Tag Archives: students

The Purpose of Education is connection #500words

by

Join The DotsTo answer the purpose for education, I went one stage back, and looked at the reason for learning, as I would hope that the purpose for education is based upon this.

What is the reason for learning?

To ask lots, and answer more; to join the dots and make some of your own.

Learning should be a desire like an itch or scratch. Learning should be a driving force, a passion which is almost unquenchable. There should be an excitable agony knowing that you have only uncovered 1% of 1% of the world’s knowledge and understanding – there is so much already, and so much more to learn!

We hear toddlers exasperating their parents with endless ‘Why’ questions, but to me, that is fantastic. Without why, we wouldn’t explore new land, uncover hidden secrets, write new stories and songs, discover new tastes and live more interesting lives. The death of learning starts with not asking why. ‘Why’ should be encouraged all the time, even as adults!

There is a pleasure in watching friends solving a jigsaw. Working together on a shared aim, they work separately, but talking, sharing ideas, and looking to see if they can help each other out. Much of a jigsaw being built is social, and the satisfaction is not at the end when complete, but the pleasure of the journey; the small wins.

There is a tangible excitement to finding your own path, cutting your own way. No-one works better than on their own passions and interests – indeed, studies have shown that strangers can identify the difference between artwork which is commissioned and art which has been done for pleasure.

So if this is my belief as the reason for learning, what would I say is the purpose for education?

To encourage questions, to help uncover answers, to help with making connections, and to guide making their own.

I believe that we learn best when we are most interested in our learning; it follows that teachers and educators should be the ones that help to guide that interest to the most fruitful and beneficial point.

Education should equip children to uncover answers, but to enjoy that journey. Yes, it is good to find an answer efficiently, but it is just as important to discover things serendipitously, otherwise we will have a set of solutions but no contextual interest frame.

We as Educators should relish the opportunities to help young people make connections, using their ideas, enthusiasm and perspectives on life. We should encourage them to refine their focus, and allow their passion fuel their drive. We should help to link and connect things they are interested in (football) and things they aren’t (maths) in a way that helps them engage (league tables).

Our young people are standing on a diving board before the future. We don’t know how far the drop is, how deep the pool is or even, given the future conditions, if they can swim. The purpose of education, our purpose, is to help them make the best judgement possible. We can tell them that the water is deep, but if they don’t believe us, they won’t jump.

Stephen Lockyer, May 2012

(You can find out more about Purpos/Ed and the current campaign here.)

#oldschool: My Markbook is my Bible

by

I have never been the most enthusiastic tracker of information, and especially in a busy school day, it can be quickly overwhelming to keep track of everything the children can produce in a day.

This year however that is exactly what I have done. In a bid to ensure that I am really getting the most out of each pupil in terms of their capability to produce work of their highest ability, I am macro-managing their work. Every single piece is noted and recorded in my mark book, which is quickly filling up in an unusually-satisfying way, and I can see at a glance changes, adjustments, dips and little levels of progress on these rows of ticks, numbers and notes.

What is strange is that i am using #oldschool methods – that is, pen and paper. There are of course lots of Apps for my iPad or iPhone that would do this for me, probably more efficiently, faster and almost definitely more neatly, and yet there is a refreshing rawness about the page which I am responding to in a really positive way. In fact, I feel more on top of my pupils’ work than I have ever done, so it is worth the slog of this macro-management. It has of course changed my teaching for the better too, since I am able to respond much more quickly to gaps I discover, rather than letting them fall through the sieve of time.

It would seem that the more technology is an attraction to me, it also highlights the myriad benefits of #oldschool techniques. Just as we wouldn’t use Excel to teach every Maths lesson, sometimes, someone needs to stand up for good old pen and paper. I think this explains the reason why so many Diary Apps have the option of ‘writing’ on various types of ‘paper’ – we still have this desire to physically connect, even digitally.

Escape Routes

by

I am currently finished work on a rear extension at home. This does not share even 5% of the skills I have had to build and develop in education, and I love it! Not in the sense that I want to jump careers in any way whatsoever, but I do find the process of learning new skills and creating quite exciting.

I should add that I’m not particularly natural at DIY. I can sketch, plan and theorise, but find the literal nuts and bolts hard work. If I encounter a problem, I have learnt not to get stressed, but do something else, anything else, to give my brain and stress levels a little break.

In a large view, the extension work is a welcome break from teaching, a good chance to recharge batteries and think of something completely different. The micro breaks are also good for that kind of release.

In schoo, we offer our students the large break in terms of play time, but do e account for the micro-break? When we expect a child to work for thirty minutes ceaselessly, where is their escape route for them to destress and take the pressure off?

I’m considering a card system which the children can use to take five (minutes) and do something completely different. This could be reading, colouring, tidying; anything in fact which gives them that mental break which as an adult I take for granted. I’d appreciate any thoughts anyone has on this, positive or otherwise (and I know that brain Gym has been thoroughly debunked, so shan’t go down that road!).

Echolining – questions teachers ask

by

I have had the privilege of observing many lessons recently, and have noticed how well teachers use what I term echolining as a means of deepening understanding.

I would classify echolining, is when a teacher repeats a child’s answer to underline and clarify their answer to themselves and others. It gives a fuller and more effective learning response than simply to praise for an answer, and can help to emphasise the actual learning intention in the lesson.

New parents are encouraged to talk to toddlers, expanding on their words. An example of this is if a toddler points at a cup and says ‘red’, it is suggested you say something like ‘yes, that cup is red’ or ‘yes, that is a red cup.’ Echolining does exactly the same, but in a more educational manner. It can be used to extend learning, focus learning or simply to draw attention to the most important aspect at that part of the lesson.

Echolining is particularly well used with names. Some teachers use names as a suffix, to ensure all children are creating an answer. Other teachers use names as a prefix, allowing that child to focus on the question or statement meant for them, while allowing the teacher to differentiate to a singular degree.

It is fascinating to listen to the questions that teachers ask, and the genuine impact they have on driving a learning intention home.

Favourite Theories: Broken Window Syndrome

by

This theory is lifted straight from Malcolm Gladwell‘s book The Tipping Point and is based around the principle that if people see broken windows, they see a lack of care. The smallest things matter, and if the smallest details are taken care of, real care is shown.

A very good friend of mine works in a large Senior school with a new Head. I had previously shared this theory with her, and she told me enthusiastically one day, “He believes in Broken Window Syndrome! He has banned all jewellery. Most of the staff said that it would be too hard to do, but they followed his instructions – detention for those wearing jewellery. No-one wears any jewellery now.”

Keep the simple rules simple, and everyone knows where they stand.

Working blind to change

by

blindfold by crumpart (CC)

With the majority of my time in my current job teaching ICT, I see a vast array of skills and abilities on display.

Some children appear to grow these talents instinctively (if that is possible), whereas others  put in the hours at home to make dynamic leaps in terms of progress. Using MSN for example makes a massive difference to children’s typing speeds.

I find it fascinating then from reading in various forums the resistance to teachers improving their own ICT. As a flavour, how many of these statements would you agree with?

  • Children are better with computers than I am
  • There is too much changing with technology to keep up
  • Children can type faster than I can

The difficulty is the context we are viewing these questions from. Let me rephrase them:

  • Children are better at writing than I am
  • There is too much changing with communication to keep up
  • Children can think faster than I can

To ensure we are able to not only keep up with students, but help them progress, we need to ensure we understand the new channels they are using to commuincate with, and the ways in which they engage with technology. Simply saying that ‘things change too fast’ is not enough any more.

We are able to buy the latest TV, not because we understand the technology behind it, but because we can see the intrinsic benefits it brings to us.

Any thoughts would be greatly received!

Violent computer games make your kids negative: Discuss

by

This is a response to a Channel 4 program, Extreme Parenting, in which a segment was given over to a study of Violent games.

A group of boys were randomly divided in two, and asked to play either a football game or a violent game. Their heart rates were monitored during this. They were then asked to view violent news footage, and again their hearts were monitored. Lastly, selected children were given an incident to intervene using politeness (pens were ‘accidentally’ dropped off a table). This being TV, violent games were clearly more ‘dangerous’ than non-violent games.

I felt there were several flaws in the set-up and outcome of this TV experiment, and would like to point out my concerns. Continue reading →

Amazon warehouse logic in your classroom

by

Amazon, as in RiverA simple experiment in my classroom confirmed what I believed for a while – the eyeline is the buyline in the classroom as well as the supermarket. A box of tissues normally lasts about a week, but moved away from the front of the classroom, one box lasted three weeks. Whether there were more sniffs or not was not recorded! Continue reading →

Feeding Back on Student Feedback

by
Any feedback? (Image:Wwworks CC)

Any feedback? (Image:Wwworks CC)

I am about to carry out a school-wide feedback experiment, but first a little background reflecting!

It is perhaps as common in Teaching as it is in other professions, but we tend to let negativity cancel out a disproportionate amount of praise. A successful parent’s evening can be brought down by one comment, and have us brooding for days.

The problem here though is that much of the feedback tends to be (a) from parents, and (b) delivered in extremes – only when a problem is too large to cope do we sometimes hear about it. Continue reading →