Inquiry

Intersecting Technology Education and Mindfulness

Introduction

“Intelligence is a linear process that moves from problem to resolution as quickly as possible in order to achieve a specific desired outcome. In comparison, mindfulness is a process in which the individual steps back from the perceived problem and perceived solutions in order to view the situation in a new and novel way. Therefore, meaning is given to the outcomes through the process.” (Sherretz,  2011).

When I was a high school student I learned many things, most of them through social interaction with my peers and teachers. The thing I remember about that time in my life is not the information that was being taught, but the social skills that came with being there. As a teacher I am interested in giving students not only useful information and technical skills but cognitive skills and strategies to be resilient and open-minded. As teachers it is our job to teach students information that society and the government have approved. To think that that is all we are teaching them would be sorely mistaken. Students rely on school to teach them how to study, how to deal with problems, stress, peers, the list goes on. The realm of social and emotional learning that takes place at school is overwhelming. So, many teachers are getting ahead of the issue and beginning to teach students to do the same.

Inquiry Question and Purpose

How can teachers incorporate mindfulness into technology education? The question of incorporating mindfulness in education is not a fresh topic, but one that resonates with my teaching philosophy. Mindfulness is something that I have only recently begun to practice in my own life and through research realized how it provides positive outcomes when practiced in education. As a technology education teacher I want to focus how to use mindfulness strategies to increase student motivation to work on projects. I think mindfulness can have a large impact on helping students that struggle academically, students like the ones found in technology classes.  I think that incorporating mindfulness in technology education is already a naturally occurring product of high school shops. The relationships students build with their woodwork teacher, or auto teacher are bonds that are strengthen through manual labour and common goals. Teachers that have this natural bond with students go further than course work, they teach students about give and take relationships, the importance of community and healthy self-efficacy. The purpose of my inquiry is to expose those intrinsic social-emotional qualities that are commonly overlooked within technology education and give teachers more quantifiable strategies to include it in their daily routine.

Key Concepts

Wanting to incorporate mindfulness into my classroom is one thing but what are some concrete examples or strategies? There are two very resourceful articles concerning mindfulness within education that I would like to draw on for these concrete strategies. I want to take these quantifiable strategies and relate them to the ‘shop culture’ and teaching philosophy of the technology educator. Within my inquiry I have certain questions or key concepts that I want to explore:

  • What does mindfulness mean?
  • How do teachers incorporate mindfulness into the classroom?
  • Where does mindfulness intersect with technology education?

 

 

Key Findings: What does mindfulness mean?

There are many different interpretations of what mindfulness is and how it relates to educators. Because it is such a broadly defined subject, for the sake of this inquiry, I am going to define mindfulness by the standard of these two articles;

  • Mindfulness in Education: Case Studies of Mindful Teachers and Their Teaching Practices by Christine E. Sherretz
  • Learning by Heart; The Power of Social-Emotional Learning in Secondary Schools by Barbara Cervone and Kathleen Cushman.

First let us take a look at what the broader definition of mindfulness is according to the dictionary:

  • “the practice of maintaining a nonjudgmental state of heightened or complete awareness of one’s thoughts, emotions, or experiences on a moment-to-moment basis” -Merriam Webster dictionary

This definition makes sense, but how can that relate to education? Educating students on mindfulness according to that definition would be difficult to pin down. Students are already self aware aren’t they? If being mindful is being hyper aware of ones self, how would that benefit students? The answer is, greatly. If we look at that definition in a different view, like the mindful people we are, we see that heightened awareness can also mean being receptive to learn. If we can actually teach students to be open to learning, well then, mindfulness may have a seat in the classroom after all. Let’s take a look at how Sherretz defines mindfulness:

  • “The opposite of mindlessness is mindfulness. Mindfulness is a more expansive view of intelligence. Ritchhart (2002) and Schlinger (2003) have stated that since the 20th century” (Sherretz , 2011).

If that is in fact the case and mindfulness is a more extensive view of intelligence then incorporating that into an educational setting would be very useful. Mindfulness by necessity is important because if we are not mindful, we are mindless. Being mindless is no good, but we see that type of behavior so often in education. Students believe that they need to do what the teacher requires and nothing more as opposed to going through a mindful process of learning. If students can be taught to tap into that state of awareness and non-judgmental state, students would be able to tackle academic problems or hands on projects with persistence. If, as teachers, we emphasize the importance of the process of learning as opposed to the destination of learning, then students will be able to think critically on the task at hand.

How can teachers incorporate mindfulness into the classroom?

Mindfulness in Education by Christine Sherretz purposely delves into the practices of ‘mindful’ teachers. This study was conducted in elementary schools within the US but still has many useful ideas for teachers. The study collected data from three teachers that claim to practice ‘mindfulness’ in the classroom. Their data revealed that there were four major ‘themes’ that all the teachers had in common

  • Process orientation (as opposed to response orientation)
  • Gave students choices
  • Required an elaboration of thinking
  • Positive classroom atmosphere

All four themes correspond with providing students with a mindful outlook on their education and help to naturally cultivate mindfulness. Keep in mind that this study was done with elementary school teachers.

Let’s take a look at the findings from another article called Learning by Heart by Barbara Cervone and Kathleen Cushman. This article focuses on social-emotional learning (SEL) in a secondary school setting. One of the focuses for the authors was “what would it take to weave social and emotional learning into the daily fabric of our nations high schools?” (Cervon and Cushman, 2011). Because I am a secondary school teacher candidate I found that I was more interested in the findings of this study. The authors collected data from 5 sites, four of which are schools. The study revealed six “key elements” that encompass the study school practices. Cervon and Cushman call these common strategies elements.

  • Element 1:” A Web of Structural Supports”. This section emphasizes the importance of teacher-student relationships as well as the importance of support groups
  • Element 2:”An Intentional Community”. This element speaks to the structure that naturally occurs when a community minded goal is pursued.
  • Element 3:”A Culture of Respect, Participation and Reflection”. Accepting diversity and student individuality. The common thread in this theme is the clear outline of what is expected of students in regards to peer respect.
  • Element 4:”A Commitment to Restorative Practices”. Using positive mediation strategies as opposed to overused punishments. Finding alternatives to expulsion, detention and the common punitive strategies.
  • Element 5:”A Curriculum of Connection and Engagement”. Linking engagement to academics to help the students succeed and feel like what they are learning matter
  • Element 6:”A Focus on Developing Student Agency”. Emphasising to the students their input is valuable and they have a voice that is important.

This quantifiable resource helps teachers to identify what strategy could be applied in their classroom if they are lacking a specific element. If you look at the two lists of strategies from both articles you see may overlapping ingredients to incorporating mindfulness and SEL. Mindfulness fits into the realm of social-emotional learning as one of the concepts and so it makes sense that there are many overlapping strategies.

Where does mindfulness intersect with technology education?

Unfortunately there are no articles that pertain specifically to mindfulness in technology education but I have some thoughts and perspectives on how we may begin to intertwine the two. Although the articles may not have been specifically toward technology education, there were many strategies that stuck me as being inherently technology education. In “Element 5: A Curriculum of Connection and Engagement” one of the main themes is project based learning. When thinking of a project based course one automatically thinks of tech-ed, so what strategies can we infer from the articles? “Student choice was a deeply held value…their students created and monitored personal learning plans; exercised substantial choice among assignments, readings, and topics; demonstrated mastery in different forms and media; and pursued independent projects and extended learning opportunities that built on special interests” (Cervon and Cushman, 2011). We already know that technology education is hands on project based learning but just as important as that is giving students choice. According to this article, giving students the opportunity to be involved with their education and have input in what projects they work on helps to create the perfect environment for mindfulness to flourish. We know that when given the chance to pursue special interests then students will be invested in their education, but what we don’t usually see is the reason behind that. That reason is they feel that their contribution is valued; the classroom then becomes a safe space where learning can take place. “Teachers viewed their role as that of coaches and facilitators; they kept doors open, engaged with students in the hallways, and made themselves available before and after school” (Cervon and Cushman, 2011). This advice is great advice for all teachers of all subjects. Perhaps that speaks to the reality that each subject does not need to have subject specific strategies because so many involve creating an atmosphere. The greatest thing shop class has going for it is the fact that we are an elective and can offer students hands on time in a school of sitting. For many students, elective classes are places where they don’t worry about school and life, the perfect recipe for a mindful environment.

Ethical Considerations

Mindfulness can be interpreted in many different ways. When speaking of mindfulness in education it is important to be very clear about what is intended. It is important to ensure people know that there is no spiritual or religious context associated with mindfulness. Teachers who incorporate mindfulness in their class need to clearly outline what mindfulness exactly is so that there is no questioning of the teachers intentions. I think that if teachers are clear with the intention of mindfulness as being a tool to engage a mind and relieve stress then parents and students will be in support of incorporating it into the class. Another ethical consideration would be to be aware that not all students will want to participate and making sure students do not feel uncomfortable during attempts to incorporate mindfulness. Those considerations would only be for specific ‘mindful exercises’ that take time away from class time.  The mindful intertwining I am interested in is brought about naturally by facilitating a positive classroom atmosphere and community.

-Jemma Vaale

References

Mindfulness in Education: Case Studies of Mindful Teachers and Their Teaching Practices, Christine E. Sherretz , 2011

Learning by Heart; The Power of Social-Emotional Learning in Secondary Schools, Barbara Cervone and Kathleen Cushman.