Mrs. D’s Design Superpowers

My official K-12 classroom teaching career began in September 2006, and my practice and identity have gone through an evolution in the subsequent 16 years. I bring collected and honed superpowers to the table when designing and engaging in learning experiences. These superpowers can be organized into four foundational areas.

Superpower #1: Making Connections

Making real, human connections with students is the single most important superpower in my toolbox. Regardless of the specific context, the human element, the learners, are the heart and soul of all learning experiences, regardless of the specific context. Students who have the opportunity to see their teachers as real people with strengths, struggles, vulnerabilities, a sense of humour, and more, are in turn better able to engage in the vulnerability of learning. As Carrington (2019) argued, “kids won’t learn from people who they think don’t like them. They will learn from your positive relationship with them, which is absolutely critical …” (p. 19). Intentionally designing learning to include time to make real, human, positive connections with students is an integral component of my practice. 

Superpower #2: Questioning the Status Quo

Freire (2015) asserted that human beings are not inherently neutral beings that adapt to the objective world, and upon this realization, “it becomes possible to take responsibility for ourselves as transformer beings” (p . 8). The human world is organized and operated according to guiding principles that are rooted in outdated structures of power and oppression, which carry over into public education systems. Jandrić and McLaren (2021) contended that alarmist views of pandemic learning losses should be viewed with caution as the standardized instruments used to measure the alleged learning loss are entrenched in the “neoliberal educational paradigm which, by its own virtue, significantly contributes to existing (pre- and post-Covid-19) inequalities” (p. 2). By adopting a healthy curiosity and attitude of questioning about what is being done in the classroom, and why, it is possible to identify automatic or entrenched practices that may not contribute to effective learning and instead work to implement 21st century tools and pedagogies.

Superpower #3: Differentiating for All

Adopting the three principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework has been central to designing learning experiences for all students in my care. By providing multiple means of engagement, multiple means of representation, and multiple means of action and expression as laid out in the UDL framework (CAST, n.d.), I am able to effectively differentiate and provide inclusive, accessible learning experiences for all learners. The UDL framework is a beloved tool in my design repertoire, and has encouraged the development of other superpowers including, but not limited to: utilizing alternative means of assessment, exploring various digital and assistive technologies, allowing for student agency and choice, and creating optimal environments to maximize learning. As public education systems are increasingly affected by political ideologies, decreased funding, and increased student complexity, the UDL framework will undoubtedly continue to be utilized by teachers.

Superpower #4: Engaging in Reflection

Mindfully engaging in reflection about teaching and learning is central to my practice before, during, and after cycles of instruction and assessment. Loughran (2002) attested to the importance of identifying a purpose for reflection and viewing one’s practice from the perspective of others in order to question built-in assumptions. Furthermore, because of the increasing use of technology in education as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, engaging in reflection has also enabled me to adopt a critical digital pedagogy (Morris, 2018) into my teaching practice; a mindset that questions how I am using technology, why I am using technology, and the assumptions I make about technology. Like the UDL framework, reflection will continue to be an important tool for teachers as education systems adapt to the needs of 21st century learners.

References

Carrington, J. (2019). Kids These Days: A Game Plan for (re) connecting with Those We Teach, Lead, & Love. FriesenPress.

Centre for Applied Technology (n.d.). The UDL Guidelines. https://udlguidelines.cast.org/?utm_source=castsite&lutm_medium=web&utm_campaign=none&utm_content=aboutudl  

Freire, P. (2015). Pedagogy of Indignation. Routledge.

Jandrić, P., & McLaren, P. (2021). From learning loss to learning opportunity. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 1-9, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2021.2010544 

Loughran, J. J. (2002). Effective reflective practice: In search of meaning in learning about teaching. Journal of Teacher Education, 53(1), 33–43. 

Morris, S. M. (2018). Critical Instructional Design. In An Urgency of Teachers. Pressbooks.