Effective Teaching

In this episode, Dan talks with Kasey Bell from Shake Up Learning about her Dynamic Learning framework that is the foundation of her book "Shake Up Learning: Practical Ideas to Move Learning from Static to Dynamic". This is Part 1 - Beyond the Bell of a 5 part series digesting this framework.Kasey Bell is a former middle school teacher turned award-winning digital learning coach at Shake Up Learning. She is also an international speaker, author of Shake Up Learning: Practical Ideas to Move Learning From Static to Dynamic, blogger at ShakeUpLearning.com, host of The Shake Up Learning Show Podcast, and co-host of The Google Teacher Tribe Podcast. The Dynamic Learning Series with Kasey Bell by Daniel Jackson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.Join the Facebook CommunityThe Dynamic Learning FrameworkThe Dynamic Learning Framework was designed by Kasey Bell to bring together many of the various aspects of 21st century learning. based on the 4 Cs - collaboration, creativity, critical thinking and communication. This framework aims to help teachers look beyond the technology. To stop seeing technology as just as a tool, but to see it as an opportunity to stretch what we do in our classrooms. To move away from the static old school approach to education as a system for conformity, to see education as a dynamic entity that can be used to go above and beyond what used to be possible. To make learning more engaging, meaningful, connected, collaborative and targeted at developing the skills required for lifelong learning.Beyond the BellLearning doe not stop when the bell rings. Digital tools and devices enable students to continue to learn, collaborate, go deeper into their learning and grow their learning skills to move towards lifelong learners. Learning is accessible 24/7 with technology and we need to shift both ours and our student's mindsets to ones that look for learning to happen anytime, anywhere, and students can OWN IT!Going beyond the bell is all about a shift in mindset. This is not about setting more homework for the students, but about changing their attitude towards learning. It is about encouraging students to take ownership of learning, making learning engaging and meaningful, as well as inspiring students to see learning as something they do for them not for the school. A vital aspect of beyond the bell is to set goals for learning with your students, where they know what the target is and how to get there. To help keep students motivated celebrate their success and track their progress through the use of smaller sub-goals.12 ways to Shake Up Learning with KaseySubscribe to the email list and download a FREEBIE!Read the Shake Up Learning Book by Kasey BellParticipate in the Shake Up Learning Book StudyWatch a FREE webinar Take an online course (Google Classroom, Google Slides, and more!)Get Google CertifiedBring Kasey Bell to your school or eventJoin the FREE Shake Up Learning CommunityListen to the Shake Up Learning Show PodcastConnect with Shake Up Learning on socialFollow and use the #ShakeUpLearning hashtagListen to the Google Teacher Tribe Podcast

In this episode, Dan talks with Nat Littler about how she helps encourage lifelong learning in her classroom. In this interview, Nat explains the importance of providing a why for learning given topics and how providing content real-world applications helps motivate and engage her students. Nat also explains the importance of teachers being lifelong learners themselves.The importance of knowing why with Nat Litter by Daniel Jackson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.Join the Facebook CommunityWhat do you do to promote lifelong learning in your classroom?Be a lifelong learner yourselfShare your learning experiences and failures with your students.Try new things in your classroom and be fine with them not workingHow does the provision of meaning and connection promote lifelong learning?It allows you to focus on the why? Why are you teaching this topic etc?Provides real meaning for the students and motivation to learnStudents who are motivated to learn develop better learning skills to transfer beyond the classroomUsing project-based learning, critical inquiry and flipped learning help to increase student active contributions to learning and reflect the real world.Give it a go!Make sure you can answer "why?"Provide this information up-front with your students.Tell your students about a time that you failed at learning something, share with them something you are currently learningIf you are not currently learning something, then find a book and begin to read. Share what you learn with your students.

In this episode, Dan discusses the importance of celebrating student learning success. He describes how to do this well and connects the celebrations with learning goals and sub-goals. Dan also explains how celebrating student learning success helps to create lifelong learners.Celebrating Learning Success by Daniel Jackson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.Join the Facebook CommunityWhatCelebrating success in learning links back to goal setting, creating criteria and exemplars.Celebrate the subgoals and the big winsWhy?Because learning is hard workSetting goals and achieving them is funBut, students need to know when they have achieved the goals and subgoalsCelebrating the success, not only shows students that they were successful but helps them to identify as a successful learnerIt provides further motivation for future learning and a reference point to refer back to when things get hard once again.How?This does not have to be anything bigSimply point out where they have been successfulGive a high-five, a sticker or just congratulate them (publically or not)Refer back to times of success to help motivate them when they are doing it hard it helps to motivate studentsOf course, you can also go bigger:Email or call home to let parents know and let them celebrate with their childReport comments, and gradesCertificates at assembliesGamify your classroom etcJust make sure it is repeatable and fair for everyone who succeedsLifelong LearningAs the students experience success they begin to identify themselves as successful learnersThis provides them with plenty to look back on to help motivate them when they are doing the learning on their ownIt also helps them to identify their own progress in the future which will help them set goals and achieve them in future learningFinally, more success will also increase their confidence and their willingness to try hard things. This in return will help them to develop the skills for learning that they need to become lifelong learnersGive it a go!This week Identify any chance you can to celebrate your student’s learning success.Send an email home to celebrate, Give high fivesGamify your classroomGive out a certificateOr simply get alongside a student and tell them you are proud of the hard work they put in and the achievements they have madeAnother great thing to do is to identify past successes and remind them of those times. The hard work they put in and the learning they achieved. Especially if they need some motivation. 

In this episode, Dan Jackson discusses why he sees reading as the number 1 skills needed for lifelong learning. He discusses how you can use NAPLAN results to come to know your students and find teaching strategies that will help them develop their reading.Reading for Lifelong Learning by Daniel Jackson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.Join the Facebook CommunityReading the most important skill for lifelong learningCurrently I am homeschooling my son who has just started school. One of the focuses for me over the coming years is to teach him how to read well.He has already shown an interest in Learning and particularly enjoys using the App “Reading Eggs", but of course I cannot leave this learning to him doing lessons on an app. From a young age my wife and I have read to my son… actually, I read to him while my wife was still pregnant. And he still loves having books read to him. But of course I want to shift his skills so that he can read on his own. And as I focus on this and think about the importance of this skill, I have realised just how important a skill it is for his future.Once he can read, he can then learn anything he likes.With the internet providing so much content these days and the increased accessibility to academic works, he can literally learn about anything on his own once he can read.The same is true for our students. Being able to read is so key to their success as lifelong learners that we do a massive disservice when we don't have this as a focus in every subject and each activity we do.Previous workshopI used to run a literacy workshop for teachers which really began with knowing your studentsI remember getting massively frustrated when I first began to learn more about literacy because I was finally exposed to the insights we can get into our studebts from NAPLAN resultsNow our culture and society and many schools, especially principals have given NAPLAN a bad wrap using it as a way to compare one school against another.I remember constantly being told that our school was ranked higher than surrounding schools, so we were doing well, but that was as much as we were told.However, reality is that the results from NAPLAN provide you with fantastic insights into the strengths and weaknesses of the students in your class.If you, like many teachers have not seen your students results from NAPLAN, I encourage you to ask your executive for access and for some training on how to navigate and interpret results. I know they used to, and hopefully still do, provide graphs that show the growth of each individual student which is real data you can use to see if students skills are improvingClass profileOne of the key steps in the workshop I used to run was to use the results from NAPLAN to create class profiles. All we did was enter each students overall result for Reading, Writing, Spelling, Grammar and Numeracy.We then colour codes the results, red for students who scored lower than 50% and green for over 85% this then provided a quick snap shot of what the students know and don't knowFrom here, if I had a student who any red I would create an individual profile for them breaking the skills down further.Finally, I would find teaching strategies that matched the weaknesses. Amazingly, NAPLAN provide these as well. Give it a go!Get access to your NAPLAN resultsCreate a profile, identify an area for at least 1 student, but obviously the more you can help at once the better Then find the strategy you can use to help your student to develop their reading ability.Teaching Resources from NAPLAN

In this episode, Dan discusses the book "So Good They Can't Ignore You" by Cal Newport and applies some of its main points to teaching. He examines what deliberate practice is and how it could be the key to revolutionise your approach to teaching and learning. He terms this Deliberate Teaching.Deliberate Teaching, become so good they can't ignore you by Daniel Jackson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.Join the Facebook CommunitySo Good they can't ignore youAt the heart of the book is the message that to follow your passion is bad advice instead you should develop yourself as a craftsman. Become so good at your work that it becomes your passion.Become a craftsmanMaster rare and valuable skills to develop career capital. To do this you need to use deliberate practice.Erikson stated that expert performance is not based on talent but on practice. Cal further identifies that it is not JUST hours of practice, but hours of deliberate practiceDeliberate PracticeStretch yourself just beyond where you are comfortable with the goal to improve your skills or knowledge in this area. This applies to everything from Math to Creative arts. Deliberate practice requiresKnowledge of the “chunks” or criteria for improved performancePractice that stretches you in one of those chunks identified to improve but that is not so far it seems unattainableFeedback in relation to whether you are getting closer to this goal Key to this is the deliberate practice of a skill at a higher level in order to master the skill.WhyI think it applies to our teaching and student learningStudents need to be able to practice skills in relation to goals and criteria and receive feedback frequently in relation to these to really master a skillAs a teacher, shouldn’t we be applying such insights into our teaching practiceIn order for us to improve as teachers, we need to know what expert teaching looks like, understand the criteria we can use to describe and explain it. We should then be developing at least one of these all the time, by extending ourselves in this area and getting feedback with relation to the goals.Deliberate TeachingChose a specific area of expert teaching and identify ways to improve this. EgIf you struggle to use Tech in your classroom, find an expert in this area and get some advice on what you can do to begin to stretch yourself. Stretch yourself in this area, which does not just mean put it in practice. First, you need to learn about it. Maybe do a course, like the online courses at TeachersPD.net or read a book in this area. Then try it… but not on your ownIt’s time to open our doors!!Get feedback from people you know are good in the area you are looking to improveIf you need to record your lesson and share it with others for feedback. I am actually looking to set this system up in TeachersPD over the coming weeks where teachers will record and share and provide each other with feedback that is specific to the area we are looking to improve.The more feedback you can get the better. And keep repeating the process until you have improved this area and then move to another criterion and Repeat!!Lifelong learningThis will model lifelong learning for the studentsYou will begin to provide better teaching because you are constantly looking to improve your practice and this will naturally help students to learn the skills required for lifelong learning and possibly the motivationYou can apply deliberate practice to your student’s learning as well, helping them to master what they are doing, because as Cal Newport identifies throughout this book, it is through mastering a skill or an area of knowledge, becoming an expert… that is what creates passion and leads to satisfaction in life.Give it a go!Find an expertLearn about the area you want to improveTry it and get feedback and repeat until you master i..