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Teacher Resources: 3P Learning and Developmental Design

In my search for great teacher resources following my education program’s transition to independent learning, I have found several websites and blogs run by educators currently or recently working in the field. Last week, I dove into the wealth of knowledge available on Cult of Pedagogy. This week, I’ve spent a lot of time on the 3P Learning website, and although it is geared more toward housing elementary education resources, a majority of the classroom management and general teaching strategy articles are relevant to educators in all grade levels. 3P Learning’s mission is centered around the use of enthusiasm and online gaming to engage students with their learning: “We create award-winning learning resources that are aligned with dozens of international curricula, matching engaging and gamified learning content to the standards, outcomes, and requirements of schools across the world.” Personally, I am a huge fan of pairing iCivics with social studies curriculums, so the idea of using an established set of standard aligned games for all subjects is definitely intriguing. However, I would like to expand more on one article I found at the start of my research before falling down the rabbit hole of exploring the use of online games in the classroom. Let’s talk about “The Best Classroom Management Strategies for 2020.”

When first reviewing the strategies listed in the article above, I could definitely see where a secondary-level educator might dismiss these techniques as elementary. After spending some time with the material, however, I realized that a lot of techniques highlighted by 3P Learning are actually aligned with the learning theories behind developmental design (DD). Centered around listening and responding to the needs of students in developmentally appropriate ways, DD is the foundation of classroom and behavior management at Essex Middle School and many other schools across the globe. Although initially targeted for schools educating adolescents, evidence of DD in classrooms spanning from elementary to secondary level education is becoming more prominent as the movement gains momentum. 



Keeping the developmental needs and expectations of students in mind, managing a classroom and student behavior with adapted versions of the strategies highlighted by 3P Learning is arguably the most effective set of strategies available to teachers of any grade level. Certain strategies are effective without much modification as students transition between grades: displaying enthusiasm for the content and lesson materials presented, establishing transition rituals for the beginning of class and between lesson segments, modeling expected behaviors, and implementing a variety of formative assessments throughout a unit plan. As students get older, changing the method of how students “take a break” from an activity to promote self-regulation will naturally adapt to the changing needs of growing adolescents, and students will be able to take more responsibility in their learning. Methods of celebrating student success may depend on student needs and preferences, but maintaining a positive outlook on all students’ education is vital to a safe and healthy classroom community. With the malleability of DD strategies to fit the needs of students over the course of their school careers, I believe that using resources that highlight DD will yield the best results for improving classroom management across an entire learning community. Providing the foundation for basic strategies that target student behavior and structural needs, DD makes it easier for school districts to adopt classroom management strategies that maintain consistent principles throughout a student’s academic career.

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