Over the summer I began work on updating the lesson plans on this website and started thinking more about all of the characteristics I’d want to see in a truly effective learning activity. Sitting in my kids’ classrooms this week for Back to School night and in my own current work with adult learners, it struck me how, though the content and materials used will change, what makes for a good learning experience in kindergarten is the same as what makes a good learning experience for adults.
Collaboration, engagement, meeting learners where they are. We know these things make a difference.
Any single lesson is unlikely to include all of these characteristics, but as I’m planning, I want to consider each of these, to look for places where technology might deepen a learning experience, for opportunities for the learners to make some choices, to connect the learning to students’ interests and experience.
And, most importantly – I think – is sparking learner’s curiosity, to get them interested in learning more. Because isn’t that our ultimate goal? To create life-long learners so that the learning doesn’t stop when they leave the classroom?
