{"id":262,"date":"2022-10-09T12:00:29","date_gmt":"2022-10-09T16:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cantfaketime.com\/?p=262"},"modified":"2022-10-09T12:00:29","modified_gmt":"2022-10-09T16:00:29","slug":"wordle-in-the-classroom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cantfaketime.com\/?p=262","title":{"rendered":"Wordle in the Classroom"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video controls src=\"https:\/\/cantfaketime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Play-Wordle-Quotes.mp4\"><\/video><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">In January 2022, the game Wordle took the internet by storm. Scores featuring boxes of yellow and green were plastered all over social media and became the talk at the water cooler: \u201chow many guesses did it take you to get today\u2019s Wordle?\u201d \u201cWhat is your starting word\u2026?\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">I was swept up in this phenomenon and fascinated by it. Essentially, Wordle is a higher-tech, (slightly) more advanced version of the classic (if morbid!) classroom game, \u201cHangman.\u201d I was enthralled by the way that, all of the sudden, the conversations that should have been happening in my classroom around words were spontaneously popping up around the lunch table. There was a sudden widespread interest in vocabulary and a community built around words, and I sought to harness that.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">The importance and power of this approach is that it was constructed entirely from observing how high school students interacted with Wordle &#8211; how they interacted with words and with each other, how they organized large amounts of complex information, and how they sought, found, proposed, and negotiated rules and strategies with more complicated puzzles, and more.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">This post will explore the insights gleaned from and explain theoretical rationale for implementing Wordle as formative vocabulary practice. Throughout, you&#8217;re going to see screenshots from real puzzles that my students solved this year, and video reflections, observations, and tips that I recorded on this journey, but make sure to follow along for more implementation ideas! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">For the sake of framing this discussion, imagine this illustrative scenario:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>The first student to class arrives three minutes before the bell. I greet him, and ask, \u201chow many letters should we play today?\u201d&nbsp;<\/p><p>He answers, \u201cNine.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p><p>I navigate to <a href=\"https:\/\/hellowordl.net\/\">hellowordl.com<\/a> on my browser, select nine letters, and airplay my screen to the front of the class.&nbsp;<\/p><p>Another student arrives, and I greet her, and cheerfully ask, \u201cWhat\u2019s a word about how your day is going?\u201d&nbsp;<\/p><p>She sighs, shakes her head, and answers \u201ctired.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p><p>Another student arrives, so I greet them and ask, \u201cHow can we turn <strong>tired<\/strong> into a nine-letter word?\u201d and, collaboratively with them or anyone else in the room, we come up with \u201ctiredness.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p><p>The bell rings. Students are settling in. Students begin staring at the board as their minds interpret the yellow, green, and gray letters and their implications. They might begin annotating, sounding out guesses, or constructing word parts, such as \u201c-tion\u201d or \u201cnon-.\u201d<\/p><p>A tardy student arrives, and &#8211; rather than chide him &#8211; I chirp, \u201cGood morning, I am glad to see you! \u2026Give us a nine letter word about why you were late.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p><p>We all have a laugh and he answers, \u201cBathroom!\u201d&nbsp;<\/p><p>\u201cBathroom is only 8,\u201d pipes up another student, \u201cPut bathroom<strong><em>s<\/em><\/strong>.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p><p>They have six guesses to guess the secret word, and here are their first two guesses:<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cantfaketime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/wordle0-1024x358.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-278\" width=\"634\" height=\"221\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cantfaketime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/wordle0-1024x358.png 1024w, https:\/\/cantfaketime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/wordle0-300x105.png 300w, https:\/\/cantfaketime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/wordle0-768x269.png 768w, https:\/\/cantfaketime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/wordle0.png 1114w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 634px) 100vw, 634px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Can you guess what the secret word was? <a href=\"https:\/\/mywordle.strivemath.com\/?word=bothemkij\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" title=\" Try playing the wordle here\">Try playing the wordle here<\/a>! (Opens in a new tab)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-heading\"><strong>Vocabulary Instruction through a Social Constructivist Theory of Learning<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed alignleft is-type-video is-provider-tiktok wp-block-embed-tiktok\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"tiktok-embed\" cite=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@authenticallyadhdme\/video\/7062807909306027311\" data-video-id=\"7062807909306027311\" data-embed-from=\"oembed\" style=\"max-width:605px; min-width:325px;\"> <section> <a target=\"_blank\" title=\"@authenticallyadhdme\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@authenticallyadhdme?refer=embed\">@authenticallyadhdme<\/a> <p>@gibsonishere <a title=\"wordle\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/wordle?refer=embed\">#wordle<\/a> <a title=\"trendingnow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/trendingnow?refer=embed\">#trendingnow<\/a> <a title=\"teachertok\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/teachertok?refer=embed\">#teachertok<\/a> <a title=\"classroomculture\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/classroomculture?refer=embed\">#classroomculture<\/a> <a title=\"learnthroughfun\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/learnthroughfun?refer=embed\">#learnthroughfun<\/a> <a title=\"learnthroughplay\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/learnthroughplay?refer=embed\">#learnthroughplay<\/a> <a title=\"games\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/games?refer=embed\">#games<\/a> <a title=\"teachersoftiktok\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/teachersoftiktok?refer=embed\">#teachersoftiktok<\/a> <a title=\"vocab\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/vocab?refer=embed\">#vocab<\/a><\/p> <a target=\"_blank\" title=\"\u266c original sound - RHB\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/music\/original-sound-7062807898853886766?refer=embed\">\u266c original sound &#8211; RHB<\/a> <\/section> <\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/embed.js\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Constructivist educational theory asserts that learning occurs when the learner constructs meaning when new knowledge and experience combine with prior knowledge and experience, and their new understanding finds space in their mental schema for later use. This theory is especially important for the instruction of vocabulary in the classroom:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>Vygotsky emphasized the role of language and culture in cognitive development\u2026 language and culture play essential roles both in human intellectual development and in how humans perceive the world. Humans&#8217; linguistic abilities enable them to overcome the natural limitations of their perceptual field by imposing culturally defined sense and meaning on the world. Language and culture are the frameworks through which humans experience, communicate, and understand reality\u2026. As a result, human cognitive structures are, Vygotsky believed, essentially socially constructed. Knowledge is not simply constructed, it is co-constructed. (<a href=\"http:\/\/gsi.berkeley.edu\/media\/Learning.pdf\">Berkley.edu<\/a>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cantfaketime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/wordle1-1024x630.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-270\" width=\"256\" height=\"158\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cantfaketime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/wordle1-1024x630.png 1024w, https:\/\/cantfaketime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/wordle1-300x185.png 300w, https:\/\/cantfaketime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/wordle1-768x473.png 768w, https:\/\/cantfaketime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/wordle1-1536x946.png 1536w, https:\/\/cantfaketime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/wordle1.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 256px) 100vw, 256px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Collaborative Wordle is powerful formative vocabulary practice aligned to the social constructivist educational theory. Vocabulary is varied, complex, and dynamic, and thus fits into various mental schemas within a learner\u2019s own mind, including but not limited to connotation, denotation, synonyms, antonyms, and parts of speech. However, since the meaning of language is co-constructed in context, most effective learning occurs in community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">The game Wordle asks students to uncover a secret word within six guesses &#8211; paradoxically, in order to do this, they must <strong><em>construct<\/em><\/strong> the word, not unlike Michelangelo\u2019s famous quote, \u201cI created a vision of David in my mind and simply carved away everything that was not David.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">The truly impressive feat of this vocabulary practice is how much students can use prior knowledge to teach themselves about new words. In order to successfully complete the puzzle, learners must:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-list\"><li>Generate real words for guesses<\/li><li>Differentiate valid words from invalid ones<\/li><li>Identify prefixes and suffixes, and their correct usage<ul><li>Is it \u201cnonrefundable\u201d or \u201cunrefundable?\u201d&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul><\/li><li>Compare and contrast word forms&nbsp;<ul><li>If we know \u201cstud\u201d, learners connect words like \u201cstudy,\u201d \u201cstudent (7 letters),\u201d \u201cstudents (8),\u201d \u201cstudious (8),\u201d \u201cstudiously (10),\u201d \u201cstudiousness (12),\u201d depending on the length of the puzzle<ul><li>Teacher: \u201cThis word is 10 letters &#8211; how can we make \u2018study\u2019 longer? What can we add to the beginning or the end so the word still makes sense?\u201d<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li>Correctly employ spelling and grammar rules&nbsp;<ul><li>Ex: \u201cDrop the \u2018e\u2019 before adding \u2018ing\u2019, \u201ci before e, except after c\u201d<\/li><\/ul><\/li><li>Compare and contrast between words chosen for the other guesses&nbsp;<ul><li>\u201cPhrenology\u201d gave us no clues at all but \u201chitchhiker\u201d gave us several: in what ways are these words different, and what words do I know closer to \u201chitchhiker\u201d? Should I think about words in a different category than \u201csocial sciences,\u201d or should I think about words in the category of \u201ccompound words?\u201d&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul><\/li><li>Spell correctly<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Because all of these are required for success, students use which skills they have to acquire the skills they do not. (Ex: if a student knows that the word is 7 letters and thinks it is \u201cskateing,\u201d they can use their knowledge of word forms (noun to verb) to learn that you must drop the \u201ce\u201d before adding \u201cing\u201d and get \u201cskating.\u201d)&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Thus, even if learners do not \u201cknow\u201d the word that they uncover, they in fact <strong>know<\/strong> a lot about its morphology through their process of discovery, and thus they will feel a natural inclination to fill in the blanks: \u201cI know it\u2019s an adverb because it ends with -ly\u2026 with the prefix un-&#8230; so it\u2019s an opposite\u2026 but how would you <em>use it in a sentence<\/em>? (definition, usage)\u201d&nbsp; or \u201cIt\u2019s a really long word &#8211; is this the kind of word only smart or stuck up people would use ? (connotation)\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Importance of the Group<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cantfaketime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/wordle2-796x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-271\" width=\"199\" height=\"256\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cantfaketime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/wordle2-796x1024.png 796w, https:\/\/cantfaketime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/wordle2-233x300.png 233w, https:\/\/cantfaketime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/wordle2-768x988.png 768w, https:\/\/cantfaketime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/wordle2.png 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 199px) 100vw, 199px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Wordling in community amplifies all of the benefits and adds to them. The power of drawing on prior knowledge and skills multiplies when there are more learners playing along, and this is a uniquely inclusive space as well. Neurodiverse learners &#8211; ADHD, autistic, and dyslexic &#8211; shine because of their ability to notice and process in creative, out-of-the-box ways. Can we imagine anyone better equipped to make meaning out of scrambled-up letters than a learner with dyslexia? These learners infrequently find opportunities for their strengths in English class, and this is a practice that can bring them in as fully empowered, valuable and <em>valued<\/em> collaborators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed alignleft is-type-video is-provider-tiktok wp-block-embed-tiktok\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"tiktok-embed\" cite=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@authenticallyadhdme\/video\/7069907425070959918\" data-video-id=\"7069907425070959918\" data-embed-from=\"oembed\" style=\"max-width:605px; min-width:325px;\"> <section> <a target=\"_blank\" title=\"@authenticallyadhdme\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@authenticallyadhdme?refer=embed\">@authenticallyadhdme<\/a> <p><a title=\"teachertok\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/teachertok?refer=embed\">#teachertok<\/a> <a title=\"teachersoftiktok\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/teachersoftiktok?refer=embed\">#teachersoftiktok<\/a> <a title=\"languageispower\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/languageispower?refer=embed\">#languageispower<\/a> <a title=\"esol\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/esol?refer=embed\">#esol<\/a> <a title=\"neurodivergent\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/neurodivergent?refer=embed\">#neurodivergent<\/a> <a title=\"daydreaming\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/daydreaming?refer=embed\">#daydreaming<\/a> <a title=\"education\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/education?refer=embed\">#education<\/a> <a title=\"vocabulary\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/vocabulary?refer=embed\">#vocabulary<\/a> <a title=\"funintheclassroom\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/funintheclassroom?refer=embed\">#funintheclassroom<\/a> <a title=\"playistheworkofchildhood\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/playistheworkofchildhood?refer=embed\">#playistheworkofchildhood<\/a><\/p> <a target=\"_blank\" title=\"\u266c Happy Up Beat (Medium) - TimTaj\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/music\/Happy-Up-Beat-Medium-6817450080614746114?refer=embed\">\u266c Happy Up Beat (Medium) &#8211; TimTaj<\/a> <\/section> <\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/embed.js\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">English Language Learners also bring in cognates from their native languages; recently, an international student solved ULULATE because it was similar to the Italian word for \u201cthe sound a wolf makes at the moon.\u201d These students also bring a sophisticated understanding of what English words look like and sound like that native speakers never needed to notice: \u201cIt is not going to end with an \u2018i\u2019 &#8211; English words do not usually end in \u2018i,\u201d noted a learner resolutely, for whom English was his fourth language.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p><em>&#8220;English doesn\u2019t borrow from other languages. English follows other languages down dark alleys, knocks them over and goes through their pockets for loose grammar.&#8221;<\/em><\/p><cite>Terry Prachett<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Because Wordling is highly engaging and collaborative, students do not suffer the traditional fear of \u201cgetting it wrong\u201d when they propose a guess, support their reasoning, and open it to feedback. It is quickly normalized that throwing out guesses to evaluate if they will offer enough clues is productive: it is hard to tell how helpful a guess could be without group input, and even if the group does not take that guess, it might spark an association in someone else\u2019s mind. This promotes a <strong>growth mindset<\/strong>: a posited guess is not \u201cright\u201d or \u201cwrong,\u201d but either a step in the right direction or an instructive thought experiment that can inform what direction to go instead. Risk-taking is encouraged, and critical evaluation of an idea can occur without the same risks to self-esteem as graded or competitive activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Thus, the conversation between learners to evaluate the potential benefit of guessing a proposed word is rich with discussion about the word\u2019s relationship to previous guesses, the alignment in terms of word form or spelling, and easily incorporates problem solving and social-emotional skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Role of Teachers<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"701\" height=\"271\" src=\"https:\/\/cantfaketime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/wordle3.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-272\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cantfaketime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/wordle3.png 701w, https:\/\/cantfaketime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/wordle3-300x116.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 701px) 100vw, 701px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">During this process, teachers actively listen: what do the students know, what can they figure out on their own, or through collaboration with their peers? In many instances, simply encouraging students through this process is all that is needed. If students are able to draw on prior knowledge successfully individually or together, teachers reinforce this process by modeling the thinking aloud, \u201cOh, you\u2019re right &#8211; we <em>would<\/em> drop the \u2018e\u2019, as in baking or\u2026 socializing.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">When students struggle even after this encouragement, the teacher can discuss concepts in more depth, then get students to generate their own examples so they see the knowledge as transferable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed alignleft is-type-video is-provider-tiktok wp-block-embed-tiktok\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"tiktok-embed\" cite=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@authenticallyadhdme\/video\/7071043001505615146\" data-video-id=\"7071043001505615146\" data-embed-from=\"oembed\" style=\"max-width:605px; min-width:325px;\"> <section> <a target=\"_blank\" title=\"@authenticallyadhdme\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@authenticallyadhdme?refer=embed\">@authenticallyadhdme<\/a> <p>Reply to @linusfan2001 wordletok wordletok education teachertok teachertiktok vocabulary esol neurodivergent dopamine classroomculture<\/p> <a target=\"_blank\" title=\"\u266c Happy Up Beat (Medium) - TimTaj\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/music\/Happy-Up-Beat-Medium-6817450080614746114?refer=embed\">\u266c Happy Up Beat (Medium) &#8211; TimTaj<\/a> <\/section> <\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/embed.js\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">This teaching process is radically responsive to students: teachers teach only what students do not know and cannot figure out on their own or with peers, which begets an empowering environment for learners. They can feel capable and respected in their classrooms, come to see their own strengths and weaknesses more clearly, and prepare to be lifelong learners who trust their own skills and instincts. That said, teachers <strong>want<\/strong> students to win, and can skillfully give students the minimum clues they need to be able to solve it themselves: \u201cYou have some yellow Ns &#8211; maybe think about a prefix like UN- or NON-? What about an ending like -TION or -ING? That could help you find some green letters!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">It is also beneficial for teachers, who can most accurately determine what knowledge and skills students already have, and which they need instruction or practice to acquire. Moreover, when presented as a cooperative game, students immerse in the task and think out loud with their fellow players, adding support to their thinking as they do, thus offering the teacher an authentic assessment of knowledge and skill level that can inform future instruction.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Importance of Intrinsic Motivation<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Children are not empty vessels into which knowledge is dropped. This is a common refrain among educators &#8211; and yet it often seems that because the method by which we drop knowledge is the only thing within our actual control, the other part &#8211; whether or not our learners receive it &#8211; gets lost. Even our well-intentioned instinct to look at \u201cdata\u201d to measure our effectiveness puts children into the category of a computer: we have put vocabulary in, what is the \u201cprogram\u201d\u2019s \u201coutput\u201d? But, children are not computers; they are intuitive human beings, with their own experiences, opinions, and cares, and who exist within the parameters of \u201cchildhood,\u201d \u201cschool,\u201d and \u201cEnglish class.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cWe know now that people are not machines, such that an \u2018input\u2019 (listening to a lecture, reading a textbook, filling out a worksheet) will reliably yield an \u2018output\u2019. What matters is how people <em>experience<\/em> what they do, what meaning they ascribe to it, and what their attitudes and goals are. Thus, if students find an academic task stressful or boring, they are far less likely to understand, or even remember, the content.\u201d <\/p><cite>Alfie Kohn in <em>Feel-Bad Education <\/em>2011, page 4<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cantfaketime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/wordle4-1024x448.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-273\" width=\"256\" height=\"112\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cantfaketime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/wordle4-1024x448.png 1024w, https:\/\/cantfaketime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/wordle4-300x131.png 300w, https:\/\/cantfaketime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/wordle4-768x336.png 768w, https:\/\/cantfaketime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/wordle4-1536x672.png 1536w, https:\/\/cantfaketime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/wordle4.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 256px) 100vw, 256px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Vocabulary instruction traditionally includes prescriptive lists of spelling words, required minutes spent in a vocabulary program, or pages read per night, all attached to a grade. This combination of requirement, surveillance, and evaluation causes students to experience what Simon Sinek describes as \u201ca decline of trust, cooperation, and innovation\u201d (<em>The Infinite Game<\/em>). Alfie Kohn, in his book <em>The Schools Our Children Deserve<\/em>, summarizes the impact of grades on student motivation: grades cause&nbsp; \u201cdiminish[ed] interest in whatever they\u2019re learning, \u2026 a preference for the easiest possible task, \u2026 reduce[d] quality of thinking\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.alfiekohn.org\/article\/case-grades\/\">read more here<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">This therefore leaves the teacher in the unenviable position of trying to discern the appropriate level of challenge &#8211; which <a href=\"https:\/\/educationaltechnology.net\/vygotskys-zone-of-proximal-development-and-scaffolding\/\">Vygotsky calls the \u201czone of proximal development\u201d<\/a> &#8211; for students who stand to benefit from obfuscating it. Teachers get stuck analyzing data not for guidance on what their students need to learn, but rather for its validity as a measure of the students in their classroom, especially when that data conflicts with observations. For example, if a student can convince their teacher that they don\u2019t know to \u201cdrop the \u2018e\u2019 before adding \u2018ing,\u201d they can count on the quiz being easy enough for them to ace. The student avoids the risk of a bad grade and the associated negative consequences thereof. This very common situation may be characterized as \u201clying\u201d or \u201cbeing manipulative,\u201d or, alternatively, \u201crisk avoidance\u201d or \u201cmaintaining a work \/ life balance,\u201d depending on the perspective of the individual doing the characterization, which is demonstrative of the problem: this dynamic results in an unproductive hierarchical, adversarial, judgmental power struggle that pits teachers against students, when a cooperative relationship is infinitely more conducive to learning.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">If indeed children are intuitive, thinking humans, then it is logical that they would perceive the requirement to study vocabulary to mean that they wouldn\u2019t want to do the task simply because it is interesting or valuable &#8211; because someone would <em>need to be required<\/em> to do it. The tracking and surveillance sends the clear message that the task is so unpleasant that compliance must be checked. And evaluation puts an artificial end date on knowledge that is, in fact, ever evolving: have you \u201cmastered\u201d a vocabulary word because you can paraphrase the dictionary\u2019s definition? When you can read it in your book without skipping it or pausing to figure it out? When you can use it in a sentence on demand? When it comes up naturally in conversation? When you can use it ironically, in conversation with another person, trusting that they will \u201cget the joke\u201d because of your shared linguistic and cultural context? Evaluation, in a traditional grading sense, assigns an artificial end date, and the criteria for passing the evaluation are often quite disconnected from the natural process of an expanding vocabulary.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cantfaketime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/wordle5-1024x381.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-274\" width=\"256\" height=\"95\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cantfaketime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/wordle5-1024x381.png 1024w, https:\/\/cantfaketime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/wordle5-300x112.png 300w, https:\/\/cantfaketime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/wordle5-768x286.png 768w, https:\/\/cantfaketime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/wordle5.png 1466w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 256px) 100vw, 256px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">To meaningfully differentiate between \u201cdelivering instruction\u201d and actual \u201cstudent learning,\u201d the disposition of the learners <strong><em>matters<\/em><\/strong>. Are they interested, are they curious, are they invested, are they <em>having fun<\/em>? These terms might strike adults as frivolous, but they are in fact simply developmentally appropriate ways to communicate with learners about their zone of proximal development: children will dismiss what is too easy as \u201cboring,\u201d what is too difficult as \u201coverwhelming\u201d and what is just above their level of skill as \u201cfun\u201d and \u201cinteresting.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Learner disposition matters even more so if the goal of education extends beyond what happens in the classroom into establishing a desire for lifelong learning.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed alignright is-type-video is-provider-tiktok wp-block-embed-tiktok\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"tiktok-embed\" cite=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@authenticallyadhdme\/video\/7086024727516466475\" data-video-id=\"7086024727516466475\" data-embed-from=\"oembed\" style=\"max-width:605px; min-width:325px;\"> <section> <a target=\"_blank\" title=\"@authenticallyadhdme\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@authenticallyadhdme?refer=embed\">@authenticallyadhdme<\/a> <p>Two of my best Wordlers take down a Sedecordle without breaking a sweat! <a title=\"wordle\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/wordle?refer=embed\">#wordle<\/a> <a title=\"sedecordle\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/sedecordle?refer=embed\">#sedecordle<\/a> <a title=\"teamwork\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/teamwork?refer=embed\">#teamwork<\/a> <a title=\"teamworkmakesthedreamwork\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/teamworkmakesthedreamwork?refer=embed\">#teamworkmakesthedreamwork<\/a> <a title=\"teachersoftiktok\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/teachersoftiktok?refer=embed\">#teachersoftiktok<\/a> <a title=\"daydreamer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/daydreamer?refer=embed\">#daydreamer<\/a><\/p> <a target=\"_blank\" title=\"\u266c abcdefu (angrier) - GAYLE\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/music\/abcdefu-angrier-7010331193157634050?refer=embed\">\u266c abcdefu (angrier) &#8211; GAYLE<\/a> <\/section> <\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/embed.js\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">For lasting learning to occur, the environment must break down these barriers and allow room for authentic interest and engagement. Wordle is rich in everything intrinsically motivating about learning vocabulary &#8211; because \u201clearners are partially motivated by rewards provided by the knowledge community\u2026 learning also depends to a significant extent on the learner&#8217;s internal drive to understand and promote the learning process\u201d &#8211; if, and <strong>only <\/strong><strong><em>if<\/em><\/strong>, educators can resist the urge to require, quantify, or grade it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p><em>\u201cInfinite games have no finish line and the goal is to keep the game going as long as possible\u2026 We have to recognize what type of game we\u2019re playing and then play with the right mindset of the game we are in.\u201d <\/em><\/p><cite>Simon Sinek, <strong>The Infinite Game<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p><em>\u201cEverything that can be counted does not necessarily count; everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted.\u201d <\/em><\/p><cite><em>Albert Einstein<\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Compliance kills curiosity, grades kill exploration, and hierarchy ignores or distorts the assets that everyone brings to the game: students bring the exceptional ability to be cognitively creative, intuitive, and flexible, and teachers bring experience and expertise.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">The goal between these roles is the same: win the game, and get better at winning the game.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In January 2022, the game Wordle took the internet by storm. Scores featuring boxes of yellow and green were plastered all over social media and became the talk at the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,118],"tags":[179],"class_list":["post-262","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-rachel","category-teaching","tag-wordle"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cantfaketime.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/262","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cantfaketime.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cantfaketime.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cantfaketime.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cantfaketime.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=262"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/cantfaketime.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/262\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":294,"href":"https:\/\/cantfaketime.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/262\/revisions\/294"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cantfaketime.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=262"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cantfaketime.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=262"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cantfaketime.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=262"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}