Learning Projects – Three Years In

October 5, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Each Tuesday afternoon, instead of traditional meetings, teaching staff at our College engage in either an individual or collaborative Learning Project.

Learning Projects in our context are defined as an embedded form of action research where staff strive to learn something new, deepen their knowledge base, stay current with new developments in learning or experiment with an innovation that aims to improve student outcomes. All Learning Projects are underpinned by a big idea or driving question that is relevant to the individual. Staff then present their progress to their peers on our staff learning day at the beginning of term 4 each year.

With this year being the third year of the concept, I have noticed the transformation in the way many of our staff now position themselves within their own profession. The democratisation of learning and knowledge in many ways is seen across a broad landscape of ideas and practice. Shifts in confidence and identity are matched by the increasing depth and breadth of discussions focused on learning.

The way we structure the day is similar in format to a conference. We start the day with an address from the Principal, followed by three mini-keynotes or spotlight presentations from our staff that exemplify quality learning projects across our three schools. To kick start the day this year we had the following three spotlights:

  • Junior School – Using iPads to Enhance Learning within a Reggio-inspired Classroom
  • Middle School – Thinking and Learning in a Maker-Centred Classroom
  • Senior School – Different ways of Teaching Mathematics: A Perspective through Emotions

After this, our staff selected breakout sessions that they could attend for the remainder of the day with sessions including a diverse range of topics such as;

  • Developing a Collaborative Learning Culture
  • War of the Worlds – Interdiscplinary Learning in the Secondary Years
  • Cultural Diversity – Multiculturalism or Transculturalism
  • Bringing Reggio Emilia into the Music Classroom
  • Cultures of Thinking in the Primary Years
  • Introverts and Learning
  • Team Teaching in Year 7&8 Science
  • Investigating the Design Process
  • MOOCs for Professional Learning

The positive outcomes of such a concept are many, not least making professional learning an active instead of a passive pursuit. One success that we are particularly proud of is the fact that we have seventeen teaching staff from across the College now interested in starting postgraduate research in 2017 with our partner, Deakin University.

Our Vision for Learning really comes to life when we have our staff leading and modelling for our students what it actually means to be a lifelong learner.

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Staff Professional Learning Days

January 28, 2016 by Leave a Comment

The beginning of the year is exciting.

Teaching is one of those rare professions where you get a clean slate every year. You absolutely build on what has gone before, but you eagerly anticipate what the new year will bring. The buzz that fills many auditoriums, gyms or theatre’s as staff return for their first official day back on the job is palpable. Sometimes that buzz is short-lived however as the energy and enthusiasm is wiped out as teachers have to sit through a “professional learning” day filled with compliance matters, policy and administration that really has very little to do with teaching and learning – teachers in effect get “PD’d” up to their eyeballs.

It doesn’t take too much to organize a true professional learning day and many schools do it really well.  See the program we put together below for our first staff day of 2016. I think it is a program that would rival many conferences. We organized two external speakers (which is more cost effective then having individual staff attend conferences) and then utilized the varied expertise we have on staff to put together a diverse and engaging program for the day. Workshops were grouped under the seven Dimensions of our Vision for Learning and catered for Early Learning staff through to VCE. Days like this complement our Learning Projects nicely.

A great start to the year that has a focus on what matters – teaching and learning.

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Learning Projects

March 26, 2015 by 4 Comments

I still find conferences to be a valuable source of inspiration.

The key for those suffering from conference fatigue is to look at events not only outside of your subject discipline, but outside of education. But that’s not to say that conferences should be your main source of learning. Far from it. We know that learning is an active process that happens when you do something that matters. When you do something that is personally meaningful.

To combat a passive learning culture, at the beginning of last year we implemented the concept of a Learning Project at our College. The concept of the Learning Project is to move Professional Learning in a direction that is relevant to teaching staff’s individual interests, contexts and passions. Similar in concept to Google’s 20% time, each Tuesday afternoon, instead of traditional meetings, priority has been given for Professional Learning and Learning Projects. Each week during this time, a series of short workshops on a range of topics are offered by our staff that other staff can attend. These sessions are “opt-in” and are not compulsory, however if you don’t attend one of those sessions it is expected that you are engaged in either an individual or collaborative learning project.

Learning Projects in our context are defined as an embedded form of action research where staff strive to learn something new, deepen their knowledge base, stay current with new developments in learning or experiment with an innovation that aims to improve student outcomes. All Learning Projects are underpinned by a big idea or driving question that is relevant to the individual. Some examples from last year include:

  • How does a Reggio Emilia approach influence a teacher’s perception of “best practice?”
  • How do I make the library a more creative learning space?
  • What are the effects on learning of regular mindfulness practice?
  • What is 21st century assessment and how do we encourage a more diverse assessment portfolio?
  • Working mathematically – moving beyond calculations?
  • Is storytelling a new literacy?
  • What methods are there for enhancing formative feedback?

The big idea or driving question is explored over the course of the year. Documentation collected as part of a staff members Learning Project varies in form from a research paper, a short video, a unit of work, data analysis that yields an interesting or unexpected result or it could be as simple as the sharing of a powerful “light bulb” moment. Staff then present their progress on their learning project during our staff learning day at the beginning of term four each year. Progress is the key point here. There are no hard deliverables as we understand that trust and the process are as important as the end result.

Any change initiative is always met with pockets of resistance, as anything new challenges the status quo and induces an anxiousness or fear response from the “amygdala hijack“. What this model of professional learning has achieved in a relatively short period of time is shift the dominant dialogue from low-level administrative matters to learning.

Staff have been invited to be active participants in their own learning. A large majority have risen to the challenge.

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