One day CC Institute - Grand Erie - Feb. 27th

This was a great group of 23 teachers from across the Grand Erie Board to work with. They all had selected to attend the one day institute. The reviews that have come through reflect their readiness to engage in cc learning.

The morning followed a similar process as other cc institutes; however, I think we are getting down to some specific questions which we may want to keep trying to see if we get the same results.

I used the same introduction questions as Stan did in Guelph and found that it helped teachers engage in the topic on a personal level and with an action mindset when they consider a young person who they care about.  As an additional piece, we watched the Arjen Wals video clip where he talks about the importance of student engagement in schools on the big wicked problems that we face. The image of the student bored stiff in a class seems to always getting a chuckle indicating familiarity. We then went into the KBC and again used the same question that Stan crafted for Guelph: What should students experience through school to prepare them for the choices and challenges that climate change presents? I encouraged them to think about the big picture and not to get stuck in the "yeah, buts" on what's possible - I also said we will get to those later in the day. I think the invitation stopped them from self-reporting of what they are already doing in terms of ecoschools, etc. but to think a bit bigger....although by the end of the KBC we started to get some of that self-reporting.

The concept mapping was well received. We did a gallery walk of the concept maps with sticky notes. I encouraged teachers to place sticky-notes on the concept maps that would could prompt further directions for learning or ask clarifying questions about any misconceptions. They seemed very hesitant at first as I think I emphasized the misconceptions more but once I modelled a couple then others started. The questions on the sticky's often requested for more clarity of the relationship between two concepts or for more specificity in the concept itself. I think this step is important for teachers to see how they might further direct students and not just jump in and say "HEY WHAT A MINUTE"

Innovations

Since every group so far has acknowledged the difficulty in finding student-friendly and local data, I set-up a graffiti activity with three stations: 1) resources for student-friendly and local data  2) Local & unconventional field trips (several teachers brought this up in the KBC), and Community Partners. Teachers were divided into three groups and had two minutes at each chart paper spot. They came up with long lists for all three. For the resources for student-friendly and local data,  many were surprised by how many potential sources they had collectively thought of. I then suggested that in preparation for our second-meeting, we would divide up the list of resources and see if we could drill down into each resource and try and categorize, locate, and assess the usability of the data, as well as provide specific URLs for where to find it. They are all very keen to leverage the power of the group to do this so hopefully there is follow through. I have to make a basic template that they can fill out to help coordinate this and collate the results of their brainstorming into google docs. (I could have had them do it in google docs from the get-go but I wanted them to have the face-to-face interaction and therefore more engaged brainstorming).

It was a great day and a great group to work with :)

Guelph one day cc ed

evolved the day considerably learning from our collective experiences.

see the items here 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=19NchpMPc-F1TE_ndwF6G3-SmQaC39e9B

-time crunch -had to give small group choice at end of day to address concept mapping, lesson modelling, authentic inquiry and Project based learning

and as a result did not really do any of these well.  I am now solidly of the view that the one day cc session is not functionally doable?

What  came home with this group is how hard it is for them to evolve their practice.  These folks saw big picture ways for addressing cc in their KBC but as they day wore on they got back into the conventional teaching weeds and lost sight of what they had identified in the morning as important.

I don't think we are gong to see much learning innovation coming from this group but I would love to be wrong.

As for the challenge of supporting learning innovation -action -what we do i PD  -does not mean results -what happens at the school level.   What other approaches might we consider?  The task is big and complex -like climate change!

Below is the follow up email I sent to this group.

Cheers,

 Stan

***********************

Hi all,

First off thanks for stepping up to attend the CC PD session we had last Friday.  You are the leaders.

Thank you to the folks that took notes and posted them in our google drive.  You walked the collaborative learning talk!

Now for the all important next step -taking something from this session and applying it in your practice (see the list below).

Follow up items

1. Online post session gettogether -please mark your calendars for Tuesday April 3 at 3:45 p.m.  You will get an invite a week in advance .
2. Our google drive folder -everything from the session is now posted and organized here.  What can you add and share relevant to our collective  learning?   https://drive.google.com/open?id=19NchpMPc-F1TE_ndwF6G3-SmQaC39e9B
3. Documentation slide -to create one copy the slide here, add your content (photo and description) and save it the file. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/13z8NIeGuFYxf6x_oSfWq9g1ouOCstKIuUAPJHHFw2wM/edit#slide=id.p
4. What will you incorporate into your practice  -some steps to transformative learning

-take a resource on Climate change from the R4R database or learning activity in the Teaching Teens Climate Change Green Techer publication

-apply the Knowledge building circle protocol as a way of hearing what students bring and where they want to go with their learning (page 91 DOTS)

-concept mapping as a tool that helps address complexity (page 30 and 31 DOTS)

-the Problem based learning 6 step organizational framework (page 29 DOTS)

-subjecting students to a CC provocation and then have them generate the questions they need to have answered

-shifting any unit’s curriculum expectations to questions as a first step to applying inquiry (page 64 DOTS)

-finding an audience for student learning products beyond the classroom (page 48 DOTS)

-framing learning using the elements of authentic inquiry (page 71 and 72 DOTS)

-finding meaningful learning opportunities within walking distance of your school (Learning Locally and Real World Connections  chapters DOTS)

-partnering with a local organization to enhance student learning and the community at the same time.  There is so much capacity to address climate change through this pedagogical strategy.

5. Facilitator’s reflections

It is so important to keep the big picture in our sights as we plan and facilitate learning experiences to help students address climate change.  Note how as a group you identified elements of that big picture in our Knowledge Building Circle (hope, citizenship, group agency, critical thinking, empowerment).  How do we do that when it is so easy to get pulled into the weeds of daily teaching practice?   How can we support each other to keep those big picture transformative learning goals up front and in so doing create learning experiences that we want for the individual children we identified in our opening sharing?

Looking forward to connecting in early April to share insights and experiences.  If I can help in anyway between now and then let me know.  I am particularly interested in working with any of you that might apply the community partner strategy.

Cheers,

Stan

Stan R. Kozak

Learning Innovation Consultant

Policy, Professional Development and Programs

Learning for a Sustainable Future/L’education au service de la Terre

T 519 826-0408

E skozak@sentex.ca

W http://www.lsf-lst.ca/

"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire."

—Poet and playwright William Butler Yeats

Ottawa 2 Day Secondary Climate Change

Just a few thoughts to add to the good analysis of the institute parts offered by Stan ...

It seems to me that it is critical for facilitators to establish a good relationship from the outset with secondary teachers. You don't get much time it seems before they make a decision about you and whether or not they will dial into what is going on in the room. This is different from most elementary teachers who give you the benefit of the doubt for much longer. They pretty much make a snap decision, indeed some of them have made it before they get there.
 As we all know they are indeed in a different system, more reminiscent of the high school we experienced years ago. They are super aware of (and live with) the restrictions of a more rigid system, one of tight timetables, single subjects and department protocols etc. They tend to see those as non negotiables. They are not only prepared to live with them and conduct business as usual, but are very leery of tampering with them. We did see a few who could imagine challenging and changing the status quo and a couple who did not know about the possibility of 4 credit courses or other options who were very interested. However most were still planning to work with what was. But within these parameters many could see themselves taking some small steps to include some of the 7 Strategies, or even going outside, or working with PBL. For the most part inquiry seemed too far removed from their world.
Personally, I think we can work for change with them but it will be slow. I agree 1 days are not enough time to woo the kinds of changes in practice we are looking for. In addition, as facilitators we must be sympathetic to their situation, offering a listening ear and through relationships with them SLOWLY offer ways to initiate change. Indeed we did this with elementary people for the last number of years and are now reaping the reward. Secondary teachers are more rigid and fearful and tough and often exhibit the attitudes (and even the demeanor) shown by their students. I found that kindness and respect is the way to go, not responding in kind to what they often show us. They are a pretty rough crowd, but underneath there are cracks and the light is filtering in.
Signed: Lay Psychologist Pamela

Ottawa 2 day cc institute

Some thoughts

-2 days makes all the difference in the world when what we are talking about is a major shift in practice at the secondary level

-at this point I am thinking that we not accept one day sessions however will hold judgement until I do the 2 more to follow

-what is definitely the case is ensuring that those attending want to be there -this was the case in Ottawa and it is so evident  -solid engagement throughout the
32 days


-innovations
-we had small groups evolve their grouped questions into one that they articulated
-these ended up being a bit run on  -so I think the idea of shifting the work to the participants here is a good intention -I am not sure about the result  -maybe indicate to them that they can split questions so that they are focusing on one thing
-unfortunately we did not come back to these questions (maybe because they were so complex -run on)

 KARS video dissection as per stages of inquiry
-I think this made it clearer what inquiry is all about

Focus on PBL sequence
-had each course group map out a possible PBL project related to their curriculum
-they found it challenging and most were not wiling to include an audience beyond the classroom
-need to map out some specific examples to share

What make something boring for
-brainstormed this list

CC challenges
-did this as small group work and then shared
-better than just the slide list


R4R
-the goal here is to get these people into the database finding resources that might be useful so that is where most energy needs to be spent
-stick to cc focus as examples for the overview
-for secondary the interest is videos and learning programs
-for this group they were in grade/course groups and searched on that basis and then shared what they found and what was of value
-Resource on Frogs was noted as prompting the teaching of all topics in the grade 10 course in an integrated way
Climate change photos was identified as including many of the strategies
-


Concept mapping
-have upped the learning process here
-more direct instruction
-follow up analysis by different groups

new sequence for next time
-dict instruction on protocols and example
1. in your group prepare a cc map on causes of human induced climate change
-list concepts in an area off to the side that your group thinks are relevant
-bring into the map in order of importance
-looked for linked concepts and add these accordingly

-self assess for protocol, clarity, number of concepts and relationships
 2. groups review other group's cc and add stickies for protocol, misconceptions, questions

-as a whole group -where would you take the learning?
-might also do this with each individual doing a concept map first

Day 2  sequence

welcome back -find your high 5 partner and share most nb from yesteday

-slide  -shallow to deep cc ed

-expanding on some dots insights
-NORCASN math vieo -
-never work harder...


Resources
-r4r intro
-time for grade/subject grousp to dig in and find what is useful/relevant to them
-shareing

Concept Maping part 2
-your group goes toa map other than your own
-peer review for protocol
-misconcpetions
-clarity
-debrief

Community Partners
-example -Ecolgy Ottawa -visit website

Project based learning
-examples
-plan one for your course

lunch

-demo of software for online group concept mapping -Doug

videos
-alternative secondary practice
-choose your opwn teach
skateboad factory

Shifting to inquiry
-KARS video and analysisi  -break down into steps from page 71 and72 in DOTs
-or examine Teching Tean about CC
-authentic inqury -prompted options of a walk and talk to review this -most took it

Online survey

KBC 2

closing circle -where to from here   -good ending as it was all positive

Other notes
-note some comments on individuals wanting more specifics -get the feeling that they are looking for the silver bullet on cc learning -and that does not exist  -as per specifics -they got a lot of strategies and a lot of specific lesson ideas (r4r and green teacher book)  -but these individuals might be looking for an easy way out that does not challenge the conventional teaching framework
-that mindset takes more than 2 days to get by -an extended -practice-sharing among colleagues-practice scenario might be the trick

Feb. 16 CC Institute Niagara - 1 day

Today we really tried to be responsive to the teacher experience and I think the majority of the group left feeling that they had both a better understanding of how to integrate cc into their teaching practices and the hope to move their teaching towards transformative practices.

There were about 5 - 8 participants who turned-off immediately or treated the day as an opportunity to do some online shopping.

From the info in the pre-institute survey, we knew they were all grade 7 & 8 teachers and from their comments they really wanted relevant student-friendly sources for local data, and RESOURCES! I would say 75% of these teachers were addressing climate change at the conventional level - if they were EVEN including climate change at all.

We framed the overall day with an inquiry approach and walked the talk of inquiry but we also moved away from trying to make the one day a thorough dive into professional inquiry as I think we can easily lose those that are not familiar with inquiry or climate change education practices when we move to quickly into metacognitive discussions.

Additions /Experiments:
The morning followed the standard inquiry session; however, in the afternoon we tried a couple of different things:

With groups doing chapter buzz summaries of dots, we had them then also consider how dots addresses some of the challenges of climate change learning. Stan this sheet and process really works well. Instead of them sort of half-energetically reporting back to the groups, we had them put their strategy on chart paper and we put them all up on the gym wall and had each group present to the whole group. Standing and presenting to the rest of the group added accountability and i noticed that each group seemed to speak a little more in depth than I have seen and the rest of the group seemed to listen more intently.

We decided to be responsive to their request for resources and planning time and created two break-out sessions. Groups then swapped.

1) Judy facilitated question-formation technique so all teachers left the institute with at least one inquiry question on climate change and had the experience of the process so they can also replicate in their classrooms.

2) I facilitated lesson-plan remodelling with two options: a) take a lesson that they currently use for climate change related expectations for grade 7 & 8 and apply one or a few of Connecting Dots to move it along the transformative practices continuum
b) their second option was to take a resource from R4R that is relevant for an upcoming lesson/unit and that ties to climate change - then once they get a handle on the R4R resource then apply the strategies within Dots to consider whether they can move the lesson along the transformative practices continuum. From conversations, I had with a few teachers this second option was helpful to give them some time to get more familiar with R4R. With two educators I spoke with they were beginning to apply a critical lens informed by Dots to the resources - which is AWESOME! This time working with R4R was quite helpful to also show teachers how to look up the pedagogical approaches and the assessment sections as in the demo I think a lot of them missed it.

In the morning and following a thread about getting students engaged from the KBC, we discussed the importance of emotions, well being, and learning about climate change. The conversation explored ways to have students experience climate change first-hand to try and invoke responses from disengaged students. After the KBC I did show the whole group some research on the impact of climate change images - that many of the images that have the highest impact (starving children in Africa) also are the images that do not foster individuals to feel able to take action.  I think as the institutes continue and teachers especially in the middle years are trying to find ways to engage their students, we should have some awareness around the dangers of fear-tactics.

I have also tried collating the learning documents into one google doc called "Documenting our Learning" and have identified the various tools and ouptuts with titles. I think then if they are interested in going back to the inquiry tools/process that were used during the day, they can find the outputs all in one doc. Then they can scan and have the visual aid to help them remember. Especially for this particular group but I think for the one days overall. This may be a more manageable documentation process for the teachers.

Misses:

The times for the institute were different than our understanding. We thought 9 - 3:30 and it was 8:30 - 3. So it was really good we were there an hour ahead of what we thought was our start time.

Not all teachers had filled out LSF's registration surveys so at the end of the day we had a lot of teachers (maybe 15) that did not have access. This created an awkward situation where we couldn't really request that only those who had received the email to stay. Krista, the curriculum consultant requested that we resend the survey to her and that she would follow-up with teachers. So hopefully we get a good response rate....it is always such a challenge if you don't have them there in the room.

Nametags - we didn't have nametags. Is it possible to include nametags in materials that LSF sends? I am sure it is and is probably my miss.

Anecdotal Evaluation on the day:
There were lots of "thank yous" and smiling faces leaving....I think they left feeling empowered but maybe that was just the relief that comes with a long weekend!

One Day Climate Chagne Peterborough

The first one day climate change PD session.

 -initial questions from this group indicated a conventional world view -a lot of them wanted content about cc to pass on to their students

-need to provide with some links for their personal/professional learning about cc in general -recommend Resilience.org  others?

-another common issue was how to engage students -should have just pointed out that students respond positively when the learning is interesting -i.e stop with the boring info transfer

-the process we follow -professional inquiry still worked with this group -they participated authentically even though overall they were not a cc knowledgeable group

  See the slides in the Peterborough folder for the order of the day.

r4r
  Included Joanne's r4r session in the morning just before lunch which allowed time to reorganize the questions. (R4R well received -which is par for the course for conventional educators -they are looking for ready made solutions and r4r has a lot of those)
-note to self -CC resources handout -this needs to be revamped to include what transformative learning strategies each of the resources uses  -also remove reference to clean nuclear

 Time factor is relevant and after doing a few of these one day sessions we will have to decide if this is worth the effort -maybe only offer 2 day -but that is yet to be determined -wait until after April 3

-as with many institutes -it does not fall into place until the second day -we lacked that opportunity

End of day reflections gave indication that the time constraints of a one day undermine what can be achieved.

-some comments
The day was more around how to change our lesson design. If you had time to show us how to write better inquiry lessons that would be great.

 I would have liked to have the learning from the afternoon be done in the morning and to have some time to collaborate and plan in the afternoon. There were some great ideas that were shared, but it is difficult to find the time to plan and organize. Need more specific learning around what inquiry looks like at the secondary level.

- Would have liked to discuss technology and key themes

 -I felt that at times, the presenters could be pushing a larger jump into experiential learning than some teachers are ready for. I felt as though, some of the learning could have been focused a little more on meeting teachers where they are currently rather than where you'd like to see us be.

Innovations

-the one slide documentation developed by Tanya -let's see what is produced on April 3
-changed the concept maping activity  -stil lnot clear as to what to do wiht the inital concpt maps that are produced by the groups -
-connecting with the county of Peterborough cc coordinator to explore community partners was beneficial -though she and most of the group probably did not get what an authentic partnership is all about -so tough to dispel conventional teaching worldviews in teachers and non teachers

Other insights
-this board is on the deep learning program  -top down -though shalt do deep learning -we offered a different approach

-a number of times it was noted however that what we were presenting was consistent with the deep learning worldview



-it might be beneficial to offer up some specific course based approaches to dealing with cc

ex take a topic and express it in terms of questions

-take  topic in a course and apply the project based cascade

-map out what a good community partnership might look like
-use page 72 and 73 to paln an inwury
-but alas these take time 

Educator to note

Aaron McFadden -looks to be the leading light of the group on applying trans formative strategies -weekly Wednesday outings, experiential learning projects
-maybe prompt a blog post on his grade 7 Wednesday outings