Tuesday evening's MA session on Understanding Learners and Learning
5.00-7.00 1WN 3.8 24th October 2006.
While chatting to Ed last night at the showing of the DVD for the 5*5*5 project he suggested that it might be worth emphasising the assumptions I bring into my tutoring of the unit. I set this out in some notes for our session on the 10th October and you can find them at:
http://actionresearch.net/writings/tuesdayma/tull101006.htm
The only point I'd add to these notes is that I'm seeing you all as writers about understanding learners and learning in Lyotard's sense that no existing categories are going to produce valid explanations for the growth of your understandings of learners and learning. Only you can do this.
A postmodern artist or writer is in the position of a philosopher: the
text he writes, the work he produces are not in principle governed by
pre-established rules, and they cannot be judged according to a determining
judgement, by applying familiar categories to the text or to the work. Those
rules and categories are what the work of art itself is looking for. The artist
and the writer, then, are working without rules in order to formulate the rules
of what will have been done.
(Lyotard, p. 81, 1986)
Lyotard, F. (1986) The Postmodern Condition: A report on Knowledge. Manchester; Manchester University Press.
To help with the growth of our understandings of learners and learning, Marie produced for last week's session her reflections on the significance of theories of learning in the growth of her understanding. You can access these at: http://actionresearch.net/writings/tuesdayma/mhull151006.htm
I liked Meg's point about having limited understandings of the huge numbers of learning theories. In relation to the influence of the ideas of others in the growth of your understandings I'm hoping that you will keep a record of ideas that are influencing your own thinking as you hear them and reflect on their significance for you. I'm also hoping that this Tuesday you will share a story of what you have been doing with your pupils that makes explicit the theory or theories of learning you are using, including your own. A week on Tuesday Ed has agreed to bring ideas about learning from Reggio Emilia in Italy. This coming Tuesday do let's share our understandings about learning in the Thinking Actively in a Social Context Wheel (TASC) produced by Belle Wallace Š see http://www.actionresearch.net/writings/monday/wallacetascwheel.htm
Some of us are using the language of learning from Guy Claxton's work on Building Learning Power with ideas about Resourcefulness, Resilience, Reflection and Reciprocity. Whatever theory of theories of learning you are drawing on to understanding learners do let's see if by sharing each others' theories we can extend and deepen our own.
"Here are some quotes from the writings of Carol Dweck (Barry Hymer draws on Carol Dweck in his course on Philosophy for Children) that I find compelling:
Because I am first a foremost a researcher, I have tried
to convey to the reader my love of the research process Š how research can
address deep and real questions in a precise way, how exciting it is to learn
something important you didn't know before, and how each study raises pressing
new questions for the next study to explore. Research lures you down
unchartered paths, with each turn revealing something new. (Dweck, 2000, p. ix)
The hallmark of successful individuals is that they love learning, they seek challenges, they value effort, and they persist in the face of obstacles, (Dweck, 2000, p.1)
A Lifetime of Performance versus Learning Goals
We've all seen movies in which the protagonist has a
life-transforming experience. He (for in these movies it usually is a he)
suddenly realizes that the life of the ego he has been living is hollow and
pointless, and that he has neglected the things that make life truly
worthwhile. It is, of course, a clichˇ, but then many clichˇs have more than a
grain of truth.
When I think of a person's life ruled by an entity theory and performance goals, I think of a life in which there is proof after proof of one's ability. What does it add up to? Thousands of proofs of ability, but, of course, never enough. (p.154)
Or I think of a life in which time upon time there is a
flight from risk, so as to protect an image of oneself. This adds up to an
armed fortress containing all the things one could have been or done.
When I think of a life governed by an incremental theory
and learning goals, I think of valued skills and knowledge accrued over time
and put to use for oneself and others. Whether things have gone one's way or
not, it adds up to a life of strong commitments and earnest effort.
Some years ago, as I reached one of the landmark ages, I
asked myself what I would like to be able to say at the end of my life, and it
was this: I want to be able to say that I kept my eyes open, faced my issues,
and made wholehearted commitments to things I valued. I did not want to be
haunted by a litany of regrets or left with a bundle of potentialities that
were never realized.
As adults in this society our mission is to equip the next generations with the tools they need to live a life of growth and contribution. Can we make the commitment to help them become smarter than we were?" (Dweck, 2000, pp. 154-155)
Dweck, C. S. (2000) Self-Theories: their role in motivation, personality, and development.
Philadelphia, PA 19196; Psychology Press.
I've now got Ros' Meg's, Steve's, Nina's and Ed's latest writings in e-format and these along with Claire's, Joy's and Vic's are now in the examination process. The examination board meets on the 10th November. You can see the submissions I've had in e-format:
If the development of an emotionally literate classroom is fundamental to my own values and philosophy of education, how can I show the impact of it on the well-being and learning of the children I teach? How do I research this in my classroom?
http://www.actionresearch.net/writings/tuesdayma/rme06/roshurfordrme.htm
How do I research the relationships that are created
within my primary classroom?
http://www.actionresearch.net/writings/tuesdayma/rme06/margaretwrightrme.htm
The Creation of Quality
Experience - How Do I Research This in My Classroom?
http://www.actionresearch.net/writings/tuesdayma/rme06/stevebamfordrme.htm
What am I learning as I seek to integrate a child with 'autistic spectrum disorder' (ASD) into my mainstream class? How can I research this in my classroom?
http://www.actionresearch.net/writings/tuesdayma/rme06/ninaclaytonrme.htm
How can I carry out Masters level educational research
without abandoning my own educational values?
http://www.actionresearch.net/writings/tuesdayma/ehee06.htm
Looking forward to continuing our conversations. If you've any additions you think will help our undertanding of ourselves as learners and learning do please bring them along. Steve, hoping that all goes well with you.
Love Jack.