Your think pieces serve as a structured analytic space to engage deeply with course texts and ideas. They are not a summary. We encourage you to engage the authors’ arguments in your own words, explicate specific passages in the text, draw connections to your own lived experiences, and offer your own interpretations and questions, particularly as it relates to your and our collective creation and design. We will also provide a set of questions to inspire thinking, especially for those who might need a catalyst for writing. Think pieces should be at least 1 page single-spaced (or between roughly 500 and 750 words). Additionally, we are offering a video or audio recording of this think piece. If you choose to submit a recording, it should be no longer than 5 minutes. If you are uploading a recording, please do so to your Google Drive first, then share a link of that recording with us.
Think Piece #2 will focus on this larger theme of what you notice and witness about classroom environments for learning are designed, particularly in what works well versus what does not and what kinds of routine, practices, and norms sustain humanizing, equitable, and dignifying learning environments. As you write your think piece, hold for the following experiences we’ve had across Modules 1-3. For context, we’ve explored the following:
- Our reflections on has and has not been conducive for learning in various classroom environments.
- Framing for our work as designers provided by the Philip, Bang, & Jackson (2018) article.
- Context for how teachers structured social relations in Gloria Ladson-Billings’ Dreamkeepers, a yearlong ethnographic study published in the early 90s.
- A design study that offered insights about how a summer program cultivated social and ecological relations grounded in Indigenous practices and ways of knowing by Barajas-López & Bang (2018)
- Emergent foundational understandings about the following concepts as provided in Walker & Barry’s (2022) readings: behavior, behavior management, classroom management, engagement, instruction, and motivation.
- Ballenger’s (2009) research based narrative about teachable moments, which provides an opportunity to apply the foundational concepts (Walker & Barry) into practice.
- Muhammad’s Cultivating Genius, Part 2/Chapters 3 and 4, which focuses on how we can cultivate identity and skill within our classrooms as we consider the role that behavior has in those contexts and how we design in ways that account for it within our learning environments.
We know and recognize that these readings draw from vastly different contexts; however, we are interested to see how the collection of artifacts we’ve explored is framing your understanding about how classroom environments for learning are and can be cultivated.
Consider these focus questions to guide your writing:
- Which significant ideas or questions from the readings speak to you most and why when it comes to defining behavior and understanding how learners engage in learning environments? How do you understand those concepts? Which theoretical ideas fell short or left you questioning as it relates to understanding learners in traditional classroom environments and contexts? We encourage you to write about what you find to be insightful and what you find to be puzzling.
- How are you engaging with the ideas presented across the modules (readings, presentations, etc) in conversation with one another?
- What new questions did these readings and information presented in the modules arise when it comes to defining and understanding behavior, and in understanding learners in traditional classroom environments and contexts?
- How will you ensure that what you are doing considers the role of power, identity, and social location as we cultivate learning environments grounded in equitable practices and a just present and futures?
- What connections are you making between your learning process, readings, personal and professional experiences, and your understanding about designing, cultivating, sustaining, and facilitating classroom environments for learning?
Do not be afraid to float a “half-baked” idea—think pieces provide a space to work through ideas and questions on paper.
| Think Piece Rubric | ||
|---|---|---|
| Criteria | Ratings | Pts |
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Think Piece Response
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10 pts
Yes, Fully
This think piece was thorough, thoughtful, analytical and metacognitive in its reflections of the focus questions and the connections to the course discussions, lectures, readings, and lived experiences. 9 pts
Yes, Partially
While the think piece was thorough and thoughtful, there was a vague analytical connection to the readings and/or lectures as it relied primarily on lived experiences. 8 pts
Partially
While the think piece was thoughtful, there were no connections to the readings and/or lectures as it relied solely on lived experiences. 7 pts
No
The think piece did not demonstrate a thorough or analytical reflection of the focus questions and connections to the course discussions, lectures, readings, and/or lived experiences. 5 pts
Did not attempt.
No think piece was submitted. |
/ 10 pts
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| Total Points: 0 |