Mark’s Learning Log

Sir Ken Robinson on the ABC 7.30 Report about the narrowing focus for Schools.

I have just caught up with the interview of Sir Ken Robinson on the ABC 7.30 report on schooling and creativity amongst other subjects discussed. Warrick Wynne has managed to create a direct link to part 1 of the interview on his blog.

The interview is a must see for all parents enrolling their child in schools and for educators who know something is out of kilter in the school house but don’t know how to fix it. Sir Ken talks about head teachers being critical to the capacity of a school community being really able to address individual needs - where passion and interest collide.

He didn’t argue that all is bad but just that creativity and imagination which he believes are the real drivers in the  21st century need a place in the school. Its not all about the maths and sciences its also about the arts and humanities.

I agree with his thoughts about the “cramming” schools being dangerous for they have no real long term value. He defines cramming schools as those focused around state or national test scores. I think he was spot on about parent and some educators anxiousness about the future driving cramming as it’s seen as a way to ensure success when in fact no-one can predict with certainty what the future holds except that it will be different and will need different solutions to the worlds problems.

In past 2 of the interview I also think he got it right when he alluded to the notion that schooling is not all about preparation - you prepare for kindergarten, then you prepare for school, then high school, then university etc…. We need to learn skills and understandings and action our learning at each and every stage of schooling not waiting for some time in the future.

Each time I have viewed the interviews I get something else. I have previously written about his TED Talk.

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The Crazy Ones

I really like this clip for it honours those who thought differently, were prepared to take a risk, experiment or hypothesis or test new ideas, to make a difference in the world.

Posted in Video Clips | 3 Comments »

Microsofts home of the future

Interesting little video where you are told when to take your medicine. Sign of a possible future ahead.

Posted in Technology, Uncategorized, Video Clips | No Comments »

Teenagers in primary school - challenges on engagement and connectedness.

I have just finished sending in my last assignment for this semester [Masters Course] and with some relief I am now able to get some of my life back and amongest other things write a bit more on my blog. My assignment was the first stage of my research project on instructional leadership which I am sure will feature in future posts.

Browsing Don’s blogI came across the funny BBC clip on teenagers. I have been reflecting on student disengagement with family and schooling and are starting to think that some 11 and 12 year olds are not waiting for the secondary school 13 y.o.  ”its cool not to show the smarts” disengagement in school.

We have some data on this at school and its a complex challenge. It seems from the data that some students appear to have lost deeper connections with each other [part of this teenager trying to be cool I would suggest]. One of the connector skills is expressing emotions in ways that are clear and non threatening and this has become apparent through the use of restorative justicetechniques of ‘circle time’ which teachers use to focus on these issues. I participated in one of these circle times with a group of year 11/12 y.o’s and was heartened to hear some children unscripted apologise for some of their actions towards another person in the yard but discouraged to hear that one a little while later used a phone camera to take photos and put down another student - its a work in progress. 

I know there are lots of other factors besides school in play here: i.e. balance of video games vs creative neighbourhood play.

I also know its a challenge for teachers in this age of immediate gratification and instant google information to keep students engaged in learning skills and understandings within the context of real life problems that they can effect change here and now - but that’s the challenge.

The video, while funny, shows the parent’s perspective, who also need our support to deal with disengagement. I wonder how other people are feeling about this?

Posted in Collaborative Communities, Family, Uncategorized, Video Clips, parenting, school | 1 Comment »

Open Culture Site

I was recently directed to this open culture site which has free videos and other media that are accessible to all. They have listed the top 10 sites that have free media material for education. I looked at the Australian Screen Archive [I looked at a short clip about the file 'When the Cars ate Paris'] and Academic Earth [the clip on the history of computing was interesting] and Best Online Documentaries interesting clips.

Worth a look and bookmark.

Posted in Collaborative Communities, Video Clips, school | No Comments »

Tribes, Change, Risk, Discomfort

I recently read a blog on Seth’s presentation on Tribes as a way of connecting people in change and he posed several questions about connections, upsetting people and leading.

Whilst reading the blog I was drawn to several quotes from Chris Lehmann who is the principal of a Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia:

• We cannot let fear stop us from doing the right thing.
• If you’re not willing to lose your job you’re not going to be able to do your job.

The connection for me about Seth’s presentation and Chris’s quotes was risk. Its a risk to lead and to upset people for fear of them not wanting to be friends anymore.

When you see Chris’s video one of the first things he talks about are 5 values that are embedded in his school. He asks that teachers reflect on the lessons they construct to see if they match up with these values. The images we see are of students really engaged with the content of the lesson which is set in inquiry [one of Chris's values] and real problems.

On reflection my school values are about inner values [responsibility, respect and resilience] not the values of learning [inquiry, connections, actions etc...]. This is a real challenge for me for if I were to ask the tribes of teachers [bit of a stretch there] I have in schools to reflect on their lessons they construct based on the current values they don’t really challenge reflection on themselves, only students [did that lesson encourage responsibility??].

Getting back to Seth’s point about tribes as a way of connecting people in change - real change - risking upsetting people - I can only reflect that we learn when we are in the zone of discomfort - the trick it be live in this zone.

I do wonder what other people feel leading movements, or schools, or change in classrooms. Do your explicit values prompt reflection of your work? Do you promote change risking loneliness or alienation seeking tribes of people who connect to your ideas and work? How do we make the connections necessary to survive in the this land of discomfort?

Bit of a ramble this post - lots of reflections.

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Courtenay Gardens P.S. Non fiction Writing in Victoria!

Recently, a professional learning team from Elsternwick Primary,  visited a school, Courtenay Garden’s P.S. in Victoria that focused on non fiction writing implementing the research of Douglas Reeves.

Courtenay Gardens P.S. ,a school located in the growth corridior of the outer south eastern suburbs of Melbourne, has 850 students. The school has students from a cross section of the community and has some additional funding based on factors of disadvantage.  

The schools has spent the last 3 years implementing, a student writing program that has a large non fiction  genre focus. The program now has students perfoming well beyond students in similar communities.

Why?

In point form for me:

• There is a single focus of professional learning [noting that success in this work will spill over to other domains in learning - student writing].
• All adults in the school are allocated individuals [even the office staff] and small groups of under performing students to work on every day to improve their understandings [10.30 - 10.50 am - I think].
• There is a strict culture of students in classroom not wandering corridors [toilet breaks, student monitoring roles]
• The schools timetable negotiated through staff consultative processes specify expectations for the year [i.e. when to put certain displays up, when to have assessment data uploaded, when to finish reports] and by the look of the school the expectations are monitored. .
• There is a leadership team who have researched the learning improvements and insist on standards.

There were other things I noted i.e award winning internal TV studio but the thing I noticed most of all was the absolute generosity of spirit - i.e. all material were distributed free. Thanks for the inspiration!

Posted in Teaching, Uncategorized, school, writing | 1 Comment »

Learning to Change and Changing to learn

I have been hanging onto this clip for a while not knowing what to do with it - in re-looking at it - again - its challenging. I heard some really interesting comments:

• “nearly now” space created by technology where learners [this includes sudents and teachers] not feeling pressured but being able to use technology to reflect, research, repeat things - the nearly now space
• classroom vs communities of learning - what do you set up each year or day?
• If teachers are not connected globally - sharing their work - making connections - how can they support learners who want to?
• technology can help us validate, synthesis and use information to solve problems - show me examples of this - subplot - not going to happen unless we study things that are connected to their reality now. 

The clip ends with the provocative statement “its the death of education and the birth of learning”. I think that’s a little like saying education in schools is toxic to learning - its not quite as bad as that. I think the real challenge is about how we write a story or narrative about 21st century learning that people can connect to.

Posted in Uncategorized, Video Clips, school, school structures | 1 Comment »

What Inspires People

Here is a clip of NASA’s Colonel Eileen Marie Collins when asked what inspired her to become an astronaut. It’s from Dennis Richards and worth a look at for students.
A NASA Astronaut’s Inspiration: Colonel Eileen Marie Collins, USAF, RET. from Dennis Richards on Vimeo.

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The Age of Learning

This is a useful clip for those teachers or administrators wanting to start or continue a conversation about learning and what it might look like in classrooms and why - has a technical focus but still worth a look.

Posted in Collaborative Communities, Leadership, Technology, Video Clips, school | No Comments »