Inspiring Classrooms

1. Inspiring Classrooms Tony Ryan Whakatane 6th October 2007

2. What you can expect today!! • A good time!! • Lots of ideas on developing some inspiring classrooms • Various challenges to your own thinking

3. The core premise YOU are the key factor in the creation of inspiring classrooms!!

4. What about your own engagement here today? • Use the Rubrics Key to assess the quality of your own engagement in this workshop • Can you clarify some descriptors for • Slack; and • Sensational

5. The Rubrics Key

6. Living A Full Life • Six domains to human existence? • Physical / Social / Mental / Financial / Professional / Spiritual • Four steps to attaining quality practice • What I presently do well • What I’d love to take further • First steps • Success Indicators

7. 2nd Millenium Living 3rd Millenium Living A Job Work Focus on time Focus on energy Avoid stress Seek stress Focus on solutions Focus on problems ‘Nice’ culture Demanding culture Two-way / three-way ....learning One-way learning

8. Neo-millenial classrooms will require.... • A massive rethink on the application of neuroscience research and new learning perspectives (eg with theories such as ‘connectivism’) • An alignment with the Web 2.0 environment (collaboration collaboration collaboration) • Adults (and students) who can engage in substantive high trust dialogue and ongoing learning • High energy and inspiration

9. Theories on thinking and learning?? • Behaviourism • Constructivism • Cognitivism • Connectivism (connectivism.ca)

10. Right here and now... • 10-year-old children set up businesses online • 8-year-old Chinese children develop World Of Warcraft avatars, and then sell them online • Quadraplegics move their wheelchairs with their own thinking • Toyota have spent over $1 million on advertising in Second Life

11. Making Connections • Web 1.0 (one-way) • Internet banking • Most applications of Google and Amazon • Web 2.0 (two-way) • YouTube • Facebook • Blogs / wikis

12. Deeper applications of technology • Web 1.0 • Net banking • Most search engines • Amazon • Wikipedia • Web 2.0 • YouTube • MySpace • Facebook • Web 4.0 • Everyday CyberLife • Download of entity onto Web2030 • Human / robot interface • Walking brains • Web 3.0 • Avatar synchronisation • Ubiquitous computing eg wearable technology

13. Team Learning?? • Use collaborative learning strategies as often as possible (NB be aware of the difference between ‘groupwork’ and ‘cooperative learning’) • Generate a supportive classroom environment • Explicitly teach social skills eg listening; encouraging

14. Generating a supportive c’room environment • Respect respect respect • Help students to know more about each other • Some fun activities: • Social Venn diagrams • This Is My Life • 2 truths and 1 outrageous lie

15. Learning a social skill • 1. Draw up a T-Chart (Looks like / Sounds like), and write the name of the skill at the top eg Top Listening • 2. Rolemodel the skill to the group • 3. Clarify the specifics of the skill with the T-Chart • 4. Practise it immediately

16. 4 hot classroom hints on student ‘engagement’ • 1. Focus on what is presently working; and do more of it!! • 2. Consistently offer the most engaging possible curriculum and pedagogy • 3. Analyse the research on Net Gen; and then create learning experiences that reflect these findings • 4. Integrate the use of computer games / simulations / contemporary ICT into curriculum delivery at every opportunity

17. Some upfront points on ‘engagement’ • Are we talking about a 20th C or a 21st C response to the ‘issue’ of student engagement? • What IS engagement? How do you know when a student is engaged? • How engaged are YOU every day? (NB beware the concept of Shadow Self)

18. Some critical points • Schools with good teacher-student relationships, and with high expectations for student success, have more engaged students • Technology by itself is not sufficient; the interest level of the task also matters • One of the most important factors is that students believe they can succeed • Teach them how to self-talk

19. Chris Dede (Harvard Uni)

20. Implications for Net Gen classrooms • Inject some emotion into the learning • Use visual reinforcement at every opportunity • Give students time to process the learning • Heighten the intellectual rigour

21. The ultimate ‘engagement’? • A fantastic unit of work!! • An exemplar unit could include: • 1. Authentic learning projects (or at least, an essential question) • 2. Core understandings • 3. HOT questions • 4. Engaging classroom strategies

22. 1. Authentic learning projects • ICT: Internet café in aged care home • Science: School rubbish analysis • Math: Analysing how a bicycle really works • Integrative: Developing a Brain Policy for your school • Social Science: Travel Buddies • English: Developing podcasts about a novel study • ICT: Digital folios

23. The need for 21st century solutions to?? • The influence of robotics? • Applications of nanotechnology? • Global warming? • Active citizenship and local contribution? • Specific global issues eg land mines? Access to drinking water?

24. 2. Core Understandings • What really do you want your students to understand by the end of the unit? • ie KidSpeak for objectives • Provide explicit displays of these Core Understandings (eg with prominent wall displays)

25. 3. HOT questions • Eg ICT: Why are at least 90% of websites around the world written in English?? • Eg Minibeasts: How do wings work? • Eg Local Study: Who really is the most influential person in our area? Why? • Eg Design: Which toy would choose you? • Eg Music: Why do most foreign countries write their hit songs in English? • Eg Social Science: Was exploration the 19th century version of extreme sport?

26. Developing HOT questions • Choose a unit or area of study • Brainstorm a key question about the unit that would even ‘stretch’ an adult • It must be a cognitive challenge • It must be relevant to the topic • It must be (one of) the most important possible question(s) about this topic • Then reframe it to suit the age group • Use this process 100s of times every week

27. Curriculum-framing questions • A unit on ‘Food For Thought’: • Essential QuestionHow can I stay healthy? • Unit QuestionsHow do my eating habits affect my health and growth? How do I plan a healthy, nutritious diet? What factors influence my food choices? • Content QuestionsWhat is the food pyramid?What is the right number of calories for me?

28. More Curriculum-Framing Questions • •Essential QuestionHow does literature help us better understand ourselves? • •Unit QuestionHow does Shakespeare still speak to a 21st century audience? • •Content Questions* Who are the characters in Romeo and Juliet, and how do they contribute to the deaths in the play?* What is imagery, and what are some examples of how Shakespeare uses imagery in Romeo and Juliet to present a compelling and powerful message?* What are the themes and issues in Romeo and Juliet that are relevant to today?

29. 4. Engaging strategies • An explicit focus on thinking strategies such as • Graphic organisers • Decision matrices • Rubrics • A consistent use of team learning strategies eg • Expert Jigsaw • Paired Interviews • Academic Controversy • Doughnut

30. Adult brains love to be inspired and challenged • We need a life and learning ethic, not a work ethic • Gen Y teachers: “How can you help me to discover more about myself while I’m working here?” • High energy schools attract high achieving teachers

31. Quality schools have high energy • It’s not hard work that tires us out. • It’s negative work that tires us out. • People make energy choices in their lives: • Energy creators • Energy neutrals • Energy consumers (Brighouse and Woods; cited in Fullan, 2005)

32. Energy Creators • Are enthusiastic and always positive • Use critical thinking, creativity and imagination • Stimulate and spark others • Practise leadership at all levels • Are able and willing to scrutinise their practice • Wish to improve on their previous best

33. Energy neutrals • Competent sound practitioners • Willing to address the task • Good at ‘maintenance’ • Sometimes uncomfortable accepting examination of their practice by others • Capable of improving on their previous best

34. Energy consumers • Have a negative view of the world • Resent change and practice blocking strategies • Use other people’s time excessively • Not feel good about themselves • Be able and unwilling to critically examine their teaching practice • Appear not to want to improve on their best

35. HIGH ENERGY • Mental • Consistent focus on optimistic thoughts • Meditative practices • Physical • Nutritional food • Sufficient water • Regular exercise • Spiritual • Having a deep purpose for your life • Believing in something greater than yourself • Experiencing the flow of achievement, every day

36. Your own energy? • Q. Is it possible to be inspiring all of the time? • Q. If the answer is NO, is it simply because we are resigned to our past neural pathways? • Q. Which of the 3 energy groups are you in right now?

37. Strategies for supporting your learning? • Learning Circles • Blogs, chatrooms • Earlybird breakfasts • Reflective journals • Professional Buddy systems • Learning Expos • Teacher-led PL • Rituals for sharing of great practice • Conferences (virtual, real) • Credit card systems • ??????????

38. From here..... • 1. What do you need to achieve? • 2. What is happening now? • 3. What could you do? • 4. What will you do? • 5. How and when will you do it? • 6. How will you sustain success? • From “The Leadership Coaching Guide”

39. Further web options • plotpd.com • schoolaid.org • tonyryan.com.au

40. After today?? • Debrief on this workshop content with at least one other person by next Friday • Personally revisit this info • One day from now • One week from now • Include something (anything!!) new in your daily life for the next two weeks. Use a brightly coloured pen to write these ideas / changes in your diary. • Find a life coach

41. Make a difference • Q. How inspired are you by education? • The world needs you to know that you make a difference • It gives you a purpose for your work • Remember the Ripple Effect • The power of everyday actions • Everyone?? Every One !!

42. Wrapping Up • Your rubric?? • tonyryan@headfirst.com.au • A challenge for the next week: Stay solution-focused in every dialogue, without exception • May you continue to create energy in your schools and your life • Thank you!