How do I make public my embodied knowledge as a professional educator? An educational enquiry into forms of representation and standards of judgement.
Jack Whitehead's account of one possibility of being Marie Huxtable!
Draft 2 December 2005
Framing
The framing for my enquiry is provided by Catherine Snow's challenge in her 2001 Presidential Address to the American Educational Research Association to develop agreed-upon procedures for transforming practical knowledge into public knowledge:
"The .... challenge is to enhance the value of personal knowledge and personal experience for practice. Good teachers possess a wealth of programs. And having standards for the systematization of personal knowledge would provide a basis for rejecting personal anecdotes as a basis for either policy or practice." (Snow, 2001, p.9)
Context
The context of my enquiry is a self-study of my professional practice as an educator working as an educational psychologist in Bath and North East Somerset. In particular I have been working on the implementation of a B&NES policy on the implementation of an action research process to support the authority's policy on inclusion. Drawing on the work of Belle Wallace (Chandler & Wallace 2004) on Thinking Actively In A Social Context (TASC) I shall use the TASC Wheel with its cycles of action and reflection to explicate my living epistemological standards of judgement:
The form of the action reflection cycles in the TASC Wheel are consistent with the action reflection cycles in the work of McNiff (2002) and other action researchers. In seeking to make public the standards of judgement I use in my embodied knowledge as an educator I will be drawing on insights from a living theory perspective (Whitehead, 1989). By this I mean that I will show how my embodied values as an educator can be clarified in the course of their emergence in my enquiry. In the process of clarifying and publicly communicating meanings of my embodied values, the meanings form the living epistemological standards of judgement I use to evaluate the validity of my claims to know my educational influence.
In the course of this enquiry I have engaged with the work of Claxton (2002) on Building Learning Power and Rudduck and Flutter (2004) on pupil voice. In relation to the work of Claxton, I shall look at my own resilience, resourcefulness, reflections and my capacity for reciprocity:
Developing the mind to learn.....
Developing learning power means working on four aspects
of students' learning. The first task is to help them become more resilient:
able to lock on to learning and to resist distractions either from outside or
within. The second is helping them become more resourceful: able to draw on a
wide range of learning methods and strategies as appropriate. The third is
building the ability to be reflective: to think profitable about learning and
themselves as learners. And the fourth task is to make them capable of being
reciprocal; making use of relationships in the most productive, enjoyable and
responsible way.
(Claxton, 2002, p. 17)
In relation to the research of Rudduck and Flutter I will focus on my transformatory agenda in terms of eliciting and presenting the experiences and views of groups on the margins thereby helping them to move from silence and invisibility to influence and visibility:
There is a difference, we think, between the potential
impact of work on pupil perspectives and work on pupil voice. Teachers who are
interested in pupil perspectives, as opposed to voice, may see pupils merely as
sources of interesting and usable data but they are less likely to have goals
that are expressed in terms of community. Eliciting and using pupil
perspectives can usefully provide a practical agenda for change but it does not
guarantee change in the status of pupils within the school. On the other hand,
teachers concerned with voice usually take on the serious and significant task
of eliciting and presenting the experiences and views of groups on the margins
thereby helping them to move from silence and invisibility to influence and
visibility. Such work has a more transformatory agenda (see Fielding, 1977) in
that it implies a deeper review of pupils' roles and status in schools, at
various levels and in various arenas.
(Rudduck and Flutter, 2004, p. 152)
Following Eisner's (1993, 1997) call to extend the forms of representation used by educational researchers in the communication of their research, I am using a multi-media account to communicate the process through which I am making public my embodied knowledge as educator. The form of my educational enquiry follows the action reflection cycles of the TASC wheel (Wallace and Chandler, 2004):
Identify the task
Generate
Decide and Implement
Evaluate and Communicate
Learn from experience
I have also taken to heart a point made by Dadds and Hart on
methodological inventiveness:
" The importance of methodological inventiveness
Perhaps the most important new insight for both of us has been awareness that, for some practitioner researchers, creating their own unique way through their research may be as important as their self-chosen research focus. We had understood for many years that substantive choice was fundamental to the motivation and effectiveness of practitioner research (Dadds 1995); that what practitioners chose to research was important to their sense of engagement and purpose. But we had understood far less well that how practitioners chose to research, and their sense of control over this, could be equally important to their motivation, their sense of identity within the research and their research outcomes." (Dadds & Hart, p. 166, 2001)
While it may appear that I am applying a method in the
action reflection cycle of the TASC Wheel, my intention is to demonstrate how my
learning is mediated through my originality of mind and critical judgement to
generate my living epistemological standards of judgement from my embodied
values.
Identify the task
My task is to contribute to educational knowledge through
making public my embodied knowledge as an educator in a way that reveals and
communicates my living standards of judgement.
Generate
Using the TASC wheel as a form of enquiry learning I shall
clarify meanings of my embodied values as a professional educator and demonstrate
how in the communication of these meanings they can be used as living
epistemological standards of judgement in making public my embodied knowledge.
Decide and Implement
I can be seen to be implementing this idea of guiding
learning through the TASC Wheel in conversations at Timsbury School on the 28th
November and Oldfield Park Infants School on the 29th November.
Evaluate and Communicate
Looking at the video-tape of the beginning of my
conversation with Sue and Belle at Timsbury School I can see myself asking Sue
questions with the aim of enabling Sue to make public her embodied knowledge as
a Head Teacher and Educator. Sue's answers show the influence of the TASC wheel
in her own thinking and practices to enable pupils to take more control over their
own learning. My evaluation of my practice, as I question Sue, is that the
questions have helped Sue to respond in a way that supports her in making
public her embodied knowledge.
Learn from experience
As Wallace and Chandler (2004) say this
is a vital phase of the TASC Framework as it is the stage for reflection, consolidation and forward
planning.
My own learning from the experience of the enquiry is
focused on the value of viewing myself in my interactions with others. This is
the first enquiry in which I have used video to enquire into my educational
influences in my own learning, in the learning of others and in the learning of
social formations. The video enables me to get closer to understanding how
others perceive me and hence enables me to enquire from a more informed
perspective into my educational influences.
For example, I work on the implementation of the
B&NES policy on inclusion. I also work with Rayner's (2005) idea of
inclusionality as a relationally dynamic awareness of space and boundaries that
are connective, reflexive and co-creative. The University of Bath changed its regulations in July 2004
to enable researchers to submit theses with e-media. This has enabled
multi-media accounts to be presented (Naidoo, 2005, Hartog, 2004). Naidoo, for
example presented her living theory of inclusional and responsive practice with
the aim of bringing passion for compassion as a living epistemological standard
of judgement into the Academy as a legitimate standard of judgment.
Building on Naidoo's living theory with her living
inclusional standard of passion for compassion, I want to explore the
possibilities in my enquiry that I am living an inclusional value of systemic
responsibility in my work as an educator. What I mean by this is connected to
what Marshall (2004) refers to as living systemic thinking. In my life as an
educator I seek to connect individuals whose ideas and practices I believe will
resonate with each other. My purpose in doing this is to enhance the flow of
values, skills and understandings that carry hope for the future of humanity
and my own. For example the video-tape of meetings at Timsbury and Oldfield
Park Schools on the 28th and 29th November show
conversations with teachers that include Belle Wallace and Jack Whitehead.
Through my sharing of Belle's ideas with Jack and Jack's ideas with Belle, they
are now co-creating ideas that benefit from each others' ideas. Through my support for spreading the
influence of Belle's ideas from the TASC programme, local teachers are now
demonstrating their pupils' capacities for engaging in their own research into
their own learning using the TASC wheel. This is perhaps best demonstrated in
Joy Mounter's conversation with Belle Wallace of the 29th November,
where Joy explicates her own embodied knowledge, with the help of her pupils'
work, in a way that affirms the value of Belle's work on the TASC programme and
my own work in helping to communicate the ideas in a range of different
contexts.
In learning from my experience of multi-media
representations of what I do, I can see that the expression of the meanings of
my life affirming energy, through my humour and the expression of my influence
through my questioning and through the ideas I bring into conversations, need a
multi-media account to provide an adequate explanation of my educational
influence. This focus on energy, humour and questioning can be seen in a
video-clip I took at Timsbury School on the 28th November 2005 of a
conversation between Belle Wallace, Jack Whitehead and a Teacher where Jack is
raising the issue of how to communicate and represent the educational
influences of the flow of energy and embodied values in educational
relationships.
I am following Whitehead's (2005) ideas on the use of
visual narratives for communicating the meanings of affirmations of
inclusionality in explanations of educational influence as we co-created our
own affirmations:
"I
often find images carry more meaning than words, although I usually need words
to communicate the significance the image has for me. I also find conversations
with others about images help to develop shared meanings of the values that
help to constitute my productive life. I call these shared meanings about
embodied values the affirmations of inclusionality and the representation of these
meanings, visual narratives. As I will show later these affirmations of shared meaning can be
transformed, in the course of their clarification and emergence in practice,
into living critical standards of judgement. Such standards are needed to judge
the validity of any claim that we know our educational influence in our own
learning, in the learning of others and in the learning of our social
formations. Such standards are needed in validating and legitimating our living
theories.
Such
affirmations and visual narratives can be understood in a conversation between
myself and Marie Huxtable. Marie is a psychologist working on educational
projects in the Bath and North East Somerset local authority, the equivalent of
your School Board. The affirmations of inclusionality felt and understood by
Marie Huxtable and me are focused on our responses to the expressions in the
eyes, face, body and hands of the pupil below as she shows what she has been
working on, to the photographer Belle Wallace. Belle Wallace is currently
President of the National Association for Able Children in Education (in the
UK) and you can access her biography at http://www.nace.co.uk/home.htm?tasc_biography.htm~mainFrame We both felt a flow of
life-affirming energy in our responses to the image and with each other. We
recognised this flow of energy between us and affirm that it carries our hope
for the future of humanity and our own. For us, the way the pupil shows Belle
what she had produced carries two affirmations. There is the affirmation from
the pupil that what has been produced is a source of pleasure and satisfaction.
There is the affirmation from Belle and ourselves that we are seeking to enable
ourselves and others to feel this quality of pleasure and satisfaction in what
we and others are producing. I am associating such affirmations with what I
mean by living a productive life in education.
Explaining my educational influences in learning in the
creation of my living educational theory through my enquiry
In sustaining a commitment to my vocation in education I
have exhibited the qualities distinguished by Claxton as resilience,
resourcefulness, reflectiveness and reciprocity. I have also demonstrated that
my enquiry flows in a form that is consistent with the systematic forms of
action and reflection of the TASC Wheel and of Action/Reflection Cycles.
In a contribution to the BERA Practitioner-Researcher 2005
e-seminar, Branko Bognar, an educator working in Croatia made the following
contribution that contained live urls to three video-clips of 10 year pupils
demonstrating their use of Action Research cycles in researching their own
learning:
"Dear friends,
I worked hard for two days and
two nights to translate and title video recordings where you could see live
example of our effort to apply action research in our educational practice.
First video (available at http://www.e-lar.net/videos/Creativity-en2.wmv
11 Mb[1])
was starting point in Vesna Simic's and my action research. Our shared value is
creativity, so we try to find a way how to fulfil this value. We realised that
creativity is enough fulfil in her teaching of arts. But she confessed, and we
find evidence for that when we analysed video recordings of her teaching, that
she realised subject society and nature[2]
on traditional and uncreative way. So we decided to improve creativity in that
part of her educational practice.
On second and third videos
(available at http://www.e-lar.net/videos/AI2_0002.wmv
30.5 Mb and at http://www.e-lar.net/videos/Validation.wmv
29 Mb) we could find that children should not be treated only as participants
in action research of adults (teachers) but also as co-researcher or standalone
researchers. Marica Zovko, class-teacher was mentor to her students and I was
mentor to her. Her students evidenced that they understand process of action
research and know how to apply them to improve their living practice.
Warm regards,
Branko"
Bognar posted this visual narrative to the British
Educational Research Association 2005 e-seminar on The nature of educational theories: what
counts as evidence of educational influences in learning? on the 3rd
July 2005. In relation to the idea of developing
new living standards of judgement from the ground of affirmations of
inclusionality I am affirming that I share the meanings of action research,
creativity and validation being communicated by the pupils and teachers on the
three video clips.
What I am
suggesting in this educational enquiry is that the TASC wheel provides a
systematic form of action reflection cycle that can provide a discipline to the
enquiry. In the process of evaluating the effectiveness of actions in relation
to the realization of embodied values, the meanings of the values are clarified
in the course of their emergence in practice. The public expression and
communication of these meanings transforms the experience of embodied values
into values-based living standards of judgement. This process provides a response to Snow's (2001) challenge
to make our personal knowledge as educators, public in a way that can
contribute to the educational knowledge-base.
This form
of educational enquiry goes further than this in offering an understanding of
educational theories that is not constituted by the traditional disciplines of
education and hence might be in danger of replacing the embodied values of
educators in the way acknowledged as a mistake by Hirst in 1983 when he writes
about the replacement of practical maxims:
Much understanding of educational theory will be developed:
"... in the context of immediate practical experience
and will be co-terminous with everyday understanding. In particular, many of
its operational principles, both explicit and implicit, will be of their nature
generalisations from practical experience and have as their justification the
results of individual activities and practices.
In many characterisations of educational theory, my own
included, principles justified in this way have until recently been regarded as
at best pragmatic maxims having a first crude and superficial justification in
practice that in any rationally developed theory would be replaced by
principles with more fundamental, theoretical justification. That now seems to
me to be a mistake. Rationally defensible practical principles, I suggest, must
of their nature stand up to such practical tests and without that are
necessarily inadequate."
(Hirst, 1983, p. 18)
In the educational enquiry described above I am generating my living educational theory as an explanation of my educational influence in my own learning. I am concerned in my professional practice to influence the learning of others and the learning of the social formations in which I live and work. These latter influences are not the focus of this enquiry. The focus is the development of my own understanding of the nature of an educational theory that could validly explain my educational influence in my own learning. Such a theory must include the motivational or explanatory power of the embodied values I am seeking to live as fully as I can. One of my values is the expression of an inclusional responsibility for establishing a form of systemic influence that can support the freedom and responsibility of other learners, especially children, for living values that carry hope for the future of humanity and my own.
As I move into my next action reflection cycle I have completed the following action plan to extend the educational influences of the processes of educational enquiry outlines above:
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What is the day
about? |
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Schools have been bombarded with 'targets' and 'impact indicators'
and teachers have felt pressured to stretch and extend their pupils. Sounds
painful! How can we understand what we value in education, provide a
learning environment that nurtures while collecting evidence of our progress
which will inform practice? The work of Jack Whitehead offers a framing for
responding to these questions in a rigorous, inclusional manner which can
transform practice in the classroom. |
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Who will enjoy the
day? |
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Educators from all key stages seeking to develop their own and
their pupils' thinking and learning in ways they believe to be important and
wanting to be able to gather evidence to demonstrate how they are
succeeding. |
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Aims of the day? |
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By the end of the day participants will: ÷ Understand how adults and children have
their own living educational theories which have practical implications for
what teachers are trying to achieve in the classroom ÷ Have been introduced to a living theory
approach to enquiries of the kind, 'How do I improve what I am doing?' ÷ Know how they can begin to gather data that
can be used as evidence to show the progress of the learning they believe to
be important through developing living values as educational standards of
judgement ÷ Have shared action reflection cycles of
sharing experiences of what really matters, imagining improvements in
practice, justifying a claim to know one's educational influence in relation
to evidence from pupils' learning ÷ Understand the importance of living theory
in relationship to other strategies and agendas such as Emotional Literacy,
Inclusion, Every Child Matters, Collaborative Creative Learning Communities,
Life Long Learning, and all children as creative, able learners. ÷ Know how 'living educational theory' and
'living values as standards of judgment' link with other work such as TASC
(Thinking Actively in a Social Context) and PASS (Pupils Attitude to Self
and School) and children as collaborative, creative enquirers ÷ Know what is happening around Bath and
North East Somerset, national and globally from the living theory resources
on http://www.actionresearch.net |
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Who is leading the
day? |
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Dr. Jack Whitehead will lead the day. Some of you will know him from his books with Jean
McNiff on Action Research and his work with teachers engaged in CPD. His
work is well known nationally and internationally and he is currently
working with educators from China, Japan, Canada and South Africa as well as
in our own authority. Jack has spent the last 32 years at the University of
Bath working to bring to light the embodied knowledge of educators and make
their understandings public through their master and doctoral enquiries. You
can judge his effectiveness from the learning resources on his award winning
web-site at http://www.actionresearch.net
He is a past president of the British Educational Research Association, a
visiting professor at China's Experimental Centre for Educational Action
Research in Foreign Languages Teaching and the 2000 Distinguished Scholar in
Residence at Wesminster College, Utah. |
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When, where, how
much? |
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MONDAY 19TH JUNE 06 8.45am – 4.00pm COMBE LODGE BLAGDON £ 80pp |
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How do I apply? |
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Contact APEX, Riverside, Keynsham, BS31 1DN or fax 01225 394299 or phone 01225 394901 and ask for an application form |
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Part of my intention is that the participants in the conference should become aware of how they can access the living educational theories of other practitioner and teacher-researchers that are flowing through web-space. As I introduce the day I shall have live internet links to the masters programme section and living theory section of http://www.actionresearch.net . These links give access to the living educational theories of practitioner-researchers who have engaged in enquiries of the kind, 'How do I improve what I am doing?' They have explicated their embodied knowledge as master educators and doctor educators.
In evaluating the effectiveness of my on-going educational enquiry I intend to engage in the doctoral research programme set out in the Appendix. The scope of my educational enquiry into my professional practice can be appreciated as I seek to make an educational contribution in the following constellation of activities from the draft doctoral proposal:
This concludes this phase of my educational enquiry.
References
Chandler, S. & Wallace, B.
(2004) How TASC (Thinking Actively in a Social Context) helped to
ensure rapid school improvement. Paper commissioned by the National Teacher
Research Panel for the Teacher Research Conference 2004. Retrieved 2 December
2005 from
Claxton, G. (2002) Building Learning Power, Bristol; TLO Limited.
Dadds, M. & Hart, S. (2001) Doing Practitioner Research Differently. London; RoutledgeFalmer.
Eisner, E. (1993) Forms of Understanding the Future of Educational Research
Educational Researcher, Vol. 22, No. 7, pp. 5-11.
Eisner, E. (1997) The Promise and Perils of Alternative Forms of Data Representation
Educational Researcher, Vol. 26, No. 6, pp. 4-10.
Hirst, P. (Ed.) (1983) Educational Theory and its
Foundation Disciplines. London;RKP
Marshall,
J. (2004) Living
systemic thinking: Exploring quality in first-person action research. Action Research Vol 2 (3)
2004 pp 309-329
Mcniff, J. (2002) Action
Research: Principles and Practice, Second Edition (with Jack Whitehead)
London, Routledge.
Rudduck, J.
& Flutter, J. (2004) How To Improve Your School: Giving Pupils A Voice.
London, New York; Continuum.
Snow, C. E. (2001) Knowing What We Know: Children, Teachers, Researchers. Presidential Address to AERA, 2001, in Seattle, in Educational Researcher, Vol. 30, No.7, pp.3-9.
Whitehead, J. (2005) Living inclusional values in educational standards of practice and
judgement. Keynote for the Act, Reflect, Revise III Conference, Brantford
Ontario,
11th
November 2005. Retrieved 2 December 2005 from http://www.jackwhitehead.com/monday/arrkey05dr1.htm
Appendix
A Draft Doctoral Research Programme
Draft Doctoral
research proposal for Marie Huxtable
How am I engaging adults and children in
collaborative, creative learning enquiries as passionate and progressing
researchers constructing their own living educational theories and developing
understandings and expressions of their own values in their living standards
of practice and judgement?
Context
As a professional educator working in the Bath &
North East Somerset Local Authority I believe that I express the embodied
knowledge of a doctor educator but cannot as yet produce publically validated
evidence to support this claim. The research is intended to legitimate this
embodied knowledge.
The significance of such
self-studies has been analysed in the 2004 International Handbook of
Self-Study of Teacher Education Practices (Loughran, Hamilton, LaBoskey &
Russell, 2004) and in an analysis of What Counts as Evidence in the Self-studies of Teacher Education
Practices? Whitehead (2004) highlights the importance of developing
appropriate standards for judging/validating claims from self-study research by
professional educators.
The
importance of developing appropriate standards is a present concern of the
Ontario College of Teachers as they seek to understand the foundations of
professional practice:
The Ethical Standards, the Standards of Practice and the
Professional Learning Framework should be regarded as interconnected –
each of them deriving effectiveness through its relation to the others. Their
overarching purpose is to guide teachers in their practice so they can more
readily meet the goal of enhancing student learning. (Ontario College of Teachers, September 2005)
This
7th World Congress on Action Learning, Action Research and Process
Management will focus on standards and ethics in participatory research
practices : participatory action research, action learning, and process
management. (http://www.alarpmgroningen2006.nl/).
Scope
Appendix
One presents a diagram of my
professional activities for 2005-6. It is the expression of my embodied knowledge
in the flow of these activities that I am seeking to make explicit. In
particular I wish to make explicit the values, skills and understandings in my
educational influences in my own learning, in the learning of others and in
the social formations in which I am living and working.
The
main activities that form the scope of this enquiry are connected to the Able
Pupils Extending Opportunities Project (APEX), Building Learning Power
(Caxton, 2002), Philosophy for Children (Appendix 2) and the creation and
evaluation of living educational theories (Huxtable, 2005)
Purposes
The APEX group, comprising arts, museum and library people,
have expressed their purposes as:
(i)
Extend the range of opportunities available for those of
school age to meet and work with others with similar interest and abilities,
to develop skills and increase their understanding of the variety of possible
areas to explore and to work with expert role models.
(ii)
Provide an opportunity for teachers and other adults in the
learning community to extend their knowledge and skill in a subject area by
working with or alongside a field/subject expert.
In the processes of building learning power my purpose is
to make explict the values, skills and understandings that emerge through the
enquiry:
'How can we progress ourselves in our thinking as mathematicians through a creative collaborative mathematical enquiry with children and other educators, and how can we as eductors develop our practice to reflect our growingunderstandings'. (Huxtable e-mail communication September 2005)
In the activities related to the Philosophy for Children
Project my purpose is to enable pupils and teachers to develop their own
living educational theories through their own voices (Claxton 2002; Gornett, Chambers, & Claxton, 2005; Fielding,
2001; Fielding & McGregor, 2005; Gornett, Chambers, &
Claxton, 2005; Macbeath, Myers, & Demetriou, 2001; McGregor, 2004;
Rudduck, & Flutter, 2000; Rudduck, & Flutter, 2004; Wallace,
2003;
Whitehead, & Clough, 2004) as they create and evaluate
their own living educational theories of their educational influences in their
own learning and, where appropriate, in the learning of others and in the
learning of the social formations in which they live and learn.
Because this research into my professional practice is
contextualised with the policy making and implementation of the Bath &
North East Somerset Local Education Authority I will be analysing the
educational influences of the policy making, implementation and evaluation processes
in my enquiry. In particular I will connect with the B&NES (2003) Primary
Strategy Principles of Learning and Teaching. These are:
Ensure every child succeeds; Build on what learners already
know; Make learning vivid and real; Make learning enjoyable and challenging
experience; Enrich the learning experience; Promote assessment for learning.
Methodology Because I am engaged in a self-study of my knowledge-creation in the process of researching my educational influences in my professional practice, a living theory approach to action research appears appropriate as the form of research in which the individual practitioner generates explanations for their educational influences in their own learning, in the learning of others and in the learning of social formations (Whitehead, 2005) Significance National and Internationally, research communities are focusing attention on the standards of judgement that are appropriate for evaluating the validity of knowledge-claims in practice-based research. The recent change of regulations at the University of Bath has enabled the submission and legitimation of multi-media, living theory accounts by practitioner-researchers (Naidoo, 2005; Church, 2004; Hartog, 2004). Naidoo has shown the potential of multi-media accounts for showing what the living standards of judgement in living theories, look like, from an inclusional perspective (Rayner, 2005) in both practice and in a knowledge-claim. There is still much research to be done on showing and legitimating such standards of practice and demonstrating their explanatory power in knowledge-claims about educational influences in learning. References
Church, M. (2004) Creating an uncompromised place to
belong: Why do I find myself in networks? Retrieved
24 May 2005 from http://www.bath.ac.uk/~edsajw/church.shtml
Claxton,
G. (2002) Building Learning Power. Bristol; TLO Limited.
Fielding,
M. (2001) Beyond the Rhetoric of Student Voice: new departures or new constraints
in the transformation of 21st century schooling? Forum 43 (2) pp.
100-109.
Fielding,
M. & McGregor, J. (2005) Deconstructing student voice: new spaces for
dialogue or new opportunities for surveillance? Paper presented to the
Symposium Speaking up and speaking out: International perspectives on the
democratic possibilities of student voice, at AERA Montreal, April 2005.
Gornett,
S. Chambers, M. & Claxton, G. (2005) Building Learning Power in Action.
Bristol; TLO Limited.
Macbeath,
J., Myers, K. & Demetriou, H. (2001) Supporting Teachers in Consulting
Pupils about Aspects of Teaching and Learning, and Evaluating Impact. Forum 43
(2) pp. 78-82.
McGregor,
J. (2004) Students as Researchers. Cranfield; National College for School
Leadership. Retrieved 17 November 2005 from http://www.ncsl.org.uk/mediastore/image2/nlg_teacher_researchers_jane_mcgregor.pdf
Hartog, M. (2004) A Self Study Of A Higher Education Tutor: How Can I
Improve My Practice? Ph.D. University of
Bath. Retrieved 19 August 2004 from http://www.bath.ac.uk/~edsajw/hartog.shtml
Naidoo, M. (2005) I am Because We
Are. (My never-ending story) The emergence of a living theory of inclusional
and responsive practice. See Abstract at:
http://www.bath.ac.uk/~edsajw/arsup/mnabsok.htm
Rudduck,
J. & Flutter, J. (2000) Pupil Participation and Pupil Perspective:
'carving a new order of experience'. Cambridge Journal of Education, 20
(1) pp. 75-89.
Rudduck,
J. & Flutter, J. (2004) How to improve your school. London, New York;
Continuum.
Wallace,
B. (2003) What learning experienced do gifted and talented children need to
develop life skills. Retrieved 17 November 2005 from http://66.249.93.104/search?q=cache:rHvMzrq_fegJ:www.e-gfl.org/e-gfl/activities_uploaded/intranet/teacher/NAGC.ppt+belle+wallace+TASC&hl=en
Whitehead, J. & Clough, N. (2004) Pupils, the
forgotten partners in education action zones. Journal of Education Policy. 19
(2) pp. 215-227.
Huxtable, M. (2004) Proposal of a trial format for master
days and expert enquiries with 'writing' as focus. Keynsham; B&NES.
Huxtable, M. (2005) Heads and Hearts in Learning: Making the Link. Retrieved 19 November 2005 from http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/BathNES/learning/inclusionsupport/apex/APEX+teacher+course+Jack+Whitehead.htm
Loughran,
J. J., Hamilton, M. L., LaBoskey V. K & Russell, T. (eds) (2004)
International Handbook of Self-Study of Teaching and Teacher Education
Practices. Dordrecht; Kluwer Academic Publishers
Ontario College of Teachers (2005) Draft Foundations of
Professional Practice, Toronto. Ontario College of Teachers.
Rayner, A. (2005) Essays and Talks about Inclusionality by
Alan Rayner. Retrieved 19 November 2005 from
http://www.bath.ac.uk/~bssadmr/inclusionality/
Whitehead,
J. (2004) What Counts as Evidence in the Self-studies of Teacher Education
Practices? - final draft before publication in Loughran, J. J., Hamilton, M.
L., LaBoskey V. K & Russell, T. (eds) (2004) International Handbook of
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Academic Publishers
Whitehead,
J. (2005) A Living Educational Theory Approach to Action Research. Retrieved
19 November 2005 from http://www.actionresearch.net
.
Appendix One
Marie Huxtables constellation
of professional activities 2005-2006
Marie Huxtable 4th
February 2004
Appendix Two
Draft Plan Sept 05 – 06
Marie Huxtable 21st July 05
Introductions,
tasters, sources of information
'Thinking
and Feeling' March 06
A
growing number of practitioners have been involved in one or more initiatives.
They have also become increasingly aware that there are a whole variety of
possibilities to extend into and want an overview and a way of deciding what
would be best for them next. Having sounded out teachers, Heads, B&NES officers and I am intending to offer a day for
practitioners - teachers and LSAs.
Aims
- to share with teachers and LSAs a
framework they could use to 'map' the different approaches, strategies etc
they come across and so understand how they fit together
-
to give a taste of P4C, TASC, BLP in practice (these are spread across
B&NES, are content free and non age specific and contribute to the
development of independent and interdependent learners and enquiry based
learning.)
-
to enable participants to deepen their understanding of TASC, P4C, BLP
-
to provide an opportunity for educators to talk to one another about their
practice related to the progression of their pupils developing informed
aspirations and the confidence and competencies to realise them
APEX
Saturdays workshops
There
will be a programme each term with increasing diversity of providers and
venues. A research project will be started to enable us to learn and share
successful practice with schools and collaborate with young learners in
developing the work.
B&NES
Focus Day/s for teachers
These
Focus Days with national names related to an identified area of development
have added to the 'pallet of information about national and international work
which is still evident across the authority. The links will be with
'Thinking', Emotional Intelligence', 'Enquiry Based Learning', 'Authentic
Learning'.
Thinking
in Practice - Tapping into Talented Teachers
Teachers
meet termly for an afternoon. Practitioners share their practice through short
presentations and audience participation in an activity used with pupils. The
first meetings were about 20. This has dropped to on average 8 participants
per session. Consistent feedback that this is a very useful forum for practitioners
to share and consider their practice in a 'safe' environment and that this
should continue to be offered.
Participants
have said that it has been a good source of information about different
approaches and provided a taster that they can decide whether to pursue. It
has also contributed to a the development of a supportive culture as they have
felt able to ask questions that they wouldn't feel able to in a larger group
and they have appreciated the presents of all phases as this has enabled them
to learn what others are doing that has implications for their pupils and they
have felt supported to venture into new territory.
Courses,
masterclasses etc
Master
Writers
The
feedback from pupils and adults was very good. More have been requested by
both and a small group of teachers are progressing their understanding and
practice as writers and reflective practitioners through an enquiry group
supported by Chris White (Bath Spa University College).
I
will run at least one, more depending on funding, Spring 06.
Master
Mathematicians
The
2 days run by Sarah Savage (primary consultant) with Dr Keith Walton
(University Bath) were very well received by pupils and adults. A pupils Maths day was run by Jill
Manserg (BSUC) with a small group of teachers who took part in last years
Maths day
I
will work with Sarah to provide at least one day in Spring for pupils and
adults with support from Prof. Chris Budd of another mathematician (University
Bath) and support the
establishment of a small enquiry group of educators who are passionate
mathematicians along the lines of the writers group.
Course
for Teachers -Philosophy for Children
The
6th repeat of the Level 1 Sapere course led by Barry Hymer is being offered
and already filling. As requested
I am planning to offer a Level 2 course during the next year.
Master
Scientists
The
'collaborative creative days' are being further explored and putting science
at the centre of the enquiry has been on the agenda for some time.
This
may flow from the work of Penny Hay and Eric Albon on science and art or may
be additional.
The
intention is to run a day but to connect it to supporting a group of educators
with a passion to develop as scientists as well as reflective practitioners. I
am hoping that Felicity Gohanajad will be pivotal to taking forward the
collaborative scientists,and make the link between the collaborative
enquiries, and with APEX Saturdays Workshops and summer school
Enquiries
Creative
Collaborative Enquiry -Writers Group
There
is now an established group of teachers exploring creative writing and
collaborative learning meeting with Chris White and Julia Green at BSUC and
Emma Metcalfe are working on a journal article and may then work on bringing
their understandings together with their pupils in a book. The group will be
asked if they would run a workshop for the Lead Teachers conference organised
by Sue Smith Airey.
Creative
Collaborative Enquiry -
Scientists Group
Work
with Jeremy Franks secondary science consultant, young learners and teachers
and specialist school to develop an opportunity presents for pupils and
teachers to collaborate as research scientists. Link with @Bristol and
scientists from University Bath to support. It may be possible to make a link
through sports science. Link with Penny Hay's work on science and the arts
Creative
Collaborative Enquiry -Mathematicians Group
A
small group of teachers have expressed an interest in taking forward an
enquiry along the lines of the writers group. I will work with either Chris
Budd Prof Applied Maths Univ.
Bath or Tony Miles's (Prof Engineering) postgrad. to support the group to
progress as mathematicians and explore with Chris White (BSUC) support for the
group as reflective practitioners.
Lead
Teachers
The
Lead Teachers group has undertaken some work as part of other work, such as
assessment for learning, but not disseminated. The next step is to share their
developing understandings with others. The Creative writers will be asked to
share their work at the Lead Teachers conference in January 06
NACE
Challenge Award
All
the secondary schools are presently committed to supporting each other through
the Challenge Award. Mike Jones (regional advisor, national strategy) is
supporting and the school improvement team. A number of primary schools have
expressed and interest and the next step is to invite interested schools to
take this forward
P.A.S.S.
This
group has supported the use of PASS.
It is anticipated that there will be a course accredited by BSUC during
next year. The next step for the group is to extend their understanding of the
use of PASS and to share their understanding with others in the authority
Hallmarks
of Quality Learning Opportunities
The
work has begun with museum service providers, @Bristol and others. This will
develop to be used to inform the widening learning web providers and schools
about the key features of Type 1 learning opportunities
Contributes
to CEDES
Continuing engagement with the CEDES project is
unclear at present
APEX
Summer School 2006
The
APEX Summer School will be totally dependent on B&NES funding. The DFES
funding was reduced this year and is being completely devolved to schools.
TASC
and P4C group
The
TASC group supported by Cathy Hamilton (BSUC) intends to continue and all
participants have also been exploring P4C. To combine these seems a natural
progression. The next step for this group is to share more widely their work
and it's interrelationship with their other work such as self assessment for
learning. Link Belle Wallace and BSUC to develop an accredited TASC module.
Action
Research Groups
Jack
Whitehead (University Bath) and Chris White (BSUC) have both offered to
support 16 teachers through accredited modules on action research to develop their practice and understanding
as reflective practitioners.
IT
supporting Collaborative Enquiries Group
Work
with Wendy Wood, young person/s and teacher/s to explore IT supporting
conversations and research
Supportive
Culture
Links,
support with cluster initiatives
e.g.
Bath Learning Network, Primary Networks. I am anticipating supporting where I
can the Keynsham Cluster and others as requested.
Widening
Learning Web
The
WLW is shortly to go live. The APEX Saturday workshops will provide a first
test, then other providers such as museum service, library and @Bristol with a
focus over the next year to engaging schools as providers, users and
supporters of young people.
Contribution
to other forums
e.g. Transition Conference, SENCO Forum, Curriculum Leaders,
I
am keen to maintain links to enable the understanding of APEX to develop more
inclusionally and to contribute to the conversations such as assessment for
learning which have obvious links
National
and regional links
The
SWGATE will be a priority in the short term so that B&NES can benefit from
and contribute to the DFES and NAGTY supported ventures which might influence
national and local policy and practice.
I
am a member of the NACE committee in my own time and will try to get to more
meetings as the links with B&NES has been mutually beneficial.
Action
Research for Inclusion
Chris
White (BSUC) and Jack Whitehead (University Bath) are supporting the
development of a group of 'Riverside' staff interested in AR and developing
practice.
Work
with local Universities Bath University e.g. Bath Taps
I
continue to try to maintain or develop links with both local universities.
The
Learning Centre
I
will continue to work with Penny Hay and Chris White - this is more fully
reported elsewhere
Emotional
Literacy Strategy
I
am working with Maggie Wakely (school improvement), Chris Jones (inclusion)
and whoever I can make contact with beyond Riverside to develop a strategy for
Nigel Harrisson
Promoting
Conversations and voices
In
many respects I see this as a guiding principle to much of the Supportive
Culture work over the next year.
A
small group of Heads are meeting for a 'Pause for Thought', Mike Young has a
'Futures' group, I intend to work with Gareth Jones (Youth and Community) if
possible to enable me to hear and understand the voice of children and young
people better within my work, I wish to work with Lynne Attwood (parent
liaison) to see if some thing can be done which is manageable to hear and
understand the voice of the parent. This could link with Jane Desenquex in
Early Years
I
see the work on PASS, the CA, the collaborative enquiries, 'Think,ing in
Practice', the Action Research Groups as being other expressions of extending
conversations to collaboratively create valued knowledge around the learner
developing informed aspirations and the confidence and competencies to pursue
them to their own and societies benefit.
Role
Models
Publicising
Good Practice and Practitioners - children, young people and adults
Publicise
local role models through Up Up and Away, APEX website and events
Research
Conversation Day
for young and mature researchers
Plan
a day or half day for those involved in enquiry and research can share their
journeys
Overtly
Valuing
Developing
Accreditation
Work
with Jack Whitehead Bath University, Chris White BSUC, B&NES School
Improvement and Inclusion team for adult accreditation, Youth and Community
for young learners accreditation
Developing
Evaluation and Monitoring
Link
with AR groups, PASS and Enquiries, School Improvement and Inclusion team
initiatives
Appendix 3
Philosophy for
Children (P4C)
Dear Colleague
A collaborative
enquiry for educators, children and young people facilitated by Barry Hymer
There is considerable interest in Philosophy for Children and now more than 90 educators have taken part in the Level 1 course with Barry Hymer. I have been asked by a number of people whether they could have an opportunity to take part in a session with children and young people facilitated by Barry to help them build their understanding, confidence and expertise.
Aims
- to
engage learners (young and adult) actively and collaboratively as
'experts' through an enquiry
- to
extend teachers in their understanding of promoting and providing for
high ability learning and applying that knowledge to classroom practice
When – Wednesday 13th June 05
Venue – Centurion Hotel, Midsomer Norton
Participants (maximum 25) - Educators who have completed a Level 1 P4C Sapere course and children and young people who have taken part in a P4C enquiry. All participants should be willing and able to actively benefit from, and contribute to, the enquiry.
Morning session (9.30 – 11.30) for educators and Y4/5 pupils
Afternoon session (1.00 – 3.00) for educators and Y6/7 pupils
Cost – minimum £x per school for one educator and two pupils, £y for each additional participant (irrespective of age).
An application form is attached and places will be allocated on receipt.
I hope you find this new opportunity offers exciting possibilities for your staff and pupils to collaborate as creative learners and I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely
Marie Huxtable
Senior Psychologist Co-ordinating APEX