Global Schools Alliance

I recently had an interesting email from the New Zealand High Commissioner's office in Delhi inviting me to accept and invitation for Freemans Bay School to become a member  of The Global Schools Alliance. 

This is an organisation that was established in 2014 with members from all over the world. These educationalists agree to share practice to support other progressive thinking schools in their journeys to provide education that is personalised, innovative, authentic and relevant to their learners.

The current schools involved are: 

AB Combs School, USA - rated No 1 Magnet School in the United States of America. Each child's journey is mapped for success in the real world based on the timeless principles of Steven Covey's "7 habits of highly successful people". 

Matthew Moss School, UK - ranked by Innovation Unit (UK Govt) amongst the top 10 schools (of the 21st century) in the world. Is known for its ability to align learning (through projects) with individual passions of children.

EOS Teaching Alliance, UK - Hartsholme Academy, member EOS, is rated as the most innovative primary school in the UK. Vega is a member of the EOS Teaching Alliance. 

Hilltop Road Public School, Australia - A 'learning frontiers' school that leads in embedding technology in Teaching & Learning, awarded NSW School Cohesive Awards for strong community links.

Ørestad Gymnasium, Denmark -  an award winning Scandinavian school that constantly tests new ways of organizing teaching and uses modern technology to support it. Also among the top 10 schools (of the 21st century) in the world. 

I have been spending a bit of time learning about these schools.This is an interesting clip that explains thinking from Mathew Moss School around "Slow Learning" at their school.

I can see connections with what we do at Freemans Bay School - particularly around our Passion project learning. Definitely links to personalising learning and student choice. 

It is amazing to have this opportunity to connect with The Alliance is an opportunity to connect with like-minded schools across the globe.  It will be a new journey to explore the thinking and  the journeys of these schools and their leaders. 

SEK International School Catalunya

What a stunning setting. We had an hours train ride from Barcelona - then were picked up by the school bus to be taken through the village to this amazing school set on a mountain in Catalunya. Teachers worked with a group of students to build a dream classroom out of recycled materials. Stephen Heppell supported the project at SEK International School in Catalunya. The classroom was an old computer suite. The students went through an inquiry process where they discussed problems about their current classroom learning environments and looked for solutions to address these problems. The students researched the impact of noise on learning, measuring acoustic qualities of their classrooms in the school and explored solutions such as soft furnishings to improve acoustics. Stephen Heppell talks more about this student learner led design project on his blog. The students  wanted to create an environment that supported flexible, fun and learning the way they enjoy. The classroom has an ocean theme, with a sea cave, whiteboard bubbles and lots of fun features. The interesting response from many students in the school is they want their teachers to book the space for learning as they learn better there and teachers agree- so there is a full booking schedule for the room. The classroom and  the students focus on improved  learning in the classrooms is influencing how teachers think about teaching and design of teaching spaces. This clip of Richard Gerver speaking encapsulates this schools philosphy on future focused innovative thinking about learning.

Colegio Montserret

This school has strong consistency with its curriculum across all classrooms and teams focused on multiple intelligences. Specialist subject teaching includes robotics and project based learning. They also have a live streamed TV channel which is streamed with called ” think1.TV”  http://think1.tv/ There is an impressive  new open area for senior students studying International Baccalaureat curriculum. Specialist subject classrooms run along the side of this space with breakouts into adjacent outdoor learning spaces. There is a consistent approach to curriculum  across all year levels where both multiple intelligences and project based learning are woven into a personalised curriculum   http://www.cmontserrat.org/

You can clearly see the students working through their action learning model in this youtube clip

The principal Monika Horsh is well known speaker in the field of creative and innovative thinking. 

Watch out for Monserrat-del-pozo at ICOT in 2015.   I am sure it will be inspiring. She is considered to be the world leader on innovation and change in education.

Creativity and passion in Copenhagen

Strandgårdsskolen is located in a low socio economic  suburb in Copenhagen. It has been rebuilt over several years and has a clear pedagogical strategy. This school has succeeded with a big turn-around with significant improvements to student achievement results. The learning spaces are varied and attractive. They include subject based classrooms, breakout spaces and specialist teaching areas.

   There was strong link between the indoor and outdoor spaces demonstrating a commitment to utilising outdoor    spaces for learning.

AFUK – The Academy for Untamed Creativity This is an alternative provision for under 24 year olds who have dropped out of the ordinary school and youth education system. It is built in an old rolling stock factory and has a creativity focus, including design, drama,  art and circus performance. This creative approach to engaging at risk students in education is very successful. Once again I was impressed with the Danish way of hooking into passion and creativity in a very personalised way. Students have opportunities to explore different activities such as circus, performance, theatre, writing, visual arts, design and at the same time exploring options for their future.

BREAKTHROUGH AT STONEFIELDS NEW LEARNING HUBS

OPEN LEARNING SPACES PLG
In 2011 Chris Bradbeer, AP at Stonefields school started a PLG (Professional Learning Group) which meets once a term for a building tour and discussions around  thinking about the physical and learning design. The sites visited have included, primary, secondary schools, tertiary institutions, libraries and corporate organisations. Understanding the vision of these organisations and how learning and working happens from the inside has provided opportunities for meaningful conversations around how design, research and learning philosophy converge. I love these meetings and have been to most of them. I follow Chris's blog and enjoy his reflections on the design process that has continued at Stonefields school. 

STONEFIELDS NEW LEARNING HUBS
Last week we visited Stonefields School fantastic new learning hubs. Chris discussed with us his thinking about the optimum number of teachers that works well in a learning hub. Two is too little - as that relationship lacks bounce! More than three becomes too complicated. Three is the number that works best.

It was wonderful to see so much shared ownership of the school's vision through teacher and student voice. The leadership team  has spent a lot of time with their school community, parents, staff and students, reflecting on what had worked well in the first building stage and considering new steps for the latest learning hub. The learning hubs include kitchens, creative making spaces, digital recording rooms and breakout spaces. Although the hubs are distinct, they are open and interconnect visually.

We observed a range of student learning activities during our visit during their 'Breakthrough Time". Students were involved in a range of personalised, collaborative learning activities utilising both indoor and outside learning spaces.

It was a privilege to talk to these students  during Breakthrough and see their engagement  in  learning.  

The school staff have a real commitment to coaching students about how we learn, experiencing being stuck and developing strategies to get through being stuck. They are explicit about what learning feels like, that the frustration you experience is  OK - you just need to know what to do to get through it. 

The leadership team worked through a major consultation process to prioritise the ideas they wanted incorporated in the design. This process is continuing as they canvas parents,staff and students for ideas for the master planning of their site.

I am humbled by the generosity of  principal Sarah Martin and the team at Stonefields School who continue to share their thinking about their school design process and allow others to view it in action.

We have such a lot to reflect on from out visit  and really appreciated  the openness and time given at Stonefields School as we begin our own journey to rebuild  Freemans Bay School.

CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THINKING ABOUT LEARNING AND DESIGN OF NEW SCHOOLS

CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THINKING ABOUT LEARNING AND DESIGN OF NEW SCHOOLS

In 2010 we demolished a large subsiding classroom block at Freemans Bay School and built new learning hubs in a two story building. This building design was scoped to develop flexible spaces to enable teachers to teach and students to learn in a variety of ways.  

The remaining school buildings since have been identified as either leaky or past their use by date. We are now in the Ministry of Education’s new schools building project.

 

The challenge of totally rebuilding Freemans Bay School sparked my interest in thinking deeper about how spaces are designed and used to engage learners.

Visits to schools, universities, libraries and co-corporate organisations in New Zealand and Australis  have  played a significant role in shaping my thinking around design and pedagogy. I have had many rich conversations with; educational, Ministry of Education, architects and business leaders with a passion for exploring change and innovation in their own contexts. 

I am fortunate to be a recipient for the Auckland Primary Principal Association and ASB Bank Travel Fellowship for one school term in 2014.  This is an opportunity to visit schools in UK and Scandinavia to explore school design.

I am interested in how the physical design can drive thinking around teaching and learning.  

Specifically the following key questions are what I am looking at.

Pedagogical

·     What are the beliefs and thinking about learning evident in new schools visited across different countries?

o      the schools key beliefs about learning

o      why they believe it and what does it look like in practice

What does teaching and learning look like in these new design classrooms?

o      role of teachers

o      role of students

o      role of e-learning

How have the new designs enabled new teaching and learning practices to emerge?

o    the processes and preparation for teachers that was required to transition to the new spaces

o     the innovative pedagogies that have emerged due to  new design

o     the types of practices that have emerged in the new spaces (e.g. collaboration, groups, team teaching, social interactions, flexible learning, personalised learning) and how these have changed over time

o     the culture,  leadership and the organisation that facilitate (or impede) innovation pedagogies in design

o     changes of job functions of staff that have emerged to match thinking about pedagogy  within the design

Physical Design

·         How are the school beliefs about learning reflected in space design?

o      ways the learning spaces support the schools thinking about learning

o      the relationships between and significance for learning in particular spaces

o      the relationships between indoor and outdoor spaces and flows and their role in learning

o      changes the school would like to make and why

·         What impact has new school designs had on?

o      students perception  

o      teachers

o      school community

E-learning

·         How has the new physical design supported e-learning?

o    the ways that personalised learning through technologies is supported by the design

o    the types of e-learning practices that have emerged in the new spaces

o    relationships between virtual and built environments

·         What changes have been made to embrace new technologies?

o    how design facilitates  e-learning

o    ways the learning space has enabled evolving forms of pedagogy

 I am very excited to be doing this research and will use this blog to share my findings as I go.

I am also interested in any research on the topic - so if you have any to share please let me know via the comments on the blog.

Swedish school uses innovative design for learning

I am fortunate to be the recipient of the Auckland Principal Association / ASB Principal Travel Fellowship, 2014.
My travel to Europe and Scandinavia will enable me  to explore how modern school designs reflect; the changing nature of learning, influence changes in the ways that teachers teach, engage diverse learners and meet current and future educational needs. My travel fellowship will enable me to explore recent trends in thinking about learning and design in new schools and what this looks like in practice. 

I plan to be in Scandinavia in June this year where I will be looking at the relationship between school design and pedagogy. 
I hope that I will be able to visit  this Vittra  school in Stockholm, Sweden. These students learn in a open learning environment with latest computer technology.

I am very lucky to have some great contacts to put me in contact with innovative schools in Scandinavia (Lene Jensby Lange, Autens, Denmark) and UK (Terry White, CEFPI, London)

 I wonder how the learning happens in the new environments  that I will view.

-How does the physical design support e-learning 
-What ways is personalising learning through e-learning supported by the physical design
-What are the types of teaching and learning have emerged in the new spaces
-What are the relationships between the virtual and built environments.

I hope that my learning from the travel fellowship will influence our future building design at Freemans Bay School. 

·         

Getting on the same page February 2014

Our two day workshops at the beginning of this year had an interesting twist for me. Our school leaders stated at the end of last year that I could have 1 hour to do the 'vision stuff' as the rest of the two days they would be busy collaborating with our teachers on developing plans for personalised and project based learning.

I reflected on how far our distributed leadership in the school had come - and was excited by our leadership team's motivation and passion.

On the first day I had my precious hour of presenting the vision. This session explored the relationship between pedagogy and spaces for learning. Teachers were encouraged to reflect on their classroom environments and to have many different spaces for personalising learning in their classrooms. As we are  moving into a design stage for our school rebuild it is  important to consider  new ways of thinking about spaces for personalising learning.

The rest of the first day was spent exploring what we mean by personalising learning pedagogy - so that we have a common language and vision around our school philosophy. The leadership team presented a a series of tools that could be used for planning inquiry teaching, with a focus on personalised and project based learning. This included a matrix that linked "Blooms Taxonomy" and the key stages of inquiry and project based learning. This process was to get teachers to think about student autonomy over their learning and developing the skills for that to happen.

On the second day the teachers collaborated in their teams to develop the detail of their unit planning. They were able to utilise their new learning, build on their previous teaching experiences and develop their class learning projects with enthusiasm and passion.

This form of learning design for teachers and students is grounded in beliefs around:

• Commitment to  personalised learning: 
• Positive teacher-student-parent partnerships around learning
• Feed-forward and Reflection

Our first  teacher workshops in 2014  were designed to empower teachers to get on the same page and to design next steps in planning.  "Enrich, Empower and Engage" our students in their learning in 2014.

Enabling Teachers to Change Pedagogy through School Design

Last week I enjoyed the Australasia Region Conference of Council of Educational Facility Planners International. (CEFPI) here in Auckland.

Stephen Harris gave a thought provoking presentation called "Factories no More: The Key Role design and furniture has in enabling Teachers to Change Pedagogy"

Stephen Harris is principal of Northern Beaches Christian School in Sydney. On the  school website you can view information about the school, Stephen's blog and their professional development arm activities and related research called scil.

Stephen contends that schools that think about their vision for learning that prepares students for 2035 and beyond, that have modern open learning environments that promote flexibility, collaboration and personalised learning will disrupt old thinking and cause learning to happen that is fit for purpose.

I had a look on our Ministry of Education website examples of recent remodeled learning environments.Sadly they do look like classrooms that I experienced as a student in the 1960s.
They are currently  promoting examples of single celled classrooms with adjacent cloakbays.

Stephen was exploring the notion that the design of a school, that drives where education needs to go can cause teachers to shift from old last century thinking and learning to happen at a different level.

He provoked thinking around: What are we prepared to change in order to shape a positive, resilient learning culture?  Promote what you expect to happen in teaching and learning in the design of the building.

Use design to cause learning to happen otherwise we might end up with graduates like this one - who says - " I choose C!"

What are you prepared to design into the fabric of a  building for learnng?  How does this link with your thinking about learning, preparing students for 2030 and why?