Best Slide - The Globally Connected Educator

The Globally Connected Educator- Beyond Plugging In Towards Global Pedagogy from Silvia Rosenthal Tolisano

PE health curriculum consultation

http://health.tki.org.nz/Teaching-in-HPE/Curriculum-statement/Implementing-the-Curriculum/Consultation

Learning Spaces _ Linking Pedagogy and Space

This is from Australia - Linking Pedagogy and Space


https://www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/edulibrary/public/assetman/bf/Linking_Pedagogy_and_Space.pdf

Streaming

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/8619830/Ditch-classroom-streaming-researcher-says

WEbinars

I listen to quite a few of these, last night developing a PLN to support Literacy.

Tonight listening to an older Webinar on the Key Competency book , have read this too. Need to go back and do some note taking. This is part of the Global Connectors Month .October 2014
http://connect.vln.school.nz/p4eg56sf3ho/?launcher=false&fcsContent=true&pbMode=normal

Growth mindset in the classroom

http://news.tes.co.uk/b/tes-professional/2014/10/31/how-to-make-growth-mindset-theory-work-in-the-classroom.aspx

Moving to a 1:1 digital environment

Watching a webinar 1 :1 digital devices Year 2 - up

Link to my notes


Link to Webinar

Education as it should be _ passion based

User Generated Education Education as it should be – passion-based. Maker Education Conference Workshop Jackie Gerstein

Students Leading Learning

http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/10/students-lead-the-learning-experience-at-democratic-schools/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kqed%2FnHAK+%28MindShift%29

The Fragmentation of learning

Lots of thought in this article.

http://timespaceeducation.wordpress.com/2014/10/08/the-fragmentation-of-learning/

Ulearn2014

Key competencies

http://keycompetencies.tki.org.nz/Key-competencies-and-effective-pedagogy/Insights-into-the-KCs

Self audit framework key competencies nz curriculum

http://keycompetencies.tki.org.nz/Key-competencies-and-effective-pedagogy/Self-audit-framework

S

https://www.wickedproblems.com/1_wicked_problems.php

Slackers teachers

http://www.teachthought.com/teaching/dated-image-slacker-teacher/

Technology in the Classroom

http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/09/8-ways-to-prioritize-learning-when-using-technology-in-the-classroom/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kqed%2FnHAK+%28MindShift%29

Teachers ..Coaches

http://usergeneratededucation.wordpress.com/2014/09/28/how-educators-can-assist-learners-in-developing-a-growth-mindset/

Growth Mindset

http://usergeneratededucation.wordpress.com/2014/09/28/how-educators-can-assist-learners-in-developing-a-growth-mindset/

SLC

http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/09/why-students-should-take-the-lead-in-parent-teacher-conferences/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kqed%2FnHAK+%28MindShift%29

why-some-kids-try-harder-and-some-kids-give-up - MIndshift

An article shared with me ..very good reading


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tracy-cutchlow/why-some-kids-try-harder-and-some-kids-give-up_b_5826816.html

Why teach writing in schools

http://teach-learn-lead.blogspot.co.nz/2014/09/why-teach-writing-in-school.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+blogspot/AkIFW+(Teaching+Learning+Leading)&m=1

Learning Maker, Learning Faker

Learner Maker



http://www.core-ed.org/thought-leadership/ten-trends/ten-trends-2014/maker-culture?utm_campaign=core-newsletter-gen-sep2014&utm_source=core-newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=feature-img

Mark Osborne - Core Education

Brendon Anderson Room 10 Teacher...this is more about Students' actions and behaviours

Schools choking out the Creativity in schools...Mindshift

This is worth a think..is this a message to look at where we can personalise the curriculum more for our students??


http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/09/a-parents-message-school-is-choking-the-creativity-out-of-kids/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kqed%2FnHAK+%28MindShift%29

Dyslexic Learners

Scary Learning

http://www.karentuiboyes.com/2014/09/why-is-learning-so-scary/
Have just been reading this article by Karen Boyes and thinking so true. So many of those students who are behind in their learning compared to where we want them to be just don't appear to think the learning is for them ..it's for the others who are clever.

Or they don't have the persistence, the resilience, the WANT.

Thinking about all the articles on UDL and locus of control, personalising learning..... students teaching students ...we NEED more.

Schools need to get down to learning , teach children to embrace the ' Zone of Confusion'

We know so much more , but why do we keep on squashing so much other stuff into our day.

I've been thinking about all the new strategies I want to do with my children but instead for the most of 4 hours we will be practicing for the Fancy Dress Evening.

Why?
UDL - no
Personalising the Learning - no
Fun- not for many
Fun for me - no
Fun for my ADHD boys - no

I'm not so sure we need to all be there for so long.
Why didn't I speak up?

Let's make it a minimal practise, do what needs to be done and home to learn.

Digital Literacy

1http://schools.natlib.govt.nz/blogs/libraries-and-learning/14-08/digital-literacy-professional-learning-and-deeper-dive-part-1

The educator as a design thinker

This appears to be a site I follow that makes sense, talks about future skills ... really worth a read

http://usergeneratededucation.wordpress.com/2014/08/27/the-educator-as-a-design-thinker/


And this

http://usergeneratededucation.wordpress.com/2013/03/22/schools-are-doing-education-1-0-talking-about-doing-education-2-0-when-they-should-be-planning-education-3-0/

Kids are better off without homework

http://m.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/why-kids-are-better-off-without-homework/story-fni0cwl5-1227032684827?nk=0ef07f6008458bc39cdbdb628883fc4e

Four skills to teach students in their first 5 days at school

http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/08/four-skills-to-teach-students-in-the-first-five-days-of-school-alan-november/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kqed%2FnHAK+%28MindShift%29

Anne Kenneally: Student designed learning spaces

Anne Kenneally: Student designed learning spaces from EDtalks on Vimeo.

Expanded Learning Opportunities

“Homework in primary school has an effect of zero”

Personal responsibility, Karen Boyes

http://www.karentuiboyes.com/2014/08/learning-personal-responsibility/

Environments

http://www.vln.school.nz/

IPods as tool for creation

http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/07/potential-and-reality-the-ipad-as-a-tool-for-creation/

Powerful Uses of Technology

http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/08/what-are-the-most-powerful-uses-of-tech-for-learning/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kqed%2FnHAK+%28MindShift%29

Life of an Educator: 10 shifts for educators to make in the upcoming school year

Life of an Educator: 10 shifts for educators to make in the upcoming school year

Dyslexia Friendly Classrooms

I received the update from http://www.4d.org.nz/ and have just been looking at this check list to see how dyslexia friendly my class is. Actually I feel quite good. I need to firm up my routines. I keep experimenting with ways to get students planning more of their learning while looking for ways to hold students accountable. This check list appears to link very nicely to that of a MLE too.

Education as it should be – passion-based. SAMR as a Framework for Moving Towards Education 3.0

http://usergeneratededucation.wordpress.com/2014/02/23/samr-as-a-framework-for-moving-towards-education-3-0/

seven-sharp/schools-ditch-pens-and-paper-cutting-edge-technology

http://tvnz.co.nz/seven-sharp/schools-ditch-pens-and-paper-cutting-edge-technology-video-6040727

Meeting with The BOT

I will need to be very relaxed and focused when I write this ...

It's hard to explain something to someone who has very little schematic around the topic.

The so called. Learning to Learn Team ( I think we should just be called the curriculum Development Team now), the L to L team has given people a negative feeling towards us. Well maybe not even negative. 

The BOT to me appear to think the L to L is a thing, an approach, a different from everyone else way of teaching.

How will we get them to see, the Learning to Learn Team is only trying to bring about the meaning of our school written curriculum. If we do the same as we always have, what we did for the past curriculum, why oh why did we write another. It calls for different approaches to bring about different skill sets and dispositions in our learners.

And surprise surprise it also calls for teachers to continuously learn , to seek new knowledge , to seek clarification around ideas, if we taught as we have always taught we will not get the different skill sets,mattitudes and dispositions in our learners.

One thing snowballs into another. If we want teachers to learn differently then the organisation and ways schools function might also change . Meetings , school structure, release....traditions ... 

We must ask the why.

I think it continues into different relationships and communication with community...

Really it's easy, but not for some.

Neat tidy uniformed change is artificial. Learning is chaotic and messy and perhaps so is change, worthwhile change.

lastly students as life long actively involved confident learners and the same for teachers.

Why can some not see how we want our students to learn and to develop skills to learn is what we must also develop.

Community Consulatation is a must next step.

Secondary - changing ways

o longer are teachers solely responsible for a specific curriculum — the focus has shifted to skill sets like problem solving, critical thinking and collaboration — transferable skills useful no matter where a student ends up.





http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/07/hands-on-and-student-centered-subverting-the-typical-college-experience/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kqed%2FnHAK+%28MindShift%29

Future-focused learning report ~ Ministry

http://www.minedu.govt.nz/theMinistry/EducationInitiatives/UFBInSchools/FutureFocusedLearning.aspx and impliactions for schools from VLN http://www.vln.school.nz/blog/view/883880/future-focused-learning-in-connected-communities-what-does-this-mean-for-us

Great Image and lots of thinking

The Future of Education

Learner Orientation

http://www.core-ed.org/thought-leadership/ten-trends/ten-trends-2014/learner-orientation

Keri Facer Learning Futures

Transformative SChools

http://www.teachthought.com/teaching/5-priorities-transformative-schools/

This fits with the 6 themes for the future oriented teaching and learning, well worth a read.

From TeachThought

Grit

Talking about students mindsets and the impact of this and also teachers mindsets and the impact of this on student mindsets  makes this article even more relevant. We need growth mindset teachers working with growth mindset children. No more teachers saying 'they're just lazy',  or 'not another one (from that family)'

Click below to find the page

Grit in the classroom

Critical Thinking

21st Century Education

Technology Transforming Education

Anne Kenneally: Creating learning spaces

Anne Kenneally: Creating learning spaces from EDtalks on Vimeo.

Designing Learning Spaces

Learning Spaces ....


http://elearning.tki.org.nz/Technologies/Learning-spacesTechnologies/Learning-spaces

Personalised Learning

http://www.vln.school.nz/discussion/view/857130 http://www.vln.school.nz/discussion/view/871585

Using Ipads

Puppet Pals - writing http://www.elearning.tki.org.nz/Media-gallery/Publishing-student-writing-on-an-iPad-student-example Critical mistakes schools make with Ipads Ipads in a room2/3 - Josie Woon's Blog

Why People Resist Change

Reasons why people resist change from Frank Calberg Services

Learning how to Learn

Learning How To Learn: Let's talk about LEARNING, not technology! from Silvia Rosenthal Tolisano

SAMR and Blogging

Introducing the SAMR model Developing critical thinking using the SAMR model http://langwitches.org/blog/2014/06/03/blogging-as-pedagogy-facilitate-learning/ The SAMR Model Explained by Ruben R. Puentedura Why blog? How can you make blogging fit into the modification and redefintion stages of the SAMR model? How do you encourage interaction with your blog? Click to blogs/SAMR




Click this link


  Blogging and SAMR

MeL Clare Amos

http://www.teachingandelearning.com/2013/02/are-modern-learning-environments-and.html?m=1

Courageous conversations

http://vimeo.com/m/32500907

Engaging in courageous conversations

http://www.educationalleaders.govt.nz/Problem-solving/Pono-having-self-belief/Leading-through-difficulty/Engaging-in-courageous-conversations

Unproductive Meetings

http://www.inc.com/laura-montini/infographic/the-ugly-truth-about-meetings.html

Rigor, Mindshift

http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/07/a-school-that-ditches-all-the-rules-but-not-the-rigor-game-based-school-playmaker/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kqed%2FnHAK+%28MindShift%29

MLE

New discussion post - Re: MLE's and the evidence New discussion post - Re: MLE's and the evidence Grace added a new discussion post to Modern Learning Environments: Re: MLE's and the evidence I agree with all you have said but would to raise a point I feel is important.  It involves change management for teachers, many of whom are 'old school' having been trained and experienced in the single cell classroom system for years.  We have two open learning classrooms, each with two teachers.  One is single level (Yr 1) and one is bilevel (Yr 5/6), and both are very successful in their own way. One currently

Inspirational images/messages

MLE - follow this discussion - what the research tells us

New discussion post - MLE's and the evidence

New discussion post - MLE's and the evidence

Neill O'Reilly added a new discussion post to Modern Learning Environments:

MLE's and the evidence

Many people seem to be looking for the evidence that MLE's are the right way for the future.

To answer this question we need to define what we mean by an MLE. If we mean a space that has the basic MLE components of acoustic control, adequate lighting, digital access, heating and perhaps environmentally sustainable and space for learning then I am not sure we need any other evidence- it's a no brainer.

Now if we are talking about an MLE that has provision for more than one class and more than one teacher one could ask the question where is the evidence for what we currently have? The current provision of one class for 25 (or so) children has nothing at all to do with learning, pedagogy, research or any such thing. It is simply financial. When a school gets 25 children they are entitled to another classroom and a teacher. Welcome to NZ schools.

What is the evidence for an alternative? (say 2-6 classes in one space)

1. Hattie's research makes it clear that teacher collaboration is the key to improvement (2009)

2. Fullans work makes it clear teacher collaboration and de privatizing the classroom is the key to improvement (2009, 2014)

3. Elmore makes it clear that observing and being observed are the keys to improvement (2004)

4. Fielding and Nair, Prakash identify that the environment makes a significant difference to learning (2009)

5, Davila did some research and looked at comparisons between traditional single cell class and co-teaching (http://www.fortbendisd.com/docs/action-research-reports/effects-of-co-teaching-in-the-math-8-classroom.pdf) the results were quite evident

6. Start looking into stories from teachers and the vast majority say it makes a difference to their competency and efficacy

There is so much more...

The time lost in transition each year ( I am making an assumption here that quality MLE's will have multi level age groups so that  a child can be in the environment for more than one year) as each new teacher spends time getting to know children ( I estimate that in a full primary school we lose 1 year of learning time to transition time)

Then there is the notion of multiple perspectives on the curriculum. This I have to do more research on, but consider the teachers who did not make learning occur for you at school. Now if you had access to more than one teacher (and their perspective on learning) then you have the opportunity for multiple perspectives on the curriculum and improved probability of learning

Then there is teaching to my strength and...

learning from my colleagues and...

having another adult in the room to problem solve with (and stop me going crazy)and...

opportunity to talk about that child who is not 'getting it'

then there is the strength of collective expectations and support for learning (especially the KC's)

Not to mention the understanding that we are no longer teaching children for the industrial age and we know so much more about children's brain development that we would not want them in a 67 sqm room with one teacher.

The evidence to me is that living in 2014 how can we continue to teach children in spaces and ways that reflect 1914, 1964 even 1984. The world has changed so dramatically, schools have not. They need to. The evidence is in the world around us, in our communication, workforce, social networking, past times, travel, life styles....

MLE's are really just TLE's - 'Todays Learning Environments'. If we design them well and in a flexible manner then we might just be designing MLE's.

Wow! Exciting times Christchurch!!

View and reply to the discussion:
http://www.vln.school.nz/discussion/view/879171?orderby=latest

Internet filtering in Schools

http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/06/whats-the-impact-of-overzealous-internet-filtering-in-schools/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kqed%2FnHAK+%28MindShift%29

This article from the Mindshift got me thinking again. It recognises the need for us to teach children how to be safe respectful citizens on the net. To recognise dangers and threats and to have the tolls to deal in the right way with these. To put up too many safety nets will not allow the children to make the small mistakes and to learn from this.

I always harp back to crossing the road, riding a bike , driving a car. We provide scaffolding for our children, at the right level over time to allow the safe practises to be built. We need to do this with the Internet.

Rethinking the Colorful Kindergarten Classroom By JAN HOFFMAN

Environments


  http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/06/09/rethinking-the-colorful-kindergarten-classroom/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_php=true&_type=blogs&smid=tw-nytimes&_r=1&

UDL - Clare Amos

Click here , very good blog post

Bring Education Up to Date

http://timespaceeducation.wordpress.com/2014/05/22/bring-education-up-to-date-by-breaking-moulds/ A brilliant article that sums it al up. Thanks Karen.

7 habits of highly effective teachers who use educational technology

Find more education infographics on e-Learning Infographics a

Home-school-partnerships

Home /school Partnerships This is an interesting post from Core Education today. a-fresh-approach-to-home-school-partnership-and-engaging-parents

When we consider the

Supporting future-oriented
learning & teaching —
a New Zealand perspective

Report to the Ministry of Education

R Bolstad & J Gilbert
with S McDowall, A Bull, S Boyd & R Hipkins

New Zealand Council for Educational Research

One of the principles discussed is: Theme 6: New kinds of partnerships and relationships: Schools no longer siloed from the community, it asks us to consider different relationships and roles.
By emailing parents re their children and learning and inviting parents into our classrooms we are starting to look at different communication and relationships.

http://www.teachingandelearning.com/2014/05/realising-future-of-new-zealand.html Clare Amos

STIN Interviews , knowing your Learner

I just want to have this post to refer to another time , always worries me that I dont know enough about the cultural side of my students.

http://www.teachingandelearning.com/2014/05/hack-your-classroom-week-two-getting-to.htmlhttp://www.teachingandelearning.com/2014/05/hack-your-classroom-week-two-getting-to.html

A teaching approach to enable Māori achieving success as Māori

 Authentic Learning - ownership - student voice

http://elearning.tki.org.nz/Teaching/Pedagogy/A-teaching-approach-to-enable-Maori-achieving-success-as-Maori

Future-focused education - what does it mean? from enabling elearning...

 Click here to read more.

Read this little bit more, Where are we in the journey? Future-focused education - what does it mean? How can education prepare students for living in the 21st century? How can schooling change to meet meet the opportunities and challenges of the 21st century? How can we prepare students to address "future-focused" issues such as sustainability, globalisation, citizenship, and enterprise? Bolstad, R. (2011) 1 Literature suggests we need to be future-oriented and adaptable, adopting a more complex view of knowledge, that incorporates knowing, doing, and being. Alongside this we need to rethink our ideas about how our learning systems are organised, resourced, and supported. Educators need to consider: Personalising learning – how can you use technologies to build the school curriculum around the learner and more flexibly to meet learners’ needs? Building an inclusive learning environment - how you use technologies to: enage learners, family/whānau, and communities in co-shaping education to address students’ needs, strengths, interests and aspirations? provide access to anywhere, anytime learning? support assessment and evaluation processes so that these are dynamic and responsive to information about students? Developing a school curriculum that uses knowledge to develop learning capacity – how can you use technologies to enable students to create and use new knowledge to solve problems and find solutions to challenges as they arise on a “just-in-time” basis? Rethinking learners’ and teachers’ roles – how can you use technologies to create a “knowledge-building” learning environment where learners and teachers work together? Building a culture of continuous learning for teachers and school leaders – what opportunities to participate in and build professional learning are afforded by technologies? New kinds of partnerships and relationships - how can technologies be used to facilitate this? Bolstad, R & Gilbert J, et al. (2012) 2

Making Meetings PRODUCTIVE

http://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/make-your-meetings-insanely-productive.html

7 Essential Principles of Innovative Learning ~ Mind Shift

From Mind shift and another great article - read the points on LEARNING. http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/02/7-essential-principles-of-innovative-learning/

Possession of facts is not learning, think of those outside agencies? From Mind Shift

http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/04/beyond-worksheets-a-true-expression-of-student-learning/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kqed%2FnHAK+%28MindShift%29

Collaboration - UDL - from VLN

Collaborate to Enhance UDL Co-creating lessons, units of work or designing an assessment - How are you collaborating with others? “When great minds come together that share the common goal of enhancing student learning and achievement, great things happen.” This UDL inspired video shares some benefits of collaboration.

 http://www.udlresource.ca/?p=1659

Leaders with Telescopes or managers with microscopes, Kelvin Squire

http://natlib.govt.nz/records/20844542?search%5Bi%5D%5Bsubject%5D%5B%5D=Social+change&search%5Bi%5D%5Bsubject%5D%5B%5D=Education&search%5Bil%5D%5Bprimary_collection%5D=Index+New+Zealand&search%5Bpath%5D=items

Incentives don't work

http://osborne.kiwi.nz/2014/04/17/why-incentives-dont-actually-motivate-people-to-do-better-work/

John Hattie ~ Visible Learning. Pt 2: effective methods.

Teachers need to talk about Teacher Practise , bring the debate of teaching and learning and bring it to the fore.

Growth MIndset Students and Student Agency

http://www.hightechhigh.org/unboxed/issue10/mindsets_and_student_agency_contributors/ Worth a read , looks at Student Agency and Student growth mindset....... I'll think on this ..

Why personalise Learning now?

Why Personalize Learning NOW! from Barbara Bray

by Barbara Bray, Educational Consultant at My eCoach on Oct 15, 2013 2,005 views Presentation for Connected Educators Month that was a prompt for great discussions. Barbara Bray and Kathleen McClaskey provide rationale for personalizing learning. Go to www.personalizelearning.com ...

I Don't Give Homework Anymore - changing thinking to motivate and engage students, teachers and parents.

I Don't Give Homework Anymore - changing thinking to motivate and engage students, teachers and parents. from Justine Hughes / Education Consultant / Virtual Technologies International Ltd

Justine Hughes / Education Consultant / Virtual Technologies International Ltd on Apr 13,

Student Agency

Thinking about the role of Students in their Learning and reporting to parents.

Ten Trends 2014: Agency from EDtalks on Vimeo.

Personalised vs individualised vs differentiation

Personalized Learning Chart Version 3 from Barbara Bray

http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2013/06/awesome-chart-on-difference-between.html

Grit or choose your goals wisely and persevere

http://www.alfiekohn.org/miscellaneous/grit.htm

read this article , slightly contradicts Angela  Duckworths  'Grit' , tals about grit can be used for good and bad and that we can persevere on the wrong tasks. Point that we need to be able to choose the right goals and persevere. Prrsonally I think we need to blend these two ideas. Also what is needed to enable children to choose the right goals......

'The benefits of knowing when not to persist extend not only to the outcomes of a decision but to the effects on the individual who made it. '

'To know when to pull the plug requires the capacity to adopt a long-term perspective.  Continuing to do what you've been doing often represents the path of least resistance, so it can take guts to cut your losses.  That’s as important a message to teach one’s children as the usefulness of perseverance.'

Awards

http://bit.ly/1lseYvh

Today we'll yesterday it was brought to my attention I give out more Learning Attitude and Cross Competency awards than others. Actually I think well done. 

Two each per , isn 't that thinking a bit like a fixed mindset person, or that decision. 

It was explained we all do 2 to ensure it doesn't take too long at assemblies. yet when there are 50 music awards or something we give them all put. Should we just choose 2 for this, now I know that is totally different but.... 

My point is are we just giving two awards because that is what we do because TITWWADTAH ( That is the way always we do things around here) or should we be really giving awards to those that show outstanding use of the Learning Attitudes and Cross Competency Skills. Should we be only writing them for outstanding or for when students use their personal best.

Is there any challenge or real value in what we do? Are we making a difference .... Would it make more of a difference if there was not a two , but when chn make a new best an award is given? 

Are we just complying .......

Should we be asking why we do this , what is the purpose. Are we meeting the intended outcome.

Perhaps something little but again fixed mindset syndrome maybe...

Assemblies and the why is another topic altogether.

Your thoughts ...

Learning For The Future

http://blog.core-ed.org/

This article is written by Marianne Mills.

Interesting , isn't it, how do we choose the activities we will involve our students in. Is it because we have always done it?  Is it because we think it is good for them? Or is it because it is really something they will need for the future.

Who makes decisions for what happens in schools and do we really consider the why first? Or do we start with the what and the how and never get to the why? What is the educative purpose of schools. 

Is it to grow students intellectual capacity? I really like this article, read it and share your thoughts. It makes me think about school events , new school events , old traditions and fixed mindset people. 

I can relate to some of this

From MIndshift

New thinking, well not new, continuous

From Tony Gurr - all things learning

Does the traditional reading, writing and mathematics model fit into this future oriented way of teaching. I don't think so. We need to explore new ways of doing things.

I am going to design a grid of activities for the week. This grid will give general choices to my students that involve must dos and choices where they have time to work individually or collaboratively to learn. Some of the choices will allow students to focus on identified needs. I will scaffold students in this area. For example basic facts , students will know and explore different ways to learn these. ( I do need some handy hints for helping visual special learners / dyslexic learn basic facts. I feel strongly students need in class time to do this. Homework is not appropriate in this case.

Each day I will still call groups of students for explicit lessons in maths and reading. Small lessons with an explicit lesson in writing will be shared with the whole class. ( I need to make more vocabulary lists). I really want my students to identify what they need to learn and to be able to book into lessons , not sure how to get there yet.

What I see when 8 do this
 Engaged students
Students are in charge, have choice and are responsible
Allowance of different times on tasks for students with different needs and interests
Collaboration
Other students can take the teachers role
Computers are in use
No more compliant kids grabbing all the attention
No great lengths of sitting with Teacher dominated discussion
Flexibility in who works with the teacher

A more natural learning environment where all learners have to act like learners. I do not set them up, using the timer on google helps students monitor time. Tracking on their planning sheet is a scaffold as we move into this. My job is to actually keep my students accountable for their learning. I need to stick to my teaching, it's easy to get caught up in those who are off task, those who come straight to the teacher.

Accountability, I need to start hard!! I've identified those I need to constantly check up and never not do this. ( This is hard, duty, other tasks, days out of the room, how can I set up systems of accountability where students do this and not just me checking up??) Get other students to do this? Check lists for some ( not all).

I will start Monday.

I want to have some flexibility for my students. The must dos cannot be too heavy so all can finish. Those who need more time in a negotiated activity need to have this made available. We need to make time to reflect on our achievements and next steps. Also how did we go as a learner.

There will be some gaps where students can choose the tasks.

I'm looking forward to it.

Images from working with Tony and John

Is our Learning culture around Teacher Practice? How do you get Teacher practise data to share with your staff?

 

Inquiry is asking questions , delving deep into teacher practice , discussing with others, getting inside each others heads. Really chewing over the points, even debating.

 

Goals have a plan, a finish date and an action plan. Inquiry is where we ask questions and go and go and go ... Goals might naturally happen from the Inquiry.

STAND Up!!

Growing a growth mindset.

Working with Interlead and a group of principals today

27.03.14

Today was all about Mind Sets, fixed or growth. Fixed mindset people are not open to discussing how they can improve. They believe they do it all correct, that they can not be seen to not know.

A growth mindset needs to be modeled by the leaders of the school.

We talked about teacher inquiry, learning appraisals, and the most important message over all to me was the professional practice we must have in our school to get open mind sets.

We talked about sharing data and talking about kids , this does not impact on student achievement, talking about teacher practice does. Why is it our staff (well some) appear to be happy to debate rubbish or wheels day monitors for a great length of time but when it comes to teacher practice --- zip.

We talked about staff meetings being for learning for deep discussion where you get into others ' heads around teacher practice.

How do we collect data on teacher practice? At Frankley I believe we need open discussion on teacher practice! Teacher inquiry with links to RTC, sharing, mountains of walk throughs, a lot more robust conversations ....

Three guiding questions to help those with fixed mind sets and those who are growth mindset people.

The Fence Posts Questions

What's working?

What's not working 

What am I going to change

If you do this you've established a community of practice.

No good talking if you don't move to action

If you are doing this you have established a community of practice not a community of interest.

Need for Appraisals to be learning appraisals not performance. We want teachers delving into their practice, trying new things , looking for different ways , some successes, some room for development , and reflective behaviour, making changes, identifying what works best for their children. To do this they must be an open mind set person. Tracking their inquiry against the RTC as it happens was a good example shared. I think this could be a wonderful idea. The 12 questions under the RTC fit nicely for discussion. The more people who are in on inquiry discussion allow a better understanding to grow.

What happening?

What ' s not happening?

How can I influence what is not happening??

Set inquiry on priority students , use above questions then journal 

Set inquiries not goals

Goals are smart, see the doc, goals might come from within the inquiry.

Inquiry bring about goals, fixed mindset people will not like to start with an inquiry.  

Decisions are often made with the what, and then the how. We need to start with the WHY!!!     

We talked about collaboration and team ..... Fantastic day.

Angela Lee Duckworth: The key to success? Grit