21st Century Learning

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21st Century Learning
Summer Conference August 12-14, 2009 Canmore,
Alberta
Sharon Friesen, PhD
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Overview

• 21st Century Realities
• Changes in the work place
• Advances in digital technologies
• Global connections
• Changes in our understanding of learning
• Implications For Leaders
• Effective leadership practices
• Arenas for change

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21st Century Realities

• Changes in the work place
• Advances in digital technologies
• Global connections
• Changes in our understanding of learning

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Requirements for Participation in Todays Society

• Strong disciplinary knowledge deep conceptual
  understanding of complex concepts.
• Work creatively with concepts to generate new
  ideas, new theories, new products and new
  knowledge the capacity to uncover and clarify
  new problems, questions and phenomena.
• Critically evaluate what is read.
• Express ideas and thoughts verbally and in
  writing using a variety of media.

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• Connect and integrate ideas from a variety of
  disciplines turning that into usable knowledge --
  the ability to integrate ideas from different
  disciplines or spheres into a coherent whole and
  to communicate that integration to others.
• Respectful awareness of and appreciation for
  differences among human beings and human groups.
• Self directed learn how to learn.
• Ethical Pondering the nature of your work in
  relationship to needs of the society in which you
  live.

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Advances in Digital Technologies
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Instantaneously Connected Globally
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Changes In Our Understanding Of Learning
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CEA What Did You Do In School Today FIRST YEAR
FINDINGS
CANADA

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37
High
Students feel interested and successful
Students likely to feel apprehensive or anxious
about learning
CHALLENGE
5
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Students likely to feel apathetic towards learning
Students may find school work boring or of little
relevance
Low
Low
High
SKILLS
Willms, Friesen Milton, 2009
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21st Century Learning Environments
Bransford, Brown Cocking, 2000
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Learning Changes The Brain
MINDS
Text
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Example The Practice of Science
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COLLABORATIVE ENDEAVOUR
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Collaborative Knowledge Building
P2P Untapped Potential
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Technologies For Knowledge Building
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Digital Technologies and 21st Century Learning
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Scaffolding is Important
Sawyer, 2006 Greeno, 2006
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Assessment For Learning is Essential
for student learning
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Feedback In Action
Peer Feedback
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Feedback In Action
Self Feedback
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for teacher learning
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Formative Assessment
Intervention Extra Months of Learning Gained Per Year Classroom Cost per Year
Class-size reduction by 30 (30 students to 20 students) 3 30,000
Formative assessment 6 to 9 3,000
Wiliam, 2007
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Instructional Practices Matter
1 2 3 4
Engagement Disengaged Ritualistic Compliance Academic Engagement Intellectual Engagement
Cognitive Investment Passive copying notes, info recall Some group work Active information play Academically rigourous knowledge building
Instructional Style Instructionist one size fits all Interactive Differentiated Responsive - conforms to learners
Authenticity No value beyond activity Some attempt at application Application beyond school Value beyond school
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Improving Instruction
The quality of an education system cannot exceed
the quality of its teachers. Worlds Best
Performing School Systems, 2008.
Worlds Best Performing School Systems, 2008.
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Leadership Matters
Leadership is second only to teaching and
learning in its impact on student learning
(Leithwood et al, 2007)
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Leading 21st Century Learners
Participating in teacher learning and development. 0.91
Leading teachers to base teaching decisions on formative evaluations 0.90
Planning, coordinating and evaluating teaching, curriculum and pedagogy (direct involvement, regularly visiting classrooms, formative feedback and feed forward) . 0.74
Ensuring teachers are intellectually stimulated about current research informed practices .64 0.64
Strategic resourcing, (aligning resource selection and allocation 0.60
Actively challenge status quo 0.60
Establishing goals and expectations 0.54
Maintaining an orderly supportive environment 0.49
Elmore, 2006 Friesen Jacobsen, 2009 Hattie,
2009 Leithwood, 2007 Marzano, 2006

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  Change for 21st Century Learning                
                                   
 
External architecture that influences student
learning and the ability to improve student
learning.
Shared values, beliefs, assumptions,
expectations, behaviors.
Conditions of learning and teaching for students
and adults
Culture of classrooms, schools, districts
Improving Teaching and Learning
Skills and knowledge that impact and influence
student learning.
Competencies of adults
Wagner, 2008
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21st Century Learning

• Authentic to disciplinary ways of knowing, doing
  and being.
• Discipline and interdisciplinary-based inquiry
• Collaborative knowledge building
• Scaffolded
• Oodles of formative assessment
• Teaching and learning decisions are based on
  evidence
• Digital technologies are part of the culture of
  how we do things around here

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Outcome 21st Century Learners

• Strong disciplinary knowledge deep conceptual
  understanding of complex concepts.
• Work creatively with concepts to generate new
  ideas, new theories, new products and new
  knowledge the capacity to uncover and clarify
  new problems, questions and phenomena.
• Critically evaluate what is read.
• Express ideas and thoughts verbally and in
  writing using a variety of media.

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• Connect and integrate ideas from a variety of
  disciplines turning that into usable knowledge --
  the ability to integrate ideas from different
  disciplines or spheres into a coherent whole and
  to communicate that integration to others.
• Respectful awareness of and appreciation for
  differences among human beings and human groups.
• Self directed learn how to learn.
• Ethical Pondering the nature of your work in
  relationship to needs of the society in which you
  live.

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• What are you going to put into place so that you
  can lead 21st century learning in your school/s
  and/or school district?