Blog Post #8
DJ Cunningham, in his TED talk, “Learning Via Your Style”, discusses his educational experience. What are your thoughts? How will this impact your teaching?
Blog Post #1
As author Julia Cameron points out in The Artist’s Way, “In order to do something well, we must first be willing to do it badly.” And as the authors of this book say, “Rookie mistakes lead to growth and mastery.” Describe a rookie mistake you’ve made as a teacher and the growth you experienced as a result. (This is an exercise in laying your inner Joker to rest.) In addition, please leave encouraging comments on at least two other participants’ posts.
I enjoyed this TED talk because it reminded me that what I am currently doing is absolutely ok. I was a 2nd-grade teacher for 8 years; now I am a K-5th Special Education teacher. In the General Education classroom, we see large gains throughout our year. Working with Special Education students, you may only see small gains, but in reality, they are BIG things. We can use different approaches in the classroom to help students gain mastery... and this TED talk was a reminder that living outside the box and using whatever approach, engagement strategies, or style that best fits our students is exactly what we should be doing. One student's perspective regarding content is not always going to be the same as another's.
ReplyDeleteIf we see and know that students are struggling, we need to find more support/resources for them. All students learn differently and every support/resource is not going to work for everyone.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed DJ's TED talk and think this is great insight to a child's thinking. There are many kids that feel this way due to low self-esteem. It is something that we, as educators, can help a child with that will make more of a difference than anything we can teach out of a book. I like his quote, "Do not let the things that disable you stop you, let them enable you." Incorporating all of the learning styles into teaching are so important to hit all of the students in a classroom. Incorporating visual, sequential, auditory processing, and kinesthetic into all learning activities will ensure that all students have a chance to learn materials. I also believe in helping students see their best learning style early in education is important to increase a child's self-advocacy and self-sufficiency as they grow and learn in school and life.
ReplyDeleteIt was very interesting to hear about the mentality behind the actions. As teachers we don’t always get the thought process behind our students' actions. Luckily there was follow up and they worked together to make sure he was supported in the areas he needed more support. I already reflect and speak with students about their behaviors and understanding where they may need more support, so it's a great reminder to keep supporting students even with challenging behaviors because 99% of the time taking the time to have a conversation with them and working together helps. Students want to be heard so just make sure to listen.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was interesting when he was talking about writing when he was in fourth grade. The teacher would keep asking him if he was writing yet, and he kept coming up with reasons he hadn't started yet. The teacher would get tired of the excuses and then ask him for his ideas while she wrote them for him. As he was telling this story, it instantly reminded me on one particular student that does this exact same thing in my classroom. He knows I won't do the writing for him, however, one of his other teachers he sees right after writing time, will do it for him. Listening to this TED talk gave me a little insight as to why he is doing what he is doing. Then he started talking about ninth grade and how he was embarrassed to read out loud in front of every one. He dreaded his English class and sure enough got called on to read out loud. He took off for the window. His teacher took the time to actually have a conversation with him and find out what he was so afraid of. That conversation helped him advocate for himself. I think as teachers we need to work first on relationships with students so that these conversations are safe ones for students to have with us. Every student learns differently and we do need to make sure we are doing what we can to meet the needs of the students.
ReplyDeleteEach student will learning thing differently and at different rate. Some kid are book smart while others have street smarts. As educators we must understand how our students learn, so we can use different learning styles in our classroom to get the student engaged in the contents we are teaching them. We also must support them at all times even when they fail as long as they learn from their mistakes. As teachers we need every possible resources at our fingertips so we can meet the needs of every students and in order for us as teacher to help advocate for our students we need a good relationship with them.
ReplyDeleteIn education we understand that students will learn the material in different ways. What I enjoyed about this TED Talk was that, as a soldier, DJ figured out the way he learned best and used it to learn the material. He said, "Don't let the things that disable you stop you." This quote reminded of teaching students to be resilient. If our students have the grit to work through hard things, they will be able to be successful in their own ways. Teaching resiliency and also teaching material through many different forms and platforms is important.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed watching DJ Cunningham in his TED Talk. I would agree that fear can be a great motivator, but also overcoming fear can take time. DJ mentioned how all individuals need to learn how to advocate for themselves and be more self-efficient. I can definitely relate to this as a person as well as when I was a special education teacher. My students' needs and well-being is what I advocated for as well as taught them how to advocate for themselves. I feel at times their accommodations were not always implemented in general education classrooms as teachers forgot, which having 25-30 kiddos in a class can be challenging. This impacted students and their ability to achieve at times which was frustrating to me as an educator. I like how DJ talked about everyone learning differently because this couldn’t be more true. Back in school, I feel I can relate a lot to DJ as school did not come easy for me. I had to try 10x harder than my peers and this is something that I was able to share with my students while I was a teacher. In all, DJ Cunningham had great insight on how finding your own learning style can help you overcome challenges in education and in life.
ReplyDeleteAs an Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) teacher, this reinforces my belief in individualizing learning and meeting students where they are developmentally. I do this by getting to know my students, observing them during play, and learning about their interests and strengths. Then I incorporate those interests into lessons and activities. For example, if a child enjoys animals or building, I might include those themes in language, counting, or social-emotional activities.
ReplyDeleteThis approach helps students feel more engaged, confident, and successful, because they are learning in ways that feel natural and meaningful to them. It reminds me that flexibility and creativity in teaching are essential for helping every child thrive
DJ Cunningham’s TED talk really resonated with me as a School Counselor because it reinforced the importance of paying attention to and recognizing that every student learns differently, at their own pace and has a unique educational experience. It reminded me that the work I do goes beyond academic; it’s about the relationships I have the opportunity to build, observing my students, working to understand them as individuals, and meeting students where they are. Whether it is socially, emotionally, or academically in the work of a School Counselor this means helping students identify their strengths and preferred ways of learning, while also supporting them in areas that challenge them and helping them to challenge themselves. This impacts my work as a School Counselor in how I guide students as they learn to advocate for themselves, set goals and solve problems. Each of those tools can be applied to several things, including school work, personal and social situations and in planning for life after high school. By working to individualize the support I provide to students and encouraging resilience, I hope to help them gain confidence, develop grit, and feel empowered to approach challenges in ways that work best for them. This talk reinforced that flexibility, patience, and a focus on each student as a unique learner are key to making meaningful progress in education and as a School Counselor.
ReplyDeleteI need to remember to put myself in my students' shoes and try to understand how they learn. I know in math class I use a lot of visuals, songs, facts, etc for different learners to understand concepts, but I need to be better at applying this to other subjects for student understanding.
ReplyDeleteDJ Cunningham, in his TED talk discusses his educational experience and specifically explains an incident in the English classroom. My first thought was empathy. I can totally understand how he was feeling. Secondly, I am thankful that he is sharing his experience to allow for educators to understand to learn from him. DJ's story is a good reminder that everyone learns differently and to have that in mind on your lessons. I will plan to give various ways to assess a lesson plan and try to implement the teaching in multiple ways. Also, it is good to note, if students are not successful the first time, it may be the teaching method not the student.
ReplyDeleteDJ Cunningham's TED talk was very relatable. I remember trying to fly under the radar in math because I disliked math so much. I hoped that if I just looked like I was busy working on something that I wouldn't get called on to answer any questions. I get that flight or fight mentality. I vividly remember freezing up when getting called on in math. I see that often with my students. I see when they try to go unnoticed so that they can just get through the class or even just get through the day without any attention on them. I also see my students doing anything and everything to avoid the task at hand. Staring at the wall, going to the bathroom, flipping through their workbook, sharpening their pencil. I think that when these types of things occur in students, it is important to re-analyze how the material is being presented and taught. Recently, I have been trying to find more time to pull students individually and work with them in whatever learning style works best for them. This also gives me an opportunity to feel them out and talk to them about what is going well and what they are struggling with.
ReplyDeleteI really liked and appreciated this TED talk. DJ Cunningham was an engaging speaker with wonderful ideas and a story many can relate to. One of my favorite parts was at the beginning when he talked about the fear of embarrassment and how fear itself can be a motivator in a bad way or in a good way. When we learn to advocate for ourselves, it can make things much easier.
ReplyDeleteI also really enjoyed his story of having to read Shakespeare in his first 9th grade English class. When his teacher showed an interest in him, it made a huge difference for him. This is something we can all do. We have no idea just how meaningful showing an interest in our students can be to them.
When I started teaching, the world of education was still a very cookie cutter, one size fits all institution. Through out my entire career the education world has slowly evolved into recognizing the individual and making sure that you identify and meet that individuals needs. It is facts that there different learning styles and it is a teachers responsibility to offer up as many as possible during their lessons. Also, as a point of reinforcement for me, I too joined the military, and I did so in the middle of my college career to help pay for college. I witnessed and lived the military style, and I too agree that the military experience helped to make me a better teacher.
ReplyDeleteOne of my first years of teaching, I had one science class that was more of a remedial-level class. Occasionally, I would ask the students to take turns reading aloud (because that's what I had to do as a student in high school!). I knew that most of the students in this class were not great readers, but I felt that if they were all in the same boat, they would be more comfortable with it. I was so wrong! One of the boys in the class started to skip class. He didn't say a word to me. I didn't know until several days had gone by that he was only skipping my class and none of his other classes. I found out from the guidance counselor that he was skipping because he didn't want his classmates to hear him try to read aloud. Well, I immediately sought the kid out and spoke with him privately. I stopped calling on kids to read aloud. I started working more one-on-one with the students. I think this just points out how necessary it is to build a rapport with your students early in the school year so they feel comfortable talking with you about things. Now, I try to incorporate different learning styles in my lessons so I reach more kids with the material. And, of course, establish a good working relationship with each and every student in my classroom.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciated this TED Talk and how open DJ Cunningham was about his own personal experience. This spoke to me on a few different levels. As a parent, my child has expressed very similar feelings of embarrassment and frustration at school. As a teacher, it's a good reminder that our students don't all come in confident or ready and able to do what we are asking of them. Each student has had experiences, good or bad, that shape how they behave and work in class. It's our job to give the support our students need, meeting them where they are, helping them figure out the way they learn and teach to those styles, while encouraging them in their growth.
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