LEARNER AGENCY
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Executive Function
Executive function is a major element in ensuring a personalized learning setting is meeting the needs of the learners. Personalized learning requires student and teacher collaboration for successful implementation and guaranteed student achievement. Personalized learning includes responsibility that learners must attain and plan around. Therefore, learners use executive functioning skills to support their learning in a personalized learning setting. Today’s students come from a variety backgrounds and experiences. Many learners develop their learning at school and at home, but some learners are not exposed to experiences that require independent EF skills. Personalized learning classroom are great settings for students to develop their EF skills and show mastery of content through their development.
Strategies that I incorporate in instruction to develop students’ executive functioning skills are embedded within day-to-day routines. Students are provided physical and online notebooks that ensure student assessments and note taking strategies are organized. Furthermore, students also integrate the Cornell method note taking strategy into their notebooks to extend their thinking and processing of new information in the course. Lastly, I include monthly inquiry labs that promote students to flexibility, metacognition, and emotional control. Students often need to be walked through the first monthly inquiry lab, and struggle through their first monthly inquiry lab on their own. However, student begin to adapt throughout the year.
Strategies that I incorporate in instruction to develop students’ executive functioning skills are embedded within day-to-day routines. Students are provided physical and online notebooks that ensure student assessments and note taking strategies are organized. Furthermore, students also integrate the Cornell method note taking strategy into their notebooks to extend their thinking and processing of new information in the course. Lastly, I include monthly inquiry labs that promote students to flexibility, metacognition, and emotional control. Students often need to be walked through the first monthly inquiry lab, and struggle through their first monthly inquiry lab on their own. However, student begin to adapt throughout the year.
Research Based Strategies
Routines
Routines for secondary level aged students are still prevalent in promoting exectutive function skills amongst students. Dawson and Guare explain "we want them to be actively engaged in the process, including the act of defining the problem, generating possible solutions, and thinking about the steps involved in implementing them"(Dawson, 2018).
Cornell Note Taking
Based on students and their accommodations, I modify how they take their notes using the Cornell Note-Taking strategy. Students may be responsible for completing three column Cornell notes, some students may use fill in the blank, and some students may highlight throughout their note taking. Including these multiple opportunities, students can work at a pace their suits their learning progression. Cornell Note-Taking strategy allows students to write down big ideas in the left hand column, and in the right hand column students write down personal reflections. This strategy of note taking is intended to develop students' executive functioning skill of organization and metacognition. Dawson (2018) states that this strategy helps students pay attention and focus on the class. Cornell Note Taking is effective note taking strategy to implement in supporting the executive functioning skills organization and metacognition.
Timers
Time management is crucial for students to practice to complete tasks. Time management is prioritizing task and completion rates by decision making how tasks and when tasks should be completed. Integrating timers into the classroom promote task completion as a class and encourages student efficiently time manage a variety of tasks needed to be completed in the class. A classroom timer is beneficial for students that need motivation in beginning or completing tasks in a timely manner. Atlanta Public Schools mentions that using "five minute" timers for warm up activities provide students opportunities to self regulate themselves and effectively time manage task.
Summary of Research-based strategies
Secondary education requires that students are still in need of assistance with the development of Executive Function skills. Edutopia (2019) states, “Executive function skills are developing well into our teens and 20’s.” The above strategies help support multiple executive function skills such as task-initiation, organizing, and metacognition, flexibility, and emotional control. By integrating classroom routines and Cornell method note-taking strategy, the students have access to organized notes and past assessment that they can reference for content and further learning. Doebel (2019) supports this in her statement "improving executive function in a broad sense is by exercising it in a narrow way." Teachers have to be intentional in their implementation towards developing executive functioning skills. Timers assist in developing students Executive Function skills like time management and task completion.
Technology tools to support Executive Function Skills
Microsoft OneNote
Onenote is a great tool to utilize in providing students the opportunity to make their notebooks digital. Students are able digitally organize their assessments, notes, and more in the platform. Students have easy access to in class notes and activities that are held in the Onenote Class Notebook feature. The artifact above is access to the note page student can access in their Onenote Class Notebook at any time with internet connection. OneNote supports students organizational skills.
Onenote is a great tool to utilize in providing students the opportunity to make their notebooks digital. Students are able digitally organize their assessments, notes, and more in the platform. Students have easy access to in class notes and activities that are held in the Onenote Class Notebook feature. The artifact above is access to the note page student can access in their Onenote Class Notebook at any time with internet connection. OneNote supports students organizational skills.
Integrated Curricula
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The use of Inquiry Lab based projects are intended to aid students in completing step by step procedures with guidance and outlining. Students are challenged to think using the background knowledge they already have from prior lessons and experiences. Background information is also provided to give students a foundation to begin the lab. Students are then walked through procedures on how to set up their Periodic Table. Students periodic table will differ based on the key that they prepare. Students will also follow through each section and are provided with the appropriate supports that help with the completion of long task, organization, self-regulation in a personalized learning environment. Students are also provided a reflection over the Inquiry lab that provides students with a metacognition opportunity.
References
Dawson, P., & Guare, R. (2018). Specific Teaching Routines to Promote Executive Skills Development. Executive Skills in Children and Adolescents: A Practical Guide to Assessment and Intervention (pp. 75–97).
Atlanta Publick Schools (2018) - Addressing Executive Function at the Secondary Level- https://www.atlantapublicschools.us/cms/lib/GA01000924/Centricity/domain/8535/correspondence/White%20paper%20-%20Addressing%20executive%20education%20at%20the%20Secondary%20Level%2008.11_1.pdf
Doebel, S. (2019, May 30). How your brain's executive function works -- and how to improve it [Video]. Youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAC-5hTK-4c
Edutopia. (2019, August 15). What’s Executive Function—and Why Does It Matter? [Video]. https://www.edutopia.org/video/whats-executive-function-and-why-does-it-matter
Helping Students Develop Executive Function Skills- https://www.edutopia.org/article/helping-students-develop-executive-function-skills#:~:text=Some%20easy%20ways%20to%20help,color%2Dcoded%20schedules%20and%20folders.
Atlanta Publick Schools (2018) - Addressing Executive Function at the Secondary Level- https://www.atlantapublicschools.us/cms/lib/GA01000924/Centricity/domain/8535/correspondence/White%20paper%20-%20Addressing%20executive%20education%20at%20the%20Secondary%20Level%2008.11_1.pdf
Doebel, S. (2019, May 30). How your brain's executive function works -- and how to improve it [Video]. Youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAC-5hTK-4c
Edutopia. (2019, August 15). What’s Executive Function—and Why Does It Matter? [Video]. https://www.edutopia.org/video/whats-executive-function-and-why-does-it-matter
Helping Students Develop Executive Function Skills- https://www.edutopia.org/article/helping-students-develop-executive-function-skills#:~:text=Some%20easy%20ways%20to%20help,color%2Dcoded%20schedules%20and%20folders.