Collaboration and Celebration: Two Keys to Successful and FUN Learning
“How would you like to celebrate?”
For anyone who has witnessed a final presentation at an IOB Workshop, this is a familiar phrase. At the end of every workshop and especially at the end of an entire session, IOB asks students how they want to celebrate all the amazing things they learned.
Why do we do that? Why not just give them a round of applause?
Islands has always done our best to meet students where they are - taking the time to understand what they love, how they learn, and do our best to honor their words. Though many of us would welcome a standing ovation, in fact, would relish that, many of our students are sound sensitive, uncomfortable with the spotlight being too bright, or just have their own unique way they want to celebrate.
So, rather than make assumptions, we ask.
Collaboration and Cooperation vs. Compliance
We ask because for many of our students, engaging in learning experiences is often a reminder of what they can’t do or what they struggle to do…
“Sit quietly.”
“Stop fidgeting.”
“Pay attention.”
“You did it yesterday, why can’t you do it today?”
I could go on…
ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) therapy is generally the first and often the only “therapy” for autistic students. ABA can do amazing things but if you listen to the voices of many autistic adults, it has also been described as all about compliance – do what you are asked and you get rewarded. Don’t do it correctly, and you are prompted to do it again until it is done to a certain standard. So for many autistic students, “learning” is about compliance – doing what you are asked to do rather than being asked - what should we explore today? Or more aptly, how should we explore?
I have heard many, many stories – stories from parents and from the students themselves that learning is hard - it is a task they dread because they are often asked to adjust who they are and adapt to the learning environment rather than have the learning environment be one that is open, welcoming, and accessible for how they best learn.
But when you ask them, “What do you love? What is your ‘thing’ now?” They light up telling you all they know about Minecraft, Anime, Pokemon, Thomas the Tank Engine, or well...you get the drift. And when you ask, “How do you best learn? Do you like it when people use words, pictures, step by step instructions? Or when you get to do some hands-on learning?” Often, they are surprised but can also tell you exactly what works for them. We hear things like, “I like to see it but in small steps. Then let me play around with it.” Or, “Don’t talk too fast, that gets confusing.” And sometimes, “Just let me figure it out for myself but be there when I have a question.”
Fun Learning Starts with Listening
This is why we ask about areas of interest and learning preferences. We have found that by asking and listening, it can make all the difference. Suddenly, learning is something they want to do - because it relates back to something they are actually interested in. Often, this is the first time they are seen as the expert in something! How good that must feel! Tying these areas of interest into the creative process comes naturally. Creativity is not about compliance. There is no right or wrong to creativity, especially when you embrace their spin, and celebrate their progress along the way.
For new students, we offer a chance to do a virtual visit or what we call a “lean-in” where they can check the workshop out. Visiting a place before committing is a key aspect for any student who has anxiety when trying something new. Our lean-in walks them through what they can explore in a Foundation workshop. Ultimately, it is not up to the parents or our staff -- it is the student who has the opportunity to say, “Yes, I want to join in.” This can make a world of difference. Knowing that they are going to a place that asked about the things they think are cool, how they best learn, and how our team can make their time at IOB a positive one, is key to their success.
When students have had a chance to explore the things they want to explore, learn in ways that best suit their needs, and witness that we do this for all the other students, and then ask, “How do you want to celebrate?”, they also know we will listen.
Sharing the “Juice”
We are really proud of what can be accomplished when you make learning fun. We get to see it in every workshop program. It’s what keeps us going. For those of us on staff who don’t get to see the amazing connection that happens with the creative process, they have expressed a little jealousy. We have our Discord “Juice” channel which is our team’s way of sharing special moments from workshops or feedback from students and parents. Here are a few examples!
From a new IOB parent:
“First of all, on behalf of our daughter, we wanted to thank you and your organization for providing her with a wonderful opportunity to expand her knowledge, show her creativity. We know she had a wonderful time. Of course, there are many barriers still to overcome with her, but you could hear the excitement in her voice”.
Student creativity is the driving force behind what makes IOB a place to thrive as an employee. Not all of us work directly with our students, there are a lot of us who do internal/external planning for the organization, so celebrating student creativity brings us together as a staff.
From Natalie who supports our Sandbox Programming:
“Something we do in Doodle Lounge, is we tend to celebrate student artwork instead of critiquing – unless the student specifically asks for pointers/tips/advancements/ideas In this way, we are celebrating their use of their own creative imagination.”
From a student in Sandbox:
“Doodle lounge has really taught me how to give good compliments.”
Time to Celebrate
IOB student, Jack, presents his final project at a recent workshop. He chose to celebrate with a round of applause!
Are you into Sharks and want to celebrate by bringing Shark Gummies? Done!
Do you love SpongeBob and want us all to sing the SpongeBob theme song? Did that!
Want us all to sing the “Celebrate Good Times” song? You got it!
The one that is really hard…“Nah, I’m good.” Yes, we might want to clap or cheer, but if “nothing” is what they ask for, that is what we do!
At its core, learning should be fun. It should absolutely bring the student’s passions, interests, and learning preferences into the mix. And when we see our students engage, focus, collaborate and stand up and talk about all the amazing things they explored, learned, created, shared, and worked through over the course of a workshop, a celebration is the perfect way to end a project.
So, how would YOU like to Celebrate?
