One of the most important ways to increase learning is to create significant learning environments. They help students engage and connect with the learning that is taking place in the classroom. In the article “It’s about Learning” by Harapnuik the Finks Taxonomy design and principles were discussed. This design includes many factors that help the classroom function as a successful learning environment.
Harapnuik states the classroom must be:
- Student centred
- Have Teaching roles – Presenter, Facilitator, Coach, Mentor
- Ubiquitous Access & Social Networking
- Instructional delivery formats – face2face, technology enhanced, blended, online
- Instructional Design
- Assessment & Evaluation
- Academic Quality & Standards
- Support & Infrastructure
These factors will all be integrated into my innovation plan. My innovation plan, which is linked above, focuses on the benefits of eportfolios in the classroom. I want my students to create eportfolios to increase their college readiness skills. I want to prepare my students for college and teach them the importance of taking accountability and ownership of their own learning. Eportfolios will also allow them to self reflect on their growth and academic journeys. I want to bring Finks Taxonomy design and the principles into my classroom in order to increase the effectiveness of my innovation plan. My classroom must be student centered with clear teaching roles. It is also mandatory that we are connecting and social networking with each other and other people outside of the classroom. We have already began to stay connected by using My Twitter Account. On my educational twitter account, I stay involved and active in my Professional Learning Network’s. I also post, share and review successful lessons that were effective in my classroom. I enjoy collaborating and sharing content with my fellow educators on Twitter.
Challenges
A few of the challenges that may interfere with transforming my classroom into a significant learning environment are the changes that have occured because of coronavirus. Virtual learning and teaching can affect my ability to build my significant learning environment. Virtual teaching can be less personable and it is tough to build connections as a class when we are not all in the same room. Because of this, I will have to ensure that I am connected to all of kids through social media. This is why I stay active on my Remind account and my classroom Twitter.
Adopting New Perspectives
I want to set a goal of trying to create a significant learning environment. I know it will not happen overnight ,but I am aware of the benefits it will provide my students and my classroom as a whole. This will be something that I will have to work at overtime. The CSLE approach definitely defines how important a holistic approach is in education. The holistic approach means to focus on the bigger picture of things not just pieces of things. We have to think about all factors when it comes to education.
In order to get people to think broadly we have to encourage, motivate and uplift. We also have to make a plan and execute. We have to show our colleagues and campuses the benefits of a holistic approach and how it can change the way we teach and how our kids learn. We have to analyze every aspect of our learning environment.
References:
Learning Philosophy. (2015). Retrieved September 30, 2016, from http://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=95
The Digital Millenial 
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