What do we really know when it comes to changing behaviors?
According to Cross (2013), our greatest adversary for changing behavior is our common sense. Her TED Talk reminded me of some Undergrad courses in Communication. Many courses involved persuasion, marketing, and advertising, so listening to Cross's research made me think of how advertisements work. In order to sell something, people have to envision themselves using a product or purchasing a product they need now. I tried to make connections with working in education and also to my innovation project.
Cross's first myth states if we just rely on educating people with information and data, behaviors will not change. People need to see how it affects them and need to be able to visualize the problem. I made a personal connection here. When I am sitting in a meeting or training, and we are learning about something new to implement, in order for me to buy into it and bring back that same excitement, I want to hear personal success stories, to see how programs are working in the classrooms, and hear from students who resemble mine. If a presenter JUST lists facts and data, it is sometimes difficult to envision it working in my classroom or the urgency for implementing something new to collect more data.
Cross (2013), then speaks about, how the presentation of information may triple the opportunity for change. I agree with this myth. As we are in the process of creating our e-Portfolios, I know it is a constant work in progress. I want my digital space to present a true picture of my journey, When visiting my site, it should spark inquiry and excitement in order to capture o learn about blended learning and reach out to me to learn how it can work in schools that are trying to find creative ways to engage and motivate students., I have to make sure the presentation of my website will interest them and they will others to reach out to learn more about my journey with blended learning.
Cross (2013), also stresses we must understand who our audience is, personalize messages, and socially interact. Our group will need to personalize our meetings, presentations, and videos so others can feel the urgency to pilot blended learning. Although we work with supportive Administration, our goal and message must be clear. We will also need to have our Administration team visit our classrooms to see blended learning in action. Another message we need to personalize is showcasing other campuses with similar demographics that are producing student success stories and sustaining that success.
Source
Cross, J. (2013, March 20). Three myths of behavior change - what you think you know that you don't: [Video] YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5d8GW6GdR0
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