7 Issues 7 Solutions 7 Minutes on Prezi
This is the Prezi of my talk at the recent Teach Meet Coventry.
Thursday, 23 February 2012
Wednesday, 25 January 2012
Missed generation of effective learners?
It dawned on me today that in my struggle to convince other teachers that a different approach can work with all year groups and all subject areas, I feel that I may to concede that we have a lost the opportunity with current secondary school students due to the dreadful learning experiences they have had so far in secondary schools.
Over the past few days I have had a series of group interviews and discussions with lots of students of various ages about the ways they are taught, what education is all about and whether their experience of schooling has set them up for life in the 'real' world.
From their responses, it is clear that their experience is, on the whole, nothing more than teaching to the exam. They see education as means to end and most seemed happy that they go through the 'system' only in order to get the college or university place that they want. They felt that primary school did more to set them up for the 'real' world, and that most of the learning that they feel they need in their lives actually happens outside of school or at best outside the classroom with some teachers that do things differently.
After some discussion, they began to see the problems with this and started to accept that there are alternatives, in fact some started to get frustrated that they are not getting the kind of opportunities that they could and should have.
So it occurred to me that we are neglecting our children, but the worst thing is that they do not even realize it's happening to them. They seem to have forgotten how to learn, many teachers I speak to say that their students can't be independent, but I have seen year 7 students able to work in ways that year 10, 11 or even sixth form just can't do. This institutionalization is now robbing our youth of the ability to learn.
I'd be very interested in peoples thoughts on this. I could be wrong and I know that I have jumped to conclusions and made assumptions about lots of things. Please comment any thoughts.
Over the past few days I have had a series of group interviews and discussions with lots of students of various ages about the ways they are taught, what education is all about and whether their experience of schooling has set them up for life in the 'real' world.
From their responses, it is clear that their experience is, on the whole, nothing more than teaching to the exam. They see education as means to end and most seemed happy that they go through the 'system' only in order to get the college or university place that they want. They felt that primary school did more to set them up for the 'real' world, and that most of the learning that they feel they need in their lives actually happens outside of school or at best outside the classroom with some teachers that do things differently.
After some discussion, they began to see the problems with this and started to accept that there are alternatives, in fact some started to get frustrated that they are not getting the kind of opportunities that they could and should have.
So it occurred to me that we are neglecting our children, but the worst thing is that they do not even realize it's happening to them. They seem to have forgotten how to learn, many teachers I speak to say that their students can't be independent, but I have seen year 7 students able to work in ways that year 10, 11 or even sixth form just can't do. This institutionalization is now robbing our youth of the ability to learn.
I'd be very interested in peoples thoughts on this. I could be wrong and I know that I have jumped to conclusions and made assumptions about lots of things. Please comment any thoughts.
Tuesday, 17 January 2012
Students as Leaders of Learning - A Partnering Pedagogy
Students as Leaders of Learning - A Partnering Pedagogy
(this is a work in progress)
Who are we teaching - Who are we creating?
In trying to imagine the ideal student to teach, we must look outside and beyond schools, into what our ideal school leaver looks like. Many people would agree that independent decision making, critical questioning and thought, self reflective analysis and the capacity to lead themselves and others are some of key factors to a successful post-school life at either university or at work. Yet the majority of our schooling does not allow for this ideal to be considered let alone reached.
We must also consider who today's students really are. Our youth generation are fluent in a multitude of technologies, not taught through schools but learned from experimentation, their peers and the endless array of resources available on the Internet. Changes in communication, collaboration and creativity have opened new worlds of opportunities for them that they have taken despite the lack of engagement in these technologies in our schools and teachers.
Finally we must consider what these students want from their schooling. Mark Prensky in his book Teaching Digital Natives highlights several key factors that most students want:
Can it be done?
David Gauntlett in Making in Connecting, wrote this from an imagined future;
it has been realized that memorizing stuff for tests is the antithesis of real learning, which takes place through meaningful activity. This shift turned out to be somewhat easier that expected, once government policies had been changed, since most teachers had tended to doubt the value of shovelling information in pursuit of test scores. In the new system, students work on learning projects, in which their teachers encourage them to ask questions and to seek out understanding for themselves. To present their learning to others, they produce exhibitions, physical performances, online presentations, and games. They are inspired by their teachers, who are no longer just the holders of the 'answer book' but are visibly also learning new knowledge and skills in their own lives.
This outlook may seem over ambitious and unrealistic to some, however it is entirely realistic and achievable. My argument is that there does not need be a Government policy (though this would certainly make things easier) but is achievable now, with our current 'systems', curriculums and schools.
At the heart of this is fostering an environment where students can truly be leaders of their own learning. I have done exactly this for two years now in my current school and am finally getting heard about the ways that this can personally help every student.
I am due to hold a teacher training session about this new Pedagogy next week and will again investigate it at the Media Education Association conference at the BFI in February. The workshop will explore how to develop a culture of learning where students become leaders of their own learning. With staff and delegates as the learners, they will be in control of the direction, speed and outcome of the session. They will learn some of the theoretical aspects of ‘students as leaders of learning’, but perhaps more importantly see for themselves how to implement these theories into practice back in the classroom. I will not be lecturing about all the wonderful ways I engage students to be active self directed learners, rather I will practice what I preach and ensure that they have the opportunity to lead their learning in metalearning way
I will write a follow up post with the suggestions that the groups had, as well as the things that I've done to enable this, so watch this space.
(this is a work in progress)
Who are we teaching - Who are we creating?
In trying to imagine the ideal student to teach, we must look outside and beyond schools, into what our ideal school leaver looks like. Many people would agree that independent decision making, critical questioning and thought, self reflective analysis and the capacity to lead themselves and others are some of key factors to a successful post-school life at either university or at work. Yet the majority of our schooling does not allow for this ideal to be considered let alone reached.
We must also consider who today's students really are. Our youth generation are fluent in a multitude of technologies, not taught through schools but learned from experimentation, their peers and the endless array of resources available on the Internet. Changes in communication, collaboration and creativity have opened new worlds of opportunities for them that they have taken despite the lack of engagement in these technologies in our schools and teachers.
Finally we must consider what these students want from their schooling. Mark Prensky in his book Teaching Digital Natives highlights several key factors that most students want:
- They do not want to be lectured to,
- They want to be respected, trusted and have their opinions valued,
- They want to follow their own interests and passions,
- They want to create, using the tools of their time,
- They want to work with their peers and group and project work (but ensure that lazy students are identified),
- They want to make decisions and share control,
- They want to connect with peers to express and share opinions, in class and around the world,
- They want to cooperate and compete with each other,
- They want an education that is nor just relevant but real.
Can it be done?
David Gauntlett in Making in Connecting, wrote this from an imagined future;
it has been realized that memorizing stuff for tests is the antithesis of real learning, which takes place through meaningful activity. This shift turned out to be somewhat easier that expected, once government policies had been changed, since most teachers had tended to doubt the value of shovelling information in pursuit of test scores. In the new system, students work on learning projects, in which their teachers encourage them to ask questions and to seek out understanding for themselves. To present their learning to others, they produce exhibitions, physical performances, online presentations, and games. They are inspired by their teachers, who are no longer just the holders of the 'answer book' but are visibly also learning new knowledge and skills in their own lives.
This outlook may seem over ambitious and unrealistic to some, however it is entirely realistic and achievable. My argument is that there does not need be a Government policy (though this would certainly make things easier) but is achievable now, with our current 'systems', curriculums and schools.
At the heart of this is fostering an environment where students can truly be leaders of their own learning. I have done exactly this for two years now in my current school and am finally getting heard about the ways that this can personally help every student.
I am due to hold a teacher training session about this new Pedagogy next week and will again investigate it at the Media Education Association conference at the BFI in February. The workshop will explore how to develop a culture of learning where students become leaders of their own learning. With staff and delegates as the learners, they will be in control of the direction, speed and outcome of the session. They will learn some of the theoretical aspects of ‘students as leaders of learning’, but perhaps more importantly see for themselves how to implement these theories into practice back in the classroom. I will not be lecturing about all the wonderful ways I engage students to be active self directed learners, rather I will practice what I preach and ensure that they have the opportunity to lead their learning in metalearning way
I will write a follow up post with the suggestions that the groups had, as well as the things that I've done to enable this, so watch this space.
Wednesday, 12 October 2011
What is Media Education?
After recently joining the Media Education Association online group What is Media Education? I though I would write about my current thoughts and concerns about What Media Education is and perhaps what it should be.
We are all aware of the representation that Media, as discreet subject, has in The Media. It is often regarded as a second rate subject, an easy option and even a meaningless, pointless subject. Of course, we know the impact that The Media has on public perception, so it is no wonder that it is seen the way it is. In my own school, students are routinely guided against taking Media at A-Level by careers advisors (form tutors masquerading as advisors) because "you won't get accepted into university if you take it". Despite this everyone of my A-Level students from last year obtained good university places including several who went onto study Law at two different Russell Group Universities (no self celebration here, just a case study of what students can go on to do, even though they chose the pointless option).
When considering Media Education; it's importance, it's purpose or it's content, I think we have to first consider education as a whole. Our education system has changed very little since the time of enlightenment, where the industrial revolution meant that Engineering, Maths and Sciences were most important due to the career opportunities available. Our society has changed radically, yet our methods of formal education have changed little. In fact our current Government seem more determined than ever to de-evolve or regress education. Apologies for the politics, but new initiatives, white papers and priorities for education seem to be going against the changes in society.
Like many other advocates of Media in education, I believe that Media should play a much larger part in students lives than it currently does and not just because of the increased employment opportunities of the Creative Industries.
Media is embedded firmly in every child's lives. Whether it be TV, film, music, advertising, animation or social media, the level of engagement the children have in media today is staggering. We can allow them to wander aimlessly through these vast hyper-mediated landscapes or we can embrace media, including social media to guide are students through the dangers and pitfalls. The importance of the recollection of information has gone, but now the importance should be on deciphering the validity of information, inferring meaning from media sources and making informed judgements about the things that are all around our children.
I agree with David Aaronovitch when he said it "should be there in the English Baccalaureate alongside history and modern languages". It's importance cannot be underestimated, however drastic changes to the curriculum are necessary to bring it to the point where it is not only relevant to the lives of children, but also viewed as a worthwhile subject by the press, educators and the general public. Maybe a change of name is needed.
The new specification for the OCR A-level goes a long way towards bringing about the necessary curriculum changes. There are a number of notable features of the spec which make it real and relevant:
Media should not only be an integral part of whole school curriculum, but also be embedded into all subject areas as Teaching and Learning tools. As Matt Levinson (http://teachers.net/gazette/MAY09/levinson/) wrote “Schools can draw a line in the sand, with zero tolerance rules written into school handbooks, or they can shift with the changing sands of social networking and utilize social networking and Facebook to enhance teaching and learning.”
I remember being at school when TV and videos were controversial teaching methods and those early adopters were frowed upon. Eduation is noturiously slow to catch up to the changes in technology and more importantly the changes in society, but I strongly believe that if we do not adatp, we could be on the verge of creating a generation without the necessary digital literacy skills to participate effectively.
We are all aware of the representation that Media, as discreet subject, has in The Media. It is often regarded as a second rate subject, an easy option and even a meaningless, pointless subject. Of course, we know the impact that The Media has on public perception, so it is no wonder that it is seen the way it is. In my own school, students are routinely guided against taking Media at A-Level by careers advisors (form tutors masquerading as advisors) because "you won't get accepted into university if you take it". Despite this everyone of my A-Level students from last year obtained good university places including several who went onto study Law at two different Russell Group Universities (no self celebration here, just a case study of what students can go on to do, even though they chose the pointless option).
When considering Media Education; it's importance, it's purpose or it's content, I think we have to first consider education as a whole. Our education system has changed very little since the time of enlightenment, where the industrial revolution meant that Engineering, Maths and Sciences were most important due to the career opportunities available. Our society has changed radically, yet our methods of formal education have changed little. In fact our current Government seem more determined than ever to de-evolve or regress education. Apologies for the politics, but new initiatives, white papers and priorities for education seem to be going against the changes in society.
Like many other advocates of Media in education, I believe that Media should play a much larger part in students lives than it currently does and not just because of the increased employment opportunities of the Creative Industries.
Media is embedded firmly in every child's lives. Whether it be TV, film, music, advertising, animation or social media, the level of engagement the children have in media today is staggering. We can allow them to wander aimlessly through these vast hyper-mediated landscapes or we can embrace media, including social media to guide are students through the dangers and pitfalls. The importance of the recollection of information has gone, but now the importance should be on deciphering the validity of information, inferring meaning from media sources and making informed judgements about the things that are all around our children.
I agree with David Aaronovitch when he said it "should be there in the English Baccalaureate alongside history and modern languages". It's importance cannot be underestimated, however drastic changes to the curriculum are necessary to bring it to the point where it is not only relevant to the lives of children, but also viewed as a worthwhile subject by the press, educators and the general public. Maybe a change of name is needed.
The new specification for the OCR A-level goes a long way towards bringing about the necessary curriculum changes. There are a number of notable features of the spec which make it real and relevant:
- Online submission
- Emphasis on creativity
- AS exam based on current and new media texts
- A2 exam based on current issues in Media
- Emphasis on reflective practice
Media should not only be an integral part of whole school curriculum, but also be embedded into all subject areas as Teaching and Learning tools. As Matt Levinson (http://teachers.net/gazette/MAY09/levinson/) wrote “Schools can draw a line in the sand, with zero tolerance rules written into school handbooks, or they can shift with the changing sands of social networking and utilize social networking and Facebook to enhance teaching and learning.”
I remember being at school when TV and videos were controversial teaching methods and those early adopters were frowed upon. Eduation is noturiously slow to catch up to the changes in technology and more importantly the changes in society, but I strongly believe that if we do not adatp, we could be on the verge of creating a generation without the necessary digital literacy skills to participate effectively.
Tuesday, 11 October 2011
Going paperless
Having recently moved into a brand new building, the Principal delegate of my academy has been trying to push for "The Paperless School". There has been huge resistance from all areas of the school - teachers of almost all departments, administrators and other members of Leadership Team.
In the new building staff and students can only print to the 'Pool' - a centrally located printer that you need a swipe card to access and which records and charges for every printed page. Many believed this was a step too far, but thanks to a determined Principal, access to printers is still restricted. I believe we did not go far enough, so am focusing some research on this issue to try to further the idea of The Paperless School.
There are countless bloggers, tweeters and facebookers already writing about the merits of social media, web 2.0, and other online tools in the classroom, indeed my Media department is totally paperless, however there are a very small amount of teachers who seem truly open to the possibility of going fully paperless.
There are a number of issues to address when considering the possibility of a paperless school:
During the next few months I shall investigate the impact of a variety of technologically driven initiatives on learning, ownership of learning, engagement and creativity. I shall also try to discover more about the perception of these initiatives from colleagues and try to use a variety of Leadership and Management techniques to increase the awareness and use of digital technologies in the classroom, pushing towards the Paperless School.
In the new building staff and students can only print to the 'Pool' - a centrally located printer that you need a swipe card to access and which records and charges for every printed page. Many believed this was a step too far, but thanks to a determined Principal, access to printers is still restricted. I believe we did not go far enough, so am focusing some research on this issue to try to further the idea of The Paperless School.
There are countless bloggers, tweeters and facebookers already writing about the merits of social media, web 2.0, and other online tools in the classroom, indeed my Media department is totally paperless, however there are a very small amount of teachers who seem truly open to the possibility of going fully paperless.
There are a number of issues to address when considering the possibility of a paperless school:
- Administration
- Teaching and learning
- Teacher resistance
- Notices/memos/notes
- Students class work
- Examinations
- Coursework submission
- Homework
- IT infrastructure
- Plagiarism
- Knowing who actually did the work
During the next few months I shall investigate the impact of a variety of technologically driven initiatives on learning, ownership of learning, engagement and creativity. I shall also try to discover more about the perception of these initiatives from colleagues and try to use a variety of Leadership and Management techniques to increase the awareness and use of digital technologies in the classroom, pushing towards the Paperless School.
Wednesday, 20 July 2011
Ramblings regarding Creativity - notes to be considered
I have thought a lot about the idea of creativity in education recently, this is a growing list of thoughts and questions I have that I want to investigate further. There is no particular order, but that is in part the idea of this blog...
What is creativity seems like a good place to start. It is certainly something that people disagree up on; some believing that anything that is 'created' is creative, some believing that there has to an originality of thought in order for something to be creative. Perhaps it's the big 'C' little 'c' debate. Sir Ken Robinson in a recent discussion about the future of education (http://ideas.economist.com/presentation/new-school) puts creativity as "the process of having original ideas", indeed, the Oxford English Dictionary defines it as "the use of imagination or original ideas to create something; inventiveness", but this brings into question the idea of originality. If it is original to the maker, is it therefore creative? What if it's been done a thousand times before? What if it was heavily influenced by something else, seen either consciously or subconsciously?
In education, the word creativity and it's various derivations is used extensively without explanation of the exact definition. If creativity is always subjective, as I am lead to believe, then is it possible to apply objective criteria, as we are so often required to do in schools. This debate opens up the nature of school assessment and it's relevance in today's education, but I'll leave the reasons for education for a later blog. In 'expressive arts' subjects we are often asked to look for forms, codes and conventions, which by it's very nature is asking people to imitate. Is something which is an imitation of something else creative? If not, how can the piece of work be marked highly in a 'creative subject'.
If we were to assess creativity in a student, would we need to benchmark and baseline as we do in other criteria based assessment systems. Is creativity something which can be learned as Ken Robinson believes? Or is it something you either have or don't have?
Other issues I have with using the word in schools are when it is suffixed with words such as "management" or "learning". For management to be creative, does the management style have to be imaginative? Original? I cannot personally remember seeing or experiencing an original style of management. Also, creativity often includes an element of experimentation and risk, and I certainly haven't seem any of that at leadership level in schools. I am doing a second Masters in Educational Leadership where one of the taught units is on "Creative Management" so maybe I'll discover all about it then. As for Creative Learning, I can only imagine that this is creative styles of learning, as learning itself cannot be creative, or can it?
What is creativity seems like a good place to start. It is certainly something that people disagree up on; some believing that anything that is 'created' is creative, some believing that there has to an originality of thought in order for something to be creative. Perhaps it's the big 'C' little 'c' debate. Sir Ken Robinson in a recent discussion about the future of education (http://ideas.economist.com/presentation/new-school) puts creativity as "the process of having original ideas", indeed, the Oxford English Dictionary defines it as "the use of imagination or original ideas to create something; inventiveness", but this brings into question the idea of originality. If it is original to the maker, is it therefore creative? What if it's been done a thousand times before? What if it was heavily influenced by something else, seen either consciously or subconsciously?
In education, the word creativity and it's various derivations is used extensively without explanation of the exact definition. If creativity is always subjective, as I am lead to believe, then is it possible to apply objective criteria, as we are so often required to do in schools. This debate opens up the nature of school assessment and it's relevance in today's education, but I'll leave the reasons for education for a later blog. In 'expressive arts' subjects we are often asked to look for forms, codes and conventions, which by it's very nature is asking people to imitate. Is something which is an imitation of something else creative? If not, how can the piece of work be marked highly in a 'creative subject'.
If we were to assess creativity in a student, would we need to benchmark and baseline as we do in other criteria based assessment systems. Is creativity something which can be learned as Ken Robinson believes? Or is it something you either have or don't have?
Other issues I have with using the word in schools are when it is suffixed with words such as "management" or "learning". For management to be creative, does the management style have to be imaginative? Original? I cannot personally remember seeing or experiencing an original style of management. Also, creativity often includes an element of experimentation and risk, and I certainly haven't seem any of that at leadership level in schools. I am doing a second Masters in Educational Leadership where one of the taught units is on "Creative Management" so maybe I'll discover all about it then. As for Creative Learning, I can only imagine that this is creative styles of learning, as learning itself cannot be creative, or can it?
Monday, 18 July 2011
A new Blog - But this time it's personal
I have been blogging for a number of years now, but have never written a blog for myself, about myself, where I can whittle away the hours with endless rants about the things that matter to me. Previous blogs have been for students of mine - I am an teacher of Media, or for tutors of mine - I study both formally and informally Creative and Media Education.
I have always tried to practice what I preach by moving the classroom to the social environment of the online world, but now I feel that it is time to share my educational experiences with others as well as attempt to piece together all that I have learned and am continuing to learn about learning in the 21st century.
I have always tried to practice what I preach by moving the classroom to the social environment of the online world, but now I feel that it is time to share my educational experiences with others as well as attempt to piece together all that I have learned and am continuing to learn about learning in the 21st century.
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