Technology Essentials in Education Episode 24:
Supporting All Students as Creators in Today’s Classrooms

Hello there. My name is Monica Burns, and welcome to Technology Essentials in Education.

Today, I'm chatting with Kim Zajac, a speech and language pathologist who works with middle school learners in a public school in Massachusetts.

Kim describes herself as an architect of access and a facilitator of communication and inclusion.

Her perspective really comes through in today's conversation on the best ways to support all students as creators in a classroom.

She brings a unique lens to this topic because she works side by side with classroom teachers pushing into classrooms to support student creativity.

She goes through some really practical strategies and big considerations to think about when you want to make sure your learning experiences really support all students.

Of course, we even talk about some AI in this conversation on supporting student creators too.

So, let's get into this conversation. I know you're going to learn lots of things from what Kim has to share.

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Welcome to the podcast, Kim. I am so excited to chat with you today about supporting all students as creators in our classrooms of today, digital classrooms, all the things we would put into that umbrella.

But before we get into the conversation, can you share a bit with listeners what is your role in education? What does your day-to-day look like?

Sure. So, I'm sort of a self-described architect of access and basically a facilitator of communication and inclusion.

My background is in speech and language pathology and audiology, and I currently work in the public schools of Massachusetts, but in particular Norton Middle School, where I support middle school learners with a wide variety of strength areas and areas of development, supporting communication and just accessing and engaging in learning experiences.

The work that I do is through a combined model of pushing into classrooms and integrating there, supporting co-teaching and working with students with my teacher colleagues, as well as working with students separately in independent settings and being able to build skills that we can then transfer and apply across different settings throughout the school day.

All of that work really puts you in classrooms side by side with students, and we think about all the things that they do over the course of the day.

A lot of their interactions, I would imagine, can fall into that consumer category.

They're maybe watching something, reading something, listening to something, both inside and outside of the classroom.

So, as we think about creativity and students as creators today, why is it important to move beyond consumption and position students as creators?

I love that idea of helping to arrange opportunities for students to center themselves exactly at that crossroads.

For me, that is the crossroads of empowerment and student voice.

As human beings, we have this innate natural process of giving and taking.

Being able to consume can bring us ideas, but what we do with that and how that inspires us as learners to communicate and contribute to our community and learning setting is very much a creative process.

Making sure that we line things up so students can utilize the tools with them inside the classroom or in digital learning spaces to take what they understood from an experience and make it their own, related to their prior experiences, interactions with classmates, families, and community.

Really make it sticky, relevant, and something they can use in the moment that relates to something they have already experienced and then bring forward into the future to transform in new ways unique to how they think and learn.

Supporting students as storytellers or as a way to share their learning may require a mindset shift for educators who have taught in a very specific way or whose course content lends itself more to consumption at first glance.

So, what mindset shifts do teachers need to make to support every learner as a creator?

One of the most important mindsets is that all communication is valid.

There is no pecking order or scale to rate or measure different varieties of expression and communication.

What a student can express in a five-paragraph essay can be just as well communicated through sculpture, song, video, podcast, sign language, or a wide range of communication modalities.

That mindset is important to embrace because reaching all learners is what we're here to do.

We want to create a space of belonging, pride, and celebrate diversity as something that makes us better together.

Those examples you gave are great because for someone unsure of different types of learning artifacts, that's a big list of options.

You can also connect it back to consumers; we consume and learn through many ways like podcasts, audiobooks, and reading.

Teachers can transfer their own adult learning experiences into ways students might create.

With creative tasks, there are different ways to set up students for success as they make their learning products.

What are some common barriers neurodivergent students face in creative tasks, and how can teachers remove those barriers?

There are several barriers impacting neurodiverse learners and people in general.

One is blank page syndrome, the anxiety and paralysis of getting started.

We can support students by leveraging graphic organizers, providing exemplars and models, and using technology and AI tools like Gemini or Goblin Tools to break things down or give ideas to make the blank page less scary.

Prompting AI with project topics can provide scaffolded support to get the first sentence down, reducing anxiety and empowering students to move forward on their own.

If students need extra support, they can communicate with the teacher, who will be ready to help.

Another challenge is perfectionism and hyperfocus on making sure the product is right.

To mitigate this, create low-stakes opportunities for engagement and learning, like sandbox environments to play with ideas and mini assignments.

Sometimes incentivize mistakes over perfection because more mistakes mean more learning.

These are examples of barriers that can exist especially for neurodivergent populations where amazing thinking happens but with underlying challenges.

Cognitive load and executive functioning can also be barriers.

If a multi-step project bogs students down and they can't initiate or sustain effort, create mini lessons or use AI tools to break tasks into detailed to-do lists.

Supports can grow with the student; initial supports may require many breakdowns, but over time, students internalize the process and self-regulate better.

This leads to empowerment, belief that they can do it, and joy in the learning process.

Students want to do it again and more, so think about those things.

Also, provide choice for students down to the location and space they work in.

Environmental factors like sensory or social overload can impact learning.

Instead of focusing only on the student, look at the environment to make adaptations and shifts to support learners accessing their true skills and abilities.

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Those examples are fantastic entry points for teachers in different roles or pathways for embracing creative experiences.

It might be reorganizing your space or stepping back to see if the environment is overwhelming for someone you want to help focus.

Or heading to a tool like Gemini that they may have used before but not thought to use for these purposes.

I often think of leveraging AI to do things on our to-do list or wish list, like breaking things down or finding entry points for struggling students.

A tool might not give the right answer but can start your wheels spinning as a thought partner.

I love that example from a facilitator and educator side, but also from a student side who can learn to ask for support and break tasks into smaller steps.

That's empowering for students moving between environments knowing they have that tool in their back pocket.

We alluded earlier to student choice and giving different options.

How can different formats like audio, video, visual design, or coding open doors for different learners?

It allows learners to personalize their experience and select what they consume and in what form, like choosing size and toppings on a pizza.

They can consume content multiple times in multiple ways that fit and suit them.

This supports reteaching, review, and internalizing key terms for sticky learning.

It also helps executive functioning because when learners choose the format, they are ready and open to learning.

If content is incompatible with their natural learning process, it bounces back.

Flexible formats maximize compatibility, support executive functioning, and make learning more efficient and productive.

This week, my school principal used Gemini to create a memo in text, audio podcast, and infographic formats.

Educators received a menu of three choices to consume critical information to start the week.

That example shows how flexible formats can help adults too.

For someone successful in traditional school now teaching, they may not need these supports but can appreciate them.

Even captions, which many use automatically now, provide accessibility and help make meaning.

This shows how essential choices are for people they support as students.

How can teachers identify and build on students' strengths within creative projects?

Start with the student by having conversations about who they are at their best, how they shine, and what tools they enjoy using.

Ask what they would teach a classmate if they were a mentor, including the topic and how they would do it.

Also, observe students in natural, unstructured times to assess energy, what makes the group and individuals glow, and what interests them.

Look for where there is the least friction and where flow and engagement exist with minimal adult support.

Leverage students' assets and strengths to empower them and build agency in learning, which leads to amazing creative teaching and learning.

Standing back and observing to find students' strengths and interests is a fantastic recommendation for developing creative opportunities.

If educators want to make one change to better support students as creators, what should they try first?

Ask learners what they are most passionate about, what makes them tick, and what tools they need to unpack and learn with that passion.

Center student choice and voice, and be a guide on the side with a menu of supports available as needed.

Celebrate all learning moments, including failures and iterative processes, as well as shining moments when experiments go as planned.

Value all efforts equally because learning is a journey, and flexibility and celebration of discoveries increase learning.

That's a great place for listeners ready to take next steps.

Where can people connect with you and learn more about your work?

I am a community leader with ISTE and ASCD and co-lead the SEES community group for Special Educators and Education Specialists.

We meet the second Monday of each month from 7 to 8 p.m., open to anyone who wants to join.

People can reach out to me on LinkedIn or my website, and I will be at ISTE and ASCD in Orlando in June presenting and leading a playground.

Thank you so much, Kim, for your time, strategies, and great ideas shared today.

Thank you for having me on. It's always a delight.

This was a fun conversation, and I want to wrap up with key points from today's episode.

First, all communication is valid, and student learning can be expressed through essays, sculptures, songs, videos, podcasts, and more.

Create low-stakes opportunities for creative work so students can experiment without pressure of perfectionism.

Observe students in unstructured moments to identify strengths, interests, and natural entry points for creative tasks.

Flexible formats for consuming and creating content support executive functioning and make learning stick.

Don't forget to follow along with Kim's work. She shared ways to stay connected with her.

And of course, follow along with what's new on this feed.

Go ahead and like and subscribe to get new updates the next time you tune in.

A big thank you to Jotform, the presenter of today's episode.

To learn more about Jotform and how educational institutions can get a 30% discount on Jotform Enterprise, head to Jotform.com slash enterprise slash education.