Documenting the Process: The Learning Process, Learner Characteristics

Lynn and I met to discuss the learning process and how we would explain the ideas to those we will serve. 

I shared the concept used at Stonefield Elementary to share their vision with the students and the community. https://www.stonefields.school.nz/our-vision-and-values/ 

We watched this video and examined their images. 

 

I shared and recreated the model of the learning process here: https://www.stonefields.school.nz/learning-at-stonefields-school/ for our notes. 

Then we brainstormed how to make the metaphors work for our area. 

• wind industry - the concept works, but is probably better for adults than it is for students. 
• canyon - we'd have to go there
• prairie
• N. Heights - we'd need more research
• Garden
• Music/Performance
• Technology/Cell Phones/Coding
• Medical?  Can't read my handwriting, sorry
  
  As we thought about our values, what kids find meaningful, we landed on the idea of friends. And that fits really well with Tremaine's vision about community. And friends/relationships are things that kids know a lot about - we won't need to teach another level of content for them to get the metaphor. 

We then started to think about how the metaphor fits the learning process. 

Here's the learning process and the verbs that Stonefields Elementary uses. They conceptualize the learning process as moving and climbing on a set of rocks. We move in an around the area, depending on where we are in the process. For example, we might be making meaning, but realize we have more questions and need to seek more knowledge. 

 

• Building Knowledge: We add to our knowing and understanding. We use specific strategies and techniques in this phase which include: bring what I know, notice, use my senses, identify, explore, find more information, search and research
• Making Meaning: This is where the knowledge and understanding become more than facts. To achieve this kind of thinking, we group, plan, experiment, practice, compare, seek perspectives, summarize, generalize, predict, analyze, and synthesize. 
• Applying Understanding: At this phase of learning, we are ready to create, act, or do. We make decisions, solve, critique, evaluate, justify, and create with meaning and purpose. 

Using Friendship as the Metaphor

• Building Knowledge - We begin by learning how to be a friend and connect to others. This requires us to learn about ourselves and others. 
• Making Meaning - This is where we build relationships and nurture each other through experiences. 
• Apply Understanding - This is where we connect beyond friendships to build true community that changes the world. It's how we impact the world together. 

Lynn and I are going to share these ideas with the team when we meet next time to get feedback and make decisions on how we'd like to roll out these lessons. 

As Lynn and I talked, we created a clarifying outline of the major challenges we want students to know and understand. 

Our goal: Make stuff better for kids

Challenge One: Henry's Freedom Box Lesson: What does it mean to be literate? To experience reading and writing powerfully? 

Challenge Two: The Learning Pit: What does success involve? 

Challenge Three: The Learning Process: How does one learn? 

Challenge Four: Learner Characteristics: What does a learner need?