Learning is not about "getting by"

 For many, learning is strictly limited to in the classroom and trying to find ways to get by and finish a course. However, learning should be an ongoing process, both in the classroom and in life.  Dr. Michael Wesch connects learning to his one year old son learning to walk down the stairs. He falls countless times, but every time, he looks up with a smile, gets up, and tries again. He does this over and over until eventually, he is able to do it. These failures are a part of the learning process. Our youth and students should not be discouraged when they fail. Instead, they should be encouraged, picked up, supported, and encouraged. 

In many school communities, you get one try to do something, whether that be a project or assignment. If you do not do it right, then that's it. You get an "F" and it's over. But why is it like this? What is this teaching our youth about learning? How is this helping them for their futures? Dr. Wesch puts a new perspective on the concept of grading. "You don't just get an F and you're out. Instead, you get a "Not Yet" and some feedback" (15:25). Rather than discouraging our students who are doing their best and trying, we should be encouraging them. If they are not reaching the goals or expectations, we should be doing everything we can to help them get there. Wesch believes that "failure" should be a part of learning. By failure, I do not mean the traditional classroom sense of the word (getting an "F" on a test or assignment), but rather this idea that students will not always get it on the first try, or even the second or third. There will be a lot of trial and error before they get it. But they WILL get it! As educators and youth workers, we need to put our time and efforts into our children and youth to help them understand that learning is not linear. There will be times where they will reach a plateau before they are ready to move to the next step. 

The growth mindset concept of learning, created by Carol Dweck, is the idea that we can learn from our mistakes and failures, rather than avoid them. As educators and youth workers, we need to help our youth understand that when they change the way they think about learning, mistakes and failure, they can change the way that they learn. Students need to be introduced to language that helps them succeed, rather than use language that puts a negative light on them or their learning journey. Relationships with our youth play a huge role in the shifting of mindsets. If we do not have supportive relationships with our students, we cannot try to change their thinking. We first need to build that connection to then help them realize that changing their mindset will result in more opportunities for learning. 

Changing the way we think and talk to ourselves changes the way we learn. 

In Wesch's classes, he does not expect his students to all learn and succeed at the same speed. Some students may need extra support from peers and teachers. This does not mean that they are failing, but rather they are learning. However, students need to be reminded that they should be engaged in learning everyday. "Learning is not something that you just do it and then it's over. It's actually fun so you keep doing it. Even when you succeed, you keep doing it. And the road keeps going" (17:13). 

My personal experiences with learning, especially in middle school and high school, was that I was working to get the "good" grades. If I did not get a "good" grade, then I needed to stay after school to get help, or redo an assignment. However, I was not doing this to learn the content, but rather to get the grade. This video helped me come to this realization. Many of our students are working to get the "good" grades and get into the "good" schools, when in reality, we should be encouraging them to learn and keep learning because it helps them better themselves. In my classroom, I hope to ensure a sense of learning. I try to tell my students that I do not care if they get something wrong. I am there to help them. I would rather them try and get it wrong, then not try out of fear of mistakes. I think this idea came across in Dr. Wesch's talk. It's not about getting things right or wrong, it's about trying, failing, learning and repeating the cycle over and over again. Learning should never end. It should be an ongoing cycle that just keeps on repeating.