Why We Do What We Do

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Why We Do What We Do!!!
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MYSA Conference 2005

• Dr Nan Bahr (Queensland Lecturer in
  Education)-Resilience
• What we do in the middle years has long term
  implications for life.
• The Middle Years
• -Cognitive changes -moving from concrete to more
  abstract operations, metacognition, frontal lobe
  the last to mature (reasoning, prediction)
• -Physical changes -huge diversity of maturation,
  heightened sensitivities, depression, disorders
• -Social changes -boundaries, identity,
  development of more adult relationships, the need
  for support, guidance and affirmation, peer
  oriented, egocentric, possibly less motivated,
  disorganised
• -Morals -influences and choices, critical
  reasoning
• RESILIANCE A competence displayed despite
  exposure to stressful circumstances,
  susceptibility to risk, the ability to bounce
  back.
• What We Need To Do
• Support networks available, ability to express
  oneself in a myriad of ways, choice of learning,
  current fads, anger management, goal setting,
  problem solving, thinking skills, discussion of
  failures, natural consequences, responsibility,
  celebrations, explicit teaching, mentoring,
  spiritual awareness.

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WHY?

• What do you remember
• from your school days?
• What do our students
• think is important for them
• to learn to prepare them
• for their futures?

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Education for the Future

• 80 of jobs for our
• children currently in Year 2,
• have not yet been invented
• We should not
• communicate regurgitation,
• but the so whats.
• The context guides and drives
• the learning. Knowledge must
• have value for it to be remembered.

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Education for the Future

• Authentic learning explores how students can make
  significant contributions to the community
• Always ask, Why are we doing this? Is it just
  in time learning or just in case learning?
• Students have a purpose for learning
• Tasks are authentic and meaningful
• Students need to research in depth to answer a
  fertile or clever question. Information is not
  simply regurgitated
• We can share resources and ideas

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Curriculum Stocktake

• A comprehensive review of the current curriculum
  documents-well founded but now needs revision
• Research in NZ and overseas-a redefinement of the
  important things, taking into consideration
  Technology, Values and Globalisation trends
• Current curriculum documents still used, but as a
  resource
• A clarification of principles, values the
  restructure of the essential skills and attitudes
  as key competencies Achievement Objectives are
  clearer and future focused Emphasis on home,
  school and wider society partnerships Increases
  profile of learning a second language
• Curriculum Stocktake draft produced mid 2006 /
  Feedback up until November 30th, 2006 / September
  2007 release
• www.tki.org.nz/r/nzcurriculum
• KEY COMPETENCIES OF THINKING, BELONGING, MANAGING
  SELF, MAKING MEANING AND RELATING TO OTHERS
• This framework will set the direction for
  learning, but the school will map the territory

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The Key Competencies
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Multiple Intelligences

• Howard Gardner Harvard professor, author,
  psychologist
• Logical / Mathematical
• Verbal / Linguistic
• Visual / Spatial
• Bodily / Kinaesthetic
• Musical / Rhythmic
• Naturalist
• Interpersonal
• Intrapersonal
• Existential

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How it Works
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Learning Intention To understand the function
of a full stop, comma, question and exclamation
mark
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Learning to Learn
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Activity

• On your own, write the word love in the centre
  of a piece of paper. Now, in a semantic web
  around this word, write down 10 words that relate
  to the word love.
• With two other people, share your words. Score
  one point for every word that all three of you
  get.
• What does this tell us?

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How to Solve a Problem

• Close your eyes
• How much is ½ of 2, and 2?
• How much is ½ of (2 2)?
• Teach three ways to solve a problem, not one way
  to solve three problems(create a table, draw a
  diagram, have a guess, act it out)

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Fertile Questions

• Open, undermining, rich, connected, charged,
  practical
• -Can betrayal be forgiven?
• -Are children short adults?
• -Does competition make us better?
• -What is love?
• ACTIVITY

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Models of FERTILE questions
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Powerful Learning Contexts (2005)

• Nature V Nurture-How Does This Affect Me?
  (Health, family, Body Image, MIs, Learning
  Styles, Goals, Genetics..)
• To Whom Does This Land Belong? (The Treaty,
  Legends, Geography and History of NZ,
  Discoveries, Landforms..)
• Are we Saving or Destroying the World we Live in?
  (Recycling, Packaging, Plastics, Paper,
  Conservation, City Councils)
• How Did it all Begin-Where will we be in 20 Years
  Time? (Fossils, Evolution, Legends, The Solar
  System, Inventions, The Future)

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• Nature V Nurture-Example Activities
• Brain Gym Mind map your personal attributes Find
  a pen pal Write a CV
• Design a poster for your desk of the ways you
  learn best Digitally record your
  autobiography Role play conflict
  resolution Create rules to help people get along
  together
• Interview family members Philosophical Question
  Is a prominent person always eminent? Write a
  booklet about how to cope with being 12.
  Develop a percussion piece to represent mood
• Create a time capsule with a friend Suggest
  possible houses, recreation, transportwhen you
  are an adult Discuss in groups what might make
  friendship change What might friendship look
  like, feel like, sound like?

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Authentic Learning Tasks

• Plan and implement a personal health and fitness
  goal
• Plan, organise and create a celebratory or
  festive event
• Stage a debate on a controversial issue
• Design a magazine with articles and ads of the
  future

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• 2006 Plan of Inquiry
• What are our Rights and Responsibilities in our
  Community? (City Councils, Civil Defence, Local
  and Central Govt, Laws)
• Why doesnt a Bowl of Eggs, Sugar, Flour, Milk
  and Cocoa Taste Like a Chocolate Cake? (Kitchen
  Chemistry, Changes of State, Chemical Reactions)
• Are People the Same Wherever they Live in the
  World? (Different Cultures, History, Geography,
  Traditions, Religion..)
• Where will NZs Future Energy Sources Come From?
• (Solar, Nuclear, Hydro Power, Electricity)

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• Authentic Learning Tasks
• Develop a plan for improving an aspect within the
  school or community.
• Design a purposeful product to market
• Invite the school community to a rotation of
  stations that informs them about a culture that
  has been studied
• Investigate alternative forms of energy that may
  meet with future demands

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2007 Inquiry

• Nature V Nurture-How does it Affect Me? (Year 7)
  / Who Wants to be a Millionaire?-Is it Possible
  to Achieve this? (Year 8) (MIs, learning styles,
  genetics, careers, budgeting)
• Is it Possible to Attain Peace Through War?
  (culture, religion, land, terrorism, the future,
  the past)
• Could Humans be able to Colonise another Planet?
  (space travel, equipment, culture, choices)
• Can I Make a Better? (light, sound, forces,
  gravity, heat, electricity, magnetism)
• CONTROVERSIES, INSIGHTS, SKILLS, CONCEPTS

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Authentic Learning Tasks

• Plan and implement a personal health and fitness
  goal / Timeline for the steps to success / Make a
  contact for mentoring purposes
• Stage a radio broadcast to share views / stage
  debate
• Create a new book in the Lonely Planet series
• Design or improve the design of a purposeful
  product, make a prototype and market this

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Alfriston College-John Locke

• Computers in every room
• Timetables are suspended for three days every
  term-disciplinary Specialists with a mix of ages
  flexible groupings synchronising with events such
  as Elections, Commonwealth Games etc.
• Learning to Learn programme in Year 9
• Three periods per day
• Renaming of curriculum areas-Travel
• the World through Time, Crime Scene
  Investigation / Enterprise and Innovation

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The Resultwe hope

• Highly motivated individuals who are challenged
  on a daily basis with the myriad of experiences
  and opportunities offered, to create a
  well-rounded, confident person equipped to emerge
  into an ever-changing and diverse society.

NOTES