2016 - Let the Fun Begin (II)

Monday 25 January - System Leadership Development

Leading in Authentic Learning - Dr Mick Bezzina

What is my dream for Learning?

• for my students to discover the joy of learning and to be inspired to be active contributors and inquirers of their own learning to become effective participants in the world they live in.

"If not us then who?

If not now then when?" 

- John E Lewis

Some of the challenges that the ALS poses to educators is to provide:

• providing rigorous, relevant and engaging education to students
• making a difference - to provide learning experiences that will impact on our students ability to live life to the full in a rapidly changing world.

Where are we now?

• 70% of respondents believe schools are highly engaged with the authentic learning statement
• This is a positive indicator, however there are continued challenges to engage all teachers and leaders with the ALS.

A question of Balance - The Paradoxes within our work:

• We encourage professionalism and trust within our staff and then have to apply accountability standards to the people we work with... how do we balance both accountability and trust?
• We are more and more reliant on evidenced based research and design learning informed by data, however we also rely on judgement of how the data is measured? How do we balance both evidence and judgment?
• how do we inspire creativity, for educators to take risks and try something new, when we are required to be prudent and play within the constraints of policy and procedures... How do we balance prudence and creativity?
• How do we operate K-12 thinking in balance with Primary and secondary thinking (Early Education?)
• Integration - new syllabus - maintain the academic expectations of curriculum areas and also show the links between them. 
• The tension between the Now and the future of education - 

How will one of these ideas impact me personally?

1. to create greater opportunities for RECs to engage with authentic learning statement in the area of RE curriculum

How will one of these ideas impact the way in which my team will work?

1. 

Seven Myths about Authentic Learning

1. Authentic Learning is something new to us - We have a long track record fro exceptional teaching and learning - this is NOT new - it supports and enriches current practice

2. Authentic learning is a buzzword - it is a "watch word" something we hold as deeply important to us - our credo?

3. Authentic is an option- schools may not be using the 

4. Authentic learning is not a methodology - is not a recipe, it does not give you the 5 steps to AL, it is the reasoning of what and how we are doing....

5. Authentic Learning is "soft" AL is NOT easy- it is hard work - high expectations and depth of learning is difficult to achieve

6. All this AL stuff is more work - it IS the work.

7. Just talking about AL will make it happen - absolutely not - ideally this is an action- 

Ken Robinson

1. Creativity

2. Future is uncertain

3. Extraordinary capacity of the child's creativity.

Creativity is important as literacy. If kids don't know they will have a go- if your not prepared to be wrong then you will not create anything new. Children, once they leave school lode this "no fear of mistake" behaviour.

Hierarchy of subjects: 

Maths & Literacies

Sciences

Arts

Music

Drama

Dance

The education system around the world  is built upon the industrial revolution- subjects picked at school would be chosen to assist you in getting a job - degrees = jobs

More people worldwide will be graduating around the world  - technology - now degrees are not necessarily leading to a job at all.

Education systems need to rethink the fundamental principles by which we are educating our children - we have to be careful to use our creative capacities to educate their whole being fro the future unknown.

SO WHAT?