The Relevant Teacher with Patrick Green

Posted on April 16, 2018 by corney

Patrick Green is a Technology Integrator at Singapore American School. Here are notes from his key note on The Relevant Teacher.

Focus on schools doing stuff differently (e.g. Da Vinci Innovation Lab, Sequoyah – institutionalise failure (called it ‘iteration’))

It is the teachers that impact learning, not school wide programmes = relevant teachers

Relevant teachers

  • knows their role is different than in the past
  • look at what they teach with a new lens (not content focused) – example of teaching students how to do a bibliography
  • not afraid of access to information, even in exams
  • not making students do what adults don’t do
  • helping students to craft a digital footprint (portfolios – “here’s what I did and how I did it”)
  • key to motivation (Daniel Pink – Drive) Autonomy, Mastery, Purpose.
  • think of things they can get rid of
  • value the ability of students to not follow instructions. Implication – Don’t use exemplars.
  • The Shoulder Shrug

The End of Average by Todd Rose. One size fits nobody.

Classroom Management in the Digital Age

iTime (@aliwh_white, @shaunyk)

TRi time at SAS (Imagine, investigate, iterate)

Algebra unit (set content, allocated tools, narrow assessment) compared to Minecraft (open world, unlimited tools, open assessment and ability to respawn)

Super Mario Bros (go from A to B) compared to modern games (side quests)

Work vs Play (we overuse the term work in our schools – homework, schoolwork)

Be a learner – growth and change.

What are you doing to be relevant to your students?

 

Posted in teaching | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

3D Metal printing in our backyard

Posted on March 28, 2018 by corney

A few weeks ago I followed up an invite from the House of Science to visit RAM 3D in Tauriko. So here in a new industrial area of Tauranga were some pretty switched on people doing some pretty neat stuff. 3D metal printing is essential using a laser to weld really fast. A thin layer of metal power is laid down then a power laser fuses those metal particles together to build a shape.

The Chief Executive, Warwick Downing, hosted the visit and made a number of interesting points in relation to the type of employee a business like his is looking for (and therefore the type of student we should be trying to produce):

  • Every one needs to know CAD
  • Attitude trumps everything
  • Attention to detail
  • Problem solver – “If I do this –  what are the consequences?”
  • Importance of material science as well as chemistry & physics (although he pointed out that high level qualifications are not essential)

This field of 3D Rapid Additive Manufacturing has huge potential and we can do it right here in NZ, just see the example set by Rocket Lab. There is even the ability of bio 3D printing (and some boffin even managed to print a stem cells to create a ‘brain on the bench‘)! So the challenge is, how to we engage our students into this type of technology and teach them the skills and dispositions these type of agile industries are after?

 

Posted in teaching | Leave a comment

Exploring Deep Learning with Derek Wenmoth

Posted on October 13, 2017 by corney

Shallow? Surface? Deep?

“.. the world has been focused on developing basic literacy and numeracy skills.” (Fullan, M., & Quinn, J. (2016). Coherence. The Right Drivers in Action for Schools, Districts, and Systems. Corwin Thousand Oaks.)

Recommended reading: Fullan, M. (2013). Stratosphere: Integrating technology, pedagogy, and change knowledge. Pearson Canada.

Hierarchical models of leadership can’t adapt to change fast enough – need new ways of leadership.

Surface -> Deep -> Transform

Pre-requisites for leading changed

  1. Moral purpose (Why/Mission statement)
  2. Understanding of change process (e.g. learning pit idea)
  3. Focus on relationships
  4. Knowledge building (as opposed to transmitting)
  5. Coherence making

New pedagogies for Deep Learning

“Sometimes good instruction is not just about what you can add, but what you can remove to allow deeper learning to happen”

Deepen the content and deepen the process.

Recommended reading: Fullan, M., & Langworthy, M. (2014). A rich seam: How new pedagogies find deep learning. MaRS Discovery District.

Technology: Elegantly efficient and easy to use.

Posted in teaching | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Keynote by Abdul Chohan

Posted on October 12, 2017 by corney

Set up Olive Tree Primary School

Devices are like taps. The water doesn’t come from the taps it’s the plumbing behind it that makes it work

All our teachers are trained on twitter

To change Belief – must be Simple and Reliable

Six most expensive words in education: “We’ve always done it that way”

“The best app for Maths is the Maths teacher”

Content is on iTunesU, feedback given via Showbie iPad app.

Weekly PD – Teachers share One best thing, One best failure

Posted in teaching | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Ignite session with Maniakalani teachers

Posted on October 12, 2017 by corney

Each teacher had 6 minutes to speak, slides on auto advance. Audience asked to ask a Why, What and How question. Presenter then answers questions from the floor.

Link to resource site – contains details of the MIT programme.

Philosophy: Learn, create, share

Ignite 1

Aim to develop critical thinking skills.

Paidiea group discussions-similar to Socratic method

Interesting to note that the teacher focused on one student

How did you track talk time?

Ignite 2

Troy England-PE teacher at Papakura High School

Problem-low literacy and attendance

Solution-develop self efficacy

Innovation-voice typing. Started with recording a conversation with teacher, then speaking directly into device.

Does it matter whether students speak or type their answers?

Ignite 3

Kelsey Morgan from Chrischurch

Aim-engage students in maths via blogging.

Students created explainer slides on their blogs.

Ignite 4

Dot from Tamaki College teaching social studies

Aim: engaging year 9s via blogging

Linked with Primary schools to find out familiar writing frameworks

Used SOLO framework to guide writing

Students had to quad blog-What is quad blogging? Students comment on 3 others students post that was positive and helpful.

Slogging-blogging plus SOLO

apeluattc.blogspot.co.nz

Ignite 5

Alicia from Ohaewai Primart

Collaboration in open learning environments

Teachers as role models that learning takes risks and make mistakes.

PQP strategy to give effective feedback

Ignite 6

Hinera Anderson from Tamaki College

Aim: visible teaching and learning (VTaL)

https://sites.google.com/a/tamaki.ac.nz/visible-teaching-and-learning-vtal/

Ignite 7

Angela at Point England School. Aim-increase reading mileage. “A child who reads will be an adult who thinks”.

Other related resources

Manaiakalani outreach facilitation presentation

Kootuitui – Manaiakalani Outreach programme

Posted in teaching | Leave a comment