Day 1: Values & Inquiry

A Whole School Approach

Introductions Values Education & Whole School Approaches DET Context Having a Vision Inquiry Learning Learning Power Ways of Knowing 8 step process Your school Leadership

Program for today – Inquiry Learning:

Ruth Deakin-Crick:At the heart of my research is a desire to understand processes of positive social change through learning and leadership, at individual, organisational and community levels. I began with a focus on learning and pedagogies for schooling in the 21st century: more recently I have widened that focus to its implications for work-based and organisational learning. A defining feature of my research is engagement with communities of practice. My overarching goal is to develop models of social change through research-led practice and knowledge exchange.

Senior Research Fellow, Graduate School of Education, University of Bristol, UK. Conjoint Professor of Education, University of Newcastle, Australia. Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Research Member of the Society for Organisational LearningE: Ruth.Deakin-Crick@bristol.ac.uk W: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/education/people/ruth-deakin-crick ViTaL Partnerships: www.vitalhub.net ELLI Online Web Questionnaire: www.ellionline.co.uk

Self

Why is inquiry learning important to you?

Why is inquiry learning important to students and learning in schools?

Introductions:

Bring inquiry into years 7-10 Able to have intelligent conversations with

pioneering schools We need to have our pedagogy and curriculum

integrated – for our kitchen garden programme To be able to work more intensely with our

students doing project based learning Engage more of our students in inquiry and to

improve Aiming to improve our inquiry based learning

particular with the ibl Developing a language of learning

Why are we here? Group Answers:

To get more information about ELLI, to get more students engaged in learning

To find out more about enquiry for teachers I want to develop my understanding of enquiry – to see it integrated in a

whole school approach To try and put together what this is all about – what can we put into place

in the senior school? Have clear outcomes for kids. To find out more about inquiry I’m curious about inquiry in the class room especially science and maths Looking for ‘another arrow for my quiver’ How can ELLI help with disengaged kids = and how can inquiry work in

science To incorporate ELLI in the primary area and the inquiry process Develop a richer way of thinking about pedagogy for 21c and implications

for leadership To find out about ELLI and to be able to work with colleagues who are

already working with these ideas

Why are we here? Group Answers:

To find about more about pedagogy that starts with the learner – and to be able to support schools

How to develop a culture of learning for the community – 2 way learning processes

Development of our own staff as leaders of learning

To learn from practitioners about how the ideas are applied in order to improve the research

Why are we here? Group Answers:

Values Education

Good Practice

School Planning

Partnerships with the school community

Quality teaching

Support for students

Safe and supportive learning

environments

Whole school approach

Values Education as defined by DEEWR:

school vision

curriculum and co-curriculum provision

organisation, structures and policies

funding priorities

decision-making arrangements

welfare and pastoral care

Whole School Approach:

Evidence based professional learning guiding this model

School effectiveness elements that enable daily individual and relational professional learning

Strategic Planning:

Performance Indicators

Community Sustainable Performance Indicators

Each person takes a turn in presenting their inquiry story.

The others listen and do not interrupt. The others then say back to the story teller,

what their story meant to them. The story teller then says their final word about

what has been heard.

Each person takes a turn. The group mind maps key points made. Each group shares with the whole group.

Inquiry – final word protocol:

A satellite = helping students see beyond the horizon. A fisherman = making it relevant and finding a way to hook

people into learning. A toolkit = a bunch of strategies to manage own learning Someone digging for treasure = encouraging kids to keep asking

the question why?

Based on relationships and developing trust, so that teachers can let go and students can reengage and ask questions. Based on constructivism – skills etc still need teaching explicitly. Individualised = journey for teachers and students but can be targeted. Encompassing other philosophies and approaches. A lot of tension between teaching to the test and EBL and students learning for themselves. Action based so teachers need to be passionate about their own learning.

A Map of Our Understandings re Inquiry Learning:

Allows and shows rich experience, gives students ownership, which motivates. Makes it relevant to them. Brings in critical thinking – reflect, think, investigate. Provides different opportunities for different kids at different stages.

Purposefulness of learning, facilitating and how that happens, where discovering or investigating falls into these. Partnerships and relationships that you build in this process of learning. Action learning – always happening. Harnessing natural learning = curiosity and wanting to learn (see 4 year olds). Similar stories brought up the same beliefs.

Cont:

All the above plus – successful enquiry stems from student choice, need to balance learning power and develop this through enquiry. We discussed the need for a very structured framework providing scaffolding asking deep rich questions for kids. Authentic learning –important to the students but meaningful in the community. Opportunities for self reflection and evaluation on the part of the students. Using resources from outside of school.

Continued:

Background

Learning Stations

Inventory

Spider Graphs

Interpretation

Learning Power – A Summary

Key Research Questions: What are the qualities and characteristics of

successful learners?

How can we develop assessment strategies which strengthen these qualities

How do we help learners to engage their life story, lifeworlds and communities in their learning?

LEARNING POWER

Self regulation Self

Esteem

Locus of control

Goal

orientation

Self

efficacy

Effort

Interest

School ethos

Curriculum & Assessment practices

Pedagogy

Home

family, community & tradition Peer

culture Cultural tools

Sense of

self as

learner

Worldviews & traditions

Skills & capacities

Awareness

Dispositions

SCOPING THE LEARNING POWER – BRISTOL UNIVERSITY

Seven Dimensions of Learning Power

Changing & learning Being stuck & static

Meaning making Data accumulation

Critical curiosity Passivity

Creativity Being rule bound

Learning relationships

Isolation & dependence

Strategic awareness Being robotic

Resilience Fragility & dependence

4 Stations on the learning journey (Deakin-Crick):

Self Competent Agent

IdentityDesireMotivation

Personal qualities

DispositionsAttitudesValues

Skills KnowledgeUnderstanding

Competent learnercitizenmathematicianArtisan etc

Personal Public

Double Helix of Learning(McGettrick 2002)

Knowledge Skills and Understanding

Attitudes, Values, Feelings, Dispositions, Motivation

Personal Development

Achievement

Develop explicit values, language & behaviours about successful school learning through:

Inventory

Metaphor

Narrative

Inquiry

Reflection

Learning Power:

“I see learning as something I can get better at, and myself as an improving learner. This often reflects a more general interest in ‘self-improvement’, and faith that this is possible. I have a sense of history and of hope. I tend to take ownership of my own learning, and like to be responsible for what I’m learning and how I go about it. I’m usually quite ready to ‘sign up’ to learning tasks that are presented to me”

Changing and learning v being stuck & static

“I like to get below the surface of things and see what is really going on. I like to work things out for myself, and to ask my own questions. I tend to go looking for things to understand better, rather than just responding to problems that come my way. I am usually excited by the prospect of learning, and have a good deal of energy for learning tasks and situations. In general, I’m attracted to learning and enjoy a challenge. I value getting at the truth.”

Critical curiosity v passivity

“I tend to look for patterns, connections and coherence in what I am

learning, and to seek links between new situations and what I already know or am interested in. I’m on the look-out for ‘horizontal meaning’ I like to make sense of new things in terms of my own experience, and I like learning about what matters

to me.”

Meaning making v Data accumulation

Or ‘springboard zone.’ Thinking around things Coming up with new

ideas, sometimes a bit crazy!

Trusting your hunches

Creativity

Or ‘gritty zone’! Not giving up,

even if it’s tough

Resilience

Inventory...Spider Graph Profile

Changing and learning

Learning relationships

Strategic Awareness

ResilienceCreativity

Meaning Making

Critical Curiosity

Eg: ELLI Profile

Develop your own icons

10.30am – 11am

Morning Tea

Brainstorm or map what is happening in your school re inquiry:

Students Teachers Leaders Community

Share & record

In your context:

12.30am – 1.15pm

Lunch

8 Step Inquiry Process:

Acting in the World

Choosing & Deciding

Observing & Describing

Questioning & Wondering

Uncovering storiesMapping & Navigating

Spanning & Connecting

Interacting & Incorporating

Reconciling & Validating

Through:

Sitting in a circle Describing an object...:

Hold it in your hands – what do you experience? Describe it – in as many different ways as possible... What questions can we ask...

Exploring Ways of Knowing:

Summarise your own understandings – similarities, differences, extensions

What does this mean you will need to be mindful of back in your own contexts

Reflect:

DET Strategic Factors:

School effectiveness elements that enable daily individual and relational professional learning

As a whole group, define our central concept:

Values Education and Inquiry Learning is about ...

Define Values Education, Inquiry & Essential Strategies:

Leadership

Stewardship Sitting on the balcony Perspective

LeadershipWho do we work with?

How will we work with them?

The Work of a Leader

The fundamental work of a leader is to create, maintain and improve a group of people so that they achieve objectives and continue to do so over time

Macdonald Associates Consultancy

How do we make time to build understandings about ourselves and each other – building learning relationships?

How can we share and respect each others’ perspectives?

How can we come to a common agreement about where to start and where we are going?

How can we construct shared plans of action - what are the elements of a school context that we need to consider?

How will we identify the scope – values, language and activities?

How will we know if we have been successful?

Questions for you:

Conclusion/Questions: