Learner-Centred spaces

It was wonderful reading this chapter again in light of the last 3 day input from Dr Michael McDowell on Rigorous PBL - one of the best professional development opportunities I have had of late. From the heading the focus is on the Learner. My new learnings  or should I say, 'recalibrated' learning makes for a more accurate critiquing of this information in Learning Transformed . A few things come to mind:

• Not underestimating the importance of surface knowledge in order to get to Deep and Transfer. This is often best done individually and not collaboratively.
• The 'guide from the side' is a diluted image of the complex work of  a great teacher who is way more than a mere guide but an astute curriculum designer and activator of student learning and attitude.
• The importance of knowing when to get learners to collaborate - what is the purpose? (Diverse points of view or perspectives for example)
• The importance of class and overall school culture and associated protocols - learning protocols not just behavioural to the learning process.

I totally agree that design can empower learning however I believe that what has a greater effect size is far more than design - and that is the teachers approach to how students learn eg clarity of learning intention, students' clarity of learning intentions and success criteria, students being able to identify the 'gap', the complex and intentional design of learning that assists learners to move from the surface level to the transfer. It is my opinion that some of these essential requirements can happen in spaces that are not deemed, contemporary by todays standards.

The danger when discussing learners' spaces is that the spaces becomes a distractor to what actually impacts on learning - the focus on pedagogy; he design and implementation of learning and the involvement of the learner in this process in a rigorous way.

Of course comfort, safety, air flow, light are important factors to be considered. Colour and distractions are also worth considering. I think that with greater intentionality teachers can assess their classroom walls and displays and reflect on the potential for learning impact. I wish I had this knowledge when I was in the classroom because I would have been more discerning as to what i had up around the room.

Designing Learner-Centered Space

An interesting read that just kept me returning to - change in pedagogy is the most important shift. At a recent 3 day conference we watched a video showing a very traditional classroom very similar to the ones in our school - this school has had maximum growth over the last ew years and it isn't because of the latest classroom design or colours in the space it is because of the learning in the space.
The teacher was using a wide variety of strategies that enabled every learner to engage and grow in through the task. He was definitely not the 'guide on the side' he was the teacher for each individual in the room. Of course lighting, movement and de-clutter has an impact but without the understanding of pedagogy the space will not have the impact needed to develop every reader the years growth they all need and deserve.
I think the key is balance - there are many ways we can adapt the spaces we have but we need to continue to adapt and improve our pedagogical content knowledge and understanding before we get trapped into the bells and whistle that may be used in the same 'traditional way' and therefore not have the impact we all desire.

Ensuring a Return on Instruction

          As I read Ch 3 I ask myself these questions:

• What data (results based evidence) can we collect at our school to show our investment in technology is more valuable than our investment in PD for teachers? Or that our investment in technology drives the learner to higher levels of thinking?
• Does our learning focus on critical thinking, problem solving and creativity and are we skilled enough to design a curriculum that promotes this?
• I love all the ideas about what 'good teaching is' but wasn't the best one to "have students enjoy learning for the sake of learning?"
•  Do we need more opportunities to show all teachers what 'high quality' learning looks, sounds and feels like?
• I did like the way they phrased the primary goal of education. What would the goal be for those who don't use technology as one of the tools for learning?
• Such an obvious statement: "its not the devices that change the learning its the accompanying change in pedagogy.'
• This article does reinforce the necessity for the leadership team to do purposeful learning walks and give feedback as a result of this. Do we do this part enough?
• If students don't have a personal learning goal how can we show evidence of growth and improvement? Or if teachers don't have a goal or learning intention then what evidence of growth and improvement can we collect?
• Wouldn't it be good if we could share with each other one aspect of professional growth this year and how we have integrated this new learning into our practice to improve student learning?
• Have we established  ' a common vision and expectations ' for all our staff? We have agreed practices should we revise them? Do they include the use of technology?
• Lots of things we have already established: growth mindset, aligning practices to current research, relevant PL, co teaching, co-observing. What did you think of the personal reflecting and the portfolios?

Ensuring a Return on Instruction

So much of this chapter spoke to me and realised the importance of leading through example but also not just becoming caught up in the FADs that come into education. At the moment they may include technology but that is just one example.
The message of changing pedagogy came through so strong throughout the entire chapter. I really see the idea of 80/20 to allow teachers to develop their own educational passions as something that is so beneficial. Although the chapter focussed on a High school model transferring it to our Professional learning session with 2 sessions a term being used for teachers to research their own passion with the built in accountabilities of using our term 4 meetings for the presentation of their results sounds doable.  Relating it to improved student data would have to be explicitly stated but I see such value and also see a connection to their learning goals. We often talk about bottom up model and the importance of ownership - maybe this would be the answer. I think sometime we need to loosen the strings, just as we are encouraged to do with our students. We need to move away from the lecture model and develop the staff through more effective strategies.
I believe this model truly encompasses the primary goal of education as cited on page 86 " empowered to own their learning, create artifacts that demonstrate conceptual mastery". Although this may be talking about students it can also be transferred to teachers as well. maybe this model will help the shift in pedagogy that is needed to improve our practice. Like we focussed on during the 'Feedback' sessions - what can we drop so we have the space to feel 'empowered to try different things and, ultimately, see the results for themselves.' (pg 89 - Learning Transformed)
I feel excited by this approach and eager to see the positive impact small changes in my leadership will make by following some of the strategies to shift my own practices.

Lockport City longitudinal study

Success came from a shift in pedagogy NOT from technology per se. 67% lecture to 21%. Student engagement from 21% - 75%. This is improved teaching not improved technology or even improved use of technology.
The 'how to' of technology is still imperative but the freedom to effectively use these skills to promote transformative change in learning outcomes comes from the teacher recognising their role as facilitator rather than 'font of all knowledge and wisdom'.
Discipline improves with engagement. Engagement improves with the improvement of fundamental skills. Fundamental skills come through quality teaching that is both individualised and appropriately timed to allow for maximum success for the learner. Engagement improves with choice. Technology provides choice. Should we as teachers be more skill than content focused? Are our silos (syllabus documents) inhibiting learning??

Ensuring a return on instruction

The chapter uses PISA as the imperative for a broader approach to technology. While the PISA testing is geared towards life skills and inquiry it still is a series of closed questions based on what the writers of the test believe to be important.
A student, who has not been exposed to the 'content' of the individual questions still has to apply skills to respond but is again limited by their existing knowledge of the field. The skills of being able to discern the correct potential responses from the 'red herrings' is something taught not something intuitively discovered through creative or explorative uses of technology.
There are billions of potential topics and questions for such a survey. The complexity offered, in the first PISA sample question for reading, involves comprehension of a graph, understanding of timelines that extend millennia into the past, interpretation of the purpose of the text and generalisation of the material to make informed predictions. Each of the basic skills listed (clearly not exhaustively listed) requires significant training and repetition before a student would be able to generalise the skills into situations where the content is foreign but accessible using a technique.
PISA requires a comprehensive approach incorporating all the disciplines rather than 'siloing'. The example above requires considerable mathematical comprehension apart from language skills and, in this question's case an general knowledge of geology.
On page 85 the text discusses the idea that we need to 'move past these types of trainings' in reference to technology based workshops. I agree with this. Without these workshops as a forerunner to a more comprehensive/ creative and intuitive use of technology this latter goal is not achievable. We cannot assume that students will gather the requisite skills through osmosis. 'A rolling stone gathers no moss.' There is a significant need for skill acquisition prior to 'rolling on' to greater knowledge and use of technology as a tool for learning.