{"id":5195,"date":"2018-12-07T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-12-07T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/aurora-institute.org\/blog\/cw_post\/insights-from-aotearoa-new-zealand-defining-lifelong-learning\/"},"modified":"2020-02-05T13:06:55","modified_gmt":"2020-02-05T18:06:55","slug":"insights-from-aotearoa-new-zealand-defining-lifelong-learning","status":"publish","type":"cw_post","link":"https:\/\/aurora-institute.org\/cw_post\/insights-from-aotearoa-new-zealand-defining-lifelong-learning\/","title":{"rendered":"Insights from Aotearoa New Zealand: Defining Lifelong Learning"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Click Image to Enlarge<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This is the ninth article in the series\u00a0Baskets of Knowledge from Aotearoa New Zealand<\/strong>, which\u00a0highlights insights from a totally different education system about what is possible in transforming our education system. Read the first article\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Day by day, I am developing a deeper understanding about the <\/span>Building Blocks for Learning<\/span><\/a> (a 16-part comprehensive framework that includes everything from self-regulation to self-direction), their relationship to modern pedagogy based on research on learning, and the ultimate goal of ensuring students are powerful lifelong learners. The Building Blocks also have implications for school design, teaching, and how learning experiences (i.e., curriculum) are designed. <\/span><\/p>\n

The thing that I find myself worrying about is how do we hold ourselves accountable within schools to ensure that students are really developing all sixteen mindsets and skills? I can\u2019t believe that more state level exams are the way to go. We need to figure out a better way that is grounded in schools and districts with the focus on feedback for learning — for students, educators, and organizations — that then shares a set of core data to state or regional level to provide an understanding of variation within a region. We need systems of assessing learning that are always aligned with what\u2019s best for kids<\/em><\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, we know feedback is an important step in learning. That\u2019s why it\u2019s vital that schools periodically gather data that can help the school reflect as an organization and teachers reflect as professionals on how they can better develop the Building Blocks and identify possible areas of inequitable growth in each of the sixteen areas. <\/span><\/p>\n

I am sure there are experts who have ideas or are working on solutions to this problem.The <\/span>Core Districts<\/span><\/a> in California are making headway in thinking through metrics. <\/span>CASEL<\/span><\/a> and the <\/span>Collaborating States Initiative<\/span><\/a> are certainly advancing part of this agenda. If I could, I would love to do an inquiry on how leading schools are thinking about monitoring the development of Building Blocks of Learning or even just some of the specific elements such as growth mindset, agency, or self-regulation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Getting Started<\/b><\/p>\n

While experts and leading districts sort through the land of metrics and systems of generating feedback (assessing), there is equally important work to be done by every school on the path to modernizing their schools. We need to build shared understanding in the schools that are on the way to competency-based education. We need to develop much deeper understanding within schools about the Building Blocks, the research behind them<\/a>, the pedagogical approaches and learning opportunities that will support their development, and how to intervene when students haven\u2019t developed a strong foundation by the time they are in later elementary grades and beyond. Finally, we need to be able to communicate effectively with students, parents, and community\/employer partners what we mean by lifelong learning. <\/span><\/p>\n

In writing a piece about the New Zealand education system, I revisited the document <\/span>School Evaluation Indicators<\/span><\/a> from the <\/span>Education Review Office<\/span><\/a>, the organization charged with quality assurance of schools<\/a>, that outlined Outcome Indicators for four aspects of being <\/span>a confident, connected, actively involved, lifelong learner<\/span><\/i>. The Outcome Indicators are starting points for school for internal review rather than external indicators used to assess schools. I\u2019m sharing it here as I think it might be helpful to schools as they try to move beyond the rhetoric of college and career ready. Although these could be helpful in constructing a system of assessing how students are developing as lifelong learners, I saw the immediate value in helping to make the concepts that are embraced within the new definitions of student success more concrete. How is your district and school describing the outcomes you want for students in terms of Building Blocks for Learning and\/or lifelong learning? What is similar or different compared to this list?<\/span><\/p>\n

Outcome Indicators<\/span><\/h2>\n

1. Every student is confident in their identity, language and culture as citizens of Aotearoa New Zealand<\/span><\/h3>\n

Students:<\/span><\/p>\n