I’ve been in education for over 35 years. One constant has been the “move away from worksheets”. I found the graphic (see below) about using AI as a mirror instead of a slot machine.
*Image from: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/phillipalcock_if-you-use-ai-with-purpose-it-stops-being-activity-7456689277100535808-B556/
This has caused me to reflect on education. I thought to myself, “Self, we’ve been talking about moving away from worksheets since you were a young pup”. Now, first of all, there is nothing wrong with worksheets. Worksheets have their place. However, worksheets frequently become the go to, overused, and misused. In many cases, educators would be hard pressed to explain why a worksheet is being distributed.
Here are a few of the “movements” that I’ve lived through that were designed to move us away from worksheets.
Project-based learning
Project-based learning (PBL) was one movement that was designed to move away from the worksheet. Project based was heralded as a way to teach that aligns with how students learn. The Buck Institute is probably the most famous support for PBL. The Buck Institute had tons of resources that I’ve used in the classroom.
Designing project-based learning opportunities can be challenging. There is a lot of background work necessary. The educator really needs to be well versed in curriculum (not just curriculum resources), pedagogy, and knowing the students.
Understanding by Design (UbD)
While Understanding by Design (UbD) isn’t specifically targeted at worksheets, it is focused on “authentic performance”. UbD is sometimes called “Beginning with the End in Mind”. Essentially, UbD focuses on clearly identifying the end result (desired learning), developing assessment evidence, and then planning instruction.
UbD sounds easy enough. However, it requires a good bit of work. UbD means that there is a really clear, concrete expression of what is to be learned. This is much harder than most people think. It seems like it should be obvious, but I’ll point out that standards and benchmarks are contested and debated by the most expert curriculum experts.
Assessment is always tricky as well. Our gold standard right now is the multiple choice test (which is a very close relative to the worksheet). With multiple choice answers, you can have one definitely “correct” answer. The real world is frequently NOT a multiple choice answer. In fact, what can seem correct at one point may change as society changes. In school, assessment can be contentious. Writing good assessment is a skilled that has be be developed.
Problem-based learning
Problem-based learning (confusingly also known as PBL) is a process where students work in groups to solve open-ended problems. While this definitely leads away from worksheets, it comes with many challenges of it’s own.
Real World Learning
Real World Learning (RWL) means basing learning in real world situations and experiences. Much of this work is related to experiential learning. While this also moves away from worksheets, it can also be difficult to develop and implement. Frequently, RWL needs to be supplemented by other strategies, as it can be extremely limited in scope.
Technology
Someday, maybe, I’ll write a ton about technology in education. Let’s look at worksheets though. Frequently, technology is used to “replace” worksheets with, well, worksheets. Instead of a paper worksheet, the student completes a worksheet on the computer. If you follow the SAMR model, this is an example of Substitution. Naturally, this can be more complex. Teachers could add differentiation into the mix. This is a start to something more powerful. However, in talking and working with teachers around the country, it is clear that many teachers are still at the Substitution level.
Education is hard. There is no one strategy, no one skill that will reach every student the same way. There is nothing wrong with worksheets if those worksheets are intentional, well thought out, and used to help students. The problem lies when worksheets become time-fillers or “well, the book provider gave me a worksheet”, or is an AI generated resource with no understanding by the teacher why it is being used.
Educators work extremely hard. The work that they do is powerful and helps so many students succeed. The United States as a whole has invested very little in Professional Development and support.
