Tag Archives: transforming learning

Preston Lodge HS: Learners leading learning

Are you on Twitter?
Preston Lodge HS: Are you on Twitter?

At Preston Lodge HS in East Lothian  you will see a progressive yet considered approach to ensuring that the digital world is used to best effect to ensure better outcomes for learners. This can be seen in the way that the school is developing a learning culture with independent  learning at its heart. Calum Stewart (depute head) explained to us that there had been a focus on developing their learning to learn programme in order to help nurture learning attributes such as learner resilience, resourcefulness, responsibility, reasoning and reflection. He explained that such approaches were designed to help all learners and educators reflect on the idea that learning was not just about knowing content but equally about learning how to learn.

This focus on learning to learn has been embraced by many of the learners at the school and none more so than the head boy Jamie Halvorson. We were keen to chat with him about how he and his peers had begun to use Twitter to help build a pupil learning community but we found out that he had left the building and was heading home. The DHT sent him a Direct Message (DM) on Twitter and asked if he wouldn’t mind returning to speak with us. The message was received and Jamie duly returned in order to meet with us!

Preston Lodge HS: Pupils using Twitter to support learning Jamie Halvorson (Head Boy) discusses the potential of Twitter as a learning tool

Jamie explained to us that he thought Twitter was  a very powerful tool to help support the learning culture in a school and so he and his peers decided to come up with a mechanism by which learners throughout Scotland and beyond could share their perspectives on their experience of school. He wanted the pupil voice to be heard and for it to give formative feedback to school about what was working, what was good, how things could be improved and how learning could be widened and shared, but fundamentally he wanted to ensure that such a mechanism could help ensure that:

…all pupils benefit from the system (school) as much as possible.

Inspired by the #pedagoofriday hashtag used by many teachers in Twitter he decided to begin a #pupilfriday hashtag. This means that learners who have Twitter accounts can Tweet a comment about school on a Friday and include the #pupilfriday hashtag. This allows all the comments to be pulled together so that anyone who wanted to follow this thread of discussion could easily to do that by filtering for this phrase in Twitter.

Jamie told us that the response by pupils had been immense and that there had been no evidence of abuse of the hashtag. He was also delighted to see that other schools in Scotland were contributing to the growth and life of this particular digital learning community.

It was clear that the school’s focus on developing a thriving and contemporary learning culture had an effect on Jamie because he stated that he and his peers wanted to use these tools and exploit them in order to change the way we learn. He said that school had to be more about learning and not about getting an A in your exam. He felt that once this was achieved there was nothing beyond that – that you don’t develop your learning anymore. He agreed that the continued updating of the Neil Takes on Science site that he and his peers jointly created was an example of how they have continued to learn beyond success in exams.

School needs to be about more than just getting an A in your exam.

Social media and their potential to support and enrich learning are tools that schools across Scotland are exploring. There are undoubted issues and challenges for us to consider in relation to how misuse and abuse of such well-intentioned channels can possibly derail the vision that schools may have for the development of a digital learning culture, but what we can learn from Preston Lodge HS is that a cohesive, committed and considered strategy that embeds digital tools at the heart of learning can help nurture and grow a thriving learning culture inside and outside of school.

Preston Lodge HS: Learning the skills for learning

Preston Lodge HS: Instant access to the internet and web tools

Preston Lodge HS has worked hard to implement a series of initiatives that are focused on the development and growth of a rich learning culture in the school. Calum Stewart (depute head) explained to us that there had been a focus on developing their learning to learn programme in order to help nurture learning attributes such as learner resilience, resourcefulness, responsibility, reasoning and reflection. He explained that such approaches were designed to help all learners and educators reflect on the idea that learning was not just about knowing content but equally about learning how to learn. With the advent of pupil-led learning spaces at the school, such as Neil takes on Science, Mr Stewart remarked that he was not sure what the main driver was that had led to this; whether it was the devices that were enabling access to the web and dynamic web tools, whether it was the learning culture they were looking to nurture and grow or whether the changing nature of their courses were becoming more appealing to learners. Nonetheless, he was sure that he was seeing positive change in attitudes to learning in the school and thought that all these factors were helping to effect change.

Preston Lodge HS: Learning to learn Interview with Calum Stewart (DHT)

Mr Stewart was keen to stress that the culture in relation to the use of devices was one that was not looking to fixate on a particular device. The learning culture that was being grown would thrive no matter what device was being used and the possibility of having an open network to enable a BYOD (bring your own device) option for his learners was one that he very much looks forward to.

Finally, Mr Stewart commented on the need for learning to be open to change and particularly so when digital technology is misused by learners. Although there had not been any incidents of note in relation to this he believed that if there were the school should not react in a way that might lead to the closing off or shutting down of new ideas and methodologies. He stressed that managing perceived and actual risks with effective planning and carefully considered responses to any challenges that arise is the best approach to help us take learning forward.

Preston Lodge HS: Developing a digital learning culture and its impact on learners

Chrokebooks in Action at Preston Lodge HS
Preston Lodge HS: Learning not device centric

One of the class teachers at Preston Lodge HS who has been working with the Chromebook pilot is Feargal Kelly (biology). We took time out of his busy schedule to discuss with him what he thought he was seeing in terms of the impact on learning and teaching in his classroom as a result of his involvement with the Chromebook pilot. He talked about how having access to a web-enabled device that connected to the internet very quickly has changed things for him. Initially Mr Kelly used the device to help the learners in his class plan for their own learning but he felt that this approach was becoming too device centric, so now he has developed an approach that encourages the learners to dip in and out of using  the device when it is required.

Preston Lodge HS: Feargal Kelly interview 1 Mr Kelly gives an overview of the Chromebook pilot

Mr Kelly discusses how an open network enabled him to develop a culture of appropriate use and behaviour when accessing collaborative tools. He gave us some examples of minor misuse and he talked about the ways in which he addressed these and held conversations with his learners about appropriateness. He believes that these learning conversations happened because nothing was blocked on the open network that they were using. The issue of blocking sites and access to effective learning tools is detrimental to the development of successful learner  and responsible citizen aspects of Curriculum for Excellence and that if we are really in the business of educating young people then we should be having conversations to educate them.

Preston Lodge HS: Feargal Kelly interview 2 Mr Kelly discusses learning conversations that can happen with open access to the web.

Mr Kelly also discussed how the learners he works with have embraced the freedom to write for the web – a freedom that appears to have been enabled by the Chromebooks, the open network and the learning culture and climate that he has established with his learners. He gave the example of the Neil takes on Science work created by some of his learners and how Biology was no longer just learning facts or passing an exam, but how it had become a much wider learning experience, one that they owned and were intrinsically motivated by. It was also felt by those learners that they knew their science better as a result of creating the Neil takes on Science site because they had to think how best to convey their learning so that others could learn from the materials they authored and published.

Preston Lodge HS: Feargal Kelly interview 3 Mr Kelly discusses the learning culture that has developed in his classroom

Balbardie PS: Learning with any device

Balbardie PS: learning with any device
Balbardie PS: learning with any device

Balbardie PS in West Lothian has been working closely with their Local Authority development team in order to develop a learning strategy to ensure that their Anytime Anywhere Learning channel can have real impact on the life of learning in the school. Greg Welsh (headteacher) took time to explain that after consultation with staff and pupils it was decided that a focus on numeracy and literacy would be a main target for their learning strategy. This curricular focus was complemented by the determination to establish a learning culture in the school that would enable learners to be comfortable with any connected device that they could access and use to support their learning.

…a huge focus on not teaching around a device. The device is there to support the learning that is taking place.

Mr Welsh pointed out that he and his staff did not feel that there was any real need for the children at the school to be trained in the use of any of the devices that were available.

Balbardie PS: Impact and vision Mr Welsh discusses the vision for the AAL channel and the impact that he is seeing

The school has a range of devices for use to support learning and teaching  including netbooks, laptops, iPads and Nintendo DS. These devices can be seen to be in the same class at the same time in a mixed economy style. Mr Welsh took us to visit to a P7 class to see this policy in action and during this time he again explained the rationale for encouraging the use of a range of devices to be used across the fabric of learning in his school.

Balbardie PS: Mixed economy of devices Mr Welsh discusses the rationale for having a mixed economy of devices

We visited a number of other classes at Balbardie PS to see the school’s policy on using a range of devices being put into practice. In one of the classrooms we visited we saw the children in groups where there were netbooks and iPads available for use. This discussion with them shows how at ease they are in using any device to assist them with their learning and it helps to show how the school’s aims are becoming realised by the way learners are confidently using any device to help support their learning.

Balbardie PS: Learners and a mixed economy of devices Learners discuss their experience of a mixed economy of devices at their school

Similarly, this short interview with a P7 learner who is using the Pictochat facility on a  Nintendo DS gives us an insight into this confident attitude and ‘at ease’ nature of learners with devices that appeared to permeate the classrooms that we saw during out visit to this school.

Balbardie PS: Learner with DS in a mixed economy device classroom Discussion with P.7 learner using Nintendo DS in a spelling lesson

Some food for thought on how such an approach to using a variety of learning devices in your school and helping to develop the associated learning culture can be planned for and nurtured.

Preston Lodge HS: The learner perspective

Preston Lodge HS: The Learner's Perspective
Preston Lodge HS: The learner's perspective

Hugely motivated and empowered by the learning, teaching and assessment approaches used at Preston Lodge HS Higher biology learners have collaborated to create a website ‘Neil takes on science‘ to support others in attaining this qualification. They then purchased a domain and created additional content during the summer holidays. They felt that creating videos about biology concepts was a great way to learn and to help others learn. East Lothian has allowed access to YouTube for practitioners and learners since November 2008. S5/S6 learners use YouTube to access learning content, publish content and post events. It is a fundamental tool and they felt that there would be a ‘massive’ barrier to learning if it was blocked. They rely on online resources during study leave and made reference to Khan Academy and accessing their teachers’ PowerPoint presentations online.

Learners spoke sensibly about the choices and decisions they face as individuals. They respect the view that with ‘great power comes great responsibility’. They compared behaving irresponsibly online with swearing in class. You could swear in class but you don’t, it isn’t appropriate. Individuals have to make a choice not to behave inappropriately or access to devices and tools is removed. Practitioners commented that ‘we are in the business of educating people to use web resources responsibly and it shouldn’t be the case that resources are blocked or filtered so that we don’t have to’.

With support and experience learners are using tools effectively and responsibly for successful learning but also to make a very effective contribution to their learning communities and beyond. There have been instances of inappropriate use of tools and resources but these occasions have been used as learning opportunities and are rarely repeated.

Tools from the Chrome Web Store are also used to add fun to lessons and the webcam toy has been used to great effect with customised login icons appearing for each learner on devices they have used.

Listen to our interviews with the team behind Neil takes on Science:

The Neil Takes on Science team discuss how the idea for their site started to grow and how the Chromebook and the learning infrastructure they experienced helped them enhance their learning by writing for the web. They also discuss the importance of YouTube to their learning.

Preston Lodge HS: Neil Takes on Science team no.1 Interview 1 with the Neil Takes on Science team

The Neil Takes on Science team discuss other ways in which digital learning is happening at Preston Lodge HS. They also talk about the nature of learning and how the process of building their site has not only helped them get to know the subject material but, more importantly, develop as learners.

Preston Lodge HS: Neil Takes on Science team no.2 Interview 2 with the Neil Takes on Science team

West Lothian Council: Aspiring to and empowering transformational change

West Lothian Council: Aspirational change and impact on learning
Embedding technology in the learner's space

In our discussions about West Lothian Council’s anywhere, anytime learning (AAL) channel for schools the ICT Development team detailed their aspirations for transformational change in schools. They had observed much of the recent hype and promotion about a series of platforms and devices and had some concerns that school leaders would be persuaded by the pervasive message that the device route was the way to go. Having been involved in so many ICT initiatives and developments over the years both John Low and Laura Compton were adamant that engagement with and support offered to schools in their authority should not be based on jumping on the next new wave without a clear strategy for managing change. They were of the opinion that without such thinking (and once the effect of the new shiny, shiny tech in school had worn off) any new initiative would more than likely end in schools continuing to do what they have always done.

we need to focus on what we think good learning looks like.

As part of this change there was a determination to ensure that the principles of Curriculum for Excellence would inform and influence their developing models and that an effort to ensure a dialogue around learning with tools such as connected devices was focused on challenging what we think good learning looks like. They wanted to challenge mindsets and approaches such as timetabling devices – mindsets that they felt served and perpetuated old models of learning. They were also keen to stress that even though there is great emphasis on there being apps to suit everything, they wanted to help develop a culture in schools that had a broader vision of embedding technology in the learners’ space rather than it being something that is imposed on them.

West Lothian Council: Aspiring to transformational change John Low discusses transformational change

Laura Compton expanded further on what she thought needed to be done to help empower the transformational change that her team aspired to. She believed that the right climate for discussion and dialogue with new technology had to be in place so that any fears and concerns that teachers had in regards to their use of technologies and their impact on learning and teaching could be discussed openly and honestly. The importance of involving learners in conversations about their learning was of great importance as was presenting contexts in schools that not only help develop their practical digital skills but also their critical digital literacy skills.

Finally Mrs Compton argued that their BYOD (bring your own device) infrastructure and learning culture is one that they believe to be sustainable and scalable and that empowering change in their schools means creating conditions where this can happen not for one class, or for one year group but for everyone in their schools.

West Lothian Council: empowering change Laura Compton discusses the need to create the right conditions for change to happen

West Lothian Council: Developing a strategy for learning

West Lothian Council: Focus on the learning and not on the devcie
Devices embedded in learning opportunities

West Lothian Council has a dedicated anywhere, anytime learning (AAL) channel that is designed to enable a BYOD (bring your own device) model across their school estate. Although this resource/service is available to all schools across West Lothian a process has been put in place by the central team and this must be engaged with by any school who wishes to have their AAL channel switched on. Laura Compton from the central team at West Lothian explained that the focus of their work was all about impact on learning and ensuring better outcomes for learners. To achieve this objective any school which wished to access their AAL channel would need to work in partnership with them to develop a strategy for learning that would make best use of any web-enabled devices that came into the school.

West Lothian Council: The Learning Strategy Laura Compton discusses the need for strategic planning by a school to take place prior to the AAL channel being switched on.

Integral to the jointly authored learning strategy  is a shared understanding that the focus is not on the device or the apps that may be available but rather on the rich learning opportunities that can be enabled by access to such technology. There is also an emphasis on ensuring that these learning opportunities are not straight-jacketed by a school that wants to be overly controlling in the management of the resource, a control that may lead to everyone having the same resources and apps on their device. They were adamant that a focus on controlling the device and subsequently the learning in this way would not lead to any sense of culture or transformational change within the school.

We need to talk about learning and not about devices.

In order to create the conditions for any positive change to begin to happen Laura Compton argued that the energy needed to be moved away from ideas of managing devices and wholly channeled into ensuring  that the focus was on providing quality learning at every opportunity.

West Lothian Council: The AAL channel

West Lothian Council: The AAL channel
Pupil owned devices online in West Lothian schools

John Low explained to us that AAL (anywhere, anytime learning) is the definition that they use for the channel on their wireless networks that enables authority non-supported and pupil-owned devices to access the internet. The team at West Lothian Council had wrestled with the fact that learners were journeying on their learning by accessing the internet via the wi-fi on the local bus or in fast-food burger shops but not, alas, in school. The AAL channel was seen as a solution that would enable learning to happen anytime and anywhere – including in school!

West Lothian Council: The AAL channel John Low discusses the AAL Channel in West Lothian

The team at West Lothian were conscious that a situation was developing where the access to technology was restricted by their capacity to provide devices within schools. They were concerned that learners would only gain access to technology in Secondary, for example, when they chose a subject that required access to a set of desktop computers, and that the use of such tools would not permeate through to pupils. Although the central team are confident that progress has been made in helping to develop staff capacity to project online content, they were aware that this was teacher driven and not the individualised process of exploration and enquiry for learners that access to digital technology can enable. These factors came together and were the basis on which they determined to create a sustainable and scalable infrastructure that would enable a ‘bring your own device’ (BYOB) system to work across their school estate.

The central team stressed that the their AAL acronym was the same concept that one may associate with BYOD and that it was just that the AAL vision was well in place before terms such as BYOD, BTOT (bring your own technology) or even BYOB (bring your own browser) were commonly known and used.

All primary and secondary schools  have the capacity to have a channel on West Lothian’s enterprise wireless network that allows Authority supported devices to access the web. The AAL channel allows non-supported authority devices provided by the school and learner-owned devices to connect to the internet, and with this connection comes authentication, filtering and the recording of user activity.

There have been many challenges for  John Low and his team in setting up the AAL network, and none more significant than working with authority corporate colleagues who have responsibility for issues such as information security, data protection and code of connection. They have, however, managed to resolve many of the issues so that the AAL channel can be used by schools to help prepare the digital environment that can enhance learning and help facilitate better outcomes for learners.

West Lothian Council: Anytime, Anywhere Learning overview

West Lothian Council: Overview of AAL programme
Strategic focus on transforming learning

With a clear strategic focus on  increasing attainment and achievement and transforming learning, teaching and assessment approaches West Lothian Council has been implementing a substantial programme and investment to improve infrastructure to realise their vision of having ‘Anywhere, Anytime Learning’ (AAL) available across the school estate.

AAL is intended to support a transformation in learning and teaching by enabling a school and classroom environment where every pupil and teacher can use personal mobile devices to communicate, collaborate, research, share and expand knowledge. In parallel with a curriculum and pedagogy which promotes: active learning, independent learning, collaborative learning, learning how to learn, investigating, exploring, purposeful play, personalisation and choice in contexts that are relevant to life and work; AAL can help us engage learners in the highest quality learning activities.

To enable a change in culture, pedagogy and behaviours and to ensure social inclusion and sustainable approaches the Learning and Teaching (ICT) Development Team planned with Corporate IT Services to design an infrastructure which would allow West Lothian funded devices and personal-owned devices to access the network.

John Low and Laura Compton from the Learning and Teaching (ICT) Development Team shared West Lothian’s vision for their AAL programme.

West Lothian Council: Overview John Low and Laura Compton discuss the vision for West Lothian Council’s AAL Channel

Cedars School of Excellence: Impact on Learning

iPads part of the everyday life of learning at Cedars

Cedars School of Excellence in Greenock is an independent school catering for children ages from 5 to 17 years. In 2009 they were inspired by the announcement of the Apple’s new iPad that would lead them to become the first school to offer 1:1 iPad provision for learners and staff. Since that time they have been working to integrate the use of this technology into the fabric of learning in their school. We visited them in October 2012 to find out what their experience with their 1:1 approach had been.

We met with Fraser Speirs (computing teacher) and Andrew Jewell (class teacher) to ask them what they had seen in terms of impact on learning as a result of their iPad initiative. Mr Speirs felt that that one of the biggest benefits with subsequent impact on learning was that life in school was very much like life outside of school in terms of their learners being able to access and use digital technology without having to make any adjustments or compromises. He also explained that much of the teaching in the school had been realigned in keeping with what the school felt was a  change of emphasis on what was really important, an emphasis informed and influenced by access to tablet devices, always on access to the web and the range of apps that are now available. One example of this was that there was now less of a focus  on tasks such as Word Processing with greater emphasis being place on developing a delivering effective presentations that communicated a message that was beyond text.

cedars_fspeirsimpact Listen to Fraser Speirs talk about impact on learning