In looking at the elements of Challenge Based Learning, it connects in a variety of ways with the strategies in Culturally Responsive Teaching outlined by Zaretta Hammond. When Hammond talks about building intellective capacity through rigorous, higher order challenges, it is precisely what we saw in the video Resilience from Adam Brice. The students were asked to create and problem solve but clearly with the support of teachers and peers. The whole school seemed to be involved in the challenge project with systems and resources in place to help students be successful but also allowing them to exercise choice and independence. I really liked the statement in the CBL guide that “Everyone is a Learner: teachers are learners and learners are teachers.” This reminds me of the way Hammond emphasizes learning partnerships and the balance between care and push. You could see through the teacher and student comments in the video that students were developing self-efficacy along with skills in collaboration and communication, etc. My favorite line was the student that said the project, “makes me feel like a better person.”
Similar to what Dan Pink describes, the students are motivated by something bigger than themselves that makes them feel empowered and capable of affecting change. It isn’t enough to challenge students with rigorous tasks, it needs to be something that matters to them either because it is relevant to their life or significant to something they care about. At our school right now, we happen to be in the middle of our 5th grade Exhibition and I’m watching this very thing take place as I do every year, when students develop their own action project based on a need they see in the world. Our overarching central idea for our whole team this year is human well-being and students are working in small groups to research and take action about a topic of their choosing. It is so inspiring to see students learn about things like mental health, the dangers of addiction, equity, homelessness, and so forth and then make a plan to take action. Even during Covid, they are finding ways to build awareness and advocate for what they believe in even if they can’t serve or act directly.
One of the unexpected aspects of my current research is that while I’m identifying student responses that show agentive thinking or actions, I’m also noticing a trend in what is motivating students the most. I’m asking them questions about when they feel successful as a learner, how they know, and what choices they are making for themselves. Although students talk about many aspects of their learning, when they begin to describe their work in their units of inquiry they just light up! Their whole body language changes and I can see and hear the excitement that comes from the opportunities they have to explore, question, discover, etc. Of course, we design these units with themes that we hope are meaningful to our students and they are planned to specifically invite inquiry and active learning. But it is revealing to see that whether they realize it or not, they are demonstrating exactly what Dan Pink was talking about. They like having a purpose to their learning. They like to feel that they can use their knowledge and skills to make things better. Whether it’s protecting the environment for animal habitats, or understanding migration in order to create a more peaceful community, they want to feel that they are in service of something that goes beyond the “walls” of the classroom.
Similar to what Dan Pink describes, the students are motivated by something bigger than themselves that makes them feel empowered and capable of affecting change. It isn’t enough to challenge students with rigorous tasks, it needs to be something that matters to them either because it is relevant to their life or significant to something they care about. At our school right now, we happen to be in the middle of our 5th grade Exhibition and I’m watching this very thing take place as I do every year, when students develop their own action project based on a need they see in the world. Our overarching central idea for our whole team this year is human well-being and students are working in small groups to research and take action about a topic of their choosing. It is so inspiring to see students learn about things like mental health, the dangers of addiction, equity, homelessness, and so forth and then make a plan to take action. Even during Covid, they are finding ways to build awareness and advocate for what they believe in even if they can’t serve or act directly.
One of the unexpected aspects of my current research is that while I’m identifying student responses that show agentive thinking or actions, I’m also noticing a trend in what is motivating students the most. I’m asking them questions about when they feel successful as a learner, how they know, and what choices they are making for themselves. Although students talk about many aspects of their learning, when they begin to describe their work in their units of inquiry they just light up! Their whole body language changes and I can see and hear the excitement that comes from the opportunities they have to explore, question, discover, etc. Of course, we design these units with themes that we hope are meaningful to our students and they are planned to specifically invite inquiry and active learning. But it is revealing to see that whether they realize it or not, they are demonstrating exactly what Dan Pink was talking about. They like having a purpose to their learning. They like to feel that they can use their knowledge and skills to make things better. Whether it’s protecting the environment for animal habitats, or understanding migration in order to create a more peaceful community, they want to feel that they are in service of something that goes beyond the “walls” of the classroom.