A chance to do some real inquiry: Harakeke study.

An environmentally alert teacher aways keep an eye open for interesting things to introduce to his, or her, students. November/December is an ideal time for environmental or ecological studies. My visits to schools this term indicates such awareness is a lost art.

By term four students should be fully equip ed with all the skills and strategies in place to undertake inquiry topics on their own or with minimum assistance. The ability to do this would indicate that students are able to 'seek, use and create their own knowledge' as asked by the New Zealand Curriculum.

Driving around last month I couldn't help but note the untapped resources available for teachers to involve their class in exploring.

This is a great time to study harakeke or flax, one of New Zealand iconic plants. Students could visit to admire the shapes,patterns and movements and to observe the recent flower stalks and developing seed pods. Digital photos could record various aspects to later draw or write thought poems about. From such activities questions will arise for students to research. If you can find some last years pods count how many seed on an average flax bush - this will involve estimation.

Other interesting areas to explore are roadsides, lawns or wilderness grassy areas, to find out what plants thrive in such special conditions. There is no need to worry about naming plants - this will evolve with time.In the first instance take digital photos of plants and record how common they are on a scale the class can develop themselves. Individual plants an be studied, drawn , described and named where possible ( there will be experts in the community you could call on). If there are daisies on the lawn throw some PE rings and count out how many there are - or run a line across the lawn and count the daisies ( or any other plant) touched.This is a simple line transect - real maths in action.

Most schools have interesting plants ( annuals or shrubs) flowering at this time of the year.Take digital photos of some, do observational drawing of them, study them and display what has been found out. Vegetables and fruits make interesting studies - study them and research where they originated.

What birds inhabit the school grounds - once again take photos and descriptions and research back in class.

Some schools might be near the seashore with the possibilities of ecological studies of rocky shore or sand dunes but at this time of year time might not be available for such interesting studies. Same with the bush. However many schools have native plant gardens, what plants have been used. Take digital photos, draw and research.

Leaving natural science studies students could just develop artistic and aesthetic awareness. The digital camera is ideal. Send students out in small group to photograph, say six, interesting patterns, tree trunks, maths patterns, very small things, strange small plants..anything. Print and display. Add thought poems.

Classrooms should be full of such things.It is time for blue penguins, disaster studies, and save the rain forest studies to move over and let the real world in.

Teaching with Brain in Mind

Over the years the metaphor for the brain has changed from blank slates, to a mechanical model ( each piece doing special job), to 'left' and 'right' brains, to being compared to a computer, even the Internet - and in all this there is the difference between the brain and our mind. And, actually who is in charge of our thinking nature or nurture?

While over the past few years we have become more aware of the workings of our brain, adapting our teaching to match this understanding is another thing.

In the Industrial Age schools were modelled on a factory transmission analogy. Today our schools, all too often, still reflect this dated idea with students passing from standard to standard to achieve defined 'bits' of learning.Today the brain is seen as a self evolving learning organ, learning both consciously and unconsciously, for the life of the person given the right circumstances.

Scientifically the brain weighs about 1200 grams, is about 2% of our body weight but uses 20% of our energy - energy it gains from circulating blood. The brain is 78% water. A living brain is so soft you can cut it with a butter knife but ironically it doesn't feel pain! The brain is the critical centre of our body wide data collecting nervous system and produces chemicals to reward itself for positive learning experiences. Divided into two large hemispheres it also has three levels, the cortex, or 'thinking' part, and two earlier evolutionary levels relating to emotions and instinct.

Our life success relates to how we learn to use our conscious thinking ability to our advantage - but, unfortunately, we can also learn self defeating habits.

The 'old' view was that we lose our brain cells once in adulthood but, thankfully, the 'new' view is that this doesn't matter, as learning depends on the new neurons, or connection, 'we' make. Active 'open' minds build active neurons until late in life and, even if damaged, new 'circuitry' re-routes the missing function to other sections of the brain. You can , it seems, learn 'new tricks' even if you are an old dog.

Unfortunately many students have 'lost' their learning ability and have become locked into self defeating patterns, or habits, which are then applied as if stuck on repeat. Students fall into these habits unconsciously because they worked in earlier situations and their minds have become 'closed' to new possibilities

To complicate matters some researchers believe it is the unconscious brain that is more 'in charge of us than we are of it'. For humans, who value ability to reason, or rationality above all, this is disconcerting. But, if we accept this, then how 'we' influence the unconscious become very important.

Aspects of behaviour are picked up unconsciously by the 'brain'. The brain/mind somehow selects and stores 'messages' from experiences. It seems that the mind has a mind of its own! Our consciousness is, at best, only a limited 'dashboard' for the unconscious mind, and not aways trustworthy. We have to learn to reflect, pause, to consider options, so as to juggle the demands life places on the brain. Many of our young people have not learnt to do this and rush in without thinking , making use of ingrained habits. By doing this they creating learning 'problems' for themselves and behaviour 'problems' for teachers.

So it seems we all are a complicated mix of our conscious ( 'stop and reflect' ) and our unconscious minds ( 'where did that come from?' ). All people, it seems, are 'deeper' than they like to think. Our imagination, creativity, originality and intuition come from 'beneath the surface' and are continually 'shaped' by our experiences. Brains develop best in a non threatening but challenging environments.

There are obvious lessons in all this for teachers.Teachers need to create safe moral cultures that value all students; cultures that hold everyone responsible their own actions. Our learning 'minds' are always weighing options before choosing any action -it is over to the culture of expectation teachers create to ensure students learn appropriate behaviours.

To change 'bad' habits students need support, training, practice and encouragement so as to be able to 'rewire' themselves - to build new neural pathways. They need to be helped to avoid 'premature articulation', 'right answers', or 'hit first think about consequences later'. They need to learn to wait and ponder, to make use of feedback, and sometimes, to do nothing and accept ambiguity and confusion as the best option. It is at these times the subconscious mind through, dreams, imagination and meditation provides the insight to solve issues - often at unexpected times.

Appreciating that the brain is capable of creating new structures is a positive step. Teachers can help their students develop more positive habits, or patterns of behaviour . Students can learn to 'change their tune' and 'sing a new song' and break out of their fixed 'one track minds'.

Students can, with help, begin to rethink who they might become. They can be helped to learn to think through new situations armed with the idea that there are always options and choices available to them. Even to do nothing is a choice

When they learn to use their brains wisely their minds are working for them rather than leading then down the failing track of unexamined habits. A 'learning' brain driven by curiosity is always constructing the best sense it can. This 'mindfulness' is a long way from the previous simplistic transmission of knowledge approach.

We now know enough about how our brains work, and how our minds develop, to ensure all students develop 'enriched' brains 'turned on' to learning, but only if, as teachers, we change our own minds first. We need to teach with the brain in mind!

As Henry Ford once said, 'If you think you can or you think you can't you are both right'.