In CEP 812 Applying Educational Technology to Issues of Practice at Michigan State University, I was asked to create a A Wicked Question that addresses a Wicked Problem in my classroom. "A wicked problem has innumerable causes, is tough to describe, and doesn’t have a right answer” (Camillus, 2008). After brainstorming over 30 questions, I whittled my list down to one question: How can I encourage students to take risks, not worry about being wrong, but still ensure that they learn content and develop skills in the process?

I made a video to show my brainstorming process.

I decided upon my Wicked Question because my students are afraid to take risks in their learning. Students do not want to share knowledge in front of their peers nor do they want to try different learning strategies due to their fears of being wrong. I want students to feel like they can take risks and learn from the risks they take. I created a survey for students to gain insight on how I can solve this Wicked Problem.

The survey consisted of seven questions which allowed me to understand students' fears of mistakes and taking risks. The questions asked students to reflect on their learning style, grading criteria, the process by which they came to their answers, taking risks, causes of worry and working with partners. Based on the survey data I learned 52.4% of my students worry about being wrong and 71.4% of students believe working with a peer allows them to worry less. Students connected these worries to the likelihood of taking risks.

Using the survey results, I conducted research on ways to decrease worry in the classroom and increase risk taking. I found key elements to decrease worry and increase risk: sharing personal failures and how I've learned from these failures, creating a safe environment and encouraging a growth mindset.

Founded on the results from the survey and research, I believe students will be more likely to take risks if they work with partners prior to answering a question or participating in discussions and submitting work. This view was based on the survey information showing 71.4% of students believing working with a partner, prior to turning in work or sharing in front of the whole class, helps you worry less about getting correct answers and allows you to take risks. Using the research conducted, I found that using students' failures as learning opportunities created a safe learning environment. Taking this a step further, I plan to implement the following strategy after approval from administration in my 4th and 5th grade classroom: Students will take the weekly and monthly district-required assessments and then reflect upon their answers with a peer. This will allow students to revise their thinking prior to submitting to myself for a grade. Students original scores will be recorded for the district, however, not used for a grade in the classroom. Students will be able to expand and explain their knowledge through work with a partner thus allowing students to take risks in their learning without worrying about grades.

Sources Cited: Camillus, J. C. (2008). Strategy as a wicked problem. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2008/05/strategy-as-a-wicked-problem