Learning for the Future – What is Our End in Mind?
Imagine quality professional learning with a clearly articulated vision that incorporates collaboratively identified needs/goals, and supports growth that demonstrates improvement and/or innovation in supporting learning.
Focusing on education for the future, a conversation on a recent radio interview with a panel of educators from an Ontario Education Computing Conference, it was suggested that we focus on learning models, not teaching models. where in a flipped classroom we need to consider the collaborative nature of learning. We need to teach students to know how to learn, and how to ask questions. Making space for innovation is key.
At our last Learning Forward BC Board meeting we addressed one of our commitments – our own ongoing professional learning. With the context of looking at aspects of what future education and learning might look like, we considered 10 tenants [http://www.innovationunit.org/sites/default/files/10%20Ideas%20for%2021st%20Century%20Education.pdf )A synthesis of our conversation and sharing of our thinking resulted in a focus on the following: the importance of a systems perspective, the use data of to plan effectively, and the value of collaboration. Our question: what are core aspects of quality professional learning to be considered?
I was left contemplating how learning design decisions might help colleagues create an enduring visionary perspective on an end in mind for learning, hence our respective practices. How might we support a shift or transformation of current practice in a collaborative manner? How might we support collaborative conversations that are outward facing?
Some thoughts to consider:
Are leaders in our learning systems engaging all educators in conversations about student learning, and what professional learning is needed to support and impact the learning?
What questions are being asked, how is the information gathered, and how are the conversations interpreting the data informing learning needs – both of students and professionals?
In summary, how we create and lead cultures of inquiry in our systems is key to using data effectively to collaboratively plan for learning.
To further this work, I invite you to work collaboratively with colleagues by attending a session on January 14, 2013 to work with Bruce Wellman on Got Data? Now What? – Creating and Leading Cultures of Inquiry http://learningforwardbc.ca/event/got-data-now-what/
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