Jessica CavallaroTable of Contents
The essence of the Agile framework is working in diverse teams to complete large projects in small increments. By working together, moving one piece at a time, teams practice reflective practices on their actions and processes to ensure that they are working efficiently and effectively. This is the magic of agility and what has made the framework so popular in software design and many other professional settings.
This rhythm of work- collaborating, learning, applying, and reflecting easily transfers into future-forward classrooms. When teachers implement this in classrooms, no matter the age or content, students learn valuable life skills and can truly engage and understand their learning. Agile classrooms allow students the opportunity to learn the AI-proof skills they will need to navigate their world and develop into empathic, independent critical thinkers.
Essential Skills Learned in the Agile Classroom
One of the most important skills children need when developing is the ability to reflect on their actions and how they affect the world around them. In recent years, education has invested valuable resources of time and money to teach the skill of reflection but often makes the mistake of direct instruction without authentic opportunities for application. In these cases, students hear the words and may understand the importance but do not get a chance to practice and grow organically.
Agile classrooms provide this space daily because the framework is based on honest communication with the team and yourself. In Agile classrooms, students learn not only the content but the essential skill of reflection. The practice of reflection is organic to the process of learning and quickly becomes a skill that students employ in and outside of the classroom.
The opportunities to establish and develop reflective practices help students learn communication, self-awareness, critical thinking, and decision-making skills. These are the essential skills that our students will need to proficiently navigate advances in technology and the new ways professionals work.
Stand-Up Meetings & Agility
The benefits of employing Kanban boards in the classroom are extraordinary. They help student teams organize their work, manage their time, and scaffold communication between students that may struggle otherwise. Kanban boards are also essential because they facilitate group reflections.
At the beginning of every class, Agile students do not have to wait for teacher instructions. They meet in front of their Kanban board and check in with each other about the process of work. This is called a Stand-Up Meeting. In this daily meeting, the students ask each other three questions.
- What did we accomplish yesterday?
- What will the team accomplish today?
- Are there any impediments that teachers need to address?
Benefits of Stand-Up Meetings in the Agile Classroom
In this brief amount of time, students hold each other accountable for their actions and choices the day before. It serves as an opportunity for students to personally reflect on their work and spend time as a team discussing how to better refine their practices.
By reflecting on their own experiences and how they react to different situations, students can gain a better understanding of their strengths and weaknesses. This knowledge can help them make better decisions and understand their motivations.
The questions prompt reflection on their own experiences and help them analyze the outcomes. Through this practice, students can learn how to make better decisions in the future. This skill is essential for success in all areas of life, as good decision-making can lead to better outcomes and opportunities. These skills are necessary, especially as our students develop through K-12 education.
Student-Led Learning in the Agile Classroom
Teachers must design student-focused Agile classrooms. We encourage students to take ownership of their actions and to drive their learning journey. Student teams often start with necessary content but find unique and interesting ways to apply their newly found content to solve the problem they are working on. By providing opportunities for students to build their learning path and ways to apply knowledge in ways that interest them, students must think critically about their work.
When students are responsible for finding solutions, they must enter the cycle of Plan, Do, Check, and Act. This is where students use the information they have to make a prediction, plan how to implement that new knowledge to solve a problem, gather further information, work through their proposed solution, and reflect on the outcomes. Students often have to pivot during this cycle as they find new information that challenges the ideas they began with.
Essential Learning Reflective Practices
An Agile classroom embeds reflection into the process and becomes a natural step students take as they try to integrate new knowledge into the schema. When students are actively reflecting on their experiences, they are more engaged in the learning process.
This engagement can lead to greater interest in the subject matter, and they are more likely to retain information and apply it in future situations. Since the teacher is not providing all of the content and the answers, the students must problem solve in real-time, building important AI Proof skills while refining the process of personal and group reflection.
By reflecting on their experiences, students can analyze what happened, why it happened, and what they could do differently next time. This process of critical thinking helps students become more analytical and better at problem-solving. Students can apply these skills to any subject matter, and they are essential for success in all areas of life.
Collaboration and Teamwork
Agile classrooms emphasize collaboration and teamwork. Students are encouraged to work together on projects and assignments and to support each other in their learning. Work is often completed in student-created teams. The process of creating these teams begins with students reflecting on their best qualities and skills. A team leader then uses the information gathered to anonymously pick teams based solely on the provided strengths. This requires each student to have an understanding of how they work, what their strengths are, and how those strengths can compliment others to create an effective team.
When work begins, the team must constantly communicate, collaborate and share new information during the unit. Each team member is equally responsible to help drive the team forward to find a solution to the Wide-Open Question. This pursuit of knowledge requires that students be reflective in their work and learning. The information must be evaluated, plans change as team members find new information, and predicted outcomes shift along the learning journey. This approach to learning provides students with opportunities to reflect on their experiences and to learn from each other.
Development of Metacognition
The metacognitive and reflective practices in collaborative teams are genuine and authentic. Students learn how to learn, think, and work with others in important social contexts. Instead of isolating these skills in a singular lesson, students use them daily and are constantly given opportunities to refine and deepen their personal growth as learners in the world. Reflective practices also help students improve their communication skills.
When students reflect on their experiences, they can articulate their thoughts and feelings more effectively. This skill is essential for effective communication, whether it is in a classroom setting or in a future career
In Summary
Agile classrooms provide opportunities for students to establish and develop reflective practices that will benefit them in all areas of their lives. By engaging in authentic reflection, students can improve their learning outcomes, develop critical thinking skills, become more self-aware, improve communication skills, increase engagement in learning, improve decision-making skills, and increase resilience.
Teachers can incorporate reflective practices into their classrooms by providing opportunities for students to reflect on their experiences and providing guidance on how to effectively engage in reflection. By doing so, teachers can help students become more effective learners and better equipped to succeed in all areas of life.
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