45 teachers, Principal's and staff, attended a 2 day seminar on the processes of Inquiry using the Lane Clarke model.
The first day was spent looking a the Macro and Micro Processes - looking at the Big picture, how children learn, what is Schema. We were introduced to the Think Tools, and given an outline of how they are used in the classroom.
For us this is an ongoing learning tool. We are following this up by an observation visit to Ak in week 2 of term 2, observing Inquiry in action at 2 Auckland Schools - one using the lane Clarke Model. There will be representatives from each of the 12 schools attending.
The second day, we were randomly placed in groups, different levels and different schools. Each group was given approx. 45mins to unpack each of the Think Tools used in the process of Inquiry. This proved to be very challenging and created much discussion on how this could be integrated into classroom practice. Below is a summary of the 2 days - kindly supplied by Annie from Oromahoe.
Lane Clark 20.4.11
About the process for learning
Identify the "so what" at the immersion stage - What difference will this learning make to my life or the lives of others? See p 116
Diagrams and symbols allow metacognition
Copying is a way of learning = but need to acknowledge the source
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Teaching kids how to learn by replicating learning in the real world
Inquiry is just a part of the learning process
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Need to fill gaps in inquiry model to match real world learning
Where does learning start?
Helpful to reverse engineer how you learn - eg trip photos
Skinny questions are OK, all that you can ask, when you don't know much, but they can indicate a real purpose or interest.
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Learners in the real world know the "so what" before they begin See P 116
Within the MACRO process there are THINKING TOOLS
Learning is only as solid as the thinking
Must teach how to think
and understand relationship between thinking and learning
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Eg thinkbox and thinktower (a pictorial version of thinkbox for younger children)
eg
= the same process from 5 yrs as in life - change degree of independence as learner progresses
= the first point of authentic integration in the curriculum
Keeps the "where to next, available?" - with independence
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Along with frameworks and organisers need planners for the management of thinking to produce results
Like a team action plan that bridges the gap between the idea and result, developed with the end clearly in mind.
Criteria for success built into this plan.
It is the scaffolding and eventually children will be able to design the planner themselves.
Note to self: need to read/discuss more about criteria - My judging rules - My writing criteria
Strengths /weaknesses/lightbulb
For older children ~ beg to develop/ at/ above
The use of the thinkbox or the thinktower enables children to be able to say
A key part of teaching learning = a thinkchart
Hattie's research = inquiry learning (often based on the assumption that engagement and motivation lead to learning) has no influence on effect size.
Recent writings on Human Cognitive Architecture describe the relationship between working memory and long term memory.
WORKING MEMORY REM sleep LONG TERM MEMORY
All processing Schema built and stored here
3-4 pieces of information reorganised
30 sec retention without rehearsal retrieved
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Must construct schema
Must tag important
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- Learners are not constructing schema
- Their processing is overloaded and therefore inhibited
- The schema they use is not explicit
- The schema presented for them to use is incomplete (teacher needs to have in-depth knowledge)
- Learners are not tagging the important
- There is no "so what" attached to the learning
- Learners are not engaged in multisensory learning experiences
Notes: Teaching how to summarise is useless without a schema
A lot easier to construct schema than to unconstruct it
Teachers should know about the brain
Best time to review mind maps is just before sleep
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Processing = finding out
It involves
NEW understanding
Anything new = synthesis
Therefore understanding IS synthesis at a near transfer
Never going to understand without process
Therefore BLOOMS is out! The only useful aspect of it is the terminology.
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What does this mean? Thinking is not hierarchical - it doesn't happen in levels.
There are TYPES of thinking, neither higher nor lower than any other, and LEVELS in each type.
The levels of synthesis or understanding enable the learning.
However separating thinking TYPES into discrete activities limits processing.
In THINKBOX/THINKTOWER model, all thinking is connected. (Thinktower is pictorial and allows younger kids to aim for the top!)
Evaluation involves both synthesis and analysis.
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Lane Clark's alternative to BLOOMS
Insert thinkbox -colour scan
Therefore need to do more finding out - developing depth and breadth
Wonderings Wall
Children write up questions as they occur - use a different colour for each week to show progress
Everyone has the potential to be gifted ("Outliers" Malcolm Gladwell)
9 Step Planning Process (See P 102) insert summary P103
5 Purposes for Immersion
1. Develop foundational schema - thinkcharts bring in more specificity
2. Test prerequisite schema - ASSUME NOTHING
3. Collection of baseline data
4. So What?!! ACTION. Identify how the learning will be used.
5. Develop consolidated outcomes
think!nQ is the real learning process
thinkbox and thinktower are the thinking frameworks
- providing essential repertoire of tools
MACRO Process - real learning process
MICRO Processes (frameworks)(See handout)
Teachers need to value the process - ie be able to answer "Why use it?"
Once the framework is completed by students need to debrief - use a debrief colour eg a pencil if lots of colours have been used.
Essential to develop a common language for the school - that fits with NZC
1. a thinkchart is a tool
2. thinkitgreat is a process ( need to know what something is before you can create it) - This gets you to the planner
3. Leads on to authorthink or techthink
4. All the processes have a framework that leads to a planner
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Example: to make a greeting card - Immersion investigate
Use thinkitgreat process to develop criteria for a GREAT card and techthink process at ideate stage
Always need to use thinkitgreat before authorthink
Important to debrief - use a different colour (pencl) and maybe a cheat sheet.
Children should be able to explain to parents the tools they used and why.
Create a baseline with no process eg making cards - then introduce first techthink, then thinkitgreat and techthink, finally immersion, thinkitgreat and techthink for a comparism.
solutionthink - eg. - open ended problem solving in maths
Can come anywhere in an inquiry
sciencethink - truly is inquiry - teaching scientifically
Comments
Hi Diane
We have been working for the last year with Lane Clarke and she is running a 2 day worshop st our school again this week. It would be good to get in contact to see where you are at using her work and if we can be of any help to each other.
Teresa Burn
Hi Teresa,
Great to hear from you. I am the Facilitator of a cluster of 12 schools. Unfortunately not all the schools have continued with the Lane Clarke Process. However, one school continues to use the Think It processes - Author Think, Science Think and Think It Great as part of their Inquiry. Others have taken ideas, but are developing their own models specific to their school needs. Would certainly love to hear where you are at - did you follow the Processess for Learning through as a school? Does every teacher work through individually or do you work in teams? We found that even at the Intermediate level it was very teacher directed as students had not had the processes taught or modelled at Primary. All schools are now trialling this, modelling processes and skills to develop those thinking skills. Hope this makes sense.
One teacher made some amazing resources, based on the Think it Great Process - you may see the pics, this was a very useful exercise as it was on display in the classroom so students were able to work through, with the teacher on where they were at, expectations and where to next.