Have you ever felt misunderstood? Cue the song by the Animals and start singing, “But I’m just a soul whose intentions are good. Oh Lord, please don’t let me be misunderstood.” I listened to an interview about a month ago and the interviewee made a comment that wouldn’t it be great if we all came with a user manual. I mean, we get instructions on how to operate almost anything in life—cell phone, television, food processor, a car. So, imagine if you could have a user manual on your students.
Don’t misunderstand me, now. I am not suggesting taking away the time necessary to build trust and relationships. I am thinking more along the lines of having students create a user manual for themselves to provide an opportunity for them to think about how they work best and then consider what does not work for them. Let me use me as an example; I know that I am a visual learner. If I am working in a group or listening to a lecture, I need visuals to connect the dots. In the meantime, I don’t want to wait last minute to work on anything. I need time to process what is expected or learned and then I can plan on how to best execute the assignment or assessment.
LESSON PLAN
In my mind, I imagine this being a lesson that lasts a couple of days. First, you can take the opportunity to look at user manuals. I would have students bring in samples or search for some on-line. We would list the common components of a user manual and then discuss some unique differences in specific ones.
SAMPLE USER MANUALS
iPhone
https://iphone8userguide.com/wp-content/uploads/manual/iphone-8-user-guide-ios-11.pdf
PS4
Disney BB8 Droid https://secure.cdn1.wdpromedia.com/dam/disneyland/shops/disneyland/droid-depot/BB-8-Instruction-Sheet-064019.pdf
After we took time to review some user manuals, I would then start having my students think about themselves in a way that allows them to consider instructions for them to be the ultimate student. What are the instructions to provide them with the best inspirational and educational environment? How would I or, better yet, their peers be able to operate with them in a way that would be most beneficial? Think about how helpful this type of information could be to you as their teacher. Even better, I imagine this being invaluable to our students because they have taken time to use metacognition and consider their learning environment. This could lower individual anxieties and improve the tone towards group work.
BENEFIT TO GROUP WORK
Like most of our students, I was not a fan of being put into a work group. I worried that there would be people in my group who would not put in the work that was needed to get the grade that I wanted. As a teacher, I now see that working in collaboration is a necessary skill, so we need to provide small group work in school. There just needs to be structure and guidelines to hold everyone accountable. If I could have joined a group of peers who had a clear understanding of their strengths and challenges, we may have navigated a great plan to attack our project. Each member of the group would feel confident in choosing their role for the group based on their best practices. And, the anxieties of the rest of the group could ultimately be reduced because they knew that each person was right for the job that was assigned to them.
As you consider this idea of a user manual for your students, it might be nice to try this idea out with your department or PLC (professional learning community). Even adults need to take time to think about their best practices while also considering how their colleagues might benefit better in one role versus another. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts.
See You Real Soon,
Erin
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