The issue of Learning Design

Learning revolution or pathway to ignorance?

This blog post is about a 2018 article and a Radio NZ podcast. It was discussing the future of NCEA and teaching secondary school:

  https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/insight/audio/2018670501/learning-revolution-or-pathway-to-ignorance

It was interesting to listen to the different principals and I gained an understanding of how other schools are trying to modernise their teaching and learning. One of the concepts I am interested in is learning design and this relates to my inquiry topic.

The first principal to speak was Murray Abraham  from Hobsonville Point School

At his school the ākonga study Modules and these are from combining 2 subjects. 

Ākonga are involved in the design of context of learning and they also do Project based learning: -https://sites.google.com/hobsonvillepoint.school.nz/hpss/curriculum/project-learning?authuser=0

The principals talked about families are struggling to understand they changing learning design. Andy Kai Fong  is our principal at Haeata Community Campus and he said that Haeata's underlying philosophy is providing a model for ākonga to manage, direct and create their own learning. This is quite different because it is not subject based. In 2018 our senior ākonga did Korowai - which is a cross curricular package of learning for year 11 -13. At Haeata we are still using NCEA as this is the currency of their next step for further qualifications. But really at Haeata we are developing the skills for ākonga to be successful in life. Now in 2019 we are using more individual projects for NCEA and using Kaupapa ako workshops for ākonga years 7 -13.

Peter Brooks, the principal at Freyberg High School stated at his school integrated subjects didn't work. Brooks acknowledged that teachers have their own passions. Brooks said that there's no evidence that it works but they are using flipped learning and they have a flexible, modern learning environment.

Mark Wilson from Cashmere High School believes that for Primary School is okay to have project based learning but believes the way this is being pushed into secondary school is eroding specialised instruction and knowledge. Mark Wilson states that videos & direct instruction can't happen in big open planned learning environment. Mark Wilson believes there should be personalised learning but he wants his school to hang on to individual subjects and believes there should be a middle ground.

Avondale High School is a decile 4 school with good NCEA results. They don't have a focus on traditional learning but instead encourage collaborative, nimble and critical thinkers. They empower ākonga not by letting them roam freely but providing new skills. Students are the centre of education and teachers are facilitators of learning. They also focus on the real world and new framing of curriculum (unclear of what they should do).

Interesting to note the speaker from Victoria University, Bronwyn Wood, talked about huge gaps in knowledge for first year students (who have self-led learning & NCEA) studying Maths and Science and now their courses are about filling these gaps. Do digital age students need a different education that had gone before them? I disagree with her as not all students have feel successful with the old way of schooling. Style of curriculum delivery, degree of choice for students. Her information is based on 2 year research programme with 5 schools teaching senior level social studies using the inquiry approach. "Knowledge" fell out ...strong teacher oversight to ensure students learn what they need to know. Middle way - makes the most of new technology while maintaining the importance of subject specialists. 

At Albany Senior High School, the principal, Claire Amos provides 1 day a week to focus on large scale, long term impact projects. Amos believes to deconstruct and reconstruct the curriculum you need very deep curriculum knowledge. Amos says you need threshold concepts and skills before you integrate it with another subject. Amos asks this question: What are the fundamental things a student needs to learn?

Amos believes this is not just subjects for NCEA but also self management, collaboration, complex communication, creativity, learning outside the school gate, a "fit for purpose" education.

Claire Amos is really interesting and I am going to explore her ideas further by following her on Twitter and I have also found her blog: 
https://teachingandelearning.blogspot.com/2018/08/the-principal-diaries-my-lens-on.html

NCEA review - tail to wag the dog?