Dwight-Englewood School Physical Computing... Independent Day School Grades PK-12, Coed Bergen County, NJ Enrollment: 940 Physical Computing... Year-long elective course offered to 7th and 8th graders. (Separate sections) Section Size: 17 Students Students are provided with recyclables, crafting materials, and electronic tools. Students design and construct inventions to solve problems.

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Why does student-centered learning fail so often?

What Killed MST? Mandatory for All Not Relevant to All Tools Too Hard for Many -------------------------- Upper School Class Graded Class

Paradoxes of Student Centered Learning: Too much autonomy, and students spin their wheels. Not enough, and they lose interest. The "chicken and egg" problem of autonomy and knowledge. We often kill what we try to measure

So Let’s talk about what motivates... Daniel Pink: Autonomy Competence Relevance And also… Relatedness

You can’t incentivize Grit & Creativity & Self-Sufficiency… ...but you can create environments where they thrive.

Q. How can we cultivate these things in a classroom? Differentiation and Formative assessment Q. What might This look like in a class? A modified reading / writing workshop program

Key Elements of the Teacher’s College Workshop Model Kids don’t read the same book. They read books that are “just-right.” for their reading level AND their interest. (Autonomy and Competence) Teachers guide students in book selection by TALKING to them. (a lot) Teachers deliver key information that the whole class needs in the form of mini-lessons. (no more than 10 minutes) Focus is on strategies for success and habits of mind not on a particular text. *Source: Robb, Laura, Teaching Reading in Middle School, Scholastic, 2010

Autonomy Students are free to select their own challenges. Students are responsible for finding their own unique solutions for the problems they create. We must teach students to become autonomous learners.

Competence Provide a ramp for students to learn a new tool. Give time for students to experiment. New tools black-box a lot of complexity allowing students to focus on building and inventing.

Relevance Projects must intersect with student’s interests. Make the experience authentic, not an academic exercise. The content doesn’t drive the course… the students do.

“Borrowed” Assessment Tool from Reading Workshop...

What did we learn? Kids provide the creativity; we provide the structure. Get to know each student individually. You can never have too many materials. Keep a flexible schedule. 45 minutes really isn’t enough time.

Three Thoughts for Closing Don’t be afraid to experiment. If it is not meaningful for the kid, it’s not meaningful, PERIOD. We now have the tools to empower kids to imagine something into existence.