Let Flexibility Lead To Alignment

 

In my previous school district, I was the only teacher teaching a physics course with set, district-wide learning outcomes. These same outcomes were also taught in physics classrooms at the other high school in our district. But at our school, I was one of the 2 physics teachers. The other teacher taught the AP-level physics courses. So, in many ways, I had opportunities to incorporate strategies I believed were best for learners and that I found worked best for them without being seen as out of alignment with anyone in our building. My amazing friend and one of my teaching philosophy goddesses, Katie Novak, stated the following misconception about alignment: All teachers must deliver instruction in the exact same way. True alignment, she says, is about shared goals, rigor, and outcomes. Thank you, Katie! Katie has taught me to truly believe that learner variability is the rule, not the exception. I encourage you to take 10 minutes to listen to Katie Novak explain it in the podcast below. Honestly, if you only have 10 minutes, listen to the podcast rather than reading my ramblings.

I have used this analogy way too many times, but it has become increasingly relevant to my life as my needs have changed. That is using an app to plan a trip to a destination. Just open up any trip software, and it’ll ask you for your destination. So we really need to start with the outcome before we decide on how we are going to get there. Then you can start thinking about other inputs, such as your starting point, the mode of transportation you are taking, and any locations you need to avoid. As Katie translates this to the classroom using Universal Design for Learning (UDL), it is all about firm learner outcomes but flexible means. Katie points out that a great first step is allowing multiple means of access to the curriculum, including supports. What are these supports? Graphic organizers are a wonderful way to have learners translate notes into something more visual and connect ideas, terms, and concepts. Importantly, making these supports available to ALL learners who can benefit from them to reach the learning outcome, not just those with specific learning plans. And for those who choose to use the graphic organizer but are still struggling, providing a word bank can offer an additional layer of support. Another great point Katie makes is that, when looking at outcomes, “Exploding the Verb” is among them. This deals with multiple means of engagement. Just like on a trip to the store, “travel” may look different for different people. I have some very fond memories of riding my yellow Schwinn bike with the banana seat, but other people got to the same place using different means, like a cool Camaro. But the destination was the same. So, when a teacher requires all students to read 10 pages in a textbook, is it because the goal is literacy, or because of the information those pages convey? If it is gaining the information, the verb in the outcome needs to reflect that. This way, students can use the best path to reach that outcome. Yes, it may look nice to see a class of students reading silently from a text. BUT are they all effectively working towards the intended outcome/destination? Is the destination just getting from page 140 to page 150, answering the 3 discussion questions silently, and turning them in? So, what are the different ways students can complete the task that best suit their learning style? We don’t have to recreate the wheel here. What can reading look like? Students can still read alone. But some may choose to work with a partner or in a small group. In addition to the reading, students could work with their partners to answer the questions on paper or digitally. In addition, incorporating sentence starters for those who choose them. What I love about this is that it allows the teacher to be mobile and hear what the students are thinking before a single document is turned in. In my classroom, seeing learning happen in different ways is where the fun really happens. It is bliss when students draw on what they know about themselves as learners and incorporate it into the process of reaching their destination. Sadly, we may not have enough time at the high school level to give them the freedom to experiment with different ways of engaging with information in our one classroom. This is where a single teacher can introduce a variety of note-taking strategies, have them try different modes, and see which style best fits their learning. It could be Cornell Notes for a while, then switching to other modes, dual coding, notecards, maybe even sketchnoting, to see how many different ways of engaging with information there are, and more importantly, which is best for them? In the past, when I used Google Slides, I would print multiple copies of the same slides for students who wanted them. Blank slides with headers, just the headers. This allows for more freedom, but still some structure for those who need it The slides with partially completed notes. Slides with fully completed notes. Students eventually found which method worked best for them. Just realize that you are serving the learners, and the students are learning about themselves in the process. It was also fun to see which pile was used the most. In my classes, I was shocked to see that it was NOT the one with fully completed notes that kept them most engaged. OK, super tangent but very relevant. I love post-its on whiteboards for students to share ideas about what works for them in terms of access and engagement, overall or in a particular unit. Giving learners time to write on the post-it, NO NAMES, and put it up. That way, you may get that moment where, as a teacher, you hear a student say, “Wait, I can do that, and it is allowed?” And you sneak and say, “Yeah! Try it out next unit.” But as a teacher, I like to include a section titled “This Doesn’t Work For Me”. That way, I see and showcase the variability not just in what works, but also remind myself that what might work for one student doesn’t work for another. Beyond Post-it notes, you could have students complete a short Google Form. That provides a great visualization for the class and backup for your strategies to fellow colleagues and administrators. It reinforces the FACT that Katie says, “Learner variability is the rule, not the exception.”