A Modern Learning Environment at Ladbrooks SchoolSharing and Thinking

Collaboratively

To begin, sit back...… and enjoy Ken Robinson’s

thoughts

Some questions around our beliefs...

• What are our beliefs about the nature of our

learners?

• What are our beliefs around the attributes our

learners need now and for the future?

Defining our thinking ….

Collaborative teaching?

• We will start with the BLUE HAT to frame our thinking

• We will share some of our thoughts using the 6 Thinking Hats

• Following this, you will be involved in recording your thoughts and ideas under the headings of red, yellow, black and green hats

• We will share these ideas at the end as part of our discussion

Way back then ….

Today in NZ!- Stonefields (Auckland)

What is a Modern Learning Environment? (MLE)

•• They tend to have increased flexibility, openness and a greater access

to resources

• Teacher - student ratios are reduced

• Far greater opportunities for collaboration student(s) to student(s), teacher(s) to student(s)

Physical environments that support the needs of a modern learner

Collaborative teaching?

• Several teachers with many children

• Often multi-level and various age groups

• Can be in one space, MLE or in traditional class set up

• All teachers are responsible for all learners **

• Individual needs are catered for effectively

• Teacher expertise exponentially increased

Collaborative teaching?

• Excitement - It could really revitalise our practice and learning for the children.

• Sadness - Some of the neat things we do currently may change

• Fear - What will this look like?

Collaborative teaching?

• Supports strength-based teaching

• When there is one teacher, the learning is often serialWhen there is a team, it is parallel and learning is faster

• Additional possibilities for Gifted and Talented and remedial attention

• Increased connectivity between students and staff

• Teachers have told us they wouldn’t want to teach any other way

The TOROA environment...• Will students feel overwhelmed?

• How will siblings in the same learning community be accommodated?

• How will children’s social groupings be affected?

• Will it be noisy?

• How will the ages and stages be catered for?

• If I have an issue, who will I talk to?

The possibilities!

• We could do a arts/language rotation

• We could involve families in more formalised before- school word reading, spelling and brick testing routines

• We could use the library and Weka as quiet break-out spaces

• Cooking would be easy - we’d have the kitchen

• The ‘spare’ classrooms could be set up for art or music or PMP

Collaboration in action

Sharing our thoughts...

Key thoughts...