With the 2020-2021 school year being far from normal, especially for many educators who who continued teaching remotely, we decided to forego our annual Year-End Teacher and Year-End Student Surveys. Instead, we checked in with all of our adopters via a brief Year-End Update. With the results tabulated and reviewed, now we can share what we learned!
Using TWC . . . How, When, and Where?
Among those who responded to the update, we learned that 75% used the program during the school day (with about 5% of those using the program for hybrid or fully virtual instruction); 18% used it in an after school program or other out-of-school time setting. 4% were unable to use the program due to COVID restrictions, and of the remainder, most used it in both school and afterschool settings and the rest used it for homeschooling.
And . . . how long have they been using The Walking Classroom?
- 35% – less than one year
- 15% – one to two years
- 17% – two to three years
- 11% – three to four years
- 9% – four to five years
- 13% – more than five years (WOW!)
As far as frequency, 53% of the respondents used The Walking Classroom once a week. 28% used it twice a week. The remaining 16% use the program three or more times per week, with 2% using it every day!
And, how many listens to each podcast? We learned that 70% of the respondents had students listen to each podcast once, 28% had them listen twice, and 2% had them listen three or more times.
What about the Benefits?
As we did on last year’s survey and update, we asked folks how evident they found various benefits of The Walking Classroom in their implementation of the program. The response choices were the following: very evident, somewhat evident, not at all evident.
The list below reflects the responses ranked in descending order, based on the total percentage of “very evident” and “somewhat evident” responses.
- Increases physical activity – 99%
- Addresses different learning styles – 99%
- Aligns with standards – 99%
- Fosters health literacy and healthy habits – 98%
- Builds core content knowledge – 98%
- Enhances social-emotional learning – 97%
- Develops character values – 97%
- Differentiates instruction – 94%
With all these benefits in evidence, it’s no surprise that 97% of respondents would recommend The Walking Classroom to a colleague without reservation!
Resources and More . . .
It’s good to see that our adopters make use of the resources we provide. We learned that 94% of all respondents make use of at least one of the supplemental resources. In fact, 81% make use of the Teacher or Discussion Guide, and 77% have completed The Walking Classroom’s free online or onsite training. 35% use the electronic quizzes and 29% or more incorporate the supplemental videos and slide decks.
And, what about those additional resources added last summer? 71% of all respondents indicated that they used at least one type of the additional resources, with 51% citing the printables, 22% citing the online games and activities, 19% citing the hands-on activities, 16% citing virtual field trips, and 4% citing the multi-day projects.
If you are an adopter and still haven’t explored the many “extras” available on the Adopter Resources page, let us know. We will provide you with the information you need to get access to the basic resources (electronic quizzes, supplemental videos, and PowerPoint slide decks for each podcast) as well as all of the additional resources!
Challenges, Anyone?
31% of the respondents reported no challenges incorporating The Walking Classroom, with the remaining respondents citing several different obstacles. Of those citing problems, the majority (41%) mentioned issues resulting from COVID-19, particularly in regards to social distancing, remote learning, and shared devices.
Others (23%) cited device concerns, including battery life, aging devices, lost battery covers, faulty headphones, and broken lanyards. Beyond these, time (8%), student behavior (8%), weather (4%), and content alignment (4%) were cited. In addition, “other” responses (12%) consisted of lost and unreturned kits, teacher/staff changes, and user issues.
In response to these concerns, keep an eye on those shared stories on our blog! In relating their own experiences, adopters often provide some tips for triumphing over these (and other) troubles.
What Else?
What more can we do for our adopters? Nearly three-quarters of our adopters (71%) expressed satisfaction with what was currently available or offered no suggestions. Of those who shared ideas, most (51%) suggested additional content. Others (29%) were interested in enhanced resources, and some (5%) suggested changes to devices, earbuds, or batteries, particularly with regard to improving durability. Additionally, “other” responses (15%) were delivery-based and focused on diversity in age and race of those speaking on the podcast or including standards in adopter materials.
If you have created any helpful resources or have some ideas of your own, feel free to share. Other adopters would be thrilled!
Finally, a Great Big Thanks!
Thanks to all of you who took the time to respond and share your feedback on the Year-End Update. We appreciate it immensely, and we look forward to using it to make The Walking Classroom even better!
My class loves the Walking Classroom. If it is raining, we walk inside the school. I teach at a K-8 school. The older students are always asking me what are we doing. They want to know why I didn’t use the Walking Classroom with them. My students feel very proud to have this opportunity to experience the Walking Classroom.