I'm fascinated by the possibilities of what we are still calling e_learning...triggered by a desire to engage learners as I am engaged. I went to a workshop a few years ago and on returning to school, the principal asked me what I thought. "Like a hog in mud," I enthused. E_learning isn't just about using digital tools. It's about developing a whole new way of learning and starting to see that we don't have to stick with current models of education. The possibilities are exciting!
I didn't take a lot of big risks as a child. I was shy and my mother was happy to let me sit back; she was disabled and couldn't run after us. She adored being a mum and doing everything for us. I remember being scared about learning to swim, playing with children I didn't know and catching a bus by myself into town.
All that changed when tragically, I had to stand on my own two feet. I became a risk taker. I had to. I couldn't wait for someone else to do it for me. I couldn't wait for someone else to lead me gently by the hand.
My husband to be took it to another level; he was happy to kayak over water falls or leap out of an aeroplane. I white water rafted and took a kayak course (not my thing but I had a go). I went from the initially scary arena of publicly speaking in a classroom to speaking in front of a hall full of people.
Having my own children brought home to me how much I needed to demonstrate risk taking: I tried things I had never dared do: luging, roller coasters, water skiing, leaping from a high jumping rock. I wanted my children to be risk takers. I wanted them to give things a go.
The New Zealand Curriculum document has a similar vision for our young people:
Ministry of Education, New Zealand Curriculum, Crown 2007, page 8.
Being enterprising, seizing opportunities, developing life competencies, being confident, connected and actively involved, are all features of risk takers. And as actions speak louder than words, it is up to us to model these attributes. Teachers, like parents, need to role model risk taking.
It's something I think about a lot as I watch the widening digital divide and the polarities between traditional schooling and "modern learning" pedagogy. Take the news article from AGS in the Herald last week:
The reporter misses the point about "bean bag lessons". It's not about the furniture; it's about being lifelong learners and owning the learning; having a growth mindset and always telling myself that I can still do better, that I can't be complacent with the traditional. That regurgitation type assessment is not going to equip our children to come up with the creative solutions our ever-changing world needs. Sure, our education system works for some, but other news articles in our media remind us that we haven't got it right for everyone.
And it is about me. Everyone counts. I first heard the term "imposter syndrome" a few years ago when I laughed when it was suggested that I could hold the workshop on "teaching as inquiry" for our cluster principals. I didn't think I was good enough. But I took the risk and took the step.
Educamp Hawkes Bay brought this to forefront to me. At educampnz, a group of New Zealand educators, who aren't complacent with accepting the traditional "winners and losers" model of education, join together to share and explore new ideas. Just being there is the first step; they are there in their own time and they share without financial recompense. Often it means long travel and a tank of petrol.
The content is determined by those who take the risk to stand up in front of their fellow to share ideas. Workshop timetables are determined by the audience of teacher learners. Presenters present the workshops with little warning. They are just happy to share and discuss.
You still meet people in the group who are "first timers" and feel nervous. I hear the words, "Oh, I'd have nothing to offer." Yet others embrace them into the flock and remind them that there are no celebrity presenters, that we are all learners together.
New faces appear on the Twitter feed and are followed by the old hands. Risk is encouraged!
And some of the content is about taking risk and trying something new. Nick Mason (@fuse711) and Troy Duckworth (@tewakatroy) talk about developing learner agency and pedagogy in their collaborative working practice at Russell Street in Palmerston North. They have gone much further than "beanbag lessons".
Sometimes it's about changing up something traditional to make it fit better with today's learners, as with Jo Makinson's Literacy Evolution (@JoMakinson).
Phil Jones (@MrPhilJones) leads discussion about the place of 3d printers - using today's tools today.
So come on folks, have a go. Don't wait for the help sheet. Don't wait for the directions. Take the first step. The view will be worth it!
If only! I loved the idea that people could translocate instantly in space when I was 6 years old and still do now.
I've nearly achieved that dream virtually - though even with technology, I know I'm missing out on the full multi sensory, face to face experience.
Thanks to Kassey Downard, who is at the "Writing Effectively" conference, I've got to experience some of the magic. Here are her notes which she tweeted out from Day 1 and 2:
I love educamps. I loved this one the most. And not because I was one of the hosts and the convenor.
Several aspects stood out for me as we went through the agenda for the day: the welcome, introductions, smackdown and workshops.
Among the people who arrived were a lot of unfamiliar faces.
I love my tweep colleagues and many of us are now educamp groupies. We enjoy seeing each other
again. It's our tribe and it's like coming home. It's also amazing to meet online friends face to face for the first time (hey there, Justine Hughes @cossie29 and Leonie Bennett @leonie_hastings).
One of our aims when Marnel van der Spuy @1MvdS and I thought we could do this three years ago, was to bring a professional learning opportunity to Rotorua that was available to all local teachers for no cost except their time. What struck us at the 2013 day was the lack of local teachers. But it was so much fun and learning, with great connections made from around the compass.
So even more exciting were these new faces; newbies to educamp who came from as far away as Auckland, Hawkes Bay, Tauranga, Hamilton, Tirau, Tokoroa and south Waikato. And Rotorua. A lot of Rotorua teachers. Hallelujah!
Everyone looked as if they were having a great time.
I'm conscious of that celebrity status that well known presenters get; the in people, the ones who have a reputation for having a lot of knowledge and are far too super geek to talk to. It's easy to feel like an imposter who doesn't know enough to share. But the room embraced everyone. It was made quite clear that nothing was dumb, everyone had something to offer and it was okay to sit back and absorb. When someone said she was only a BT, the crowd loudly disagreed with her label; similarly when some one else said she was "only a teacher aide". Everyone had a place in the room. And it showed as the smackdown extended through many slides as people gained confidence to share.
The range of workshops appealed to everyone. Newbies joined Twitter. What was once pure geek is becoming mainstream. Hooray!
Thanks to Kimberly Baars @MissesArtech from Taupaki School for talking about Maker Culture; Diana Wilkes @DianaWilkes for her workshop on Teacher Dashboard at Ormiston School and Jo Makinson @JoMakinson for leading the group through Literacy Evolution which she started at Richmond School..
Now an established event that drew fifty people, Network for Learning through Andy Schick @Andy_Schick stumped up for refreshments. Thanks folks!
And thanks to Juliet Revell @Juliet_Revell who demonstrated that it was possible to attend by GHO from Napier and Leanne Stubbing @fivefoot3 who watched from afar in Wellington and completed a Storify of the day.
The geekery was well and truly ungeeked. Good on you all. Welcome to twenty first century learning at last!
Recently my middle daughter, now an adult living away from home, admitted that one summer she had an accident which she hid from us, her parents.
We live on a long straight suburban road, just below the bit where the uphill incline starts to steepen. With a group of friends, predominantly boys, she took the challenge and long-boarded down from the top. She's always been our "Xena, Warrior Princess," taller and stronger than her sisters, and always able to beat the boys in any sporting event at primary level.
But this time she came off, knocked herself out and skinned her arm from shoulder to wrist. With a national rowing competition coming up, she decided to hide the whole event from her family, and suffered for a number of weeks under long sleeves and from the unknowing knocks and bumps of her unsuspecting family members.
While the story was told, the other kids in the room only laughed knowingly. And while my husband rolled his eyes, his mother too, can recount the stories of her four children on their farm, three boys, including lucky car accidents, spotlighting and running over neighbourhood roofs.
It's what kids do. And especially boys. It's about that risk and the fellowship of risk that belongs in childhood...which goes on until the mid twenties for some.
And my reaction mirrors the reaction of many teachers of writing when they see the "blood and guts" or toilet humour in the writing of boys. Really? Did you have to do that?
Ralph Fletcher, a father of four boys and a teacher of writing, addresses my concerns in his highly readable book, "Boy Writers."
He reminds me that the life of boys is very different from the life of middle aged female teachers. I know that my students enjoy listening to the weird and wonderful writing of authors like Paul Jennings:
Finally it is time for bed. Cynthia changes into her nightie in the bathroom and then joins me in the bedroom. 'The cat's on my bed,' she says. 'But it doesn't matter. I like cats.' She pulls back the blankets. And screams. 'Aargh. Cat poo. Filthy cat poo on my pillow.' She yells and yells and yells. Just then Dad bursts into the room with a silly grin on his face. He goes over and looks at the brown object on the pillow. 'Don't let a little thing like that worry you,' he says. He picks it up and pops it into his mouth. But this time he does not give a grin. His face freezes over. 'Are you looking for this?' I say. I hold up the bit of plastic poo that Dad had hidden under the blankets earlier that night. (from 'Funniest Stories", 2005)
Do I accept that the boys in my class might also want to write like this?
In a series of short chapters, ideal for after planning quick reads, Fletcher outlines his findings, anecdotes and reflections, ending each with a list of "What Can I Do in My Classroom?"
Ideas he covers include:
giving boys choice
accepting their humour
understanding their unique voice
the place of conversation
handwriting and fine motor skills
why violence has a place
relationships
why fun is important
He leaves us with four main points to better nurture and support struggling boy writers.
1. Just let them write
2. Take the long view - you want them to want to be writers.
It's a text I'll be buying several more copies of for our teachers as they launch into the second year of an inquiry into improving writing for boys and "reclaiming their voices."
I love how I feel after Ulearn conferences and this has been the best so far. It's taken me two days to sort, chew, digest, and ruminate over what are my major "take homes" and what I will look at first on Monday. So here goes:
1. Friendship
Last year I met a lot of Twitter frequenters face to face at #Ulearn13 as I did at the #Edchatnz conference. This was a chance to get together again and there were still new people to link with for the first time. I got asked to say a few words at the Twitter Dinner on Wednesday night and these really encapsulate the way I feel about the educators I've met through Twitter: we get to know each person by their contents before we see the cover and we appreciate that we are all on the same page. (Someone tweeted it out but I can't for the life of me find it in the stream!)
I opened my house to fellow tweeps as others have done for me, especially +Caroline Bush in Auckland. our fellowship allows us to support each other and if it means we can go to more events more frequently, then great. The social aspect is an important part of these conferences. It's a chance to mull over ideas in a safe and comfortable environment. It's that whole dynamic of having all your needs met. We all need acceptance and to feel valued by our peers. I genuinely get joy from all the friendships. It blows me away that +Dean McKenzie and @dwenmouth found family, friend and school connections after a few minutes talking. I loved hanging out with @nlouwrens and @mattynichol and to see them on the Saturday when they were waiting for their flights. It meant a lot to be able to ensure that +Craig Kemp was welcomed and felt included by his Kiwi colleagues. These are but a few of the experiences.
2. Connectedness
Friendship is part of this but it is more. It's being part of the collective of passionate educators all
dedicated to lifelong learning. It gave me huge satisfaction to see the teachers from my own school get how powerful this is. That the Twitter stream is filling up with their tweets gives me enormous satisfaction and will need nurturing. There is a definite buzz when you are "followed" or "retweeted" that makes you feel you are on the right track.
I love that this amazing group of women is now excited and energised for term 4 rather than regretting that the holidays have drawn to a close. They have purpose. They are excited by Universal Design for Learning and @KatieNovacUDL. I've challenged them to present the inquiry that they are now purposefully planning and present it at #Ulearn15. I am going to request that the Board plans to send the whole staff next year.
3. Akonga
I loved that we see we are all learners together. Thirteen year old Thomas did an amazing job at our Minecraft Magic breakout. It was his video, his ownership of the narration, his understanding of the programme. Empowerment. Tuakana teina. The "aha moment" that being talented is not about being "below" the National Standard for writing. His communication skills were exemplary.
Our kapahaka roopu blew everyone away with their Thursday morning performance to the 1700 strong crowd. They were leaders, talented, strong. I don't think they realise how special they were. It is my job to make sure that they take this experience and run with it.
4. Learning with "e's"
I admit it. I was self conscious about my over tweeting. Didn't want to look like I had a problem and didn't want to cheese anyone off. But I wasn't going to use pen and paper. "E"-devices are now my way of life.
I tried to embrace the Google docs but I had lots of connectivity problems with those. Something to do with too many folk trying to share, it was suggested.
So after a sigh, I went back to Twitter. Why I had I left this? I love Twitter! I love 140 word summaries. I love the interaction with others as I reflect. Definitely a learning moment which I see others like +Leigh Hynes share; here's her blogpost.
My presenter lanyard takes its place.
I mentioned connectedness; it's also the collaboration we can have from "e"_platforms. I was able to plan and present a breakout with a group of educators I met online. We planned with a Google Doc, created a Google slide and talked on a Google hangout. It's "e" for empowering!
I read a great blogpost this morning about the amazing group of "e" for educators that are the "efellows". I'm proud of the fact that I know so many of them this year and in 2015. And it's all about "e" for education these days. Some teachers and schools still think this a geeky conference for computer geeks (as if that is unpalatable) and they couldn't be more wrong. Ulearn is all about good practice and real learning for all.
It's not a persona - my own persona - that I embrace at school. Interestingly, the feedback I got from my colleagues was that they liked this persona better. So that is a huge take home for me.
6. Extended and Disrupted Thinking
Unless we get out there, we don't see where pedagogy is going. As educators we need to constantly reflect on our practice and it is an honour to hear the ideas of others. Just as modern learning spaces are about knocking down walls, modern learning practice is about knocking down barriers to learning. What follows is a list of the keynotes and breakouts I attended and storifies from my connected educators!
Breakout One - Presentation : Modern Learning Environments: where learning takes place - +Mark Osborne
"This session will explore much of the research into where learning best takes place. We will look at the drivers that are seeing many schools re-examine their physical learning environments as well as the research into their effectiveness. In particular, this session will look at ‘the site’ (your school’s location and its relationship to your community), ‘the structure’ (what size, shape and configuration the building should be) and ‘the stuff’ (furniture, fittings, equipment and technology). We'll also look at a number of case-studies of effective modern learning environments."
Mark took us on a journey through the different paradigms of learning. He looked at how our lives have been affected by technological change and why that should mean a change in learning practice. He looked at schools such as Ngatea with Neil Fraser and Karla Hull; I feel really privileged to have been there and to consider them my friends!
Breakout Two - Presentation : Teaching and Learning in a Community of Thinking - Yoram Harpaz
"This workshop will initiate the participants to the processes of teaching and learning in a community of thinking – a framework that my colleagues and I created and facilitated in Israel and elsewhere. The theoretical background of the community of thinking is based on five “atomic pictures” – of learning, teaching, knowledge, mind and educational aims. The practice of the community of thinking is based on three stages: fertile question, inquiry, and team and communal concluding performances. The workshop will facilitate the participants in posing fertile questions, guiding research, and producing concluding performances."
I wanted to go to this because the Community of Thinking is our Problem based learning Model. Some clarification for me.
Breakout Three - NoTosh : Design thinking for innovation and inquiry - +Tom Barrett
"Working together we will use the design thinking process to immerse ourselves in some of the chunkiest issues crowdsourced from you and the wider education community. We will define the real problems, generate new ideas and even begin prototyping some of our thinking. In addition we will begin to consider how this creative inquiry can be used in the classroom with our learners. Yes all within 75 minutes! Brains-on, Hands-on!"
My biggest take home was embracing my Tigger side! Loved the collaborative approach and structure of design thinking and will add more as I digest it.
Breakout Five A - Taster :: "Modern learning started in libraries" - so how do you create a future focussed library? - +Georgi de Stigter
"The ever changing landscape of education has left one thing unchanged: the role of a school library. Even in a digital age students still actively seek out a quiet, open and non-threatening space where they can find what they need, when they need it. But libraries are sometimes full of restrictions around security, limited internet access, and laminated rule cards, and this isn’t really modern or future focused. Once the doors close at the end of the day, that’s it, opportunity to visit over. A future proof library on the other hand, is the complete opposite. This presentation will cover the journey of the recreation of the library at Hobsonville Point Secondary School, a modern learning environment opened this year. It will highlight the process of developing a vision and executing it, whilst discussing successes and learning opportunities that arose along the way. If you are interested in re-envisioning your library for the future, please come along and find out more."
I've visited Hobsonville Point schools but didn't get to the library! It was great to see Georgi's journey. The library as a space is evolving. It's a topic much at the front of my mind right now.
Breakout Five : Making the most of your Google Drive using apps, add-ons and extensions - +Leigh Hynes
"An introduction to some much loved add-ons, extensions and apps for Drive and Chrome that you can make work for learning in your class. Learn how to use and get your students using these extras in Google Drive and on Chrome."
I arrived half way through. Must get back to Leigh's presentation! Always useful material. I asked her to come and support me at school with GAFE.
Breakout Six - Presentation : Creativity is not just for the arts
“This isn’t art, why are you asking me to be creative/draw/make something?”
"In all subject areas now we are looking for students to develop innovative ideas. If we want students to come up with innovative or creative ideas we need them to practice being creative. Build their creative confidence. As a geography and social sciences teacher, my journey to developing students creativity has seen me bring all kinds of tools to the classroom with me: chalk, post-its, pipe cleaners, tennis balls, boxes, QR codes, multiple devices, robots... All in the aim of getting students to think more creatively. If you are looking to increase your students’ abilities and confidence in being creative, then this may be the session for you!" Leanne's storify
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