The Power to Act - Agency

Well - my word for the year (ownership) is growing some really long arms and legs! Here are some of those 'limbs' and the impact they are having on our learners.

This video, by Derek Wenmoth, explains some terminology for me around the concept of 'student agency.' He explains agency as the 'power to act' and it has really captured my attention as we build our active learning approach at our school.

Ten Trends 2014: Agency from EDtalks on Vimeo.

In this video, Derek explains how student agency involves 3 dynamics and I've added some implications for our classrooms.

1. The initiative - self regulation of the student.

• this describes exactly what we are trying to do - engage the learner to be more and more independent and self starting.

2. The relationship is inter-dependent - mediates and is mediated by the socio cultural context of the classroom.

• the importance of a collaborative culture is key here. How we work together, give and seek peer feedback and create an environment where students want to learn together is incredibly important.

3. An awareness of responsibility of the learner's own actions and the impact on the environment and on others.

• our learner licenses approach is working really well in facilitating the right amount of support for each learner and I'm wondering how we can use it better to have student's mentoring / supporting and encouraging others learning behaviours.

I can see how this terminology is going to catch on as some shared vocabulary for our school. Especially with the parents. Interestingly - one thing I have learnt to do, when talking about this with parents is to emphasise the 'active learning' aspect rather than 'independent learning' as the latter has overtones of teachers trying to take a back seat to the process.

So - here are 2 aspects of our programme that we have recently invested in across our school to help develop the agency of our students. While not exhaustive, they both form some important pillars to help empower our learners.

Solo Taxonomy

One of our teacher only days this term was spent working with Pam Hook, exploring the ways to incorporate the Solo Taxonomy approach in our classrooms. Solo is an assessment method that involves students, at all stages of the learning journey, to help them see where their understanding is and what to work on next. Pam, @arti_choke, has a knack for explaining the approach in a way that makes sense for people and has developed some fantastic resources for teachers to use with their learners.

She is always very generous with her resources on her site and we have already started using the hexagons, thinking maps and assessment matrix tools. My goal for our class is to be able to use the assessment icons and levels to be able to understand and articulate how well they have grasped a skill or idea and what they should next. This should give us some important vocabulary to use during those crucial learning conversations.

e.g, "How well do I know how to use syllables to decode words? Well, my understanding is at 'multi-structural' but I need to understand when and why to use them when I read - that will move my understanding to the 'relational' level."

Learning Pathways and Self Selected Workshops

Last week our Senior Teachers travelled to Dunedin to visit St Clair School and we were hosted by @msbeenz (Claire Buist) AP and teacher, and her team. We have been hugely influenced by Claire's approach with empowering students to self assess their progress using Goal Sheets and then booking workshops with the teacher. We were very impressed to hear their journey with this approach last year and to see the development of this approach with her team this year.

Our Senior Team has begun to adopt this approach, with our own spin, and combined it within our team teaching approach which will have, I can already see, the following benefits.

• increased student agency
• increased quality and quantity of learning conversations to help guide and support the learner.
• more active and engaged learners!

One of the areas to explore from our visit is how to best develop the home-school connection and whether our current 'homework' programme is the best approach. I'm expecting that the ability for the learner to engage with their next steps is something that could and should be able to continue outside of school hours. So, there is enormous potential for our use of google apps, Ultranet and our other online tools carry on this journey.

Here are 2 other links to some docs we sent home for parents that explain how our learning programme has developed so far. This 'coalition' between school and home is something we are always looking to grow and the conversations these documents have continued has been crucial to the learning culture we are developing in the school.

MBS Team Teaching

Learning at MBS 2014

We are certainly in the midst of some exciting times and it feels like the pieces of the 'Active Learning' approach are falling into place. And when we combine all this with an increasing access to the learning tools we need (10 Chrome books arrived this afternoon!) then the road ahead just keeps getting more and more exciting. 

I hope our learners are starting to feel excited as well. I'm thinking it may be time for some student voice!

Teaching Kids to be Brave and Kind

I thought I'd pass on this article on the Momastry blog. It's written by Glennon Doyle Melton and really resonated with me this week. From the look of the 1400 odd comments underneath it has for others, too.

The idea that an educator's role is to simply raise achievement standards would rankle even the numbest teacher. There are so many things we do in our classes that can make or break children's futures - it makes me baulk at the weight of that responsibility and to be honest, there have been times in my shortish career where I would admit that I've missed the wood for the trees.

This recount of a parent and their description of the efforts they take to look out for the lonely children in their class is inspirational and incredible challenging! But the line that stands out for me the most is right at the end.

Isn't that what it's all about. Do we teach children how to read and write? Yes. But we should also shape and inspire them to be resilient, to go outside their comfort zones and to move from being ego centric to thinking of others.

So, what does this mean for me? It means that when I have photocopying to quickly grab before the bell goes and a student comes to talk with me and make a connection before the start of the day... I will stop and listen and gift her some of my time. It sounds easy but with the pressures of teaching I can assure you that if my priorities are not right, it's not.

There are lots of little things we can do to make every student feel accepted, safe, cared for and valuable. Lots of small things. And small things, I'm finding, add up to be big things.

Have we missed the point of teaching sometimes? Is it all about technology, innovative practice and passion? No. I wonder if it's about helping kids be brave and kind. I also think that we need to model that to them, too. 

Tips for ICT momentum in schools

I was asked the following question on twitter today..

...so I thought I'd post some things that have helped (or not helped) our school and the schools I have worked in. These are also quotes I've picked up along the way that help guide our school when making decisions.

The Peloton Model of Change

There's a lot of dialogue going on about how our schools need to change and has been for some time. I have some posts here about this but my thoughts of the last while have been about how? The challenge for schools is around developing a whole new culture of learning and how to achieve it.

One way to gain some forward movement is to adopt a model for change based on the cycling peloton - a bunch of riders who band together in a race. I believe this analogy can be used as a model to radically transform your school.

Peloton is a french word that means 'little ball' or platoon and is used to describe the pack of riders that form a main bunch. It can often be part of a cyclists strategy to use the peloton as a form of saving energy during the race that they can use later on. Here are five ways a peloton can help us achieve some amazing momentum in changing our schools.

1. The riders in the front do most of the work.

Cyclists who ride at the front of the bunch take the full force of the wind ahead. They have to work hard and put in some amazing effort but they're also the ones who get an amazing sense of satisfaction from their work.

The teachers who are in the front are often asked, 'Where do you find the time to do all of this?' They will usually reply that it doesn't feel like extra work because it's their passion!

2. The riders in the back of the bunch take the draft.

The riders who take the draft don't have to make much effort to keep up but they benefit from the work from the leaders. They are 'drafted' along - but importantly, in the right direction.

Teachers who may not be driven to innovate and explore new methods of teaching still benefit from the actions of their colleagues. They will often start using new methods of teaching and learning, once they have seen them in action from the teacher next door.

3. The peloton uses the strength of the group to catch up the breakaways with collective speed.

There is incredible momentum when the group works together, driving the lead riders on to a long term, sustainable forward force.

Leaders can see change in their schools by resourcing and supporting the innovative teachers in their school. This can be in the form of equipment, release time, leadership positions and simple encouragement. When we give support to these leaders in these ways we also validate the methods and direction for our schools in a way that all teachers recognise.

We could be giving 20 minutes of each staff meeting to have them showcasing some innovative teaching practise in their class. Other teachers will start to ask, 'Why are some teachers being given equipment?' Or, 'Why did she get promoted?' We can all put two and two together.

So - do we want to see change in our schools? I'd suggest that we identify our lead riders and resource them to drive our schools in the right direction.

Two practical ideas...

- Could you invest in a couple of classrooms with more digital tools than normal - call it a pilot project. I think sometimes we spread our technology really thin across a school to gain a sense of 'equality' when really we're giving resources to teachers 'riding in the middle' who might not use it.

- Could you start sending some staff members to conferences (give them some extra release time) in the knowledge that they will pedal even harder when they return and drive your school further?

(Photo right bottom - Flickr.com, Old Shoe Woman)

Leaders should Lead and not just Manage.

One blog I'd recommend following is Derek Wenmoth's. In a recent post he recalled a session he was in with Scott McLeod about adapting to the new digital era we are in. (Incidentally, I knew McLeod was in the country because I read a random article in the Southland Times about his ideas - no local reference, just there it was.)

The message that came through at the end of this session was this strong challenge -

Leaders lead! They don’t follow. They aren’t simply reactive (to government policy, constraints of policy, funding etc). They lead. They are compelled by a vision of what can be, and work with the resources available to them to achieve that. - Scott McLeod (Derek's summation)

This challenge, he writes, was in response to the talk of barriers to this adaptation - those Ministry policies, mandates, lack of funding and so on. And I'm standing on my metaphorical chair, waving a flag to his next statement. Derek goes on to say that it's time for leaders to have some courage start taking risks and be okay about failing. - They should lead and not just manage.

What are some things I'd suggest that school leaders could be doing to lead? Here are three ideas.

1. Know where you are going.

What is the direction and goal of your school in the next five years? Having a vision for the future takes time, thought and being connected to the right people to appear. There is a massive conversation taking place all over the world and online about the future of education and it's a dialogue that is too good to miss.

2. Start identifying those who will follow in your school and community.

This video captures the idea that it's the first few who follow who will start the movement. Who is on your staff, BOT and in your community that have the potential to support and carry out any initiatives you put in place.

3. Be willing to make a decision and make mistakes.

It's very easy for leaders to put decisions off. Especially when we are talking about technology , for example, and you are told to, 'Wait until November when there is a new model coming out!' I like this saying

- You don't have to get it right. You just have to get it going.

We can learn a lot from the student led inquiry model about the process of change and mistakes are only problems if we don't learn from them!

Also - the danger of collaborative leadership styles is that we wait for everyone to get on board before we act. I'm not sure that school's have any more time to wait!

There you go - I'm sure there are more ideas. Do you have anything to add?

(Photo by divinenephron, Photo license: Attribution, Noncommercial, Share Alike)

Teacher expert vs teacher learner.

When I talk to people involved in education, from technitians to principals and software developers I hear a similar story about the state of tech integration in schools.  They all say the same thing - there is a HUGE chasm between the schools that are embracing the digital movement and those that aren't.

I think the chasm is also happening within schools as well as between them.  Some teachers are providing their classes with fantastic opportunities to explore and create with digital tools while others have technology that's gathering dust - and they're concerned.

There are a lot of reasons why this is happening.  One of the main reasons is that many of us are not ready to make the transition from being the 'teacher expert' to the 'teacher learner'.  So what is the difference?  Here's my take.

This transition isn't easy.  It means that I often find myself in situations where I'm asking my students for help.  I'll often admit that I don't know what to do - but let's try and work it out together!

I think that it's this approach, the teacher as a learner attitude, that encourages us to adopt new technologies in our classrooms and schools.  I have quite a lot of experience, now, with blogs and 3rd party applications.  I know very little, however, about ipod touches and how to make apps for them but I'm really keen to get some for our class!

My challenge to all of us is to risk being the student in the eyes of your class.   What kinds of new technology have you been a learner with this year?

Are we ready to take off our expert hat?
(Image posted under C.C.  from Al Hikes AZ, Cartoon - http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/2010/10/12/)

Ulearn10 BOT Presentation

Here's the presentation I gave to the Board last night. You can fill in the gaps, I'm sure.

Indexed - communication in the new world.

This blog, thisisindexed.com,  uses graphs to tell some pretty cool stories.  The bio goes -
This site is a little project that lets me make fun of some things and sense of others. I use it to think a little more relationally without resorting to doing actual math.

The posts look like this...

It's a pity some of the posts are a bit...risky... or I'd show the kids in my class.  It does make me think about the way new media is changing the way we communicate with each - even the fact that these new ways can earn us a living.

I teach writing in set genres (and I know that is a dirty word in schools now, yet we still assess them, therefore - we teach them) like procedural, recounts and persuasive writing. 

I'd love to see us teaching methods of writing - communicating - like this... just..how.  mmmm

Changing our spaces

There's something hardwired in me that responds well to change. There is no doubt that our schools could improve the way we do 'school' and the most of the dialogue at the moment is around the role that technology can play.

But what about the role of architecture and what I've seen phrased as 'spatial politics'? This slideshare, by Esltechnology, (an ESL teacher at a middle school in Eastern Oregon) shows what can be the future of all schools if administrators are committed to a new, 21st Century pedagogy.

School Design: Be the Change...

View more OpenOffice presentations from esltechnology.

I can imagine so many different ways that students could be learning in these spaces. I wonder how differently I could teach in spaces like these. I think I would be amazed at how much my own teaching is defined by the space in which I teach. The challenge for me, and others with a similar mindset, is to keep confronting and questioning my own beliefs and teaching practice - while remaining in a pretty traditional classroom space.

I could see how easily you could operate a 'self directed' classroom and encourage student collaboration and independence. This challenge would require me to push the boundaries of my physical space and act as we would as if these spaces were ours now. Is this possible?

I can see three hurdles to overcome for the potential of self directed learning to be realised.

1. A desire by schools to risk the abuse of student trust. I have seen schools that allow students to use a variety of classroom spaces to work and learn in - libraries, small offices, playgrounds, utility rooms etc, which can often be unsupervised. With trust and responsibility comes the thin wedge of risk and abuse. I'm encouraged to see many school administrators making this move and enjoying the benefits.

2. A misunderstanding community. It's not hard to anticipate parents who are unsure of the amount of work that results from this style of learning. The challenge to this hurdle lies in open, honest communication. It's too easy for teachers to forget that parents don't have the insight into how education is shifting in our schools. When parents are shown the quality of learning that occurs, as I've been told from one school, they are usually quick to support it.

3. Teachers who are unwilling to relinquish the control that comes with 20th century pedagogy. It's with us, as teachers, that the hurdle would appear the largest and there are as many reasons for this reluctance as there are teachers - and there are many. The control that this style encouraged was due in large part to the limit of resources that students could use but technology has released these resources. Unfortunately, for the students, the control has remained. It's with us, as teachers, that the hurdle seems the highest.

So, to come full circle - How does my classroom space reflect my goal of inspiring student responsibility and control in their learning?

What IS the change?

I'm often thinking about, listening to and having conversations about change - in SO many different areas of my live, both professionally and personally. Usually this dialogue is about how slow the change is occurring but what I'm realising is that, in a subtle but steady way, the way we teach and learn is absolutely, slowly shifting.

Here are some thoughts about this effective pedagogical change. These are ideas that I've heard, discovered and had light bulb moments about.

The change in pedagogy could be that the learners:

- construct the knowledge, not just reproduce

- engaged in dialogue, not listening

- present to others in own voice, not teachers

- work together, not against in competition

- reflect on learning rather than just do what is required.

Is this the revolution? It's a pretty good start and one that keeps me REALLY enthusiastic about being a learner.

Change will take a major shift

An interesting 'morning tea in the staffroom' chat I had with another teacher led me to think about what has to happen for real change in our classrooms to occur.

I was having a regular 'vent' about how few teachers are using technology in their day to day practice. She believed, however, that they shouldn't have to. Everyone has a strength, she said, mine being I.C.T and others being Art or Numeracy. It wasn't until after our conversation that I realised the reason for our 'disconnect'.

One of the reasons change is not happening (any where near as fast as we would like in some classrooms) is because so many still see tech integration as a 'curriculum area' rather than a teaching pedagogy. It's not something we teach but something that can fundamentally change the way we teach.

This, though, is obviously not the shift. It is who has to take on board that conceptual difference that is the crucial factor. Anyone reading a random teacher's blog has, probably, already grasped this concept. Real momentum will begin when we can break through to the multitudes of teachers, administrators and parents who haven't made this transition.

And how many do you know?

At the moment this conceptual shift is 'encouraged'. I've heard it said that we are the last generation of teachers for whom tech integration is an option.

How long will it be before it is part of our professional appraisal system? And then where will many teachers and schools be?

(Photo - Davd Reece / Flickr / Creative Commons)

Changing Our Spaces

There's something hardwired in me that responds well to change. There is no doubt that our schools could improve the way we do 'school' and the most of the dialogue at the moment is around the role that technology can play.

But what about the role of architecture and what I've seen phrased as 'spatial politics?' This slideshare, by Esltechnology, (an ESL teacher at a middle school in Eastern Oregon) shows what can be the future of all schools if administrators are committed to a new, 21st Century pedagogy.

Levels of ICT teacher Integration

View more OpenOffice presentations from Jacqui Sharp.

I can imagine so many different ways that students could be learning in these spaces. I wonder how differently I could teach in spaces like these. I think I would be amazed at how much my own teaching is defined by the space in which I teach. The challenge for me, and others with a similar mindset, is to keep confronting and questioning my own beliefs and teaching practice - while remaining in a pretty traditional classroom space.

I could see how easily you could operate a 'self directed' classroom and encourage student collaboration and independence. This challenge would require me to push the boundaries of my physical space and act as we would as if these spaces were ours now. Is this possible?

I can see three hurdles to overcome for the potential of self directed learning to be realised.
collaboration.

1. A desire by schools to risk the abuse of student trust. I have seen schools that allow students to use a variety of classroom spaces to work and learn in - libraries, small offices, playgrounds, utility rooms etc, which can often be unsupervised. With trust and responsibility comes the thin wedge of risk and abuse. I'm encouraged to see many school administrators making this move and enjoying the benefits.
2. A misunderstanding community. It's not hard to anticipate parents who are unsure of the amount of work that results from this style of learning. The challenge to this hurdle lies in open, honest communication. It's too easy for teachers to forget that parents don't have the insight into how education is shifting in our schools. When parents are shown the quality of learning that occurs, as I've been told from one school, they are usually quick to support it.
3. Teachers who are unwilling to relinquish the control that comes with 20th century pedagogy. It's with us, as teachers, that the hurdle would appear the largest and there are as many reasons for this reluctance as there are teachers - and there are many. The control that this style encouraged was due in large part to the limit of resources that students could use but technology has released these resources. Unfortunately, for the students, the control has remained. It's with us, as teachers, that the hurdle seems the highest.

So, to come full circle - How does my classroom space reflect my goal of inspiring student responsibility and control in their learning?