Beyond Appian Way?

I'm currently sitting collapsed on my couch in the lounge room, after approximately 36 hours of travel getting from Boston, MA to Sydney, NSW. I have a warm, fluffy, slightly overweight cat sitting on my lap and a cup of caffeine beside me, as my body tries to figure out what time zone I'm in. 
(For the record, I think I'm floating somewhere in the Pacific Ocean.)

So, in my attempts to somehow stay awake until a socially acceptable bedtime, I'm doing some reflecting on the events of the last week that have gotten me into this very unattractive, sleep-deprived state.

I've just come back from a week at Harvard Graduate School of Education, attending Project Zero Classroom - an annual summer institute that invites participants from all over the globe to share insights and understandings into the various ventures of the Project Zero researchers. 

I'm still getting a little thrill saying that I studied at Harvard.

Oh what's this? Why yes, It's my HARVARD ID.

I spent the week working 10 hour days, learning from some of the most incredible educational researchers and minds of this era. It was exhausting but absolutely exhilarating. I felt empowered, engaged and ready to take on the world - that was the atmosphere created by the forward-thinking group of participants who gathered for this conference. 

Oh look - I was in a lecture with HOWARD GARDNER! :O

Even in our most stressful moments, the positive energy created and facilitated by the attendees pulsated throughout campus, lifting us up and reassuring us that we are doing something amazing, not only for our students, but for our own development as teachers. This was achieved through our plethora of activities to make our thinking visible, including art assignments, thinking routines and a surprising amount of interpretive dance. You can check out some of our zany antics (and some truly stunning pictures of me) on our Smore here.

You heard it here first - Tissue paper is in this summer.

Sounds incredible, right?

It was.

So now, as my cat's fat rolls slowly envelop my legs and I drink caffeine to prevent any keyboard drooling, I'm starting to think formatively about my situation. What is the next piece of learning for me? Where should I go next?

As teachers, we know the best way to figure out our next stepping stone is to look back at where we have already walked. So this week, I'm going to be bringing to you my adventures at HGSE - the highlights of my foray into the depths that is Making Thinking Visible, and my reflections on how it can be used in a public school classroom. 

And, as per usual, feel free to languish in my wit and generally incredible humour.

In addition, I'm hoping to start up a 'study group' of sorts for interested parties, so that anyone who is interested in learning more about MTV, or just want to give it a go, can take part. If this tickles your fancy, feel free to tweet me @bswain1, or email me at brianna.swain1@det.nsw.edu.au

A little unhinged

No, this is not a hilarious reference to my mental state at the moment. I'm more like this:

Actually, I'm lucky to be participating in a Teacher Learning Community (TLC) this year - a group of teachers all reflecting upon our pedagogy and researching current trends associated with formative assessment (or Assessment for Learning).

A TLC is based in the research of the wonderful Dylan Wiliam, who maintains that formative assessment and feedback are tools for learning that have a massive impact on student achievement; a sentiment supported by John Hattie, who notes a 0.72 effect size on achievement. 

(For those not in the know, thats MASSIVE. An effect size of 0.4 is equal to 1 years academic growth. Feedback has an effect size of almost double that!)

Hattie's Barometer of effect sizes

In our TLC, we share success and failures, celebrate achievement and are constantly looking to improve our practice so to engage students in their learning. We bravely go where no teacher (at our school) has gone before - trying out new techniques and working collaboratively on seamless integration of content into previous programming.

My area of focus at the moment? Hinge questions!

Hinge questions are a tool that can be used about halfway through a lesson to gauge student understanding. Usually presented in a multiple choice format, they act as a reflection point for students, but also a pedagogical road map for the teacher to direct future learning.

BUT....these are no regular questions!

Hinge questions not only assist in determining whether students understand the content, but also allow a teacher to consider a student's cognitive decision making process, and the thought patterns behind selecting a certain response. It's not about getting the only answer, its about determining which answer is most correct, and justifying why.

Awesome, right?

Taylor Swift really loves a good hinge question.

So as I began my hinge question quest, I started by doing some research into what makes a real cracker of a hinge question - because if I was going to do this, I wanted to do it right.

I found they were a little more complicated that I initially thought - in fact the 'hinge' questions I had been posing to my students were a little unhinged - they weren't really giving me the feedback I needed for my teaching.

I stumbled across this post by Sally Heldsinger on Assessment Community that really broke down what a great hinge question should entail. She notes that hinge questions should show a student's developing understanding of a concept, so by considering their answers, we can see the depth of understanding the student has about a given topic.

She also had this lovely quote from Margaret Heritage (2010), that I really think encapsulates the importance of feedback:

'...Assessment is not unidirectional, but rather involves both teachers and students in a reciprocal activity to move learning forward within a community of practice. This reciprocal activity is characterised by teachers and students engaged in responding to evidence about learning, minute-by-minute, day-by-day, through the provision of scaffolding, self-monitoring, and self regulation on the part of the students'

I love the idea of assessment being a symbiotic relationship - it is an activity that benefits both parties, and enriches our understanding of the other's purpose in the teaching-learning relationship. Unfortunately, I think this ideal is somewhat lost  in the typical 'assessment for assessment's sake' ideology that is all too present in schools currently. 

I know it sounds all butterflies and unicorn farts - too idealistic, overly optimistic for your everyday school - but if we can do it in classes we've fondly nicknamed 'The Behaviour Unit', then I think it's possible anywhere.

I'm still on a journey of discovery with hinge questions, so if you have any insights, discoveries or burning questions, share below!

Apples don't fall far from the tree

Prepare for a short rant.

Last Sunday, there was a violent altercation between two men who are considered very prominent in Australian society. These men were not under the influence of alcohol or narcotics, and in fact, this conflict occurred on a sunny afternoon in plain sight.

Sydney has just undergone a complete overhaul of laws and punishments for 'one-punch' violence in areas of the city. If this fight had gone differently - if one of those punches had landed in the wrong place, one of these men could have been seriously injured or killed. 

Yet, plastered across the front of every newspaper, featured prominently on news webpages, mercilessly mocked by radio presenters and in drawn out segments in the nightly news, these two men have been made cannon fodder, with this violent and pointless disagreement dissected minutely by every media outlet in the country.

What is our fascination with the downfall of others? This need to pull others down, cruelly mock them when they misstep, 'tear them a new one' if you will.  The Germans have a word for it. Schadenfreude - taking enjoyment out of other's pain. We feed on it - the hungry masses devouring this news of the mighty that have fallen.

And we wonder why kids are so cruel.

On a daily basis, we break up punch ups in the playground, chastise children for insulting each other's mothers, and listen to language used by 10 year olds that would make a sailor blush.

'Where do they get it from?!' we moan. 'Why do they solve everything with violence?!'

Well, perhaps its because Australian media THRIVES on it. We love violence. It's a no-no, so therefore it's cool and it's sexy. We smell blood and scream for more - why else would the media so readily cover any violent altercation over perhaps more meaningful and vital news?

I'm tuning out this week. I don't want to see two neanderthals in track pants solving an issue in a primitive and immature matter. There is so many more important things happening out there. Such as the 300 young Nigerian women who were kidnapped for seeking an education. Or perhaps that there was a large earthquake off the coast of PNG causing a tsunami warning. Or that this young man was murdered in Argentina in a botched robbery.

I want my students to be critical thinkers, who question what they see and read,  who think beyond the byline and see the real motive behind a story. Apples don't fall from the tree, so this week I'm going to lead by example. 

I urge you to do the same - question what our media considers 'news' this week.

The deadly demise of the textbook

After spending a morning shoving my face full of dumplings and going to a fish spa (yep, that's a thing here), I've settled into a lazy afternoon of programming and Notebook creation (and procrasti-blogging, it seems) which gives me a chance to start to organise everything for Term 2. 

I'm pretty adjusted now to my school's style of programming, but when I met my prac student for the first time about a month ago, she looked at me with eyes the size of dinner plates when I explained how we develop our lessons.

"You don't use textbooks?!" she said quietly, panic registering on her face.

"Yeah, we're a hands on kinda school." I replied with sly smile on mine.

Why was I smiling? Because the exact same panicked thoughts ran rampant through my head when I first started at my school. I couldn't see how my kidlets would learn without filling in a worksheet or textbook page to 'consolidate their knowledge'. I was lost as to how making human sentences, or creating 3D shapes with play dough would support my student's understanding of the content. After all, that's what we're taught at uni and on prac.

Within the teaching of my first lesson, my view changed completely.

Why have students answering mentals style questions when you can have them physically modelling their understanding? Why write down answers in a book when you can show your knowledge creative manner? Who says the teacher's answer is the only answer?

This is the beauty of the hands on learning style my school takes - students spend time with the teacher, who activates prior knowledge and models the concepts, and then hands the reins over to students to experiment and explore the idea in a practical manner.

Keep in mind I'm teaching a 4/5 composite, not Year 1 students. There IS a place for hands on and play based exploration in Upper Primary. In fact, I'll go out on and a limb and say its absolutely crucial for students of all ages to learn through experience.

Its our duty as teachers to cater for all student's learning needs - and often these needs cannot be met through rote learning of concepts within a textbook. Our students are no different in this sense from kids 20 years ago, but we're just more aware of it now.

Where's the proof I hear you say? Why are there bookshops chockers full of books that tout they improve student understanding? 

Because its easy. Its much less work to assign a page in a book, or copy a worksheet that to develop a hands on experience for a class - and we as teachers are INCREDIBLY time poor.

But I challenge you - give it a go. Chuck out your textbook! Burn your worksheets! Drag out those dice! Even if its just for one lesson, change it up and watch your student engagement soar.

Feel free to share your hands on experiences below :)

The rise of the third/fourth/fifth culture kid

I'm in Singapore at the moment, enjoying a break from the madness that is my class. Although I'm not in my home, curled up on the couch surrounded by marking, I'm still at home. 

Why? I was a third culture kid. An ex-expat brat. Singapore is my second home.

I was lucky enough to spend 4 years living here, and studying at the Australian International School, where my mother worked (and is working at again now).  I was 14 when I moved here, and I would say that I 'grew up' in Singapore, as spending those formative teenage years in a culture so different to my own has shaped me into the individual I am today.

My younger brother, however, is a fifth culture kid. 

He spent time living and studying in Singapore, England and Abu Dhabi - he actually completed his education with a British qualification, and is now studying at an Australian university. Talk about culturally confused.

When you ask a third culture kid; that is a child who is living in a culture other than their own and that of their parents; where they are from, the answer is far from simple. Are you referring to their home culture, their parent's culture that they have been raised in, or the place they are living now?

And how about when multiple languages are brought into the equation? You may ask a child this simple question in English, but to answer it, they must first translate it to their first language in their head, answer it, then translate the answer back all within a socially acceptable timeframe so they don't look stupid.
 

Mean Girls is a great illustration of the life of a TCK. And is also hilarious.

Now, don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade my expat experience for anything - travelling the world, gaining an understanding an appreciation for cultures other than my own, developing a global mindset and receiving an international education - all positives and all amazing, life changing experiences that make me the fabulous individual I am today.

But just stop and think for a second. Reflect on your classroom/school/educational environment. 

How many children in your classroom are living in their own culture, and culture of their parents?

In my current class, I cannot name one student who is living in their family's home culture.

Think about the effect this would have upon your students - these children are developing a sense of identity in a world that is full of cultural idiosyncrasies that they must assimilate into their own sense of self. The battle of their family culture, their home culture, and how it fits into the social mores of the culture they live in will often clash and contradict, leaving the child unsure of what is 'right'. In addition, some are constantly translating between multiple languages, attempting to grasp a concept that is difficult in one language, let alone two.

And with all this going on - we expect them to SIT DOWN, STOP TALKING, STOP FIDDLING AND LISTEN!!!!

We need to consider that we are not educating the all - Australian (or all - American, all - Singaporean, whichever 'culture' you teach in) child anymore. In fact, all our students are living in cultures other than their own - technology makes sure of that for our 21st Century learners.

As teachers, we need to take on a  global mindset when teaching, even if our entire class is living in their home culture, because their experience of their world and their development of 'culture' is one that does not follow geographical borders anymore - it is unbounded.

Don't use the 'w' word!

WORK!

That's right, I said it!
W-O-R-K. Wearisome, Ordinary, Repetitive, Killjoys.

It's a word we use in our everyday life as part of common vocabulary - to describe our occupation, our studies, our chores and the mundane things we fill our lives with.

But when 'work' comes into the classroom, it becomes a naughty no-no word.

Hands up all those who have said one of these phrases this week?

"Hurry up and get on with your work!"

"Have you started your work yet?"

"YOU'VE HAD TWENTY MINUTES. WHY HAVEN'T YOU FINISHED ALL YOUR WORK?!?!"

Don't worry, this is a safe place, no judgements - happens to the best of us.

This year, I've tried to eliminate the 'w' word from my classroom. Doesn't mean I don't say it every now and then - I'm not perfect, and it sometimes slips out - but I've made a conscious effort not to use the big bad W in my room. 
(Note: in my defence, our spelling program is called 'Word Work', so it does occasionally have its place!)

"Why?" I hear you mumble discontentedly, "Students have content to learn and outcomes to achieve, and to do that they need to wo..."

SHHH! Don't use the 'w' word!

Don't make him fire the giant 'laser' at you.

'Work' is a word that has a strong negative connotation associated with it - it's a chore, a job or a task that needs to get done - not something to be enjoyed and cherished.

'Work' is an activity that is completed at a desk, has a time limit, and has one answer. 

'Work' is the completion of a task, a finite process that has an end in sight, something that is started with the intention of being finished, and won't be built upon or extended further.

"So," I hear you sigh in resignation "What do you propose I should say if I can't use the 'w' word?"

It's quite simple really: Learning.

Hands up all those who have said one of these phrases this week?

"Hurry up and get on with your learning!"
"Have you started your learning yet?"
"YOU'VE HAD TWENTY MINUTES. WHY HAVEN'T YOU FINISHED ALL YOUR LEARNING?!?!"

Boxes are great, but it's also interesting how a simple change of verb renders the sentence nonsensical.

'Learning' is a natural human impulse; a process of discovery, curiosity and innovation that results in self gratification and a thirst for knowledge.

'Learning' is a process that is achievable in any setting or context. It is not contained in any one activity -  it is multidisciplinary, breaking down borders and barriers and allowing students to make meaningful connections between content, skills and knowledge.

'Learning' is not something that ever finishes - it is an ongoing, infinite process that is not contained within the four walls of the classroom; that is continued in every facet of our lives and is constantly enriching our understanding our selves and the world around us.

In fact, it could be said that Learning Never Stops! (Pfft - how clever am I?!)

So why change? Why eliminate the woeful 'w' word?
This simple switch in language can make a massive difference in a child's perspective of schooling. 

The late Rita Pierson states "Children don't learn from people they don't like" - whether we want to believe it or not, this statement has an element of truth within it.  Maslow's 1943 Hierarchy of Human Needs is the proof in the pudding, so to speak -  he theorises that students thrive in educational environments in which they feel safe, confident, respected and enjoy.

No one enjoys 'work' - it's a process designed to get stuff done, not for developing a sense of fulfilment!

So - are your students 'workers' or 'learners'?

"Alright Miss Swain, I'm convinced!" I hear you trill excitedly. "But how do we make the switch? How do we facilitate this shift in thinking?"

Use the 3 M's!

©BSwain 2014

In a nutshell: 

• Model - Use the language
• Monitor - look/listen for the language in discussion
• Maintain - encourage it/keep it up!

Yes, it's not a cure all, and seems simple - but sometimes the simplest things are the most effective.

We're always talking about how we can 'get' these kids, our 21st Century Learners who are 'disengaged in the classroom' and 'don't care about their learning'. Could the answer be simply that we're using 19th Century metalanguage (i.e. workers) with 21st Century kids?

You said it, Boromir.

Well, I know that's not the answer to the entire issue of engagement, but its a start!

Give it a go - eliminate the 'w' word from your pedagogical vocabulary and start your students 'learning'. I promise it won't be too much 'work'.

How do you measure success?

Today was a day in which I felt successful.
Everything went well - students were well behaved regardless of wet weather (unlike previously, as described here), they were focused and they LEARNT SOMETHING.
In fact, it is the first time I have felt successful with my class this year - we've had a fairly eventful and rocky start.

Success is a word we throw around a lot in education. Success of our education system, success as a school, teacher success, student success. We are always brainstorming and reinventing our definition of success as a staff, a stage, as individuals. We ask ourselves What does it look like? Feel like? Sound like?

That's right Ladies and Gentlemen, get out your Y charts.

Richard St. John, in his 2005 TED talk 8 Secrets of Success takes years of research and attempts to define what makes a person successful.

If you're a visual learner like myself, this screenshot will help you consolidate that speedy presentation:

So, basically, St. John says we need to work hard and love what you do. So, by that definition I must be DROWNING in success.

Truth be known, in its own abstract nature, success is a concept that manifests uniquely for each individual. The 'face' of success has a different look and a different feel for everyone. There's no overarching imagery we can use paint a picture of success - in fact, this is as about as close as we get:

Clichéd, I know. But look at his little face!

Success is something that we as humans strive for - that feeling of satisfaction from achieving something that we have worked our sweet little tushes off for. In fact, success is something that our individualistic western society has come to expect of us - if we're not striving for success, then what the hell are we doing?

So, with its individual 'face' that looks, feels and sounds different to all of us - how can we measure the abstract concept of success in our students?

We, as teachers, attempt to measure success in a multitude of ways - from achieving 'expected' academic growth in the long term; down to getting them to JUST SIT STILL FOR FIVE MINUTES, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD in the short term.

Our students measure success by achieving their learning goals, by accomplishing success criteria and seeing an improvement in their report marks. Maybe. We hope.

But what about teacher success? When do we get a chance to measure how successful we are? When do we stop to focus on our own accomplishments and achievements? Do our students have to achieve 'success' for us to feel successful?

Judy Halbert and Linda Klaser, the geniuses behind Spirals of Inquiry, have developed four key questions that allow students to reflect on their own learning and understanding.

• Can you name two people in this school/setting who believe that you can be a success in life?
• Where are you going with your learning?
• How are you going with your learning?
• Where are you going next with your learning?

Our staff ask these questions routinely of our students to act as insight upon our own pedagogy. And it is insightful - we use these comments to realign our practice and really refocus on what our students need to feel success in their learning. (To read more about this, you can read their full paper here)

But, perhaps, we should be asking these questions routinely of ourselves. Our feelings of accomplishment should not always be directly correlated with student achievement. Considering Richard St. John's perspective, even if our students are not 'successful', we are - because we persevere even when they don't get it, we are passionate about developing student understanding and we are incredibly dedicated, even when it's really hard.

Hell, somedays, just getting out of bed after one alarm is a success.

So, ask yourself those 4 key questions:

• Can you name two people in your world who believe that you can be a success as a teacher?
• Where are you going with your teaching?
• How are you going with your teaching? (and what makes you say that?)
• Where are you going next with your teaching? 

What does the 'face' of success look and feel like for you, and how do you measure success in your pedagogy?