Andragogy and Motivation 3/29/20

What is something you've learned on your own recently?

Well, isn't this a timely question. You see, just like nearly every other educator in the country, I had two days to switch my 74 seventh graders to a remote learning environment. For me, using Google Classroom, Flipgrid, Meet, Zoom, etc ... was not the challenge. What I had to learn was how to teach kids to do this without being in front of them. I knew ... but I didn't know, how much I rely on their subtle (and not so subtle) feedback as I'm teaching them face to face. I had to learn how to chunk information much more efficiently than I have ever done. I had to learn to make a series of shorter videos, each with a discrete topic rather than one 5 minute video explaining everything. I had to learn to streamline. I'm writing this in the past tense, but we're only going into the third week. I am definitely still in the beginning stages of this adventure. 

I've read Daniel Pink before and Drive has been something I've gone back to again and again. So I had the ideas of autonomy, competence, and meaning in mind as I worked to re-design seventh grade science. Autonomy is the easy one for me. I love giving kids choices and love when they take control of their learning. I always tell them that an ideal class for me would be my saying "learn something scientific" and then standing by them as they do it. Of course, for a seventh grader to feel competent, especially learning alone in their home, this isn't at all possible. So, to achieve a feeling of competence, I've gone through my learning inquiry project and stripped out a lot of the autonomy in the process. Rather than saying, "work on the project, what step do you think should go next," I am providing them with daily assignments. They will still have autonomy over the place they choose and some autonomy over the product they create (3 choices) but they will have almost no control over the process. To achieve Purpose, I will lean heavily on the idea of connecting people. While this is admittedly the weakest area of Type 1 motivation, hopefully the connection piece will speak to them in this time of distance.

How do you interact with other professionals? How do you find inspiration?

In the workplace, we, like the rest of the world, are relying on Zoom and email for our connection. Thankfully, some colleagues have started posting fun "challenges" and starting photo threads to maintain some levity and connection between us all. I continue to find wider inspiration through connections I find on Twitter and podcasts I listen to based on those connections. 

What is a specific idea you hope to take forward from the readings into your work with other adults?

What I think will stick with me is the definition of andragogy from the Knowles reading. I, like they mention, have always thought of andragogy as "how you teach adults" but it shifted my mindset to think of it as "how you teach self-directed learners." The obvious connection is to Pink's concepts of autonomy and competence as they relate to learner's motivation. It was disheartening to read that, according to their research, younger children actually have more control over their learning than older students who have the increased capability. So, of course motivation wanes. What I hope to bring to my teaching team as we reflect on this year and move into the next school year is the question of what to do about that. Our 7th graders have lost most of their Type 1 motivation. Most of them work for grades. Can we get it back by offering them more autonomy, competence, and meaning? How do we do that within the curriculum we are supposed to teach? How much of that curriculum is really required and are we as locked down as we pretend to be? This shift to remote learning has shown us that it IS possible to throw out the rulebook. How can we keep some of that with us as we move back into business as usual?