Graham Nuthall - The Hidden Lives of Learners

Towards the end of last term a small brown parcel arrived via snail mail.  I opened it to discover a copy of Graham Nuthall's The Hidden Lives of Learners, Remarkables Fudge (yum!) and a card welcoming me to Shotover Primary School.

My new role is DATS Leader (Design, Arts, Technology, Science).  During Term 4, 2015 I will working alongside the Shotover team to conceptualise the implementation of DATS across the school.

Over my next few blog posts I will be reflecting on the key points of the book with my reflections as I start my new role at Shotover, and will be returning to these ideas as we reflect upon them as a teaching team at Shotover.

Key ideas from 'The Hidden Lives of Learners' - Chapter 1: Effective Teaching & my thinking or wonderings

1. Educators use their own personal mix of teaching methods adjusted to meet needs of their students.  No one teaching method resonated with my own teaching beliefs - learning is our core business and everyone is capable of learning , and it is our role as teacher to adapt to the needs our our learners.  During my first day at Shotover we spent time with Ben on Shotover's vision.  We looked at aspects from page 37 of the NZC which “scope flexibility and authority”, “meaningful and beneficial to their particular communities of students”,  “allow teachers... scope..to make interpretations...meet needs, talents of individuals and groups.” We discussed the genius of the ‘and’ - not one or the other - but the freedom and licence to adapt our teaching methods to meet the needs of our learners.  
2. Assessment is 2 dimensional rather than 3 dimensional.  Immediately two ideas popped into my mind as I read: 1) transference and 2) The OTJ triangle (observation of process, learning conversations and tool outcomes).  Not to mention lots of questions to explore! If assessment leans towards being 2 dimensional how do we empower students to demonstrate their 3 dimensional learning? What is the importance transferring learning dispositions and knowledge/skills to ensure 3 dimensional learning - i.e. what English skills/knowledge can be transferred for example to Science, Arts and Technology? How can we ensure learners transfer and use the skills that they have learnt across multiple disciplines? What methods can use to monitor / assess transference, and how can we empower students to be assessment capable learners - to identify what they can do,  and show evidence across multiple disciplines?
3. Learning styles are about motivation and management. Motivation however does not necessarily lead to learning. We learn what we do - what learners do in the classroom day after day is what they learn and become expert in. DATS can provide opportunities for our learners to learn by thinking with their hands, working with readily available materials, getting their hands ‘dirty’, failing and bouncing back from that failure - opportunities for our learners to practice climbing into and out of the ‘Learning Pit’, to foster ‘grit’ and develop a growth mindset within real-life and fun contexts.  Social relations determine learning - we need to work with peer culture to enhance learning. Effective learning is built around big questions - based on the curriculum AND the lives and interests of the students. Student Agency | Choice | Agency is key as is focusing on on solving problem or big question, breaking down into smaller linked problems.  Teachers need to monitor evolving understandings of content and procedures. We need to allow learners to manage their own learning.  Effective learning is when learners internalise the procedures so it becomes part of their natural way of thinking.
4. Learning is about change.  What change is needed to embed DATS across the school? How can we link the above ideas design thinking?  How does design thinking (i.e. empathise, define, ideate, prototype, test) link to Shotover's learning model? What inherent similarities or differences are there between traditional models of inquiry and design thinking?  What links can be made to Science and different types of investigation and the science capabilities?  What is the nature of technology at Shotover?  How can we grow transference of English and numeracy skills/knowledge through DATS?

Lots of food for though from my holiday reading and my first day as DATS Leader at Shotover Primary School.