Ensuring Impact of EdTech - a Journey

As the sensationalist, mainstream media machine continues to peddle the myth that technology in schools has no impact and is a waste of time and money, it is heartening to see more and more examples of real impact, such as this wonderful story from The Kindergarten Starters in Dubai.

Of course it doesn't happen overnight. Of course it doesn't work when schools just throw technology at a traditional curriculum, never moving past the substitution level in SAMR.

As Mal Lee and Roger Broadie have pointed out, digital transformation in a school takes an average of 5 years, and Asha Alexander, Principal of The Kindergarten Starters - Dubai always knew this would be a long, difficult and arduous journey.  Her relentless focus on student outcomes, self-belief, courage and determination to transform the life chances of her children have never wavered - and the rewards are clear.

Implicit in this story are two key factors in school digital transformation - where these are absent, we know that digital initiatives really do fail, providing ammunition for the naysayers. It's hard work and not easy to get them right, but it is necessary to ensure these pillars of transformation are in place to support the journey to digital normalisation. The factors are:

1. Re-imagining the curriculum and associated pedagogies, with clarity of the desired outcomes for students. The school spent a long time re-writing the curriculum and, as stated in the article, the children now learn in a completely different way - on the redefinition level in SAMR.

2. Leadership - the right people in the right roles and distributed across the school. The connection and teamwork between the Digital Leader and Curriculum Leader was no accident!

Enjoy this heartening story!

'Edtech: How to spend wisely'

By Asha Alexander, Principal, The Kindergarten Starters - Dubai

Edtech is a dizzying world. It changes so fast that by the time we are deliberating an even more advanced version of a resource beckons. Buying a product has become harder as we are inundated with the range of resources that has made decision making maddening.

Five years into our digital journey, I am a more balanced purchaser. I put my money where I will see the most long lasting impact.

Let me start at the beginning. The first year of our digital journey was undoubtedly the most chaotic. We were in a trance as we experimented with all the possibilities we saw for our children. We were grabbing everything that appeared to be useful in our limited budget and agonizing over the constraints we were under. At the end of that year, we reviewed our purchase and decided we need to have a plan for our spending. There were so many purchases that had diverted our limited funds and we had not been able to maximize the impact it had on learning.  Some very appealing products were overpriced and many we had selected were under performing.

A thought struck us that if students brought in their own devices, we could move the funds that were being diverted to purchase laptops and put it to more profitable use. The campus was WiFi enabled and the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) was launched. Five years into our digital journey 3000 students from Grades 2-5 bring their devices, thus enabling us to cut costs on laptops and tablets.

We studied our school’s performance and analyzed data to see what could help our children learn better in Science and Mathematics which were our focal points as we needed to improve student learning. We were helped by our Digital Advisor to identify the best products which had been vetted by the Research and Development wing of our organization, compare pricing and negotiate for better deals through our large network of schools.

The Introduction of Robotics, 3D printing and Coding brought us in touch with LEGO Mindstorms and EV3 Kits which have changed the way children learn at our school. There is greater enjoyment as children have moved out of their passive roles of knowledge recipients to becoming active seekers of knowledge.

Mindspark is an adaptive learning tool that has improved Math scores at our school. Mastery of a concept has to occur before students can move to the next level. The self-paced instruction allows students to work on areas that need attention and allows the school to gain information on their progress and the number of hours the student has used the tool.

Harcourt’s Math in Focus, 3P Learning’s Mathletics, Mc Graw Hill’s Science Resource are among our carefully selected resources. Read and Write Text Help is nothing short of visionary as we see the tremendous strides our students are taking in language learning.

Part of the layout in transforming our school has gone into the selection and appointment of key personnel to drive the digital journey. In order that we make the right EdTech choices, we have appointed a Head of Digital Learning and a Head of Curriculum who work in tandem with the Digital Learning Coordinators of every Grade to cascade the learning. A key component of the selection of EdTech is the professional development and support we receive from the providers to maximize the benefits of the resource for both students and teachers.

Through Innovate my School, we had the opportunity to interact with several providers at our Speed Networking event last year that enabled teachers to interact directly with carefully selected providers to gain an understanding of how the resources would affect instruction in the classroom.

We have come a long way in our process of winnowing the plethora of products that are on offer. I have learned that we cannot and must not listen to the sales pitch alone but consult colleagues in our network, pay close attention to my Digital Advisor and Head of Digital Learning to make a difference to student learning.

In five years we have moved our Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) scores from 489 in Science and Math to 591 in Science and 549 in Math in 2015. That is only due to the changed curriculum and the digital delivery of content.

By upgrading our purchasing practices and spending wisely, we have increased the benefits to students even as we have saved money.

Unprecedented Opportunities for Real World Learning

Not Beamish Museum

I was recently asked to write an article for a national UAE publication, answering some questions on technology use and digital learning in our schools. Here's an edited version of the full draft (so it may not flow perfectly!)

What strikes me most about our schools are the incredible opportunities our children have. When I was at school, we made plastic picture frames and I remember how exciting it was to be allowed to bend the plastic - normally a serious offence! I guess that was the 1980s version of the Maker Space...

But it's the real world focus and opportunities outside of school that really blow me away. Again, a field trip for me was Beamish Museum 10 miles down the road to 'learn' about coal mining. Hmm...

Now, our students go on scientific expeditions to Antarctica and undertake astronaut training in the US. Times have changed...

Digital Literacy Skills sessions

1.      Why do you think it’s so important to teach children digital literacy skills?

The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs study (2016) predicted that “5 million jobs will be lost before 2020 as artificial intelligence, robotics, nanotechnology and other socio-economic factors replace the need for human workers.”

A 2014 report produced by the UK Digital Skills Taskforce suggests that well over half the workforce requires digital skills that extend beyond the basic skills of digital citizenship and that over 90% of jobs now require at least those basic digital literacies.

It is clear not only that many of the jobs of the future will require mastery of digital skills, but also that our children today must learn to be the masters and creators of new technologies. It is the creators who will flourish and the consumers who are left behind. It’s not all about technology, of course. Numerous recent studies have predicted the need for students to develop their so called ‘soft skills’ including empathy, teamwork, influencing, emotional intelligence and even mindfulness. These skills are all an inherent part of the curriculum in GEMS schools.

2.      Would you agree that digital skills should be regarded as equally important as lessons in numeracy and literacy?

Digital skills are really now being seen as a literacy.  Rather than pitting traditional subjects against digital skills, we aim to provide our students with the wide range of skills they will need to succeed in the future. The 3 R’s (Reading, Writing and Arithmetic) have traditionally been the building blocks needed to succeed, but it is important to recognise that it has always been necessary to be able to do something with these skills in order to make a valuable contribution to society. The real value of being literate and numerate in the traditional sense has always been the ability to apply these basic skills. There is no conflict between the 3 R’s and what educators now call the 4 C’s: Creativity, Critical reflection, Collaboration, and Communication. All that has really changed is that the digital revolution is re-defining what it means to be literate.

3.      What is your digital agenda? Are Digital Literacy Skills sessions compulsory?

With the assistance of the central Innovation, Research and Development team, all GEMS schools have developed their own Innovation Strategies, and digital learning is a key element of these plans. We are also fortunate in the UAE that the National Inspection Framework now prioritises the need for digital and innovation skills, so our schools are judged in these important areas. Together with the requirements of the comprehensive range of curriculum options on offer in GEMS schools, there really is now no question that digital skills are a compulsory element of our provision. Moreover, digital learning skills are embedded in all areas of the curriculum, in line with the view of digital mastery as a new literacy.

GEMS’ digital technology

1.      What digital technology have you integrated into the classroom?

Digital technologies are transforming the way in which our students learn and it is important to realise that it is not just about what happens in the classroom. The introduction of the GEMS Fusion platform in all our schools is empowering teachers, students and parents to interact in ways that were inconceivable when we were at school. The very concept of the classroom as the main place of learning is rapidly becoming an anachronism, as online, blended and active flipped learning become the norm, transforming the way we organise and personalise learning for every student.

2.      What are the pros of this technology?

Within the secure Fusion environment, GEMS students are able to connect with their teachers and each other in real time, acquiring important digital learning skills as they cover curriculum content through a dynamic and challenging process. Students come to class with greatly enhanced knowledge of the content and their teachers are aware of any misconceptions, having interacted with the students online, often making timely interventions to aid the learners – all before the ‘lesson’ has started. This frees up our teachers to engage the students in more creative and challenging activities during their valuable face-to-face time, whilst teaching the students important time and project management skills and making them more accountable for their own learning. The students love this way of working, as evidenced by their feedback:

“If I didn’t know something I’d ask a question on there and someone, a friend or a teacher, would answer.” Jordi, Year 8 – GEMS Wellington Academy – Silicon Oasis

 ‘It helps us think out of the box and learn independently.’ – Pritika, Grade 8 – GEMS Modern Academy

Parent engagement in children’s learning has always been a high priority in GEMS schools and the Fusion platform is taking this to new levels, with parents having a real time window into their children’s work, progress and achievements.  They are true partners in the learning process.

“I found the presentation really emotional, as my son had put his heart and soul into the work.” – GEMS parent commenting on the culmination of a blended course delivered through the Fusion platform.

3.      What are the cons?

With the 24/7/365 nature of the digital world, there is always a risk that students (and teachers and parents!) may be unable to switch off and manage their time effectively. This is why all GEMS schools offer a comprehensive, fully assessed Digital Citizenship curriculum in partnership with Common Sense Media (https://www.commonsensemedia.org/). Not only does this programme ensure that our students are becoming competent, safe and responsible users of technology, it also engages parents in this key area, empowering them to reinforce and model responsible technology use. We have had all of the Common Sense Media parent resources translated into Arabic, a sign of our commitment to community learning and inclusion.

4.      What’s your rule about cellphones in class?

Smartphones, like any other internet-ready device, are very much a part of everyday life and provide us all with an important tool for learning, communication and collaboration.  It is essential that students do not see these devices as being ‘forbidden.’  Rather, they are integrated into the learning process, and teachers, students and parents work together to ensure the appropriate and responsible use of these tools. As a rule of thumb, we have found that tablets are the most effective devices for young learners, who are encouraged to add laptops to their armoury at around the age of 7 and smartphones from 11 onwards – but this is a rough guideline rather a strict rule.  The guiding principle is digitally normal use and, if a particular type of device provides the vehicle for optimal learning in any given situation, then we must empower our students to use those devices effectively and safely.

5.      How do you deal with high tech ‘doodling’ and communication during class?

The Digital Citizenship programme, along with signed ‘Empowered Digital Use’ agreements ensure that misuse of technology is very rare in our schools. This is proactively managed and constantly monitored. A key part of the Digital Citizenship programme is that children understand and can debunk the myth of ‘multi-tasking’ and learn to stay focused on the task at hand. Of course, the best way to avoid digital distraction is to ensure that students are so engaged in their learning that this is not an issue!

6.      A study from Princeton University shows that we process information better when taking notes by hand because writing is slower than typing (an argument often spun in favour of laptops), which helps students learn and retain the material – what are your thoughts on this?

It is not surprising that we process new information more effectively when we write by hand rather than simply typing a transcript verbatim. Writing in shorthand, paraphrasing, making diagrammatic and visual connections, mind-mapping, and annotating notes with our emerging thoughts and ideas as we absorb new data, are all powerful ways of making instant sense of what we are seeing and hearing. We are also retaining more information at the time, and are more able to make sense of that information and develop our initial thoughts and ideas at a later stage. We remember what we ‘thought’ rather than just what we heard or saw. Physically brainstorming in groups on walls, glass and traditional whiteboards is also known to be highly effective.

I would point out that the Princeton research looked at University students in formal, lengthy, large scale lecture situations. In my ten years with GEMS, I cannot think of an example of students in any of our schools learning in this way from their teachers. Accordingly, it is not a real concern in schools - at least not in good schools!

When students do take notes, from books, websites, presentations, performances, demonstrations, debates, etc., they use a variety of methods. As always, the golden rule is fitness for purpose – we should never be using technology for the sake of it.

It is also worth noting that universities themselves are moving away from a reliance on the lecture, a form of mass exposition and knowledge transfer, as they introduce collaborative, problem-based learning, transform their learning spaces, and begin to offer online courses such as MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses). 

There is also, of course, a raft of both established and emerging technologies, such as the digital stylus, Livescribe pens and digital paper, and digital annotation, collaboration and ‘backchannel’ tools that are incrementally improving the digital learning experience. Just because students are using technology doesn’t have to mean they are merely word processing as seen in the Princeton research. A good example of how technology can be used in an arguably more effective way than handwritten notes is the blending of Twitter and Storify. Using Twitter, students can share what they feel are the key points in a lecture or other learning situation, in real time. They are forced to actively and critically think in real time, while creating a ‘backchannel’ that sees the whole group, plus their entire, combined personal learning networks, sharing, commenting, reasoning, thinking and arguing on the fly. Once the session is over, users can ‘Storify’ the whole experience, which in effect provides the group’s (not just the individual’s) notes. These are visible to the teacher and can be used as the basis for deeper learning in subsequent face to face and online sessions. This is similar to the process already described in the GEMS Fusion platform, where the forums provide the valuable backchannel, record of the learning journey and basis for deeper learning in later sessions.

Computer clubs and coding classes

Although all our schools do still offer the more traditional style ‘after school clubs’, we are now seeing a shift towards more sustained, productive and ‘real world’ curriculum enrichment programmes. It is incredibly exciting to see the range and quality of opportunities available to our students, from NASA Astronaut Training in the USA to scientific expeditions to Antarctica.

The focus now is on Real World Learning, as students learn to use and create technology to solve the most pressing issues facing our global society. For example, GEMS Maker Day has evolved, in association with Singularity University, to become the Global Innovation Challenge, which this year engaged 45,000 GEMS students in identifying and solving real problems facing humanity and our planet. Twelve winning teams in categories such as Disaster Resilience, Learning, Environment, Health, Energy and Governance, have been awarded seed funding and been invited to join the GEMS Accelerator Programme. This initiative provides the students with access to mentors from Singularity University, as well as local industry, empowering them to become entrepreneurs, ensuring that their ideas come to fruition and have real impact.  It is pleasing to note that the balance between male and female students participating and succeeding in this, and other technology-based initiatives, is very even.

As part of the Make School programme, students at Bradenton Prep Academy – Dubai Sports City have been given the opportunity to study app development and entrepreneurship as part of their AP programme, under the mentorship of a fully trained teacher, who attended a summer course at the Make School headquarters in San Francisco. This programme is noted for its successful track record in helping students to gain internships and employment with high profile companies in Silicon Valley, such as Apple, Google and Tesla.

Opened in September 2016, GEMS Nations Academy has been purpose built to lead the way in preparing its students to succeed in the digital age, with facilities, expert educators, small class sizes, personalised programmes and an innovative curriculum that are combining to take learning beyond outstanding.  As Principal, Tom Farquhar, says, “We speak three languages here at GEMS Nations Academy: English, Arabic and Coding.”

It is no surprise, then, to see GEMS Nations Academy selected as the perfect venue for an exciting first in the UAE – the iD Tech Summer Programme. 

With this rapid and seismic shift in curriculum provision, we recognise the need for our teachers to gain new skills and stay ahead of the curve. To this end, GEMS has engaged with a number of high level partners and accelerators to ensure that our teachers are world leaders in the field of exponential digital technologies and entrepreneurship. Our partners include Singularity University, Make School, DTEC, Rochester Institute of Technology, ID Tech and Harvard Graduate School of Education.

All in all, there is no better time or place to be a student, with a wealth of unprecedented opportunities to learn to succeed in life and to make our world a better place.

Innovate My School event a great success!

This was a great event and the beginning of what I believe will be an enduring partnership with the Innovate My School team!

16 of world's leading education technology providers introduce cutting-edge products and services to boost innovation in UAE schools

As part of the UAE Innovation Week, GEMS Education in partnership with ‘Innovate My School’ organised an innovation speed networking event on education technology (EdTech) for all GEMS schools. The half-day event was a fun and effective introduction for the teaching community to cutting-edge products and services to boost innovation in education.

The event, held at The Kindergarten Starters school, saw 16 of the world’s leading and up-and-coming innovative EdTech providers, who were selected to showcase their products in a fast-moving and exciting new format of speed-networking – a first in the Middle East. 

Founded in January 2010 in the UK, the ‘Innovate My School’ community reaches more than 50,000 friends and followers through unique events, community update, Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. The concept is meant to inspire the education sector by showcasing, through a range of platforms, the best in education innovation by teachers and industry experts from around the world.

Phil Redhead, Senior Manager - Digital Strategy, Innovation, Research and Development Unit at GEMS Education, said: “GEMS schools have long embraced digital learning as an essential element of 21st-century education and a medium through which we strive to instill our four core values of leading through innovation, pursuing excellence, growing by learning and global citizenship.

“This is a great opportunity to explore some of the best EdTech resources on the market, to consider how these could add value to our schools’ digital learning strategies, and to network with the providers as well as peers from all other GEMS schools.”

Michael Forshaw, Founder and Managing Director, Innovate My School, said: “We have pioneered speed networking with 130 school groups and 1,517 schools in the UK, so to be asked to deliver a session for GEMS is, of course, a great honour and incredibly exciting. Bringing together the best of British EdTech innovations, completely tailored to the needs of the GEMS schools, and at a time and location that suits their calendars, is going to be of great benefit to all involved.”

Asha Alexander, Principal of the host school, The Kindergarten Starters, said: “Children are the change agents and have a great deal of responsibility for creating the world they wish to live in. Teachers and school administrators, therefore, have a great responsibility to facilitate that change. KGS has always spearheaded change and innovation and the ‘Innovate My School’ platform will inspire to bring educators together like never before.”

The event was attended by Principals, Vice-Principals, School Digital Learning Leaders/Chief Digital Officers, Curriculum Directors, Teaching and Learning Leaders/Coaches and Senior Leaders across the GEMS Education network.

About GEMS Education GEMS Education is a pioneering education company. Through our schools, consulting practice and our charitable foundation we are advancing education for all. Every day in our schools around the world, we prepare thousands of children of all ages for real world success. We are a catalyst and delivery partner. We work with governments, donor agencies and private clients to improve education systems, and provide vital training for young people in an increasingly competitive world. Through the Varkey Foundation we campaign for, and support initiatives that change lives through education.

Time to get serious about digital leadership

I honestly believe this rather unassuming gentleman is the most important person working in education today - and I am eternally grateful to my good friend Mark Stone for introducing me to his work several years ago.

                                                                      Mal Lee

In his recent work, with Roger Broadie, Mal introduces us, as directly as ever, to the concept of The Chief Digital Officer .

As always, Mal seems to speak with an uncanny, almost supernatural understanding of our own experience and data in GEMS schools, cutting through the hype and the tech to say things as they really are. School transformation is about empowered people. It is about leadership. And it is about taking these things seriously.

I recommend that all educators and leaders working with educational technology - and looking to transform their schools - take a break from the tech, cool tools and what seems to work at a micro-level. Time spent reading Mal and Roger's blog: http://schoolevolutionarystages.net/ is, in my humble opinion, the best one can do to ensure sustainable success for schools and their students.

Enjoy!

Changing Culture in Schools

Another fascinating insight from Asha Alexander, Principal of The Kindergarten Starters, Dubai. 

The school's 'Open Doors' initiative is having a huge impact and making some waves across the UAE! 

Read more about this initiative here.

Changing a Culture

A cultural change requires a deep understanding of what a culture is and how cultures grow. When organizations embark on cultural change, they often do not recognize the culture they presently have. People create cultures. Some are deep-rooted and define everything that happens in the organization. Others are transient and shift with changing leadership and staff. To change a culture, one must have a vision of what that change would bring.

Very recently our school decided to open its doors to the parents in a way we had never done before. We welcomed them into classrooms to evaluate lessons and give us their feedback. One of the reasons it met with the success it did was that parents were eagerly waiting to be a part of this process of teaching and learning. They wanted their kids to succeed even more than we did and we were keeping at bay thousands of people who would actually be able to help us achieve our goals.

There has to be buy-in if a culture has to change and there must be a need that is felt by all the people connected to that organization. As parents visited lessons, there were changes in perceptions. They began to understand the teaching learning process that hitherto lay hidden. They recognized challenges and above all they were helpful in providing constructive suggestions because they wanted the school in which their kids were studying in to become an even better place. We had placed our trust in them and they returned that in ample measure. It became clear to us that changing a culture meant that everyone who were associated with the organization had to embrace that change. We were trying to effect changes keeping thousands of parents who were integral to our organization with a limited understanding of what was happening. Every person is key. Each one contributes to culture. We were not trying to cobble together what worked for others but we were trying to make a mosaic of all the patterns of thought that existed within our own organization.

At times, when leaders look at effecting a cultural change they try to do what others are doing in the hope that similar results will accrue. People have to live the behaviours that will result in the change and it will not happen if they don’t understand how these behaviours fit in to their organization. Every organization is unique and must create its own culture; singularly different from all others and as distinctive as your finger prints.

The other thing I learned about culture is that it changes slowly and imperceptibly at times, it grows organically in pockets within a large institution and sometimes it can engulf the entire populace because it is so relevant. Open Doors is a wonderful step in growing our culture because we have embraced the parent community as an integral part of our growth process. Every parent’s thoughts and ideas are welcomed as we try to recognize how this is helping to shape our vision of our school. Cultures need to stay open and have outlets, else they tend to stagnate. Every person that comes into your culture ‘contaminates’ the minds with new ideas and we begin to think in new ways about old practices. This is a necessary part of growth in a culture. This is what adds and revitalizes the life in the organization.

Finally, there is a need to sustain a culture even as it is growing. There is a need to prune and trim and guide the growth so that its shape inspires others to live that culture. When a culture is in place you look at things differently. You search for opportunities that will help your culture to grow further rather than jump into everything that looks like an exciting opportunity. Cultures usually don’t develop if there is nothing within to sustain that growth. You need challenge and opportunity. You need celebration and recognition. You need to let go off some things and embrace some others. Above all, you need to nurture that culture that is so unique to you. If you understand that people make cultures, then you need to nurture the people. You need to communicate ideas, be receptive to thoughts, reflect and refine. The process is unending but definitely worth your while as you create an organization that is singular- one that bears the collective stamp of its people.

A great leader in action!

Tracy Moxley, Associate Principal at GEMS Wellington Academy - Dubai Silicon Oasis, is not just a great leader of learning, but also a wonderful example of Lee and Broadie's Chief Digital Officer in action.

Great to see this thought piece going out to the whole community this week, through the My Learning school blog.

It is so important to engage our communities in a continuous learning conversation around the digital transformation that is on-going in schools around the world.

Tracy understands this. She is, as Lee and Broadie put it, 'a high level, professional educator'...and NOT the IT guy!

Looking forward to seeing more of this from our senior leaders, principals and CDOs across the group.

Well done, Tracy!

Blended Learning Plaza, GEMS Wellington Academy - Silicon Oasis

WSO AT THE CUTTING EDGE OF EDUCATION!

 WSO is at the cutting edge of education….it really is!

Many educational institutions are grappling with the necessary introduction of new ways of teaching and learning – an educational revolution as it has been termed!

The digital world has been described as alluring, irresistable and engaging. (Fullan 2013) and we all know that it is! The time spent in the virtual world, that is also a part of our reality, is difficult to distinguish anymore! It is positively enhancing and disrupting all aspects of our lives including education. 

When I say ‘positively disrupting’ I mean this in the way that it is challenging and promoting change, to enhance the experience of the learner. It is not too much of an exaggeration to say that WSO is at the forefront of developing new strategies that enhance teaching and learning and we are focused on integrating three key aspects of real and meaningful learning. These have been described as deep learning goals, new pedagogies and technology. The continuing development of ‘new’ knowledge available through new technologies means that learners must be helped to organise and manage that knowledge, to find, select, analyse, evaluate and apply knowledge.

New Technologies have provided not only access at any time, but the creation and sharing of knowledge. The impact of this is on how teaching is structured and how learners interact both inside and outside the classroom.

Recent research into how enthusiastic students are about school shows that their interest decreases from 95% in KG until satisfaction decreases, by Year 8, and is reported at 37%. (Lee Jenkins Toronto University). In fact, it has been reported that students’ brains are more asleep when passively listening to the teacher, than when they are, in fact, really asleep!

Active learning is what engages all of us.  Real-life problem solving makes learning relevant and meaningful. Using Information at your fingertips to help. Peers to collaborate with. Knowledge of how to harness the power of technology to reach your learning goals is key.

As the digital world grows outside school, education must not ignore what is happening outside. The deep learning goals that are integral to the current learning revolution – known as the 6c’s of education: Critical thinking and problem solving, Communication, Collaboration, Creative thinking and imagination, Character education, and Citizenship (Fullan 2013b).

This is most apparent in WSO at P16 with our cutting edge blended learning programme, but can also be found both the secondary and primary phases. This doesn’t mean that traditional teaching is lost - far from it! It is enhanced and, with the improvements, emerges a new partnership – a new learning relationship between and among students and their teachers. It is clear from this assertion that students must take on a greater share of learning as partners in the classroom. 

So, watch this space and all other social platforms to see what’s happening in our classrooms at WSO!

Tracy Moxley Associate Principal 

References:

Fullan, M. (2013a). Stratosphere: Integrating technology, pedagogy, and change knowledge.Toronto: Pearson.

Fullan, M. (2013b). Great to excellent: Launching

Hattie, J. (2012). Visible learning for teachers. London: Routledge.

Homework Questions... and Dangerous Biscuits

Today, I was asked to provide some answers for an article on homework in schools for one of the UAE national newspapers. The stimulus for the article was the big story out of the UK this week:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/secondary-school-philip-morant-college-catherine-hutley-bans-homework-time-improve-lessons-a7334401.html

I won't comment on that school's decision, except that I am obviously in favour of schools doing something to change the status quo if things clearly aren't working. I am sure they will monitor the impact of the decision and keep innovating based on the data. It's easy to criticise but it's easier to do nothing...

I must admit that I did chuckle (or LOL if I was trendy) when I Googled that story and was reminded of another tale that came out of Essex recently, concerning a school that banned flapjacks. Try Googling 'Essex school bans...' if you would like to replicate my mild mirth...

Anyway, here are my answers:

1.       What is the homework policy at GEMS?

All GEMS schools are free to set their own home learning policies and we rely on the high level of professional judgment of our school leaders and teachers to ensure that home learning adds value. This is monitored through school reviews and via the GEMS Digital Ecosystem, which provides rich data on the learning that is taking place across the group. Effective practice is shared and celebrated across the network. GEMS also engages with parents and students, eliciting their valuable feedback through the annual stakeholder survey, complementing the continuous engagement throughout the year at school level.

2.       Would GEMS ever explore the idea of issuing a blanket ban on conventional homework?

Rather than issuing a blanket ban, we look at the impact of different types of out-of-school learning and emerging models of learning, sharing the most effective practice across our schools. As digital technologies and flexible schedules provide unprecedented opportunities to organize learning more effectively, new models are taking hold, blurring the boundaries between home and school. Flipped learning, where students access materials at home and then complete what would have been homework in class with the teacher, is already evolving into a more continuous model of active learning. Thus, we are seeing innovative teachers in GEMS schools running their own blended courses through the GEMS ecosystem, putting the students in control of their own learning. We are already seeing amazing results from this approach, with students learning to manage their own time, meet deadlines and collaborate online with their teachers and peers. This real world learning is also resulting in the time spent with teachers in class being more productive and also greater personalized learning, as students work at their own pace and explore their own pathways. It also empowers teachers to make more effective interventions, supporting those in need and extending others who are powering ahead. And, since all this learning is now more visible to parents, we are seeing increased levels of parent engagement in the learning process.  

3.       What would you say are the pros and cons of homework?

The findings of Professor John Hattie that homework in primary school has an ‘effect size of zero” have been well-publicised. Indeed, the wrong kind of homework can negatively impact progress and students’ attitudes to learning, notably when it becomes a chore and a cause of conflict between children and their parents. Children need time to unwind, play, exercise, be happy, socialise and explore their own interests outside of school – and spend quality time with their families and friends. So, by the way, do parents!  It is imperative that we make room for these things and avoid ‘over-scheduling’ our children – and ourselves.

The impact of homework on older students is generally more positive and, whilst the traditional format of public examinations persists, we will not see an end to the need for students to put in long hours of revision out of school. Hattie is clear that we need to get homework right, rather than getting rid of it. We see two key drivers in the transformation of home learning in the future. The first is that the format of public examinations simply has to change – we cannot persist in assessing ‘Career, College and Life Readiness’ through what is still largely a series of handwritten exams. This is already changing and, as it does, the nature of how students prepare for assessments will also change dramatically. Students will still work hard, as they should, but they will be working ‘smarter’. The second driver is being seen in the new models of learning already mentioned. When learning is organized effectively, giving ownership and accountability to the students within a flexible schedule, we begin to see a blurring of the home-school boundary and more independent learners managing their time effectively to complete tasks and meet deadlines. This is real life learning.