Exciting news! We’ve tallied the results of The Walking Classroom’s 2017-2018 Mid-Year Survey. Thank you to those who responded by sharing your valuable insights and ideas.
Who Did We Survey?
We survey our adopters twice a year in order to gather input as we strive to make our program better. While our Mid-Year Survey typically goes to those who have used the program for about a year, this year we did something a little different!
Just after the holidays, in an effort to make sure our files were current, we reached out to all those educators who had purchased or been granted Walking Classroom materials since the program began. After we fine-tuned our list, our survey went out to around 1,450 teachers and out-of-school time staff!
Who Responded?
Among those who responded, 39.4% had received their materials under a grant from The Walking Classroom. 36.4% had received their materials under a grant from an individual, corporation, or foundation, and 24.2% had received their materials from a direct purchase.
When asked when they use The Walking Classroom, 81.8% responded that they use the program during the school day. 10.3% said they use it in an afterschool or other out-of-school time setting. 5.3% indicated other use (such as using it in both settings or using it for homeschooling), and 2.6% indicated that they no longer use the program.
And, just how long have they implemented the program? 28% of respondents are in their first year using The Walking Classroom. The majority of the respondents (62.3%) have used the program between one and three years. There are even some respondents (9.7%) who have used the program three or more years!
Were They Trained?
77.3% of respondents shared that they had received training before implementing the program. As folks who have completed the training have had the most success (and a positive experience!) implementing the program, we sent out our training link to those who indicated they had no training. If you haven’t received training, let us know, so that we can share that information with you too!
Relying on Resources?
90.9% of respondents use supplemental resources in their implementation of the program, primarily those resources provided by The Walking Classroom. The Teacher Guide and/or Discussion Guide prove to be the most used, as 79.7% of respondents cited incorporating those.
As our adopter resources page is a relatively new addition (August 2016) to the website, some of our veteran adopters were not aware of the many resources found there, which include slide decks, electronic quizzes, supplemental videos, and more! If you are an existing adopter and need information on how to access those resources, feel free to contact us.
Some 25% of our adopters also cite use of The Walking Classroom’s blog and newsletters in their implementation of the program. For new ideas on using the podcasts, or just for ideas from other classrooms and afterschool programs, the blog is worth a look! Note: Previously delivered monthly, the newsletters are now targeted to specific audiences, and coming once a quarter. Teachers, after February, expect your next newsletter in May; OST folks, expect your next newsletter in March!
When we inquired about suggestions for additional resources or webinar topics, 32.3% of folks offered their ideas. Of those, many (46.7%) proposed ideas for additional podcasts; others offered ideas to support existing podcast topics (30.3%) or for professional development (20%). The remainder (3%) would simply love to have more devices!
Any Challenges?
58.6% of respondents report no challenges incorporating The Walking Classroom. The remaining respondents cite several issues, with time (49.1%) being the primary concern. Other challenges centered around weather, content alignment, equipment issues, and student behavior. If you face any of these (or other) challenges, how have you contended with them? Feel free to share your tricks for triumphing over these troubles by sharing your story on The Walking Classroom’s blog!
So, How Do We Rate?
A resounding 96.9% of respondents indicated that they feel supported by the staff of The Walking Classroom. Interestingly, 46.1% of those who did not feel supported shared that they did not need any support!
Would you recommend the program to a colleague? 92.3% of those surveyed indicated that they would recommend The Walking Classroom, so we’re definitely feeling the love!
What’s in Store?
In April, look for The Walking Classroom’s Year-End Survey, focusing on your feelings on how The Walking Classroom works for you! Note: For the first time, the Year-End Survey will be administered by an outside party. More information will be forthcoming, so keep your eyes on your email inbox. We look forward to receiving your feedback on that survey as well, and using it to make our program even better!
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