CSLE, EDLD 5313 Creating Significant Learning Environments, growth mindset, My students, Teaching1 Comment

Do You Have a Growth Mindset ‘yet’?

Brent Mischnick

Dweck’s (2007) book was a great introduction to the start of my journey in the DLL program back in August. It reminded me of the different ways my students may respond to being challenged in my classroom. As I began to reread the book, I almost thought for a minute that Dr. Dweck had been following me around and writing about students in my classroom. I noticed stories that reminded me of a few of my students this school year and how entrenched they are in a fixed mindset. I knew that the majority of my classroom is filled with … Continue reading Do You Have a Growth Mindset ‘yet’?

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Understanding by Design

Brent Mischnick

Learning focused is the best way to describe what I have just created. Being asked to use the UbD template has been an eye-opening experience, to say the least. It forced me to think backward and forget about task completion and focus on learning and growth. I did not know what to expect during this process, but I now know just how much I have focused on the completion of tasks in my classroom. The UbD template has given me the open door needed to start to change how my classroom and flow of learning continues.  Previously, I was asked … Continue reading Understanding by Design

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My Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG)

Brent Mischnick

Over the course of the first three and a half classes in the Digital Learning and Leading program at Lamar University, I have found my classroom to be lacking in so many areas. First, I realized how fixed the mindset of my students and even I was at times. Then I realized just how narrow sighted I have been as I began to create my innovation plan. The more I learn, the more I want to learn about how to give my students the learning environments they deserve. During this course that focuses on creating significant learning environments for the … Continue reading My Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG)

CSLE, EDLD 5313 Creating Significant Learning Environments, Teaching1 Comment

How Do You Learn?

Brent Mischnick

Learning, what is it really? As I reflect on some of the ideas that I have going through my head right now, I wonder what direction I am going in? I have such a strong belief in learning and helping my students learn in many different ways, I wonder if I have been falling short by not really knowing my own personal learning philosophy. There are so many things to consider, but I have to understand the types of learning theories before I can help my guide, my students, learning. After a lot of research, I seem to find myself … Continue reading How Do You Learn?

CSLE, EDLD 5313 Creating Significant Learning Environments, growth mindset, Innovation Plan, My students, Teaching2 Comments

Creating Significant Learning Environments

Brent Mischnick

My classroom is a place of learning, but is it true learning at its best? After reading, A New Culture of Learning: Cultivating the Imagination for a World of Constant Change by Brown & Thomas (2011), I have realized just how far away my students are from the new culture of learning that they require. How can I move my students into the mode of learning that they need to be successful in a technology-rich world? I believe that as a teacher, I have enormous control over if and when my students become curious and passionate about learning. As I … Continue reading Creating Significant Learning Environments

EDLD 5305 Disruptive Innovation in Education, Innovation Plan, literature review, My students, Teaching2 Comments

Blended Learning: Changing the Classroom For The Better

Brent Mischnick

Introduction The role of the teacher has changed because of the integration of technology in the classroom (Horn, 2015). This change has started a new revolution called blended learning. Blended learning is not a new term and is defined in many ways. Most would describe blended learning as the combination of face to face instruction and student-paced technology-based instruction. It must also include the student being in charge of the time, place and location of their learning (Maxwell, 2016). There are many forms and models of blended learning being used in education today, although I will not be discussing all … Continue reading Blended Learning: Changing the Classroom For The Better

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Blended Learning or Bust?

Brent Mischnick

Blended Learning has so many facets and possibilities, yet there are so many schools that are not attempting to implement it. Well, I plan to change that at least at the school that I can control. I have created an innovation proposal to show my principal and hopefully will be the first step to a blended learning model coming to a classroom that I teach in! Dear Ms. Turner, I see an unbelievable opportunity to level up in my classroom and I would like to share it with you. I believe that the level of student engagement and the need for … Continue reading Blended Learning or Bust?

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Choosing an Innovation Plan

Brent Mischnick

This may be the first indecision that I have had in my first three courses during my DLL journey. I know that this innovation plan does not need to be started now and this is just the beginning of a long process to implement and refine my plan, but I still am showing some anxiety as I go through the decision process. After reading Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools by Horn & Staker I believe I may have come to some conclusions. My school has been blessed with 1 to 1 Chromebooks in fourth and fifth grade, but … Continue reading Choosing an Innovation Plan

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The Journey Continues…

Brent Mischnick

I began my next course in my DLL journey this past week and find myself overwhelmed with ideas for my upcoming innovation plan. I keep asking myself, what do I want to accomplish in my classroom, school or district that can disrupt the traditional model that I get frustrated with on a daily basis? I just want to try to implement so many ideas and I need to get a better focus on what my direction should be to best help, my students. Being that my classroom is 1 to 1 with Chromebooks and having access to a school license … Continue reading The Journey Continues…

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My DLL Journey…

Brent Mischnick

Can it really be the end of the second course already in my DLL journey? I reflect on what I have experienced so far and sometimes it is just a blur. Then I really reflect by writing a blog post on here and realize what the beginning of this journey has meant to me so far. It has given me direction in my classroom and the guts to try new things with my students (like introducing the growth mindset). I know that I have a long way to go before I can say that my classroom is a COVA model, … Continue reading My DLL Journey…