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