Defining learning and teaching to promote teacher effectiveness

What are the characteristics of an effective teacher in terms of student learning and teaching? In the previous post I defined the general characteristics of an effective teacher in an effort to move away from an evaluation made purely on student test results. 
Teaching is the central teacher activity, so what constitutes good teaching and learning?
At this school we defined it as a set of Learning and Teaching Principles. We had help - trainer Ruth Sutton helped us think about this and eventually we came up with five principles. It is interesting to note that our starting list was very different to the one we ended up with and it is likely that another school would emphasise different ideas. Here is the first of our final version: 
Principle One: The learning environment is prepared and organised so as to support effective learning and teaching and be conducive to different learning and teaching styles.
In order to be clearer about what this means, several supporting statements are added. We used the term indicators to start with but some were clearly not so we ended up with the term supporting statements. What is missing? If you were to do this exercise in your school, what would you have added, or indeed, taken out?

Supporting Statements

a.     The school recognises the importance of providing classrooms with acceptable temperature, humidity and noise levels so as to allow effective teaching and learning to take place.

b.     Emergency exits and evacuation details are clearly displayed and necessary safety equipment used and / or be available for use in the event of an emergency

c.     The physical environment of the classroom is well organised and appropriate to the age of the students, so that students feel welcome, safe and comfortable.

d.     Classroom furniture, space and resources is arranged so as to optimise learning and allow for a range of learning activities

e.     Teachers use wall space creatively, inside and outside the classroom, as a learning tool to display student work and other materials so as to celebrate achievement and motivate students. (See Display Policy).

f.      Expectations of behaviour, understanding of rights and responsibilities, routines and acceptable ways of working are clear and applied consistently by all throughout the school and not just in classrooms (See Behaviour Management Policy)

g.     Teachers recognise the importance of having high expectations, using positive feedback to reward appropriate behaviour and establishing a classroom environment based on mutual respect.

h.     Students show respect for the school environment, leaving classrooms tidy, not dropping litter, using recycling bins whenever possible, keeping their notice boards up to date and their personal spaces clean and tidy.

i.      The wider school environment fosters in students the sense of self-worth and the sense of belonging to a learning community, through academic, cultural, sporting and other events.

j.      Participation in Student Council, intertribal events, Team Sports and extra curricular activities are encouraged and opportunities are provided for students to participate in activities which help them develop their self esteem and their full potential in a wide range of areas.

k.      Parents are well informed on ways of supporting their children’s learning through, information, newsletters, community activities, workshops, formal school reports and information on any issues relevant to their individual child.

Teacher Effectiveness is more than test results.

Malcolm Bellamy defines "performance" in answering his question "What is teacher performance?".

He is right to question the use of performance as a term and the use of student test results to determine how effective that performance was. 

A group of teachers tackled the question of teacher effectiveness some time ago and we came up with a different slant to the question. We asked "What are the characteristics of an effective teacher?" and listed these - for the purpose of making clear what the expectations were. Additionally, we defined a Learning and Teaching policy which should be followed as part of these characteristics.

The point is that these are behaviours, explicit behaviours, which we can identify, learn about and improve. Not global test results which can be so misleading (as Bellamy correctly points out).

Here is the list, bowdlerised:

An Effective Teacher at this school is CHARACTERISED by the following description:

1. Preparation,  Classroom, and Teaching: the classroom space and resources are appropriately organised to facilitate learning.  Work is planned which follows the established school curriculum.  Lessons have structure and purpose, a variety of appropriate modes of teaching is used (in line with the school Learning and Teaching principles) showing awareness of individual student needs. The teacher is knowledgeable in the subject area.  S/he understands and is responsive to the school expectations vis-a-vis student language learning and development (in line with the school Language Policy).
2. Pupil Assessment and Records: the teacher assesses regularly, uses results formatively and keeps an up-to-date record of achievement and progress.  The teacher provides an appropriate response to all student work and completes reporting processes accurately and punctually.
3. Enthusiasm and Relationships: the teacher treats children with respect as individuals and conveys enthusiasm to the students.  The teacher provides variety and interest in lessons and motivates and encourages the students to learn.
4. Class Discipline: the teacher shows control of class, knows and supports school policy and implements general school routine.  The teacher gives importance to punctuality and can judge when and how to use rewards and sanctions effectively.
5. Pastoral Work: the teacher emits an open and caring attitude that makes him/her approachable to children.  The teacher is willing to give time to listen to children’s problems and offers individual children support in dealing with them.
6. Communication and Working Relationships: the teacher has good communication skills and is able to maintain a good working relationship with all members of the school community, especially when giving or receiving constructive criticism. The teacher is a reliable colleague and team member who carries out section and departmental responsibilities when required.  There is a tolerance towards ideas different from their own and a determination to assist in the smooth running of the whole school.  The teacher communicates with parents and participates in parent conferences meeting reasonable demands for further individual parent appointments.
7. Change and improvement: the teacher contributes to and supports school initiatives, is receptive to new ideas and willing to provide some of their own when possible.  The teacher works towards keeping up to date and participates willingly in the professional improvement management system.  The teacher works towards functioning in both English and Spanish, as well as becoming IT literate.
8. School and Community Support: the teacher participates in the extra curricular programme, is supportive of school community events, and presents a positive image of the school.

Part 1 above refers to Learning and Teaching principles - and these are the principles (each is described much more fully by supporting statements which can be used as indicators, but not published here):

Principle One: The learning environment is prepared and organised so as to support effective learning and teaching and be conducive to different learning and teaching styles.

Principle Two: Students are given the opportunity to develop critical thinking skills and the attitudes to become globally aware, life long learners.

Principle Three: The curriculum is planned and delivered effectively through a variety of classroom activities.

Principle Four: Teaching and Learning activities are planned and delivered in a way that reflects the importance of language in facilitating effective learning across and within each curriculum area. 

Principle Five: Effective assessment plays a significant role in the learning process and is an important tool for feedback, learning and curriculum planning.

An important point is that these characteristics of an effective teacher and learning and teaching principles were home-grown. Each school has to go through that process so as to represent the local situation and, even more importantly, to have credibility and currency within the institution. 

Better than just test score use? I think so.... 

If Web 3.0 (the Semantic Web) is the destination, how are we going to get there?

Google has done a great job of helping us find information. However, we have to use judgement as to what bits are useful. And as the amount of information on web pages that is indexed increases to unthinkable and unreachable proportions, we have diminishing returns.
The Semantic Web is given as the next x.0, in this case 3.0. Can it be so? What is the Semantic Web?
This is a Kate Ray documentary on the Semantic Web: 


Web 3.0 from Kate Ray on Vimeo.
But how do we get there? What are the pitfalls? Are we in the midst of marketting hype which will get in the way of this utopian ideal? And how is Google+ tuned into this? How is it going to get us there?

Google conversion - where are they taking us?

Google Inc is discontinuing old services.
Google Notebook was an early casualty and quite a shock to avid users - at school we used shared notebooks for minutes and other records, and we wondered, at the time, how we would do without it.
Then a much better Google Docs came along and we now use this, with features such as concurrent editing in real time, and think no more of Google Notebook.
Google Desktop is another one that now bites the dust. This may not be any great loss since cloud search devices are available and cloud storage is the way to go. But I am sure there must be those who will wonder how they will manage without it.
The Google Operating System blog lists other casualties: Aardvark, Fast Flip, Google Pack, Image Labeler, Sidewiki, and Subscribed link. This is fine, but note that they have been dropped whilst all is still in Beta. We are, by the way Google operates, considered permanent Beta-testers.
So, where is Google taking us? It all seems to be centred on Google+, an identity service. But it is hugely Beta, being developed quickly and has already soaked up Picasa. Are we sure that where Google is taking us is where we want to go?

Fairness in Assessment

Steve Wheeler's slideshow on Assessment in the Digital Age questions fairness.
In my first post for Purpos/ed I ended up describing the effect of assessment on an individual student - saying that assessment is used by students to gauge their self-worth.
Steve addresses this with a powerful example on a question asked of his teacher by an eight year old boy - how many of us have been through this experience? I would judge that many have.

Assessment in the Digital Age: Fair Measures?

View more presentations from Steve Wheeler

What is the purpose of assessment in schools?

This posting is for Purpos/ed - What is the purpose of assessment in 500 words....

I would like the answer to be "to improve student learning". But there is not one purpose of assessment but very many.

Assessment is used nationally to categorise learners so that they can have access to further learning,  or to rate the quality of the learner's institution. At this level it is definitely summative and the process is complex and not very transparent, so it is difficult to judge whether either of these two purposes are being carried out effectively.

Assessment is used by parents to try to judge both their child and the school. Parents are often more interested in comparing their child with others of the same age range than the individual progress that the child has made. It is summative, can be formative, and should be ipsative.

Assessment is used by teachers to gauge individual and class prior learning and eventual learning. It should be diagnostic, ipsative and formative. It will also be summative at appropriate times.

Assessment is used by schools to gauge how learners are learning and possibly how teachers are teaching. It is summative on the whole.

Assessment is used by learners to gauge their self-worth. Therefore it matters and will affect the learner’s attitude towards subsequent learning. It is invariably summative even though teachers believe the assessment information to be diagnostic, ipsative and formative.

Making learning real - extreme but effective OBLIQUITY

Please bear with me - I will get to the point!

The issuing of A level results always brings with it a reflection in the media, on their value. For me, this reflection takes place a month or so earlier, when the International Baccaluareate results come out.

How well do these examinations assess (and measure) the real learning that the student has achieved?

How useful is this learning for getting the enabling qualifications in terms of prerequisite knowledge?
How useful is this learning for life?

I read Malcolm Bellamy's account (Education is not about certificates) with interest. In it he questions the value of the A level certificates in terms of learning things which will equip the holder for life in the global village.

Certainly, for traditional "professions" these certificates provide the currency for the next stage. But do they prepare these students for a lifetime of learning and provide them with the skills for life "in the global village"? And what about the many who do not want entry into traditional "professions" - what do these certificates do for them?

Bellamy quotes the seven essential skills that students will need in the 21st century, by Dr Tony Wagner, and these really got me thinking:

1. Problem-solving and critical thinking;
2. Collaboration across networks and leading by influence;
3. Agility and adaptability;
4. Initiative and entrepreneurship;
5. Effective written and oral communication;
6. Accessing and analyzing information; and
7. Curiosity and imagination.

How do you teach/learn these skills? Do you take a course on "Collaboration across networks and leading by influence"? Or on "Curiosity and imagination"?

Of course not. 

Schools work on these seven obliquely (thanks John Kay for "Obliquity" and his book of the same name).

We provide opportunities for leadership, for projects in social service, for working together in teams, for setting up the refreshment stall for the open evening, for working at their History but actually also working on accessing and analysing information, for adapting to changes, for collaborating, and so on.

Of course , traditional lessons can be made to work on some or all of the seven points.

I came across the following video on Bellamy's site also, a very well produced account of project-based learning. Here surely is an extreme but highly effective example of obliquity - making learning real... ...and hitting all seven of Wagner's essential skills.