What is learning?

What makes a good comedian?

Learning is the Hedgehog Concept of schools

Where does learning happen in schools?

FOUR STATES RELATED TO LEARNING

• New

• Consolidated

• Treading Water

• Drowning

What learning isn’t.

Learning isn’t…

brand new.

Learning isn’t…

being busy.

Learning isn’t…

about current performance.

Learning isn’t…

necessarily quick.

KNOWLEDGE

• Is relatively self-contained

• Is agreed and verifiable

• Is ‘on’ or ‘off’

• Is continually increasing

Thinking about knowledge

Essential knowledge

• The monarchy in Thailand is held in high esteem by the majority of Thai people.

Essential knowledge

• Paris is the capital of France.

Motivational knowledge

Motivational - (Gee Whizz!)

• The average bee produces one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in its lifetime. (Horizons, March 2003)

Motivational - (Gee Whizz!)

• Henry David Thoreau once burnt down 300 acres of forest trying to cook a fish he had caught for supper. (The Times, 17 April 2003)

Transformational

• The annual budget of the Afghan government is around $460m – about one half of the monthly US military spend in Afghanistan. (The Guardian, 18 March)

Transformational

• The average sale price of a house in Detroit is $7100.00.

Wall Street Journal, September 2009

Can we identify knowledge that is….

Essential…Motivational…Transformational

SKILLS

• Are active

• Have to be encountered in practice

• Change from beginning...through developing...through mastering

• Are surprisingly stable

While teaching for understanding is a vital aim of schooling it is only one of many. We are thus not suggesting here that all teaching be geared at all

times towards deep and sophisticated understanding. Clearly, there are circumstances when this depth is neither feasible nor desirable.

Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, ‘Understanding by Design’

Only Understanding?

‘Why have I recorded the Goldberg Variations again after 20 years?

Andreas Schiff, pianist, 2003

I think I understand it a little better now.’

It’s too soon to tell.

What do you think of the Chinese invasion of Tibet?

The Dalai Lama

‘The ability to generate a novel and philosophical idea is something one labours at

over a lifetime.’

Colin McGinn, Professor of Philosophy, Rutgers University.

In Prospect magazine, November 2003

The pre-frontal cortex is where our most complex thinking takes place. Recent evidence

tells us that the pre-frontal cortex doesn’t mature until somewhere between 18 and 23

years of age.

The pre-frontal cortex

‘...what is required for optimal cognition is a fluid balance between modes of mind that are

effortful, purposeful, detailed and explicit on the one hand and those that are playful, patient and

implicit on the other. We need to be able to generate ideas, and also to evaluate them.

Guy Claxton, Hare Brain, Tortoise Mind, 1997

Slow Thinking

UNDERSTANDING

• Important - but

• Complex

• Fleeting

• Unpredictable

• Inconsistent

What is the relationship between knowledge, skills and understanding?

Understanding

Skills

Knowledge

Under stand ing

K now ledge

Skill s

Is there any learning going on?

Is the learning appropriate?

Is the learning sufficient?

How is the context helping the learning?

How is the context hindering the learning?

New Consolidating Treading Water

Drowning

Knowledge

Skills

Understanding

Dr Robinson – “I am learning what a shield wall is”

Mrs Dolan – “I am learning how to examine maps to understand positioning”

Mr Dunster – “I thought William was the Prince nowadays – now I’m really confused”

Mrs Williams – “I learned all about 1066 last year”

Ms Northey – “I did do this last year but I had forgotten about the HusCarls”

Mr Macrae – “I like to examine sources of evidence. I have practised comparing them today”

Mr Lowde – “I feel I understand why nuclear deterrent is favoured by politicians”

History - SLT

Battle of Hastings

What helps learning happen?

Health and Diet

Dispositions

‘The view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you live your life.’

Carol Dweck, ‘Mindset’2006

‘Believing that your qualities are carved in stone - the fixed mindset - creates an urgency to prove

yourself over and over. Every situation is evaluated: Will I succeed or fail? Will I look smart or dumb? Will I be accepted or rejected? Will I feel

like a winner or a loser’

Carol Dweck, ‘Mindset’2006

‘The growth mindset is based on the belief that your basic qualities are things that you can cultivate through your efforts. You can see how this believe creates a passion for learning. Why hide deficiencies instead of overcoming them? Why seek out the tried and true instead of experiences that will

challenge you? Why look for friends who will shore up your self-esteem instead of ones

who will also challenge you?’

Carol Dweck, ‘Mindset’2006

Motivation

‘The research suggests that once a musician has enough ability to get into a top music school, the

thing that distinguishes one performer from another is how hard he or she works. That’s it.’

Malcolm Gladwell, ‘Outliers, The Story of Success’2008

‘Practice isn’t the thing you do once you are good. It’s the thing you do that makes you

good.’

Malcolm Gladwell, ‘Outliers, The Story of Success’2008

Differentiation

FOUR KINDS OF DIFFERENTIATION

Learning styles

Multiple Intelligences

Developmentally appropriate tasks

Feedback

• According to multiple intelligence theory, there are nine basic types of

intelligence. Visual-spatial

Verbal-linguistic Logical-mathematical

Bodily-kinesthetic Musical-rhythmic

Interpersonal Intrapersonal Naturalistic Existential

D-mode Thinking

• finds answers, rather than examines question

• treats perception as unproblematic• values explanation over observation• likes explanations which are

justifiable and non-intuitive • seeks clarity, dislikes confusion• operates with a sense of urgency

and impatience• purposeful rather than playful• precise

Slow Thinking

‘Our most serious problems are not technical, nor do they arise from inadequate information.

Despite the … introduction of project and course work,students continue to be largely assessed, at school...and university, on their ability to manipulate data under pressure of time.

The possibility that work depends on ideas and that ideas differin their quality as well as their up-to-dateness, and that quality takes time to mature, seems to be almost universally dismissed.’

Guy Claxton

‘...what is required for optimal cognition is a fluid balance between modes of mind that are

effortful, purposeful, detailed and explicit on the one hand and those that are playful, patient and

implicit on the other. We need to be able to generate ideas, and also to evaluate them.

Guy Claxton, Hare Brain, Tortoise Mind, 1997

Slow Thinking

Memory

What makes a learning-focused school different?

Culture:

‘The Way we Do Things Around Here’

Effective Schools share two characteristics. First, they are

driven by learning. Second, they achieve high levels of

consistency.

Joe Murphy, 1998

Learning

We’ve been doing this for so long...

Curriculum

Assessment

Resources

Teaching

We are reversing the process

Should we have been doing this?

Learning Assessment

Resources

Teaching

Curriculum

The Four Quadrant Model

1211

109

8

1

7

65

4

3

2

13

1

23

4

5

67

8

910

11

1213

6

13

12

1110

9

78

12

3

45

Source: Adapted from A Brief History of Everything, Ken Wilbur. Shambhala Publications, Inc. Boston 2000

1

2

34

5

6

78

9

10

1112

13

I IT

WE ITS

Building the Learning Focused School – The 4 Quadrant Model

Systems and structures

Evidence - both soft and hard

Collective Passion

Individual Passion

What’s the difference between ‘x’ and a learning-

focused ‘x’?

Let’s think about 6 different elements

Continuous Improvement Plans

Recruitment

Displays

Newsletters

Classroom Visits

Parent Consultation Evenings

Personal Passion

- Focused on others and not themselves- Learners- Learners about learning- Outcome focused- Resilient- Conventionally good teachers

Source: The Looking for Learning Toolkit, 2008www.lookingforlearning.co.uk

Building the Learning Focused School – The 4 Quadrant Model

Individual Passion for Learning – Your Attitude

Are you a teacher, or a teacher for learning? (‘Self’ or ‘Other’ oriented)

How much have you learned about learning in the past year?

How have you altered your teaching this year to improve learning?

What question do you ask yourself at the end of each day/week/term?

Collective passion

- Individual and collective- Different, therefore equal- Assertive, not aggressive- Consent, not consensus- Self-regulating- Situational- ‘Now’ and ‘Future’

Source: The Looking for Learning Toolkit, 2008www.lookingforlearning.co.uk

Building the Learning Focused School – The 4 Quadrant Model

Individual Passion for Learning – Your Attitude

Are you a teacher, or a teacher for learning?

(‘Self’ or ‘Other’ oriented?)

How much have you learned about learning in the past year?

How have you altered your teaching this year to improve learning?

What question do you ask yourself at the end of each day/week/term?

Collective Passion for Learning – Our Attitude

How well do colleagues differentiate each other?

How many discussions have two or more people had about learning in their classrooms? - Collaboration about learning

How frequently do learning discussions occur?

Building the Learning Focused School – The 4 Quadrant Model

Individual Passion for Learning – Your Attitude

Are you a teacher, or a teacher for learning? (‘Self’ or ‘Other’ oriented?)

How much have you learned about learning in the past year?

How have you altered your teaching this year to improve learning?

What question do you ask yourself at the end of each day/week/term?

Collective Passion for Learning – Our Attitude

How well do colleagues differentiate each other?

How many discussions have two or more people had about learning? - Collaboration about learning?

How frequently do learning discussions occur?

Your school’s systems and structures

How well does your school monitor classroom learning?

What proportion of staff meetings are about learning?

Is your school improvement plan learning-focused?

Do you have learning-focused parents evenings, newsletters, displays etc?

Structures and Systems

- Displays- Newsletters- Planning- Meetings- Monitoring- Feedback (to students, teachers, parents,

Boards etc)

Source: The Looking for Learning Toolkit, 2008www.lookingforlearning.co.uk

Building the Learning Focused School – The 4 Quadrant Model

Individual Passion for Learning – Your Attitude

Are you a teacher, or a teacher for learning? (‘Self’ or ‘Other’ oriented)

How much have you learned about learning in the past year?

How have you altered your teaching this year to improve learning?

What question do you ask yourself at the end of each day/week/term?

Collective Passion for Learning – Our Attitude

How well do colleagues differentiate each other?

How many discussions have two or more people had about learning? - Collaboration about learning

How frequently do learning discussions occur?

Your school’s systems and structures

How well does your school monitor classroom learning?

What proportion of staff meetings are about learning?

Is your school improvement plan learning-focused?

Do you have learning-focused parents evenings, newsletters, displays etc?

Evidence for learning – soft and hard

Does evidence inform your school improvement plan?

Are you assessing and evaluating the right things?

Do you use a mix of soft and hard evidence?

How do you judge whether learning is happening in your classroom?

How would you describe your school?

Lucky Leading

Losing Learning

How would you describe your school?

Lucky Leading

Losing Learning

Good results, low understanding

of antecedents

Replication of success unlikely

How would you describe your school?

Lucky Leading

Losing Learning

Good results, low understanding

of antecedents

Replication of success unlikely

Not good enough results,

low understanding

of antecedents

Replication of failure likely

How would you describe your school?

Lucky Leading

Losing Learning

Good results, low understanding

of antecedents

Replication of success unlikely

Not good enough results,

low understanding

of antecedents

Replication of failure likely

Not good enough results,

high understanding

of antecedents

Delivery of success likely

How would you describe your school?

Lucky Leading

Losing Learning

Good results, low understanding

of antecedents

Replication of success unlikely

Not good enough results,

low understanding

of antecedents

Replication of failure likely

Not good enough results,

high understanding

of antecedents

Delivery of success likely

Good results, high understanding

of antecedents

Replication of success likely

The Learning Dashboard

Evidence- ABOUT TESTS and EXAMS- Focusing on the learning that matters- About pre and post

- ABOUT COMPLETED WORK

- ABOUT LEARNING IN ACTION- Are they busy, or are they busy

learning (L4L)- About factors that affect learning- About personal passion, collective

passion, structures and systems

Source: The Looking for Learning Toolkit, 2008www.lookingforlearning.co.uk