Loving Go Animate

I'm really loving Go Animate. Check out yesterday's morning announcements from CAIS LY...




Kids are loving it too! Book reviews, learning reflections and story telling can all be done using Go Animate. Being a text to speech application it is super cool for literacy learning - make a spelling mistake and boom the word comes out funny. So, check it out.

Scratch 2.0 is here!

Check it out Scratchers! It is way cool.

http://scratch.mit.edu/

Online Tutorials

Online tutorials are now a very popular teaching tool. A pioneer of these presentations Sal Khan has, at last count, published more than 3000 short teaching points on his site The Khan Academy. What happens when teachers can't find a tutorial that suits their purpose? Or, they think they can explain something better? The solution is - do it yourself!

This is a summary of a tutorial that I will be presenting at a Teachers Teaching Teachers Workshop at Chinese International School. Here I explain how to use Explain Everything (an iPad app) to create a short tutorial.

Here is an example of a tutorial that I have used with some Year 5 and 6s at our school recently...

Problem Solving with Google Earth

Here is a challenge. You'll need to use Google Earth (or another map). North is 0 degrees, South is 180 degrees. Answers in the comments section. With explanations on how you got there. The starting point is the Chinese International School, Hong Kong SAR.

Be Less Helpful

What about this idea – teachers should be less helpful! A ridiculous notion or a recipe for more meaningful learning and deeper thinking? Check out the blog of Dan Meyer at blog.mrmeyer.com. He is making mathematics learning engaging by doing less and asking students to do more. In a subject area where whenever you do something you face the risk of being told you’re wrong! This concept is nothing short of revolutionary.

You might ask the question, how does this work? The answer, say less, give less – be less helpful! I have been doing this in problem solving for nearly five years and learnt that when you ask kids to keep thinking instead of relying on you (their teacher) to intervene every time they strike difficulty, you set them on a course toward enjoying mathematics!

How so? Well I’ll give you the example that I have just seen after teaching 3 lessons to 4 different Year 5 classes. Part of these lessons involved 15mins working on a problem sheet with 4 problems. Students work through the differentiated tasks at their own pace. Depending on their ability they usually get stumped on one of the questions. This is then followed by some huffing and puffing and cries for help. This is the crucial time of the lesson. The time to be less helpful! Ask them to keep working on trying to find the answer to the problem. What follows is a struggle as the student exhausts the extent of the mathematical ability. Often the outcome is the discovery of the answer, and with this comes a deep satisfaction. Yelps of “YES” were often heard after a student had persevered and found the answer. This outcome is priceless! A student deeply satisfied with their experience, because they have had some success that they own!

Recipe for Developing Mathematical Satisfaction in Problem Solving
1. Expound on the value of perseverance!
2. Students can’t say, they can’t solve a problem.
3. Students can ask a question about the question (for clarification purposes).
4. Students can ask if the question is correct.
5. Teacher observes and doesn’t help!

Example of questions on a differentiate problem sheet for Year 5s

Chapter 8: Making Thinking Visible

For my Visible Thinking colleagues at CIS here is my summation of Chapter 8

In this chapter the authors address a few different issues that emerge in the use of thinking routines.

Important ideas:

2 Key Ideas from this chapter...

1. A key idea that emerged from the chapter is that many of the pitfalls that teachers face are at the formative stages of using routines (once the initial honeymoon period wears off). Once routines are well known by students it seems that some of the difficulties (mainly associated around student apathy and disengagement) subside. This is because they are essentially "second nature" and because of this thinking is facilitated more meaningfully.

2. The authors also include a cautionary note within the pages of this chapter - "the strategies provided in this book are just tools and, like any tool, must be applied in the right context..."

One common downfall is to tailor content to the routines because students and teachers know these. The routines are for unpacking and thinking about content not the other way around. In other words take care to ensure that your use of thinking routines serve the learning of significant concepts rather than being an end unto themselves.

Unpacking Thinking

"How can classrooms become places of intellectual stimulation where learning is viewed not in test scores but in the development of individuals who can think, plan, create, question and engage independently as learners?"

This is the question posed by the authors of Making Thinking Visible. Recently I was given the task of reviewing the first chapter of this book as part of our BPBC (Best Practices Book Club). This chapter titled Unpacking Thinking explores the essential ideas that underpin practice which leads to deep understanding.

There is much in this chapter to challenge conventional thinking about what constitutes 'good practice'. I have pulled out a few points that educators should consider when shaping learning experiences.

1. Thinking isn't sequential. Bloom's Taxonomy has been held up for decades as a bastion of educational theory. However, the central notion that underpins this is that higher order thinking (analyzing, evaluating and creating) is proceeded by the development of knowledge and understanding. This is challenged by Ritchart et al. The authors argue that as students analyze and create understanding is developed.

2. You can't talk about thinking separate from context and purpose. Context and purpose is what drives us to think more deeply. Therefore, authentic purpose must be present to ensure that any meaningful thinking is happening.

3. Understanding is not a precursor to application, analysis and evaluation. All these things can happen without much or any understanding on a subject. Actually, without these so called higher order thinking skills understanding is rarely galvanized in the learner.

4. Understanding is a goal of thinking rather than a type of thinking.

5. Thinking isn't something that occurs in a sequential manner. Evaluation often happens before some knowledge on a subject can become clear. Likewise, it is only through through having to create that some understanding can occur.

Turn Around Teaching

It isn’t exactly a secret that the traditional roll of the teacher is fast disappearing. Among leading educators the notion that teachers should spend most of their day ‘instructing’ their students is a dated one. Classrooms are (and are part of) learning communities where everyone is learning from each other. Teacher instruction certainly isn’t dead but the shape of learning environments is turning around. This is lead by the swell of online resources available that can replace teacher instruction in lessons. Take for example the Khan Academy (see below), students can learn from over 2000 online tutorials quite independently from their teacher.



Here is an example of one of Sal Khan's tutorials:




The Khan Academy is just one example of a resource that teachers can utilize to instruct students. Of course the list of resources is endless with online databases and webpages dedicated to even the smallest niche topic. So all of this gives rise to this idea of “Turn Around Teaching”.

This concept involves teachers’ shifting their focus from instructional to a post-instructional learning environment. We can spend our time guiding and refining the course of learning rather than having to inform, disseminate knowledge and try to develop understanding. Students can teach themselves by exploring the wealth of resources at their disposal.

In my next post I will explore what the role of the teacher might look like in a post instructional classroom where teaching is being “turned around”.

The Tutorial

The term 'tutorial' can be used to describe a number of different forms of teaching. Generally the term tutorial refers to instruction/learning occurring for a small group or individual. In this post I would like to use the term tutorial to refer to teaching and learning that occurs at a teacher - student ratio between 1:1 and 1:3.

Tutorial teaching has been the main form of instruction at two of the world's great universities for centuries. Both Oxford and Cambridge (where the tutorial is known as 'the supervision') in the UK have embraced tutorial teaching methods since the middle ages. Following a week of intense study undergraduate students meet with their teachers to discuss the weeks work. Preparation for the tutorial usually consists of an essay or problem sheet depending on the discipline being studied. The tutorial lasts roughly an hour during which time the student presents his/her work while the teacher engages the student/s in rich discussion about the content. Teacher and student go back and forth as ideas are challenged and counter challenged. The tutorial typically finishes with the following week's problem/essay being assigned.

This form of learning has been described as Oxford and Cambridge's 'jewel' because of the immense satisfaction both teachers and students derive from the experience. It is sustained by substantial endowments that cover the obvious expense incurred by such an approach. However, there is scope to see the pedagogical principles that underpin learning within these institutions reproduced in other areas of education.

The value added components of the tutorial correlate with current research about effective classroom practice for primary and secondary education. The two main benefits that might be of interest to what North American educators call K-12 education are:

1. The opportunity for specific feedback.

2. The opportunity for interaction on a personal level.

Is a vision for such learning possible in our schools? If you are a teacher at a primary (elementary) or secondary (high) school then I can hear you uttering a sound that is somewhere between a cry and a laugh! "You have to be joking!" But I would argue that the possibilities for such learning are there! The challenge for us as classroom practitioners is to develop opportunities to work with small groups of less than three students. The following is a list of ideas for facilitating tutorial teaching in our classrooms:

1. Set Up EFFECTIVE Rotations and Tumbles: Literacy and numeracy rotations have long been a feature of learning in New Zealand classrooms. These need to be rich in independent experiences that engage learners thus freeing the teacher to devote time to providing tutorials. Independent activities should feed into the tutorial time. If a writing or literacy rotation includes narrative writing then tutorials should be used as a means for looking at the narratives that the students have constructed.

2. Teachers must be patient in their establishment of a tutorial culture: I have sat with students at the beginning of the school year to conference about their written work and been astonished at their lack of enthusiasm and engagement. It often takes a number of weeks for students to become used to the idea of sitting with their teacher to discuss work. Often students have only ever been told what's wrong with their work which naturally doesn't facilitate enthusiasm about discussion of any kind with the teacher. Patience is the key. Students will slowly develop confidence in this type of setting and respond positively to expectations to contribute.

3. Students must contribute: Learning conversations are at the heart of the effective tutorial. Students must be lead by the teacher to talk about their work. Questions need to be asked that require the student to critically reflect on what they are doing. Teachers should move away from just praise and correction to discussions that include the student commenting on the quality of work and the ways it could be made better.

These thoughts are just a brief outline of some possibilities for learning in our schools. They are supported by an age old approach to teaching and learning that has a proven track record. In the future I would like to discuss in more detail some specific ways this pedagogical approach enhances learning. Till then...

10% Time

Google have this well documented policy called 20% Time. Employees of the great Internet company are permitted, so legend tells, to 20% (that's one day per week) to work on a project of their choice. This work is as mixed and varied as you would expect from such a large group of individuals.

So at the beginning of 2010 I got this idea from Tony Ryan that this could be used in a classroom. So I introduced the concept of '10% Time'. Roughly one block per week to do the project of the student's choosing. Students had to write a proposal and meet with me every once and a while to discuss their progress. I maintain that this is the most engaging, most enjoyable and certainly the most valuable educational initiative I have personally been involved with. We had gardens, 3D models, rehashed videos of ads, paintings and stories to name a few. Most of all the vibe in the class was wonderful. Not everyone was been super 'productive'. But almost without exception every student was more productive than usual while creating, learning new skills, collaborating, and having FUN!!!!!

So why isn't this kind of thing happening more? It is good enough for one of the world's most successful companies why not our schools. Some of Google's products have sprung up from 20% Time projects, e.g. Wonderwheel.

Kids are smart! They are capable of being part of planning the kind of projects that will shape a wonderfully stimulating learning environment. But we are subjecting them to 'more important stuff' like two week letter writing units, grammar lessons, and simple algebra all in the name of higher literacy and numeracy levels. Most of these things I learnt and forgot several times at school and many people have this same experience. The bottom line is that skills such as how to write a letter can be learnt, by the person who needs the skill, extremely quickly. However, creativity is a deeper level of thinking that needs time and freedom to develop. Schools need to open up more time for this creative thought.

Anyway, 10% Time... It's a great concept. One I hope to develop more. Join the Facebook group to raise some awareness about a better way of doing school:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_211926902162588&ap=1

School

Ok... Well it is May and I haven't been near this blog for a number of months and since I am still getting a reasonable number of hits I thought some new info wouldn't hurt!

So, some thoughts. I've been thinking a lot about 'school' lately. Noah (my eldest child) is fast approaching that age when we 'start school'. This has caused me to reflect on my schooling and what I want for my kids during the school years.

The big question for me at the moment is, "Is it worthwhile asking kids to spend years of their lives doing stuff they aren't interested in, and, that will be of little value in the future?" I like the look of an education that looks like this:

http://pscs.org/

If you follow this link you will discover a school that is doing something pretty fantastic. They aren't filling kids heads with stuff from a curriculum. They are letting students define what it is they want to learn and collectively shaping a learning pathway with them.

I can hear the cry of worried parents everywhere, "I couldn't send my child to a school like that. I would be too worried they would fall behind." And I understand that concern! However, I will reference myself briefly to explain why this shouldn't worry us too much. School for me was a very average experience. Besides being toward the bottom of the popularity food chain for much of this time in my life, I was unmotivated! I failed 6th Form Certificate (the second to last year of school). But for reasons best known to others I was allowed to move into what is now Year 13, which I promptly dropped out of before the year was half over. I left school "well behind". In the time that has past since then I have discovered what I am really passionate about, gained two degrees and developed tremendous job satisfaction - as a teacher! At school I was well behind and I had to leave school to discover a love of learning! Ha, the irony! To support my argument I will mention that Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and this guy...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LV-RvzXGH2Y&feature=player_embedded

...where all drop outs! The first two from college and the third from high school! And we would all agree these guys have/are making a pretty profound impact with their creative abilities.

So, my thoughts (that are currently in progress) surround this notion that current schooling is suppressing creativity and inhibiting life in many. But, I should say, probably not all!

I am thinking about how school needs to change and would love to hear your feedback. Drop me a line on FB or by email or comment here.

In my next post I want to talk about the concept of "10% Time" a self-directed study time I used in my class last year.

Alj

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BYE BYE Class of 2010

Kids4Kids Evaluation - Tabby and Greer

Thanks girls for putting together this great evaluation of the K4K Conference

Check this out! Amazing camouflage