Mindfulness Moments in LH2

Today I discovered this video interview with Susan Kaiser Greenland - an internationally recognised leader in teaching mindfulness and meditation to children.   She advocates providing short times, many times; dropping in; off deliberate and purposeful awareness.



Over the course of Terms 2 and 3, we have been piloting several ways to encourage our LH2 learners to be calm and relaxed.  This time was called 'Mindfulness Moments' and it took place after iBreak 2 (lunchtime play).    The learners would arrive back after play - sometimes hot and thirsty, sometimes sad and lonely, but mostly ready to be back indoors to meet with their learning coaches.    We would be there with a 'mindful' activity, be it massage circle, meditation with music or Cosmic yoga; and most learners would (with some guidance) prepare themselves for 10-15 minutes to relax their bodies and minds.

In Term 4, it was suggested that we change the time that we run Mindfulness Moments to be after eating at the end of iBreak one - before we start iDevelop.   It was also decided that all the Learners would carry out Mindfulness Moments together in the same space, with the music and video remaining the same throughout the term.

There were several reasons for this change.

1. Occasionally, taking the role and/or dealing with behaviour issues impacted on the start time of Mindfulness Moments after iBreak 2.
2. Learning Coaches and Relievers were not always present prepared and ready to start Mindfulness Moments after iBreak 2.
3. Research suggests that taking time to calm the brain and body before learning has a positive impact on the outcome.

The Learners took just over a week to adjust to the new time for Mindfulness Moments, but now at the end of week 3, most are independently packing up their lunchbox after eating their morning tea, and getting themselves ready.   Some choose to lie down and close their eyes; some prefer to sit, listen to the calming music and watch the underwater scene on the screen.   Others are still requiring a gentle reminder of the expected behaviour during this time.   It's interesting that many of these Learners are also displaying behaviour that indicates that they are 'not yet ready for school'.  I would be interested to track these Learners over time to see if their readiness for 'mindfulness moments' is parallel to their readiness for school.

While on holiday today (who said that educators work from Monday-Friday, 9-3?), I took some time to go back through some links that I had saved for reading (and there's never enough time for that), and came across this one:

While LH2 is not a New-entrant environment, this research also included Year 1 classes and, after spending one term in LH2, I have recognised that a large proportion of the Learners are still development their oral language and social skills - much of which is developed in the ECE and New-entrant years.

The following explains why this research was important, and I have highlighted the words that grabbed my attention:   

Children transitioning into school are often confronted with formal teaching and learning methodologies that contrast sharply with the approaches to teaching and learning of contemporary ECE settings these children are likely to have experienced (Carr, Smith, Duncan, Jones, Lee, & Marshall, 2010; Peters, 2010).  In those settings, play, interests, strengths, dispositions and working theories of learners are the modus operandi (Ministry of Education, 1996).  Limited research has been undertaken in new-entrant classrooms where these modes of learning and teaching are embraced as worthwhile, meaningful, and rich sites for learning and teaching.

Within our team, we often reflect on the day - what went well, not so well and what we will never attempt again (fortunately this is not very often).  We have recognised that during iExplore and iExperience, most Learners are engaged, social interaction is abundant, creativity flows and problem solving is apparent.  However, once we move into the iDevelop phase of the day, we are noticing more off-task and disruptive behaviour.  Could it be that the Learners are feeling uncomfortable with the more formal setting?   

I was interested to read more about this research; especially with questions such as:

How might teachers design curriculum (and environments) that support learning outcomes described int he New Zealand Curriculum that also:

          -  Supported children’s transitions from ECE to school? 
          -  Responded to young children’s interests and motivations?

... and asked:

         -  What teaching pedagogies encourage children’s thinking, creativity and inquiry in 
             new-entrant classrooms? 

I liked the way that the teachers at Mairehau Primary School (north-east Christchurch),

retained a high focus on literacy and mathematics, but left behind prescribed notions of inquiry and the traditions of “topic”. They instead designed a play-based programme they called, “Relating to Others Time”, to run each morning of the week from 8.30am, when children started arriving at school until 10.15am. The teachers felt the name, “Relating to Others Time”, reflected the emphasis on relationships in action and provided a strong link to the key competencies as being central to learning in every area (Ministry of Education, 2007).

From my own observations, many of the Learners in LH2 are at an emergent stage with the key competencies, e.g. finding it sometimes difficult to Manage Self for instructional purposes by getting the required resources, listening to instructions and following directions.  On the flip side, during iExplore and iExperience, these same Learners are demonstrating a higher level of capability with Thinking and Participating and Contributing.

I'm interested in exploring opportunities to create a non-threatening environment during iDevelop.  One where the Learner's feel a sense of 'play' -  with the intention of drawing out their curiosity, creativity, problem-solving and love of learning.

Prepared for the Future?

Are We Ready?

The forth industrial revolution is here.  Are we preparing our learners for the future?   Will the jobs that our learners think they want, e.g. doctors, lawyers and drivers, be around in the future?  Many of these positions will be automated in the future.  What new jobs will be available?  Research suggests that change is happening 10x faster than it did with the industrial revolution.

The linear career path has long gone and today's learners can expect to have multiple career changes over their lifetime.  The following broadcast illustrates the changes that will come about due to automation and AI in the future and why we will need to provide the learners of today to be adaptable and have a certain skill set to navigate through the changes that they will experience in their lifetime.

Listen to the Radio New Zealand broadcast

Takeaways

There were many "aha" moments while listening to the broadcast, but the points that stick in my head were:

• A need for skills that are transferrable around a labour market
• We have a shortage of people with computational skills with current gaps being filled through immigration
• Soft skills (people-people) are needed
• Transferable skills to help people make the changes in their working career
• Current white collar professions, e.g., doctor, accountant, lawyer are not certainties in the future
• More value and importance need to be applied to the inclusion of STEM at primary level and encouraged through secondary

Limiting our Potential

Francis Valentine (MindLab) felt that children of today are becoming passive users of technology.  If so, then they will be limiting their opportunities in the future employment market.   If we (educators) are to support the learners of today's environment, then we should be supporting and encouraging innovative learners.   Learners who are risk takers, problem solvers, critical thinkers and willing to learn through failing.

In our current primary school learning environment, the emphasis on 'achievement' is reflected by year end results based on standardised testing and assessment in two subject areas.   Where is the recognition for Health and P.E., Science, Social Studies and The Arts?  The Digital Technologies curriculum is being added in 2018.  Will educators acknowledge the value of this new curriculum if they continue to use traditional methods to meet targets in literacy and numeracy?

I've seen many learners, (and parents), that do not wish to be risk takers - they feel that it is more important that they can provide the right answer.  Failure is not an option so risks are not taken.  So, are we providing the best environment so that the learners identify that the skills used and developed through the inquiry are as important as the end result?   How are we celebrating a successful inquiry journey - not just the end product?

Spiral of Inquiry

iExperience:

Taking a risk - try something new; learn something new

Are we being innovative if we always do what is familiar and safe?   How can we be 'world class'?  

What makes a eutopic iExperience?  What stood out in our meeting with Chris in end Term 2 hols was that we wished to be collaborative - both the Learners and LCs.

What are our noticings from the 'team building' collaborative iExperience, and will recognition of the noticings impact on how and what we iExperiences we design in Term 4?

Provide time for Learners to respond to a provocation - what are their wonderings?   Could this provide the LCs with sufficient 'front loading' to enable us to collaboratively plan for an innovative and engaging iExperience?

How do we tap into each others LC expertise to create our eutopic iExperience?  How will we gather student voice, collaboration - or support to if it isn't apparent?

These questions are something to consider as we move forward to planing our iExperience sessions in Term 4.