Course Title: Travelling into Uncharted Territory – Do the Wheels still need and axle?
Presenter: Moira Howard- Birchville Primary School Te Rā: - Wednesday Feb 24th 2010 Te Wā: - Rotorua – Learning@School Conference
Key Points: · What really matters? Is it an inquiry learning model on the wall in every classroom? A pictorial depiction of the school vision? · Reflection on what most engages us, as individuals, as learners – o The wanting to learn o The new learning is part of our quality world (Glasser) o Success in the process o Can see where it is leading – the purpose · Children’s voice on what makes a great teacher- o Knows the children o Learns new things and teaches us new things o Finds out what we want to learn o Looks at things from the children’s point of view o Able to adjust o Is understanding Viewed video about Elwyn Richardson · He valued real, relevant and relative experiences and children’s creativity. His learners were meaningfully and actively involved, motivated, contributed a lot to own learning. They were learning to learn and become lifelong learners. · He engaged the learners by valuing individuals and the community, connected them to the curriculum not the curriculum to them, he modelled the learning. · My personal thoughts about Elwyn o Used natural environment as motivation, o Had a clear vision of the future for his learners and himself as an artist and followed his own creative path. o Recognised the irrelevance of the prescriptive curriculum of the time – inappropriate to real needs of children o Fostered a community of shared learning - inquiry!!??? o Focussed on § the responsibilities of the individual for the group and materials § participation of children and families …. the KCs!!!!. § and engagement · The learning was felt and real · He honoured the value of observation · He personalised the learning! Identified the children to work with him each day. Others worked independently. · Every child wrote every day! · Children’s day was full of rich experiences leading to a knowledge of and belief in themselves as learners.
Relevance to teachers: All key points are relevant to teachers today especially in the light of NZC. Resources “In the Early World” – Elwyn Richardson Youtube video but I can’t find it yet!
Summary: A man well ahead of his time!! Personalised the curriculum, focussed on KCs, valued the creative process. He stood up to his principles and values in the face of huge disapproval from authorities. Teachers are the axle and need to check the axle weight limit over the bridge to the destination. Focus on what is important for the children and the community.
Strategies / Suggestions to implement into the classroom: · Teacher response to learners should be done with precision and exactitude but should not prescribe the context · All children write every day about what is important to them. · Believe that “learning is inquiry” · All about engagement
Do the Wheels still need and axle?
Te Rā: - Wednesday Feb 24th 2010
Te Wā: - Rotorua – Learning@School Conference
· What really matters? Is it an inquiry learning model on the wall in every classroom? A pictorial depiction of the school vision?
· Reflection on what most engages us, as individuals, as learners –
o The wanting to learn
o The new learning is part of our quality world (Glasser)
o Success in the process
o Can see where it is leading – the purpose
· Children’s voice on what makes a great teacher-
o Knows the children
o Learns new things and teaches us new things
o Finds out what we want to learn
o Looks at things from the children’s point of view
o Able to adjust
o Is understanding
Viewed video about Elwyn Richardson
· He valued real, relevant and relative experiences and children’s creativity. His learners were meaningfully and actively involved, motivated, contributed a lot to own learning. They were learning to learn and become lifelong learners.
· He engaged the learners by valuing individuals and the community, connected them to the curriculum not the curriculum to them, he modelled the learning.
· My personal thoughts about Elwyn
o Used natural environment as motivation,
o Had a clear vision of the future for his learners and himself as an artist and followed his own creative path.
o Recognised the irrelevance of the prescriptive curriculum of the time – inappropriate to real needs of children
o Fostered a community of shared learning - inquiry!!???
o Focussed on
§ the responsibilities of the individual for the group and materials
§ participation of children and families …. the KCs!!!!.
§ and engagement
· The learning was felt and real
· He honoured the value of observation
· He personalised the learning! Identified the children to work with him each day. Others worked independently.
· Every child wrote every day!
· Children’s day was full of rich experiences leading to a knowledge of and belief in themselves as learners.
All key points are relevant to teachers today especially in the light of NZC.
Resources
“In the Early World” – Elwyn Richardson
Youtube video but I can’t find it yet!
A man well ahead of his time!! Personalised the curriculum, focussed on KCs, valued the creative process.
He stood up to his principles and values in the face of huge disapproval from authorities.
Teachers are the axle and need to check the axle weight limit over the bridge to the destination. Focus on what is important for the children and the community.
· Teacher response to learners should be done with precision and exactitude but should not prescribe the context
· All children write every day about what is important to them.
· Believe that “learning is inquiry”
· All about engagement