Teaching and Learning Forum No 7: Reflecting on, Interpreting and Sharing TRIAD Learning

Provocation When did you last open yourself up to the possibility of “failure” by trying a new teaching strategy or by making a change in your practice? What did you do? How did you feel? What did you learn?

Discussion http://www.online-stopwatch.com/countdown/

Why Failure Promotes Learning. Why Failure is Key Why Failure Promotes Learning. Derek Sivers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhxcFGuKOys&t=20

Failure, Learning and Implications for Practice What are the implications for us as teachers – especially as we engage in TRIADS and our own ongoing learning and growth? is Important What are the implications for our students and the nature of the learning experiences we provide for them? How do we, as a staff, assist students to respond to “failure” constructively – to asssist them to understand and interpret “failure” as an opportunity to learn and grow?

TRIAD CHALLENGES for TEACHERS One of the ways in which “TRIADS” can fail us, is if teachers engaged in the process feel the need to prove their expertise to colleagues by choosing to do what is comfortable or what they have always done, rather than open themselves to “failure” by trying something new or different. By trying something new and having the opportunity to receive constructive feedback from colleagues on how a new strategy worked (or did not) to improve the learning of students, and then discussing with your colleagues how you can further refine your approach, we open ourselves up to much more powerful learning opportunities. This requires staff to embrace their vulnerability and, potentially, risk failure in the service of powerful learning. Without this shift in mindset, we will be unlikely to embrace change and move forward in ways that will make a real difference to our impact on student learning .

A Catalyst for Learning and Growth “Failure” A Catalyst for Learning and Growth The Challenge How can we ensure that the action learning and observations we engage in with our colleagues are genuinely about trying out new/different teaching and learning strategies and receiving feedback that can help as to improve our practice and the learning of our students? As we saw at the last T and L forum, Emma Forte opened herself up to this challenge in her TRIAD action learning investigation: http://learn.stleonards.vic.edu.au/tpl/wp-admin/post.php?post=2769&action=edit

Completing Your Action Learning TRIAD observations and feedback (direct observations or film footage of student learning in action) Research –based strategies, actions and practices Evidence of student learning and growth Identification of key sources Interpretation and “Big Ideas” about learning