Friday, 25 April 2014
Podcast: Shifting Our Paradigm
In this episode, we talk about the upcoming Ted Talks and how the students had to shift their paradigm of learning in order to do their 20% Time projects. Listeners can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes. Search iTunes for Harmonized Learning in the podcast section and click "subscribe". You can also follow us on Twitter @melissahellwig4 and @dayankee
The Stuff of Learning
"We don't know what to do next on our project," said a student.
"What do you think the next step would be?" I replied.
"Well, we could do (lists three things to do)," she said.
"That sounds great. Do those!" I said.
A few days later, the same student came to me and said, "Okay, we finished those three things. We're done."
This exchange exemplifies the battle we have been waging this year. Students are still dependent on teacher direction even when the project is their own. They want to know what the teacher wants them to do, complete those tasks, and be finished with it. This is NOT the stuff of learning.
The message we are trying to get through to the kids is that learning is never-ending. It rejuvenates our minds and our souls. People are most excited when they are learning something new or about to learn something new. Learning is the constant exposure to new things, some of which we didn't even know existed before. Learning is not fill-in-the-blank or multiple choice. It is Learner's Choice! We choose what we learn and we choose how we learn it. Even when students are in classrooms from the past, fact-based or multiple choice classrooms, they still choose what and how to learn. Much of the time students choose not to learn the material or figure out ways to avoid the tasks altogether. Even that is learning, just not the learning desired by the teacher.
Many of our kids are "getting it". They are racing further ahead than we could have imagined. They are not only learning a boatload of content but also the skills of learning: how to create, how to search and retrieve information, how to think critically, how to problem-solve, how to curate material, how to communicate their ideas and how to deal with the world outside our school walls. This IS the stuff of learning. - Don
"What do you think the next step would be?" I replied.
"Well, we could do (lists three things to do)," she said.
"That sounds great. Do those!" I said.
A few days later, the same student came to me and said, "Okay, we finished those three things. We're done."
This exchange exemplifies the battle we have been waging this year. Students are still dependent on teacher direction even when the project is their own. They want to know what the teacher wants them to do, complete those tasks, and be finished with it. This is NOT the stuff of learning.
The message we are trying to get through to the kids is that learning is never-ending. It rejuvenates our minds and our souls. People are most excited when they are learning something new or about to learn something new. Learning is the constant exposure to new things, some of which we didn't even know existed before. Learning is not fill-in-the-blank or multiple choice. It is Learner's Choice! We choose what we learn and we choose how we learn it. Even when students are in classrooms from the past, fact-based or multiple choice classrooms, they still choose what and how to learn. Much of the time students choose not to learn the material or figure out ways to avoid the tasks altogether. Even that is learning, just not the learning desired by the teacher.
Many of our kids are "getting it". They are racing further ahead than we could have imagined. They are not only learning a boatload of content but also the skills of learning: how to create, how to search and retrieve information, how to think critically, how to problem-solve, how to curate material, how to communicate their ideas and how to deal with the world outside our school walls. This IS the stuff of learning. - Don
Educational Readings- Boys education/ free market education/ Seymour Papert and Phil Cullen
By Allan Alach
I welcome suggested articles, so if you come across a gem, email it to me at allan.alach@ihug.co.nz.
This week’s homework!
Secret Teacher: if you want teachers to be happy in the job, show them respect
“Valuing and supporting students is a fundamental part of teaching. So why don't we show the same concern for our colleagues? asks Secret Teacher”
The Learning Curve for Boys: Is it Different?
I linked to this article on Twitter and received a fairly terse response that we shouldn’t be differentiating for boys. What do you think?
“In summary, boys follow a unique learning curve, one that can be significantly enhanced in an environment that appreciates the differences between genders. A setting that recognizes the cognitive, emotional and social processes which motivate boys to reach their full potential is the optimal learning environment for boys.”
Why free market will not fix problems with teachers and teaching
“Related beliefs include the "fact" that teacher education is ineffective and needs reform, that the value of a teaching qualification is questionable and even unnecessary, and that there are benefits that will accrue from appointing non-educators as principals and running schools as businesses.”
A Passionate, Unapologetic Plea for Creative Writing in Schools (thanks to Michael Fawcett)
“Human beings yearn to share, reflect, and understand one another, and they use these
reflections to improve the state of things, both personal and public. If we want our students to have this kind of impact, we have to teach them to express themselves with both precision and passion.”
‘We trust our own instincts more than we trust Pisa’
‘Singaporecame third in science and second in maths and reading, and also topped a recent problem-solving exercise. But Pak Tee Ng, associate professor at Singapore’s National Institute of Education, said: “So what if we are near the top of Pisa? What may be the ticket for success in the past may be a ticket to doom in the future. I think we trust our own instincts more than we trust the Pisa results.”’
The Poverty Scam
An article written about New Zealand and which is applicable all over.
In part it is because the ideology is easily sold to the electorate. Who, after all, would oppose a simple silver bullet that would provide better schools to help poor children succeed? What's more it enables right-wing Governments to paint themselves as caring, while pursuing economic policies that are are ultimately unfriendly to children.”
Give childhood back to children:
A lengthy article by Peter Gray - recommended.
“The most important skills that children everywhere must learn in order to live happy, productive, moral lives are skills that cannot be taught in school. Such skills cannot be taught at all. They are learned and practised by children in play. These include the abilities to think creatively, to get along with other people and cooperate effectively, and to control their own impulses and emotions.”
Sustainability in schools: give young eco-warriors space to grow
An encouraging article from the UK, with no standards or tests in sight.
This week’s contributions from Bruce Hammonds:
Seymour Papert : The obsolete 'Three Rs' - blocking real change in education
Another one from Bruce’s extensive oldies file:
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| Seymour |
Quality teaching and learning.
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| Elwyn |
“What I have observed in all the creative teachers I have worked with over the decades is that they are always in motion, working with students, singly, in small groups; briefly addressing the class as a whole, inviting , explaining, explaining, gently correcting, and sincerely affirming. As Elwyn Richardson has written ‘I learnt as much from my students as they learnt from me’”
Contributed by Phil Cullen:
'Why are they trying to sell me something during the test?' (thanks to Mary Mackay, Amsterdam)
Corporate capitalism lacks morality …
“Grade-school students baffled as brands including Nike, iPods and Barbies appear in exam papers • Brand names appeared in a New York Common Core standardized test
• Exam was taken by more than a million students in grades three to eight
• Many complained about the use of specific branding in the test
• New York education officials insist there were no paid product placements”
Wednesday, 23 April 2014
Quality teaching and learning. Looking back; lessons about learning gained from teachers and students I have worked with over the decades.
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| A More Informed Vision |
I was recently asked what lessons I had learnt over the years – as a result this blog - A More Informed Vision
For over five decades I have had the privilege of working with primary teachers as an adviser both in science and art, as a teacher, a school principal and as an independent educational adviser until 2011. Since the 1970s I have expressed what I called A More Informed Vision (MIV) – a vision combining the best of primary student centred ‘learning how to learn’ approach with the more traditional secondary school values of effort, perseverance and depth of content – a best of both world approach avoiding the counterproductive either/or argument.
Early influences
In my first decade I was inspired by the writings of pioneer creative teacher ElwynRichardson, local teachers who were developing similar integrated curriculums, the work of art advisers who were led by their director Gordon Tovey, and the developmental language experience teaching of junior school . During this time teachers moved away from fragmented subject teaching to integrating learning areas around themes, topics, or studies. Behind such developments was the leadership of Dr Beeby the then director of Education. My last influence were the child centred English primary schoolswhich I taught in in 1969. This decade was an exciting time to be a teacher. During the 1970/80s, as an adviser, I worked with a group of local Taranaki teachers to implement them – in particular Bill Guild, John Cunningham and Robin Clegg, all now well retired, but the ideas they helped develop live on.
teachers
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| Elwyn Richardson |
Now it seems to me the insights gained through such experience is all but lost as school programmes are more determined by those distant from the reality of the classroom – in particular the imposition of National Standards which are causing an inevitable narrowing of the curriculum and the spread of formulaic teaching ( so called ‘best practices’). League tables and performance appraisals, if the government is returned, are on the horizon. Then all will be lost.
A belief all can learn
The teachers I worked with all believed, given the right environment, relevant tasks (to the learner), sensitive help and time, every student can learn. Every student can be, as it states in the all but side-lined 2007 New Zealand Curriculum, their own ‘seekers, uses and creators of their own knowledge’.
It is as simple and as hard as that.
Unfortunately far too many students lose their innate (default) mode of learning as they move through the school system. It is not that are not learning they are learning the wrong things, gaining power through disruption and counterproductive behaviour. Worse still many students enter schooling unable to take advantage of opportunities due to difficult home circumstances. By secondary schooling far too many
students have all but given up and for such students school is an incredible waste of time.
This need not be the case but to remedy the situation schools need to be transformed as well expressed by Sir Ken Robinson in hispopular video presentations. He, of course, is not alone but those who define educational direction seem determined to ignore such voices.
Importance of relationships.
The key to progress is the importance of the establishment of respectful relationship between learner and teacher/mentor/adviser. A long retired local educational adviser, Howard Wilson (one of my ‘gifted’ mentors) used to say ‘teaching is not so difficult; all you need is thirty plus kids, good relationships and to do worthwhile things.’ Others talk of redefining the ‘3Rs’ as relevance, relationship and rigor.
If all students are held to the highest personal standard and given the appropriate help to achieve their personal best all can achieve quality results – when this is achieved, even with learners who have never experienced success then behaviour problems dissipate in the process. To ensure all students experience such success became important to all teachers I worked with.
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| Developing talernts |
I have learnt that it is possible to develop positive learning habits in all students but only if teachers change their minds about teaching first. Recent writing by Art Costa (‘Habits of Mind’) and Guy Claxton (‘powerful learning’) provide teachers with ideas to develop such life-long learning dispositions. A recent book ‘Mindsets’ written by Carol Dweck is a must – her research shows that if students think their ability is ‘fixed’ (born ‘smart’ or ‘dumb’) then their learning is limited but if they see their ability as able to ‘grow’ through effort, or as other writers have written ‘grit’, then their learning ability is unlimited. Understanding the effects of such mind-sets has real educational power.
The most important realisation we all gained was the centrality of inquiry studies to provide the energy to integrate many aspects of the curriculum. True inquiry studies/projects/challenges need to be open ended enoughto allow the personal interests of students to be encouraged or taken advantageof. Today there is a lot written about inquiry/project based learning but the vital thing is for students to, as the 2007New Zealand Curriculum states, to be ‘seekers, users and creators of their own knowledge’. Teachers in this process have a vital role to: provide resources, to value students’ prior
ideas, to point students in the right direction, to ensure all the appropriate skills are in place and most of all to challenge students understanding.
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| A sidelined curriulum |
For the teachers I worked with the morning language (literacy) and mathematics (numeracy) blocks provide the opportunity to introduce such skills as required. Important research for us all in the 80s was the Waikato University School of Education’s Learning In Science Approach (LISP).Essentially this required teachers placing their students in an engaging or provocative situations to gain their questions (and from these their prior ideas/understandings) and then to help them experiment/research to gain the best answers they can concluding with an exhibition, display or assembly/parent presentation This approach is often called guided discovery or constructivist learning - really co-constructivist learning with students and teachers learning together. Such an ‘emergent’ approach makes current pre-planning of knowledge to be gained problematic.
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| Need to value students ideas |
Although in my own teaching I refused to use ability grouping I did use grouping with students working in four rotating collaborative groups in language and maths times with one day to finish tasks. The inquiry programme we also arranged in collaborative groups. Studies usually lasted three to five weeks with the first week introducing tasks through shared experiences, the second ( and often a third) defined group work, and during the final week students worked independently to complete tasks. As with the language/mathematics block teachers worked with identified groups or individuals (to challenge their thinking and to provide personalised help) while other groups worked independently. To ensure such
independence all tasks were defined on the white board/blackboard. Defined tasks were a mix of individual assignments and group tasks. By Term three students had enough skill and responsibly to complete work of quality. Such teachers put into practice the words of Jerome Bruner that teaching is ‘the canny art of intellectual temptation’. Teachers, where possible, introduced all studies (including maths and language studies) by means of ‘tempting’ displays. The learning environments developed were a subtle mix of a workshop, an art studio/ museum and a science laboratory with the room environment reflecting well displayed quality work.
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| Jerrome Bruner |
The need to do fewer things well.
A key idea we all held was to do ‘fewer things well’ – to ‘uncover rather than cover’. Through involvement in rich generative content, as well as producing quality work (by students being taught to ‘seek, use and create their own knowledge’) students also acquired learning how to learn skills; we all believed product and process were equally important. Over the year teachers ensured students were introduced to content drawn from, or integrating strands, from across the learning areas. A particular emphasis was the exploration of the immediate man-made and natural environment.
A vital appreciation we all had was the need for every student, particularly those who had had little experience of success, to complete work of personal quality. We felt the need to celebrate the
smallest success for learners recovering from previous poor experiences at home and at school. Such teachers understood educationalists Jerome Bruner’s simple advice, ‘people get good at what they get good at’. This required providing those in need with appropriate feedback and ‘scaffolding’. Such personalised assistance we saw as the artistry of a teacher – the ability to provide help but to still leave the agency for learning with the learnerresulting in work expressing the diversity of the learners.
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| Creativity - edge of Chaos |
Slowing the pace of work.
Developing such a creative learning environment takes time. One important phrase we all used was ‘to slow the pace of work’. Too many students arrive in our classes thinking that ‘first finished is best’ and spoil many good starts by rushing their work.
Teachers I have worked with have developed a range of ways to slow the pace of their students and in the process gaining the time to help students in need.
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| Observation age 10 |
As work of quality develops the teachers celebrate students’ achievements, processes, and finished work, by carefully arranged displays. Such displays featured provocative headings, key questions, and often, prior as well as researched ideas. A visit to rooms following such an approach shows the importance the teachers give to their students’ ideas.
The artistry of the teacher
What I have observed in all the creative teachers I have worked with over the decades is that they are always in motion, working with students, singly, in small groups; briefly addressing the class as a whole, inviting , explaining, explaining, gently correcting, and sincerely affirming. As Elwyn Richardson has written ‘I learnt as much from my students as they learnt from me’.
Learning from the students
The ideas above reflect the teachers’ artistry but creative teachers also learn as much from the behaviours of their students as from each other. A few students come to my mind all now in their forties!
Roger, Phillip and Grant were active boys with poor ability in literacy and numeracy but all have done well in life by tapping their innate skills. For these students, school, particularly secondary school was more
endured than appreciated. From my own experience such boys, with a history of non-learning, needed at least eighteen months to recover their confidence indicating the importance of ‘family grouping’. At least they escaped the demeaning labelling of National Standards will suffer under in the future. Grants mother recently told me he still remembers the piece of writing I helped him with about killing pigs.
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| Phillip's lino cut |
At the other extreme was Charlotte, who never applied herself to spelling, times tables or bothered with neat writing (much to the displeasure of her accountant father), but was a wonderful poet, dancer and empathetic to others needs. Now wife of a New Zealand Ambassador she is a well-recognised artist. She recently wrote to me to say her art career was motivated by my teaching and that now her dad is proud of her achievements!
A couple of boys, Geoff and Roger, traveled overseas. On their return their parents said jokingly they were sick of my name – at every experience the boys told their parents ‘Mr Hammonds would like this!’ We all influence our students in ways we can’t imagine as we all often discover at school reunions.
One young lady Traceyentered my crowded class of 38 at midterm. I was too busy with our current class study to pay much attention to her. I sat her with a powerful group of high achieving girls - Jane, Sharon and Jan. After three weeks the principal informed me Tracey’s parents were visiting to talk about her reading progress. After a short panic, and my first ever running record, I worked out she was reading about
her chronological age – the other girls were several years ahead of their age. Before I could explain to Tracey’s parents they told me how pleased they were with my reading programme (almost non-existent) and that Tracey now really enjoyed school. I was somewhat confused but later discovered the other girls, who liked Tracey, realised she was well behind them in reading and, while in the library, picked out books for her that they had read years before and helped her progress ! There is a lesson in this story? The best teachers are often other students. Tracey, now a teacher, said she knew I didn’t have the programme her parents imagined I had when I visited her school! I had to agree.
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| From observation to imagination |
A couple of very bright girls Jane and Megan (who would score highly on National Standards!) were coasting and I had to tell their parents they ought to be working harder. The parents were somewhat confused but, with time, appreciated that I was right.
Classrooms as learning communities
The best classrooms are true learning communities of scientist and artists, something we all learnt from Elwyn Richardson all those years ago. All students have different passions, gifts, needs or
talents to tap into. And all involved can learn off each other.
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| Room environments |
Cultures count for better or worse. We have moved from cultures of collegiality and sharing to one where schools are being encouraged to compete with each other – a trend that will be amplified by school comparisons based on narrow achievement data.
The past creative cultures are now at risk in the current standardised conservative surveillance culture teachers have to comply to.
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It will be a difficult future challengefor teachers to keep the creative spirit alive unless a new political climateis created. Such a climate last originated out the hopelessness of the 1930s depression, the destruction of WW2 and, eventually, resulted in the social transformation of the sixties. This is when we all entered the teaching profession. Looking back our generation of teachers lived in the best of times.There are some that are predicting we are entering a new age of creativity – a second renaissance this time on the back of modern information technology rather than the invention of the printing press. It would be a shame if our education system, through political interference, is facing the wrong century.
Tuesday, 22 April 2014
Want a Ride?
The Go-Kart Sound group is in the testing stages of its project. The boys are taking the go-kart to a place this weekend where they can drive it around, troubleshoot any problems and figure out some solutions. It looks like their project is coming to an AMAZING conclusion. - Don
Thursday, 17 April 2014
Easter educational Readings -death of creativity/boys education/PISA nonsense and Diane Ravitch
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| Paying the price for non compliance! |
By Allan Alach
New Zealand teachers have just reached the end of the 12 week first term of 2014 and are now looking forward to a two week break so they can rest and recuperate, not a holiday as non-teachers would have it. It’s intriguing how non-teachers make a big deal about all the so-called ‘holidays’ that teachers get, yet they are very quick to say that they could never be teachers.
I hope that all teachers, everywhere, take the advantage of Easter to get right away from the pressures of their job and spend quality time on themselves and their families.
I welcome suggested articles, so if you come across a gem, email it to me at allan.alach@ihug.co.nz.
This week’s homework!
Decisions about teaching methods should be made by educators not politicians
An opinion post from Australia, however you will no doubt notice it is applicable all over.
“In these examples we have a lawyer, turned politician, suggesting that education policy should take us back to an earlier era on the basis of his intuition, the comfort level of parents, and how he was taught many years ago.”
The Long Death of Creative Teaching: Common Core standards are part of a bigger movement towards stifling teachers.
“Being lost is the practical wisdom and planned spontaneity necessary to work with 20 to 35 individuals in a classroom. Academic creativity has been drained from degraded and overworked experienced teachers. Uniformity has sucked the life out of teaching and learning.”
Why many boys only do just enough.
Last week, I included a link to this article “Do boys dislike school? Or just what they’re learning?” In response, Kevin Hewitson sent me an article he has written on a similar theme. Kevin commented in his email:
“I believe it is not just what we ask boys to learn but also how they respond in how well they learn it. It is my experience, 36+ years of teaching and a father of 2 boys, that boys often do "just enough". What is just enough is determined by a whole host of things including targets or expectations of others, something schools are awash with. When the target is self-imposed, internal to their needs, then the sky is the limit for boy’s achievement. As a teacher and parent you can use this knowledge to good effect, you just have to lie about what the desired goal or outcome is.”
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| Time to push it over!!! |
Part 5 of Yong Zhao’s series on PISA. More evidence for ideologues to ignore…
“The top performers of PISA are simply better implementation of the old paradigm—the Prussian industrial model of education, which many Western education systems, including the U.S. system, are based on.”
In Defense Of Poetry: “Oh My Heart”
“Will we soon wake one morning to find the carcasses of poems washed up on the beach by the tsunami of the Common Core? That question, especially during National Poetry Month, now haunts me more every day, notably because of the double-impending doom augured by the Common Core: the rise of nonfiction (and the concurrent erasing of poetry and fiction) from the ELA curriculum and the mantra-of-the-moment, “close reading” (the sheep’s clothing for that familiar old wolf New Criticism). It seems we have come to a moment in the history of the US when we no longer even pretend to care about that which is the result of the human heart: Art.”
Education's culture of overwork is turning children and teachers into ghosts
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| All too much!!! |
The trouble is, the human body and human communities do not flourish through being flogged. Families don't benefit from frenetic rushing. They simply forget who each other is, or could be, which is where the real problems begin. Overtired children don't learn. And hungry overtired children simply fall asleep, or kick off.”
This week’s contributions from Bruce Hammonds:
How Technology Is Changing The Skills We Need To Learn
Bruce’s comment: “ A brilliant small article.”
“We teach people that everything that matters happens between your ears when in fact it actually happens between people.”
Creativity and the Brain: What We Can Learn From Jazz Musicians
Bruce’s comment: “Importance of the arts and improvisation.”
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| The value of improvisation |
Time for a national conversation about education?
Here’s another article from Bruce’s oldies but goodies file. Bruce’s comment: “Good for a reading over Easter – supposed to be a time of reflection!”
“What we need now is a national conversation about the role of education in the Twenty-first Century. Education is far too important to leave to the politicians and their advisers. They are far too influenced by the need to stay in power and not upset those who have a vested interest in the status quo.”
For Earth Day and Beyond: Focus on Environmental Action Projects
Bruce’s comment: “Some practical ideas for environmental studies.”
Contributed by Phil Cullen:
Public Schools for Sale: Bill Moyers Interviews Diane Ravitch
Phil’s comment:
“This should be seen by everybody. It takes 25 mins. For busy people, that's a lot of time. I'd allow three-quarters of an hour, however, allowing extra time to reflect on the comments.... as the charter school
movement heads down under. In Australia, we call Charter Schools ‘Independent Public Schools'....such a LOLy oxy-moronic title. It's a jokey cover-up for what Diane R is describing, since NZ and Australia's are crazily pursuing this course of action.”
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