Learning With More Punch

Comedian and entertainer Howie Mandel uses fist taps instead of hand shakes as a coping strategy for his mysophobia. Years before this became a popular greeting method, I was using fist taps to connect with my G343 Psychology students. Early in the course, we would use our hands as models when learning about human brain anatomy. The hemispheres and lobes of the brain were represented by both hands and the position of the fingers and knuckles. To promote our psychology learning club, or learning community, we would touch fists when entering or exiting the classroom, and to acknowledge each other when outside the classroom. This gesture became a symbol of connection for a few hundred psychology students. This year, I am using a similar theme to promote connected learning at our school.

During our summer institute day, I introduced my fist, specifically the four knuckles, as symbols for improving learning at our school.

Knuckle of index finger - put learning first. 9 out of 10 people report enjoying learning, yet fewer than 50% of students surveyed enjoy school. Schools no longer hold a monopoly on education, but they can still be the epicenter of learning by making personalized, connected learning a priority. Educators who embrace the role of lead learner, or co-learner, help to establish a collaborative, results-oriented tone in the classroom.
Knuckle of the second finger - become connected. Educators readily acknowledge that relationships matter. Web-based technologies are accelerating and personalizing learning through ubiquitous access to information and to other learners. Educators making contributions to PLNs, and PLCs are reinvigorating their learning, and modeling enjoyment of connected learning for their students.
Knuckle of the third finger - share your story. Scrapbooks, journals, and file cabinets held a certain degree of significance in the analog world, but where's our personal record in the digitized world of today? Digital portfolios and blogs are tools that educators can use to reflect upon and communicate their learning stories.
Knuckle of the little finger - get a little better each day. Everyone wants to improve, but few of us formulate plans, or goals, for doing so. Adopting a growth mindset and constructing a plan for incremental self improvement fosters intrinsic motivation, increases general satisfaction, and contributes to both personal and organizational growth.

It is my hope that the practice of fist-tapping will grow at our school. Not just a greeting, fist tapping could also serve as a reminder to learn, connect, share, and improve. In addition to being a gesture for promoting community spirit, I hope that it will also become a symbol of our commitment to building a culture of connected learning. Pound it!

Related Resources

Promoting a Culture of Learning - Edutopia, Terry Heick

How to Create a Personal Learning Portfolio - Online Learning Insights, Debbie Morrison

The Limitations of Being a Disconnected Nomad - A Principal's Reflections, Eric Sheninger

Creating a Growth Mindset in Your Students - Thoughtful Learning

photo credit: CJS*64 via photopin cc

Self-Directed vs. Self-Determined Learning; What's the Difference?

"We need to move beyond the idea that an education is something that is provided for us, and toward the idea that an education is something that we create for ourselves." - Stephen Downes In this age of abundance of information, shifting classroom pedagogy isn't nearly enough to make learning in school more relevant and authentic for the learner. Self-directed learning ( andragogy ), and self-determined learning ( heutagogy ) are the ideals necessary in making students " future ready " to live and learn in a web-connected world. While original research applied these concepts to mature learners, it has become apparent that even young children have an abundant capacity for recognizing and directing their learning. Anyone who has observed toddlers learning how to walk and talk understand the motivation and skill development that quickly develops during these processes. Considered by some to be on a learning continuum, self-directed learning, and self-determined

Board Games in the School Library: 3 Reasons Why It's a Winning Play

"Play is the highest form of research." - Albert Einstein “Play is the work of the child.” – Maria Montessori In our recently remodeled school media center, we have a space dedicated to active engagement in fun learning activities. Part maker space, part literacy lounge, board games are being incorporated to promote a culture of joyful learning. Whether it's a game of Rummy , Yahtzee , or Scrabble , family game night serves as a communication elixir and solidifies our domestic climate of togetherness. Shouldn't similar opportunities for interaction, challenge, and fun exist somewhere in our schools? Broken families, cultural fragmentation, and poverty are impacting opportunities for children to play. As we unpacked and tagged our new media center games, I was more disappointed than shocked by the number of students who had never played Monopoly , Boggle , or Sorry . One skeptical teacher commented, "Oh great, now we're letting students pl

The Classroom Experiment - Strategies to Promote Engagement and Learning

Dylan Wiliam is a prominent educator in the United Kingdom. His ideas and strategies are consistently mentioned in education reform circles. On an uncharacteristically quiet evening at home, I stumbled across these BBC videos, The Classroom Experiment . Although it took nearly two hours to get through the videos, I came away thinking that the teacher is certainly the most important factor in student learning, and that student learning can be improved with persistence and a willingness to become better at failure. For those folks that feel that teachers can be replaced by technology, these videos suggest otherwise. The Classroom Experiment - part 1 (58:00) The Classroom Experiment - part 2 (59:00) Dylan Wiliam at The Schools Network Conference (38:00) Here is a summary of the strategies and changes that Dylan Wiliam instituted to increase student engagement and advance student learning. No raising of hands - use Popsicle sticks, or some other mechanism to randomize th

Nocking the Arrow

Search This Blog