How can we shift a mindset?
“Is this for a grade?”. I often hear those words from my students. How do we shift our students’ mindset into owning their learning? I believe it’s through the use of COVA model. Some of my students have begun creating online portfolios as a way to leave their mark. They are quite curious and excited to work on their sites; however, they are a little unsure of the freedom to choose their learning paths. Students need to “acquire technical skills for their digital lives but also engage in work that provides richly teachable moments” (Watters). Creating eportfolios with my students has provided many teachable moments in class. For example, one of my students asked if she could create a screencast that would teach others how to login into Classlink. As a result, we began to explore screen cast extensions. She researched a few extensions and chose the one she was most comfortable with. It’s amazing to witness a nine-year-old narrate a video with step by step directions that will help others login. Another group created a tutorial video explaining what symmetry is. They asked for directions but I instructed them to choose the method that worked for them. Who owns the eportfolio? These students are creating and producing online productions using high, level learning skills that they can take with them outside the classroom. I believe my students own their eportfolio because they are becoming “effective architects, narrators, curators, and inhabitants of their own learning” (Harapnik). My students are taking ownership of their learning because I have given them the opportunity to make it meaningful to them. According to Dwayne Harapnuik, “making meaningful connections is what leads to learning.” This brings me back to the question, how can we shift a mindset? It is really the students that need to shift their mindset about owning their learning or do educators need to shift their mindsets on how students learn?
Harapnuik, D. (n.d.). It's all about learning. Retrieved October 22, 2017, from http://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=6050
Watters, A. (2015, July 15). The Web We Need To Give Students. Retrieved October 22, 2017, from https://brightreads.com/the-web-we-need-to-give-students-311d97713713
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