Creating Autonomy by John McBratney https://padlet.com/jmcbratney94/autonomy Giving students opportunities to make decisions to create a more equitable learning enviornment en-us 2017-06-16 11:43:29 UTC 2017-06-23 15:24:47 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Lightdecrease.png Introduction jmcbratney94 https://padlet.com/jmcbratney94/autonomy/wish/176657899 Throughout this year, I have struggled to find ways to get my students intrinsically motivated about mathematics. They often want to know what the "right" answer is, which formula to use, and the answer to the most dreaded question "is this going to be on the test?" 
To combat this, I thought of the question "how can I get my students to see themselves in the math?" This meant I had to create ways in which my students could make their own decisions, look for math we've discussed in class, outside of class, and ultimately get excited about math in an intrinsic way. ]]> 2017-06-16 12:05:59 UTC https://padlet.com/jmcbratney94/autonomy/wish/176657899 Autonomy Defined jmcbratney94 https://padlet.com/jmcbratney94/autonomy/wish/176666570 Little (1991): A capacity for detachment, critical reflection, decision-making, and independent
action. It presupposes, but also entails, that the learner will develop a particular
kind of psychological relation to the process and content of his learning. The capacity
for autonomy will be displayed both in the way the learner learns and in the way he
or she transfers what has been learned to wider contexts.
]]> 2017-06-16 13:34:05 UTC https://padlet.com/jmcbratney94/autonomy/wish/176666570 Creating Autonomy - Jon Stolk jmcbratney94 https://padlet.com/jmcbratney94/autonomy/wish/176667301 A Ted talk about how teachers can create autonomy in the classroom and the external pressures that face them. ]]> 2017-06-16 13:41:08 UTC https://padlet.com/jmcbratney94/autonomy/wish/176667301 John McBratney jmcbratney94 https://padlet.com/jmcbratney94/autonomy/wish/176667721 The Hotchkiss School
MA350:  Algebra II/Trig
13 Students (9th-11th graders)]]> 2017-06-16 13:44:53 UTC https://padlet.com/jmcbratney94/autonomy/wish/176667721 Professional Learning Goals jmcbratney94 https://padlet.com/jmcbratney94/autonomy/wish/176668048 - Find ways to develop intrinsic motivation
- Get my students excited about math
- Have my students see mathematics outside the classroom realm.
- Provide more opportunities for students to demonstrate knowledge and understanding. ]]> 2017-06-16 13:47:57 UTC https://padlet.com/jmcbratney94/autonomy/wish/176668048 Teaching Methods for Inspiring the Students of the Future - Joe Ruhl jmcbratney94 https://padlet.com/jmcbratney94/autonomy/wish/176670804 A few simple things teachers can implement in the classroom to inspire students including student-centered learning and creativity. ]]> 2017-06-16 14:13:32 UTC https://padlet.com/jmcbratney94/autonomy/wish/176670804 The Puzzle of Motivation - Dan Pink jmcbratney94 https://padlet.com/jmcbratney94/autonomy/wish/176672033 What is motivation, how motivation works, and how to create intrinsic motivation instead of extrinsic motivation. ]]> 2017-06-16 14:23:43 UTC https://padlet.com/jmcbratney94/autonomy/wish/176672033 Motivation Questions jmcbratney94 https://padlet.com/jmcbratney94/autonomy/wish/176672423 1. Do my students feel they understand more when the learning is driven by them?
2. How does autonomy affect student motivation?
3. How can I use inquiry as a tool for autonomy and creativity?
4. Do my students perform better when they are intrinsically motivated? ]]> 2017-06-16 14:27:32 UTC https://padlet.com/jmcbratney94/autonomy/wish/176672423 How Teachers can Create Autonomy jmcbratney94 https://padlet.com/jmcbratney94/autonomy/wish/176674745 In an article title "Supporting Autonomy in the Classroom: Ways Teachers Encourage Student Decision Making and Ownership" in "Educational Psychologist," the authors discuss the various benefits of implementing autonomy in the classroom: 

"Teachers high in autonomy support listened to the students more often and allowed students to handle and manipulate the instructional materials and ideas more often..."

"Autonomy-supportive teachers were less likely to give solutions or use directives...Compared with their controlling counterparts, Autonomy-supportive teachers described specific attempts to support intrinsic motivation, such as creating a student-centered atmosphere, encouraging student initiative, nurturing competence, and using noncontrolling communication, as well as attempts to promote internalization by providing rationales and promoting the valuing of the task."

"Autonomy support benefits achievement and motivation...Weinert and Helmke found a positive relationship between autonomy support and achievement in mathematics. Also, autonomy support in the classroom was significantly related to positive attitudes toward learning and on-task behavior."

"Miserandino found that students who perceived themselves as competent and autonomous were more curious, more persistent, more involved, and reported enjoying schoolwork more than students who reported low competence beliefs and low autonomy. "]]> 2017-06-16 14:52:12 UTC https://padlet.com/jmcbratney94/autonomy/wish/176674745 Self-Determination Theory jmcbratney94 https://padlet.com/jmcbratney94/autonomy/wish/176676422 The process of turning an autonomy-supportive environment to autonomous motivation and positive learning outcomes. (Williams, 1998)]]> 2017-06-16 15:12:04 UTC https://padlet.com/jmcbratney94/autonomy/wish/176676422 Autonomy and Creativity in My Classroom jmcbratney94 https://padlet.com/jmcbratney94/autonomy/wish/176676864 To test whether or not my students felt they benefitted from autonomy, I tried two assignments in my MA350 Algebra II/Trig class and asked them to reflect afterward on their experience.

First, early in the spring semester, I deviated from the department's prescribed statistics unit and instead asked my students to develop their own inquiry into statistics. (Link)

Next, near the end of the semester, I decided to give my students a two-part assessment surrounding trigonometry, part 1 was a traditional assessment determining the competency of their trig skills the second an autonomous exercise. (Link)]]> 2017-06-16 15:17:52 UTC https://padlet.com/jmcbratney94/autonomy/wish/176676864 Classroom Experiment #1 jmcbratney94 https://padlet.com/jmcbratney94/autonomy/wish/176677634 This video is a demonstration of a traditional approach I took to discuss trig functions in my classroom.]]> 2017-06-16 15:29:46 UTC https://padlet.com/jmcbratney94/autonomy/wish/176677634 Classroom Experiment #2 jmcbratney94 https://padlet.com/jmcbratney94/autonomy/wish/176677670 At the conclusion of part 2 of my assessment, I asked the students to discuss what they did with each other.]]> 2017-06-16 15:30:29 UTC https://padlet.com/jmcbratney94/autonomy/wish/176677670 Intervention jmcbratney94 https://padlet.com/jmcbratney94/autonomy/wish/176677740 From the traditional approach, I then tasked my students with an autonomous activity (part 2 trig assessment) ]]> 2017-06-16 15:31:30 UTC https://padlet.com/jmcbratney94/autonomy/wish/176677740 Students Thoughts and Reflections jmcbratney94 https://padlet.com/jmcbratney94/autonomy/wish/176677905 After Statistics Project:
"I think that the stats project demonstrated the real-life applications and show a deeper understanding of the concept. You have to apply the technical/formulaic aspects into the real world"

"I wish we could do more projects like this. I didn't actually feel like I understood the different measures of spread until I was using data that I actually collected."

"I really liked that everyone chose a topic that related to their own lives. It was so cool to see what a wide range of topics statistics applied to.

After Trig Assessment Part 2:
"I think part 2 [was more motivating] because it was fun to try to apply what we had learned to life outside of math class and it was cool to see sine graphs in real life!"

"Part 2 was a good demonstration of our understanding because we had to take what we had learned and apply it to the real world accurately."

"Part 2 because I found my topic most motivating. I set out to use the skills I've learned in this class to express my data."]]> 2017-06-16 15:32:52 UTC https://padlet.com/jmcbratney94/autonomy/wish/176677905 Conclusions: Reflection on Teaching Philosophy jmcbratney94 https://padlet.com/jmcbratney94/autonomy/wish/176677989 2017-06-16 15:33:47 UTC https://padlet.com/jmcbratney94/autonomy/wish/176677989 References jmcbratney94 https://padlet.com/jmcbratney94/autonomy/wish/176678013 2017-06-16 15:34:07 UTC https://padlet.com/jmcbratney94/autonomy/wish/176678013 Importance of Autonomy jmcbratney94 https://padlet.com/jmcbratney94/autonomy/wish/176699997 An article in the SiSAL Journal did a study assessing the level of interest from teachers in promoting autonomy in the classroom and their ability to do so. Here's what they had to say:

"In conclusion, the results show that despite the common interest in learner autonomy teachers are not necessarily provided with sufficient information in teacher training texts to develop an understanding of learner autonomy, at least not at a practical level. This is likely to extend to those working in self-access centers. Without such an understanding, perhaps it is not surprising that we often find learners struggling to develop as autonomous learners. One implication of this is that materials writers need to pay more explicit attention to the ways in which teachers can develop learner autonomy and provide beginning teachers with more information about autonomy and, in particular, with specific guidance and examples of how to foster autonomy in and outside of the classroom."

Perhaps we as teachers aren't doing enough to promote autonomy in the classroom, perhaps we also aren't prepared enough to do so. This helps me recognize the importance of digging into theory and literature surrounding student autonomy and to try as much as possible to find ways to provide that opportunity in my class.]]> 2017-06-16 21:19:43 UTC https://padlet.com/jmcbratney94/autonomy/wish/176699997 WATCH ME FIRST! jmcbratney94 https://padlet.com/jmcbratney94/autonomy/wish/176728871 2017-06-17 16:29:10 UTC https://padlet.com/jmcbratney94/autonomy/wish/176728871