Social Effect of Learning

Went to a discussion led by Secondary Futures about the social effects of schooling a week or so back. Dr Tom Schuller from OECD was present and was able to link our education system into what was happenig in other places.
There was a small turnout which was a surprise.

Two observations

1. Everyone thinks they are at the cutting edge of education. Most are not; including me.
2. Most think the new curriculum will make a difference. But will it? It appears that most of new curriculum was in the old one. A better structure, better terminology and more coherence. But are we just 'shuffling the deck chairs'.

What is important is what goes on in classrooms. I still see words, phrases and ideas in the curriculum that belong to last century and I do not see big ideas reaching forward into this century.

Regarding the social effect of learning. A comment by Schuller was that there is "an enormous range of evidence that confirms the very strong correlation between educational achievement
and outcomes such as good health or more active citizenship". The importance of education then is not only to allow our learners to make choices about career and employment; but it also means they are more healthy and more active citizens.

This raises huge importance about our role as educators and what we must do. It is not simply about teaching for employment but about teaching for life and living.

Educated people are more healthy and live longer.

New Curriculum

Well tomorrow we have a new curriculum. It is no longer a DRAFT. All very new and up to date I'm sure and I understand a Prime Ministerial release.

But what will change?

• Will we see learners using IT like everyone does in the 'real' world?
• Will there be thinking practices ingrained in the curriculum?
• Will the assessment in NCEA reflect the new curriculum?
• Will be there be open-ended rich tasks in our classes?
• Will learners be blogging, using wikis, podcasts and so on?
• Will I see learners talking about their learning?

Or maybe I will still see

• NCEA assessments asking people to draw pie graph!
• Children learning about what is an ester!
• Learners still learning science, maths etc from different teachers with no relationship with each other
• Learners sitting still, being quiet, and accepting more content from teachers
• Learners having little access to digital resources and internet access

Yes, a new curriculum is important. And yes there are some positive changes in the the new curriculum. But there are still subject boundaries and content still dominates.

When I see our exams assess in depth thinking then I will believe that the curriculum has made a difference. Otherwise the battle around assessment will dominate and our children will continue to be educated for a world that no longer exists.

Health

Spent most of the day at a meeting at Auckland University as a member of a secondary school princpal's group advising on the Youth 2007 survey.

This is a survey of youth in New Zealand and factors around there work. It is a follow up on a survey done in 2000. The 2000 survey has some wonderful data about the risks around our youth and the 2007 survey is even better.

I look forward to the information coming out next year.

One of the concerns we talked about is how the data will be used. Will it be just another opportunity to bemoan negative statistics around various health, ethnic and education data or will a brave person use it to drive real change?

Teaching

Nothing demonstrates the concerns around education than the challenge of appointing staff at this time of the year.

We have a number of vacancies because we are a growing school. I have very few teachers leaving but those that are are leaving teaching for more money elsewhere. And applicants. Hardly any and very few from New Zealand.

We are allowing our profession to slowly die around us as we struggle with ever more difficult demands and allow ourselves to be removed from our core business of causing learning to occur.

An what do we get for four years training in this essential role. Well you start on $40k per year! No wonder our young, talented, and top scholars go into engineering, law and anything but teaching. An education is so important that we get a 4% increase. What other profession has operated on a 4% increase over the last year?

If we are ever going to change education and jump the chasm to a 21st Century learning environment then our sharpest and brightest will not do it for a 4% increase.