Personalised+Learning

=media type="custom" key="11323608"= =Personalised Learning= = Sugata Mitra thoughts: = Lyn: A great video and the key thought for me and I know it has already been mentioned but, "When learners have interest, education happens". This is really relevant for us as we take the next step in personalising our student's learning. It also made me stop and think that our students will never cease to amaze us what they will learn and that we do need to let them find it for themselves. Open-ended and interesting questions need to be a focus for this to happen. Finally the importance of children's reading comprehension was stressed and I think this is an area we still need to focus on improving with our students.

Kane:

Sherie: Wow! What a cool guy. It is confronting in a way to see as teachers we are not needed in the way we thought we were. I love how he so clearly puts over that children are going to learn for themselves regardless of their backgrounds and conditions. They are much better problem solvers than we give them credit for. It is really important for us to get that interest happening in what the kids are learning, as Sugata points out that when learners have interest education happens. We also need to take into consideration the restrictions with their learning that we set the students. Both Sugata and Marco Torres have mentioned that we can't restrict the way the kids learn - whatever way they get the answer it is ok.

Courtney: I really loved watching Sugata. He was funny and got his point across- Learning is a natural ability. I can't wait to try out his method of just asking a question and leaving the students to find the answer/s. The way teachers are not always needed to explicitly teach concepts all of the time, but can act more as advisors, and lead the learning. I agree with Sugata and Lyn, we need to work on the reading comprehension of our students to improve their learning.

Jacqui:

Ann: I've watched this a few times and each time I seem to focus on a different part of the video and so now have a number of 'important bits'. 1. I also love Sugata's teaching method. I love the fact that the kids are left with the problem and the belief, set by Sugata, that they can solve the problem. How often do we have that trust and that belief that students will learn despite us? We talk about 'letting go' but when it comes to the crunch do we do it? 2. Sugata's understanding that this type of problem solving works best in groups of 4 to 6 is an important message to us. Hattie's findings re research based on the effect of cooperative learning on student learning states that: “There seems to be universal agreement that cooperative learning is effective, especially when contrasted with competitive and individualistic learning. Cooperative learning has a prime effect on enhancing interest and problem solving provided it is set up with high levels of peer involvement. These situations produce greater outcomes, deeper comprehension and understanding." I feel that with our laptop program we risk losing (or not enhancing) 'cooperative learning' skills in our students if tasks aren't explicitly teaching students how to work cooperatively or don't allow the opportunity for students to form teams to work on projects or solve problems. 3. The fact that students remembered their learning up to two years after the event is a strong message to us to allow the students to have more control over their learning so that it's more meaningful and more memorable. 4. A new primary curriculum would state that students need to know how to search for information and retrieve it. As a laptop school this reminds me that we have a commitment to make sure that our students 'excel' in the skills required to be digitally literate. They need to have two years of experiences around how to search wisely, what makes a valid website, what's a valid source of information.... also throw in our commitment of ensuring that our students are respectful online, equipped to handle cyber bullying and not be the cyber bullies, copyright.... (This must be high on the agenda of student tasks)

Mel: I am so trying out Sugata's teaching method 'I don't know and anyway, I'm going away now'. We have always known that children are capable of amazing things by themselves, now I guess we need to trust that they will be able to. Sugata's conclusion the 'groups of children can learn //__**almost**__// anything on their own'. The 'almost' part is the part where the teacher is relevant or needed. From what I understand after watching this, a teacher is needed for direction. For the student to understand what they are learning or to put it into context. I feel that the most important thing that Sugata said was that reading comprehension is one important part of his proposed primary curriculum. This relates specifically to the need for independent resourcefulness of students. That also makes me think that perhaps we don't need to be teaching students how to spell or divide or important dates in history, we should be teaching them how to learn, not what to learn.

Brainstorm ways that we can personalise learning for our students. Add as many as you can as there are many big and small ways that we can personalise learning for our students. Suggest actions to make this happen. Feel free to add actions to the brainstorms of others. I've started off with one that we're already doing.


 * How do we personalise learning for our students?

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============================= || Actions that would make this possible (think outside the square)

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================================== || Use current events to motivate interest in students. Posing answers rather than questions to tune in to a topic || Several seminars on one subject (eg; maths or literacy) each focusing on a different needs for the student. || Students choose what they learn: engagement, more motivating, more creative || Giving them a voice Passion projects Choose from a group of activities that allow students to meet the outcomes but using different learning styles/intelligences. 20% time or Google time: enhances creativity, students are accountable and responsible for their own learning. || Identify what students already know in all areas of the curriculum so that we know if they've actually learnt something after a concept has been explored. || Less seminars more smaller groups? || Open this choice to other areas of the school. You could introduce cards that allow students to go to other areas of the school to work. eg: library, multi, tables outside merlot room, undercover, sacred space.... || Freedom to reflect at the end of each day as to whether they needed to change their planned day and why... so that students recognise that they need to know where they are in the 'task' cycle before they switch to another task eg:if you're really into a task you may choose to stick with the task and then at the end of the day reflect on the reasons why you made changes to your timetable. The more you reflect the more you become aware of your own learning needs. || = SDL progress =
 * TA meetings: allows input by parents. This enables us to have a greater understanding of each individual student. || We're already doing this each term. ||
 * TA meetings: students set individual goals and reflect on them after each term. || Goals are documented and referred to throughout the term. ||
 * Students setting their own goals || Goals are set and reflected on daily ||
 * Developing questions/tasks that are open-ended and interesting. Understanding that students learn differently. || Gathering data about the needs and interests of our students. Knowing which students will require scaffolding of tasks ||
 * Creating tasks that allow students to try something new, design or try a creative way of doing things. || Students need to be encouraged to challenge themselves and not opt for the same approach each time. Teachers need to be constantly exploring new things too.
 * Planning seminars based on needs || Knowing which students and in what areas need targeting
 * Setting up a physical environment that engages the students to learn || Providing choices for students in the Learning Centre. eg furniture, spaces. We are doing this and the children like this choice. ||
 * Letting students design some tasks
 * Involve students in determining the success criteria for tasks || Involving them in this process. ||
 * Begin with student's prior knowledge and experiences || Identify this at the start of an Inquiry so that students can go beyond what they already know or don't know
 * Giving them continual and direct feedback || Expose them to other resources for this in addition to their Home group teacher. eg. Other teachers, parents, experts in the field, peers ||
 * Allow adequate time for reflection || Get students to think about what the experience has taught them. How can they apply the learning to other settings in school, life, home, other classes, the community? ||
 * Regular Student Conferences || We are doing this and they allow an opportunity to give feedback. It is important with what the students do with the feedback and what they learn from it. ||
 * Students in control || Students becoming more motivated from having control over what they learn, when they learn it and how they learn it. ||
 * Time || Uninterrupted time for students to be able to complete tasks or to learn. ||
 * Personalised success criteria || Teach students how to write success criteria (seminar). Check off success criteria in homebase or during student conferences. ||
 * Develop a variety of tasks for students to choose from (eg. book menu) to reflect their learning || Like Rebecca in Ch 3 of Learning Links, design tasks relating to the multiple intelligences, offering choice. ||
 * Smaller explicit teaching groups || Based on student needs
 * Students choose 'where' they learn best || Choice as to where they move to in the learning centre.
 * Allow students to create their own timetable and reflect regularly about the choices they make in regard to timetabling || Freedom for students to timetable tasks or projects for longer sustained periods of time.
 * Allow students to create their own timetable and reflect regularly about the choices they make in regard to timetabling || Freedom for students to timetable tasks or projects for longer sustained periods of time.