We are living in a time of immediate satisfaction – we want news, entertainment, even our food, NOW! This need for bite-size pieces of information has also influenced how our students learn. Teachers are beginning to give students short, two- to five-minute lessons that demonstrate and/or provide concrete examples. EOS Education by Boxlight has taken up this method of Nano learning to help teachers they work with effectively learn and practice new skills, especially those using technology.
EOS Education’s own Brittany Peterson, Lead Digital Learning Specialist, and Evan Brus, Training and Development Specialist, discussed the key to Nano learning with Larry Jacobson from The American Consortium for Equity in Education (ace-ed.org). Both Peterson and Brus use the Nano learning approach when facilitating teacher professional learning sessions.
When talking about offering short learning sessions, both in-person and virtually, Peterson commented, “A big draw for (learning sessions) is to show them something immediately that can be implemented and that is not too difficult.” She added that “repeated contact right afterwards” to support teachers as they put the learned skill into practice is important.
As teachers become more comfortable and confident with the new skill learned, they are ready to learn more, and often with the motivation that success in the classroom has brought. “When they get the choice to come and meet with me as a digital learning specialist, they are there because they want to be there, and they want to learn. That makes learning more enjoyable for both of us,” stated Peterson.
The goal of Nano learning is to maximize the retention of information for later application. Brus emphasized keeping instruction short, including in the classroom. “There’s a ton that teachers can do with this. It’s really how you plan out your lessons (by) chunking the activities and making sure that students are being asked to actually engage with the content frequently.”
The conversation on Nano learning included customizing session topics, informal and formal assessments, and increasing engagement.
To listen to this thought-provoking podcast, click here and scroll down to Nano Learning and Teacher Professional Learning.
To explore professional development offerings from EOS Education by Boxlight, go to www.boxlight.com.
