Reports from five schools: innovation in Los Angeles, Sydney and Auckland

Visit to schools February and March 2013

Los Angeles, Sydney and Auckland

http://theindependenteducator.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-third-teacher-and-third-room-visit.html

Sydney SCIL center for innovative learning

Recommended blog:  http://anneknock.com/tag/scil-vision-tour/  by Anne Knock

scil blog by stephen harris  http://imaginelearning.tumblr.com/

Key point:  The Third Teacher is the wall.  What goes on your classroom walls?  How often do the posters change?

Auckland  Stonefields School   elementary school

http://theindependenteducator.blogspot.com/2013/03/more-subscriptions-for-thie-youtube.html

http://theindependenteducator.blogspot.com/2013/03/worth-click-stonefields-open-learning.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEBptQX2-c8&list=UU-5KRUHaVhO9a9F0_9fmywA&index=7

THE PIT:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RC1rNb6eLbg&list=UU-5KRUHaVhO9a9F0_9fmywA&index=8

Blog by Chris Bradbeer  http://openlearningspaces.blogspot.com/   interesting observations about how to design a learning space for students

http://openlearningspaces.blogspot.com/2013/03/open-learning-spacesand-smaller-spaces.html

Bradbeer is an assistant principal at Stonefields School.

Key point:  The students talk about "breakthrough" and the importance of being confused and "in the pit."

Albany (north of Auckland)  high school

Talk with a teacher  Lloyd Gutteride, author of a textbook about creativity and entrepreneuring.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SG_73xbzbAY

Interview with the principal  Barbara Cavanaugh    "Conversations that matter"   (focus on what moves the learning ahead)

YOUTUBE   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awvwqcM_mbc   Look for the six key posters on the walls of the teacher's room (which is the principal's office, meeting room and general work space for administrators.  One big room, no closed 4-wall offices.

Recommended books include World Café and Oldenberg's Third Space (1989).

Interview with a student who gave a book review   http://www.youtube.com/edit?video_id=driU5vtSrWk&feature=vm-privacy&ns=1

Key Point:  The "20% free time" day (Wednesday) is for the "impact project" that each student works on while at the school.

Visit to a school in Sydney St. Andrew's Cathedral School

Youtube  http://www.youtube.com/user/StAndrewsOfficial/videos  the official channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3JfxQZl2SQ  interview with Grace stone starts on page 0:51

I was introduced to Grace Stone by Robin Mycock, a resident of Sydney.  Grace gave me a tour of the school, which includes the rooftop play area.    See the website http://www.sacs.nsw.edu.au/

The school is pushed together in a five story office building in the downtown area.  Brilliant idea:  immersed in the work environment. 

"People are willing to be supportive," says one of the teens in the video at 2:45 

Visit with Dr. Clark about two key issues in education, University of Southern California

http://theindependenteducator.blogspot.com/2013/03/richard-e-clark-discusses-two-key.html

Posters with Dr. Clark  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyCUcnA-Es8

Posters (discussion) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrWOLzRkS_8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FAlTyBAjhIideo video about important issues in education

Look for posters to shift the culture of the classroom. 

Interview with Gordon Dryden, author of www.TheLearningWeb.net 

How to write a book in 8 weeks  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHAdgTNPllQ&list=UU-5KRUHaVhO9a9F0_9fmywA&index=4

How to create an effective and popular talk radio show  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXT4ltI3hjY&list=UU-5KRUHaVhO9a9F0_9fmywA&index=5

Interview with Dennis Yuzenas, instructor in Florida

Teacher Training with Gordon Dryden's Book http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bnMkrSaXS8&list=UU-5KRUHaVhO9a9F0_9fmywA&index=19

TWO BOOKS:  Science of Learning and Art of Teaching by Jerome Feldman "A teacher's nuts and bolts, like a car manual, you need it, you can look things up."  -- Dennis Yuzenas recommends these two books

Littky's book THE BIG PICTURE was used in training teachers at a school in West Palm Beach (but the effort was later abandoned).

Advisories section (pages 61-66)  in Dennis Littky's book was used to train teachers about advisories. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VEI7cMhZPI&list=UU-5KRUHaVhO9a9F0_9fmywA&index=18

Visit to a school in Los Angeles, Highland Park High School

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2Zvk67t0JM  a class where students in groups look for youtube videos that would tie to the chapters to develop a library, page by page, chapter by chapter.

a proposal.

See also the link to a poster created by students at Highland Park.

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Worth a visit:  the aquarium in Auckland

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PYE7eeb2yg

music by ModernMelodies@gmail.com    the half-tube of clear plastic puts the ocean around the visitor, who is conveyed on a belt like a suitcase at the airport.  The 2 minute video edits out the supporting ribs to give the illusion of drifting underwater.

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Also recommended… a walking tour of Obispo Street in Havana Vieja

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNp6S0n38f0  nice quotes in front of a bookstore at 0:45 in the video