In late April, to wrap up the year, we checked in with 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 81.8% used the program during the school day; 17.6% used it in an after school program or other out-of-school time setting. 0.6% used it in both school and out-of-school time settings.
As far as frequency, 53% of the respondents used The Walking Classroom once a week. 35% used it twice a week. The remaining 12% use the program three or more times per week, with 1% using it every day!
And, how many listens to each podcast? We learned that 66% of the respondents had students listen to each podcast once, 31% had them listen twice, and 3% had them listen three or more times.
What about the Benefits?
As we did on last year’s 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.
- Addresses different learning styles – 99%
- Aligns with standards – 98%
- Builds core content knowledge – 99%
- Develops character values – 97%
- Differentiates instruction – 97%
- Increases physical activity – 99%
- Fosters health literacy and healthy habits – 99%
- Supports social-emotional learning – 99%
With all these benefits in evidence, it’s no surprise that 94% 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 99% of all respondents make use of at least one of the supplemental resources. In fact, 87% of the respondents make use of the Teacher or Discussion Guide, and 92% have completed The Walking Classroom’s free online or onsite training. 49% use the electronic quizzes; 36% use the slide decks, and 34% incorporate the supplemental videos.
And, what about those additional resources? 100% of all respondents indicated that they used at least one type of the additional resources, with 78% citing the printables, 28% citing the online games and activities, 25% citing the hands-on activities, 22% citing virtual field trips, and 7% citing the multi-day projects.
Challenges, Anyone?
33% of the respondents reported no challenges incorporating The Walking Classroom. Of those citing challenges, the majority (26%) mentioned management concerns (including behavior, organization/storage, or physical concerns). Others (22%) mentioned time/scheduling issues or (22%) cited device concerns, including challenges of shared sets, like lost batteries or broken lanyards. Beyond these, weather (15%), resource access (9%), content alignment (6%) were cited.
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? The majority of our adopters (58%) expressed satisfaction with what was currently available or offered no suggestions. Of those who shared ideas, most (57%) suggested additional content. Others (27%) were interested in enhanced resources, and some (13%) suggested changes to devices, earbuds, or batteries. Additional respondents (3%) requested storage cases for class sets.
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!
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