Issues based learning.... I mean, theatre.

John Murdoch came up to me this morning after focus groups. He pointed to our new inquiry model and told me about a book he’s been reading in which it talks about learning as having to focus on the big questions and the big issues.

Monday’s lesson with my level 3 drama class was one that I will never forget. Neither will my students and neither will David Pegram.

I gave them all the assignment of investigating a theatre form and told them they would need to present their information to the rest of the class. Scott had Invisible Theatre and I suggested to him that a good way to teach the class would be to do some invisible theatre with them. Other teachers have done it and I thought it would be good for them to experience the theatre, rather than just be lectured on it; “show me and I see, tell me and I”ll hear; involve me and I’ll understand’.

Invisible theatre is basically where the audience do not know that they are watching actors, acting. It’s primary aim is to highlight oppression and make the audience act on it in order to evoke some form of social change.

So, rather than have me pick on a student – which was our initial idea, I asked David the DP to come into class and tell me off for inappropriate behaviour in front of the students. Scott’s role would be to sit in the class and see if he could stir them into some kind of action.

And it happened. David came in, he asked to speak to me and did so in the foyer with the door open. He questioned my judgement in taking the year 13 class to a play that contained adult themes, and when he asked for my annual report I said I’d been to busy and he came back with a jibe about me going to Melbourne. At this stage I walked past my students and back into the staffroom, thinking he would follow me.

At this point, Scott asked the class what they thought about the situation (they’d been keeping up the conversation I had started earlier with them, but also listening to what was going on). At that stage Kushani got up, headed to the door and proceeded to tell the Deputy Principal off, saying that she thought it was unprofessional of him to do that in front of them and that he should have shut the door or taken me to his office.

David decided to end it at that point and came to get me. When I entered the room again, obviously not distressed, the kids were very angry. Telling me it wasn’t funny. Kushani was crying.

At that point, Scott told them all about Invisible theatre and explained what had happened. Kushani was immediately embarrassed that she had confronted the Deputy Principal. He told them how impressed he was that by the end of their schooling he was pleased that they had the gumption to stand up for what they believe in.

And I’m proud. And I’m touched that they tried to defend me. And boy did we have some conversations about their rights to attend whatever theatre they want, despite their parents’ concerns. And about their right to be angry as an unwilling participant in the drama.

They REALLY learnt. And they REALLY thought hard about the issues involved and some they hadn’t considered before.

But I know there was a line crossed here too.

When do the big issues and the big questions get too big?

Authentic contexts

My favourite weekend activity is to go for a walk around the city and the waterfront. Wellington's a great place to live, mainly because we have Wellingtonians who love to get out and explore the city.

Walking around the waterfront last Saturday I came across a piece of artwork.

I looked at it and realised it was probably put there as part of the Arts Festival and then moved around to look at the other side.

How cool! NZ Post had supported Reader's and Writer's week by putting out postcards that invited people to write a story or a poem. Each postcard had a sentence that the writer could use to start/end/inspire a piece of writing.

And people did it! There were 3 sentence poems. There were short stories. Some were written in ballpoint, others took the time to type and print it out. What was so cool was that I loved reading every word! And that people took the time to do an activity that they've probably never done before.

So I started wondering why they bothered? Was it just the creative endeavour? Was it the opportunity to be published? How long did they spend pondering their ideas and getting it 'just right' in the name of having their work viewed by other people?

I find similar things with the kids. When they know they are going to be watched, they try harder. But it goes beyond that. When they know they have a real audience to create for, they keep them in mind in order to make them happy.

So maybe part of authentic contexts is really thinking about where the work we do ends up. Who gets to read it and what's the opportunity for social change. Take the age old project where you research a topic and make a poster. Usually it's the making of the poster that gets the most time and attention. Why? Because it's the bit that will be seen by others. It's what the kids relate to in terms of what will be 'assessed' by it's viewer. They wouldn't use that term but that's what's essentially happening.

So. What can I do? Post the kids' dramas on Utube? Our school intranet? Performing to eachother at the end of a lesson to show what they have done is just as good.

What can we do in other subjects to consider audience? What else is an 'authentic context'?

What do I need to know???

This morning's focus group left me buzzing and freaking out a little. We have such a huge task ahead of us just exploring Inquiry, let alone creating a model that we can use in the classroom. And that lonely feeling you get as a teacher is so much more threatening when you're in front of your peers and ready to engage in what you give them. The pressure is scary and exciting, all at the same time.

We started out looking at the first stage of inquiry this morning; "Defining; What do I need to know?". Our question being How can we create an Inquiry Model that will work across faculties at Newlands College? We've identified that we want to learn more about Inquiry while we find/create a model that will work for our students and our teachers.

Starting with the question and then finding out what staff already do to explore questions in their classes was great. It was affirming to realise that I do the same thing as the others and that in a way we're already doing Inquiry. It also fitted the purpose of Inquiry in terms of using the prior knowledge of the learner as a starting point. They already knew that you begin with key words and so I didn't have to teach any new strategies. Awesome.

We agreed that sometimes kids struggle to find the 'right' key words and those ideas about using verbs, nouns and the 'driving words' I thought was cool. That we then try to define the words before moving on. We didn't do this step. How could we fit it in next time? Can it just be a part of the questions?

It also started bringing up questions that can be used to focus our inquiry, such as;

• How do faculties work inquiry into their teaching at the moment?
• What are the needs of each faculty in terms of Inquiry?
• Who's doing inquiry well?

At this stage I wondered if I should have started discussion on these questions. But I wanted to go with vocab. And it made me wonder how I could work consider these but still stay 'on track'. It's so hard to do that!

The collation activity where the learner writes each question on a separate piece of paper is a favourite. I like the time people get to think and then the discussion that comes from putting each question in a category really gets you thinking about the function of the question and where it fits in the 'big picture' of the inquiry. Hopefully some will get to use it in their classes. I'd like to know how and if it worked if you did, combining those W,W,W,W,H with the key words to come up with questions in sentences. I think we do need to look at other strategies to turn skinny questions into 'fat ones'. Think we can do that next week.

I'm excited now and thinking towards next week. I want to read what my group have put in their KWL charts so I know what has transferred so far and also what they feel they need. My question now is what do we do with the questions??? Do they still need to be in categories? How do we use the categories to our advantage? Are we ready to move to locating? I'm still a bit worried about defining the key words and wondering if it will work Ok just fitting that into the 'locating' section of the process.

Ah yes. The thoughts that are in my head. Along with the thoughts about my class trip, and buying a house and doing my masters.... What do I need to know?????

let's start at the very beginning....

So here am I. All alone at my desk with my computer.....






It's quite strange how very alone you can feel as a teacher. One minute you're at your desk, planning. And then you're up in front of 30 odd kids, getting them to do what ever you want.





And it can be quite a lonely place that. That place at the front of the room. Where the kids look at you and trust that you'll 'teach them'. The expectations of their parents in the back of their minds. The expectations of a community forming them. And a curriculum that should allow those desires to become a reality.





And so my blog is here. And through my blog perhaps I can feel a little less alone in the things that concern me. But also share the things that make me smile and realise that the classroom is a place where amazing things can happen. And do happen everyday.





And that is my aim. To chat about what's happening for me and my kids in the classroom. I'll ask some questions that can be rhetorical for some and answered by others. And share some of the things that made me feel a little less segregated from those two entities we call 'teaching' and 'learning'.