am passionate about this as an educator, a parent, but also a school trustee. Our policies need to reflect student learning. All that we do regardless of what role with play in the education system must be in the best interest of the learner. I loved how it was mentioned in the YouTube chat that it might be uncomfortable for the teacher or facilitator, but that’s OK. Get over it. I also like that the conversation took the teacher as learner too. We need to reassess our practice, our leadership, and our system to know if we are working in the best interest of the learner and if the learn has influential input to decision making and their learning. I was inspired by this week’s IMMOOC chat.

IMMOOC Reflection Question

Is modelling your learning something that is important to innovation?  What do you do to model your own learning through your practice?

YES. I can give you an example. Currently I teach as a sessional instructor at the university. I was teaching a course called EDUC 454 (Quantitative Approaches to Environmental Education) this summer session. I am new to teaching at the university, my background is high school math educator, and my doctorate is in educational leadership. Nowhere in my CV does it mention environmental education. I won this position because it was a Q-course or Quantitative Course, which entails MATH.

Environmental Education was NOT in my wheelhouse, but I wanted to teach the course to it’s fullest while incorporating the ideals of BC’s New Curriculum like personalized learning, indigenous education, and competency-based learning. I had a choice. “Pretend” to be the expert in environmental education OR “be the learner.” I opted for the latter. So, when I designed the course, I asked students to engage in collaborative project based learning, present their learning as an IGNITE presentation, and participate in inquiry based learning with an inquiry project. We went outside to learn EVERYDAY. I facilitated learning at first, but as the course progressed, the students were the learners and the teachers.

I was learning from my students and their interests and expertise as it connected to environmental education and quantitative approaches. I set the framework and expectations as the teacher, but my students became the experts. They engaged in the possibilities of environmental education in high school classrooms as pre-service teachers and embarked in the process of experiential learning… collaboratively and cooperatively. We were all in it TOGETHER. Moreover, I participated in my own inquiry project to learn more about inquiry (with them) and presented an IGNITE presentation too. I modelled what I wanted to see… as a learner and teacher. It’s key to show that taking risks is NORMAL… if not expected. And learning requires mistakes and figuring out what you would do next time. It was the BEST teaching and learning experience I ever had.

#IMMOOC Season 3 – Episode 4 – with Patrick Larkin

Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, October 24th, 2017 | Comments Off on The Learner First #IMMOOC

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