Teaching math to high school students brings many challenges. I have genuinely advanced students working five steps ahead of me at all times. I see students who absorb every word I say and every example I do, waiting to regurgitate it back to me at any moment. I teach students with such negative views of math that I have to find ways to give them a fresh start every day. My ultimate goal is to teach all my students how to learn math, approach a problem, and feel successful even if they do not find a correct answer. I am fortunate to teach students who want to be in school, for the most part. Behavior, in the traditional sense, is never an issue. When students are in class, they work together, discuss problems, and focus on the task. I worry about what happens when they leave my classroom and how to have them continue those behaviors when I am not watching.
Most of my students are 11th and 12th graders, and by the time they get to my class, they have created study habits for themselves. What I want them to be able to do is decide if those study habits (I’m going to call them behaviors moving forward) are creating their desired outcome. They learned these behaviors over time and through practice. What if they are not the best for the student? Those kids have no idea, and I would love for them to see that they could “unlearn or relearn” (Orey, 2001) their behaviors.
I could create a Google Form that students would fill out each day at the beginning of class. I would ask them simple questions about how many homework problems they completed the night before, how many they finished, how many were correct, and how many they did not know how to do. Once a week, I could provide an “effort rubric” (Pitler, Hubbell, & Kuhn, 2012) for students to reflect on how they approach math class and their attitude toward practicing math. The Google Form collects data into a spreadsheet and provides a private way for students to answer questions. After a quiz, I would compile the data for the students and show them their results at once. We would continue this process with the hopes of students seeing progress, or lack thereof, and connecting their practice outside of class with their achievement in the classroom.
As I collect data with the students, I will be able to provide instruction to help my students achieve their goals. (ISTE, 2016) I can guide students on how to make changes to find success, reminding them that improvement is always possible. (Campbell, Craig, & Collier-Reed, 2020) A tangible record of time, effort, and achievement will help hold students accountable. When students see how their action impacts achievement, they can set learning goals and have ways for technology to guide their work. (ISTE, 2007)
As students become accustomed to using a digital log, they will use a similar record for the goals in their genius hour project. Students will share this document with me in the Google Suite, and I will provide immediate feedback and encouragement. When students see their work is noticed and reinforced, they will know that what they do makes a difference. (Yussif, 2022) The underlying goal of the genius project is for students to feel motivated to work on a project because it interests them. A little positive reinforcement to help spark motivation (Western Governors University, 2021) can fill in gaps when students struggle.
Students want to do well in school, do the right thing, and be appreciated by people around them. While the behaviorist learning theory cannot be the only learning theory used in the classroom, it has a place. Behaviorism can help students develop a growth mindset when used to promote student achievement, opening them up to more experiences and success.
References
International Society for Technology in Education. (2016). ISTE standards for teachers. http://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards/standards-for- teachers
Orey, M. (Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. http://textbookequity.org/Textbooks/Orey_Emergin_Perspectiv es_Learning.pdf
International Society for Technology in Education. (2007). ISTE standards for students. http://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards/standards-for-students
Yussif. (2022, October 10). Behaviorism learning theory in the classroom. Classroom Management Expert. Retrieved November 15, 2022, from https://classroommanagementexpert.com/blog/behaviorism-learning-theory-in-the- classroom/
Western Governors University. (2021, March 23). What is the behavioral learning theory? Western Governors University. Retrieved November 15, 2022, from https://www.wgu.edu/blog/what-behavioral-learning-theory2005.html#close
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E. R., & Kuhn, M. (2012). Using technology with classroom instruction that works (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Good use of Google Forms to support your goal.
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