Beside(s) Content

“Developing content knowledge provides the foundation for acquiring these skills, while the skills in turn are necessary to truly learn and use the content. In other words, the skills and content knowledge are not only intertwined but also reinforce each other.”

http://www.hewlett.org/newsroom/news/national-research-council-report-highlights-importance-deeper-learning


Of course great teachers have always focused on teaching students to communicate, collaborate, create, solve problems, and innovate.  Great teachers ask students to work together through project-based learning to enhance all of these skills.  In our school, it is commonplace to walk into a classroom and see students working together to design a road trip across the US, or build a tower out of straws that can withstand an earthquake, or make a claymation video to bring awareness to a critical problem facing the environment.  None of this is news to anyone who sees and values great teaching.

The problem is that while these skills are discussed, written about, and extolled, they remain a minor part of most schools’ curriculum, behind content.  Unless individual teachers value these skills, they don’t get the attention that they deserve.  Even teachers who appreciate these skills often let them play second fiddle to content.  After all, content is what is in the textbook; what is assessed; and what parents, students, the State expect to be taught.  While the system doesn’t deny that 21C skills can be taught, it certainly doesn’t promote them or make it easy.  That needs to change -- now.

Every student and parent can tell you the subjects that define school -- English, history, math, science, art, PE, foreign language.  What would a school look like that raised the awareness and place of 21C skills to stand on equal footing beside the subject areas?  What if instead of asking a student how they did on their algebra test, parents asked how they did on their metacognition today (and it didn’t seem weird)?  What if administrators created a schedule that made it easy for teachers to plan lessons that gave students the opportunity to work and reflect on 21C skills?  What if a school decided to report on student growth on 21C skills in addition to mastery of content?  What if students knew they were supposed to develop their ability to innovate, rather than it being an unnoticed by-product of a project?  All of these what ifs are doable and pretty easily, but they won’t happen unless we (students, teachers, parents, administrators, the State) change our collective minds about what students should learn in school. 

Communities of Interest

Yesterday I emailed Grant Lichtman. I became acquainted with Grant’s blog, The Learning Pond, http://learningpond.wordpress.com/grant-lichtman/ from someone’s tweet several months ago.  I don’t remember who tweeted about Grant; it could have been one of many folks who I follow on Twitter who are interested in improving learning.  Five years ago I never would have emailed Grant to engage with him on trends in education, as I never would have known he existed.  

Although I was equally interested in improving learning five years ago,  I was limited to talking to colleagues at my school who shared similar interests, reading in journals and books, and attending a conference once a year.  I did those things, but my progress was slow, and I didn’t have the momentum and support to feel like I was making much of a difference.  Today, through Twitter and blogs, I belong to a community of people who share the same interest in improving learning.  Access to this community has been free and simple.  I feel empowered to work on a daily basis because I know there are many within my community who are working to do the same thing.  We share ideas and practices, we inspire, we support, we tell jokes -- in short, we do all the things that people do when they belong to a community -- except that most of us don’t even know what the others look like or where they live.  We have formed a community of interest.

We are shifting from participating in communities of place to communities of interest.  Hundreds of years ago, most of our communities were based on location.  Travel was limited and exchange of ideas was slow.  As new technologies that facilitated communication were introduced, it became easier for people to form communities of interest.  Paper, pen, printing press, telephone, and television all made it easier for people who share similar interests to connect with each other. (Collins and Halverson, 11-13)  Today’s everyday technological tools have dramatically accelerated the shift toward communities of interest.  Blogs like this one, hashtags in Twitter, and online gaming have created a world where communities don’t have anything to do with place, unless the place referred to is our planet.

Schools must give students the opportunity to participate in communities of interest so they can learn the skills necessary to be successful in these environments.  Students should have their own blogs and Twitter accounts, and schools should help students to use these in productive and appropriate ways.  Students need ways and opportunities to connect with broad and narrow communities of interest by providing networking opportunities with other schools around the globe.  NAIS’s Challenge 20/20 is an example of a way that schools can help create and model a community of interest for students.

Schools can and should also model communities of interest within the school walls.  At the Middle School at CDS, we offer students an opportunity to spend time with students and faculty members who share similar interests in a course called exploratory.  Exploratory choices look similar to after-school clubs, but we know that it is so important for middle school students to connect and build relationships that we have moved the club time into our school day.  Exploratory groups change three times a year and the offerings are always diverse:  songwriting, cooking on a griddle, watching and discussing Hitchcock movies, yoga, creating mandalas, designing apps, etc.  As a result of students choosing exploratories by interest, we end up with mixed-grade, mixed-gender, mixed-social groups within our exploratories.  

It is a powerful thing to connect with others by sharing passions and interests.  I wonder what Grant Licthman has to say about this topic.  I bet I’ll find out soon.

Collins, Allan, and Richard Halverson. Rethinking Education in the Age of Technology: The Digital Revolution and Schooling in America . New York, London: Teachers College Press, 2009.

On "Reconceptualizing technology integration . . ."

Dede, C. (2011). Reconceptualizing technology integration to meet the challenges of educational
transformation. Journal of Curriculum and Instruction 5, 1 (May), pp. 4-16

http://www.joci.ecu.edu/index.php/JoCI/article/view/121/Dede

Summary
The education industry lags behind other industries in the use of technology to bring down the cost of education.  This abstract supports a shift from integration of technology into the classroom to redefining the classroom through technology use. The author does not want technology to automate teaching, but rather to help the teacher to become more efficient in all aspects of teaching.  It is important to note that in this model, the teacher remains at the center of the educational process and is not simply seen as an adjunct to monitor individualized instruction and assessment completed through technology.

As a designer of technology for education, the author argues that designers should focus their efforts on innovations that can be used in a Digital Teaching Platform and that can be used successfully in any teaching environment.  He calls for programs that offer “contextual variation” that can be adapted and used successfully with a variety of learners in different learning situations.

Response
We should think beyond the classroom integration model of technology.  Fifty years from now, are we still going to be educating our population using a school calendar based on an agrarian system and a delivery system based on industrial models?  This would be a tragedy.  Of course, national reform movements have never been successful, so the integration model of technology use will continue creeping along. Paradoxically, it seems the best way to kill a movement in education is to call for universal reform.

One of the best suggestions in the paper is that the designers of educational technology develop technology with “contextual variation,” that is, technology that is not tailored to suit one particular school but that can be varied by the user to fit any school.  Flexibility of use should be a goal in any new developments of technology.  It is interesting that the most flexible piece of technology used in our school is Google Docs, which wasn’t created specifically for educational use.

Another objective that should drive technology development is one that strengthens the relationship between teacher and student.  Developers should analyze the characteristics of the teacher/student relationship that promote learning and then use the enhancement of these characteristics as a goal in any development.

Also, instead of technology development focusing on delivery and assessment, greater effort  should be put into developing technology that moves beyond the memorization of facts or algorithms.  Technology that promotes innovation and creativity is a desired outcome for new development.  For example, using augmented reality (AR) programs where the students’ actions change the programs’ responses will make educational technology more engaging and give greater opportunity for higher-level thinking.  Instead of creating programs with a linear and predictable outcome, programs that accept and integrate different lines of thinking are needed.

The National Education Technology Plan - Read It

When I saw an excerpt from “The National Education Technology Plan” as part of my coursework for the Future of Learning Institute (FOL), I looked down the list for another reading that would be more useful and engaging.  However, I decided I would skim it and then I could at least say that I had read it.  My skepticism was almost immediately overcome, and I read with interest, making numerous connections to our technology program in the Middle School at CDS.

Since I was able to link the document, I will not offer a summary, but I will say that the most engaging parts of the document are the examples that have been collected from schools all over the country that are using technology in innovative ways to motivate students, offer them means of learning, and provide them with individualized learning opportunities.  It is inspiring to know that there are so many great educators creating new ways for students to learn by using technology.  I advise reviewing the section on learning starting on page 9, which is where the link will take you.  Check out the sidebars for examples.

http://www.ed.gov/technology/netp-2010/learning-engage-and-empower

I was pleased to find the following statement which supports our work this summer of finding ways and time for students to create electronic portfolios, reflect on the work, and share that work with others.

Student-managed electronic learning portfolios can be part of a persistent learning record and help students develop the self-awareness required to set their own learning goals; express their own views of their strengths, weaknesses, and achievements; and take responsibility for them. Educators can use them to gauge students’ development, and they also can be shared with peers, parents, and others who are part of students’ extended network. (Transforming American Education:  Learning Powered by Technology, p. 12)

Listening to Ryan

My grandmother and grandfather were missionaries in Hong Kong.  They made many Chinese friends, creating social networks among the upper-class Chinese in an effort to lead them to Christ.  My grandparents were accustomed to British ways and good at doing tea, so it seemed natural for them to work on and create these relationships.

During WWII, my grandparents were placed in separate prison camps by the Japanese.  There was some distance between the camps that made normal communication impossible.  But, my grandfather played the violin, and he would play different songs that carried different moods.  My grandparents’ Chinese friends would then relay the mood of the music to my grandmother, which helped her to stay connected to her husband.

As I fight time to get things done, I need constantly to monitor myself to slow down and listen.  I was told this touching story by the director of Black Mountain Expeditions who plans and executes outdoor education programs for our students.  We met to complete the plans for the Middle School Overnight programs at the start of the school year.  The conversation meandered from cars to travel to this wonderful story before we finally got down to our task.  Another day, I might have pushed the agenda, and I would have missed hearing this remarkable parable about the importance of relationships.  The lesson for me is to always be ready to listen and to make the other person’s story a part of your story.

Commenting on "Neuroscience Bases of Learning"

In late July and early August, I will attend an institute at Harvard called the Future of Learning (FOL).  Reflecting on the required readings prior to attendance and the Institute sessions will take up much of my leadership work over the summer. Unfortunately, Harvard has not given me permission to link to articles that I am reading for the FOL.

The following is a summary of some of the ideas from the following paper which is required reading for the FOL Institute:
Neuroscience Bases of Learning
M H Immordino-Yang, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
K W Fischer, Harvard University Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA, USA
ã 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Educators should pay attention to and understand the relatively new field of Mind, Brain, and Education (MBE).  In particular we need to understand more about the how nurture and nature interact to affect learning.  Below are a few of the topics discussed in this paper.

Nature v Nurture
We usually think of biology influencing the brain.  We are born with particular biological traits and these influence the way we learn.  This article states that the relationship between nature and nurture is much more of a two-way street where learning influences biology.  What we learn and how we learn changes the way our brain functions.  Our biological condition with regards to learning is not static.
Educators Beware
The information that advances in brain imaging and the field of neuroscience have provided will take time to analyze and understand.  Unfortunately, non-scientists have been providing their own analysis of this information which has resulted in some wrong conclusions.  Educators need to be aware of this and make sure that new ideas and interpretations of research coming from Mind, Brain, and Education (MBE) can be scientifically substantiated.
Reality
It is important to understand  how memory affects our reality.  What we see and obtain through our other senses is strongly affected by our memory and the emotion tied to those memories.  “ . . . our prior learning, our neuropsychological predispositions,” strongly affect the our reality.  Our brains do not have an internal camera that captures precisely what occurs, as our past experiences and learning shape the reality. Educators must keep this in mind as every student approaches a new learning opportunity from a completely different perspective that strongly influences the manner that the lesson will be learned.

My Take

• Stay aware of advances in MBE by looking at clearinghouses of research coming from leading scientific institutions.  Rather than trying to figure out on my own how to access new advances in this area, I will ask the professors when I attend the FOL Institute.
• Reinforces the idea that everyone’s concept of reality is unique and this shapes the way they learn.  Educators must be flexible when approaching students.  While this is not news, it is good to get a reminder.

Finding Help

Part of the plan is to look at what established school are doing to educate leaders in education. While there may be other schools with better programs, I looked specifically at Stanford’s Policy, Organization, and Leadership Studies (POLS) program and Harvard’s School Development Strand in the School Leadership program.  I chose to study these programs because they both seemed to take a progressive stance in methodology and curriculum. Stanford’s and Harvard’s programs offer chances to work with issues in a real educational settings.  This fits perfectly with my situation as I deal with real issues in education on a daily basis through my job.  So, I plan on referring back to them over the next several years to help guide my curriculum.

Both POLS and the School Development Strand offer latitude and choice within the programs, which supports my desire to follow my own interests.  Off the bat, I noticed a course at Stanford, the History of School Reform, that deals with the history of why the reform movements in education have not worked.  While I already have some background in reform movements of the last century, I have not looked at them from this particular angle.  So, I emailed Dr. David Labaree who teaches this course and asked him to send me the reading list and any course materials.  I was pleasantly surprised when I received a prompt reply with the course syllabus attached.  

This is exactly how envision this process working.  I find a topic that interests me, I look for an expert in the field and get advice and direction, then I pursue the work of learning.  The “work of learning” will hopefully include others who can help me to pursue alternate lines of thought.