Telling Stories : Pedagogical Narrations

"So that's what reflective practice looks like!"  

This is what I found myself saying last spring when I attended a workshop called "Investigating Quality" at the ECEBC conference in Richmond.  I was watching Kim Atkinson and Danielle Davis demonstrate a practice called "pedagogical narration" whereby they openly describe a moment in their practice among peers.

More specifically, the educator tells a story - often accompanied by images of the child/children - among colleagues who then ask questions or make comments about the story.  This is not a problem-solving process.  It is a pure reflection that is articulated and discussed among colleagues to gain insight into children as well as how we interact with them.  It is about finding the questions, not the answers.  This kind of practice is strongly supported in the BC Eearly Learning Framework.

In my teacher training year, the term "reflective practitioner" was understood to be a solitary process that was very general in nature.  While useful, this practice does not engender the synergy and connections that arise from a collaborative reflection that has a structure to it and that is borne out of observation.

"Being in the moment", being present enough to truly "notice" what is happening around you takes practice - and lots of it.  How many people do you know who can truly live in the moment?

After that workshop in Richmond, I approached Kim and Danielle and asked if they would be interested in coming to Fort St. John - and they were!  This conversation led to a workshop that we attended last week with several community ECE colleagues as well as Kindergarten teachers and district staff.  Most importantly, it has led to the development of a collaborative group that is meeting several times this year and sharing their pedagogical narrations.  

Kim and Danielle come from ECE backgrounds and have teamed up under an initiative called "Images of Learning Project" where they present this narrative approach to viewing children as "co-constructors" of knowledge.

One of the most important elements that I took away from our workshop with them last week was the concept that young children are not the citizens of the future, they are "citizens now" - competent individuals that don't simply follow our linear understanding of them.

Great workshop.  Have a great week.
Stephen

The Illusory Average Student

Why change?  This is one of the first questions that needs to be dealt with when introducing a different approach to instructional design.  Simply talking about the diversity of students, developing technologies, social media, etc. is not good enough.  What assessment/data are we looking at?

In my view, there are three key data points that are compelling us to move forward on innovative instructional design strategies such as Project-Based Learning (PBL) and Universal Design for Learning.  The first data set is the graduation rate of our students - particularly among our First Nations and Learning Disabled students.  The second (and related) set is the transition rates between grades 9-12 where we lose a significant number of our students.  The third piece of information - the one that is the subject of this blog - is the proliferation of "alternate" programs in middle and secondary school.  

This is not to say that there is not a role for "specialized" approaches for groups of students who are not being successful.  However, they are not addressing the main issue of our students becoming disengaged from their "regular" classroom.  

I believe the root cause of this growing trend lies in designing our instruction based on what Dr. Rose refers to as the "illusory average student".  This short video encapsulates his view:

Since neuroscience has proven that how we learn is as unique as our fingerprint, should we not plan instruction and learning that takes into account our "multiple intelligences"(Gardner)?  The first network in the Universal Design for Learning model is "Multiple Means of Representation".  The checkpoints in this network guide us to establish access to learning that relays the information or concept in multiple ways: 

This should not be interpreted as 30 different lesson plans for a class but rather proactively planned lessons that, over the course of a unit, utilize several approaches to the representation of information and concepts.

One idea that we looked at last week when we talked about how to engage students in a unit on the political spectrum was to have students physically form a line based on various opinions so that there was a kinesthetic connection to their learning.  While this may seem like a minor modification, it may hook 2 or 3 students that would have otherwise disconnected from the lesson as soon as the overhead projector was turned on.

Have a great week,
Stephen

Education Transformation: Does Our Message Have Traction?

The image below really struck a chord with me this week:

As educational leaders, I wonder sometimes how removed we are from practices in the classroom.  A revving engine sounds powerful and makes lots of noise but unless you've engaged the clutch, nobody's going anywhere. 

Our district has encouraged the use of technology in the classroom as a tool for improving student success as well as providing pathways to personalized learning.  I was very encouraged, therefore, to see my 11-year old son grab my computer last night, login to his classroom through his school webpage and pull up his blogging assignment.  The class list and blogging template is provided through Kidblog.

There were several aspects of this task that are worth considering:

1.  The blogging platform is free,  easy to organize for the teacher and works seamlessly within the school web page.
2.  It took a few seconds to get to his blog and yet his name and work are protected within a virtual classroom environment
3.  As a French Immersion student, he wrote it in French
4.  He could accomplish the task using any computer or smart phone

I guess the message did have traction.

Have a great week,
Stephen

Education Transformation : Breaking the Chains of Causality

Welcome Back!  The theme for my blogs this year will be how, in practical terms, we can move towards Education Transformation.  This is a significant departure from Education Improvement.

First of all, however, there is a tremendous obstacle that often stands in the way of innovation and transformation.  It is like a magnet that constantly pulls us back to the status quo.  This obstacle is encapsulated in the expression, "This is the way we've always done it".  The fact that basically all citizens have the same shared educational experience, makes it that much more difficult to imagine an alternate practice and vision.

In his theory on personality traits,  Carl Jung would describe this type of human motivation as "causality" - that is, driven by past experiences.  At the other end of the spectrum, he also presents the concept of "teleology", wherein we are motivated by future expectations.  Clearly, our education system is firmly rooted in causality.  

Click on image for reference information

Old habits are hard to break.  I recently spoke to one of our school staffs about how we need to switch from WHAT we teach to WHO we teach.  Initial assessments on academic ability as well as conducting interest surveys and building a class community, are key elements that precede and promote effective instructional design and planning.  As I stated in my very first post, knowing your students is the cornerstone.  

As we move towards educational transformation and become motivated by future expectations, it is certainly going to feel uncomfortable.  Having the collective profile of a given group of students drive our planning and direction, entails giving up a certain amount of control and predictability.  Welcome to the world in which we live...

Have a great week,
Stephen

Educational "Playlists" for our students

Imagine if learning looked like the most current playlist on your iPod.  Imagine that, like the "Genius" application on iTunes, that playlist adapted to your latest interests and input.  This is the concept behind the "customization of learning" as proposed by Tom Vander Ark in the above video.  Tom and others are exploring the possibilities of a truly personalized learning environment based on personalized digital learning.


It is their view that technology tools have finally reached the stage where they are truly accessible on devices such as tablets, for the masses.  They have piloted school environments such as the School of One where a student enters a learning space, checks the screen for his name and then sees the customized plan for that day that includes online learning as well as "Socratic seminars" and project-based learning. 


It seems to me that we live in a time when the sophistication of customization - particularly in an online environment - drives our daily life experiences.  Even as I compose emails throughout the day, I've noticed how the advertisements that have become completely ubiquitous on every platform, are tailored to my personal interests.  The adware highlights key words that I use throughout the day and pulls up advertisements that would most likely interest me. 


In fact, the concept is hardly new but continues to be a powerful tool for engaging people.  Think of the information gathered through all the various loyalty programs that we use - from grocery shopping to travel -  and how that information drives the consumer experience.


In the same way, as educational leaders, don't we want to be equally potent in how we engage our learners?  Fortunately, the BC Education Plan recognizes this and has engaged leaders and learners around the province to "scale up" the many smaller initiatives that seem to take place in isolation.


One technology tool that seems to effectively create interest-based playlists is Mentor Mob.  I'll leave you with their short video that explains this very cool tool.  Have a great week,

Stephen

Creating a Learner Profile for Personalized Learning

In my very first blog, I discussed student profiles as the cornerstone for shifting education from teaching curriculum to teaching students.


This concept is worth mentioning again, particularly in the context of Personalized Learning and Universal Design for Learning.  There are 2 specific tools I would like to share that are easy to implement in the first couple of weeks of school and that would provide the basis for Instructional Planning.  First of all, here is a graphic that reflects my thinking around planning for student success:

The first tool is a Multiple Intelligences Survey (Gardner) - of which there are many you can find online.  This particular one would allow students to fill it out and graph their results.  This of course would also make a great math activity!  The results could then be compiled into a class profile that shows the overall predominate strengths of the class.  Here's an example of an individual's results:

The second tool is based on Sternberg's Inventory of Analytical, Creative and Practical domains.  This is a well-recognized tool that fits well with the Multiple Intelligences survey.




This Power Point presentation introduces the "Student Profile Card" and the inventories that go along with it.  It serves as a powerful tool for ongoing assessment and lesson planning for the teacher. 

There are many Learning Styles that are present in any given classroom.  The more time we take to assess these styles and have our students involved in the process, the better prepared we are to Personalize the learning for our learners.


Have a great week,
Stephen

 

Personalized Learning: Kony 2012

Well-Crafted Documentary + Social Media = Ignition


Michael Moore has got to be jealous...  When he produced "Bowling for Columbine" in 2002,  the first version of what would eventually become Facebook was still a year away from being invented by 18 year-old Mark Zuckerberg.  Twitter was four years away.  "Going viral" was still thought of as a medical term.   Kony 2012 was viewed by 55 million people in less than a week.  It's following continues to grow. It was the "perfect storm" of a popular cause with good film making and an even better social media strategy that targeted celebrities and policy makers. 


When I think about the goal of Social Responsibility in our district, I believe we need to empower our students to develop similar skills for local or international issues - particularly the skills to create a good documentary.  Unfortunately, documentary film-making has often been the purview of fringe or political organizations, relegated to late-night TV.


The art of documentary film-making is a very personal and creative experience.  There is hardly a better example of Personalized Learning as the director/student reveals an issue literally through their lens.   It also reminds us that being passionate about something is the ultimate motivation.  In British Columbia, there is the occasional film competition that gets sent out to schools such as the one to produce a commercial to stop drunk-driving as well as the BC Student Film Festival held each year at Capilano University.  Recently, a few students from our district - SD60 - created a promotional video on the Energetic Learning Campus that demonstrates a lot of style and creativity:




Nevertheless, I believe the art of documentary film-making can be better developed in the North.  What is particularly encouraging is that it no longer requires highly specialized equipment and complex software.  A student could make one with their smartphone.  And as far as distribution goes, the students are already experts: it's called Social Media...


Until we develop a broad range of expertise in our region, there are some training opportunities in larger centers for both students and teachers.  One in particular that I attended a few years ago is the Gulf Islands Film and Television School - G.I.F.T.S.  Here is an example of a short documentary made this past summer by some high school students in the lower mainland.  It is called "ME" and is about acceptance of who we are:



The session I attended was over the course of a weekend but there are a variety of courses and time commitments that can fit any schedule and there are bursaries/scholarships available.

Rather than talk about Social Responsibility with our students, how about we let them take over.

Have a great week,
Stephen