Powered By Blogger

Tuesday 6 May 2014

21st Century Pedagogy and Full Day Kindergarten

Seems like an odd combination in the title until you spend the time to realize the goals teachers are trying to realize in full day kindergarten are the pedagogical structures we need to land in all classrooms, K - 12, to make 21st century learning a reality.

Many confuse 21st century learning with the use of technology in the classroom. Technology is an important tool of 21st century learning, but it is only a tool. 21st century learning is about giving voice to student wonders, it is about allowing children the opportunity to discover, create and innovate while skillfully ensuring that all of the curriculum watermarks are being met. Sound impossible?? Just visit your local kindergarten class.

In one of my schools the kindergarten teacher thought she would guide the student inquiry for Spring so she took the children outside to look at the grass, the budding trees and the flowers beginning to pop their heads through the soil. She waited with anticipation to see the enthusiasm on the faces of her children as they discovered the growth of new plant life around them. Instead of being fascinated by nature, one little child stuck his head over a grate in the street and said to his teacher, "What is this?" The sewer unit was born.

In that classroom 4 and 5 year olds are learning about sewers, the use of sewers and how sewers are built. They are writing, drawing, counting, taking pictures and bringing in guest speakers from the City to learn all about sewers. The Principal drew the line at letting them go down into the sewers but their fascination continues to grow. This is 21st century learning in action.

In this situation the teacher is playing the role of what Fullan calls "the activator," asking questions, encouraging questions and providing opportunities for the children to learn more. She has them use a variety of ways to display their learning and she encourages them to reach for a level of excellence modelled by the exemplars on the wall. Words the children need for their sewer inquiry are added to the word wall, and the children use the iPads to watch videos all about sewers. By the time this unit is over these kids will be ready to be sewer engineers and they will have demonstrated the proficiencies in literacy and numeracy their teacher was hoping to see.

Engagement and focus aren't issues in this classroom and technology is used effectively to support and demonstrate learning.

Collaborative inquiry in the upper grades will be more sophisticated and the use of technology more advanced but hopefully the rigour, the engagement and the focus demonstrated by this little group of 4 and 5 years olds will be replicated in every 21st century learning environment K - 12.

Monday 10 February 2014

Principals and Teachers need Grit too

Last Tuesday my Superintendent's meeting resembled a Pep Rally. It has been a tough winter with 17 extreme weather days. To the majority of folk that means bundle up and open up the homeless shelters,  to schools it means 17 days when they had indoor recess and indoor lunch. All of my schools serve what we might consider "at risk" populations and even on the winter days when children can go out to play, not all of the children have the winter wear to keep themselves warm. They are schools where the children need the very best teachers, the very best principals and supportive, active parent councils and fortunately, they do, but they are tough places to work day after day. Even the very best educators can get the winter blues and can start to wither under the demands of their job and so the Pep Rally.

Part of my inspirational chat, or I hope it was inspirational, was the importance of teaching our kids grit, especially kids in hard to serve schools but as I have reflected on that meeting I have realized that Principals and Teachers need grit too.

When you are working in schools where the children need the very best educators have to offer it is exhausting. You can't just be a teacher who is skilled with strong pedagogy, you have to be a teacher with a heart the size of New York City. You have to be a teacher who understands the importance of forgiveness, you have to be a teacher who never gives up on a child and you have to be a teacher who truly, honestly, without any doubt believes that they can make a difference. To lead a school of such committed and dedicated educators the Principal has to model and support all of these lofty characteristics. What I am describing are teachers and principals with Grit.

Angela Duckworth defines grit as a combination of passion and perseverance. Passion to fuel the vision and supply the incentive, and perseverance to see it through. I would add to that definition the creativity and innovation necessary to find new ways to engage and inspire students to succeed.

I consider myself to be a very fortunate Superintendent of Education because the group of Principals and Vice Principals are leaders with Grit. They get discouraged sometimes but they find the strength to brush themselves off and go back to their schools the next day with a smile on their faces and optimism in their hearts. Together with their teachers they model Grit to their students each and every day and I feel privileged to work with them.

I have attached Angela's Tedtalk on Grit. Give it a listen and then find your Grit.