The Walker Learning Approach - Evidence Based Pedagogy

Readiness to Learn

Since my arrival in LH2 at the beginning of this year, I have been wondering how to can I make an impact on the learning in an innovative way, in an innovative learning environment.   I was on the final journey of my Post Grad with MindLab & Unitec when I arrived at OrmPS and the previous six months of reading about various educational research that was being/had been undertaken was certainly providing me with many questions about what we do, why we do it and how we do it.  

One area that interests me is how to recognise readiness to learn.  But this lead to another wondering... what do we recognise as being 'ready to learn'?   Does it have to be a readiness to read, write and learn about maths - as in the traditional classroom?   Or, could we make a shift and put on some new glasses so that we see a readiness to learn not only in the traditional areas, but also a readiness to collaborate, communicate, explore and problem solve?

Play Matters

Today I had the privilege of attending a day's workshop to learn more about the Walker Learning Approach.   I was excited to learn about this opportunity after having read their book 'Play Matters'.

Watch this video to gain a better understanding of the Walker Learning Approach:

While sitting in the workshop, I could see how this approach to learning would provide #oresome learning experiences for the learners in LH2 (and other habitats).  Many of our learners may not have a 'readiness' to sit and learn in the traditional way that I learned, but through play (or what they perceive to be play), they will be accessing not only reading, writing and maths, but also further developing their individual capabilities under the umbrella of the Key Competencies.

Where to Next...

The BIG question now is how do I, and the rest of my team make a change to what we are currently doing - given that we have just made some changes since the beginning of Term 2?

How can our environment support a bigger focus on play-based learning - especially with a team and co teaching approach?

Make it REAL

A fantastic excuse to go shopping!

Learning Spaces

My Brain is in My Bum

Don't know whether it's my childish sense of humour, but this heading caught my eye and enticed me to read more.

Chris & Leanne - Edgework

When we met with these two facilitators at the beginning of the year, we discussed how the future needs something different from education.

We need to think about...     

Meeting to create, rather than inform

How we can make unimaginable possibilities more likely

It was suggested that perhaps our school's learning model can help us.

What is diversity?  

How can we help people to think and act collaboratively?   Diversity can support this with enabling different ideas to come to the table.  It will enable us to see things in a variety of ways.  Diversity amongst people causes conflict.   This is good!  Acknowledging conflict is necessary if we are to raise an awareness of collective intelligence.

Safe to fail probes:

It's safe to fail, rather than fail safe

• Name of experiment:
• Description of experiment:
• Rationale for experiment: why might it work?
• Indications of success: think creatively - rather than quantitative data from tests; what different perspectives might there be, e.g from Learners, LC or parents?
• Indications of failure: what is going wrong?  why might it need to be stopped?
• Amplification strategy:  
• Recovery / Dampening strategy:

Went through 3 rounds of 'ritual dissent' - pitching our idea to a team who showed no sign of positivity.  Having time to take their feedback, make changes then go and pitch to another team.  

Ended with one round of 'ritual accent' where the person was given positive feedback to then share with their own team.

                  

I can see this method being extremely helpful when you want to quickly plan an idea of change.  It provides opportunities for other groups to listen and think only of the negative or omitted points in the plan.  This procedure enables the planner to think carefully how they describe their idea and whether all what they are thinking is put down in the outlines of the plan.   

Term 1 - Maths Teaching and Learning

What Went Well

At the beginning of Term 1, we grouped the Learners in LH2 according to their 2015 GLoSS test. This worked well as instructional lessons were purposeful and meeting the needs of the Learners.   There was also an opportunity for cross-grouping during independent learning when the Learners can choose maths games, iPad apps and Mathletics to play with others who are not in their own maths group.  It's great to hear the conversations, observing and questioning taking place during this independent learning.

There is a lot of excitement to use the iPads and often Learners will try to stay on much longer than they are expected to.

Even Better

Recent GLoSS assessment indicated that many of the Learners in my maths group are starting to use imagery far more than they did at the end of last year.   

It took some time, but I feel that we are finally making headway and most Learners are understanding the expectations during maths.   After the warm-up, my maths group view the timetable so that they know when they are with me (and what we will be learning), others know if they are using the iPads (for Mathletics) and the third group are completing follow-up or independent activities.

Daily 3

We started providing Learners with choice at the beginning of the year, but it soon became apparent that having 86 (and growing) Learners going to a 'choice' board at once was not only chaotic, but also wasted a lot of learning time.

It was decided that we would start each maths session with a warm-up activity with our group of Learners and then each Learning Coach direct small groups of Learners to either an independent game, iPad or workshop.   This has enabled the Learners to know what they need to be doing first and gives us an anchor to come back to, should the Learner not be doing the right thing.

A Google Journey

This is something that I have  been wanting to explore for a while and now, due to the fab bunch of Learners (in the form of Learning Coaches) at Ormiston PS, I have been given an opportunity to get it off the ground and begin.

My problem is that I am currently so far behind with other 'to dos' that I'm worried how I will find the time to manage to squeeze this in.   

I'll have to draw up a schedule and see what fits.   Many personal and family opportunities were put on the back bench while I undertook study for the Post Grad and this is not a situation that I want to be in again.    

Life-work balance is at the forefront of my mind from now on.