My 4DX Strategy
With every step of change, there is always a specific order to follow to set your project up for success. Since my innovation project is centered around my students' understanding, their success is my highest priority. To reach the point of seeing a student succeed, we must begin with the four disciplines.
The 4 Disciplines
1.) Focus on the wildly important.
2.) Act on Lead Measures
Identify the most important goal, which for us is our students' success. This entire project would be considered a failure if it merely becomes a time for students to play with Legos. There must be a purpose behind every project or build they create.
The 4DX (disciplines of execution) framework emphasizes investing your time and energy into Lead measures. Lead measures provide real-time results. For our students, it means observing their increasing understanding of various concepts during their time in the STEM Club, enabling them to apply this knowledge to classroom assessments later.
3.) Keep a compelling scoreboard
4.) Create a Cadence of Accountability
This part can be tricky when working with students. On one hand, I understand the need to track progress, but to protect my students' confidence, we would call it a growth chart. This can be something similar to what we do with each student for MAP testing or it can be a self-assessment, such as 'Do I feel like I understand the concept?' By keeping this posted on a chart or even in their notebooks, students will be able to track their progress and hopefully be encouraged by it.
They say raising a child takes a village. Well, helping our students succeed takes the entire school community. One of the reasons behind this project is to provide students with the opportunity to learn in a different way, without adding to the workload of our already overburdened teachers. That's why this project relies on the collaboration of outside educators within the school. Administration and classroom teachers should also collaborate with the coach during weekly PLCs so that the coach knows which concepts need to be emphasized during club times.
Our WIG
Wildly Important Goal
:
Create an environment where students will be able to participate in hands-on learning and STEAM-inspired projects
The 5 Stages of Change
1.) Getting Clear
We are creating a campus environment where students can learn in a way that benefits them.
2.) Launch
Beginning with the start of clubs, the STEAM Club will be offered, focusing on hands-on learning with Legos.
3.) Adoption
During lunchtime, we will monitor students' interest through the sign-up sheet and their engagement with the program. Multiple coaches should be available to lead to ensure consistent club sessions for our students. Since our target students are those who are struggling, maintaining consistency is crucial, even if one coach is unavailable.
4.) Optimization
In our pursuit of student success, it's crucial to ensure comprehensive support for all participants. Teachers should understand that they are not expected to create new lessons; rather, their role is to communicate areas of student struggle to the coaches and administrators during weekly PLCs. It's the coaches and administrators who will collaborate to devise projects aimed at benefiting the students.
5.) Habits
There will always be students who require alternative learning approaches. Creating a safe environment where students can make mistakes is an ideal classroom goal. However, for some students, this may not be achievable within the traditional classroom setting. Therefore, clubs that provide a separate learning environment will continue to be necessary.
4DX vs. The Six Sources of Influence
I believe that the Four Disciplines of Execution (4DX) could be highly beneficial for the business and operational aspects of education. However, I have reservations about its suitability for meeting the needs of struggling elementary students. My primary concern is related to the scoreboard component of 4DX, which might potentially harm students' confidence by encouraging them to compare their scores with those of their peers. On the other hand, I find that the Six Sources of Influence aligns better with the academic and emotional well-being of students. These sources focus on motivation and ability, helping students set achievable goals rather than unrealistic ones. I believe it's a more student-centered approach that starts from where the students are and tailors goals to their specific needs.
References
Grenny, J., Patterson, K., Maxfield, D., McMillan, R., & Switzler, A. (2013). Influencer: The new science of leading change. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
McChesney, C., Covey, S., & Huling, J. (2016). The 4 disciplines of execution: Achieving your wildly important goals. New York: Free Press.