Kansas Council for Workforce Education
2012 Spring Drive-In Workshop
Increasing Learning and Strengthening Teaching Through
Strengths-Based Education
Diana Allison, PhD, ASIDDarla Green, LEED AP
Associate Professors – Interior DesignJohnson County Community College, Overland Park, KS
Introductions
Who are you? Where are you from? What do you hope to come away
with?
So What’s the Big Idea?
“People that understand their most effective behaviors and talents are best able to develop strategies to meet and exceed the demands of their daily lives, their careers, and their families.” Clifton, 2006
The Dilema
Wanting to connect with unique student process to form knowledge
Our perspective
What Is Known
Self-knowledge empowers students
Background Strengths-based Education
Return to basic educational principles Alfred Binet- Enhancing skills & addressing deficits
not just remediating problems (Binet & Simon, 1916) Hurlock (1925) – Praise of student work is more
powerful than criticism Chickering (1969) – College student development
theory: Development of student’s broad-based talents
Background Strengths-based Education Positive Psychology
Bowers (2008) - Examining and promoting strengths and managing deficits
Csikszentmihalyi (1990) – Optimal experience called ‘flow’
BackgroundStrengths-based Education StrengthsQuest: Discover Your Strengths
in Academics, Career, and Beyond (Clifton, Anderson, & Schreiner, 2006) Donald Clifton – Father of Strengths
Psychology; Grandfather of Positive Psychology▪ Acquired Gallup in 1988
Principles of Strengths-Based Education(Lopez & Louis, 2009)
1) identification of students’ strengths
2) personalizing the students’ learning experience based upon their strengths
Principles of Strengths-Based Education(Lopez & Louis, 2009)
3) networking and communication of students’ strengths with those who will support and acknowledge strength-based success
Principles of Strengths-Based Education
Lopez & Louis, 2009
4) deliberately applying strengths inside and outside of the classroom
5) intentional development of the students’ strengths
“What would happen if we studied
what is right with people?”
Now, Discover Your Strengths (Buckingham & Clifton, 2001)
StrengthsQuest: Discover Your Strengths in Academics, Career, and Beyond (Clifton, Anderson, & Schreiner, 2006)
StrengthsFinder 2.0 (Rath, 2007)
StrengthsFinder 2.0
StrengthsFinder 2.0 (Rath 2007)Conducted over 2 million interviews
34 themes developed▪ Talent (innate) x Investment (skills &
knowledge)= Strength
(ability to consistently provide near perfect performance)(Rath, 2007)
StrengthsFinder 2.0
Top 5 of 34talent themes
Personalized explanation and suggestions based on each individual’s combination
Diana Allison1. Achiever2. Positivity3. Individualization4. Strategic5. Learner
Darla Green1. Learner2. Developer3. Connectedness4. Restorative5. Relator
Exercise #1 What is your first reaction to these terms?
What do they mean to you at this point?
Does anything in the report surprise you?
How well do you feel your Signature Themes describe the ways in which you most naturally thing, feel, and behave as a unique individual?
With whom will you share your results?
Exercise #2
Signature theme and definition of this theme in your own words
Exercise #3
Sign your name 5 times
Switch hands, sign your name again 5 times with your non-dominant hand
What I Want Most
What I Do Best What I Want Most in a Place I Work
1. 1.2. 2.3. 3.4. 4.5. 5.
10 Minute Break
The Four Domains of Leadership Strength
Executing Influencing Relationship Building
Strategic Thinking
AchieverArrangerBeliefConsistencyDeliberativeDisciplineFocusResponsibilityRestorative
ActivatorCommandCommunicationCompetitionMaximizerSelf-AssuranceSignificanceWoo
AdaptabilityDeveloperConnectednessEmpathyHarmonyIncluderIndividualizationPositivityRelator
AnalyticalContextFuturisticIdeationInputIntellectionLearnerStrategic
Strengths Mapping
Application in the Classroom From group projects to team projects
Implemented Spring 2011 – 2 Capstone classes: total of 17
unique students Fall 2011 – 1 Capstone class, 1 Residential
Design class, 1 Space Planning class: total of 29 unique students
Spring 2012 – 1 Capstone class, 1 Residential Design class, 1 Space Planning class, 1 Introduction to Interior Design: total of 35 unique students
Approach
Homework Assignment
Classroom Discussion & Activity
Weekly Exercises
Team Projects
FrequenciesStrengths Frequencies
Executing Influencing Relationship Building Strategic Thinking
Achiever
Arranger
Belief
Consistency
Deliberative
Discipline
Focus
Responsibility
Restorative
Activator
Command
Communication
Competition
Maximizer
Self-Assurance
Significance
WOO
Adaptability
Developer
Connectedness
Empathy
Harmony
Includer
Individualization
Positivity
Relator
Analytical
Context
Futuristic
Ideation
Input
Intellection
Learner
Strategic
2011 2 Classes: 2 CapstoneSpring; N= 17 8 1 1 1 2 2 2 6 1 1 - 3 1 2 1 - 3 3 2 6 2 2 3 1 2 5 1 - 2 2 6 4 5 6 Total: 24 Total: 11 Total: 26 Total: 26
3 Classes: 1Capstone; 1 Residential Design; 1 Space Planning Fall; N=29
8 1 2 1 5 3 1 10
2 5 3 4 1 2 1 2 5 6 6 7 12
1 1 4 6 8 1 1 2 5 7 6 11 10
Total: 33 Total: 23 Total: 53 Total: 43
Totals for 2011: 5 classesTotal 2011; N=46
16 2 3 2 7 5 3 16 3 6 3 7 2 4 2 2 8 9 8 1
314 5 4 5 8 1
3 2 1 4 7 13
10 16 16
Total: 57 Total: 34 Total: 79 Total: 69
2012 4 Classes: 1 Capstone; 1 Residential Design; 1 Space Planning; 1 Introduction to Interior DesignSpring; N= 35
9 4 4 2 2 2 1 7 5 2 2 4 2 2 1 2 4 6 5 7 7 5 3 5 5 3 9 8 9 8 12 7 12 11
Total: 36 Total: 19 Total: 46 Total: 76 Faculty N=4 1 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 1 3 3 Faculty Total: 4 Total: 0 Faculty Total: 6 Faculty Total: 10
Student Comments
“I wish we had done this in our first class in the program”
“I wish all our instructors knew what our strengths were before they put us on teams”
“Now I understand why they [team members] are approaching parts of the project as they are and it makes it easier to work with them”
StrengthsQuest Activity Workbook www.strengthsquest.com
Lunch
“Doing what we do best leads to high levels of engagement
and productivity”.
(Lopez & Louis, 2009, p. 1.)
Reflection from Morning
Gregorc Learning Style Delineator
Perception Concrete Abstract
Ordering Sequential Random
Gregorc Learning Style Delineator
CONCRETE: “It is what it is”, you deal with the here and now and process information based on what you see, hear, and think.
ABSTRACT: “Things aren’t always what they appear”, you look for patterns using your intuition and imagination.
Gregorc Learning Style Delineator
Gregorc Learning Style Delineator
RANDOM: You hop around from thought to thought and process information in chunks
SEQUENTIAL: You plan a very linear way of solving problems. You are an step 1 to step 2 person.
Four Learning Styles
CS = Concrete Sequential
CR = Concrete Random
AS = Abstract Sequential
AR = Abstract Random
Concrete Sequential Abilities
Remember details Separate facts Apply literal meaning to verbal statements Plan time and Activities Well
Dislikes Sharing Disorderly conditions Discussing philosophically or emotionally Too many options to choose from
CS – They want teachers to… Provide concrete examples Present information sequentially –
linear Maintain teacher-learner roles Offer respect, support, and
protection
Concrete Random Abilities
Use insight and intuition to see big picture Create new ideas, approaches, & products Function well in unstructured, open-ended
activities
Dislikes Step-by-step instruction Details or routine procedures Communal teamwork
CR – They want teachers to …
Provide concrete examples and abstract ideas
Guide their work Promote and reward natural curiosity Be ethical, genuine, and flexible Provide stimulus rich environments
Abstract Sequential Abilities
See forest and the trees Transcend details to see patterns and the “big
picture” Analyze, compare, contrast, evaluate & judge with
ease
Dislikes Step-by-step, touchy-feely & brainstorming activities Considering ideas and claims they don’t feel are valid Having to state how the feel rather than what they
think
AS – They want teachers to …
Encourage solitary work and personal effort
Provide abstractions via ideas, models, theories, & concepts
Use sequential, substantive, logical, rational, and structured techniques
Be subject matter-oriented, masters of content
Be strong classroom disciplinarians
Abstract Random Abilities
Read body language and assess emotional states View and relate parts and their relations with the
whole Accept criticism if it is kindly expressed See beauty in the darkest of events
Dislikes Dogmatic & strictly logical people & materials Conservative, restrictive, and antiseptic
environments Receiving continual criticism, unkind remarks &
sarcasm
AR – They want teachers to …
Provide activities that promote the subjective, affective, & abstract
Be a facilitator providing opportunities for students to talk, work, and learn with each other
Vary ways of learning instead of 1 or 2 Provide colorful, stimulus-rich
environments Be accessible before and after class
www.gregorc.com
5 Minute Break
Reflection
Peanut Butter Meets Chocolate HOW we learn: Gregorc Learning
Style Delineator Cognitive Instrument
WHY we learn: StrengthsFinder 2.0 Strengths-based instrument
Advantages for Student
Communication Self-discovery Awareness and acceptance Empathy for others
Advantages for Instructor Communication Approach to lessons/pedagogy Ability to see the roadblocks to
learning
Sample of two classes Spring 201226/39 students sampled
Students 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
Learning Style CS CS CS AS AS AR AR CR CR CR CS CS CR CR AR AR AR CR CS AS CR CR CS CS CR CS
Leadership Domains S E S E R S I I S E S S S R I S R R E R S S S S R S
Learning Styles: CS: Concrete Sequential = 9, AS: Abstract Sequential = 3
CR: Concrete Random = 9 , AR: Abstract Random = 5
Leadership Domains: E: Executing = 4, I: Influencing = 3 R: Relationship Building, S: Strategic = 13
What we found out
Quotes
“It helps me when it comes to team projects – I now understand the difference in peoples approach…It also helps me outside the classroom understand people’s motivation.”
Quotes
“I now understand my thought process and it’s a little easier to understand why I think the way that I think and the order that I think in.”
Where do you go from here?
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