The Learning Process

During week 5, 6, 7 of Term 4, I was asked to join the Skippers team to start to trial the Shotover Learning Process with students who were already half way through their concept for their Science Fair.  The Skippers team would be presenting their science investigations in Week 8.  The students were interested in learning about how hydroelectric dams work and had completed some research and brainstorming of ideas in the beginning few weeks of Term 4, developing a big question with their learning mentors.  We were also trialling a teaching kit.  From the kit we created a model turbine. We attempted but found great difficulty in creating a generator (the kit had not instructions or the right tools) and we briefly explored conductivity and insulation with squishy circuits.  Below is my reflections on the work that I supported them with.

What's happening?

• discussion around the language of the learning process (connect, create, communicate)
• connecting - asking questions, watching video clips, creating and organising notes
• creating - made a water turbine, investigated insulation and conductivity with squishy circuits
• communicating - via movie and through science board
• reflection on the learning process 
• understanding of how a turbine works

Lukas & Lucan from Shotover Primary School on Vimeo.

Squishy Circuits - Kizoa Online Movie Maker

What's not happening?

• deep/powerful learning around the generator and how electricity travels 
• understanding | independence in communicating via a science board/display

Graham Nuthall in the Hidden Lives of Learners states that students need to experience the complete set of information at least 3 different times to understand the concept.  In addition to understand new learning we need to:

• Make connections to prior knowledge - stored in their working memory
• Evaluate the new experience and what it implies to their prior knowledge
• Integrate into into our prior knowledge - changing it, being changed by it

Nuthall goes on to state that new concepts are not created and transferred to long term memory until enough information has accumulated in working memory to warrant the creation of a new concept.

How will I influence what's not happening?

With Nuthall's research in mind the students would benefit from:

• further investigations into how electricity travels from the power station e.g. a variety of different 'hands on' science investigations into insulation and conductivity

Work with teams at the beginning of concepts / projects to collaboratively 'nut out' and decide what the following points would look like for students at different ages and stages of learning within their habitats:

• teaching modelling/scaffolding in writing/science how to present information in a written format - breaking down each aspect into manageable bite size chunks with a greater defined success criteria
• develop visual presentation skills - colour theory, how to trim and present work, how to use a glue stick etc. Why?  It forms part of the communication aspect of the Shotover Learning Process  and is part of the English NZC

JPEG of Lucan's Google Doc - Clyde Dam Research.  The Google Doc was smart shared via Hapara Dashboard.  Within his document all the blue underlined questions/ sentences are hyperlinks.