The Octopus Assembly

In the final two weeks of the semester, The Octopus Garden Project team was given two challenges:
1) create a display to showcase the project to the community on Open Day: deadline: 5 days
2) create a presentation for assembly to showcase the project to the school: deadline: 2 lessons

BEFORE

My learners have come so far in this project that there is no longer the 'cannot lah' attitude evident at the start of the school year; the fact that I have pushed them and coached them into embracing deadlines and challenges sees once-lethargic learners, unable to work without cajoling, now able to pick up and run with anything and everything I throw at them. I am so proud of their progress.

AFTER

The first challenge was the display space - a week of every free, every break and eveery evening after school was spent creating an under-the-sea foundation suitably created to showcase the work of the learners. My need to not do things by halves can, and often does, mean exhaustion, however it was totally worth it. The display space was a great success at Open Day and visitors were blown away not only by it, but also by the many tools we are using to collaborate and create: Google Drive, Google Sites, Picasa, Edmodo, Twitter, Blogger, Mural.ly and Minecraft...

For more details, check out this team's version of the creation of 'the garden' in their blog post on The Octopus's Garden Blog.

The final week came around and, basking in the success of 'the garden', I anticipated a more relaxing week that would allow me to focus on my final assignments for the two of the online courses I am currently partaking in. I managed to catch up with all the learners' blog posts and my marking - and just as I was about to start on my writing, we were thrown another deadline...

Wednesday 08.20am: please would we think about doing an assembly to share The Octopus's Garden with the school - tomorrow at 08.30am. Challenge accepted.

Fortunately, I had both classes that day. At the start of the day I had Grade 7s, who mind-mapped all the things we wanted to share with the rest of the school; we created a sign-up to share out the work, and then created a Google Presentation collaboratively. Via Edmodo and their team files, they shared their progress with Grade 8, who in their lesson at the end of the day, picked up and ran with finishing off the presentation. No problem.

I had nine fantastic volunteers who came in early on Thursday morning; we did a run through and decided on speakers and order - and then they went and delivered an awesome presentation to the school. You can view it on our website by clicking HERE.

Not once did they even hint at the fact that they couldn't do it; not once did they complain; not once did they even express concern about the short notice - the critical thinking, time management, communication and creativity that I have tried to instill through this project has truly paid off and they just went and ran and were incredible.

The Octopus Garden Project team ARE 21st century learners and I am so proud of how awesome they are.

Comments

Past Thoughts

CONNECTION

We had our kick-off meeting last week on Tuesday 5 February 2013. I was able to connect using Blackboard Collaborate , something I had not used before, but unfortunately had to leave as I was at school. However, with it being Chinese New Year I have had an extended weekend, so was able to catch up and watch the full recorded version. I have also had a cold so have not felt up to tackling the mountain of marking, but have caught up on my reading for the next meeting, namely Chapters 1-3 of the book, ' Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds '; my Tweets about the most interesting salient points for me personally, can be found under @MrsHollyEnglish under #flatclass. Having reached the end of Chapter 3, I have come across my first 3 of the 15 Flat Classroom Challenges. Having taken part in the survey assessing my current connectivity, I feel confident that I am currently in a good position - I already have established a sound PLN that I build on when I can and have added s...

Infographics - good and bad

This week in my MEd, we are exploring the heady world of infographics with the objective of learning how visual representations of data can enhance and distort data. The aim is for us to think carefully about the use of graphics in our teaching in order that we use visuals to effectively deliver information rather than distort it and confuse our learners. After reading three articles by Edward Tufte, I summarised some basic principles to form the basis of my explorations and use them to evaluate the infographics I found. According to Tufte (1983), graphical excellence happens when graphics: show data make viewers think about content not presentation/design avoid the distortion of data present many numbers in a small space make large data sets coherent encourage the eye to compare different pieces of data reveal data on different levels - from broad to fine have a clear purpose: descriptive/ explorative /decorative/ tabulative be closely correlated with s...

From Alignment to Impact: Why Curriculum, Feedback, and Organisational Design Matter

This reflection draws on established research in curriculum design, instructional leadership, feedback, and school improvement, as well as my ongoing doctoral study in curriculum and learning sciences. It is written from a leadership perspective and informed by sustained engagement with departments, teams, and classrooms throughout this half term. The intention is to make visible the research-informed rationale underpinning current and future priorities for teaching, learning, and collaboration. A Shift in Perspective This half term, my work has taken me away from classrooms and more into meetings. I have spent sustained time with several Heads of Department in strategic planning discussions, in departmental meetings focused on implementation, and in conversations with teachers and parents regarding learning, assessment, and progress. While this is a different vantage point from earlier reflections grounded in classroom observation, it has provided an additional and highly valuable per...

Creativity Runs Wild

“There’s probably no better example of the throttling of creativity than the difference between what we observe in a kindergarten classroom and what we observe in a high school classroom.” (Levine) Wherever in the world I have been teaching, one of the most common observations of my classroom by other teachers is that it is "like a primary classroom". This is, more often that not, said in a derogatory and dismissive way, as if the colourful and expressive landscape of learning created through explorations of language and literature is a negative thing. That I cannot possibly be teaching a secondary curriculum if they seem to be creating so much..."mess" (as it has also been called). I have never paid much attention to this; I believe that my IB Diploma English Literature class learnt a great deal about the symbols, motifs, characters, language, themes and setting through the mural we painted all over the classroom. They learnt to problem solve and collaborate...

From Brain-Based Learning to Heutagogy: Designing Agency With Care How do we design learning that develops agency without assuming learners are already fully independent? In my research this week, I found myself returning to the same question: how do we design learning that supports agency without assuming that learners are already fully self-directed or self-determined? The readings move from brain-based learning, to the space between pedagogy and andragogy, to the history of andragogy, and finally to heutagogy. Taken together, they challenge the idea that teaching and learning models can be neatly organised by age or stage. Instead, I see that they suggest effective learning design depends on context, readiness, purpose, motivation, and the kind of support learners need to grow. Jang et al. (2022) provide a useful starting point, reminding me that learning design needs to be grounded in how learning actually occurs. Their review of brain-based learning research highlights the import...

Take charge of your own learning this year!

Following on from my post about taking up the Ten Tool Challenge , I have just started reading and taking part in a virtual book club for a fabulous book, 'Professional Learning in the Digital Age' by Kristen Swanson . From the start, this is a book that resonates with me on many levels and builds on approaches I was beginning to develop in my own practice. Its exploration of the ways adults learn and how educators can approach professional learning confirms and expands on many of my current beliefs - that we need to collect, consider and evaluate and share. One of my pet hates has always been professional learning that is outdated, repetitive, not relevant and a waste of my very precious time. Swanson states that "for adult learning experiences to be successful, learners should be aware of the intention of the activity. Instruction should be problem-based instead of content-based, and planning should be collaborative. Succinctly, adults must be engaged with the content...

From Consumers to Changemakers: Why Purposeful Digital Learning Matters

Conversations about technology in schools often begin from a place of legitimate concern. Families and educators are right to ask questions about distraction, wellbeing, social media, sleep, attention, and the amount of time young people spend in front of screens. These concerns should not be dismissed. They matter because children’s digital lives are complex, and schools have a responsibility to think carefully about how technology shapes learning, relationships, identity, and wellbeing. However, one distinction is often blurred: Unmanaged recreational screen use is not the same as intentionally designed digital learning. Passive scrolling is not the same as collaborative inquiry. Social media consumption is not the same as learners using digital tools to research, create, communicate, receive feedback, organise ideas, or participate in meaningful communities. When all screen-based experiences are treated as the same, schools risk making decisions based on anxiety rather than on ...

"A wonderful contribution to the field of global collaborative projects"

I am currently working on the culmination of my Flat Classroom Teacher Certification course, which is a collaborative Global Project Design. I have worked with a colleague from Wisconsin, USA to modify and develop my ' Dare to be Yourself ' unit, designed for my Year 8 and 9 learners this term. Originally written to address the problem of intolerance and lack of kindness, the 'Dare to be Yourself' unit, using the novel Stargirl , has been utilised to become a Global Project that can be delivered across the world and allow learners to connect and observe the similarities that exist in our world, with the hope of building individual, social and global conscience. In preparation, the following feedback has been received from one of the course facilitators:- Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli from Goodreads "AMAZING!!!! Seriously, this is one of the most thoroughly and thoughtfully planned out projects I have seen. You have chosen a timely and timeless topic tha...

Belonging Is Designed

Belonging is not granted after learners prove they can access the curriculum. Belonging is created through the way curriculum, instruction, assessment, relationships, and evidence-informed responses are designed. That idea has been sitting with me deeply. In schools, we often talk about belonging as something relational, cultural, or pastoral. Whilst it is, of course, all of those things, I also think belonging is a curriculum and learning design issue. Learners experience belonging, or exclusion, through the tasks they are given, the examples they see, the feedback they receive, the ways they are invited to participate, and the assumptions adults make about what they can do. Inclusion, then, cannot sit only in intervention structures or individual support plans. These matter, of course; some learners need targeted and specialist support, and schools need strong systems to provide it. But if inclusion begins only after a learner struggles, we have already accepted a design problem as a...

The Impossible Knife of Memory: Review

The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson It might be safe to say that I inhaled this book and its incredibly crafted story, breathing out the smoke of words I digested and chewed over, coating my classroom in metaphors both grotesque and moving. This novel was the first of the Book a Month Challenge myself and my PLN established on Twitter, and I enjoyed this novel both as a reader and as a teacher. My learners noticed my reading it around the corridors; parents stopped me in the car park to ask what I was reading and to make sure I didn't walk into anything. An intriguing and moving novel about an intense father-daughter relationship of trauma and heartache, Amazon describes it as "Laurie Halse Anderson at her finest: compelling, surprising, and impossible to put down" - I guess I cannot disagree. I have taken and used many passages to teach figurative language as the writing demonstrates metaphor and personification in a complex yet access...

Exploring Learning

Search This Blog