What really matters- reimagining assessment for modern learning

                Bruce Dixon, Will Richardson          modernlearners.com          change.school

Initial thinking centred arond HOW rather than WHY

if we don't understand the WHY fully - the how is linked to what we know about school and the frame we bring.

Why assess (in general) before we think about HOW? How leads to us wanting an answer- answer not there yet to the why....

Distance between stakeholders of understanding - engaging with the conversations.

What is worth assessing and not?

Measure?  pitfalls? success for all? What does this look like without increasing of anxiety/ streaming/competition
How do we measure with the feeling of success- awhi kids not group- ANXIETY!!!
white paper- war on learning (Bruce Dixon)

When was learning a competitive sport? Teaching a competitive Sport
(Bruce Dixon)

Why do you exist? as a school
Mission/ vision definition (twitter)

A PIVOTAL moment in education-at crossroads- huge opportunities - some through technology but low down as a vehicle or influence but NOT a driver!!!

Behind the words what do we mean?? 

DEFINE learning

Do we have to show learning is happening everyday? We want to know akonga are learning??

Value/pitfall of OTJ

Are our assessments satisfying needs? 

lets make it all bout learning!!

Offloading when the test/exam is over! Drill content.....

Are we doing what we believe?

If we want to stop ākonga learning what do we do?

The left hand side only will succeed if left side works for teachers as well as students>

We trust you!! Its a culture- safety and support- no blame, judgement. (eek learning narrative data??)

I have your back as a leader

compliance and complancy- complancy replaces compliance

Now the loss of NATIONAL STANDARDS... what will/can this bring? for learners?  teaching to the test... data driven education- interpreted in a traditional way.

This is about trust, own trust, aware if trusted

Qualitaive vs Quantitative assessments

BELIEF/  vs PRACTICE - how strong is it?

ACTIONS vs WORDS

ETERNAL conflict

(resilient/risk-takers)

Finnish teachers are never evaluated - are we assessed or have we been assessed on the right hand side

COLLECTIVE change

Coherent in the message we send??

The affect of competition? Staying with the norm- supporting whanau wanting norm 

comfortable in our thinking not defensive!! Challenge with the criticiser doing the right side!!

discussions at the clubrooms about 'handwriting'

Lets put it back at then

Learning is not a competitive sport

A 6 year old shouldn't have to come to school to figure us out- let them grow their natural disposition to learning grow not be stilted!

Valve company - modelling the leftside as acompany - their handbook

Internet is transformative to our world!

Who are our kids?  Shadow a kid.....

EXPOSURE to experience- limit PASSION conversations

Social presence- online life- 

over- prescribing of drugs

tug of war for our kids with whanau wants for education and the known/ unknown.     

  As stuck in the middle of the now

tug of war with friends too-SEL, gaming 

Kids clean up our mess!!

can our people/kids discern fiction and non-fiction- navigate media landscape/google

'crap detector'

Most disruptive shift is AGENCY 

CONTEXTUAL shift- freedom to access through internet

Out of school kids roam-drone parents- compressing their experience in the natural world??

Lyn Bird

lyn Bird

Teaching self-regulated 

Modern learners community site

Why should schools exist?

CHALLENGING what teaching looks like?

Mission is built on...
Vision is built on...

Teachers can overhelp!! can hinder

We have to let go!

why is genius hour only an hour!!!!! Like Haeata

SEL- self directed - share with me a your....( from ) during learning  times

(screencastify-site)

SAMR- technology!!

technology is about FREEDOM to learn

(look at drowning statistics & parents on devices)

The power of the learning narrative- kaiako expectations

(complainer on the document-reading after criticism)

LIFTING the constraints

Pose the challenge without the scaffolds or instruction

Makerspace prompt: Make a bird, singing and dancing appreciated

Play-based learning at a high-level- My dream- resources available- eg. makerspace paintbrushes

Left mess can be a constraint??

balance and priority

Take away the workshops- and leave out resources

"They just play games in class"- deal with the behaviour - agency??

gaming/ screentime/ boogie man (social media)- DRONE PARENTING/ TEACHING 

Emotional side of school change- book

article

Moving from OLD to BOLD- making change in your school

Re-imagining assessment

the assessments we want

the teachers we want

the parents we want

the leaders we want

investigate norms of learning

Roles of a teacher/leader

My Role as a Teacher:

1. In my own classroom ( or in a  previous learning environment) what did I used to do that I still do:

       Work alongside akonga in groups- spending the majority of the time roaming

2. What have I had to stop doing?

       flexibility with timetable- time management.

3. What have I had to adapt?

      being in an office, working at school rather than home

4. What new practices have I had to start?

The Role of a Leader in a Collaborative Environment:

1. What does the phrase collective responsibility mean to me?

    A group all actively  supporting , driving the same goal/vision- collaborative practice.

2. Where do I think my responsibility starts and ends?

   Actively involved no start & end.

3. What about the responsibilities of our leaders?

   
   Grow leadership & listen - actively involved - model

All can change in a week

This blog has sat as a draft for the last 10+ weeks- and as I reflect on it now 10+ days later I finish it to publish it. A real change in our ākonga yet I wonder if in our kaiako to the same degree.

It began week 5, term 3;
This blog is no doubt very different to the reflective post I typed in my head on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday this week. When I felt like I was struggling with the high teacher ratio,  lack of quality inquiry products and the stress of the impending celebration of learning and the feeling of babysitting. It would of focussed on the annoyance I was feeling of the frustration at a lack of team work and instead perceived selfishness. It would of questioned how we can teach with  80+ kids and 2 teachers.  Drawing me to buying my first bottle of wine in a month to destress!!

                     

Instead calmly I sit here on Friday focussed on both perseverance, trust, success and collaboration.
Our first exhibition of learning was a huge success because of the perseverance (stubborness) of Jono.
He stood strong against lots of comments from his kaiako that 'we' weren't ready. But wow- the 2 days leading up to the day I offered a mai time for inquiry time and had a big sign up. The day of the exhibition some ākonga continued to work through  their morning tea without any kaiako assistance.

The success of the exhibition also occured with the timely visit by a group of Principals and senior leaders through the Grow Waitaha; an authentic audience.

Teacher as Inquiry-Choice- Making our choice - observation

Here is an observation I was able to capture when we chose our second kaupapa for 2018.

These could be my case study for change. These learners were in my original puna ako data too.

Our influence-


kaupapa responses

Teacher as inquiry: Choice survey

• SURVEY my Puna ako group:

INITIAL DATA:   (Google form- link existing spreadsheet

Teacher as inquiry: Developing my thinking further

My initial thoughts were Choice...
How can I inquire further?

Teacher as inquiry: 2018

Teaching as Inquiry 2018 Planning Template-Navigating & Planning to Explore and Discover

Personal Details: (Name, Hapori, TAI Leader)	Janine Brown Kōrepo TAI Leader
What direction your inquiry might take? (themes/sub themes/topics)	Exploring CHOICE in learning How CHOICE impacts our akōnga’s learning? How do our akōnga choose in relation to their learning? How much impact do kaiako/ peers have in our akōnga in making their choice? How can we better support our akōnga in making their choices (in learning)? Are our akōnga ready/ able to make the right choices for their learning?
Why you think this is a good TAI for you? (kaiako focus)	In Kōrepo we expect our akōnga to choose….. Groups, kaupapa, behaviours. I am a huge advocate for this!
What you are looking to improve in ākonga achievement/success through this TAI? (ākonga focus)	That akōnga make informed choices for their personalised learning plans.
How do you know that aspect of achievement/success needs improving? (what is your evidence)	Students are making choices influenced by peers which can cause some negative behaviours: roaming, disengagement,
How are you contributing to the current situation? What is your hunch about it?
What new learning do you think you need to engage in in order to develop this?’ Teacher learning must be connected to identified learner needs.	Linc_ed- using the PLPs effectively- this is a role in our puna ako groupings
In what new ways might I plan teaching and learning opportunities aimed at achieving the outcomes prioritised in this inquiry.	By looking at the bigger picture- why choice? What influences choice in general- what can we learn?
Possible Timeline of new learning and new teaching opportunities	At least 6 months minimum- to monitor change in akōnga