How can you empower students to become growth-oriented, self-driven learners? The team at Sown To Grow has found that the practice of goal setting, self-tracking, and reflection helps students discover their best learning strategies and enhance their academic outcomes. They’ve made several improvements to the platform since my review last summer. They also received powerful results from an independent impact study. This study showed significant improvement in GPA for students using their tool compared to a control group.
Powerful Student Experience
This past year the Sown To Grow team redesigned their student experience. It is now more engaging and helps connect specific learning strategies to growth. The new views that connect student progress with specific actions provide great insights for students on their learning journey. Watch this quick video to hear students talk about how this process made them better learners.
Goal setting is a powerful practice for students that has applications during the school day and beyond. As students talk about their learning and reflect on their growth, they can take more ownership of their learning and across content areas and throughout the school year. I’m really excited to see that Sown To Grow has developed a way for students to set goals for their learning. Students can gather information and reflect on their current practice.
Evidence of Positive Impact on Academic Outcomes
A 2017-2018 study was conducted by an independent researcher at UCLA. It found middle school students using Sown To Grow earned significantly higher academic GPAs compared to a control group. The 6th grade teacher implemented a routine of goal setting and reflection. Students spent only 10 minutes per week tracking their grades in each class and reflecting on their progress.
See the chart below for a quick summary of the differences in performance and check out Sown To Grow’s impact page for more info on how this practice is positively shifting mindsets and academic outcomes.
All You Need is Two Weeks!
Sown To Grow has a great resource to help you try out this practice in your classroom before the end of the school year. Using their two-week pilot guide, you can try Sown To Grow, empower students to reflect on their learning, and uncover immediate insights. For those who pilot before the end of this school year, they’re extending a free trial through December 2018!
