All hours, all weathers.

M4 motorway. 8.30 p.m. Somewhere between Bristol and the Severn Crossing. We have been driving on motorways for three-and-a-half hours. There is another warning sign to reduce speed to 50 mph. Another long stretch of road works. There are average speed cameras looming at intervals. I am moving at exactly 50 mph and have another vehicle ‘tail-gating’ me, despite the fact that the passing lane is empty. 

Lynne commented, ‘They always seem to be working on this motorway. You never seem to be able to just drive it without road-works somewhere or other.’ That got me thinking…

The motorway is built to allow people to reach destinations as swiftly and safely as possible. However, it is subject to constant wear and tear from vehicles and the environment. 

It is alarming how quickly roads can become damaged. One short period of snow and ice can cause a rash of potholes to appear, which, left unchecked, become larger, causing accidents and/or vehicle damage. Underground watercourses can cause subsidence and the seasonal variation in temperature attacks the integrity of the road surface. Even roads built to the highest standards are subject to environmental attack. And the safety of the most well-constructed road is ultimately compromised by the individual or collective behaviour of its users.

The motorway regulations of the Highway Code are there for a purpose – safety. There are those motorists who flagrantly disregard them. You see them travelling at high speed, weaving in and out, ignoring lane priority, tail-gating, intimidating with total disregard for the safety of other road users or their own personal safety. Then there are those of us who, perhaps, just push the boundaries if we think there is a need…and we can get away with it…and then there are middle-lane drivers…don’t get me started!

Yes, road-works can be frustrating, especially when it is unexpected and a delay could have undesirable consequences. Yet without this vigilance and maintenance, the consequences could be fatal. So I had a paradigm shift as I was motoring at a constant 50 mph. ‘Hard hats’ off to the road workers, who are out at all hours in all weather.

A community ethos is a bit like that motorway. It is a ‘living’ thing, constantly changing as it interacts with its environment. You build it for a purpose, to carry your learners safely, swiftly, and as directly as possible, to their destinations. 

Learning communities will never be perfect. The ethos and infrastructure will always be and under attack from all sorts of environmental factors. That is nature’s way. And, no matter how comprehensive our class rules, charters and contracts may be, they are only as effective as the the ‘users’ decide they will be. There are those who will flout, those that will push, those that will comply and those who will be inflexible, unaware or unable to use appropriate judgement (middle-lane drivers…aaargh!).

To maintain a viable ethos in the learning community, we need to be attentive and proactive. Planning for ‘routine maintenance’ ‘seasonal repairs’ and dealing with the potholes as they occur, not waiting until the ‘accident rate’ triggers a response, by which time significant and possibly irreparable damage has been done.  Community building is not something that you do as a ‘one off’ at the beginning of an academic year. It requires constant vigilance and maintenance – reflection and discussion…and…it is the responsibility of all members. Sometimes, you need to be responsive and maintain or repair community when it is not convenient to do so. ‘All hours’ and ‘all weathers’. 

Good Afternoon (Two Days in Stirling Part Four)

Single Steps Learning's Stirling Adventure

Re-caffeinated, and accompanied by the sound of screeching of brakes, we arrive at Riverside Nursery. It’s great to see Jackie Elliot and Lorna McAllister again (we are late but they are smiling!). We are excited to be here. We have already seen the ‘Documentation’ (annotated and pictorial record of learning) and we have been invited to observe the children collaborating in order to solve a problem. 

They receive a phone call from ‘The Zoo’. One of the animals has escaped! Can they help return the animal (represented by a soft toy), negotiating a series of obstacles…and without direct ‘hand’ contact. 

There is an assortment of resources that the children could use. They are immediately engaged by the scenario and ideas are flowing freely. Resources are chosen and one group settles on using some ‘tools’ to lift the animal into a carrier bag. Using a combination of readily available classroom materials, the children successfully cross a ‘river’ and a ‘swamp’. There is much celebration followed by a ‘debrief’ in which the children reflect on how they solved the problem and interacted with each other. 

Debrief with nursery children sounds a bit ominous and formal but it is a brief reflection and exploration of their learning. Unfortunately, we have seen, in a discussion forum of a national publication, disparaging and mocking comments about asking Early Years children to reflect on their learning. But isn’t this what ‘good’ parents do naturally – question, discuss, show interest and value the thoughts of their offspring? So why would we do anything less? The perception that the educator’s role is to fill empty heads with important stuff is still one of the biggest barriers to effective learning – but not in Riverside Nursery!

The careful questioning we observed, guided the children’s thinking and enabled them to ‘crystallise’ their experience into something tangible. There will, of course, be different learning outcomes for different children – some will be able to articulate reasoning, some may only be able to recall events and feelings and yes, some may not be ready to engage fully. However, taking part in the ‘ritual’ of valuing experiences has to begin somewhere – do we wait until children formally understand all the concepts of a birthday celebration before we allow them to take part in the ‘rituals’? No, we don’t.

We then have our own ‘debrief’ with Jackie and Lorna, who are modelling high quality learning themselves, using collaborative tools and strategies to develop reflective practice within their setting. Thank you both!

We leave the nursery building at a respectful walking pace, run to the car, then back to Bannockburn and Park Drive Nursery. The ‘Drive’ was easy…the ‘Park’ was more difficult. We arrive just as children are being collected…not a parking space to be seen…

Eventually, we meet with Jackie Dupont, discard our coats and bags and have a tour of the setting. We are delighted to meet Sharron McIntosh again and see how she has been visibly recording the children’s ideas for developing their learning. There are some wonderful questions about animals – ‘Can a giraffe fit in a house?’, ‘Why does the farmer put ‘jobbies’ on the field?’

We are thankful for some refreshments and settle down for a chat with Jackie, Sharron and Head of Nursery, Joan Gillanders. Our informal chat turns into an exciting and productive brainstorming/planning session. The minutes fly by and it is time to leave. Thanks to you all for the invitation and the welcome.

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Killin Time

We had been warned that it would be an ‘interesting’ drive to Killin, especially with the threat of icy roads, however, no-one had told us how beautiful if would be! Dawn broke as we passed through Callander and the magnificent mountains appeared through the morning mist.

On arrival at Killin Nursery, we were welcomed by Head of Nursery Elizabeth Hancock, who is responsible for the Killin and Crianlarich Nurseries. It is also an unexpected treat to see Wendy Garner again, who had been on our training last year. 

©Killin Nursery 2012

After a quick tour, Elizabeth leaves us in the capable hands of her Early Years Educators and the children. Everywhere you look in Killin Nursery there is evidence of learners leading learning and purposeful ‘documentation’ – from the visible wall-planning to the fascinating and captivating ‘photo-books’.

 

Everyone is talking about ‘the wolf’ and it’s whereabouts. A model wolf, which had once stood outside the recently closed Tourist Office, had been removed. This has caused consternation amongst the children, for whom it was an identifiable landmark. Recognising that this was an issue of genuine interest to the children, the educators have made ‘What has happened to the wolf?’ a central focus from which the learning grows. 

There have been letters from the wolf, footprints, and sightings. The children have been investigating by asking local community members (including a bemused policeman) to assist with locating the wolf. 

We overhear a fascinating discussion between some children about how high a wolf can jump. There is higher-order reasoning going on here. One boy knows how high his dog can jump and estimates that the wolf is a similar size, so, should be able to clear a fence. 

On seeing us standing nearby and listening, one boy grabs my hand and leads me over to the wall. He excitedly points out his map amongst many.

‘This is where the wolf is. This is where we went looking!”

He then proceeds to tell me about all the other maps and who they belong to…ending the conversation with,

“But don’t be scared. No need to worry. The wolf only comes alive at night. He sends us letters then.”

There is a real feeling of community with a sense of enthusiasm and excitement about learning…from learners of all ages! Thank you Elizabeth for our invitation. We look forward to a return visit in the not-too-distant-future. 

©Single Steps Learning 2012

By the way, Andrew used to be a werewolf but he’s alright noooooooooow!

 

 

 

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Cap’n’s Blog. Aaarrr-date 30.01.12

Problem-Based Learning

Ahoy there shipmates! . I have pledged Cap’n Williams to make this entry in the blog ‘fore the sun sets…otherwise I have to forego my ration of grog! No Blog, No Grog!

‘Twas a blustery afternoon when we weighed anchor in Bernadette Brandsma’s Primary 2/3 Class in St Mary’s RC Primary School, Bannockburn.

We were a wee bit late (as we had become becalmed at Sprinkerse Industrial Estate), so we slipped into the back of the classroom quick smart, as the children were reviewing their previous learning, which, by now you will have guessed was about….Pilates! Oops…sorry…that should be Pirates…how could I forget the ‘arrrrrrrrr’!

Well learning-lubbers, what a collaborative crew, to be sure! The children worked in teams on a carousel of activities – identifying and labelling parts of a pirate ship; a pirate code of conduct; and job descriptions for the crew members.

As we we wandered around the deck, we witnessed brainstorming and recording of ideas, discussion and decision-making. We chatted with the crew, who were all thoroughly engaged with their ‘dooties’ but politely and knowledgeably enlightened us. They all knew their roles and one young bosun even gave me a quick tour of the cabin…er…classroom.

Then, just as we had gained out ‘sea-legs’ it was time to put into port. But wait…what’s this…the crew mutinied and wouldn’t disembark. They wanted to show us their treasure!!!

Quality Learning

The children had made their own treasure chests filled with ‘valuables’. They wanted to explain the personal significance of the precious contents – pictures, small toys etc. It was very touching and we felt privileged to experience such enthusiasm and engagement.

Thank you to Bernadette and the whole ‘crew’ of St Mary’s for a wonderful afternoon…but particularly the amnesty from a flogging for our tardiness!

But that’s not the end of our yarn…with course charted (sat-nav) and a fair wind in our sails we headed for Linlithgow and the company of our good friend Maria, who had just celebrated her ??th birthday and is now a fully qualified instructor of Pirates…oops….sorry, I meant Pilates. Congratulations Maria. Avast! Yo,ho,ho and a bottle of rum…or in Lynne’s case, Pinot Grigio!

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Engaging safely, fairly and fully in St Modan’s…

We had the privilege of being invited to spend a morning in St. Modan’s High School, Stirling. Our visit began with introductions to staff and students in the Autism Provision…complete with coffee and a selection of chocolates!

Our immediate impression was one of ‘community’ and the feeling of being welcomed whole-heartedly into their daily routines. Several special moments occurred as individual students came to meet and greet us in their own ways. Some with handshakes, some by name, some by standing nearby. Each one will stay in our memories. 

A tour of the school building took place, accompanied by Mary Yates (Teacher) and one of her students. We were met with smiles and politeness from all…and loved the modern space dedicated to dance! 

We accepted an invitation from students to join their Personal Development class. And what a treat this turned out to be…

The overwhelming feeling of inclusion and acceptance was evident. Students who were aware of each other’s individual needs and teachers who went the extra mile to ensure that all were valued, accepted and given the opportunity to engage safely, fully and fairly in their own way. 

The session began with a ‘check in’ and a general introduction from us – visitors who had arrived from South Wales! A bonding moment occurred when they realised we had also met Neil Oliver and showed a photo of the moment from our iPhones. Neil Oliver had recently performed the opening of their ‘shop’ in Stirling Arcade – a highly successful enterprise project where each student took on team and shop roles. (Our own meeting with Neil Oliver was less planned and more accidental – we literally bumped into him on Glastonbury Tor during his filming for ‘Coast’, whilst we all sheltered from torrential rain together!)

After the excitement of comparing photographs, the students took a ‘fist-to-five’ vote on which charity they would support. An interesting debate took place, including mature discussion as to why certain charities were preferable to certain students. Yet a compromise was reached and a charity chosen. 

Intrigue followed as students were shown a graphic on the whiteboard and asked to write a question that came to mind on the front of a sealed envelope. These questions would be used later to plan future learning experiences. The students were then told to open the envelopes and investigate the content – which turned out to be a replica of the graphic. They had 30 seconds to cut it into 6 pieces in any way they wanted. The pieces were put back into the envelopes, swapped with a partner and then an instruction to recreate the graphic in the shortest amount of time. Discussions were occurring about how best to do this along with specifics about the graphic. 

Bananas were then put on the table, along with ‘banana products’ – cake and smoothies. Students were invited to taste. Mixed responses! ‘Yuk’ through to ‘that tasted better than I expected’! Realisation that the graphic was in fact the Fair Trade logo.

At this point the session moved on and the idea for the next enterprise project was introduced. A ‘Brilliant Banana Event’. The students were grouped together and flip chart paper handed out. They were reminded of their community contract for working together and then asked to brainstorm and record ideas for this event. We joined the groups and couldn’t help but contribute as we got caught up in the excitement of sharing ideas! 

Each group came up with individual ideas ranging from whole-school competitions, sale of banana flavoured items, fancy dress, songs and much, much more. The groups took turns to feedback.

Just before the bell went, we had time to perform an impromptu song in Welsh to the students – all about bananas. 

A special note about the ‘Community Contract’. We were given permission by Scott to publish a photograph of the contract. He had designed and produced it himself on behalf of the class. It is proudly displayed on the wall. Scott was able to talk to us about the meaning behind the contract. We certainly witnessed students who aspired to fulfilling this contract within the session. The blurring on the photograph is purposeful in order to disguise names of the students – we would not wish Scott to think that we had distorted his poster for no reason!

On reflection…

What did we witness?

• The purposeful building and maintaining of community
• Independence and interdependence
• Engagement and active learning
• Critical and creative thinking
• Reasoning and justification of opinions, thoughts and ideas
• Inclusion and valuing of the individual
• Real, purposeful and meaningful context for learning
• Development of employability skills and attitudes
• Mutual respect between students, teachers and peers
• The occasional challenge – what ‘real classroom’ would not present this!
• Personalisation and Choice
• Enjoyment and Challenge
• Responsible Citizens
• Successful Learners
• Confident Individuals
• Effective Contributors
• and much more…all within a 40 minute session.

We were sorry that the bell went and that we had to leave!

(Although we were immediately ushered into the staffroom to share in a home-made lunch! Huge thanks to the staff in the Autism Provision for providing this! What a talented bunch!)

For us…it is important that what we do makes a positive difference for others. The opportunity to spend a morning with the students and staff of St. Modan’s was invaluable. 

Thank you all. 

Lynne and Andrew

🙂

Embedded CPD in Evenlode Primary

Headteacher, Steve Rees, couldn’t wait to model the glasses made by the Year 1 children in Evenlode Primary. The children were quick to remind everyone that the glasses were made for the Giant in ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’, so, unfortunately for Steve, he was not allowed to keep them!

 

During the past year, we have supported CPD in the school in a variety of ways: designing and delivering training, co-planning, co-teaching and co-learning alongside the staff and children. We have always received a warm welcome, along with an enthusiasm to discuss learning and explore methods of implementation. (On this visit, a Year 1 child asked why I had a visitor’s badge, commenting ‘You are not really a visitor anymore, are you?’).

 

Last week, it was ‘embedded CPD’ in the Year 1 classes. Picture the scene…friday, rain, Christmas concerts looming…yet all the children and staff were ‘up’ for planning and leading a collaborative, problem-based learning session! Emma and Andrea, the Year 1 teachers, had already enlisted the support of family members and produced a DVD that would arrive in school for the children. It contained an ‘Oscar’-winning performance of the Giant’s wife (from Jack and the Beanstalk) insisting that Jack and his friends (the children in the class) design and make a new pair of glasses for the Giant. The reason for this – Jack had stolen the GOLDEN HEN and now the giants were too poor to go and get his glasses repaired! And we all know what a grumpy giant is like!

 

The children rose to the challenge and worked in groups of 3, each taking on team roles and responsibility for completing the product within the allocated time frame. A ‘quality checklist’ supplied by the giant helped to ensure the product met the requirements. Although one reflective thought from a child was, ‘Next time, maybe we will look at what we have to do and choose which will take the longest and do that first…rather than leave it ‘til last and run out of time…especially if it is an important bit!’. I think many adults can also learn from this reflection too!

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Whilst the children tackled the task independently and interdependently, the staff had an opportunity to engage in authentic AfL – what did the learning actually look like and sound like? Digital cameras and Flipcams were used. Notes were taken, ready to feedback to the children in order to move the learning process forward through shared reflection and negotiation.

 

And the final ‘wow’…the staff also agreed to ‘walk the talk’ and operate an ‘indivisibility of principles’ approach. Observational notes were taken on the whole learning process – with no judgements made. Just what was seen and heard within that learning environment (both from the adults and children). It formed a basis to open up a reflective dialogue about learning and teaching. Embedded CPD supported by peer coaching and mentoring.

 

(And, if we are thinking about curriculum and standards, mapping this back into the curriculum caused some problems as it ‘hit’ so many of the requirements in so many areas! A well-designed task can not only be a vehicle for curriculum requirements, it can also be fun, engaging, motivating and offer those moments of true inspiration and entrepreneurial thinking!)

 

A big thank you to all the staff and children at Evenlode Primary.

Embedded CPD in Aberbargoed Primary

Coping with Change (Part 1)    

As you drive down School Street in Aberbargoed, the sign on the fencing next to the gate reads ‘For Sale’. No. Headteacher, Mr David Lewis, is not selling off bits of the school to make ends meet! However, David and his staff are doing a fantastic job of providing a sense of normality for their learners, while new classrooms are being built across the road from the old Victorian building.

The old school was the venue for two days training, Step 3 in the Designing for Learning journey. We explored the concept and use of rubrics as formative assessment tools and once again made reflections and connections on ways to empower learners.

But it didn’t end there! We had the privilege of spending the next three days, teaching and observing in every class throughout the school.

In Foundation Phase, Sarah Driscoll’s Nursery children made and tested waterproof footwear for gingerbread men; Teresa Hamling’s Reception class designed and constructed vehicles to transport a giant turnip; and Ly-Anne Pyle’s Year 1 and 2 produced crowns for the royal wedding of Prince Charming and Rapunzel.

In his cross-phase (Year 2/3) class Teifion Lewis. guided his learners through the process of designing more appealing dental hygiene packaging.

At Key Stage 2, the Year 3/4 learners in Jayne Harris’s class explored sieves and designed and tested their own. In order to demonstrate their understanding of the human body, Marilyn Phillips’s learners made 3-D body maps. And last, but not least, Jacqueline John led her Year 6 through discussion and debate about the rich and poor in Tudor times.

A wide variety of curriculum knowledge and skills! However, all learners explored their specific curriculum area(s) in collaborative groups. It’s been a year since many of the learners and practitioners were introduced to the tools and processes of collaborative learning. This has now become embedded in the classroom culture with learners showing a high level of engagement and the development of skills and attitudes to support independent and interdependent learning.

In addition to those above, we would like to mention the other staff who work in Aberbargoed Primary and attended the training  – John, Karen, Sian, Gill, Wendy, Michelle, Katrina, Cheryl, Kelly, Nicole, Leanne and Kelly. Thank you all for making us so welcome.

A final thanks to David for inviting us back to assist in the continuing professional development of staff in Aberbargoed.

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Love what you do…

Image via CrunchBase

We have just enjoyed being remote voyeurs at the first Dorset TeachMeet, thanks to organiser Gary Spracklen (Prince of Wales First School). The meeting finished with a brief tribute to Steve Jobs and quoted part of his Stanford Commencement address from 2005. It is worth ‘retweeting’ here.

‘Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to what you believe is great work. The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.’

What we witnessed tonight was Dorset practitioners who obviously love what they do – engaging with learners and learning.

Despite the pressure to become a ‘testing culture’ (and collect a PISA gold star from teacher) it’s great to hear that learners are still being encouraged to engage in real-life problem-solving through creativity and genuine, not contrived, dialogue…doing ‘stuff’ that will actually prepare them for life beyond education.

Not everyone is going to be a Steve Jobs. And, many entrepreneurs succeed despite great adversity. It’s a shame that for many learners their greatest adversity may be their school days.

No-one knows a learner’s potential but if they can leave education with the confidence and skills to ‘keep looking and don’t settle.’ Then we can say, as leaders of learning, that we’ve also done great work.

PS We love what we do. Thanks to all who continue to make it possible. A & L

www.ustream.tv/user/TMDorset – videostream of the Teach Meet

Planets, Penguins and Pirates…

Thanks to Mr Steve Rees and the staff of Evenlode Primary School, Penarth for co-designing, co-delivering, and ‘co-llaborating’ this week.

Could Mr Cuff’s Year 5 learners research, prepare and present essential information, about all the planets in our Solar System, to interested aliens from Devolene (yes…it’s an anagram of Evenlode…what a coincidence!)…in 50 minutes? Yes they could! They were able to delegate tasks to group members – some researching, some preparing presentation materials. They felt they owed their success to helping each other (if they were stuck or had too much to do) and didn’t waste time arguing.

Mrs Hayley Hodgkins’ Year 4 class have been finding out about the Antarctic – hence the penguins! They have just read about Ernest Shackleton‘s incredible feat of survival and the difficult decisions he had to make. However, under pressure of time, could their groups come to a consensus about which 5 items would best aid their survival, in polar conditions,..from a selection of over 20! Yes! They could! There were some fantastic discussions and reasoning (…a torch would have more uses than a mirror because…). Creative and critical thinking, decision making were all in evidence and demonstrated in an environment of respect for differing opinions. ‘We listened to each others ideas and thought about them. We didn’t always agree. Once, we got really stuck, so we used scissors/paper rock!’ 🙂

 

Avast! I spy Year 2 on the port side. Buckles were definitely being swashed in Foundation Phase with Miss Kirsty Mainwaring, Mrs Jo Roberts and Mrs Emma Thomas! Could Year 2 help Professor Jones* from the Museum to create  child-friendly displays about Pirates  – in an afternoon? Yes they could! And, what’s more, they used their checklists to make sure their displays were complete. One efficient group put dots against criteria to show ‘work-in-progress’, which then became a ‘tick’ when the job was done! In small groups, children demonstrated creative thinking and organisational skills.

If the purpose of school is to prepare children for a specific future that we cannot imagine, then they are going to need skills that will give them the best opportunity to lead successful lives in a world of rapid change. They will only develop these skills if they are given the opportunity to acquire and refine them in real life situations (or scenarios which reflect life). They need the opportunity to collaborate with others and experience all the ‘problems’, ‘positives’ and ‘potentials’ that interdependence brings. They need opportunity to reflect on these experiences and discuss them in a ‘safe’ environment. The earlier learners begin to experience and use tools and strategies, in order to solve problems, the more likely they will be to develop a confident approach to solving all sorts real life problems.

Children at Evenlode Primary School are well on their way to developing skills for their futures. No matter how advanced technology becomes we will still need creative and critical thinkers, decision makers, organisers and effective communicators to solve not only the everyday problems but the problems that, at the moment, we cannot imagine.

*Professor Jones was Lynne in disguise…where did Mr Rees find that mortarboard and gown?

Two Superb Days in Class…

A huge thank you to Vicky Jenkins-Delf and her class of 9-11 year olds in Miskin Primary School. They welcomed us into their learning community for the last 2 days and made us feel like we really belonged! The 2 days were full of activities from community builders, line-ups, quality question carousels, whole class problem solving to cross a minefield, singing, reflecting honestly, connecting, learning, laughing, supporting and making discoveries about yourself and others. A class with 75% boys, 25% girls – all of whom were full of ideas, enthusiasm and character! Andrew’s opening line ‘So boys, what have you done with all the girls?’ – the quick response back ‘taken over their bodies and turned them into boys like us, of course!’.

We handed the camera over to the class – there were no arguments. They distributed it fairly amongst them over the 2 days. They captured learning moments…including us (not all flattering!!) and loved the photofeedback. More photos to come showing the children in action – as soon as we receive permission slips.

The class told us that they thought the top 4 things a teacher should be like is – kind, thoughtful, responsible and reliable. And they told us that Vicky was like this…but even better because she made them laugh too! To watch a class want to continue learning when the playtime bell went…you know that something special is going on in their community. It is a class that engages with enthusiasm and is not scared to be honest in their responses. It is a real class with real kids and real learning moments – so not everything goes right all the time. But what went right is that they were willing to debrief moments honestly and everyone always came back to thinking about making thoughtful choices and being fair with everyone in the room.

The 2 days completely reinforced what we believe in about learning and community…and why we have chosen to do what we do. It was a complete pleasure to spend the last 2 days in their class…and in the words of one of the boys…this class certainly seemed to have ‘bigger, more brains’ when solving problems than some of us adults!

We loved our time with you all!

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