Classroom Technology Trends

Classroom Technology Trends

By: Bunmi Akintonde, PGY-1 Community Practice Resident

Safeway Pharmacy/University of Maryland

The traditional route of education of lecturer to student has changed greatly within the last two decades. With the new ideas of “online” learning, active learning, and gaming in the classroom settings worldwide, learning will never be the same. Today’s students are more digital savvy than ever before. With the rise of social media constantly fighting for an everyday learner’s attention, teachers have learned how to incorporate technology through their creation of lesson plans and homework exercises for their students.

An article written by a google associate, explores the different types of technological trends that can affect education immensely in this era. ³ The first is virtual reality. Google has already started to transform classrooms so that learners are able to learn complex problems in their own individual way. Imagine a pharmacy student being able to see how different antiarrhythmic medications they recommend are working on the heart in real time. ³

        The second is the 3-D printing phenomenon that is currently becoming more affordable for consumers. The idea of 3-D printing in education is giving opportunities for thinkers to think out of the box. An example of 3-D printing used in education is an engineering student being able to print a prototype or a chemistry student printing out models of molecules. Learners are able to transform from traditional thinkers to innovative ones, which may be a huge support for the IT generation. ³

        The third technology trend is the IoT (Internet of things) aka internet of objects approach. This technology trend supports the idea that the number of connected technologies will continue to grow exponentially in this era. The number of devices that will continue to connect to the internet will go from billions to trillions by the year 2020. ³This type of technology allows for objects in classrooms to interconnect through the data systems and subsequently connect to the learner. It essentially will make objects smart and be able to interact with the everyday learner.

        The fourth technology is the wearable technology that has been an innovation on increasing what a learner can wear. This type of technology is extremely useful in tracking the step of students in athletic classes or finding students’ locations while on a field trip through GPS. This type of learning can also promote interest in students. Recently, MIT held a workshop to girls in order to introduce them to the realm of mechanical and electrical engineering. ³

        The final technology is a technology powered by engineers, robotics. Robotics is already starting to serve a hands-on role in the classroom. This technology has sparked a lot of interest especially in the special education student is able to engage any learner. For example, a number of pharmacy schools are using a robot “Simman”. This simman is able to present with a range of medical conditions.  The simman provides students with a real-world example while making drug therapy recommendations in real time to a patient’s disease state. For students, it provides decision making and communication skills. This technology already used in a number of different professions continues to serve as an amazing gift to education. ²

        The speed in education and technology is phenomenal. It provides an educator with different integration techniques in engaging their students. It presents new ideas, but also presents challenges such as training teachers to incorporate the technology into lesson plans and the ability of schools to afford the technology. It is growing faster than an educator is to keep up. It is the responsibility of all educators to continue to research these trends and keep up on their development before finding themselves in an Iot classroom! ²

        My personal experience with technology has been great. I have actually experienced a virtual reality course while completing my masters at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. It is my most impactful and memorable learning experience to date.  My learning style has never supported the traditional style of education. For visual and innovative learners like myself, the creation of these new technologies in education will serve a great purpose. I am in high hopes that this change will occur in the next 10 years particularly in the science and engineering classrooms. The challenge remains as to get all educators on board to accepting and incorporating these technologies in their lesson plans.

 Citations

1)    CP Lim, Y Zhao, J Tondeur, CS Chai Bridging the Gap:Technology trends and use of technology in schools. Educational Technology …, 2013 - JSTOR

2)   Kim, M. C., Hannafin, M. J. and Bryan, L. A. (2007), Technology-enhanced inquiry tools in science education: An emerging pedagogical framework for classroom practice. Sci. Ed., 91: 1010–1030. doi:10.1002/sce.20219

3)   https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2015/12/5-tech-trends-could-supercharge-education-2016?amp

4)   Ning, H. and Hu, S. (2012), Technology classification, industry, and education for Future Internet of Things. Int. J. Commun. Syst., 25: 1230–1241. doi:10.1002/dac.2373

Becoming Lifelong Learners

By Sara Zifa, PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Resident

MedStar Union Memorial Hospital

Throughout this Educational Theory Course, we have learned different educational theories that mostly revolved around rewards as motivation for learning. In most cases, this reward would come in the form of a letter grade on a transcript or report card. While this method works almost as a bribe in getting students to learn the material, it is not certain that this information will be retained for very long. This is because once the award is achieved, there is no longer any incentive to review the material, perfect the skill or remember it in the future. Pure curiosity is what motivates students to go home and keep working on a project even after a grade has already been submitted for it. Curiosity is also vital for students to become lifelong learners, which encourages them to continue to grow and seek more information well after they complete the semester or graduate. The Self-Determination Theory (SDT) predicts that a students’ motivation to learn is determined by three main factors; autonomy, competence and relatedness¹.

What is Self-Determination Theory? 

SDT proposes the idea that extrinsic rewards may weaken student’s natural interest in the topic as they become less interested in the reward². Conversely, motivation increases as autonomy and intrinsic rewards increase¹. For this reason, SDT theory encourages educators to increase options for students, allowing them to make more decisions and thus increasing their motivation to learn. When students are under the impression that they chose to do something, then they are more likely to take more responsibility for the product. One way teachers can give off the impression that students are making all the decisions is by assigning projects but giving the students the option to do it any way they like. For example if they are doing a project about the respiratory system, the project can be a poster, a paper model, a story or an essay. Students will choose which way they would like to complete the project based on their own personal interests and strengths. When they don’t feel as though they were forced into doing something then they are less likely to think of excuses as to why they cannot complete it. This also provides the students with an advantage because they can use their strengths to create a project that makes the most sense to them. For example a student who is particularly artistic may draw pictures of the lungs and then realize that he understands the respiratory system much better now.

SDT theory also states that motivation increases when students have a high perception of their own competence level¹. When students perceive themselves as being proficient at a task or perceive themselves as doing well, they are more likely to work harder and continue to learn more. Conversely, students who feel that they are not succeeding in class are more likely to lose motivation and discontinue studying. Because of this, SDT theory encourages educators to provide unexpected positive feedback to students to improve their motivation to keep learning and growing. The third component of the SDT theory is relatedness. This part of the theory suggests that students feel more motivated to succeed in school when they have a stronger connection with their instructor. This becomes very important for students during middle childhood (ages eight to twelve)³. Educators can do this by becoming more culturally competent, teaching with examples related to the students’ day-to-day life and expressing genuine concern in their students’ life.

By providing more options in the classroom setting, giving positive feedback and taking steps to better understand the students, educators can improve intrinsic motivation. Once students develop a high level of intrinsic motivation, they can go on to maximize their learning ability while in school but then also beyond graduation to become lifelong learners.

Self-Determination Theory, http://selfdeterminationtheory.org/. Accessed 24 September 2017. 

Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior. New York, NY: Plenum.

McCombs, B. Developing Responsible and Autonomous Learners: A Key to Motivating Students. American Psychological Association, http://www.apa.org/education/k12/learners.aspx. Accessed 24 September 2017. 

From Lectures to Team Based Learning

By Ha Phan, PGY-1 Community Pharmacy Resident

Johns Hopkins Home Care Group and Outpatient Pharmacy

The traditional lecture method has been an effective method for communicating theories and ideas to students. Lecturing is disseminating information to large groups of students. After a lecture, students may work in groups and complete discussions on the lecture content. With lecturing going out of style and other learning methods becoming more popular one alternative to the lecture is team based learning.¹

Team Based Learning Defined

Team based learning (TBL) is a strategy that has been used at multiple business schools and in higher learning settings.² During TBL activities a single instructor manages small groups simultaneously in one classroom. This method has gained interest within medical education because it is more likely to increase active learning in the classroom. TBL has been shown to increase student engagement. Thompson et al., studied the implementation of team based learning at ten different medical schools and reviewed factors that affected the use of TBL. The study found that the schools that desire to implement TBL and have the faculty/staff that support this design will continue the implementation efforts. TBL consists of three phases. The first phase is where the student reads and studies the material independently. In the second phase, learners are individually assessed on their basic understanding of the material, then assessed again in groups. Once students have grasped the topics from the first two phases, the instructor will move on to the third phase where students work in teams to apply the knowledge introduced in phases 1 and 2. The groups work on the third phase at the same time and then share their answers to the other groups.²

To relate it back to my own pharmacy school experience, at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy (UMB SOP) team based learning has gained popularity since I first enrolled as a first year student. When I was going through the curriculum team based learning included phase 1, but I believe phase 2 was missing where students were assessed on the material from phase 1. The assessment part was the exam that came after phase 3. Phase 3 at UMB consisted of cases and real world application however cases were not worked on real time and were worked on offline and then brought back to the larger group where answers were discussed in groups and then as a larger group. Now, there are all three phases and phase 2 would include a quiz or some kind of knowledge check following phase 1. This aspect is different from when I went through the curriculum. Team based learning is able to meet different learning needs and styles by including social learning (via group work), behaviorism (grading rewards), and constructivism (working in real time as a group).

Limitations of Team Based Learning

TBL has some limitations as some faculty members do not understand the method, or do not feel that the TBL is effective.² In the Thompson, et al study, students were also resistant to peer evaluation.² To a point I think TBL is effective as I have seen components of it but there is always room for improvement. I believe TBL must be strategically scheduled as it is more work for the student than the traditional lecture based style of teaching. If too many TBL sessions are scheduled there may be fatigue and the student may not be putting forth the expected effort that it takes to upkeep TBL.  Would TBL be the only way classes are taught or is traditional lecturing still an effective way of teaching? I think there is always a need for lecturing because I think for some educators it is a better use of time when there is a large class.

As student satisfaction and participation is a limiting factor of TBL, a study done by Frame et al., looked at student perceptions of TBL. They found that TBL should be incorporated early into the curriculum before traditional lecture-based formats so that students may realize the benefits and build team work skills early on.³ I wonder if the outcome of TBL if rewards such as grades were not a part of the process – would it be as effective? I am proud to be a product of TBL, and I hope to grow my skills in facilitating these sessions as a future educator.

1. Redish EF.Teaching the Lecture Method. University of Pittsburgh. 2014. 124 p.
2. Thompson BM, Schneider VA, Haidet P, Levine RE et al,. Team-based learning at ten medical schools: two years later. Medical Education. 2007; 41: 250-257.
3. Frame TR, Cailor SM, Gryka RJ, Chen AM et al,. Student Perceptions of Team-based learning vs Traditional lecture-based learning. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education.2015; 79 (4):1-11. 

If You’re Never Wrong, Are You Ever Right?

By Melissa Fiscus, Pharm.D.

PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Resident

Howard County General Hospital

Almost every day in any student’s educational career, students are assessed on correctness. In elementary school, students are asked to recite the alphabet and perform simple addition. As the years progress, students are assessed on spelling, grammar, complex mathematical formulas, and reading comprehension. Frequently, students are given tests to determine how well they have mastered the topic. In the end, students receive a grade for their efforts, which is a permanent record of how much they did (or didn’t) learn about a topic.

Making mistakes and overcoming failure are natural elements of the learning process for students; however, this culture of regular testing can limit their development. Recently, I read an article by Jeff Cain entitled “The Consequences of Never Being Wrong” which wondered if pharmacy schools permitted safe failure; e.g. the idea that students could fail and learn from their mistakes without affecting their grades. As I read this article, I found myself agreeing wholeheartedly with what Cain described. Frequent testing has conditioned students to do everything to avoid being wrong. Students avoid taking learning risks due to the negative outcomes of failure. For example, if students are wrong on exams, it could hinder their selection to a competitive residency position. If a student is wrong during a class discussion, they might receive a sharp remark from the instructor or snide comments from their classmates. If students are wrong on an academic presentation, they might experience public criticism, embarrassment, and/or a poor grade.¹

With all this negativity associated with failure, it’s no surprise that students do everything to avoid being wrong. This is okay, to some extent, because students must be able to perform their jobs correctly to ensure patient safety. However, Cain notes that an overemphasis on avoiding mistakes comes at the expense of creating better learners.¹ Students may be too scared to voice their questions because they fear the negative consequences of being incorrect. However, when this occurs critical learning opportunities are lost. Good students aren’t the ones who simply know all the facts, they are the ones who know how to critically examine problems and come up with new solutions. If we discourage those students from speaking up, everyone in the classroom loses the benefit of that conversation.

        This concept of open communication and exchange of knowledge relates directly to the constructivism theory of learning. Constructivism views learning as an active, constantly ongoing process. In this theory, the educator is viewed not as an instructor, but as a guide who facilitates learning. Constructivists believe that learning builds upon existing knowledge, and students must be asked to make connections between what they already know to gain new knowledge.² In classrooms that utilize the constructivism theory of learning, students are able to ask questions, recognize their misconceptions, and learn from their mistakes in a positive learning environment.

        As educators, we must try not to stifle these creative conversations by engaging in a little constructivism ourselves. A recent study by Tulis et al. described the error management behaviors used by teachers in classrooms and how it influenced their students. In this study, the authors noted that students’ attitudes toward mistakes are associated with how their teachers manage and respond to mistakes.³ At the conclusion of this study, the authors describe four teacher-specific error management behaviors instructors can utilize to create a positive error culture within their classroom. First, instructors must be willing to acknowledge and discuss students’ mistakes. Second, student errors must be regarded as learning opportunities rather than as negative indicators for performance. Third, instructors must be patient and allow the student to correct the error by him or herself. Finally, instructors should not express annoyance or ridicule students if they make an error.³ Utilization of these techniques will allow students to explain their thought processes, gain confidence, and allow instructors to better understand what caused their miscomprehension in the first place.

        Another strategy for creating a positive error culture is providing students with many opportunities to fail safely. In order to fully grasp difficult concepts, students may need multiple opportunities to be wrong in order to receive proper instructional feedback that helps them solidify their knowledge. Cain offers some suggestions in his article, including frequent quizzes, audience response system questions, case/problem solving activities, and personal problem sets.¹ Inclusion of these strategies allows instructors to feature low-stakes learning opportunities that have little impact on student grades, but can have a large impact on student comprehension.

        As educators, it’s important we don’t equate correctness with true learning. At the conclusion of pharmacy school, we want our students to be knowledgeable clinicians, critical thinkers, and creative problem solvers. Unfortunately, these skills can’t always be learned from reading a textbook or choosing the correct answer on a test. As Cain reminds us at the end of his article, “School should not be a place where students are expected to be right most of the time. School should be a place where you learn to be right. Teaching students how to be right might just mean letting them be wrong even more.”¹

References:

1.   Cain J. The Consequences of Never Being Wrong [Internet]. Pulses. 2017. Available from: https://cptlpulses.com/2017/06/22/consequencesneverwrong/

2.   Kaufman DM. Applying educational theory in practice. BMJ 2003; 326: 213-216.

3.   Tulis M. Error management behavior in classrooms: Teachers’ responses to student mistakes. Teach Teach Educ. 2013; 33: 56-68. Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0742051X13000255

Online Schooling

Saba Mahdavi, Pharm.D., Carroll Hospital PGY1 Pharmacy Resident

Online schooling and online courses are controversial educational topics of twenty-first century. As the name implies, online schools provide virtual classes instead of traditional live classroom settings. Technology plays an important role in our lives and it has become an essential mean of teaching in the past decade. For example, instructors continue to use PowerPoint presentations, educational videos, and pre-recorded lectures. A study was done on 64 students enrolled in criminology classes at Carnegie University.¹ These students were randomly enrolled in either the online course or traditional (live) course. This study found that there was no significant difference between exam scores and student evaluations.¹

Traditional versus Online Course

When talking about online schooling there are many advantages and disadvantages to consider. Students must have well-developed time-management skills and be able to balance work, family/friends, and school to be successful in online courses.¹ An important factor contributing to the success of online classes is students’ characteristics. For example, age, marital status, maturity, and learning styles can impact the outcome.²  Finally, to understand which classroom setting is more effective, we need to look at students’ learning outcomes in each setting.

Online School: Not for Everyone

One of the advantages of online courses is that students are able to manage their time and schedule. They can spend as much time as they need to complete a course work without worrying about slowing down other students. In addition, online courses typically cost less than traditional class settings.³ Also, textbooks may also be provided online, making it even easier and more cost-effective to have access to the course material. Student would not need to spend time and money for transportation as well. Although these are all potential advantages of online courses, they can also be disadvantages for some - students who need re-enforcement and encouragement from the instructor would benefit from being in a traditional classroom. Students might have “fixed” mindsets, especially earlier on in their educations, making it more difficult to use online classes.

Lack of student-teacher interaction can affect students’ outcomes. For some students it might be easier and more effective to ask questions while the instructor is explaining the material in a live setting. While it’s always possible to email the instructor when taking an online course, this can delay the learning process, since the student needs to wait for the instructor’s response. It is also more difficult for instructors to perform an audience analysis in an online course, since instructor does not meet the students face-to-face. In traditional settings, instructors have the opportunity to tailor course material and change their teaching techniques based on more immediate feedback from students in order to improve their learning outcomes.

Traditional School: Not for Everyone

Some students find it helpful to sit in a classroom where they are expected to learn a certain subject at a certain time.¹ Some students will benefit from live classroom settings where they have peers to interact with in the learning environment. Online schools/courses usually require students to communicate with each other through discussion boards or other modalities and students do not have the opportunity to meet each other in person.³

Online courses and assignments can be done anytime. If the student needs to spend more time completing them or has a day job then he/she can start anytime of the day and finish at his/her pace. Some students may lack self-confidence or be too intimidated to participate in discussions or other activities in the face-to-face classroom, and this may detract from their learning experience.

My Experience

Throughout my education I attended different class settings; traditional classrooms, online courses, blended learning, and practical and laboratory classes. Some of the online classes I took were easy to follow and I had reading assignments and discussion boards to participate in. On the other hand, I struggled through other online courses. For example, I took Calculus II online, which was challenging since I didn’t have live classes with a teacher explaining the material. Another example is Medical Ethics online course that I took and I didn’t feel the need of live sessions. I think it all depends on the course and how hands-on the material is.

For instance, patient care ability labs in pharmacy school needs a live environment. These labs usually involve demonstrations provided by the instructors. Also, students benefit from instructors’ feedback when they do the assigned activities. But there are classes that can be presented online, for instance patient communications would be suitable online course since all the assignments and teachings can be done in a virtual environment.

References:

¹ Stack, Steven. (2015) Learning Outcomes in an Online vs Traditional Course, 9(1), accessed online on September 16, 2017, (http://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1491&context=ij-sotl).

² Means, B., Toyama, Y., Murphy, R., Bakia, M., Jones, K. (2010). Evaluation of evidence based practices in online learning: A meta-analysis and review of online learning studies. Washington: U.S. Department of Education.

³ Shachar, M., Neumann, Y. (2003) Differences between traditional and distance education academic performances: A meta-analysis approach. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Education, 4(2), accessed online on September 16, 2017, (http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/153/234). 

Knowing Your Audience with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

by Tejas Patel, PGY-1 Pharmacy Resident, 

MedStar Union Memorial Hospital

Throughout our lifespan we will undoubtedly encounter a variety of personality types. Some we can relate with, others not so much. Psychiatrist Carl Jung theorized that we all have innate preferences, and that differences in these preferences is what sets us apart from others. He believed that we have natural, preferred ways of using our minds and directing energy. In addition, he believed behavioral habits develop as a result of people using their preferences.¹

From Jung’s theory of psychological types came about an instrument for applying his theories called the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). It is a questionnaire that qualitatively assesses an individual’s psychological type when it comes to perception of information and decision-making. There are 16 mutually exclusive personality types, taking into account four different dimensions of personality:

• extroversion vs. introversion
• sensing vs. intuition
• thinking vs. feeling
• judging vs. perceiving²

These four dimensions help answer where we focus/gather our energy, how we take in information, how we make evaluate information to make decisions, and how we organize the external world.³

When it comes to where we get our energy, extroverts pull it from an active environment and feel more energized when they are around other people.² These types are seen as outgoing, comfortable working in groups and like to jump into action. Introverts on the other hand derive their energy from within. They are seen more as reflective or reserved, and are comfortable completing tasks on their own.

When it comes to how we receive sensory input, those with a sensing preference pay more attention to information that they can physically observe through the five senses (seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, and smelling).² Facts, details, experiences and living in the present are key features of this type. The intuition type is interested in new things and future-oriented. This type enjoys starting off seeing the big picture, and would be more interested in theories or symbols as a means to receiving information.

When it comes to making decisions, those with a thinking preference like to analyze options, put emphasis on logic, and are task-oriented. As a result, decisions are made with the head. The feeling personality type takes into account the point-of-view of all persons involved in the situation, where decisions are made with the heart. The feeling personality type are individuals who are good at understanding people, human values, compassion, and empathy.²

Lastly, orientation to the outer world and lifestyle makes up our personality type. Those with a judging preference are more structured, plan ahead, and make lists. As a result, they tend to be more organized and can get unnerved if things do not go according to plan. The perceiving personality type tend to be more spontaneous, flexible, and adaptable to situations or changes. They like to stay open to new experiences and go with the flow.

In the realm of teaching and education, knowing your audience is a key component to effectively conveying information. In the specific scenario of pharmacy students, a majority of students comprise of the ISTJ personality type.⁴ That is to say they tend to have personality types that are more introverted, sensing, thinking and judging in nature. In reality, an instructor could administer an anonymous MBTI-esque assessment at the start of the semester. In turn, the instructor could obtain a better idea of the different personalities that comprise the class. From there, classes could be structured to incorporate differing levels of interactive vs. lecture-based learning. An instructor could also tailor his or her lectures to address both big-picture and detail-oriented aspects to relay the information to their audience. In the end, it is important to incorporate a fair balance in order to hit all the dimension types appropriately. However, better knowing the personality types of your students can help guide you to getting the most potential out of their learning abilities.

References:

1. The Myers & Briggs Foundation. MBTI Basics. http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/. Accessed 2017 Sept 14.
2. The Myers & Briggs Foundation. My MBTI Results. http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/my-mbti-results/home.htm?bhcp=1. Accessed 2017 Sept 14.
3. MBTI. The Power of Personality. https://www.mbtionline.com/AbouttheMBTI. Accessed 2017 Sept 14.
4. Shuck AA and Phillips CR. Assessing Pharmacy Students’ Learning Styles and Personality Types: A Ten-Year analysis. Am J Pharm Educ. 1999; 63: 27-33.

Empowerment of Students

By Rachel Dewberry, PharmD

PGY1 Pharmacy Resident, MedStar Union Memorial Hospital 

What is empowerment?  Empowerment is defined as providing a student with a “sense of confidence, capability, competence, and self-esteem to meet life’s challenges”.¹

We often see students approach learning as an unbearable task, a task that will be incredibly difficult, with a topic where students worry that they are not smart enough to comprehend.¹ How can teachers reverse these thoughts and turn these students into empowered students?

Student empowerment starts with inspiration, encouragement, and recognition from educators.¹ When students gain recognition from educators, students will feel more capable, competent, and willing to continue the path of learning.¹ 

Some literature notes that there are certain strategies of empowerment, backed with research, that impact academic performance.¹ One of these strategies is reinforcement and recognition.¹ We often hear in classrooms the, “good job!” or “way to go!” to show a teachers satisfaction with a students performance. However, research shows this strategy does not work.¹ This strategy lacks explanation of what exactly the student did well on.  Instead, research shows that reinforcement/recognition connected with a standard of achievement, like grades, provides more empowerment to a student. Recognition that is clearly defined, measurable, and that is connected with a grade where a student can recognize their fault is more empowering than the “good job!” model.¹

Further, sometimes as educators, we need to step back and empower our students to take charge of their own learning. Students know their own selves better than any teacher could. They are aware of the things they are confident in, and things that challenge them, along with the dreams they have.² With that said, there are 5 strategies that can help to empower students at any age.

The first strategy is choice.² As educators it is our job to make sure students accomplish certain goals/expectations. However, a teacher could set the end goal for a student and allow the student the choice on which path to take to accomplish the end goal. This allows the students to be their own guide.² Bumps in the road may ensue, but the best type of learning comes from mistakes and corrections.² By identifying the mistakes and acknowledging how to not make the mistake a second time is truly empowering in itself.²

The second strategy is reflection.² Students who actively engage in the learning process need time to reflect on their knowledge and connections. This is essential to retention of material.  Reflection also allows for closure to situations, conversation on what went well and what went wrong, with a lesson naturally being taught in the reflection.² Reflection empowers students to make sense of what they are learning.²

The third strategy is allowing students to be teachers.² By allowing students to be teachers, they will have the opportunity to articulate their knowledge. Students are then given the chance to help others understand a concept, and by doing so, suggests and empowers the student that they too can be the expert on the topic.²

The last strategy is student voice.² “The most valuable voice in the learning environment is that of the student”.² The student is the consumer of the material being taught, and the consumer can provide feedback in regards to if their needs are being met.² By taking students feedback into account, a teacher can build a students trusts and empower the student to think critically about the information they are consuming.²

Students are our future. By empowering students today, we are investing in our future. It can be a challenge to empower students, however, these strategies can help to provide the first step of investing into our future.

1.   Denti L. Proactive Classroom Management [Internet].  Monterey Bay, (CA): Corwin: c2012. Proactive Teaching and Empowering Students: [cited 2017 April 17]; Available from: https://uk.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-binaries/46479_denti_ch_1.pdf

2.   Brennan C. Empower Students: 5 Powerful Strategies [Internet]. Cheny, (WA): The Whole Child Blog; 2012 March 16. Available from: http://www.wholechildeducation.org/blog/empower-students-5-powerful-strategies

3.   Nichols JD. Empowerment and relationships: A classroom model to enhance student motivation. Springer; 2006 Oct 6; 9(2):149-161