Transcript A Case Study on Building a Sustainable Eco

A Case Study on Building a
Sustainable Eco-System for Schoolwide Curriculum Innovation
Global Education Conference
12 July 2012
Presenters:
Mrs Cheah Mei Ling, Principal
Miss Britta Seet, ex-HOD/Curriculum Innovation and Development
Mr Yuen Kah Mun, HOD/Humanities
the right choice
Commonwealth
Secondary School
(autonomous since 1995)
Outline
 Background
 Making-A-Difference@Commonwealth Programme
(M.A.D.@CSS)
o Planning
o Implementation
 M.A.D.@CSS Programme Evaluation
 Findings
 Learning Points
Background
 In 2009
 Review of school vision to determine progress
 Articulate desired outcomes of Commonwealth Graduate
 Gaps identified
 Vision: ‘illuminate new frontiers’ not fully addressed
 Innovation culture could be strengthened
 Desired student outcomes:




Creative Problem Solver
Environment Champion
Servant Leader
Driven by Purpose and Passion
 Wanted: A school-wide programme to address the gaps, and
catalyse a culture of innovation and experimentation
Making-A-Difference @Commonwealth
Programme (M.A.D.@CSS)
 Adapted from Future Problem Solving Programme
 Futures-based orientation
 Supports the development of 21st century skills, focusing
on creative and critical thinking, and research skills
M.A.D.@CSS: Planning
Objectives
 To develop students to integrate disciplinary
knowledge adeptly to produce novel solutions that
address future problems, and hence make a
difference to the world community
 Student outcomes:
 Develop Commonwealthians as creative and critical
thinkers and problem-solvers
 Encourage Commonwealthians to contribute back to
the community
M.A.D.@CSS: Planning
Design Principles
 School-based 3-year Problem Solving Curriculum
 Target audience: Sec 1 – 3 Exp / NA /NT
 Design Principles
 Progression
 Skills, Scope
 Relevance and Coherence
 Students see the applicability to daily life and inclined to use it
 Knowing and Doing (Most of the time, if not all)
 Challenging yet Achievable
M.A.D.@CSS: Planning
The Curriculum
 Students are taught 4-step Creative Problem Solving
Process and associated thinking tools
Diagnostic Thinking Affinity Diagram
Fact Finding
Ishikawa Diagram
• Gathering the data
• Defining the problem
Reflective Journaling
Divergent Thinking
Project Reviewing
• Evaluating project outcomes
• Reflecting on learning process
• Identifying gaps for further
development
• Proposing strategies to address gaps
Reflective Thinking
Idea Finding
• Producing ideas
• Developing ideas
Solution Finding
• Evaluating and selecting
solutions
• Developing an action plan
• Implementing an action plan
Convergent Thinking
Brainstorming
SCAMPER, Force-Fitting,
Idea Box
Evaluation Matrix,
ALoU, Hits & Hot Spots
M.A.D.@CSS: Planning
The Curriculum
 Developmental (ASI) approach; rehearsal in different contexts
Level Teaching
Focus
Context
Theme
Inter-Disciplinary
Sec 1
Ability
(Process,
Tools)
Futures Problem
Solving (FPS)
Environment
Environmental Education
English Language
Project Work / Service
Learning
Sec 2
Sensitization Community
Problem Solving
(CMPS)
Enabled
Living
Project Work
Service Learning
Sec 3
Inclination
Governance
Humanities / Social Studies
Global Problem
Solving (GPS)
M.A.D.@CSS: Planning
The A.B.C.D. Eco-System
Identify Champion (s)
Signal Importance
ADVOCACY
Engage Stakeholders
Time
Resources; Funds
Infrastructure
Manpower
BACKING
Partners
DEMONSTRATION
Student Platforms
Formal Training
Teacher Platforms
Support
CAPACITY
M.A.D.@CSS: Implementation
Approach
 Phased rolled-out
Sec 1
Sec 2
Sec 3
2010
2011
2012
CMPS
FPS
FPS
CMPS
CMPS
GPS (1 class)
M.A.D.@CSS: Implementation
Deployment
ADVOCACY
Actions
Identify
Champions
• Creation of post of HOD/Curriculum Innovation and
Development
• Supported by interdisciplinary MAD Committee
Signal
Importance
• Annual theme to focus the school on creativity and innovation
• Setting up MAD Seed Fund by students for students
• Setting up MAD Award to recognise outstanding student teams
Engage
Stakeholders
Communications to staff, students, parents, community
M.A.D.@CSS: Implementation
Deployment
BACKING
Actions
Time
Allocating 1 hour per week for 1 semester for Sec 1 and 2
Funds /
Resources
• Autonomous School Teaching and Learning Fund
• Cluster Innovation Fund
Infrastructure
Set up MAD Lab - flexible setups that facilitate ideation as well as
collaborative and independent group work; leverage on ICT
Manpower
2 form teachers per class for lower sec to teach MAD
Partners
Tapping on community resources and leadership
M.A.D.@CSS: Implementation
Deployment
CAPACITY
Actions
Formal
Training
• Phased approach for FPSP Coach Training:
o Committee Members: Core team
o Teachers: Just in time
• School-based training for all staff
Support
• Modeling by HOD/CID - Group lectures
• Handholding by HOD/CID and Comm Members
o Clarity of Instructions; Briefings to check understanding;
Co-teaching;
• Allocation of 1 hr per week for teacher conferencing
• Development of curricular resources
• Setting up e-portal for easy access to resources
M.A.D.@CSS: Implementation
Deployment
DEMONSTRATION
Actions
Student Platforms
• Student Thinking Festival
• MAD Award Presentation
• Participation in FPSP National Competitions and other
platforms
Teacher Platforms
•
•
•
•
Staff Learning Festival
Inter-school Sharing
Cluster and National Platforms
Leverage on status as Centre of Excellence
M.A.D.@CSS:
Programme Evaluation
 Rapid prototyping  design and re-design on the fly
 Critical review for improvement to design  Stufflebeam’s
‘Context, Input, Process, Product’ (CIPP) Evaluation Model
M.A.D.@CSS: Evaluation
Student Feedback (Lower Sec)
Strengths
 Intuitive process  Structured process
 Greater awareness and appreciation of discussed
issues  action to support and promote cause
 Self-regulated and collaborative learning
M.A.D.@CSS: Evaluation
Student Feedback (Lower Sec)
AFIs
What students say
Improvements made
More time to learn, practise,
discuss…
Institute routines for students, for
e.g. pre-lesson preparatory work
Greater clarity of explanation
Provide more examples to
illustrate the applicability of the
tools
Improve learning environment &
experience
Create bigger pool of teacher
facilitators
Provide physical resource
M.A.D.@CSS: Evaluation
Teacher Feedback (Lower Sec)
Strengths
 Sufficient support (resources + training)
 Greater awareness and appreciation of discussed
issues; acceptance of operating in flexible and
ambiguous situations
 Dedicated vehicle for 21cc critical and inventive
thinking competency
M.A.D.@CSS: Evaluation
Teacher Feedback (Lower Sec)
AFIs
What teachers say
Improvements made
Lack of opportunity for students
to demonstrate attainment of
outcomes
Deliberate open-ended assessment
(Sec 1)
Real-life challenges (Sec 2)
Differentiated T&L
Different forms of products
Different challenge/focus area
M.A.D.@CSS: Evaluation
Student Feedback (Sec 3E)
Pilot – Sec 3I
Typical – Sec 3C
Jan 2012
4.1 (out of 10)
6.1
End May 2012
7.2
6.5
Tools
Force fitting, Hits & Hot spots, Tchart, Spider diagram Brainwriting,
Fishbone
Fishbone, Brainwriting
Applications
(Sensitivity)
CCAs – Solving conflicts, script
writing, planning of camps, leading
juniors, making changes to training
programmes
CCAs – Solving conflicts, identifying
factors, solutions
Tendency to behave
in a certain way
(Inclinations)
Thinking out of the box, different
perspectives, working together as a
group, always do things differently,
creativity
Organising, solving problems, more
aware, more objective
What teachers say
Very open to questioning, different,
active
They are hardworking
M.A.D.@CSS: Evaluation
Teacher Feedback (Sec 3E)
Jan 2012
Interventions (Action)
Beliefs
Ready only to accept
answers presented to them
To build a context for questioning
(teaching wrong things to a class)
Searching for answers in
their textbook
Learning is fun, desire for accuracy
(spotting fallacies in presentation)
Celebrating inclinations,
specific praise (look out for a
thinker, questioner,
maverick)
Positive interdependence and
accountability (cooperative work)
What is worth learning is
worth doing … twice (redo
worksheets)
Role modelling and raising
metacognition (“What if”, “How
about”, “I wonder”)
Creative problem solver
driven by purpose and
passion (I will persist)
Change will be slow but it
must be steady (I will be
patient, and adopt a long
view)
Learning Point
To re-structure is not sufficient to re-culture
Changing formal structures is not the same as changing
norms, habits, skills and beliefs
(Fullan, 1993)
Learning Point
To re-structure is not sufficient to re-culture
A.B.C.D. Ecosystem
Time
ADVOCACY
Identify Champion
Resources
Signal Importance
Funds
Stakeholder Engagement
Infrastructure
SHARED VISIONS
BACKING
Manpower
Partners
Formal Training
DEMONSTRATION
Student Platforms
Support
Teacher Platforms
CAPACITY
COHERENT PRACTISES
COMMITMENT TO CHANGE THE CULTURE OF CLASSROOMS AND SCHOOL
Learning Point
Shared Visions
 Vision must be clear to all stakeholders and actualised
concretely
 2010 in response to ‘illuminate new frontiers’ – we developed
M.A.D.
 M.A.D. catalysed conversations about the vision amongst
stakeholders:
 Evolved vision in 2012 ‘……illuminate new frontiers, and inspire
change for a better world.’
 Coherence
 Definition of Student Leadership = Problem Solvers
 M.A.D. therefore is about building student leadership (Our Mission)
Learning Point
Coherent Practices
 MAD is not just process and tools; it is about mindset and
beliefs, a language for problem solving and innovation
 Do teachers see MAD as a program, or as a new habit to be
learned, applied, internalised?
 Clarity of own values and belief systems about children, education,
learning. Is it aligned with vision?
 Risk, unfamiliarity of new curriculum and demands – decision on
whether and how to engage
 Demands of national curriculum conflict with local curriculum
 What do students experience?
Learning Point
Commitment to change the culture
 Patience, persistence and a long view
 百年樹人
 Teachers and SLs - The demands of the ‘academic press’
 SLs - Challenge in sustaining the change – beliefs,
expertise, effort
Thank You!
We are:
Mrs Cheah Mei Ling, Principal
([email protected])
Miss Britta Seet, Former HOD/Curriculum Innovation and Development ; now VP/Shuqun Sec
([email protected])
Mr Yuen Kah Mun, HOD/Humanities
([email protected])
Miss Kokila Vani, SH/Combined Humanities and Citizenship
([email protected])
References
Drago-Severson, E. (2009). Leading Adult Learning: Supporting Adult
Development in Our Schools. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin
Joseph, P. B. , Mikel, E.R., & Windstchitl, M.A. (2011). Reculturing
Curriculum. In P.B. Joseph (Ed.), Cultures of Curriculum (pp 55 – 77).
New York: Routledge.