Student Voices from Elementary Modern Classrooms
Welcome to the Modern Classrooms Project Podcast. Each week we bring you discussions with educators on how they use blended, self-paced, and mastery-based learning to better serve their learners. In this episode, Zach Diamond is joined once more Marlene Tapia-Garcia, this time with three of her 1st grade bilingual Math students to discuss how her students enjoy the variety of learning activities, including math games and videos, and appreciate the flexibility to work at their own pace.
This conversation emphasizes the importance of growth mindset, error correction, and partner work in fostering a love for learning and academic success. The students express their enthusiasm for the MCP model and their confidence in their learning abilities.
Here are three key takeaways from this podcast episode:
Fostering a Growth Mindset: The classroom emphasizes a growth mindset, encouraging students to view mistakes as learning opportunities. "It's okay to make a mistake," one of the students, Olivia, states, "because … when we make a mistake a friend says, 'You can do it!'“
Balancing Digital and Hands-on Learning: This learning model effectively integrates digital learning resources (videos, online games) with hands-on activities like games and manipulatives. "They work in partners, so they're discussing their thinking, and that helps increase the learning of the students," explains Marlene, highlighting the importance of a balanced approach.
Empowering Self-Guided Learners: The model empowers students to become self-guided learners.. This autonomy fosters a sense of ownership and responsibility for their learning.
This conversation provides a powerful example of how a mastery-based, blended-learning, and self-paced model can create a dynamic and engaging learning environment that cultivates a love of learning and empowers young students to become independent learners.
Discussion questions for PLC and PD:
How can you effectively foster a growth mindset in your classroom, particularly when dealing with challenging concepts or when students encounter setbacks?
How can you effectively integrate digital and non-digital learning experiences to create a balanced and engaging learning environment for your students?
How can you empower students to become more self-directed learners within your classroom?
Our Host
Zach Diamond studied Music History and Theory at Oberlin College and received a Masters of Music in Music Education from Boston University. He taught music for five years in Lima, Peru, and is currently a Middle School music teacher at DC International School, a language-immersion school where he teaches in Spanish. He began implementing the Modern Classrooms Model in the 19-20 School Year and enthusiastically continues his work with the organization as a mentor and podcast producer.
Our Guest: Marlene Tapia García
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