The Coding Revolution

Yesterday our kids participated in the Hour of Code. We joined six of our very talented colleagues (Sheri Wells, Sherri Rachal, Rob Rambach, Patrick Dempsey, Ashley Coffman and Jason Heisel) in planning seven different coding sessions that the kids could choose to attend. The sessions ranged from a Google Hangout with a high school coding class to robotics to coding sites (code.org and madewithcode.com). These kinds of opportunities only come around once in a while, so we jumped on this one with no hesitation. We found that the kids, for the most part, love the variety of sessions and latched on to at least one of them.

Some of our team kiddos have now decided to change their 20% Time projects to ones that involved coding in one way or another. Many of the kids seem to have found their niche in school now that they have been exposed to coding. Kids who were doing work, but not excited about it, are now coming to school early or staying late to code. They are also collaborating on different coding events and sharing all of their learning. These kiddos are more excited about what they are building with code than we have seen them about anything else so far this year. The beautiful thing is that, almost accidentally, we have been able to provide kids with an opportunity to learn about something that they really want to do. Here are some photos from yesterday's Hour of Code.

Pitch Perfect Preparation

One of the things we wish we would have done differently last year during 20% Time is help the kids prepare for their pitch presentation a bit more. This year, we tweaked the process a little by tapping the expertise of Carin Gado, our Chorus teacher at Hixson. Carin has a great deal of experience with public speaking, being on-stage, and selling an idea to an audience. To that end, the kids worked with Carin on pubic speaking, cadence, projecting and stage presence in a small environment. Here are some of the photos from the kids' experience today.

Tanith Carey;Tiger Parents - and Tiger Schools! Relax and have more fun!

Great book for anxious parents

I happened to listen to an interview on National Radio with Tanith Carey about the negative effects rise of the 'tiger parent'.

I couldn't resist buying her book   'Taming the Tiger Parent' via  NZ internet suppliers Fishpond.

The book, although primarily aimed at parents, has a strong message for schools as well. Although written with the UK market in mind as we move along similar educational  ( more political) approaches it provides a warning for us in New Zealand.. In the UK children are not helped by  the 'increasingly narrow focus on targets and league tables in schools'.

As part of the current 'winner takes all society' , Tanith writes, there is less opportunity for children to learn through play and creative activities. Children are now 'constantly measured to assess their chances of success in every area'. Children in the UK are now  the most tested on earth and as a result many feel stress and anxiety ( as do their patents) they might fail worrying that in  a 'toxic' competitive environment not all can win..

Tanith and daughters

Although  society has created this self centered environment Tanith writes  that this is not helped by 'pushy education ministers'. Couldn't but not think of our own minister in this respect!

Ambitious middle class parents feel the stress to ensure their children are 'winners' while at the same time children from economically deprived families has even less chance of success, through no fault of their own, - the 'achievement tail.'  At one end of the social scale  high- stakes testing is turbo charging an elite class of alpha children who have been on the hamster wheel from birth'  and at the other extreme children who have no chance of catching up. In the UK this has resulted in a 'two-tier education system with a huge achievement gap.' Sounds familiar?

The tiger mum

It is obviously important, Tanith writes, that we must help children reach their potential but that this ought to be based on their individual strengths and not be set by 'the standards of schools intent on boosting their reputations on league tables - or the economic goals of governments'.

The competitive society is changing childhood.  Children are increasingly being seen as consumers of education  and in the process we are depriving 'kids of the experiences that create resilience and emotional balance'. Tanith  is asking parents ( and schools ) to   value childrens'  individual strengths and talents. Parents ( and schools) 'must tread the line between supporting our children and stifling them.'

In her book Tanith explains how children have been seen over the ages.  In recent times it has been the influence of Swiss developmental psychologist Jean Piaget  that had made the most impact, According to Piaget ideas children should be viewed as 'little scientists' learning through open ended play but this has been supplanted  by an overriding need to get ahead - as seen by achievement on tests.

The beginning of this need to compete was sparked at first by the Japanese and later other Asian success in seen in international testing results.

 The first 'tiger parents' were the 'kyoika mama'  - Japanese mothers who based their own worth by their children's success. Tanith  describes the downside of such intense pressure. It is now China that scares the West these days. Ironically both Japan, and later China , realising the  negative effect of the intense pressure to succeed,  are now encouraging their schools to focus on sparking children's curiosity.

The tiger mum

Shanghai ( not China) in 2009 topped the PISA tests; Shanghai is an affluent city where 80% of the children go on to university but this has not been without its costs and like the Japanese the Chinese are calling their education system a failure.. They have found their children are lacking in initiative, self discipline,  a passion for learning for intrinsic reasons, and are looking to the West for answers. At the time we are moving into a standardized test  driven culture  sidelining  talent development and  creativity. in the process.

 Finland:A better model

Tanith favours  another country that does well in international league tables - Finland.

Finland is a country where  schooling does not start until seven children are thirsty for knowledge and where there are no formal tests until the age of 16. It has taken Finland forty years to transform their system In the process they scrapped private education, streaming and school inspections. and  now students
work cooperatively in mixed sets in the classroom and,as a result, they have a culture which puts high value on the independence and individuality of pupils. As a result they have no 'achievement tail'.

In contrast in the West children have no time to work out their own strengths and, instead, are judged in  comparative contests ( literacy and numeracy) they didn't ask to compete in.  Parents  now try to give their children every opportunity to succeed after school leaving no room for children to play. At primary schools  children are tested and schools told that their reputation of teachers and schools rides on the results.

children need real play to learn

In the UK children's stress levels, anxiety and mental health is increasingly put at risk.

 Parents are overly concerned with 'how their children do rather who their children are'. Children ( parents) now compete to gain access to kindergarten and  their children's progress is tracked by checklists and documented 'learning journeys'.

Here in New Zealand we haven't yet had official league tables as in the UK.

 In the UK the schools are as pushy as parents. Sadly, writes Tanith,,' there is no a box to tick for learning for the sake of it' as schools become more about testing than teaching'. When children first enter school they are happily unaware of how they compare with their classmates' but , kids soon learn to measure their achievements not in their own right, but in comparison to others. The more the winners win they get rewarded and conversely the more the losers lose they get dispirited and give up.

Schools are turning up the temperature in this competitive winner/loser society.

 Even when teachers disguise their ability groups with various colours, or names of animals, children soon become aware who are the winners and losers.. What schools value is measured and as personal qualities and individual talents are not as measured the wrong values are passed on to the learners.

Tanith provides several chapters to help parents resist the pressure, both at home and at school, and recommends a 'benign neglect' style of parenting giving  children time to play/learn and to explore ' - encouraging their children to compare their progress with their previews efforts not with others. She suggests encouraging things of interest to them.   She also recommends the ideas of valuing effort and perseverance as against intelligence or talent -   psychology  professor Carol Dweck's 'growth mindset'.

Tanitb advises parents ( and I would add teachers)  to help children to 'find their spark - a skill, a talent or interest which your child is naturally good at, and which genuine excites them'....  'A spark always draws on an innate talent because kids naturally like to do what they are good at.' I can think of many creative teachers who would like the freedom to do exactly this. 'If a child cannot do something it is usually because they haven't had the chance to learn or practice'. We are talking about an 'opportunity' not an 'achievement gap!'

Tanith concludes her book with a plea for parents( and schools)  to resist herding children into two camps - academic and non academic and introduces readers to the multiple ideas intelligence of Howard Gardner; that there are multiple ways of 'being smart'.

She also reconnecting children with nature and give them plenty of opportunities for unstructured play and makes the important point that play and learning are not two different things. 'Studies show  that all subjects are best taught through real life experiences'.

She recommends that parents find  schools with 'truly progressive teaching in place'  Difficult in am

Success at all costs

environment where schools are  increasingly obsessed with developing reputations based on their achievement levels in literacy and numeracy. Tanith worries that in schools continually assessing students that, for many, 'confidence in learning is easily shattered and can take a long time to rebuild'.

For teachers in New Zealand , where schools have not yet gone down the 'league table' path, it is not too late.

 There was a time when New Zealand  primary schools had a lot in common with the developments now seem in Finnish schools 'where there is a commitment to think, not just what to learn'.

The real challenge!

We have a curriculum that will do the trick for New Zealand schools but to be implemented National Standards need to seen in perspective. Time to get the curriculum of the shelf and start heading in the right direction again.

'We need to return to a childhood where children are  allowed to find the time to develop at their own pace through play and self discovery; and to move away  an education based on constant comparisons based on a narrow conception of intelligence.

It is not the parents fault  that society is organised along winner and loser lines nor 'the teachers fault  that they have to feed a monster

of an education system with high -flying exam results- or be considered failing themselves'. 'We must set standards', Tanith

writes, ' but they should be for effort and originality, not just attainment. Yes , we must help them reach their potential, but one that is consistent with their innate skills and personality.....there is point in seeking the same one size fits all.'.

Our future depends on developing the talents of all our children/students - not dividing them into winners and losers.

'We must set side our ideas of what our children are supposed to be- and let them be what they are' - or could be if we , both parents and teachers, gave them the opportunities.

Education Readings- Hattie is wrong!/ Sam Neill/ the arts/ and the problem with ability grouping

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!

Hattie’s research: egregious errors

Hattie - dubious research!

Distinguished New Zealand educator Kelvin Smythe has vehemently disagreed with John Hattie for many years. Here’s his latest salvo that attacks the dubious basis of his ‘research’  and subsequent conclusions, which are then used to reinforce neoliberal education agendas.

“Hattie does not really discuss, present, or defend his curriculum or education conclusions on the basis of the range of known arguments but on what his statistics demonstrate. In this age of the obsession with certainty based on numbers, Hattie has settled on a winning combination, and when presented by a professor of considerable standing, his conclusions are difficult to touch let alone challenge. And with Hattie it is not just numbers but numbers gigantism.”

http://bit.ly/1vlFcDT

All artists have ADD, me included says Sam Neill

Sam Neill - good advice

Consider the points that Sam makes when considering the children in your class. Are you overlooking the artists?

“If I could have your attention for just one minute please… if you would… all right, half a minute would be fine then, if that’s all you’ve got. If I might ask, exactly how distracted are you? Do you have, like me, the concentration span of a mosquito? Can you get to the end of this article without wondering what leftovers are in the fridge, if QI is on the telly tonight, or if indeed it is Thursday at all? I ask this because we have some of what ‘experts’ call Attention Deficit Disorder in my family.”

http://bit.ly/1A0tcrt

The Myth of Multitasking And What It Means For Learning

“Supported by research into how the brain functions, Dr Deak argues that the brain is only able to focus deeply on one task at a time. And not only that, trying to do too many things at once causes the brain to lose the capacity for deep thinking altogether.”

http://onforb.es/1yrINRq

The Rock Lady

Another essential read from Kelvin Smythe, this time describing REAL learning.

‘“If you want to explain the holistic, holistic evaluation, an example of the structure of an holistic activity, an holistic question, the ideal of teaching as it used to be, how to be a great teacher, the antithesis of John Hattie’s philosophy – the true story that follows is it. For me, this story from the ‘80s is an icon. If someone asks me: How could I be a better teacher? I say, read this, absorb this, now go forth and teach.’

http://bit.ly/1y2MKME

25 Things Skilled Learners Do Differently

“Why some of us master them earlier than others is another topic, one that may have something to do with parenting, environment, and even genetics. But the point is, we’re all capable. The smartest, most successful people in the world wouldn’t be where they are today if they weren’t skilled learners. So let’s examine which strategies we should be perfecting and how they can serve us in the long run.”

http://bit.ly/1pMpFMC

A therapist goes to middle school and tries to sit still and focus.She can’t. Neither can the kids.

I can relate to this!

“Except for brief periods of getting up and switching classrooms, I’ve been sitting for the past 90 excruciating minutes. I look down at my leg and notice it is bouncing. Great, I think to myself, now I’m fidgeting! I’m doing anything I can to pay attention – even contorting my body into awkward positions to keep from daydreaming. It is useless, I checked out about forty-five minutes ago. I’m no longer registering anything the teacher is saying. I look around the room to see how the children a few decades younger than me are doing.”

http://wapo.st/1yjmTAf

Seriously, Why Are You Still In Education?

“Why are our reform voices not being heard above the clamor and strife of recent events? Not that

it’s pleasant or easy. No one relishes staring down racism, confronting poverty and calling out injustice. But this is the cancer eating away at society. Either we fight it aggressively or accept a terminal diagnosis. To beat it, we need a new kind of leadership in education; educators who have a seriousness of mind and commitment of purpose to push the profession past where it’s stuck.”

http://bit.ly/1vMZyog

  

This week’s contributions from Bruce Hammonds:

Why Learning Innovation Can’t Come From Teachers Alone

Bruce’s comment: Who is right  -does an over focus on standards limit creativity?

“When is the last time you’ve walked into a classroom and seen real joy for learning and understanding? Not simply a fun activity, or students enjoying working together, or even vague engagement, but rather resonating, engrossed, curiosity-driven and rigorous learning that changes kids from the inside out?”

http://bit.ly/1rO2nHq

Arts Education Transforms Societies

Bruce’s comment: Importance of the arts.

“Although many people may agree that arts (music, theatre, dance, visual, media, literary and more) are an important part of education, they may not realize the powerful trickle-up effect of arts education on a modern, innovative workforce. Indeed, arts education has the power to transform societies for the better.”

http://bit.ly/1tyXYmQ

Accountability: Do we mean the same thing?

Food for thought…

“So, the word accountability is thrown around a lot in education, but the more I hear the word, the more I think we are really saying different things…”

http://bit.ly/1vF4ay4

Bruce comments: Got a bee in my bonnet about ability grouping at the moment… the unintended consequences of ability grouping.

Research Spotlight on Academic Ability Grouping

Bruce’s comment: A taken for granted assumption underpinning most school is the unquestioned use of ability grouping or in some situations streaming. What are your views on the use of ability grouping. I see them as the most destructive element of traditional education. The trouble is with things taken for granted , as Abraham Lincoln once said, is that they're taken for granted!  Personalised programmes require rethinking about the use of ability grouping/streaming, setting etc. The trouble is as school are increasingly being compared by achievement results

Consequences of ability grouping

there is pressure to use ability grouping.

“The educational practice of ability grouping emerged around the turn of the 20th century as a way to prepare students for their "appropriate" place in the workforce (Cooper, 1996). Students with high abilities and skills were given intense, rigorous academic training while students with lower abilities were given a vocational education.”

http://bit.ly/1B8Vnrz

Is Ability Grouping the Way to Go -- Or Should It Go Away?

Bruce's comment: Should we untrack our schools? Does streaming within class ( ability grouping) or school wide  (division of students into specialised academies) do any good?

“So is tracking a fair way for educators to deal with the wide disparity in students' abilities? Or is it a form of discrimination that has few benefits for students and ought to be outlawed? The issue hasbeen the subject of debate for many years---and will be for years to come. One thing is certain: Further research is essential for educators (and, perhaps, for the courts) charged with making informed decisions about the advantages or disadvantages of ability grouping.”

http://bit.ly/12llk98

From Bruce’s ‘oldies but goodies’ file …

More on ability grouping …

Against ability grouping

Ability Grouping - unintended consequences for learners and teachers.-   A need for a new transformational mindset for teaching to develop the talents and gifts of all students.

“When I taught I chose, against advice of the school, not to use ability grouping instead choosing to help students individually, or in small groups skills required and then returning students back to whatever they were studying. The teachers who were advising me seemed to spend most of their day worrying about reading and mathematics whereas I wanted to focus on inquiry studies, language and the creative arts.”

http://bit.ly/1pMqYew

Dr Rubie- Davis NZ

Teachers using ability grouping contributing to growing inequality in schools!!

Bruce’s comment: And some NZ research about teachers with the highest expectations of students who choose not to use ability grouping. This research shows that the use of ability grouping is adding to the growing achievement gap in schools. Time to change.

“Several studies have shown that high expectation differ from low expectations in three key areas: they do not  use ability groups, they create a warm class climate, and they set clear learning goals with their students. At the heart of these difference, in my opinion is the use of flexible groupings rather than ability grouping.’”

http://bit.ly/1DCYUv1

Podcast: Pitch Prep

In this episode, we talk about the preparations for Pitch Day, the videos that kids are making for their Pitch Presentation and the Hour of Code.  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

What's the Big Idea?

With Pitch Day quickly approaching, kids are firming up their ideas and creating their Pitch Videos. The videos are important because they serve as a commercial for the idea. Each student/group will show the commercial to the Pitch Committee and then speak about the idea for a few minutes afterwards. The video is the first impression that the committee has regarding the kids' ideas. It is important that each video represents a "best foot forward" for the kiddos. Therefore, they are hard at work. Most are using Animoto but some are going with WeVideo or Wideo. Regardless of what product they are using, they are creating.

One recent development is that some of the kids who were having trouble coming up with an idea, have, almost by accident, turned to coding. We had been talking about the Hour of Code (we are participating) and some kids have played around with it, become addicted to it, and decided that their 20% Time project will focus on learning code and creating something with it, bet it a game, app, site, etc. A few of the kids have even been coming to school early so they can work on coding tutorials before school.

While last year we had some great projects, there were also some that were lacking. This year, maybe because we put more time into thinking about ideas, all of the projects seem more solid. The more we hear about the project ideas, the more we are impressed with them. Most of the projects revolve around creating something new, transforming something that already exists, service projects, or long-term personal projects like writing a novel. We are very excited to see the work that occurs during the next week as kids finalize their pitches and prepare for their presentation. We will have lots to share after Pitch Day.

It's a creative culture that counts - time schools and teachers created such a learning culture

At this time of the year teachers are busy writing their reports and placing their students in the various National Standards level - above, at, or below. Schools in turn will be compiling data to 'prove' that their students have gained in achievement against the standards over the year.

Current assessment a waste of time!

The trouble is  is that the standards are neither national or standard. Schools and teachers make use of a range of tests and  then add to the mix their 'TOJ's ( teacher objective judgments). That the standards sort students by their achievement in literacy and numeracy, bi-passing many students whose areas of interests are in other areas of the curriculum, is quietly ignored. At the secondary level schools have to achieve Ministry of Education targets  in NCEA which places the emphasis on  getting students over the hurdles.

Developing the  diverse gifts and talents of many students is lost in such procedures and is not helped by the inevitable narrowing of the curriculum by teaching to the standards. The only saving grace is that, so far,  we do not have standardized national tests and with them comparative  league tables which have been put in place in the US, the UK and Australia.

There are a number of voices that share my concern about National Standards. Ironically introduced to ensure  success for the 'one in five students failing'   they themselves are failing far more students by the neglect of other areas of learning other than literacy and numeracy. Ignored in the process is the obvious fact that most of the so called failing students are to be found in low decile schools- the  unintended ( one would hope) consequences of government policies that have created the inequality gap in our country.

I feel sorry for all the teachers and schools  who seem to have no choice but to comply with such nonsense.

An excellent book

In contrast if we look at our most successful innovators we find that many of them have gained their success in spite of school.

A recent book by Tony Wagner did exactly this in the United States. He was looking for common factors that such innovators shared. Firstly he found that schools were not a strong contributor to such individuals development.  Most, however, were lucky enough to have had a mentor ( some, but not all, were teachers) who encouraged their area of interest. The second factor was that they enjoyed collaborative work with like minded students in their areas of interest and, finally, they had parents who gave them both encouragement to follow their interests and allowed them plenty of time to play around with their ideas - or just to play.

Pink Floyd and school

Wagner writes that kindergartens offer the best model for later schooling. Create the environment, it seems, and they will learn. It is a creative  culture not  obsessive testing and formulaic teaching that is the answer - culture counts. As Pink Floyd sang, 'teacher leave that kid alone - we don't need your mind control'.

Creative teachers, and parents have always known this.  New

Elwyn Richardson

Zealand pioneer creative teacher Elwyn Richardson created, in his small rural school, a  'community of scientists and artists' busy exploring and expressing their ideas. Today teachers, in the current hyper assessment and surveillance culture, have a hard time to achieve such positive learning cultures.

Innovative adults, if the right environment is provided, gain a positive learning identity though achieving what motivates them. Success is its own reward;  their risk taking mentality allows them to continually learn through enlightened trial and error.

Schools could be transformed  to become similar creative environments  but to do so will mean that teachers will have to change the way they teach. Teachers  need to challenge such things as: the focus on literacy and numeracy ( and to 're-frame them as foundation skills'); do away with corrosive ability grouping and streaming; the obsession with narrow accountability data; and develop a relevant ( to the learners) integrated and collaborative curriculum.

 One thing New Zealand Schools could well do is to dust off the 2007 New Zealand Curriculum and place it centre stage ; to develop a personalized learning environment to replace the increasingly  standardized one.

I like the idea of imaging schools as multidimensional  science/ creative arts/technology workshops  continually creating an endless and diverse  range of exhibitions,  performances, demonstrations and displays as is now best seen at science , art and technology fairs. Successful exhibits at such fairs require both design and inquiry skills to be in place. In a school setting finished work could be added to each child's  electronic  portfolios for all to see; in the process taking care of assessment. Teachers would obviously have a creative role in such environments and would work best in diverse teams able to focus on understanding every students' strengths and talents ;educational talent scouts!

Many innovative school already do this - but they are the exceptions. There are ideas available how to transform even  the most resistant of all organisations - the secondary school; schools from year 7 to 13 . As well there are no shortage of encouraging books to inspire action.

What we require are environments where students are given apprenticeships in learning that  to develop powerful life long

learning habits through the activities they undertake. They would also through  the encouragement they get from each other  and from their transformed teachers. Human brains are  programmed through evolution to absorb what is around them -  for better or worse. Culture is, and always has been, the key.

Through the positive learning opportunities innovative teachers place in front of them, students learn to create a world of personal significance and appropriate learning behaviors ; simply by being part of a exciting environment.  Educationalist Jerome Bruner wrote, decades ago, that, 'teaching is the canny art of intellectual temptation,' and added, 'people get good at what they get good at'. Brains are hardwired to learn  through curiosity, excitement and fascination.

Culture counts; teachers need to work replace the current sterile audit culture with a truly creative one. 

When students have the opportunity to develop their interests they are then in a position to pick up on what attracts their attention - what is personally relevant to them.They are, in sense, primed to learn. As one of Tony Wagner's innovators said, 'they know how to learn by themselves', or, in the words of the 2007 New Zealand Curriculum, they are able to 'seek, use and create their own knowledge.' Students in an ideal learning environment  are  continually

 shaping their minds and  amplifying their imagination. Unfortunately this enlightened view of learning is light years away from the current audit and surveillance culture which limits both teachers and students. By working with others students are able to call on the knowledge of their fellow learners. In such environments ideas become communal with learners building on the ideas of others  - a default mode of learning process one hard-wired  from birth but  unfortunately all too easily crushed at school.

This is open ended learning - where students, as artists and scientists, discover as they go along. What students learn  then informs their future choices. Who they are, and who they will

become is woven out of their learning experiences

It is obvious  currently we  are not developing  all our students as future innovators - which was the theme of Tony Wagner's book. If we want to develop New Zealand as an innovative country then the only place to start is in our schools.

So far schools are failing in this responsibility losing wisdom in the pursuit in mere cleverness. No wonder, when their interests and views are ignored,  that many students simply disengage, or worse  leave wounded or alienated

As John Dewey wrote a century ago, 'education is not a preparation for life'.... 'they grow into tomorrow as they live today.' It is the culture that counts not the endless measuring of irrelevant teacher pre-determined objectives.