Creating High Performance Learning Environments

While watching the three videos presented in this activity, I jotted down notes as I watched. The first, about roller coaster physics was the most comfortable for me. Words like problem solving, scientific understanding, incentives, reflection, communication and collaboration are just a few of the words that i noted as I watched. This model is similar to most of what I do in my own classroom. Project based learning, that is cross- curricular and hands on. What stood out to me the most about the teacher in this video was her questions. She used questions to gauge understanding, or lack thereof to guide her lessons. She prompted but never interfered. Hearing these students talk about their projects in scientific terms that I can’t even recall from memory just from watching it once! Rise and Run and all that. I would like to see how they got to that point. Which methods did she use to teach the concepts. Was it all done through PBL or did they study the terms before beginning the project. I can see it done either way. Students could learn the concepts in small groups through introductory projects, or it could be done in as whole group instruction. I think that this would depend on the group. Knowing your students and the amount of differentiation could determine the best practice for teaching these concepts for your specific class or classes. The level of technology integration and kinesthetic learning in this project is high. It’s engaging, teaching real world skills and critical thinking while meeting the content standards for the appropriate grade level.

For the second video, I had to watch it a few times over. The first time I fast forwarded through to be sure that the entire video was just going to be the teacher in front of the students. When I went back and watched what struck me the most is there was absolutely not consideration for individual students. Knowing what the students were shouting out would be helpful to evaluate their understanding, however i found it chaotic, fast and teacher centered. I could not follow what she was doing in the subtraction problem, but that doesn’t mean the students didn’t. They were motivated, excited and engaged in what she was saying. With 15 hours a week dedicated to math instruction it is likely many of these students were following what she was saying. There is an enormous cultural barrier here when it comes to education and cultural norms. As Westerners whether we agree with it or not, it has to be acknowledge that this type of education has been used for thousands of years with successful outcomes. I would like to discuss the “Interviews with High School Chinese Students.” In this video the students say that they think American students must have “lots of free time.” Everything they do is structured, organized and has a purpose. If they want to play a sport or be on student council there is strong competition and they are mentored in the skills necessary. In this video there is also a reference to the parents not standing for activities that do not have academic relevance. In my experience in Asia, both SE and NE Asia, this is true. The foundations of cultural norms and expectations are strong and embedded into the school system. If you challenge these or try to “rewrite” the book, so to speak, it is not perceived as positive. Looking at these examples of Chinese education it is important to add this filter to our lens. To remember that Western logic and Eastern logic are often very different and sometimes when we attempt to combine the two, it just doesn’t compute. 

There is a tremendous amount of pressure put on students. In South Korea, I recall tutoring a 7 year old who had 19 textbooks in her backpack. We would work until 10pm at night after she had been in two different schools all day. First in her public school, then in a private academy in the afternoon followed by evening tutoring. I cannot say that I agree with this as an educator but believe it important to take a step back and try to understand. The students in the Chinese video claimed they are motivated by the competition. When choosing a career path one boy interviewed said he wants to work hard and be successful. I can’t help but wonder if we need more of these values instilled in the American system these days. With the “Age of Entitlement” being a hot topic about todays youth, a stronger work ethic isn’t necessarily a negative thing. What exactly this looks like in the already established American system is not an easy answer however it is important that students feel success from hard work and not empty praises. 

In the Chinese system they have college entrance exams, and it is similar to the SAT system in the US. If you want to go to a prestigious school, you aren’t able to do it without high test scores, excellent grades and well rounded extra curricular activities. Students are tracked very much the same way. Higher performing students are put on a different track than low performing students. The film “Waiting for Superman” comes to mind when discussing this. It talks in detail about how how tracking works in the US education system and the problems that stem from this. I watch this film with my students each year at the end of the year. They often ask questions such as, “Why don’t the teachers help the kids who need it the most.” There is a difference between setting high expectations and putting kids into “boxes.” When you set high expectations it is necessary to believe that every student can meet them. Allowing the ones who can do it, have the resources and accessibility to get what they need (like a good breakfast) or have the intrinsic motivation, and allowing the ones who struggle “to fall through the cracks” is not setting high expectations in a way that benefits students. One solution to this that I like in the Chinese system is that once students get to a certain age they can choose their track, either math and sciences, or liberal arts. In my own education, this would have set me up for more success. I am certainly a more liberal arts oriented person than sciences. I have always struggled in math and never took avoided upper level science courses whenever possible. When examining both systems it is essential to look at not only the differences but the similarities. I believe there are some positive aspects to the Chinese system of setting high expectations, if you take the time to take a closer look. 

As for the third video, about whole brain teaching on first impression I found it confusing and chaotic. Upon further reflection I realized that although I felt that way watching it, the students appeared to know exactly what they are doing. I had to go and investigate the methods further to understand what was happening. The only strategy I can say I would be inclined to adopt is the one shown where students read every other word to each other. I can see this as a great strategy to increase fluency in struggling readers in my classroom. Otherwise, I find these do not fit well with my own philosophies of classroom management and setting expectations. Routines are important and although this method shows clear routines it is done with an intensity that I find overwhelming. Maybe if I were to sit in a classroom for longer and observe this teaching method I would change my mind, but aside from the setting of routines and prompts I don’t see the value in these methods as a best practice for my own classroom environment.

As I reflect on the take away from these examples, I think about what I can do better in my own classroom to set and maintain high expectations. I currently teach grades 2 and 3 and have numerous ELL students as well as a few with the potential to be placed on an IEP. I have a metaphor I use for the expectations set in my classroom. Imagine there is a bar and it is just out of your reach, but if you jump just high enough you can grab it. This means finding the sweet spot between challenging a student and setting the expectation so high that they become discouraged, or it's not realistic. I can relate to the teaching style of the first video the most, and PBL shown here. As a whole I see this project as a wonderful way to teach life long problem solving skills and would like to adapt this project to grade 2-3 for our next physics unit. It is clear that the expectations had been set here and the students are rising to the occasion. The thing about being a teacher is we have to have our tool box ready for any given situation at any given time. Each year the group of students we teach differs, and it is up to us to know what parameters to use to set that bar just high enough, so that they can reach it and feel the success of their hard work.