21st Century Learning

To continue my thoughts on the Premier's Council on the directions Education needs to take.  It is exciting to think about what transformation for 21st Century Education might look like!  Consider what this document suggested:

• From Learning Information to Learning to Learn
• From Data to Discovery
• From One Size Fits All to Tailored Learning
• From Testing to Assess to Assessing to Learn
• From Classroom Learning to Lifelong Learning Transformation

Think about it!  There is no reason to fear Classroom-learning based PLO's, to cling to "One-Size fits all" workbooks, to bore our children with learning meaningless information rather than learning to learn!

Let’s DO this!!  How exciting!! There is NOTHING stopping us from seeking this kind of transformative education.  As you write your weekly update, look for ways to move in this direction.  If you carefully examine your choices for learning activities, you can make intentional decisions to move from Learning Information to Learning to Learn, from Data to Discovery.  We have the best of all environments in home school to Tailor Learning and Assess to Learn what the student needs next.  What better way is there to equip tomorrow’s Disciples than to teach them to be lifelong faith-engaged learners!

Rethinking Intelligence And How We Learn

I am reading Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns by Clayton Christensen, Curtis W. Johnson and Michael B. Horn on my Spring Break.  Chapter 1 raises the point that in the past we measured intelligence and called it IQ, but research indicates that intelligence is much broader that this, and I am certain our Creator would agree.  

In the early 1980's Howard Gardner posited the idea of many types of intelligences.  If you are not familiar with the concept, please Google "Multiple Intelligences".  I really liked this chart at  which shows how to apply this idea to your child's learning activities.  

Think about the way God created your child... his unique learning style and skills.  Are you using the wonderful freedom you have as a home school parent to recognize and teach to those strengths? Are you designing learning activities which are the most meaningful to him?  What a gift to be able to provide a customized education to your children!  Talk about "disrupting class"... we are miles ahead of those trying to work within the Public Education system! 

Assessment Thoughts

Ah! it's 2nd term Portfolio Time again. And for home school teachers, families and administrators that means The Questions start circulating again. Who are we writing report cards for? What is effective assessment in the unique, individualized setting of home school? What does 85% mean?

Last week, in his podcast, Greg Bitgood commented on the topic from the Ministry document on Change for the 21st Century: Constant Feedback and Assessment: "While the system will be more flexible, there is a need for assessment based standards that will be higher in the future than they are today. Technology can provide new options for assessment and improving learning outcomes. In particular it allows for timely assessment so that students, parents and teachers can be informed during, not after, learning and in ways that allow for correction and celebration."

Let's consider how the technology available to us can "allow for timely assessment"..."so that students, parents and teachers can be informed during, not after, learning and in ways that allow for correction and celebration.If I only assess my home school students every portfolio time, how "timely" and "informed" is that assessment?

How could we make assessment more meaningful, more relevant and more focussed on correction and celebration? How could I be helping you more?

Skype contact is immediate. It is so easy to send a word document, a photo a question by Skype! A student could have immediate teacher feedback and encouragement on a piece of writing, a Math problem, a Science lab write up. A Mum could have a "What do I do with this?" question answered. How informed and meaningful that would be!


Elluminate is interactive. It is so easy to send me a word document and set a time for us to meet on Elluminate. All you need is a headset! Elluminate is a virtual classroom where together student and teacher can look over a story or written report together and edit.

Continuous portfolios. The concept is simple. If, by portfolio time, I already have seen several samples of work and already have assessed that work in a "timely" manner, your portfolio is complete and our visit can focus on celebration, on planning 'where do we go from here?" We would be engaged in "constant feedback".

Why do I need a teacher's assessment anyway?

As I enter report card comments, I often wonder who I am writing them for. You already know what your children have done, learned, improved on, need to work on! On the other hand, assessment is not only about report card marks! Assessment for learning is about recognizing what has been accomplished, what skills or concepts are lacking, what the student's next unit, week, topic needs to look like. If we are discipling the next generation, they need to be equipped to take their place in the academic world, market place, trade school, or Missions organization God has purposed for their lives.  Assessment ought to be missional-minded!