The Learning Puzzle and the Importance of "Owning" Your Education

     At what point do students begin to "own" their learning?  From Kindergarten to their fourth year in high school, does it ever sink in that they are a product of their academic investments?  As a former elementary and high school student, I often thought school was a place that was meant to "teach" me something, but many times, I unplugged my mind and my heart and the desire to learn was just not there.  Don't get me wrong, I love learning, but I never fully owned it for my betterment until I was much older.  

    Growing up, my father was fairly strict, especially concerning our education.  I loved taking the hard courses in high school to see if I could understand the subject matter and excel at them.  I was a B- student for the most part, but it wasn't until I learned about life and the value of an education that I began to achieve higher marks and own my learning.  I am about to finish my Master's degree in Native American Leadership in Education with Summa Cum Laude distinction, by the grace of God, and move right into my Ph.D. in Christian Leadership in the not-so-distant future.  Because of the restrictions placed on me by my father, I was never allowed to go beyond an Associate's degree.  The value of education was good, but only if I obeyed what he wanted me to do.  He never fully understood that he was planting a seed of self-doubt and unworthiness in my mind, both of which I had to overcome for more than thirty years.  

    Recently, I started learning about Farrell's "Backwards Model" in my Fundamentals of Curriculum Development course.  He stressed the importance of having students read the text as much as possible, not only to understand the curriculum but also to encourage students to improve reading comprehension.  I have only taught in the schools for a very brief time as a substitute teacher, so I don't have the experience as most do to say whether or not his approach works best.  However, I can certainly see how his approach would be the most effective in teaching self-reliance and encouraging students to "own" their education. Teachers are only one piece of the learning puzzle.  Students must be encouraged to own their educational experience.  Farrell's approach takes them beyond just being a participant, but rather a seeker of academic achievement.  Students who own their learning are not all about getting the "A".  They are actually trying to learn what the text is saying.  They are trying to understand what the author of the text is explaining to them.  Farrell's method of supervising the taught curriculum encourages students to take ownership of their education. Farrell's method aligns written curriculum, taught curriculum, and assessment.  Because the subject matter has a starting place in the text for students to comprehend, the taught curriculum and the assessments support the learning that began in the text.  

    With all of this in mind, I have begun to consider how I will ensure that my students will learn.  Will I use Farrell's "Backwards Model" or another?  At this point, I cannot speculate what will work best for me or my students.  While I taught art in my creation studio, there were no textbooks to guide my students.  I simply presented them with a blank canvas and the materials to create a masterpiece.  Some days were epic failures, but every day there was learning and none of it derived from a textbook.  At this point, I have no opinion if Farrell's "Backwards Model" is the perfect solution to student learning and achievement.  Today's students have a plethora of resources at their fingertips, many of which are technology-based.  I prefer a Montessori approach to learning, one that is student-driven.  I also believe that every student can identify if they have acquired a full understanding of the subject matter and lesson.  Not every life lesson can be taken from a textbook, and the same rule applies to the curriculum.  A science curriculum is best learned by performing experiments, not by reading texts. 

    Every author who writes a book has an agenda.  That agenda is to share knowledge or experience or to simply tell a story.  When I read my Bible, I swallow each word so that I may internalize it in my heart and apply it to my life as I walk with Jesus.  To say that I have learned everything that I have read in it would be a lie.  Every day that I walk with Him, I know that He is beside me and is speaking to me how I should proceed.  As teachers, we are helping students to find their way in their learning, while encouraging them to be the best possible versions of themselves.  Yes, it is important to learn the lessons along the way by "owning" your education, but perhaps we are focusing too much on the product of learning.  I most certainly want to foster learning with my students as best I can, but I also understand they are human and need to walk with the teacher for a little while. These walks can teach more than any textbook ever could.  Students are smart and eventually, they will learn what they need to learn.  Too much pressure, in my opinion, is placed on the outcome of assessment scores and state-generated standardized tests.  These results aim to identify who is failing and who is excelling.  These results go against what God says.  In His eyes, I lack nothing...and that is enough. That standard of learning and identity is what I will teach my students.  They are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus!