ACEs: How Do You React to Them in Your Learning Environment?

Those extenuating circumstances that impact a learner's potential in the world.

10 Obvious Truths?

Ten obvious truths about educating kids that keep getting ignored

There is no end to the debate about school reform, but there are certain things about education that seem like no-brainers. The problem is that they continue to be ignored by policymakers and in schools. Alfie Kohn lists 10 of them in the  post linked with the heading above, which he first published in the American School Board Journal in 2011, but which holds as true today as it did then.

... If we all agree that a given principle is true, then why in the world do our schools still function as if it weren’t?

Do we agree? Let's look (Shine style!)

1. Much of the material students are required to memorize is soon forgotten
Of course it is!  Remember cramming at Uni for exams? Yes. Remember anything that you crammed. Not likely!
Shine reminds: Teach students how to think, not what to think! Remembering and knowing at at the lower end of Bloom's.
TICK
2. Just knowing a lot of facts doesn’t mean you’re smart
 See number 1 above!  :) Plus... knowledge is pretty useless if you can't apply it.
TICK

3. Students are more likely to learn what they find interesting
Were children born knowing how to play Minecraft? Need I say more!
TICK
P.S. Interest bolsters motivation. Motivation bolsters achievement/success. Success bolsters esteem. Esteem bolsters confidence.  This fulfils Shine's Concept of Sustainable Learning® and ™ (I trademark that just in case!)
I heard (and probably blogged at least once about) a quote along the lines of "You can't teach a student something they don't already know" - which I translated as meaning that it is our job, as the facilitator/curator of learning, to set them up with activities they find interesting that make them believe they discovered it/thought of it themselves.

4. Students are less interested in whatever they’re forced to do and more enthusiastic when they have some say
Ever actually tried to force someone to learn something... the only thing they will actually learn is TO HATE IT and detest/resent doing it (and probably you as well!).
This is why negotiated rubrics bolster motivation.
Imagine student motivation and enthusiasm when they feel they have ALL the say...
TICK

5. Just because doing x raises standardized test scores doesn’t mean x should be done
TICK.
P.S. Can I have a hallelujah on resenting the fact that in NZ we are now in the position of doing all sorts of circus type manoeuvres to blend motivating, contextual and government requirements into our daily programme (more time in the day anyone?!)

6. Students are more likely to succeed in a place where they feel known and cared about
This has been a biggy for me in recent years being the ONLY successful strategy to engage a particular set of severely at risk/disenfranchised students. It was a hard road with far to many disapproving looks - but all worth it to see a change in attitude and "success" (both national standard wise and confidence wise (I could easily digress on this one for quite some time!).
So.. yes... TICK!

7. We want children to develop in many ways, not just academically
Holistic education - YOU BET! Integration is a NZ teacher's best friend for many reasons! Get those values and key comps in there! Use those ICTs and recognise those Multiple Intelligences. Foster that Growth Mindset!
Many roads lead to Rome - Rome being the goal of education (which is in my opinion to produce an individual that is happy, confident and sustainable.
TICK

8. Just because a lesson (or book, or class, or test) is harder doesn’t mean it’s better
This one caused me pause momentarily - positively meeting effort, persistence and challenge are the building blocks of a happy confident person. However sustained 'rigour' or rigour just for the sake of constantly pushing a learner (or actually any time I hear the word rigour)  is not something I feel good about. In the very least it needs to be very carefully implemented so...
TICK

9. Kids aren’t just short adults
Indeed they aren't -  they much more confident, playful, enthusiastic, kind, creative, resourceful, unbiased, friendly, tolerant  and masterful at problem solving. LOL!
TICK

10. Substance matters more than labels

I turn to the article to explain this one...

A skunk cabbage by any other name would smell just as putrid. But in education, as in other domains, we’re often seduced by appealing names when we should be demanding to know exactly what lies behind them. Most of us, for example, favor a sense of community, prefer that a job be done by professionals, and want to promote learning. So should we sign on to the work being done in the name of “Professional Learning Communities”? Not if it turns out that PLCs have less to do with helping children to think deeply about questions that matter than with boosting standardized test scores.

The same caution is appropriate when it comes to “Positive Behavior Support,” a jaunty moniker for a program of crude Skinnerian manipulation in which students are essentially bribed to do whatever they’re told. More broadly, even the label “school reform” doesn’t necessarily signify improvement; these days, it’s more likely to mean “something that skillful and caring teachers wouldn’t be inclined to do unless coerced,” as educational psychologist Bruce Marlowe put it.

In fact, the corporate-style version of “school reform” that’s uncritically endorsed these days by politicians, journalists, and billionaires consists of a series of debatable tactics — many of them amounting to bribes and threats to force educators to jack up test scores. Just as worrisome, though, is that these reformers often overlook, or simply violate, a number of propositions that aren’t debatable, including many of those listed here.

TICK!


So... I agree. Have I convinced you too? If not, go read the supports on the actual article and maybe then you will!
Can we start doing them more overtly now please?!

THAT Student...

Couldn't have said it better myself... (the following is from here although originally from here but so good I am reporting in full!)

Dear Parent,

I know. You're worried. Every day, your child comes home with a story about THAT kid. The one who is always hitting/shoving/pinching/scratching/maybe even biting other children. The one who always has to hold my hand in the hallway. The one who has a special spot at the carpet, and sometimes sits on a chair rather than the floor. The one who had to leave the block center because blocks are not for throwing. The one who climbed over the playground fence right exactly as I was telling her to stop. The one who poured his neighbor's milk onto the floor in a fit of anger. On purpose. While I was watching. And then, when I asked him to clean it up, emptied the ENTIRE paper towel dispenser. On purpose. While I was watching. The one who dropped the REAL ACTUAL F-word in gym class.

You're worried that THAT child is detracting from your child's learning experience. You're worried that he takes up too much of my time and energy, and that your child won't get his fair share. You're worried that she is really going to hurt someone someday. You're worried that "someone" might be your child. You're worried that your child is going to start using aggression to get what she wants. You're worried your child is going to fall behind academically because I might not notice that he is struggling to hold a pencil. I know.

Your child, this year, in this classroom, at this age, is not THAT child. Your child is not perfect, but she generally follows rules. He is able to share toys peaceably. She does not throw furniture. He raises his hand to speak. She works when it is time to work, and plays when it is time to play. He can be trusted to go straight to the bathroom and straight back again with no shenanigans. She thinks that the S-word is "stupid" and the C-word is "crap." I know.

I know, and I am worried, too.

You see, I worry all the time. About ALL of them. I worry about your child's pencil grip, and another child's letter sounds, and that little tiny one's shyness, and that other one's chronically empty lunch box. I worry that Gavin's coat is not warm enough, and that Talitha's dad yells at her for printing the letter "B" backwards. Most of my car rides and showers are consumed with the worrying.

But I know, you want to talk about THAT child. Because Talitha's backward "B"s are not going to give your child a black eye.

I want to talk about THAT child, too, but there are so many things I can't tell you.

I can't tell you that she was adopted from an orphanage at 18 months.

I can't tell you that he is on an elimination diet for possible food allergies, and that he is therefore hungry ALL. THE. TIME.

I can't tell you that her parents are in the middle of a horrendous divorce, and she has been staying with her grandma.

I can't tell you that I'm starting to worry that grandma drinks...

I can't tell you that his asthma medication makes him agitated.

I can't tell you that her mom is a single parent, and so she (the child) is at school from the moment before-care opens, until the moment after-care closes, and then the drive between home and school takes 40 minutes, and so she (the child) is getting less sleep than most adults.

I can't tell you that he has been a witness to domestic violence.

That's OK, you say. You understand I can't share personal or family information. You just want to know what I am DOING about That Child's behavior.

I would love to tell you. But I can't.

I can't tell you that she receives speech-language services, that an assessment showed a severe language delay, and that the therapist feels the aggression is linked to frustration about being unable to communicate.

I can't tell you that I meet with his parents EVERY week, and that both of them usually cry at those meetings.

I can't tell you that the child and I have a secret hand signal to tell me when she needs to sit by herself for a while.

I can't tell you that he spends rest time curled in my lap because "it makes me feel better to hear your heart, Teacher."

I can't tell you that I have been meticulously tracking her aggressive incidents for three months, and that she has dropped from five incidents a day, to five incidents a week.

I can't tell you that the school secretary has agreed that I can send him to the office to "help" when I can tell he needs a change of scenery.

I can't tell you that I have stood up in a staff meeting and, with tears in my eyes, BEGGED my colleagues to keep an extra close eye on her, to be kind to her even when they are frustrated that she just punched someone AGAIN, and this time, RIGHT IN FRONT OF A TEACHER.

The thing is, there are SO MANY THINGS I can't tell you about That Child. I can't even tell you the good stuff.

I can't tell you that his classroom job is to water the plants, and that he cried with heartbreak when one of the plants died over winter break.

I can't tell you that she kisses her baby sister goodbye every morning, and whispers "You are my sunshine" before mom pushes the stroller away.

I can't tell you that he knows more about thunderstorms than most meteorologists.

I can't tell you that she often asks to help sharpen the pencils during playtime.

I can't tell you that she strokes her best friend's hair at rest time.

I can't tell you that when a classmate is crying, he rushes over with his favorite stuffy from the story corner.

The thing is, dear parent, that I can only talk to you about YOUR child. So, what I can tell you is this:

If ever, at any point, YOUR child, or any of your children, becomes THAT child...

I will not share your personal family business with other parents in the classroom.

I will communicate with you frequently, clearly, and kindly.

I will make sure there are tissues nearby at all our meetings, and if you let me, I will hold your hand when you cry.

I will advocate for your child and family to receive the highest quality of specialist services, and I will cooperate with those professionals to the fullest possible extent.

I will make sure your child gets extra love and affection when she needs it most.

I will be a voice for your child in our school community.

I will, no matter what happens, continue to look for, and to find, the good, amazing, special, and wonderful things about your child.

I will remind him and YOU of those good, amazing, special, wonderful things, over and over again.

And when another parent comes to me, with concerns about YOUR child...

I will tell them all of this, all over again.

With so much love,
Teacher

P.S. From Shine - You may not have actually heard so much about THAT child as the year has progressed because they have worked hard to make positive changes as they begin to value themselves as I value them. I have even noticed them begin to acknowledge their successes and use strategies independently to deal with their unique challenges.

I am proud of the efforts they have made (and sometimes they let themselves feel that too) and I want you to know that their courage in the face of their own adversity has had positive impact on the academic and social life of all students in our learning environment.

It's Official! We Rock at READING!

I have spent many hours researching and comparing resources form various schools I have found online over the last two years to come up with a VERY comprehensive (but National Standard wise - unconfirmed/verified) list of approximations for who all the different reading level measurement systems fit together.
This has been frustrating.
There was never a clear answer as to if a student reading a PM fiction book with excellent comprehension (including inference) and fluency/expression at level 30 meant they were above a Year 4 or 5 or 6 level.

However...having finally got a definitive word on the match up between PM reading levels, National Standard reading levels, Reading Age year levels (etc etc) - and the official word that our running record source is our official one -  it turns out that my learning environment (which started out with many below and at risk readers) officially has NO BELOWS anymore for reading!

We have a number of ATs many ABOVES (including a few of the previous BELOWS) and a number of ABOVE ABOVES!

This is something I have been raving in celebration about in our room!
At this school the majority of our learners carry baggage that is not their own regarding their skills and abilities as learners and readers in particular. This is very frustrating as it impacts not only their current self perception but the aspirations they then neglect to envision for themselves.

Many will tell me they don't like reading - and I always respond with comments to clarify their thinking - when they are questioned it turns out it is not actually reading they don't like but the idea of being forced to read something they don't like (which means they had no input, choice or connection). Sometimes this is the situation created at home when they are tired, they have an instructional level book that they haven't connected with and reading has an aurora of chore rather than a positive-cuddle-sharing-fun-success time with caregivers.


Interestingly, this year many an attitude has changed as their awareness of what reading is has changed in their mind.
I often mention gaming as a powerful literacy environment - if your poppet is into Minecraft you can bet they have used their reading skills to sift through a ton of you tube video search results to find out how to make a certain thing or read an instruction text!

Please acknowledge these moments for what they are - the real world use of a valuable skill!

Nathan Mikaere-Wallis

I feel I cannot even begin to explain the impact this educator has had on my pedagogy, learning environment, attitude, personal philosophy and peace of mind this year.

I reference him a lot - in conversations with colleagues, parents, students and, most importantly, myself! (in this blog, most recently, here btw).

Attended part two of his lecture series here in Nelson tonight and am still overwhelmed with ... hmm, what is the word... validation probably is the closest one I can think of.

Tonight we recapped brain stages 1 and 2 and then completed with info on stage 3 and 4.
Not many weeks left of term for me to work on 4 - Executive Brain function but I will do my best!

He specifically referenced Lumosity for reinforcing and exercising executive brain function. I used to have a free account and really liked it until it asked me to pay. Now that he has mentioned it I am happy to pay a year subscription!
I'll let you know how it goes!

I wonder if there is a special school subscription! Gotta be better than study ladder!!

Stepping Up

Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time - we are the ones we have been waiting for and we are the change we seek.

Thanks for that Obama!

Gamification vs Intrinsic motivation

I began to watch this and realised I am a bit of a intrinsic motivation snob!

But then I kept watching.

Need a follow up now on Mark's ideas for putting this into practise. 

I'll look for some case studies.