Preparing young people for the real world: what does it really take? Professor Guy Claxton Kings College London, UK
5 good reasons why we have to rethink education
1. The ‘successes’ are often 1. Unable to think on their feet 2. Success-oriented, not learning-oriented 3. Lacking resilience and resourcefulness 4. Mercenary and expedient
2. The ‘failures’ are defeated in learning 1. Passive and hopeless 2. Uninquisitive 3. Turned off reading 4. Find dignity in anti-social ways
3.Exams require substantial numbers of failures - so there has to be AN ANOT OTHER HER WA WAY Y OF OF WI WINNI NNING NG
4.Knowledge can be gained online - faster - more up-to-date - more reliably (if you know where and how to look ) - more interestingly - cheaper
5. Groups of children can teach themselves (almost) anything… …unless there is a ‘teacher’ about Professor Sugata Mitra (watch his TED talks)
Attitudes for life? • Being right • Being adventurous • Creating ideas • Copying down • Listening to teachers • Discussing with peers • Questioning things • Accepting what you’re told • Working alone • Working with others • Remembering facts • Imagining possible solutions • Showing initiative • Showing deference • Following instructions • Taking responsibility • Self-evaluating • Being evaluated
• Being right • Being adventurous • Creating ideas • Copying down • Listening to lectures • Discussing with peers • Questioning things • Accepting what you’re told • Working alone • Working with others • Remembering facts • Imagining possible solutions • Showing initiative • Showing deference • Following instructions • Taking responsibility • Self-evaluating • Being evaluated
Learning habits in school? • Being right • Being adventurous • Creating ideas • Copying down • Listening to teacher • Discussing with peers • Questioning things • Accepting what you’re told • Working alone • Working with others • Remembering facts • Imagining possible solutions • Showing initiative • Showing deference • Following instructions • Taking responsibility • Self-evaluating • Being evaluated
• Being right • Being adventurous • Creating ideas • Copying down • Listening to teacher • Discussing with peers • Questioning things • Accepting what you’re told • Working alone • Working with others • Remembering facts • Imagining possible solutions • Showing initiative • Showing deference • Following instructions • Taking responsibility • Self-evaluating • Being evaluated
What kind of “mind training”? 19 th century clerk? 21 st century explorer? • • Being right Being adventurous • • Copying down Creating ideas • • Listening to teacher Discussing with peers • • Accepting what you’re told Questioning things • • Working alone Working with others • • Remembering facts Imagining possible solutions • • Showing deference Showing initiative • • Following instructions Taking responsibility • • Being evaluated Self-evaluating
Good intentions are global • Our vision is for young people: – who will be creative , enterprising, confident , connected lifelong learners – develop the values and competencies that will enable them to live full and satisfying lives (New Zealand) • The curriculum must ensure that schools meet the challenges of the 21 st century… adaptable and resilient , independent and critical , questions and reflects , works well in teams , takes risks , is innovative , appreciates beauty … (Singapore) • The key skills of the Junior Cycle [include]: being flexible , imagining , exploring options , taking risks, discussing and debating , learning with others , being curious , reflecting and evaluating … (Irish Junior Cycle, Key Skills)
Nationally they fizzle out… • UK ‘personal learning and thinking skills’ • NZ ‘key competencies’ • Singapore ‘desired outcomes of education’ • Australia ‘general capabilities’ – Tasmania ‘essential learnings’ – Queensland ‘new basics’ – South Australia ‘teaching to learn’ ???
BUT many schools are doing it • Argentina – Ushuaia, Rosario • New Zealand – Auckland, Hamilton • Australia – Toorak, Bankstown • Singapore , Jakarta – UWC, BIS, JIC • Poland , Finland, Dubai • Ireland , Jersey, Isle of Man, • Newcastle, Birmingham, Ashburton, London… – Eton, Wellington, Marlborough, Gordonstoun
Who’s doing it? • Building learning power • Visible thinking / thinking routines (Perkins) • Habits of mind (Costa) • Visible learning (Hattie)??? • Assessment for learning???XX • Thinking skills?????? • Accelerated learning ??XXX
What goes wrong? 1. Politicians – dysfunctional democracy 2. Either / or thinking Results OR Habits for Life 3. Fixed intelligence 4. Bad language academic - ‘metacognitive awareness’, ‘managing impulsivity’ vague aspirations – ‘excellence’, ‘world - class’, ‘best practice’… ambiguous – e.g . ‘improving learning’ 5. Bolt-ons and quick fixes 6. Teacher inertia / control / anxiety 7. Just another bloody initiative
Just another passing initiative
Re Resu sults lts PLUS US Dis ispos position itions • Better grades all round – All students benefit – Low achievers disproportionately more • Students are better prepared for – Further independent study – Work and life • Teaching is more enjoyable and rewarding
Gordonstoun 60 %A*-B grades 55 50 % students 45 40 35 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 average
Changing conceptions of intelligence • A response to uncertainty – “Intelligence is knowing what to do when you don’t know what to do” Jean Piaget • Malleable – “The idea that intelligence is a fixed quantity is deplorable…a brutal pessimism…Before learning subjects, learners should be given lessons in mental orthopedics: in a word, they must learn how to learn” Alfred Binet • Componential – “Intelligence is the sum total of your habits of mind” Lauren Resnick • Balanced – “The essence of intelligence is knowing when to think and act quickly, and when to think and act slowly” Robert Sternberg
A new metaphor – the Mind Gym • Brains are like muscles • Subjects are like exercise machines • Each lesson is a mental work-out • The curriculum is a broad and appropriate fitness regime • Bright slackers are wasting their time
What goes right? 1. Small scale pedagogy 1. Politicians 2. Results PLUS 2. Either / or thinking 3. Learned habits of mind 3. Fixed intelligence 4. Precise, accessible language 4. Bad language 5. Gradual culture change 5. Bolt-ons and quick fixes 6. Small steps 6. Teacher control/anxiety 7. Deep embedding 7. Just another initiative
Building Learning Power • A series of small, subtle, significant habit shifts by teachers and school leaders in – How we talk and think about students – What we model about learning – How we design lessons – What we display and how we use resources – What we record and report – How we work together as learners – How a school plans and develops its LP culture • NOTHING LESS WILL DO… SO ARE WE SERIOUS???
Students’ comments • ‘If you’ve been focusing on one of the learning muscles in school, when I go home I think, ‘How could I use that here?’ Like when I go to swimming club I think maybe I could persevere more, or ask more questions, or use imitating’ (Madeleine, 12) • ‘In my old school they just gave you harder and harder worksheets. But here they really stretch you to learn in different ways. You get lots of encouragement so you learn to keep going and ‘dig deep’ when things get difficult. Now I always like to see if I can take things one step further’ (Tom,15) • ‘If something’s hard you don’t want to say ‘Oh this is hard, this is hard, I’ll just skip it’. You try because the best thing is, if you don’t try what’s the point? Because when you grow up you might come to some answer you’ll still not know, and you can’t skip it then’ ( Daneisha, 6)
We know how to do it
What do we need? • Understanding • Imagination • Will • It’s not centrally about permission or resources
• www.buildinglearningpower.co.uk • www.expansiveeducation.net • guy.claxton@winchester.ac.uk
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