GIVE POWER TO THE STUDENTS

GIVEPOWERTOTHESTUDENTS

StudentSelf‐DirectedLearning

Introductions

• AndreaMagee–PrincipalofMaryWard

CatholicSecondarySchool,Scarborough,

Ontario

• TonyGlover‐ EducationConsultant,UK

• StudentRepresentativesfromMaryWard

Mar yWardCatholicSeco ndary

School

Introductoryvideo

Leadership

• “Youcanteachthemwellbutyouhavegotto

letthemleadtheway.”

Fromwhichmovie?

• “Iskatetowherethepuckwillbe,notwhere

ithasbeen.”WayneGretzky

Distributed/DevolvedLeadership

• Howfardoweinvolvethestudents?

• ProfessorAlmaHarrisreferstothreelevels:

Superficiallevel:delegation

Subterraneanlevel:newteams,roles

Deeplevel:cultural,thewaywedothings

TheTraditional“Factory”Model

• Student sgointoaroomor“box” fora

prescribedtimetobetaughtonesubject.

• Atthesoundofabelltheymovetoanother

room,forthesameamountoftime,tobe

taughtanothersubject.

• Thispatternisrepeatedthrougheachday.

Whatif…??

• Timesforlearningwerenotdeterminedbya

bellattheendofafixedperiod?

• Learningprogrammeswereindividualtoeach

studentand negotiatedwitheachstudent?

• Formalassessmenttookplacewheneach

studentwasready?

• Learningtookplaceinareaswhichallowedfor

flexibilityintermsoftime,

groupingand

methodology?

StudentSelf‐DirectedLearning

Hypothesis:theprinciplesofSDLcanbeapplied

inanyeducational institutionorsystem.

Hypothesis:SDLbringsconsistentlyhigherlevels

ofst udentengagementandtherefore

embeddedlearning

ActionPoints

Throughoutthisworkshopwewouldlike

membersofthegrouptochallengepracticein

theirowninstitutionsandtoreflectupon

possibleactionpointswhichmayleadtogreater

studentdirectionoflearningwithintheirown

conte xt.

StudentLeadership

• MostschoolshavesomeformofStudent

Voice.

• Thisis notalwaysrepresentative.

• Student softenjustgiveopinionsabout

facilitiesorcatering.

• Someschoolsactivelyinvolvestudentsinstaff

recruitment.

StudentLeadership

• Someschools/systemshavestudentsinvolved

ingovernance/trusteeship.

• Schoolsincreasinglyinvolvestudentsinthe

assessmentoftheirlearning.

• Someschoolsinvolvestudentsinthe

constructionoftheirlearning.

• SDLtak esthistoanotherlevel.

StudentLeadership

• DowepromotegenuineStudentLeadership

ordowehave“StudentLeadershipLight”??

StudentLeadership

What wedoOpportunitiesfor

Development

ChallengesInstitutionallimitations

Activity

What constraintsexistwithinorschools,

systemsandsocietieswhichwouldpresent

challengesinthepromotionofSDL?

RelationshipsandRoles

SDLhasmajorimplicationsfortherelationships

between:

TeacherandStudent

StudentandStudent

TeacherandTeacher.

ForSDLgenuinelytobecomepartoftheschool’s

culture,therehastobethepromotion ofa

leadershipapproachacrosstheschoolwhich

includesstudentleadership.

TheStudents’View

• Howthestudentsseetherelationships

workingintheschooltosecureeff ectiveSDL.

• Questionandanswersessioninvolvingthe

students.

Activity

• Howcanwepreparethestudentsinourown

schoolstotak eresponsibilityfortheir

curriculumandtheirlearning?

• Howcanweprepareourteacherstoletgoof 

controlandtotak etheriskofgivingpowerto

thestudents?

ImplicationsforOrganisationand

Facilities

• Curriculum:eachstudenthastohaveafull

andappropriatelearningexperience.

• Flexibilityandindividualisat ion oflearning.

• Assessmentoflearning.

• Accommodation.

• Schedulingoflearning,betweentaught

“seminars”andindividualsupportedstudyin

learningareas.

TheRoleoftheTeacher

• AsTeacher‐Advisor

• Tutoring

• Organisation,scheduling andteachingof

“seminars”

• Collaborative“Floor time”inlearningareas.

Learning

• Fundamentaltothesuccessful

implementationofSDLisacommitmentto

student‐centreddeeplearning.

• Theantithesisof“DeepLearningLight”(quote

fromProfessorGuyClaxton)!

Activity

What practicalandorganisational developments

might beneededinourowninstitutionsto

facilitategreaterstudentdirectionoflearning?

What mightbe“quickwins” andwhatmightbe

achievablelongertermaims?

StudentWelfare

TheflexibilitiesinherentwithinSDLcanmean

thatschoolshavetothink differentlyabouttheir

approachestostudentsafetyandwelfare.

TheDigitalAge

• SincetheimplementationofSDLtherehave

beenrapidandmajordevelopmentsinthe

availabilityanduseoftechnology.

• Howmightdigitaltechnologybeusedto

supportstudentdirectionoflearning?

Examplesof Adaptation

• Learningareaswithflexibleaccommodationand

inte rviewrooms

• Adaptationsoftheroleoftutortobemorelikea

Teacher‐Advisor

• StudentPlannerbecomingmorelikean“Agenda”

• “Floortime”forpartofthecurriculum,orfor

extensionwork

• Someprogrammesintegrateseminarswith

individualstudy.

Activity

• What actionpointscanwedevisefor

implementationinourowninstitutions?

• Howcanweensuresuccessful

implementationandimpact?

SDL

FeedbackandQuestions

SSDL

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