PGCEi face to face day 2

Exploring learning theories

Day 2 of PGCEi was well spent in exploring the various learning theories. Though I had read some of them as a part of the IB documents , but had really never connected them to my own teaching practices to justify them. For the first time the IB documents and programme felt to be so dynamic as it was informed by what modern theorists had to say about learning. I could see so many paradigm shifts happening of other educators in the room as they kept on questioning and reflecting on their own practices. 

My takeaway from the day were many :

1. How the zone of proximal development was further refined by Bruner and later by Woods and the concept of Contingent control in the classroom introduced.
2. Also the Howard Gardener's multiple intelligence theory kind of challenged my prior understanding of the visual, audiometric and kinaesthetic learning , saying that all the intelligences need to be developed.

My own definition of learning

Behaviourism- 

Stimuli can be linked to produce response -- Pavlov

 

Language and Learning in International Contexts

In the second half what we were introduced was even more interesting as I had read all of that while framing and developing language policy of the IB schools in which I was a part from evaluation and authorization over the two years.However the contexts of all of that were made so relevant now.We were introduced to BICS and CALP (The acronyms BICS and CALP refer to a distinction introduced by Cummins (1979) between basic interpersonal communicative skills and cognitive academic language proficiency.)

My takeaway of the day:

Cummins quadrant -I kind of struggled to place my practices in the various quadrants. To achieve CALP it was mentioned that we had to have practices linked to quadrant C. 

ACTIVITY TIME:

We did some case study analysis and answered in group the following questions?

1. What strategies you could use to support EAL in your class?
2. What is the value of the home language?
3. How can literacy skills of CALP be developed?

In the context of China and our school these questions are so valid and relevant and needed reflection and connection. I answered them to my own context.

 The day ended by learning how to write a piece of critical writing under crilical literacy.. It was a big insight to academic writing.

PGCEi face to face - Day 1: An Ideal Classroom

What kind of Education do you believe in?

All these days, being an educator for 15 years , I developed my own understanding of what it means to design a good education system and be a good educator. My beliefs and implementation have always been influenced majorly by IB programme and some educators who challenge the existing knowledge and  education system. But as a part of my PGCEi programme from the University of Nottingham, I am being introduced to theories about philosophies of education and how mine compares to them.

As a part of the ongoing activities of Day 1, we have been asked to think and create an assignment task " An Ideal Classroom in an Ideal school"

What challenged my thought process was a TED talk shown that talked about woman in Afghanistan , deprived of being in a school....Would'nt then an ideal school in that scenario  have values about the right to education.

So here in China , when I reflect sometimes how far I have drifted sometimes due to the firewall and lack of understanding on the benefits of technology integration, what could be retained and carried forward is what values do  I want to instill in the classroom?

Giving an access to International IB programme to our chinese students and then giving them opportunities to study abroad , in itself my first step to design the ideal classroom in the context of China. At the same time if I can empower them more with language capabilities and skills to be a part of the global classroom then I guess my further pathway to a dream classroom would be fulfilled.

More coming up...

Teaching Physics to ESL learners

All subject teachers are language teachers!

I had always heard and read about this in the IB documents , but implementing it to the core in the context of China. My recent experience of taking WUIS , China through their IB DP Authorization had suddenly thrown a different insight into unpacking the IB documents as compared to my stint with the evaluation phase in India. The Language policy and its implementation seems to be the prime focus in the school in relevance to China. Being a new school, it caters to chinese students from the national board who have very limited grasp over English as a language of instruction as compared to my previous students in India. Here what is suprising is that both Indians and Chinese are ESL students.

The manner in which teaching and learning is happening in the DP physics classroom here is so different from  the classrooms in India where I had native or near native english speakers. Just reflecting on how my first unit is being taught here , where the development of language is so very imortant.

Integration of language in Physics, is a four-step process:

1)    activating background knowledge

2)    scaffolding for new learning input

3)    acquisition of new learning through practice

4)    demonstrating proficiency.

Today's lesson was hinted on identifying , reading and analyzing graphs- a basic introduction. I used desmos platform, my all time favourite to act as a platform and tool to nurture critical thinking. 

Activity 1: Students where given a function , y=2x and ask to generate a graph and describe the same in groups. What came out from the oral exercise was that the student cohort was weak in basic science vocabalary and the same was identified and posted on the wall..

Words like origin, intersection, gradient, y-intercept were not known or used by the students in English. This activity helped in activating background knowledge.

Activity 2

Next more equations where given on desmos and students where asked to compare and contrast between: y=2x. y=5x, y=-5x and so on. As they compared and elaborated their descriptions in sets of five sentences, they started using the identified and highlighted vocabalary with use.This activity helped students to scaffold for new learning input.

IB Macau Asia Pacific Conference 2015

Reflection day 1:

( picture credits to the IB Asia Pacific conference 2015 , Macau )

The conference day started a bit chaotic for me as I got late from the start itself. The first keynote speech had started. As I sneaked into the session , what I gathered from the sentences was that we were focussing on creative school. We focussed on why we should be a creative school and then looked on methods of how we can become one. The thoughts and research work of Dr. Michael Anderson came alive on a wall as posted here. The thoughts resonated with what Ms. Julia Gillard, the ex prime minister of Australia had instilled in us in her speech yesterday. 

Both the speeches, focussed on why we needed humans in a futuristic society. A society where robots would be employed not only to do mechanised repititive work but also be used for caring and service sector and jobs will become redundant. Well the answer was probably we would be needing humans who are creative thinkers and can engage with these machines with better competencies to use them in a meaningful way. And thus arised the need of creative thinking and innovation in the present education system. 

What these speeches meant to me and the implementation of the DP at my school?

For me critical thinking was always the crux, but here I stand at a complete different level where creative thinking is even more powerful and of higher order.

Dr. Anderson's speech strengthened my thoughts on having more relevant group 6 subjects in the DP curriculum offered and all the more relevant in the context of China. As a candidate school we have already set in the music, visual art and film studies on offer. Theatre would be another way of making the students here, acquire more creative skills in language.

Rethinking on designing the curriculum, integrating the Components of international mindedness and ATL skills with a creative framework in mind. Being affected by the recent workshop by Rob Bowden on learning through the values, integrating the same would also mean a lot. 

Breakout session 1:

This was on web literacy for educators and schools. I had to attend this forcefully as all other sessions were full. I felt that being a tech enthusiast and setting practices so strongly in my previous school, I knew a lot. However attending this session I realised that there was so much I did not know too.Many things which seemed to be the heart of tech integration was so missing and those bits and pieces that I was introduced to would make the picture complete.All sessions on value integration kind of opposed tech, and majority of people do not pick up this discussion as they feel that the humane touch and connection is vanishing. And here this session was talking of internet connecting the computers and web connecting people. Indeed when we try to think of a futuristic education, why do not we feel that in future the way we are humanly connected with a person might also change?

 I can so connect with my PLN network members and IB people, when I see there small profile picture and name on a social media or IB platform. But being in front of them would make me feel so disconnected. So indeed the use of web diligently and connecting to humans, does have a humane touch in it.I wonder is the value integration missing when someone posts and shares the need of a group of blood, or raises money through a facebook page for a medically ailling person , or raises awareness for an issue. Aren't we talking of a future of humans of working in a far more collaborative manner with machines in future by Julia Gillard?

Also came in a wealth of information of how the presenter uses platforms like common sense media, MOOC, coursera etc to teach web literacy. 

How I would connect it to my implementation in the DP programme?

The diploma programme has its key requirement of raising awareness of academic malpractices and importance of academic honesty. The various portals that the presenter raised in terms of even checking the digital footprint by universities in future meant a lot for my programme implementation. In the context of China I saw tremendous potential in the platform of common sense media as a starter for my research skill orientation of students and steps to move towards a digital citizenship.

Breakout session 2 and 4:

The reason I am writing about these two sessions combined is that that I had chosen the two because of the presenters rather than the topic. UWC schools had always been my idea of visualizing a benchmark IB school whose core values , mission and vision always seemed to be far larger than IB. 

Session 2 was on "conversations cost nothing: shaping a professional culture in your school" and session 4 was on "the secret principal : stories of international school leadership from behind closed doors". 

Both the sessions just reconfirmed my belief on UWC schools being benchmarks in IB education. These sessions had evidences to support my belief which now seems almost like a biased knowledge claim of TOK . While the first session talked about setting up strong converstations with the staff, providing a leadership for learning atmosphere in the school culture.

It made us think on the seven norms of collaboration of which the seventh one seemed to be so relevant and the most important. As a deputy head of school in my previous school in India, I Could now connect and reflect on the practices that I had set in on similar lines. However, now I know after attending the session on leadership in the cultural context , yesterday that , being an Indian, paraphrazing is sometimes a challenge.

The session suddenly made me gleam with ideas of strengthening the existing practices of my school.The fourth session had stories from successful principals sharing on what challenges they faced and what strategies have been emplyed to overcome that.

A very simple model explained it all. I liked the stress on investment in organisational capital, building on structure in the administrative practices, as teachers felt secure and comfortable in such work cultures. I laways had a feeling better leaders were not better managers, but it was equally important to be one.

What all of this means to the implementation of  the programme in my school?

As I reflect on my learning from these sessions, few questions keep coming to my mind?

What made me feel that the UWC principals and vice principals , in the two different sessions, from two diffferent campuses were connected?

What message did the two sessions commonly provide?

Well I felt that they belonged to an organisation with a shared vision and a goal. Yet the different contexts of operation gave them opportunities to set unique benchmark practices to support the achievements of these goals, which these leaders did so efficiently. Both sessions kept the teachers as the prime focus, contrary to my communication with other school principals who kept the learners in focus. I always feel that it should work like a cycle. If the leadership team kept teachers at the centre, the teachers along with the IB curriculum framework would definitely keep Learners at the centre and at the end both goals would be achieved. Happy teachers make happy learners.

Also what came out strongly of these sessions, that the presenters were not speaking just based on the biaseness of their own experiences , but backed their statements and strategies with examples of a research work that they had completed or was ongoing. Being a physicist it became so fluid for me to connect to those observed evidences.

So in continuation to the workshop that I attended on the start of the week on leading through values, what I gather and construct from all of this together is :

1. As my present school belongs to a bigger education group with a set of values and aims as articulated in the published book of our organisation "East meets west" , the same needs to lived up to in all the organisations of the group with an enhanced sense of connectivity

2. The already rolled out practices set in our school needs to be now connected to give a structure with a purpose and defined meaning for it's existence

Breakout session 3

The third session that I attended was the area that I was most passionate about. Connecting and networking and contributing to the development and benefit of the IB community with my acquired leadership skills. 

It was "visualising the future: all programme network special session". I was excited as soon as I entered the session by seeing the chart papers and the colourful sticky notes. I am a kinaesthetic learner, who learns by constructing on my own. Just listening does not help me much in remembering in applying.

So here we had the 21st century constructivist pedagogy of the classrooms put to use with us , yet again in the context of a future that is so far away. We worked in teams to come up with some proposals to some framed questions that IB needed to work more on in the next phase , all related to the importance and impact of networking. In India I had seen the western India IB DP regional school network develop , gain recognition and been a part of it. Was fortunate enough to be an acting chair for the group for a brief period before I left India. Continuing as a dpc here in China , again gives me the wonderful opportunity to network and contribute. 

The room seemed to be vibrant with ideas of what it would mean to networking in 2025? I Would say the way the exercise was set up had so much to teach about the pedadgogy in the classrooms. 

How to generate authentic inquiry, how to engage learners, how to construct own learning and understanding, how to collaborate and use the learner variation in experiences and finally how to own all of that? 

The final success was that everyone wanted the outcomes not by 2025 but by 2016. 

To wrap it up I reflected on my strengths as a leader that I have acquired and concluded that I have started walking in a right direction. Need to incorporate all that I learnt to give shape to the leader in me in a different cultural context of China. 

Share with me what has been your takeaway moments from the IB Asia Pacific Conference 2015.

Reflecting on one year of my dream leadership role......

Another milestone crossed..

This blog of mine has been voicing my views and spreading wings now to countries around the world. That which started as a innate articulation of a loner in a corner of a room at CI has now shaped its journey by picking up lot of accolades on it's way. What else a better gift could I gift to myself than to write a blog post to celebrate my journey of completion of a year in the present leadership role, my pathway which has really transformed me completely.

What does it take to transform to a new you?

 The will of course. The will to have an impact , to contribute. The will to bring changes, sustain them to help mankind.

 So what I have lost in this journey? A part of me, never to return back. A part of me which could speak anything under the sun and talk to anyone with the same intimacy. I guess titles come with their own tantrums. 

What I still carry with me....?

My values , my honesty and faith in good deeds. You can of course be a leader without being a negative character , the world might however treat you as one...deal with the irony.

What I need to still learn and move ahead?

Being a simple, logical, physics person who thinks too much and tries to justify situations by evidences , sometimes it becomes difficult to play the mind game. Strategic planning, yielding results under tough challenges , benchmark outputs as a team have been my takeaways. But what I yet need to integrate is a better understanding of the human mind and how the word perception revolves with the same. Solving the various entangles around seem more challenging than yielding high outputs. However time will teach me to master that probably. 

My aha moments....

Never knew that having the power and helping someone in need could be so interconnected , though it may not work in your favour. Always felt,what could I do for this world in my capacity.?But have been very happy to help all those who came in this journey of mine. Very soon life would move on and take some new course...all the more to reflect on a new milestone achieved. Thanks for being a part of this for so long.

Keep believing in yourself and be good....keep dreaming to achieve more....
Believe in others coz somebody somewhere believed in me.....

 

Which Learner profiles do you associate yourself to?

Has your teaching been impacted by the learner profiles that you have associated yourself with?

My DP Coordinators online workshop , Category 3 has started. Though just finished a hectic three programme evaluation visit last week, yet all excited to get on board and learn something new for a better understanding.

pic courtesy: Module of IB workshop resources

As a part of my first activity I have to blog which tow LPs I associate myself with and how I think they might influence my teaching.

Well I could right away chose open- minded and reflective. Very close to my heart. Both are related. The more you reflect, better are your chances to become more open-minded. These two attributes have made me break free of a rigid mindset and helped me accomodate other people's views and respect the same. having a difference of opinions is needed for the growth of a healthy ecosystem , but agreeing to disagree with dignity.

I have been always a physics teacher (since teaching DP) embracing technology to enhance the learning process. However this year's year 1 had one of them asking me "When are you going to teach Normal Physics?" I realized how difficult is must have been for the student to shift from his way of learning from textbooks and teachers to a system of self learning. So we had no ipads for the next few days and I made the batch comfortable so that their transition from textbook oriented learning to ipad based self learning could me a smooth one. And bingo,,,the same student is using popplet to design his formative assessment task infusing TOK elements in it. Hence I do think that being open-minded helps me respect views of students in the classroom and being reflective helps me tune into my teaching strategies as per the need of the students.

An LP that I myself did not get associated was being an Inquirer as being a student in India, my education system never demanded me to be one. Hence devising inquiry based teaching model took quite a bit of time to be accepted. However the pedagogy following of late using a 5E model of inquiry has sparkling results in the classroom. Surely looking forward to infuse more ATL in the classroom.

Reflecting on the Three programme evaluation visit by the Asia Pacific team

What does Evaluation mean for a DPC and the school?

pic courtesy : Standards Workshop Delhi , Sept 2014

My journey through this IB world takes turn all the time and at every juncture makes me realize how immense the learning and the transformation process is. Last week was the culminating visit of the three programme Evaluation team members. The heartbeat and adrenaline rush had already been high as the whole school had been busy in documenting evidences.

As I documented evidences for the DP , every statement of those standards and practices seemed to come alive. The whole process in itself was an eye opener. It made me realize of the high benchmark of implementation that IB has set.

pic courtesy : Standards Workshop Delhi , Sept 2014

A few days back also attended the Four in 1 standards workshop at Delhi which had already made me realize how all the standards were so very well connected.Everything was interconnected. My career in IB five years down the line had now made me realize the importance of all the documents that IB had made and all the new publications that came up.




The major highlights of my learning were:

• Success of any IB programme is based on regular scheduled collaboration with the staff alligned with the set standards and practices
• How important it is to interpret each one of IB 's documents in our school's own context and agree as a team on a sustained model of implementation. 
• Handling the curriculum development across all the three programmes, also made me realize how important it is for a DP educator to have a knowledge of the PYP and MYP. Made my understanding of the DP so very clear.
• Also having a clear cut system of documenting evidences is a must as it is a five year evaluation

What is IB education and Towards an IB continuum were the two documents that summed up everything. The Evaluation team liked many of the set practices in the school and looked for a stronger and sustained implementation of the planned model. Staff after their one on one meet felt the high levels of expectation in their work.

Amongst the set practices appreciated were the following:

• formative and summative assignments alligned with the grade descriptors throgh rubrics
• strong senior school assembly and global awareness sessions
• TOK integration in the curriculum
• support from the recent Year 1 parents and the transparency that the school had with them

Also what came out as a big understanding was why IB has placed ATTL in the heart and what it meant to the IB DP. Have alligned ATTL into our practices. All of us as a team just need to reflect at each step, imbibe the learner profile attributes in us and go ahead to have a positive impact on the community.

Please comment on what evaluation at your school meant to you?