Leading Curriculum Change

1. Leading Curriculum Change Derek Wenmoth Director, eLearning CORE Education

2. A case for change… • “schools frozen in time…” • “a yawning chasm …separates the world inside the schoolhouse from the world outside.” • "achievement gap" between social classes • fewer than half of high school students are enrolled in a foreign-language class

3. Future School…? • What would students learn? • How would they learn? • When would they learn? • Who would they learn with? • What would they learn on or with? • Where would they learn? • How will they/we know what they’ve learned? • Who decides? • Etc…

4. Setting the scene • What is one thing you’d like to see changed in your school/organisation that you would improve the opportunities for learners to learn? • Why is this important?

5. School Level barriers Prof. Hedley Beare allocation of most school tasks to teachers set class groups based on age egg crate classrooms division of all human knowledge into “subjects” notion of stand-alone school division of staff by “subject” linear curriculum assumption that learning is geographically bound limiting ‘formal schooling’ to years 0-13 period-based timetable

6. Changing schools… “Schools may be the starkest example in modern society of an entire institution modelled after the assembly line. This has dramatically increased educational capability in our time, but it has also created many of the most intractable problems with which students, teachers and parents struggle to this day. • If we want to change schools, it is unlikely to happen until we understand more deeply the core assumptions on which the industrial-age school is based” • (2000, Peter Senge)

7. Theory Gap “The difference between our espoused theory and our theory-in-use is becoming distressingly noticeable.” Chris Agyris & Donald Schon

8. Our Beliefs • Our beliefs are the truth • The truth is obvious • Our beliefs are based on real data • The data we select are the real data Challenges: • Understanding the “current realities” • Understanding the thinking of others and myself

9. Mental Models Mental models are the assumptions & stories which we carry in our minds of ourselves, other people, institutions, & every aspect of the world. Differences between mental models explain why two people can observe the same event and describe it differently; they are paying attention to different details.

10. The reflexive leap (our beliefs affect what data we select next time) I adopt beliefs about the world I take action based on my beliefs I draw conclusions I make assumptions based on the meanings I’ve added I add meanings (cultural and personal) I select data from what I observe Observable ‘data’ and experiences The Ladder of Inference Argyris & Schon, 2000

11. What we want young people to learn • Learning to learn • Curriculum based on knowledge alone does not equip students for further learning • Shifting balance of values, competencies, knowledge, and skills • Integration of skills, competencies and knowledge – emphasis on application

12. Essence of curriculum reform Is not….. • new documentation • new resources But it is.. • Teachers changing their teaching practice • if teachers continue to do what they always did before, the new/revised curriculum will have no effect

13. What Experience and Research tells us1 • Teachers do not change their practice because they are told to. • Teachers change when: • They have opportunities to practice • They have opportunities to reflect on the success of their changed practice • They can share experience and methods with professional colleagues • They are supported with appropriate tools 1 http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications/series/2515/15341

14. Leading Curriculum Change Within the ‘jigsaw’ of things to consider when leading curriculum change establishing clarity around what the expectations are is an important first step.

15. What drives your process? • Whole school scan – where are you at? • School Vision and values? • Pedagogical practice? • Student achievement data? • ICT? • Assessment? • Community opinion?

16. Values, Beliefs, Principles and Practices. Julia Atkin 2007

17. Values & Beliefs

18. The big idea • An Educational Positioning System • Using a “map” metaphor - 3 purposes: • Shows you where you are in relation to other features on the ‘landscape’ • Allows you to ‘see’ where you may want to move to • Enables you to develop an action plan to prioritize and chart your route to your selected destination • Uses a teacher’s own experience as the basis of reflection and feedback.

19. An educational positioning system Techniques, Strategies, Structures:the tools to implement the philosophical frameworks including the design of the use and allocation of people, time, space and place Philosophical Frameworks:deep exploration of the fundamental nature of educative purpose, learning, knowing and knowledge Community & Culture:the development of a learning culture and learning community Julia Atkin 2007

20. Four Tests The responses within each dimension can be interrogated according tothe following four tests: Robustness – processes up to the task Are the processes robust enough? Collectivity – participation and contribution Who is participating and to what extent? Complimentarity – relationships of the parts to whole Is the application consistent, across everything? Congruence – the desired effect What is the relationship between theory and practice?

21. School analysis view Provides a “birds eye view” of the feedback across all 18 dimensions. The colours in each segment represent the strengths and weaknesses in each dimensions, depending on how far from the centre the colour bar reaches.

22. Slider view Provides an interactive interface where the feedback can be investigated and different scenarios explored.

23. CBAM

24. Reflecting on action

25. More information For more information see: http://eps2.core-ed.net/ Or contact CORE Education Ltd: http://www.core-ed.net Or Contact: derek@core-ed.net