Multiple Smooth On-Ramps to Learning
Is Using a Wheelchair Ramp Cheating?
Years ago, I had the privilege of attending a captivating keynote speech by Kevin Honeycutt. Kevin, an exceptional educator and guitarist, truly stood out. I once described him as the Robin Williams of PLD because of his ability to both provoke thought and entertain. He even successfully got a random audience member, who had never played before, to play the guitar in front of us.
Kevin highlighted a common hurdle in learning to play the guitar: sore fingers. During his keynote, he demonstrated a unique guitar with an embedded iPad and virtual strings. This allowed the audience member to play without discomfort, achieving instant success. This initial positive experience is crucial; it helps learners build the confidence needed to overcome the challenges, like sore fingers, that come with practising on a real guitar.
Kevin prompted us to consider whether tools like the iPad guitar, or even a wheelchair ramp, could be seen as "cheating” when it comes to student learning. He then delivered a profound statement:
"Our job as teachers is to create multiple, smooth on-ramps to student learning"
Every kaiako I work with faces a similar challenge: a class of learners whose cognitive and literacy abilities typically span 3-5 years. Developing multiple, smooth on-ramps for 25 ākonga with a cognitive range of just a year or so is difficult enough. Doing so for a 3-5 year cognitive span can feel incredibly overwhelming, leading some dedicated, hard-working kaiako to sometimes focus more on task completion than on genuine learning.
The good news is that we now have access to more powerful and effective strategies and tools than ever before. These tools are easy to use and, when implemented effectively, guarantee two key outcomes:
Rapid improvement in learner success, particularly with writing.
Significant reduction in teacher stress and workload.
Developing and implementing multiple, smooth on-ramps for both ākonga and kaiako has never been easier or quicker. Contact us to discover more - we are running multiple 1-day PLD events in NZ schools during Term 4. Click here to learn more.
