One concept that I has been more frequently used of late is the term "Kaizen." It is a Japanese word which means many small changes over time will yield big results. With the beginning of the new school year creeping (or galloping depending on your point of view) closer, I am thinking of specifically incorporating the practice of kaizen into my classes. I think it fits remarkably well with education and with the idea of students, the class and the school will improve with the collective efforts of all participants.
In our PBL program, it would be a natural progression to include students being able to use their knowledge of the expected learning, along with experiences and community contacts to suggest changes or additions to the lesson or unit. They can use the strategy of Kaizen to create a more personalized assignment or assessment. In the past, we have encouraged students to take control of their learning, but having the term as a touchpoint makes it easier to communicate what exactly we expect.
As teachers, it seems our role in creating an atmosphere in our classroom where Kaizen can flourish is to be more transparent about our plans, activities and the structure of each unit. The challenge for us will be to make it organic and to truly embrace the changes which will make it a better, more effective learning environment.
No comments:
Post a Comment