Reclaiming Your Agency Through Reflection

The pace of a school day is relentless. Between managing classroom dynamics and navigating administrative demands, educators often find themselves in a state of constant motion. It is easy to confuse this high level of activity with professional progress. However, true expertise is not a byproduct of time spent in a classroom or building but rather the result of intentional, systematic reflection. I recently went into great detail on this topic on my podcast Unpacking the Backpack. For both teachers and leaders, moving beyond a state of survival requires a commitment to looking in the mirror and interrogating the choices made within the school day.

The Science of Professional Growth

John Dewey famously argued that we do not learn from experience alone; we learn from reflecting on that experience. In the decades since, research has consistently validated this claim. Reflection serves as the cognitive bridge that connects raw experience to the development of sophisticated mental models. Without this process, educators risk repeating the same foundational mistakes year after year.

A critical distinction in this field is the difference between generic thinking and structured reflection. Research suggests that when educators engage in formal reflective practices, they develop greater self-efficacy. This sense of agency is vital for long-term career satisfaction and effectiveness. According to Akbari (2007), the quality of an educator’s reflection directly correlates with their ability to manage complex classroom environments and respond to student needs with greater precision.

The Psychological Barriers to Honesty

If reflection is the engine of growth, why is it so often the first task discarded during a busy week? The answer lies in the psychological discomfort of self-assessment. To reflect honestly is to admit that a lesson failed, a policy was flawed, or a coaching conversation was handled poorly. This vulnerability can feel like a threat to one’s professional authority.

Educators often fall into the trap of rumination rather than reflection. Rumination is a repetitive, emotionally driven cycle of self-blame that leads to burnout. Conversely, productive reflection is an analytical process that focuses on actionable change. Beauchamp (2015) notes that while reflection is essential for identity formation, it requires a structured approach to prevent it from becoming an overwhelming source of stress. When educators have clear frameworks for their thinking, they can move from emotional distress to strategic planning.

Specific Frameworks for Meaningful Change

To be effective, reflection must be systematic. One of the most durable models for this is the "What? So What? Now What?" framework. In this process, the practitioner first describes the event objectively. They then analyze why the event matters and what it reveals about their current practice. Finally, they determine the specific, actionable steps required for the next interaction. This approach forces the educator to move from mere description to deep analysis.

Another vital tool is the Gibbs Reflective Cycle. This model is particularly effective for managing the emotional weight of school leadership or classroom management. It prompts the educator to move through six distinct stages: description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion, and a final action plan. By explicitly acknowledging the "feelings" stage, educators can prevent their initial emotional reactions from clouding their professional judgment.

Research has shown that reflection is most powerful when it involves these structured external tools. For example, video-based reflection allows teachers to see their practice without the bias of their own memory. Triantafyllaki (2010) highlights that peer-based reflection or collaborative inquiry groups can significantly enhance educators' professional identity. By sharing their reflections with a trusted colleague, leaders and teachers can uncover blind spots that they might have missed while working in isolation.

A Foundational Requirement for Personalization

Beyond personal growth, reflection is a foundational requirement for meeting the diverse needs of every learner and staff member. Every educator brings a set of internal assumptions and prior experiences into the building. Without a consistent reflective habit, these individual perspectives can inadvertently dictate how discipline is handled, how resources are allocated, and how individual potential is perceived. Reflection is the primary mechanism for moving away from one-size-fits-all models toward a more personalized approach, which Nicki Slaugh and I discussed in great detail in Personalize.

This process allows a leader to ask critical questions about which team members are being empowered in decision-making and whether all perspectives are being considered. Similarly, teachers can use reflection to analyze their interaction patterns and ensure they provide the necessary support for students with varying learning preferences and backgrounds. Choy (2012) emphasizes that the reflective process is a key component of transformative learning. This is particularly true when educators use it to challenge their own existing viewpoints and adapt their strategies to serve a globalized student body. In this sense, reflection is not just a tool for efficiency; it is the cornerstone of a culture where every individual is seen, heard, and supported.

Reclaiming Your Agency

The weight of education in today’s disruptive world is heavy. It is filled with students' needs, the community's expectations, and the district's data points. However, the most important tool you carry is your own ability to stop and think. By carving out five minutes at the end of a day to analyze one interaction using a formal or informal model, you reclaim your power as a designer of learning environments. Growth is not a linear path of perfection. It is a messy, iterative cycle of trying, reflecting, and pivoting. When you make reflection a non-negotiable part of your practice, you ensure that your experience translates into true expertise.

Akbari, R. (2007). Reflections on reflection: A critical appraisal of reflective practice in L2 teacher education. System, 35(2), 192–207.

Beauchamp, C. (2015). Reflection in teacher education: Issues emerging from a review of current literature. Reflective Practice, 16(1), 123–141.

Choy, S. C. (2012). Transformative learning in the workplace: A study of the roles of reflection in the professional development of teachers. Journal of Education and Learning, 1(1), 121–132.

Triantafyllaki, A. (2010). Professional identity and the music teacher: Personal knowledge and the artifacts of practice. Action, Criticism, and Theory for Music Education, 9(2), 71–103.

#EDvice: Practical Strategies in 90 Seconds or Less

I never saw myself as a writer until I started blogging back in March 2010. It all began with goal setting for the Google Teacher Academy for Administrators, and I haven’t looked back. Consistency has been vital for me, as I have published a post every week since. Therein lies the dilemma I am currently facing. The struggle is real in my case when it comes to finding new topics to blog about or adding an innovative spin to already-prevalent concepts. I find myself spending an immense amount of time just to churn out 500 words. Upon reflection, this might be one sign to change things up a bit. The time has come for me to challenge my personal status quo. 

In a world where multimedia content is virtually at everyone’s fingertips, written content that dives into concepts and strategies might not have the same impact as it once did. Attention spans are not what they used to be, and this is something we all need to be cognizant of when sharing ideas. In the digital age, brevity is virtue when it comes to processing and implementing strategies. Upon further reflection—and so I can grow—I decided to dedicate more time to developing short video clips in lieu of blogging each week. I will not stop writing regularly because I still see immense value in the process, but I plan to change my routine and shift to a bi-weekly schedule. Every other week I will share a simple, practical strategy that educators can use right away *in 90 seconds or less* called #EDvice. 

Leveraging my current experiences in classrooms, schools, and districts working with educators, my plan is to articulate one strategy from the following three-step perspective:

• Why is this strategy important?
• How can it be readily implemented?
• What could it look like in practice?

For my first clip, I decided to share some advice on developing choice boards. (Special thanks to Dan MacCracken, another ICLE colleague, who edited and tweaked my raw video.)  During a recent coaching visit with Quest Academy Junior High School, l I observed teachers readily implementing strategies that we’d collaborated on over the course of the year. Hats off to Principal Nicki Slaugh for following through on the feedback I provide after each visit. The video below shares a practical strategy educators can use when developing effective choice boards:

While I’d dabbled in video content in the past, I believe that returning to this medium now is coming at the right time for me—and hopefully, it is for you, too. Ultimately, I want to expand the opportunities for us to connect around our daily, meaningful work and amplify conversations between educators to elevate our practice one behavior at a time. On that note, I invite you to send me your own ideas, questions, and wonderings for #EDvice—what’s on your mind? I look forward to hearing from you—thanks, as always.

Leading Through Windows and Mirrors

There is no shortage of ways to reflect on how we lead in an effort to initiate and sustain change. Culture is everything. Establishing and maintaining relationships is paramount, which Is why I detailed research-based ways to improve morale in a previous post and in Digital Leadership. Another way to help ensure success in this area is to hold ourselves accountable through a self-efficacy lens. Windows and mirrors can be incredible metaphors when it comes to effective leadership.   The essence of leaders who embrace this concept is crediting others for success and taking responsibility when things don’t go right. If mistakes occur, and they will, they are of the belief that it is their fault. Such leaders believe it is their fault if mishaps happen on their watch. We can refer to this as leading with a mirror in hand and looking out the window to see what matters most. 

In Good to Great, Jim Collins shares the following:

Great leaders look out the window to apportion credit to factors outside themselves when things go well (and if they cannot find a specific person or event to give credit to, they credit good luck). At the same time, they look in the mirror to apportion responsibility, never blaming bad luck when things go poorly.

 Windows and mirrors can be powerful leadership tools.

 As you reflect on your practice, consider the following:

• Do my actions inspire change?
• Do I lift others up?
• Am I open to feedback?
• Do I seek opportunities to grow?
• Do I seek the input of others when making certain decisions?

Peer through a window and see who is most responsible for implementing and leading change that results in improved outcomes. The collective is bigger and more influential than one person. Be proactive when it comes to eliciting praise so that proper credit is given to those who are playing their part to ensure success for the system. It is essential to understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses and give credit accordingly where success is achieved (Brock et al., 2017). In the end, this will pay dividends not only for overall morale but also for your reputation as a leader. 

When something doesn’t go right or as planned, take a look in the mirror to own the outcome. Trust erodes when others are blamed publicly. Research has found that people are reluctant to admit they have failed because of a general desire to avoid negative social evaluation and disapproval from others (Leary, 2007). The buck stops with the leader, plain and simple. Without trust, there is no relationship. Without relationships, no real, meaningful change will occur. If the leadership team or staff falters, look in the mirror and reflect on what you, as the leader, could have done differently. Then pick your people up and begin anew. If an individual(s) is the cause of a problem, speak with them directly behind closed doors to rectify the issue. 

Leading through windows and mirrors can develop more humility and empathy, which will serve you well as you strive to support your staff. Both of these attributes are integral in developing relationships that underpin culture and are also necessary for leading change.  

Brock, S.E., McAliney, P.J., Ma, C.H. and Sen, A. (2017), "Toward more practical measurement of teamwork skills", Journal of Workplace Learning, 29 (2): 124-133.

Leary, M.R. (2007).  Motivational and emotional aspects of the self. Annual Review of Psychology. 58(1):317–344.

Outlier Practices Make or Break the Learning Experience

We learn, and remember for that matter, from experience.  Thus, it is critical that the culture in your classroom and school positively impacts learners while adequately preparing them for their future, not our past.  I shared the following in Chapter 7 of Disruptive Thinking in Our Classrooms:

Almost all of us have heard the phrase, “Experience is the best teacher.” Growing up, I heard it a great deal. At the time, I didn’t appre¬ciate it or fully understand its meaning, but now I wholeheartedly con¬cur. Of course, there are some experiences I wish I could have avoided that resulted in negative outcomes, but they are still a significant com¬ponent of my story. The driving force behind the decisions we make is the innate beliefs we have about ourselves. Our experiences, positive and negative, shape who we are. They become an integral part of us and create our story.

Think about why you went into the field of education.  For many of us, the answer lies in the relationships that were forged by amazing teachers, administrators, coaches, custodians, bus drivers, or other support staff.  It was the experience that each provided that helped shape us into who we are today.  For me, there were several standout teachers that impacted me in ways that I am forever grateful for. Here is what I shared in Disrutive Thinking:

These teachers—and a handful of others throughout my own K-12 educational journey—engaged in practices that were memorable and perhaps even outside the norm. They did not focus on grades and homework; instead, they focused on learning and creating experiences designed to enhance students’ learning and push our thinking. In many ways, they were “outlier” educators who engaged in “outlier” practices which resulted in outside-the-box thinking and learning on the part of the students with whom they interacted. Pockets of excellence such as these examples are no longer good enough.

Many practices in education can fall into the outlier category. For the intents of this post, I want to focus on those that are either overused, underused, or ineffective, and that can either make or break a student’s experience.  They are as follows:

• Grades
• Zeros
• Homework
• Feedback
• Reflection 

Grades

Numbers and letters are synonymous with education. While I am not opposed to grades, I do feel that they often lack true clarity in terms of what a student has learned but are still an overused element in a traditional classroom.  The key is to make them as meaningful as possible through the use of multiple means of assessment, including rubrics and scaffolded tasks aligned to relevant application.  Assigning arbitrary points for participation and behavior as a part of scoring guides or on research papers should be avoided. These do not reflect what has been learned.  

Zeros

The practice of assigning a zero is ineffective as the only role it serves is to punish kids. Once given, it will completely distort a student’s grade, which will no longer represent what has been learned.  It is essential to determine first and foremost why the task is not being completed in the first place. In almost all cases, the assignment should be marked as incomplete until it is done. In my opinion, a zero should only be considered in the cases of cheating or if all other strategies have been exhausted. 

Homework

Rarely does a child come home excited to complete homework, yet it represents another overused outlier strategy. It tends to diminish excitement and appreciation for learning.  Many times, it is assigned because that’s the way it has always been.  In moderation, homework can be an effective strategy if it allows for the authentic application of key concepts learned in a timely manner.  You also can’t go wrong with reading. It should not be graded as there are equity issues or take hours of time to complete. Kids need to be kids. 

Feedback

While a grade might be the final indicator of what has been learned, it’s the feedback that helps students along the way.  This is an underused strategy where there is always room for growth.  Effective feedback is delivered promptly, involves learners in the process, and articulates how to advance towards a goal in relation to standards or concepts. 

Reflection

John Dewey said, “We don’t learn from experience…we learn from reflecting on experience.” Reflective learning allows kids to step back from their learning experience to help them develop disruptive thinking and improve future performance by analyzing their experience. It assists them in moving from surface to deep learning. Writing, video, peer interaction, and closure questions are a great way to incorporate reflection regularly. 

Outlier practices, depending on how they are implemented, can either promote or inhibit disruptive thinking. As you reflect on the outlier practices above where do you see an opportunity to grow or improve? What action steps will you take? The main takeaway is how they are implemented in ways that support or enhance learning while helping to build powerful relationships in the process. 

Top Posts of 2019

Well, another year of writing has passed, and it was a big one as 2019 marked ten years since I began my blogging journey. To still be churning out posts on a weekly basis is quite the accomplishment for a guy who never wrote nor intended to write for a public audience. For me, the push I needed came from Ken Royal, who, after hearing what we were doing at New Milford High School and then visiting, stated unequivocally that I had to share our story. Well, after begrudgingly agreeing to pen some guest posts for him, I built up my confidence and launched my blog in March of 2019. After that, the rest is history.

Blogging has certainly changed over the past ten years. Back in the day, a typical post would garner numerous comments. They would also serve as a catalyst for vibrant Twitter conversations. Another change has come in the form of developing unique topics or spins on what is already out in cyberspace. For me, in particular, I have experienced a great deal of difficulty trying to determine what I want to write about in that I want each piece to either add to existing conversations or be an entirely new take. Often ideas pop into my head when I am sleeping, and I immediately wake up to type them into a note file I have on my iPhone. However, the best ideas for blog posts I get come from coaching in schools. Here I get to experience firsthand how many of the ideas that are talked about on social media and at conferences are successfully implemented into practice.

Without further ado, here are my top posts of 2019.

The Pedagogy of Blended Learning

Blended instruction is what the teacher does with technology. Blended learning is where students use tech to have control over path, place, and pace. There should always a focus first and foremost on ensuring that sound pedagogical design serves as a foundation. In this post, I pull on extensive observations and work with schools to identify instructional strategies, essential elements, most successful models, and effective technology solutions that work to create pedagogically sound blended learning experiences.

The Problem with Zeros

To say that this post generated some buzz on Twitter would be quite the understatement. Punishing learners with zeros destroys both morale and a love of learning by digging a hole that many cannot recover from (nor do they have any aspirations to do so). They also create a mirage in terms of what was actually learned. If a grade does not reflect learning, then what’s the point? We owe it to our students to pave a better path forward. 

The Future of Work

Change is not only on our doorstep, but it is about to kick the darn door in. The future of work requires new skills, and it is up to K-12 education to lead the charge in this area. Skills are not enough, in my opinion. Yes, we want learners to have the requisite skills to meet the needs and demands inherent in the 4th Industrial Revolution. More importantly, it is our duty and the role of education to ensure that they are competent. Empowering our learners to think critically and solve real-world problems is paramount.

The Two Most Important Questions to Ask to Determine if Learning is Taking Place

Keep it simple stupid. Are kids thinking? How are kids applying their thinking in relevant ways? This post explores how the Rigor Relevance Framework can be used as a practical way to determine the answers to both of these questions by looking at the level of questioning and the tasks that kids are engaged in. 

Digital Leadership: Leading Change from Where You Are

Leading change is about identifying intended outcomes, applying an innovative lens, and arriving at outcomes in better, more effective ways no matter your position or title. The Pillars of Digital Leadership represents a framework for all educators to initiate and sustain innovative change that aligns with the core work that already serves as the foundation for every school or district learning culture. The premise is to do what we already do better by working smarter, not harder.

Here's to an amazing 2020 everyone. Thanks for all that you do for kids.  

Learning and Reflecting with Video

I remember like it was yesterday when I began blogging back in 2009. To think that I would still be writing a post a week many years later is a vast understatement, coming from someone who had every excuse not to start in the first place. Trust when I say that it’s a struggle these days to either come up with new ideas or to add a unique angle to what has already been written. If it’s important to you, then you’ll find a way. If not, then you will make an excuse. I am by no means a great writer, but I’d like to think that this is only one driving force that keeps me writing. If you were to ask me why I really write, my response would be to reflect and learn openly.

Part of my evolution has been to explore new pathways to reach my professional goals while attempting to give something back in return to educators. In my quest to practice what I preach and grow, I have begun to utilize video as a means to articulate ideas, share my learning, and openly reflect. When you think about the potential video has to articulate a message, it makes sense to harness its power. YouTube is now the world’s second-largest search engine, and a one-minute video equates to almost 1.8 million words per minute. No wonder more and more educators have begun to use this medium to connect with other people.

Not only has it pushed me outside my comfort zone, but I can now go into more depth on the topics I am passionate about.  The result has been the creation of a vlog (video blog) in the form of a YouTube Channel, which you can access HERE. As I am always looking for feedback, I hope you will take a look and let me know what you think. My vlog is nothing fancy. In order to preserve the essence of learning and reflecting, I record a live, unrehearsed video using Periscope about once every two weeks.  I like using this tool because it syncs with and simultaneously broadcasts across Twitter.

Since I am human many finished products have me babbling, tripping over my own words, and at times losing my train of thought. With learning not being a perfect science and reflecting a very personal experience, I want my videos to be as realistic as possible. I begin with Periscope, a live streaming app. Once the live video on Periscope ends it archives on my phone. From here I upload it to both IGTV (Instagram TV) and YouTube. Why all three you ask? Different people prefer different mediums when it comes to consumption and engagement. One of my hopes is that my video musings might be able to help out other educators as they work through ideas, strategies, or even their reflections in their preferred space. Choice matters for both kids and adults.

Image credit

In the classroom, or even outside of it, video is one of the most powerful learning tools there is. Educators can utilize tools such as Edpuzzle and Playposit where pre-selected videos are inserted for students to not only watch but also answer questions along the way. The days of passive viewing while taking up valuable instructional time can now be a thing of the past. What I love about all of these tools is the ability of teachers to insert questions that can empower learners to think and apply their thinking at various levels of knowledge taxonomy. In the case of Edpuzzle and Playposit, the responses can go straight to an LMS (learning management system) such as Google Classroom or Schoology. The self-directed nature and accountability components make all of these tools fantastic elements as part of pedagogically sound blended learning strategies.

Educators can also harness video to create flipped lessons. In addition to those mentioned above, teachers can create their own videos using tools such as Educreations or Adobe Captivate. In lieu of homework, students watch these five to ten-minute mini-lessons that cover new material that would typically be covered in class. Kids can control pace (pause, re-watch) and place (where they watch). This strategy then frees up the teacher to differentiate instruction and work with students to actively apply concepts during class time.

There is a slew of other tools that kids can use not only to demonstrate but also reflect on learning. Two of my favorites are Padlet and Flipgrid. Each tool allows for the creation of a short video that is then added to either an open digital board (Padlet) or grid (Flipgrid). Think about how powerful it is to have kids solve a problem on whiteboards and then explain how they solved it by creating a short video to get both peer and teacher feedback. When it comes to reflecting, both of these tools, as well as Seesaw, can be used for students to articulate not just what they learned, but why they learned it and how what was learned will be used outside of school. Regardless of the method used, it is essential that reflection time is built into every lesson.

Whether as an adult learner or creating a culture that empowers your students, video can serve as an essential means to help you and others reach their goals. The key with any change to practice is to see the value in it and make the time to figure out ways to integrate it into what you do. In the end, it is less about the tool and all about improving outcomes.

Reflective Learning as the New Normal

The quest to improve pedagogy, and in turn learner outcomes, is a focus of many schools.  We toil away at chasing the next big innovative idea, trend, or tool as a path to improvement yet little changes. Maybe success lies in taking a more detailed look at daily practice. The key to future-proofing education is to empower students to not only think, but to apply their thinking in relevant ways to demonstrate what has been learned.  Whether you call this rigorous, deeper, personalized, or just plain learning is of no concern to me.  Semantics aside, the goal of all schools should be to equip students with the appropriate knowledge, skills, mindset, and behaviors to help them develop into competent learners.  Getting better at this seems to be a potential rallying cry. 

We can have students learn to do or flip the experience and have them do to learn.  The question then becomes not a conversation as to what pathway is better, but whether or not learning has occurred. Sure, we can slap a grade on it and in many cases that become the evidence that learning did or did not happen. There are flaws inherent here. As many grading practices still are entirely arbitrary and do not provide an accurate indication of learning, we need to re-think our practice. Now I am not saying to do away with grades or tests, as that is just not realistic right now, although it might be at some point in the future. The question then becomes what can be integrated into daily practice to help students learn? 

To get to where you want to be, you need to be honest about where you are right now. This leads me to ask the following question: Are your students provided an opportunity during every lesson to reflect on what he or she has learned? As John Dewey stated, “We do not learn from experience... we learn from reflecting on experience.” It is not a hard ask at all to ensure that students are provided with an opportunity to reflect on the learning target for the day. As I work with schools and districts as a job-embedded coach, one of my main focus areas is to help improve pedagogy both with and without the use of technology. More often than not I do not see opportunities for student reflections through countless walk-throughs, lesson plan reviews, or audits of how digital tools are being used. This is an easy fix if an approach is taken where there is a combination of self-efficacy and commitment to a school-wide goal.  

Something so simple can have a significant impact on learning.  The University of Sheffield provides the following synopsis that validates the importance of this pedagogical strategy:

Reflective learning is a way of allowing students to step back from their learning experience to help them develop critical thinking skills and improve future performance by analyzing their experience. This type of learning helps move the student from surface to deep learning.

Daily reflection provides students with an opportunity to exert more ownership over their learning. Below are some simple strategies that can be used to integrate reflection into any lesson:

• Writing - A daily journal, blog, and LMS (i.e., Google Classroom) can be added as a means to not just review, but also reflect on prior learning.  It can also be used as a form of closure. Simple reflective prompts can also be used.  During a coaching visit I observed Zaina Hussein, a 4th-grade teacher at Wells Elementary, use this with her students (see image below). A great deal of research reviewed by Lew & Schmidt (2011) in their study suggests the positive impact of reflective writing on cognitive development. 

• Video – Flipgrid fever has overtaken many schools. This tool can allow students to use video to reflect on their learning. They can be guided with simple prompts like the ones used by Ms. Hussein. All of the videos are then easily accessible for review on a grid. Think about the value of having students see and hear from their peers about what they either learned or struggled with during the lesson. In their research, Rose et al. (2016) found that video made the reflection experience more authentic and meaningful for both student and teacher.
• Peer interaction – Research by Hatton & Smith (1995) indicated that engaging with another person in a way that encourages talking with, questioning, or confronting, helps the reflective process by placing the learner in a safe environment so that self-revelation may take place.  Consider implementing the critical friends’ strategy or more opportunities for discussion as a means to reflect.

For more strategies and ideas on how to incorporate reflection into pedagogical practice check out this article. If you are interested in learning more about how technology can be used as a catalyst for reflection the check out this post by Silvia Rosenthal Tolisano HERE. She also created a great summary image, which you can view below. 

Making the time for students to reflect on their learning leads to more ownership of the process, builds essential connections between both present and past experiences, provides teachers with valuable information related to standard attainment or mastery, and compels them to exert a degree of self-management as they become more capable of regulating their own learning. With these positive outcomes, reflective learning should become the new normal.

Hatton, N., & Smith, D. (1995). Reflection in Teacher Education: Towards Definition and Implementation. 
     The University of Sydney: School of Teaching and Curriculum Studies.

Tic Tack Toe in the Blended Classroom

The other day I was conducting some learning walks with the administrative team at Wells Elementary School in the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District (CFISD). Throughout the school year, I have been assisting them with digital pedagogy as it relates to blended learning and the use of flex spaces.  The primary goal has been to take a critical lens to instructional design with a focus on increasing the level of questioning, imparting relevance through authentic contexts and interdisciplinary connections, creating rigorous performance tasks, innovating assessment, and improving learner feedback. I cannot overstate the importance of getting the instructional design right first before throwing technology into the mix.  

A secondary goal has been facilitating a transition from blended instruction to blended learning. This is not to say that the former is bad or ineffective, but it can be depending on whether or not the technology is just a direct substitute for low-level tasks or use is more passive as opposed to active. With this aside, there is a difference between the two, and it all has to with how the technology is being used and by whom.  Blended instruction is what the teacher does with technology. Blended learning is where students use tech to have control over path, place, and pace. Herein lies the key to the practical use of flex spaces in education. The dynamic combination of pedagogically-sound blended learning and choice in either seating or moving around in flex spaces results in an environment where all kids can flourish and want to learn. 

Over the course of the year, I have seen some much growth and improvement since the work began in August.  My visits to this school have been inspiring as I have seen the future of education in the present.  This is one of the main reasons that my daughter loves being a student here. Unlike our learning walks in the past, the teachers at Wells Elementary did not know I was going to be in the building on this particular day.  The idea was to see if the goals for digital pedagogy and blended learning in flex spaces were well on their way to being accomplished. 

I saw so many activities that warmed my heart where kids were authentically engaged in meaningful learning. However, stepping into Zaina Hussein’s 4th-grade classroom provided a perfect example of how the entire Wells community has evolved together to deliver fantastic learning opportunities for kids.  As we walked in a Tic Tac Toe grid was displayed on the interactive whiteboard.  Word on the street is that she “borrowed” this idea from Kendre Millburn, my daughter’s 5th-grade science teacher.  If you are not familiar with this type of learning activity here is a description from the IRIS Center out of Vanderbilt University:

Tic-tac-toe sometimes referred to as Think-tac-toe, is a method of offering students choices in the type of products they complete to demonstrate their knowledge. As in a traditional tic-tac-toe game, students are presented with a nine-cell table of options. The teacher should make sure that all options address the key concept or skill being learned. There are several variations on this method: 1. Students choose three product options that form a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line. 2. Students choose one product choice from each row or from each column (without forming a straight line). 3. The teacher can create two or more versions to address the different readiness levels. To learn how to create an acnhor activity using a Tic Tack Toe board click HERE.

I loved this activity for so many reasons. It incorporated choice, formative assessment, purposeful use of technology, and differentiation. All learners had to complete the middle box with the gold star emoji.  The flame icons represented activities that were more difficult.  

I was so mesmerized by the structure of the lesson and the engagement of the learners that I almost missed what possibly could have been the best part of the class – an opportunity to reflect.  Costa & Kallick (2008) share why reflection is a critical component of the learning process:

Reflection has many facets. For example, reflecting on work enhances its meaning. Reflecting on experiences encourages insight and complex learning. We foster our growth when we control our learning, so some reflection is best done alone. Reflection is also enhanced, however, when we ponder our learning with others. 

Reflection involves linking a current experience to previous learnings (a process called scaffolding). Reflection also involves drawing forth cognitive and emotional information from several sources: visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile. To reflect, we must act upon and process the information, synthesizing and evaluating the data. In the end, reflecting also means applying what we've learned to contexts beyond the original situations in which we learned something.

It is important to understand the convergence of so many elements present in the examples above that align with sound instructional design and real blended learning.  Learners had a certain amount of control over path, pace, and place thanks to using flex spaces and the Tic Tac Toe activity that incorporated blended elements.  Student agency was also evident.  This is a hallmark of a well-structured blended learning activity, which is why I was so pleased to see choice (Tic Tac Toe activity, flex seating) and voice (reflection) incorporated.  

Over the course of the school year, I have seen so many exemplary blended learning activities implemented by Wells Elementary teachers across all grade levels during my time there as an instructional and leadership coach.  I cannot commend their progress and success enough, but I would be remiss if I did not add how helpful the entire administrative team has been.  They all have provided unwavering support to their teachers while also learning alongside them. When an entire school believes in different and better, takes collective action, grows together, and has the evidence to show improvement the result is efficacy. 

Follow the learning adventures at Wells Elementary on Twitter at #ExploreWells.