My Credo and Principles of Learning
What do I believe to be true with regards to education?
I believe that the physical building we call the school and the 4-walled classrooms inside, are no longer sufficient to shape and support learning. Through advances in technology and the impacts of globalization, the concept of 'school' is shifting to mean the world, and the concept of the 'classroom' is transforming to mean diverse learning communities connected digitally across vast distances.
As educators, I believe we must create learning opportunities that are connected to local communities AND the wider world. We must support individual identities AND promote diversity. We must keep up with technology AND maintain the predictability and routine that children need to thrive. We must do this skillfully in the here and now, AND integrate an awareness of the future world that our learners will inherit from us.
The task is great.
In the future, we will continue to use schools as gathering places for learning, however, the learning will not be limited to what can happen within four walls and a roof. This change has already begun in our places of learning as we observe that children no longer 'go to school' to receive content knowledge from a learned adult, but rather 'come to school' to engage collaboratively within a community of learners that co-creates knowledge and understanding.
This brings me to the question of purpose.
I believe that the purpose of education is to nurture the unique development of every child to become a healthy, skilled and engaged global citizen, capable of solving the complex challenges of our world.
With this purpose in mind, I believe that our children require strong foundations in social and environmental justice principles. I therefore build my pedagogies on the values and principles embedded in;
In considering the future of our Nations within Canada, I believe that these 4 instruments are necessary to create the social, cultural, political and economic transformations from which to guide learning for our future generations. I use these tools to shape my pedagogical framework, and I also believe that learners need the opportunity to explore these tools for themselves.
Please go to My Foundations Mind Map below to view how these philosophical instruments shape my worldview of education.
With the corner posts in place for this new 'school' that we are building together, I turn my attention to the foundation, the learning platform that sustains the learning community and supports the creation of new knowledge. The OECD's Centre for Educational Research and Innovation has created a research-based learning framework called The Nature of Learning. This pedagogical guide supports the design of innovative learning environments and opportunities for students, according to the following premises;
I believe that the physical building we call the school and the 4-walled classrooms inside, are no longer sufficient to shape and support learning. Through advances in technology and the impacts of globalization, the concept of 'school' is shifting to mean the world, and the concept of the 'classroom' is transforming to mean diverse learning communities connected digitally across vast distances.
As educators, I believe we must create learning opportunities that are connected to local communities AND the wider world. We must support individual identities AND promote diversity. We must keep up with technology AND maintain the predictability and routine that children need to thrive. We must do this skillfully in the here and now, AND integrate an awareness of the future world that our learners will inherit from us.
The task is great.
In the future, we will continue to use schools as gathering places for learning, however, the learning will not be limited to what can happen within four walls and a roof. This change has already begun in our places of learning as we observe that children no longer 'go to school' to receive content knowledge from a learned adult, but rather 'come to school' to engage collaboratively within a community of learners that co-creates knowledge and understanding.
This brings me to the question of purpose.
I believe that the purpose of education is to nurture the unique development of every child to become a healthy, skilled and engaged global citizen, capable of solving the complex challenges of our world.
With this purpose in mind, I believe that our children require strong foundations in social and environmental justice principles. I therefore build my pedagogies on the values and principles embedded in;
- the Earth Charter,
- the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,
- the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's Calls to Action in Education and
- the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
In considering the future of our Nations within Canada, I believe that these 4 instruments are necessary to create the social, cultural, political and economic transformations from which to guide learning for our future generations. I use these tools to shape my pedagogical framework, and I also believe that learners need the opportunity to explore these tools for themselves.
Please go to My Foundations Mind Map below to view how these philosophical instruments shape my worldview of education.
With the corner posts in place for this new 'school' that we are building together, I turn my attention to the foundation, the learning platform that sustains the learning community and supports the creation of new knowledge. The OECD's Centre for Educational Research and Innovation has created a research-based learning framework called The Nature of Learning. This pedagogical guide supports the design of innovative learning environments and opportunities for students, according to the following premises;
- Learning is viewed as socio-constructivist, which means that it is actively constructed through social negotiation and shaped by context (OECD, page 3) .
- Innovative learning environments are places where knowledge is co-created through collaboration and interaction with the social, cultural and environmental context where the learning is taking place (OECD, page 3).
- Guided Learning, Action Learning and Experiential Learning must be facilitated to develop adaptive expertise - the ability to apply meaningfully learned knowledge and skills flexibly and creatively in different situations (OECD, page 3).
- Research shows that Emotion and Motivation strongly influence cognition and learning. There are 8 factors that support motivation for learning:
- Learners perceive stable links between specific actions and achievement.
- Learners feel competent to do what is expected of them.
- Learners value the subject and have a clear sense of purpose for their learning.
- Learners perceive the environment is favourable for learning
- Learners experience positive emotions toward learning activities
- Learners direct their attention away from learning when they experience negative emotions
- Learners are more persistent in learning when they can manage their resources and deal with obstacles efficiently
- Learners free up cognitive resources for learning when they are able to influence the intensity, duration and expression of their emotions (OECD, page 5).
- The OECD research shows that the quality of knowledge gained is more important than the quantity.
My Foundations Mind Map (click on the image below to go to the larger version of the map).
The 7 Principles of Learning from the OECD's Nature of Learning Publication
LEARNERS AT THE CENTRE
The learning environment recognizes the learners as its core participants, encourages their active engagement and develops in them an understanding of their own activity as learners.
As an educator, it is my job to help students become active and goal-oriented by building on their natural desire to explore, to understand new things and to master them.
go to evidence in my teaching practice...
The learning environment recognizes the learners as its core participants, encourages their active engagement and develops in them an understanding of their own activity as learners.
As an educator, it is my job to help students become active and goal-oriented by building on their natural desire to explore, to understand new things and to master them.
go to evidence in my teaching practice...
SOCIAL NATURE OF LEARNING
The learning environment is founded on the social nature of learning and actively encourages well-organized cooperative learning.
As an Educator, I will establish a collaborative and co-operative atmosphere for learning.
go to evidence in my teaching practice...
The learning environment is founded on the social nature of learning and actively encourages well-organized cooperative learning.
As an Educator, I will establish a collaborative and co-operative atmosphere for learning.
go to evidence in my teaching practice...
EMOTIONS INTEGRAL TO LEARNING
The learning professionals within the learning environment are highly attuned to the learners' motivations and the key role of emotions in achievement.
As an Educator, I help learners develop strategies for evaluating their learning, checking their understanding, and correcting errors when appropriate.
The learning professionals within the learning environment are highly attuned to the learners' motivations and the key role of emotions in achievement.
As an Educator, I help learners develop strategies for evaluating their learning, checking their understanding, and correcting errors when appropriate.
RECOGNIZE INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES
The learning environment is acutely sensitive to the individual differences among the learners in it, including prior knowledge.
As an Educator, I recognize the importance of students knowing and using a variety of learning strategies such as critical inquiry .....
The learning environment is acutely sensitive to the individual differences among the learners in it, including prior knowledge.
As an Educator, I recognize the importance of students knowing and using a variety of learning strategies such as critical inquiry .....
STRETCH ALL STUDENTS
The learning environment devises programs that demand hard work and challenge from all, but without excessive overload.
As an Educator, I create the circumstances for alternative beliefs and explanations to be externalized and expressed.
The learning environment devises programs that demand hard work and challenge from all, but without excessive overload.
As an Educator, I create the circumstances for alternative beliefs and explanations to be externalized and expressed.
ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING
The learning environment operates with clarity of expectations using assessment strategies consistent with these expectations. There is a strong emphasis on formative feedback to support learning.
As an Educator, I create the circumstances for learners to think about what they are doing and apply the new knowledge in any different situations.
The learning environment operates with clarity of expectations using assessment strategies consistent with these expectations. There is a strong emphasis on formative feedback to support learning.
As an Educator, I create the circumstances for learners to think about what they are doing and apply the new knowledge in any different situations.
BUILDING HORIZONTAL CONNECTIONS
The learning environment strongly promotes horizontal connectedness across areas of knowledge and subjects as well as to the community and the wider world.
As an Educator, I teach for understanding and create the circumstances for mastery learning.
The learning environment strongly promotes horizontal connectedness across areas of knowledge and subjects as well as to the community and the wider world.
As an Educator, I teach for understanding and create the circumstances for mastery learning.