Thoughts on Pedagogy and Space

August 31, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Pedagogy and space are inextricably linked. They are not mutually exclusive. Progressive pedagogies can exist within even the most traditional of spaces, as can traditional pedagogies in the most modern and contemporary space. Space shouldn’t be used as an excuse for a particular approach to teaching and learning but often schools are restricted by their physical space and lack the necessary budgets or locations to physically change the infrastructure of their buildings.

So without access to new buildings and significant budgets for new furniture what can be done to transform existing spaces? Here are four simple things that can disrupt the traditional way of thinking about how a classroom environment operates.

1. Remove the front of the room

Arrange the room so that there is no “front” of the room. This is actually easier than it sounds with some judicious placing and rearranging of existing furniture. What this does is change the dominant paradigm of teacher standing at the front, students facing the teacher, and teacher delivering the required information to students. Our Vision for Learning talks about what we believe when it comes to pedagogy – “We believe that the preferred kind of pedagogy is learner-centred and learner-driven, project-based and experiential by nature, interspersed with purposeful periods of direct instruction.” Purposeful is the key word here as direct instruction is still important but it shouldn’t be the dominant style of pedagogy.

2. Create multiple focal points

This supports the idea of removing the front of the room. Instead of purchasing an expensive interactive whiteboard or a 90″ LCD screen, purchase 4 smaller LCD screens and position them either on stands or mounted on swivels at various locations around the room. Also provide a wireless presentation gateway to each room.  We use the WiPG-2000 as a wireless presentation gateway which allows a single device to project to multiple screens or for a screen to have 4 devices connected to it simultaneously as a 4-way split screen. This allows students and teachers to connect, share and collaborate in new and various ways.

3. Have less chairs than students

This one is simple. Have less chairs than students. This can cause a serious rethink about how a class operates.

4. Create different height work spaces

This doesn’t necessarily require the purchase of new furniture, just get creative. We have used old student lockers as standing work spaces, or have reused old whiteboards and re-purposed them as collaborative work tables.

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Influencing a Learning Culture

August 12, 2016 by Leave a Comment

The theme of the recent PDN Principals conference was Influence and it aimed to provide a rich and rewarding exchange of ideas and possibilities; arousing intellectual curiosity with world class researchers and speakers that included Emeritus Professor Christopher Day,  Dr John Edwards, and Andrew Griffiths.

In keeping with the theme, the title of my keynote was Influencing a Learning Culture. I shared the five things that I believe have the biggest impact on influencing a learning culture. In summary,

1. Create a shared vision.

In creating a vision I’m not talking about a generic vision statement here, not something that looks exactly like every other school in the world that says something about innovation, differentiation, personalized learning and independent learners, I’m talking about a collaboratively constructed, shared vision for the future of learning.

2. Shift from passive to active.

Shift the notion that professional learning is something that is done to you as opposed to something that you do for yourself. Implement the concept of a learning project.

3. Provide permission.

People need to know that innovation isn’t about devaluaing anyone’s work. Innovation isn’t necessarily a deficit statement. Being innovative however requires us to step outside of the normal and suspend our biases. Suspending our biases allows us to develop a capacity to disassociate from the way things have always been done. By developing this capacity we give ourselves permission to innovate.

4. Make your default “yes”.

As a leader make your default answer “yes.” Say “yes” to everything. Encourage all ideas. Even the ridiculous ones. If you really want to create an environment that allows for innovation, big innovation is right on the edge of ridiculous ideas. That means you support every single idea that comes to you from your teaching staff – ask them to try their ideas, to evaluate it, to refine it and then to share it widely.

5. Tell people they’re awesome.

Teachers have one of the most important jobs in the world and many if not all of them work so hard, day in day out, often working late into the night every night, trying to create the most memorable learning experiences that they can for kids.
To positively influence a learning culture you need to constantly thank people for their work. Leave handwritten notes on their desks. Share their work widely. Celebrate successes loudly no matter how small they may be.

I love sharing at conferences like this one. Of course, what works in one context may not work in another, but I believe these five things are the building blocks for creating a thriving teaching and learning culture in any school.

Get in touch if you would like to find out more!

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