A Rich Seam : How Pedagogies Find Deep Learning.
Mining a seam of educational insight.
Disclaimer:Warning to readers
I have to admit to being unsure about Michael Fullan, the role of the Pearson Publishing Company and Charter schools but their are times, perhaps , when one should put such biases to one side?
Having said that, and 'researched' Pearson, I worry about a company claiming to be the 'worlds leading learning organisation' and that I have may have been somewhat captured by the 'Rich Seam' document. Pearson make their money out of textbooks, testing and now technology. Making money is at the core - this education as a business.
(Check out John Oliver's show on standardized testing and Pearson's role in educational testing!!)
Pearson's version of 'personalized learning' relies on 'data driven analytics' and technology to ensure learning. Some of the schools following a 'Pearson's approach' look more like high powered traditional schools with students learning through digital technology. My preference is the New High Tech approach, which is also referenced in the 'Rich Seams' document - a real world activity based school making use of a wide range of technology from carpentry tools to computers.
The issue of the 'new' Modern School Environments
Having said that, and 'researched' Pearson, I worry about a company claiming to be the 'worlds leading learning organisation' and that I have may have been somewhat captured by the 'Rich Seam' document. Pearson make their money out of textbooks, testing and now technology. Making money is at the core - this education as a business.
(Check out John Oliver's show on standardized testing and Pearson's role in educational testing!!)
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| A corporate takeover of education? |
Pearson's version of 'personalized learning' relies on 'data driven analytics' and technology to ensure learning. Some of the schools following a 'Pearson's approach' look more like high powered traditional schools with students learning through digital technology. My preference is the New High Tech approach, which is also referenced in the 'Rich Seams' document - a real world activity based school making use of a wide range of technology from carpentry tools to computers.
The issue of the 'new' Modern School Environments
I recent times I have been thinking about the movement towards the development of flexible Modern School Environments (MLEs) and that the provision of such buildings , equipped with modern information technology, are being seen as the latest 'silver bullet' to transform schools.
Which brings me the Pearson document 'A Rich Seam' of which Michael Fullan is a co-author.
I have found it worth the read and was interested to note that it states ' in our view new' (Modern Learning Environments) 'facilities are nice, but not a requirement for effective implementation of the new pedagogy model.'
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| Michael Fullan |
I have found it worth the read and was interested to note that it states ' in our view new' (Modern Learning Environments) 'facilities are nice, but not a requirement for effective implementation of the new pedagogy model.'
The goal of this report is to outline a new vision of education to ensure all students develop the dispositions to be 'creative, connected, and collaborative life long long problem solvers... able to contribute to the common good.'
Hard to argue with that.
Hard to argue with that.
The reason for the inevitability of dramatic educational changes are multiple:
Our current model is based on the sorting of people resulting inevitably in school failures . The challenge now to ensure all students leave schooling able to thrive in the future.
Students, as they 'progress' through the system find school programmes irrelevant and are increasingly bored and alienated. As well students have growing tendency to gain their knowledge elsewhere by means of digital technology.
Traditional schools do not provide students with the outcomes students need to thrive in an unpredictable future.The report says ,that literacy and numeracy, vital as they are, are insufficient. All students need the wider, less well-defined outcomes, such as 'problem solving, collaboration, creativity, thinking in different ways, and building effective relationships and teams.'
Makes me think of five things that are relevant in the New Zealand environment:
One: the need for schools to really implement the intent of the New Zealand Curriculum and to move away from National Standards. Two:The need base learning on real world active
problem solving tasks' Three: the need to 're-framing literacy and numeracy' to provide the skills to needed to undertake such tasks. Four: The need to develop new ways of assessing student progress moving away from the 'sorting' required by National Standards. The report identifies current assessment and accountability model as the major barriers to the new 'deep' learning. And Five: the use of information technology to assist learners in their research and in communicating their findings. The report states that so far digital technology has not fulfilled it promise. If the ideas in the report are implemented technology 'will finally begin to realize its promise to transform teaching and learning.'
One: the need for schools to really implement the intent of the New Zealand Curriculum and to move away from National Standards. Two:The need base learning on real world active
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| To 'seek , use and create'. |
One phrase from the New Zealand Curriculum comes to mind, aligning the report with the intent of 'A Rich Seam', is that all students should become 'seekers, users and creators of their own knowledge'.
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| Dewey would see technology as tools - a means to an end. |
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| Play means more than computer play |
The authors emphasizes that the 'new' pedagogy they articulate is emerging from the 'front line' in the classrooms they visited.
The Report describes three forces that are converging to break open learning possibilities.
The first force 'the new pedagogies' springs from the new learning partnerships between teachers and students that will be amplified with the use of digital technology.
The second is 'change leadership' which 'merges top down and bottom and sideways energies'.
The last is economics that ensures that the provision of the first two forces more affordable.
My worry is that learning could too easily become too dominated by digital technology rather than activity based learning supported by technology.
The 'new pedagogies' are premised on partnerships between teachers and learners aiming towards 'deep learning' goals enabled by technology. The authors freely admit that 'these ideas are not new but that the conditions for these idea to take hold and flourish did not exist'. 'Old' pedagogies were all about delivering and covering content - the 'new' is about 'mutual discovery creation and use of knowledge'.
'Deep learning' requires 'deep learning tasks' and is not about 'flipped classrooms' Teachers need to be seen as 'activators', rather than facilitators, enabling students 'to lead their own learning'. Teachers help their students achieve worthwhile results by providing encouraging feedback and encouragement and by negotiating learning challenges with their students .
Deep learning tasks must last long enough for students to plan and develop their work. Such tasks encompasses the intent of project and inquiry based models of learning. Chosen tasks must be defined by student purpose and allow students to demonstrate their learning giving students 'choice and voice'.
The teachers role in developing the new pedagogies is about 'igniting learning, to kindle student creativity and to light up the students' mind.' This requires teachers developing genuine learning partnership with their students moving away from being facilitators to work alongside their students to ensure all students achieve their personal best. Teachers need to help students learn through mistakes helping students to think about what they might do next time. This involves helping students define and refine chosen tasks and to encourage continual improvement. Through such means students are able to present final quality products or performances.
This is a good description of personalised learning.It is about helping students find, what Sir Ken Roberson calls, their passions: and it is something creative teachers have always done.;
This new pedagogy highly values such non academic dimensions such as problem solving strategies and character elements such as as grit, tenacity, facing up to difficult tasks, and learning through mistakes.
Such an approach aims at the development of students who are self regulating able to develop their own learning goals , success criteria and to monitor their own progress.
Deep learning tasks must last long enough for students to plan and develop their work. Such tasks encompasses the intent of project and inquiry based models of learning. Chosen tasks must be defined by student purpose and allow students to demonstrate their learning giving students 'choice and voice'.
The teachers role in developing the new pedagogies is about 'igniting learning, to kindle student creativity and to light up the students' mind.' This requires teachers developing genuine learning partnership with their students moving away from being facilitators to work alongside their students to ensure all students achieve their personal best. Teachers need to help students learn through mistakes helping students to think about what they might do next time. This involves helping students define and refine chosen tasks and to encourage continual improvement. Through such means students are able to present final quality products or performances.
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| Sir Ken is talking about developing all students gifts and talents. |
This new pedagogy highly values such non academic dimensions such as problem solving strategies and character elements such as as grit, tenacity, facing up to difficult tasks, and learning through mistakes.
Such an approach aims at the development of students who are self regulating able to develop their own learning goals , success criteria and to monitor their own progress.
The above the report indicates, will require the development of new assessment measures.
Not clear to me, however, is how traditional literacy and numeracy is to be embedded in such learning. I believe that powerful learning experiences provide the motivation to develop such skills from an early age. Current ability grouped basic skills teaching takes up far too much time and develops to develop negative attitudes for far too many students.
Also not clear is how schools might be structured to develop such pedagogy - traditional subject teaching is no longer relevant. Maybe this is where Modern Learning Environments, based on collaborative integrated teaching, may solve the problem.
After reading, and agreeing with, the pages about deep pedagogy I am still left wondering why the authors made no effort to identify educationalists that have been expressing similar ideas for decades?
Nothing much, as they say, is really new.
I would have also liked to have seen examples of how schools have organised themselves to develop cross curricula interdependent tasks. As mentioned I particularly like the approach developed by Larry Rosenstock's New Tech High Schools - where technology is used to support learning in very creative way and where public exhibitions of student project work have become part of the school culture.
What is the New Change Leadership?
The leadership section might well be the most important aspect of the report if the required deep pedagogy is take hold in our schools. Their role is mirrors teachers releasing the potential of their students.
'These new change leaders will have to operate under conditions of dynamic change We see the process as consisting of directional vision, letting go and reining in across iterative cycles. Such leaders will need to open up possibilities with directional ideas but not necessarily concrete plans'. The need to be 'open to new explorations while supporting people under conditions of ambiguity'. 'As the process unfolds leaders will need to help others identify, refine and spread what is working.'
This is a model of organic change and with the right conditions ideas will become 'contagious'.
Change leadership is about developing culture and capacity.
Changes , 'as new pedagogy takes hold it is neither top down nor bottom up change. It is both. The role of leaders is to simultaneously help the organisation "let go" and "rein in"'. 'It is about creating a 'risk taking' culture of yes' About 'creating a collaborative culture breaking down teacher isolation' by 'building up a common language' and by 'developing an 'inquiry based approach' to professional development.
It also requires developing new ways of assessing progress.that primarily focused on to supporting learning.
'Change leadership represents a huge challenge - one that is as attractive as it is daunting'. An ideal agenda for Communities of Schools?
What is the New System Economics.
This recognizes that as the cost of new technology is decreasing schools will able to deliver 'twice the learning for the same level of investment - 'technology that can dramatically expand the new pedagogies'.
Implementing the 'A Rich Seam is all about developing 'Rich Futures'.
The report concludes by reinforcing the need for a new model of education one based on new partnerships between teachers and students.
The authors believe 'we are at the early stages of a learning revolution to develop 'the citizen of the future as a knowing, doing person who can function productively in a complex world.'
Specific action lists are provided for students, teachers and school leaders to ensure school change.
'History shows us that what we can imagine we can make possible'. The new pedagogy, new change leadership and the economic availability of digital technology. 'The time has come to take advantage of this once in a generation opportunity. Whole System change has never been more achievable'.
'The ultimate goal is interdependent learners who have the abilities, dispositions and experiences to truly make the this most of the extraordinary world of information, ideas, creativity and connection that digital access opens up'.
At this point I still have this worry that it is possibly all too much about computers and not real world challenges making use of digital technology.
'Young people and adults alike have the natural instinct to learn and to create. This is what the new pedagogies can unleash'. 'The pedagogies model promises to drive out of our schools the boredom and alienation of students and teachers.'
'The next decade could be the most transformation of any since the creation of factory model schools 150 years ago'.
'Imagine a future where students and teacher can't wait to get to the learning'.
Sound like what was in the air in the 60s - let's hope that we will do it better this time - and ensure digital technology plays a supportive role.
Postscript
I finish as I began worried about Pearson's agenda and Michael Fullan's role in it. Education is big business. The document is essentially all about spreading Pearson's digital learning agenda.
I did like the 'new pedagogy ( which isn't new) and the 'change leadership' model, and the need for new assessment models ( but not digital data mining ).
I remained concerned with an educational approach that might well replace reality with clever vicarious learning.
I am reminded of what Clifford Still ( himself a computer expert) said, in his book 'Silicon Valley Snake Oil', that for every hour facing a screen a person needs an hour siting under a tree to compensate.
I still believe that real world challenges are the basis of learning - supported by technology. A quote by Max Frisch is more relevant than ever . He wrote that technology is the 'knack of so arranging the world that we don't have to experience it'. ( Max Frisch 63)
Not clear to me, however, is how traditional literacy and numeracy is to be embedded in such learning. I believe that powerful learning experiences provide the motivation to develop such skills from an early age. Current ability grouped basic skills teaching takes up far too much time and develops to develop negative attitudes for far too many students.
Also not clear is how schools might be structured to develop such pedagogy - traditional subject teaching is no longer relevant. Maybe this is where Modern Learning Environments, based on collaborative integrated teaching, may solve the problem.
 |
| Teachers then digital ctechnlogy |
After reading, and agreeing with, the pages about deep pedagogy I am still left wondering why the authors made no effort to identify educationalists that have been expressing similar ideas for decades?
Nothing much, as they say, is really new.
I would have also liked to have seen examples of how schools have organised themselves to develop cross curricula interdependent tasks. As mentioned I particularly like the approach developed by Larry Rosenstock's New Tech High Schools - where technology is used to support learning in very creative way and where public exhibitions of student project work have become part of the school culture.
 |
| Larry Rosenstock - New High Teach Schools. Active learning making use of technology |
What is the New Change Leadership?
The leadership section might well be the most important aspect of the report if the required deep pedagogy is take hold in our schools. Their role is mirrors teachers releasing the potential of their students.
 |
| Leadership about direction and trust |
'These new change leaders will have to operate under conditions of dynamic change We see the process as consisting of directional vision, letting go and reining in across iterative cycles. Such leaders will need to open up possibilities with directional ideas but not necessarily concrete plans'. The need to be 'open to new explorations while supporting people under conditions of ambiguity'. 'As the process unfolds leaders will need to help others identify, refine and spread what is working.'
This is a model of organic change and with the right conditions ideas will become 'contagious'.
 |
| Good ideas are contageous |
Change leadership is about developing culture and capacity.
Changes , 'as new pedagogy takes hold it is neither top down nor bottom up change. It is both. The role of leaders is to simultaneously help the organisation "let go" and "rein in"'. 'It is about creating a 'risk taking' culture of yes' About 'creating a collaborative culture breaking down teacher isolation' by 'building up a common language' and by 'developing an 'inquiry based approach' to professional development.
It also requires developing new ways of assessing progress.that primarily focused on to supporting learning.
'Change leadership represents a huge challenge - one that is as attractive as it is daunting'. An ideal agenda for Communities of Schools?
What is the New System Economics.
This recognizes that as the cost of new technology is decreasing schools will able to deliver 'twice the learning for the same level of investment - 'technology that can dramatically expand the new pedagogies'.
Implementing the 'A Rich Seam is all about developing 'Rich Futures'.
The report concludes by reinforcing the need for a new model of education one based on new partnerships between teachers and students.
The authors believe 'we are at the early stages of a learning revolution to develop 'the citizen of the future as a knowing, doing person who can function productively in a complex world.'
Specific action lists are provided for students, teachers and school leaders to ensure school change.
 |
| Creating conditions to risk things and share ideas |
'History shows us that what we can imagine we can make possible'. The new pedagogy, new change leadership and the economic availability of digital technology. 'The time has come to take advantage of this once in a generation opportunity. Whole System change has never been more achievable'.
'The ultimate goal is interdependent learners who have the abilities, dispositions and experiences to truly make the this most of the extraordinary world of information, ideas, creativity and connection that digital access opens up'.
At this point I still have this worry that it is possibly all too much about computers and not real world challenges making use of digital technology.
 |
| Technology as a tool |
'Young people and adults alike have the natural instinct to learn and to create. This is what the new pedagogies can unleash'. 'The pedagogies model promises to drive out of our schools the boredom and alienation of students and teachers.'
'The next decade could be the most transformation of any since the creation of factory model schools 150 years ago'.
'Imagine a future where students and teacher can't wait to get to the learning'.
Sound like what was in the air in the 60s - let's hope that we will do it better this time - and ensure digital technology plays a supportive role.
Postscript
I finish as I began worried about Pearson's agenda and Michael Fullan's role in it. Education is big business. The document is essentially all about spreading Pearson's digital learning agenda.
I did like the 'new pedagogy ( which isn't new) and the 'change leadership' model, and the need for new assessment models ( but not digital data mining ).
I remained concerned with an educational approach that might well replace reality with clever vicarious learning.
I am reminded of what Clifford Still ( himself a computer expert) said, in his book 'Silicon Valley Snake Oil', that for every hour facing a screen a person needs an hour siting under a tree to compensate.I still believe that real world challenges are the basis of learning - supported by technology. A quote by Max Frisch is more relevant than ever . He wrote that technology is the 'knack of so arranging the world that we don't have to experience it'. ( Max Frisch 63)
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