Tag Archives: theories

The Decision Book

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The Decision Book by Mikael Krogerus & Roman Tschäppeler
(Profile Books, £9.99, 2008)

(This is the fourth in a regular series reviewing books outside of the realm of education, and looking at the impact they could have in a learning environment.)

Tagline
Fifty Models for Strategic Thinking

Lowdown
What a clever little concept that has probably made a fortune for the two writers. They have distilled a range of popular, pithy and scientific models to aid decisions. Cunningly designed as a notebook, it has the feel of something you might want to write elegantly in, or even scribble down notes.
It is hard to review this book individually, as there are such a range of strategies it is possible to examine, but as a collection it is actually very clever. A cursory glance will give you ideas for quick decisions, long strategic views, ways to look at implementing something from another perspective, and even ways of developing pros and cons. It is a little like an advice book, where you can dip into to get guidance, and is a brilliant springboard for kickstarting new thoughts on what could otherwise become quite a stale topic.
Schools being as they are, great ideas are regularly trapped under a myriad of blockades, worries and concerns, and it can sometimes feel like you are dragging an initiative behind you like a boulder, rather than bringing something useful and exciting to the table.
It is very easy for schools to develop a culture of decision-making which is hard to (in the best sense) ‘disrupt.’ Any new Head will dread the words ‘but we have always done it this way’, and while protocols help in ensuring nothing is missed, sometimes they can stifle momentum, enthusiasm and innovation. This book gives a range of ideas suited to all sorts of business models, but the mutinae of decisions that are made every day in schools across the country could well benefit from a fresh pair of eyes.
More importantly, some of these models could help to break the cycle of ‘choke’ which is all to regular an issue, where a decision has been delayed or ended in a stalemate, and is unable to progress. The enoromous danger here is bigger than the item in question – if no decision can be made regularly, how does that reflect the decision process as a whole?

The Management Angle
The central joy as an SMT is that you are charged with making the decisions no-one else wants to make. As Barak Obama said, ‘anything that ends up on my desk is a problem no-one under me can solve.’ We have all felt like that. A gut instinct can work incredibly well for much of the time, but does it give us enough of an evidence base to fight our corner?
I looked at this model in light of several key decisions that had to be made, and although at this point none of them changed my decisions, it really helped to clarify for me how I had innately come about my decision, and also, with more focus, the various implications my decision may have on others. While I wouldn’t advocate using new models all the time, it is useful to be familiar with strategies which are unusual for your normal mindset.

The Teacher Angle
Brainstorms are great for spilling out everything a pupil knows about a subject, but they tend to run into difficulty afterwards. How do you organise this information? How do you evaluate it? What gaps have you missed?
The opportunity to look at data a little differently can also produce more critical thinking within pupils, and certainly changes the emphasis from ‘how much do I know’ to ‘what can I do with what I know’, which in turn reflects a learning style from something fact-based to something skill-based. Many of these models would turn simple Q/A type activities on their heads in class, and can be used (as I have done) as a source of inspiration when you have a lesson objective, but find the method for achieving this to be awkward or ineffective. One strategy would be to examine a topic you have little enthusiasm for, and skim through the book. I would be surprised if you didn’t find something of use this way.

The Pupil Angle
Which child wouldn’t want to think better? In terms of personal growth, there is a genuine benefit and reward to teaching thinking skills to pupils, as they can then begin to apply them to a range of other problems. Informal studies have shown inside a classroom that while methods may lock into place, especially in Maths, it is when these methods needs to be transferred to a different, unfamiliar environment that cognitive ‘choke’ tends to occur. The key here would be to offer children tools to allow them to make transitions from method to practical use. Throwing  pupils a range of different scenarios is quite different to equipping them with an effective transfer strategy.

Best quote
“A person who wants to think outside the box is better off thinking inside a box.”

Ponder now
What is the biggest influence in how you make decisions? How much control do you have over this influence?

Bounce (The myth of talent and the power of practice)

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Bounce by Matthew Syed

(Fourth Estate, £8.99, 2010)

 

(This is the first in a regular series reviewing books outside of the realm of education, and looking at the impact they could have in a learning environment.)

 

Tagline

The myth of talent and the power of practice

 

Lowdown

This is a very powerful and interesting book, with a sporting background as its basis, which looks at the evidence for and against talent. It draws on the previous writing by Malcolm Gladwell, which ascribes to the idea that talent is a created concept, and what is seen as talent is actually at least 10,000 hours of practice. Syed’s writing is however much more involving than Gladwell’s at times, and he takes the reader through the concept of talent versus practice, then pinpoints several key features of practice.

 

10,000 hours of doing anything will not make you an expert he reasons, using driving as an argument, and the practice he recommends is one of focussed, intense practice, driven by coaches who give intense support for areas which are outside the comfort zone of the athlete. He argues that those tricky shots that David Beckham or Tiger Woods take are actually not so unusual to them due to their level of training and focus.

 

The main tenet which is carefully explored in both anecdote and psychological study is that of a fixed mindset versus a growth mindset. The fixed mindset is one which believes in talent, whereas a growth mindset accepts that it takes practice to improve a skill, and that nothing is impossible, simply ‘out of reach.’

 

The book is a very easy read – that is not to disparage the quality of the writing, but to highlight how well the material has been chosen for the reader. Although this book is from a sports/business background, the connections to Education are enormous.

 

The Management Angle

The demand for Gifted and Talented Policies within schools defines a school on a paper sense as having a fixed mindset. This then has the potential to establish a philosophy of talented and non-talented pupils. While it can be argued that there are children who are stronger at some subjects than others, it is always interesting to examine why this is the case, what the origin of this strength might be. Bounce contends that with enough focus, anyone can become talented. How this can be put into Policy, and then embedded in the curriculum, is a challenge for any SMT. The main message for management from ‘Bounce’ would be to stretch all pupils , regardless of their starting point, but to underline this by eliminating the concept of failure and doubt. As Syed says, doubt reduces ambition.

 

The Teacher Angle

One area which is incredibly relevant to teachers is the language used to develop a growth mindset. Syed argues that we should verbally reward the achievement rather than the overarching skill – ‘You really nailled those tables’ rather than ‘You’re so good at maths.’ The very subtle change in language can have a lasting impact in terms of the athlete’s/pupil’s perspective of their ability; the logic being that you get told you are good at Maths often enough, and you can become nervous if you tackle something you feel you ‘should’ be able to achieve.

 

The Pupil Angle

A perception of people being ‘born with talent’ comes from an early age, and is encouraged in popular media. Whether or not we believe that this is the case, it is crucial to instill confidence in pupils that there is no limit to potential, but that lengthy, repetitive and sometimes uncomfortable practice and dedication needs to be put into place in order to progress.

 

Best quote

‘If you don’t know what you are doing wrong, you can never know what you are doing right.’ – Chen Xinhua, Chinese Table-Tennis Coach

 

Ponder now

What about your learning environment is limited by a ‘fixed mindset’? Where was this embedded?

 


Book review: Teach Like A Champion

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I am halfway through reading “Teach like a Champion” and already I know it is one of the most accurate, relevant and interesting books of my whole teaching career.

In it, the author Doug Lemov has examined the top teachers in a catchment area in the US, and has carefully analysed and dissected their strengths into 49 techniques. Continue reading →

Favourite Theories: Ski Break Theory

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skis by hintofplum (CC)This is one of my own personal theories, but I’m sure somewhere there is a much more scientifically proven, but less snow-based term for this.

Based on my (limited) experience, the biggesat jump in improvement with skiers is between their first and second skiing opportunities. The first week of skiing is daunting, painful and can put some people off for life, but the difference a break can make is enormous, and it is as if a confidence has grown subconciously in the period between the first ski holiday and the second.

I see this almost every day in my home and school life. A pause/rest/break between starting something daunting and completing it can make all the difference. I beleive this so strongly that I have structured my Maths lessons to operate over a break; the children have their first lesson, a half hour breaktime session, then return for the ‘task’ element of the lesson. The difference is a renewed sense of urgency and a freshness to the approach the children give to that lesson.

Favourite Theories: Broken Window Syndrome

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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

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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!

Favourite Theories: Bike Shed Theory

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This is from rule two of Parkinson’s famous range of theories, the first being that work fills to the time allowed (if you have 90 days to complete a project, you will complete it in… 90 days).
Bike Shed Theory suggests that the smaller the imprtance of an item on an agenda, the more time is spent on it. Parkinson himself gave the example that a committee would approve a Nuclear power Station more quickly than the colour of a bike shed. The understanding behind this is that a bike shed, and colours, are well within everyone’s comprehension and as a result of that, most people would be happy to share their, subjective, opinions.
Bike Shed Theory pervades education, and drains many schools and staff of energy, enthusiasm and initiative. The trick here is simply to recognise Bike Shed events as soon as they appear on the horizon, and announce the intention of the event, recognising that everyone is likely to have an opinion.

Favourite Theories: Never Serve Cold Coffee

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This is starting to become my mantra, and was told to me by my brother, who is a caterer. He was in trurn taught it by his teacher at Catering College many years ago, who said that “everyone will forget how good the meal they just ate if the coffee is cold.” A good point, and I suppose the real message is that everyone focuses on the first impression, but the last impression is the one you take away.
This might be letters home to parents, the way you sign off an important email (any email?), or the way you leave at the end of the day. Is it in blind panic, racing against the traffic? If so, what does this say about you? What message does this give off? Are you serving cold coffee?

Favourite Theories: Condensation Theory

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Condensation Theory suggests that condensation is a people problem, rather than a home problem. Those that suffer from condensation tend to suffer from it in every place they live. It is actually to do with their lifestyle, routines and understanding of how temperatures and airflow work in and out of their living spaces.
Likewise, this theory can be applied in many ways in an educational setting. A child who joins the school because of bullying at his/her previous school is, in my opinion, more likely to have less strong defence strategies than other children.
The trick with condensation is to spot the habit that is causing condensation, and to change habits to improve the situation. In a schooling context, the cure is just the same. If similar negative things occur with regularity, it is sometimes worth exploring our responses to these things.