Ages and Stages: My Relationship with Research

Ages and Stages 

A former principal (and mentor) of mine always helped put things into perspective using those three words - ages and stages.  How you see the world, what you’re ready to take on, your opinions and attitudes will shift based on your age and your stage.  What she meant was that we all travel through stages of life and it directly reflects how we interact with the world through the lenses of experience we wear.  The lens from which I saw the abundance of data and research in this assignment is directly based on my current age and stage; that of an instructional (tech) coach who consistently encourages teachers to continue to explore tech use in the classroom and that of a parent of two younger elementary children.  

Image Source: Third Space Learning

My Coach Hat

As the only instructional coach in my building, I also wear the hat of tech coach, kind of by choice, because I enjoy it.  From that lens, Project Tomorrow published multiple reports that connected directly to our current building initiative that I’m helping lead, student centered learning.  The 2023 report of Student Experience using Tech in Learning was of particular interest as the students reported wanting exactly what the concepts of a student centered classroom provides.  

The majority of students never responded that: they enjoy being told what to do or what to work on, to have no choice in their learning, or to complete their work for their teacher rather than a real-world audience.  Instead, the report notes that students say that their best learning is: social, collaborative, has an authentic context, choice driven, provides agency, and 65% of respondents understand that it helps them develop their creative skills.  They understand that 21st century opportunities for them require them to be creators of content, not just consumers.  53% want games to be part of their education as that is how they experience so much of their world.  They see the jobs their older siblings are getting as social media designer, video game programmer, design project manager, etc, and they aren’t the jobs of their parents or grandparents. As Common Sense Media notes, with no surprise, screen use is up 17% from 2019-2021 and it will only continue to become a larger part of the “classroom” and the workplace.  Students see this too.  They know what skills the world is asking of them, maybe even more than some of their teachers who only know the classroom, which progresses at a snail’s pace compared to the private sector. 

In good news, the report goes on to say that teachers are executing this technology in ways that support this 21st century learning with 60% using this for collaboration, and 59% using it to build project based experiences, and almost 50% teaching programming.  It’s invigorating! 

In my experience, if teachers can agree on one source of data as truth, it’s the students, so this report was encouraging for our school improvement plan this year. 

Note: Many student centered learning principles are similar to the skills needed in today’s work place. I have a hard time seeing that as coincidence.

Image Source: LinkedIn

Image Source

  

My Parent Hat

I’d be remiss if I didn’t see these reports through the lens of my most important two students, my two boys, as I’ve never know parenting without the tech of today.  I’m particularly fascinated with the PEW research that states that 71% of parents are concerned about the amount of screen time their kids have, but 84% are confident they know how much is appropriate.  Those numbers are… funny.  If 84% know what’s good for kids, why are 71% concerned there is too much.  It’s either because parents know they’ve gone over the limit with their kids and don’t now how to stop it, or they choose to because they need to and it’s easier.  I fall into both of those categories as a parent.  I’m grateful for the research though because it helps me feel like I’m not alone and that if people know it’s an issue, then hopefully things are being done to counter it.  Hopefully. 

In the meantime, I’m particularly grateful for outlets like Common Sense Media for providing grounding tips and encouragement to help manage it. 

Image Source: Common Sense Media

 

Research Matters! (ish)

It’s crucial in my role to present data and research to teachers when we try to introduce new ideas, strategies, and ideas.  On the flip side, they’ve been beaten over the head with the phrase “best practice” and have all lived through the current media and political cycles in which misinformation has started an all-out war with  “facts” and “data.” It’s becoming easier and easier in today’s world to bend stats or find (or create) a “research study” that proves exactly the opposite of anything.  What teachers can hang their hats on are their experiences.  No one can take away from them what they see happening in front of their own eyes and whether or not it’s effective.  The key to fostering buy-in is building the relationship before delivering the facts. If they trust you, they’ll dig in.  Whether it’s their instructional coach providing it… or their dad.