Reimaging School. That's the title of Sir Ken Robinson's Ted Talk, one of 13 talks on the same topic found @ https://www.ted.com/playlists/24/re_imagining_school If you ever were a child, have a child, care about children.....nevermind.....If you are a human being, this is a must-listen. I'm thankful their are people dedicated to developing the BIG ideas and reminding those of us 'in the trenches' about them. This talk was insightful, challenging and humorous. I'm not normally a 'laugh out-loud' listener, but I must admit I succumbed to many outbursts. It's worth your time. If you like PREZI, Jessica Mann posted a prezi summation of Sir Ken's talk on 26 April 2014 @ http://prezi.com/y9ykp4wgphm2/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share |
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I'm reading an article by Russell N. Cassel called Primary Principles of Learning from the Peabody Journal of Education. In it, he argues that two main things influence learning: the learner's ability and the influence of their past experiences. I'd imagine the first is generally considered to be more fixed (nature) and the latter not so. (nurture) By the time we meet someone, they are filled with experiences, experienced through their perception, cognition and senses. They have arrived at each conclusion based on the experience before it. It we cast that thought forward, the experience you are currently having had better be considered as it's contributing to your future understanding and future self. It's how we head down slippery slopes and how one decision steps into another. So, if that' so, choose wisely. :) For who knows where this moment will lead?
Do you see me? I'm there, in the fog. Just beyond the scrub. It's disorienting being in fog. It surrounds you, confusing and 'mystifying'. There's an uneasiness about feeling lots and a need for courage to forge ahead regardless. I'm back at university, whilst juggling the rest of life. The learning is amazing. The readings are challenging and numerous. Though I appreciate the width of reading that is necessary for a more comprehensive snapshot of research, I'm feeling in the fog. Disoriented. It's so much to take in. It's even more to engage with and digest. Our need for width can compromise our need for depth of understanding. It's in the depth and realignment that transformation begins. How to make sense of it all? Stay tuned. The fog is lifting. This actually looks pretty helpful. You can find it on this website under 'Teacher Resources' and then click 'Assessment."
http://teachertoolkit.me/2013/07/01/the-5-minute-marking-plan-by-teachertoolkit-and-leadinglearner-5minplan/ “If we do survive shipwreck – if we wash up on a new shore, perceiving more adequately how life really is – there is gladness. It is gladness that pervades one’s whole being; there is a new sense of vitality, be it quiet or exuberant. Usually, however, there is more than relief in this gladness. There is transformation. We discover a new reality behind the loss…As the primal, elemental force of promise stirs again within us, we often experience it as a force acting upon us, beneath us, carrying us – sometimes in spite of our resistance – into a new meaning, new consciousness, new faith.” (2000, 29). - Sharon Parks -as found October 5, 2014 @ http://spirituality.ucla.edu/docs/newsletters/4/Parks_Final.pdf It's so true. If you take a moment to pause and reflect, what are your first memories of your school years? They are usually memories infused with feelings, not statistics or facts. A time when you 'felt' valued, part of a community, bolstered or when you felt the opposite: shamed, embarrassed, treated unfairly. Even when the concepts that were taught were overwhelming, I can imagine that the 'right' teacher could still help you to feel safe and capable. Although I can imageine your students will remember the 'cool' activities when they grow up and look back, they will come back and visit and reminisce fondly because of the you, the teacher, and I doubt they will discuss your methods or techniques.
A connection: The popular 'I Spy' books are Discovery Learning. I'm just discovering the power of learning through discovery! I'd always thought I taught using this method, but am realizing that I was still buying into my ideas of what a good teacher did. For example, a good teacher plans the outcome, leads the discussion, sticks to the discovery 'agenda', is responsible for everyone's engagement. I wonder if it's about out need for control and power within the classroom, or our fear of losing it? Do we think we are the ones that hold the power? A wise colleague does everything he can to give up his power, to share that responsibility instead of hoisting that weight single-handedly. I am discovering through his teaching and thinking, that I can let go, maybe only a bit at a time. But that instead of thinking I need to hold sway, we as a classroom can decide what holds power within those four walls. If I engage in dialogue with students, what will we discover? Several classroom are willing to embark (yes, pun intended) on a Tree Journey, an exploration of trees and ourselves, using the tree as metaphor. When we teach, we hope to change the world. Education is heady stuff and we have a daunting job, a hope for transformation, individually and collectively. Where can this possible begin? My thinking is that is begins with something we recognize and branches out from there. Everyone knows a tree.When I speak with people about this inquiry project, they always have stories about their favourite tree or forest. If we can explore a tree and connect with a tree, can we recognize in ourselves some of the same characteristics, needs, challenges? Where might this lead? A true inquiry. This summer, I've collected a variety of 28 seedlings, scattered in various places in my yard, another teacher has collected seedlings from a nursery that otherwise were being seeded out, upon my request, Linneas Nursery in Langley, B.C., contributed seedlings to our venture. This week, a grade four class came into the 'Tree and Me' room to choose their seedling. I stood in wonder as they pondered this choice, at how respectfully they approached the task. When they'd chosen their tree, they hugged it and talked to it. They had already made a connection, and we were only beginning. I can hardly wait to see what these students will teach me. |
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April 2015
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