Holly D. Landez ePortfolio

The Learning Manifesto of Holly D. Landez

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My Learning Manifesto

Everyone Can Learn

I strongly believe that every student can learn if they are provided the optimum opportunities and learning conditions. Carol Dweck’s research and teachings state that because of brain plasticity, learners can grow through challenges to learn new concepts and skills (Dweck, 2016). This requires learners to have a growth mindset, be willing to expend effort and not stay discouraged when facing a setback.  If teachers blend growth mindset training and beliefs with learning experiences designed based on the UDL principles, then they are setting the stage for student success (CAST, 2018). Because the learning needs of students vary a great deal, the Universal Design for Learning principles indicate that teachers should provide flexible options for how content is presented to students, how students engage in that content and how they demonstrate their knowledge. 

Technology is a tool, not a cure

Technology is amazing, and provides limitless opportunities for students and teachers and society in general. In classrooms, the focus should be on the teaching, the learning and the experiences. The applications and hardware should be integrated with instruction to influence and support the learning. Technology can be naturally integrated if teachers and leaders are focused on creating learning experiences that are irresistibly engaging, steeped in learning, and include real-world problem solving. Micheal Fullan’s work on the 6C’s suggests that learning with technology can motivate students and have a powerful impact when it includes elements of citizenship, character, in addition to communication, critical thinking, collaboration and creativity. (Fullan, Dr. Beth Holland,  has very effectively and creatively outlined these ideas in her book and blog series in Book Creator.

Student success relies on connections

Connections and relationships across a school will provide a breeding ground for student success. This means relationships between students, teachers, parents and leaders. Teachers set the climate in the classroom, and with just a few words, they can tear down a child or build them up. If students know that their teacher believes they can achieve and wants the best for them, they will be willing to stretch themselves more and work harder. Also, a good relationship between a teacher and student can give the student room to feel comfortable to take learning risks, which will in turn build up the growth mindset in students over time. Rita Peirson says it best in her TED Talk Every Child Needs a Champion. There are so many ways that teachers can build connections with students. My top 5 tips for building connections with students are:

1. Get to know the child by starting the school year or semester with getting-to-know-you  and team building activities
2. Share stories about yourself
3. Be a listening ear when needed
4. Encourage students with growth mindset support, praising the process and urging students to aim high.
5. Reach out to parents with positive contact.

Equity and access to instruction and technology is an emerging issue in digital learning

All students deserve high-quality instruction to learn and succeed, no matter their race, gender ethnicity or socio-economic status. it is the responsibility of federal, state and school district leaders to ensure equity for all students. Equality is not the same as equity, as the image by Alonzo Maguire depicts. Some students need specialized learning opportunities, information provided in different ways or instruction tailored specific to their needs. Teachers can ensure equity by incorporating the UDL principles mentioned earlier in the book. Another key for ensuring equity is professional learning. Teachers may not even realize if they are not providing equity, and may present content in a biased manner in their classroom. The Achievement Network is an organization committed to building equity and provides resources to leaders and teachers. (Achievement Network, 2018).

In addition to equity of instruction, federal, state and district leaders must consider how access to technology can be equitable. During the school closure in the spring due to the pandemic, a lack of equity became painfully evident across our city, state, country and world. Her school district responded the following school year by issuing thousands of devices to students including laptops for high school students, iPads for middle school and Wi-Fi hotspots for those in need. Although organizations like SEDTA are working to shrink the digital divide by providing information and resources, it is clear that changes are still in order.

I am an agent of change 

As an educator, I see daily opportunities to make changes, innovations and powerful impacts. John Hattie directs in Visible Learning for Teachers that to “Know thy Impact.” If teachers are aware of the impact they have, or are not having, then they can adjust their instruction accordingly (Hattie, 2019). He demonstrates in his research that feedback is powerful. For feedback to be effective it needs to occur as students are learning and provide strategies for improvement. 

As I am no longer in the classroom, I have the opportunity to bring about change and providing learning experiences among groups such as: 

• students 
• teachers 
• Librarians
• Curriculum Specialists
• Campus Techs 

The efforts that I make and the beliefs that I share have a far reach in my school district. I take that responsibility with great care, at times being very choosy about what to share, for say or do. The most thrilling part of my job is when I can see a positive change take place. Some examples of positive change I have been driven are:

• Summer Library Stream Camp
• Blended Learning Initiative
• Digital Wellness Initiative 

Learning environments need to be inviting 

To ensure flexibility and to meet the needs of various learners there is a trend in education around flexible seating. The idea is that students shouldn’t have to sit still in rows of desks all day. They may  Need tables on casters that are shaped to be rearranged for collaboration. They may be able to sit on wobbly seats or stand up if they choose and have flexible desks that adjust the height. 

In her ISTE Blog post, Kendra Grant refers to the classroom as the third teacher. In addition to the design of the furniture and other classroom features, the teacher may also post curriculum content and learning targets on decorative bulletin boards (Grant, 2018).

Beyond the physical design of the classroom, there is the instructional and emotional culture of the classroom to consider. Teachers also should foster a positive climate in the classroom by making connections with students. The classroom needs to be a safe place to fail forward, in turn providing more opportunities for deeper learning. If teachers are designing learning experiences with the COVA approach, then the environment is absolutely inviting as students have choice, ownership, voice and authenticity with their learning. (Harapnuik, 2018).

Life-long learning is key

In order to avoid stagnancy and continue growing, professionally and personally everyone, and educators in particular, need to continue learning daily. I make it my mission to learn at least one new thing every single day.  It might be some new technical skill, news about world current events,  a new fitness strategy, or maybe a lesson about life that I have had to re-learn. Each night before bed, I add to my journal what I have learned that day. I believe we can learn something from every single person that we encounter. One of the keys to learning is listening.  Sometimes we think we may have all the answers and we forget to listen for the lesson.

One of the high points of my role is that I get to provide professional learning for teachers. Lately that learning has been a little too centered on the technical skills of specific applications because of the way this school year had to start. I also had to learn a new process for professional learning this year as we have provided mainly virtual learning. Whatever sort of training I’m providing whether it is self-paced in a learning management system, a virtual session on Zoom, a face-to-face learning session with one teacher or fifty teachers, I always try to keep in mind what will be of value to them and their students.  My hope is that I will continue to learn something new everyday of my life and that I will encourage others to do the same.

I intend to inspire everyone I encounter to recognize their strengths. 

Another joy of my job is getting to help people, whether that is in person or on the phone. Very often this help is related to a technical skill. Frequently teachers or others that I support may say, “I’m not techie,” or “I’m afraid to mess this up.” I make it my daily personal mission to try to help them understand that they are not going to mess up their document, course or computer or that perhaps they are more techie than they believe. Sometimes people just need encouragement in general. I try very hard to point out observations of their positives and strengths just in case they are not able to see them. I truly enjoy helping people and inspiring them to recognize their strengths. I am hopeful that if I model the behavior of pointing out the strengths of others, that will create a ripple effect of inspiring strength observations!

References

Achievement Network. (2018, June 13). Equity in Education. https://www.achievementnetwork.org/anetblog/eduspeak/equity-in-education.

Briscoe, J. (2009). Jill Briscoe Quote. Lib Quotes. https://libquotes.com/jill-briscoe/quote/lbb4k9s.

CAST (2018). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.2. Retrieved from http://udlguidelines.cast.org

Couros, G. (2018, October 14). [web log]. https://georgecouros.ca/blog/archives/8585.

Dweck, C. (2016). Mindset: the new psychology of success. Random House.

Fullan, M. (2020). Leading in a culture of change. Jossey-Bass, a Wiley brand.

Fullan, M. (2014, January 20). Michael Fullan: Technology, the new pedagogy and flipped teaching. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCvwtiOH0co.

Gibbs, J. (2020). A New Way of Learning and Being Together. Tribes Learning Community. https://tribes.com/.

Grant, K. (2018, August 8). Invite students to co-design their learning environment [web log].https://www.iste.org/explore/In-the-classroom/Invite-students-to-co-design-their-learning-environment.

Harapnuik, D. (2018, July 14). COVA [web log]. http://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=6991. 

Hattie, J. (2019). Visible learning for teachers: maximizing impact on learning. Routledge.

Hileman, E. (2020, January 31). Equity of Access – Leadership, Technology, Innovation, Learning. SETDA. https://www.setda.org/priorities/equity-of-access/.

Holland, B. (2017, October 17). What are the 6Cs and why are they important? [web log]. https://bookcreator.com/2017/10/what-are-the-6cs-and-why-are-they-important/.

Holland, B. (2020, September 3). Beth Holland, Author at Getting Smart. Getting Smart. https://www.gettingsmart.com/author/beth-holland/.

Holland, B. R. (2020). All Topics: Beth R. Holland. Beth R Holland. http://brholland.com/category/all-topics/.

Maguire, A. (2016). Illustrating Equality VS Equity. Interaction Institute for Social Change. https://interactioninstitute.org/illustrating-equality-vs-equity/.

Mau, B. (2010). The third teacher: 79 ways you can use design to transform teaching & learning. Abrams.

New Pedagogies for Deep Learning. (2020). Michael Fullan Time for Change 2: The 6Cs. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62gjrNlFNEA. 

NPR. (2013, April 29). What Role Do Relationships Play In Learning? TED Radio Hour. episode.https://www.npr.org/2013/06/21/179822992/what-role-do-relationships-play-in-learning

Pierson, R. (2013, May). Every kid needs a champion. TED. https://www.ted.com/talks/rita_pierson_every_kid_needs_a_champion.

Special Parent Information Network, . (2015). SPIN Newsletters. SPIN Hawaii. https://spinhawaii.org/newsletter-download/.

Zenger, J. (2015). Nine Behaviors That Drive Innovation. https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackzenger/2015/05/14/9-behaviors-that-drive-innovation. 

Impact of Mindset

Stanford researcher Dr. Carol Dweck has made it her life’s work to learn about what motivates and drives people to learn, regardless of their natural abilities or talents. In her book Mindset: The new psychology of success, she explains that the growth mindset is the belief that everyone can learn, change and grow if they make efforts, seek help and develop strategies (Dweck, 2017). Mindset compares both fixed and growth mindsets on a journey through the triumphant successes and emotional failures of students, athletes, business leaders and families. Mindset can determine how we will respond to challenges, obstacles and criticism in every area or our lives. (Holmes, 2017)

Dweck’s research, book and TED talks have created a growth mindset movement that has had a profound impact on the world of education. This is evident by the abundance of available resources for teachers and parents on the topic. This plan and slideshow will highlight some of these resources for helping students of all levels succeed. 

Mindsets affect the way students view themselves, their abilities and drive to overcome failure or difficulty. Having a fixed mindset can limit students in their willingness to stretch beyond their comfort level to learn and achieve. Conversely, having a growth mindset can lead students to bravely try new skills (Lenz, 2015).

Power of Yet

If students are aware of their mindset, and about how they are thinking and feeling when they come to a topic or task that is challenging, they can stop and make a choice. When students have been exposed to the power of yet, the notion that it is acceptable not to get something right the first time, they can approach that task with positivity and grit (Lisa, 2020). Mindset and the willingness to not get something right the first time, and to be coachable or to accept feedback is not static (Brock & Hundley, 2020). It is a practice that must be developed over time.

4 Step Process to Change your Mindset

Scott Jeffrey shared Carol Dweck’s four step process to changing from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. This process involves being aware of your thoughts, taking a pause from the emotion of the difficulty and making a conscious decision to change the thought pattern. The final, most important step is to take the growth mindset action. In order to effectively instill this process into students, teachers, parents and leaders must first be able to internalize and act on the process. (Ferlazzo, 2015)

Essentially, a culture supportive of allowing students to try and fail, then try and succeed is what will allow students to flourish. Students are going to learn from everyone that they encounter. That learning can be positive, neutral or negative. If everyone in the school community is focused on positively supporting students while challenging them and praising the process, then students will succeed.

Plan Outline

1. Adults in all roles should understand the impact of having and sharing a growth mindset. (Ackerman, 2020) This can be established by providing training and support. Mindsetkit is an excellent free resource for self-paced training for all roles.
2. Students should be introduced to these concepts with formal lessons Formal lessons can come from resources such as: 
   • Class Dojo
   • Khan Academy
   • Nearpod
   • Learner Lab
   • Other materials created by teachers 

3. Students should be reminded frequently (at LEAST weekly) to consider their mindset. This can take the form of:
   • Encouragement and thoughtful praise & coaching
   • Journaling
   • SMART Goal setting
   • Visual reminders such as classroom posters

Personal Impact and Approach

Learning about growth mindset has already impacted my approach to the Digital Learning and Leading program. In the few weeks that I have been enrolled at Lamar University, I have worked harder than I would have imagined that I was capable of. The bar is set high. However, because this is something I want very much to achieve, the effort seems reasonable. Also, I am changing perspective on some things that I previously believed. I have a broader view of my capabilities and strengths and how they can be utilized for success. I do not always have a growth mindset, but do have the skill of reframing my thinking to take a new approach. My aim is to share that skill and others with the people I encounter for positive learning, whether they are classmates, colleagues, students or others.

Ackerman, C. E. (2020, October 12). Growth Mindset vs. Fixed + Key Takeaways From Dweck’s Book. PositivePsychology.com. https://positivepsychology.com/growth-mindset-vs-fixed-mindset/.

Brock, A., & Hundley, H. (2020). The growth mindset classroom-ready resource book: a teacher’s toolkit for encouraging grit and resilience in all students. Ulysses Press.

Brown Brené. (2019). Dare to lead: brave work, tough conversations, whole hearts. Random House Large Print Publishing.

Carlson, M. (2017, December). The Magic Word That Every Parent Needs to Embrace [web log]. https://afineparent.com/positive-parenting-faq/the-power-of-yet.html.

ClassDojo, M. (2020). Class Dojo Big Ideas – Videos and activities to help students learn the power of positive thinking. Classdojo Big Ideas. https://ideas.classdojo.com/.

ClickView. (2019). Developing a Growth Mindset. https://youtu.be/rUJkbWNnNy4.

Dweck, C. (2016). Mindset: the new psychology of success. Random House.

Dweck, C. (2017). Decades of Scientific Research that Started a Growth Mindset Revolution. The Growth Mindset – What is Growth Mindset – Mindset Works. https://www.mindsetworks.com/Science/Default.

Dweck, C. (2020, April 2). Carol Dweck Revisits the ‘Growth Mindset’. Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/09/23/carol-dweck-revisits-the-growth-mindset.html.

Eidens, A. (2020). All. Big Life Journal. https://biglifejournal.com/collections/all.

Ferlazzo, L. (2020, July 6). Search Results for: mindset. Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… https://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/?s=mindset.

Garcia, E. (2017, April 20). Power of Growth Mindset Plan. Learning With Garcia. http://learningwithgarcia.weebly.com/blog/power-of-growth-mindset-plan.

Goldstein, M. (2020, April 9). The Mindset Scholars Network. Mindset Scholars Network. https://mindsetscholarsnetwork.org/.

Holmes, N. (2017). The Impact of a Growth Mindset. Science Impact. https://www.mindsetworks.com/science/Impact.

Jeffrey, S. (2020, June 23). Change Your Fixed Mindset into a Growth Mindset [Complete Guide]. Scott Jeffrey. https://scottjeffrey.com/change-your-fixed-mindset/.

Kardamis, L. (2020). Teach 4 the Heart. https://teach4theheart.com/.

Khan Academy. (2018). LearnStorm: Growth Mindset: How to Write a Smart Goal. YouTube. https://youtu.be/U4IU-y9-J8Q.

Lenz, B. (2015, April 8). Failure Is Essential to Learning. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/failure-essential-learning-bob-lenz.

Lisa. (2020, May 17). ‘The Power of Yet’. Grow Kids Minds. https://growkidsminds.com/gkm011-the-power-of-yet/.

Lubow, J. (2016, January 6). 5 Ways Instructional Leaders Can Foster Growth Mindset in Teachers. https://blog.teachboost.com/5-ways-instructional-leaders-can-support-growth-mindset-in-teachers.

Nielsen, L. B. (2020). Group of People Playing Soccer. Unsplash. https://unsplash.com/photos/zXn5qinCDKg?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditShareLink.