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Slide Notes
Clouds.
Have you been disheartened by growing reports of shallow thinking; superficial investigation; long text fatigue; short attention spans; preoccupation with individual fame; waning interest in collective and community life? What is the source of this alleged modern malaise?
These conditions are often linked to the digital age--and in education, to students. Too much screen time--not enough face time (not FaceTime). Too much game time, not enough play time--outside. Too many headlines and sound bites -- not enough documentaries, investigation, ... critical reflection.
Sunrays
Connectedness, collaboration, diversity, democratized knowledge, publishing, voice ... digitality. Digitality has created wonderful learning opportunities as well as a fair share of unintended consequences. We are awash in information. George Dyson in the book, "Is the Internet Changing the Way You Think?" (http://www.amazon.ca/The-Internet-Changing-Way-Think/dp/0062020447) compares information to wood when he says, we were once metaphoric Aleut "kayak builders" trying to gather enough scraps of wood together on the tundra to build a kayak. Now we are west coast Tlingit "dugout builders" with wood to throw away. David Weinberger points out how we can access whatever level or kind of information we wish and hang out with people that share our viewpoints. Is this good? Are we becoming more or less diverse in this information society? Learn more http://tvo.org/video/182213/david-weinbergerknowledge-end-information-age
What students need, and arguably all citizens is a deepened experience with knowing ... understanding. A view from above the trees--where the landscape of life can be seen for all it's connectedness, interdependencies, and relationships.
Haven't we always been interested in deep learning? Learning for understanding? Learning with hands on? We have... but if we knew "it" for the test, many entities were satisfied. Now we have to move pass simply acquiring information which is easy to access, toward curating and evaluating information--a much harder task.
The Horizon
The author has had thirty years to observe, participate and reflect on these changes to education (or is it to learning?). No matter what our grievances, these changes in information economy, facilitated by new technologies have in fact made it possible to imagine a post-industrial, post-factory model of education. Our students are motivated to learn a different way. Our students could be motivated to take charge.
But still education is experiencing considerable growing pains--and withdrawal symptoms from a "information delivery style". Digital tools have in some/many incidents been used for old style delivery pedagogy instead of more critical uses. This is transition time to a place where technology takes a backseat, loses the mystic and clever pedagogy takes over; we know poor teaching and shallow learning using technology is still poor teaching and shallow learning. We have to make the tools subservient to the needs of people--to have freedom, autonomy, curiosity, self-efficacy, purpose, fulfillment, ... understanding.
These changes are "pandoric" in nature. The task of preparing students for a future we may have little experience with ourselves is daunting. But let's remember we are a profession that knows how to know and find out things. We are up for the challenge--not merely to survive but thrive. We are ready to hear how to begin acts of subtraction rather than addition to shift teachers' work load towards greater wellness and centering.
This deck will attempt to provide a very brief overview of these changing conditions and opportunities--to poke and prod your thinking, take stock of your assets, and maximize your courage.
This deck will consider:
*critical thinking
*personal growth-oriented learning
*inquiry as a state of mind
*production and publishing of deep knowledge
*assessment processes
*the know-act transfer of knowledge
Have you been disheartened by growing reports of shallow thinking; superficial investigation; long text fatigue; short attention spans; preoccupation with individual fame; waning interest in collective and community life? What is the source of this alleged modern malaise?
These conditions are often linked to the digital age--and in education, to students. Too much screen time--not enough face time (not FaceTime). Too much game time, not enough play time--outside. Too many headlines and sound bites -- not enough documentaries, investigation, ... critical reflection.
Sunrays
Connectedness, collaboration, diversity, democratized knowledge, publishing, voice ... digitality. Digitality has created wonderful learning opportunities as well as a fair share of unintended consequences. We are awash in information. George Dyson in the book, "Is the Internet Changing the Way You Think?" (http://www.amazon.ca/The-Internet-Changing-Way-Think/dp/0062020447) compares information to wood when he says, we were once metaphoric Aleut "kayak builders" trying to gather enough scraps of wood together on the tundra to build a kayak. Now we are west coast Tlingit "dugout builders" with wood to throw away. David Weinberger points out how we can access whatever level or kind of information we wish and hang out with people that share our viewpoints. Is this good? Are we becoming more or less diverse in this information society? Learn more http://tvo.org/video/182213/david-weinbergerknowledge-end-information-age
What students need, and arguably all citizens is a deepened experience with knowing ... understanding. A view from above the trees--where the landscape of life can be seen for all it's connectedness, interdependencies, and relationships.
Haven't we always been interested in deep learning? Learning for understanding? Learning with hands on? We have... but if we knew "it" for the test, many entities were satisfied. Now we have to move pass simply acquiring information which is easy to access, toward curating and evaluating information--a much harder task.
The Horizon
The author has had thirty years to observe, participate and reflect on these changes to education (or is it to learning?). No matter what our grievances, these changes in information economy, facilitated by new technologies have in fact made it possible to imagine a post-industrial, post-factory model of education. Our students are motivated to learn a different way. Our students could be motivated to take charge.
But still education is experiencing considerable growing pains--and withdrawal symptoms from a "information delivery style". Digital tools have in some/many incidents been used for old style delivery pedagogy instead of more critical uses. This is transition time to a place where technology takes a backseat, loses the mystic and clever pedagogy takes over; we know poor teaching and shallow learning using technology is still poor teaching and shallow learning. We have to make the tools subservient to the needs of people--to have freedom, autonomy, curiosity, self-efficacy, purpose, fulfillment, ... understanding.
These changes are "pandoric" in nature. The task of preparing students for a future we may have little experience with ourselves is daunting. But let's remember we are a profession that knows how to know and find out things. We are up for the challenge--not merely to survive but thrive. We are ready to hear how to begin acts of subtraction rather than addition to shift teachers' work load towards greater wellness and centering.
This deck will attempt to provide a very brief overview of these changing conditions and opportunities--to poke and prod your thinking, take stock of your assets, and maximize your courage.
This deck will consider:
*critical thinking
*personal growth-oriented learning
*inquiry as a state of mind
*production and publishing of deep knowledge
*assessment processes
*the know-act transfer of knowledge
DEEP LEARNING IN EDUCATION
Published on Nov 18, 2015
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MORE DECKS TO EXPLORE
PRESENTATION OUTLINE
DEEP LEARNING
Clouds.
Have you been disheartened by growing reports of shallow thinking; superficial investigation; long text fatigue; short attention spans; preoccupation with individual fame; waning interest in collective and community life? What is the source of this alleged modern malaise?
These conditions are often linked to the digital age--and in education, to students. Too much screen time--not enough face time (not FaceTime). Too much game time, not enough play time--outside. Too many headlines and sound bites -- not enough documentaries, investigation, ... critical reflection.
Sunrays
Connectedness, collaboration, diversity, democratized knowledge, publishing, voice ... digitality. Digitality has created wonderful learning opportunities as well as a fair share of unintended consequences. We are awash in information. George Dyson in the book, "Is the Internet Changing the Way You Think?" (http://www.amazon.ca/The-Internet-Changing-Way-Think/dp/0062020447) compares information to wood when he says, we were once metaphoric Aleut "kayak builders" trying to gather enough scraps of wood together on the tundra to build a kayak. Now we are west coast Tlingit "dugout builders" with wood to throw away. David Weinberger points out how we can access whatever level or kind of information we wish and hang out with people that share our viewpoints. Is this good? Are we becoming more or less diverse in this information society? Learn more http://tvo.org/video/182213/david-weinbergerknowledge-end-information-age
What students need, and arguably all citizens is a deepened experience with knowing ... understanding. A view from above the trees--where the landscape of life can be seen for all it's connectedness, interdependencies, and relationships.
Haven't we always been interested in deep learning? Learning for understanding? Learning with hands on? We have... but if we knew "it" for the test, many entities were satisfied. Now we have to move pass simply acquiring information which is easy to access, toward curating and evaluating information--a much harder task.
The Horizon
The author has had thirty years to observe, participate and reflect on these changes to education (or is it to learning?). No matter what our grievances, these changes in information economy, facilitated by new technologies have in fact made it possible to imagine a post-industrial, post-factory model of education. Our students are motivated to learn a different way. Our students could be motivated to take charge.
But still education is experiencing considerable growing pains--and withdrawal symptoms from a "information delivery style". Digital tools have in some/many incidents been used for old style delivery pedagogy instead of more critical uses. This is transition time to a place where technology takes a backseat, loses the mystic and clever pedagogy takes over; we know poor teaching and shallow learning using technology is still poor teaching and shallow learning. We have to make the tools subservient to the needs of people--to have freedom, autonomy, curiosity, self-efficacy, purpose, fulfillment, ... understanding.
These changes are "pandoric" in nature. The task of preparing students for a future we may have little experience with ourselves is daunting. But let's remember we are a profession that knows how to know and find out things. We are up for the challenge--not merely to survive but thrive. We are ready to hear how to begin acts of subtraction rather than addition to shift teachers' work load towards greater wellness and centering.
This deck will attempt to provide a very brief overview of these changing conditions and opportunities--to poke and prod your thinking, take stock of your assets, and maximize your courage.
This deck will consider:
*critical thinking
*personal growth-oriented learning
*inquiry as a state of mind
*production and publishing of deep knowledge
*assessment processes
*the know-act transfer of knowledge
Have you been disheartened by growing reports of shallow thinking; superficial investigation; long text fatigue; short attention spans; preoccupation with individual fame; waning interest in collective and community life? What is the source of this alleged modern malaise?
These conditions are often linked to the digital age--and in education, to students. Too much screen time--not enough face time (not FaceTime). Too much game time, not enough play time--outside. Too many headlines and sound bites -- not enough documentaries, investigation, ... critical reflection.
Sunrays
Connectedness, collaboration, diversity, democratized knowledge, publishing, voice ... digitality. Digitality has created wonderful learning opportunities as well as a fair share of unintended consequences. We are awash in information. George Dyson in the book, "Is the Internet Changing the Way You Think?" (http://www.amazon.ca/The-Internet-Changing-Way-Think/dp/0062020447) compares information to wood when he says, we were once metaphoric Aleut "kayak builders" trying to gather enough scraps of wood together on the tundra to build a kayak. Now we are west coast Tlingit "dugout builders" with wood to throw away. David Weinberger points out how we can access whatever level or kind of information we wish and hang out with people that share our viewpoints. Is this good? Are we becoming more or less diverse in this information society? Learn more http://tvo.org/video/182213/david-weinbergerknowledge-end-information-age
What students need, and arguably all citizens is a deepened experience with knowing ... understanding. A view from above the trees--where the landscape of life can be seen for all it's connectedness, interdependencies, and relationships.
Haven't we always been interested in deep learning? Learning for understanding? Learning with hands on? We have... but if we knew "it" for the test, many entities were satisfied. Now we have to move pass simply acquiring information which is easy to access, toward curating and evaluating information--a much harder task.
The Horizon
The author has had thirty years to observe, participate and reflect on these changes to education (or is it to learning?). No matter what our grievances, these changes in information economy, facilitated by new technologies have in fact made it possible to imagine a post-industrial, post-factory model of education. Our students are motivated to learn a different way. Our students could be motivated to take charge.
But still education is experiencing considerable growing pains--and withdrawal symptoms from a "information delivery style". Digital tools have in some/many incidents been used for old style delivery pedagogy instead of more critical uses. This is transition time to a place where technology takes a backseat, loses the mystic and clever pedagogy takes over; we know poor teaching and shallow learning using technology is still poor teaching and shallow learning. We have to make the tools subservient to the needs of people--to have freedom, autonomy, curiosity, self-efficacy, purpose, fulfillment, ... understanding.
These changes are "pandoric" in nature. The task of preparing students for a future we may have little experience with ourselves is daunting. But let's remember we are a profession that knows how to know and find out things. We are up for the challenge--not merely to survive but thrive. We are ready to hear how to begin acts of subtraction rather than addition to shift teachers' work load towards greater wellness and centering.
This deck will attempt to provide a very brief overview of these changing conditions and opportunities--to poke and prod your thinking, take stock of your assets, and maximize your courage.
This deck will consider:
*critical thinking
*personal growth-oriented learning
*inquiry as a state of mind
*production and publishing of deep knowledge
*assessment processes
*the know-act transfer of knowledge
Photo by Philippe Put
CRITICAL THINKING
CONTINUUM: FROM PERSONAL PREFERENCES TO CRITICAL AWARENESS & REASONED JUDGMENTS
Critical Thinking
The Issue:
There isn't any short-cut to thinking critically. Without it, the reasoning goes like this: "the Calgary Flames are the best hockey team because I like them." This is personal preference. Or, because a whole bunch of community people favor wind energy as an alternative to fossil fuels, you favor it. Critical thinking requires a greater commitment than settling on your or other's personal preferences. Learn more about critical thinking http://tc2.ca.
Teachers and students are being called upon in the digital age of democratized knowledge to move well past personal preferences and hearsay. Even when you think you are being "digital" exploring the top 10 Google hits, we still must be on guard for too readily accepting other's positions or an algorithm's search engine optimization results SEO). Learn more about SEO http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Search_engine_optimization
Educators must demonstrate how to seek out competing perspectives-- and not just polarized ones. The world is rarely black and white -- an especially important message for teens who may have an overly-developed sense of justice. More than ever, our students need us to demonstrate the logic in "to what extent, is..."; "how might this affect ...", "for what purpose is ....?"; "_____ is an an intractable problem because...".
The Aim:
We can help them get there when we help them co-develop criteria to make reasoned judgments. Rather than asking what kind of muddy boot rule should be made to keep the school hallways clean during messy Spring weather, ask what are the rules for a rule (eg. It must be fair; has to apply to everyone; has to be easy to remember; etc.). Rather than ask, what they would like as an alternative energy source for their region, ask them what requirements should be made of any energy source generally--and specially for their region (eg. can be made affordable eventually without too much pain at the beginning; has to be accessible in their region; has to be scalable for a growing population, etc.). Then when the rules or options come in, they are judged according to the collectively generated criteria--with not as many feelings hurt. This critical approach is flexible enough to go back and change criteria when a new option opens new ways of thinking.
By determining the "rules", "qualities", or "criteria" for decision-making, separating the useful options from the useless, relevant from irrelevant, viable from the unviable, students will be able to make collective, coherent, reasonable judgments based on criteria.
The Possibilities:
While David Weinberger all too thoughtfully (and facetious) quips that we don't ever change our minds about anything big, we know that when we do, it takes us past mere personal preferences--to a place where competing perspectives wage logic. Learn more http://tvo.org/video/182213/david-weinbergerknowledge-end-information-age. You might go into an inquiry with wind energy on your mind but after critical exposure to a range of competing voices, you might come out as a solar energy believer. Weinberger points out the truth is not so much with one information source such as an effective blogger, but in the plethora of responses to that blogger who poke, prod, wonder, and report about those ideas. Together we are smarter.
Not expressing a personal idea for fear of rejection is normal for fledging identities; teachers need to be mindful of that when the class goes quiet during a brainstorming session. Criterion-based thinking de-mystifies "having ideas" and can help democratize authority in collaborative settings. Every idea receives scrutiny according to the criteria--not from the loudest voice.
The Issue:
There isn't any short-cut to thinking critically. Without it, the reasoning goes like this: "the Calgary Flames are the best hockey team because I like them." This is personal preference. Or, because a whole bunch of community people favor wind energy as an alternative to fossil fuels, you favor it. Critical thinking requires a greater commitment than settling on your or other's personal preferences. Learn more about critical thinking http://tc2.ca.
Teachers and students are being called upon in the digital age of democratized knowledge to move well past personal preferences and hearsay. Even when you think you are being "digital" exploring the top 10 Google hits, we still must be on guard for too readily accepting other's positions or an algorithm's search engine optimization results SEO). Learn more about SEO http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Search_engine_optimization
Educators must demonstrate how to seek out competing perspectives-- and not just polarized ones. The world is rarely black and white -- an especially important message for teens who may have an overly-developed sense of justice. More than ever, our students need us to demonstrate the logic in "to what extent, is..."; "how might this affect ...", "for what purpose is ....?"; "_____ is an an intractable problem because...".
The Aim:
We can help them get there when we help them co-develop criteria to make reasoned judgments. Rather than asking what kind of muddy boot rule should be made to keep the school hallways clean during messy Spring weather, ask what are the rules for a rule (eg. It must be fair; has to apply to everyone; has to be easy to remember; etc.). Rather than ask, what they would like as an alternative energy source for their region, ask them what requirements should be made of any energy source generally--and specially for their region (eg. can be made affordable eventually without too much pain at the beginning; has to be accessible in their region; has to be scalable for a growing population, etc.). Then when the rules or options come in, they are judged according to the collectively generated criteria--with not as many feelings hurt. This critical approach is flexible enough to go back and change criteria when a new option opens new ways of thinking.
By determining the "rules", "qualities", or "criteria" for decision-making, separating the useful options from the useless, relevant from irrelevant, viable from the unviable, students will be able to make collective, coherent, reasonable judgments based on criteria.
The Possibilities:
While David Weinberger all too thoughtfully (and facetious) quips that we don't ever change our minds about anything big, we know that when we do, it takes us past mere personal preferences--to a place where competing perspectives wage logic. Learn more http://tvo.org/video/182213/david-weinbergerknowledge-end-information-age. You might go into an inquiry with wind energy on your mind but after critical exposure to a range of competing voices, you might come out as a solar energy believer. Weinberger points out the truth is not so much with one information source such as an effective blogger, but in the plethora of responses to that blogger who poke, prod, wonder, and report about those ideas. Together we are smarter.
Not expressing a personal idea for fear of rejection is normal for fledging identities; teachers need to be mindful of that when the class goes quiet during a brainstorming session. Criterion-based thinking de-mystifies "having ideas" and can help democratize authority in collaborative settings. Every idea receives scrutiny according to the criteria--not from the loudest voice.
Photo by Davide Restivo
GROWTH-ORIENTED LEARNING
WHEN PERSONAL INTERESTS & STRENGTHS ARE SOUGHT OUT, NOTICED & NURTURED AT ACADEMIC LEVELS
Growth-oriented Learning
The Issue:
Story 1. When the class was studying Shakespeare, the student just wanted to draw. The student's strength was drawing. The final exam required writing. Instead of writing, the teacher asked the student to draw a critical interpretation of a character in the play. Was this accommodation? Was this differentiation? Was this universal learning? The teacher grew a student strength in an academic arena and let it stand on the summative stage.
Story 2. The boy was handing homework in irregularly. The teacher's impatience was growing. The missing work was preoccupying the teacher's recognition of the boy's strengths. Of course this topic came up quite quickly at the next parent-teacher meeting. When the teacher asked, "How can I teach your son in a better way?", the parent was shocked by hearing the educator sound teachable. "My son is a perfectionist. The homework he hands you is labored over until it meets his standard. That's why you don't receive it regularly." The teacher was taken aback by the sudden recognition of the pattern -- and possibilities.
Story 3. When asked how her school experience could be improved, the Grade 10 girl from a small community said she wished she could have access to a little media center where she could make videos. In the big scheme of things, the request seemed heartbreakingly simple. What would be the impact on this student's creative strength if the school year passed without some educator repurposing a computer for her use?
The Aim:
What can be learned from these stories? How can educators make the most of a 180 day period of time with students?
Students are impressionable but not blank slates -- or even sponges. They come to us patterned and socialized in diverse ways. Teachers have 180 days to investigate, interpret, authenticate, invite, and put to work the personal strengths of students. How can educators make the most of these few days?
The Possibilities:
From an indigenous perspective, it is the job of adults in the community to be watching for special gifts, talents, and tendencies in young people. When noticed, the young person is meant to watched and afforded opportunities to grow in that area.
To what extent do educators know or vitally care about what the student brings with them to class? What opportunities were lost to engage the student Taekwondo champion by finding out half way through the school year of the student's notoriety? When teachers know these things, they are adept at creating opportunities around them.
In track and field events, the relay requires the passing on of a baton. Perhaps schools should formally require passing on the knowledge of a student as a person from one teacher to another either at the end of the school year or beginning of another like baton in a smooth running school.
The Issue:
Story 1. When the class was studying Shakespeare, the student just wanted to draw. The student's strength was drawing. The final exam required writing. Instead of writing, the teacher asked the student to draw a critical interpretation of a character in the play. Was this accommodation? Was this differentiation? Was this universal learning? The teacher grew a student strength in an academic arena and let it stand on the summative stage.
Story 2. The boy was handing homework in irregularly. The teacher's impatience was growing. The missing work was preoccupying the teacher's recognition of the boy's strengths. Of course this topic came up quite quickly at the next parent-teacher meeting. When the teacher asked, "How can I teach your son in a better way?", the parent was shocked by hearing the educator sound teachable. "My son is a perfectionist. The homework he hands you is labored over until it meets his standard. That's why you don't receive it regularly." The teacher was taken aback by the sudden recognition of the pattern -- and possibilities.
Story 3. When asked how her school experience could be improved, the Grade 10 girl from a small community said she wished she could have access to a little media center where she could make videos. In the big scheme of things, the request seemed heartbreakingly simple. What would be the impact on this student's creative strength if the school year passed without some educator repurposing a computer for her use?
The Aim:
What can be learned from these stories? How can educators make the most of a 180 day period of time with students?
Students are impressionable but not blank slates -- or even sponges. They come to us patterned and socialized in diverse ways. Teachers have 180 days to investigate, interpret, authenticate, invite, and put to work the personal strengths of students. How can educators make the most of these few days?
The Possibilities:
From an indigenous perspective, it is the job of adults in the community to be watching for special gifts, talents, and tendencies in young people. When noticed, the young person is meant to watched and afforded opportunities to grow in that area.
To what extent do educators know or vitally care about what the student brings with them to class? What opportunities were lost to engage the student Taekwondo champion by finding out half way through the school year of the student's notoriety? When teachers know these things, they are adept at creating opportunities around them.
In track and field events, the relay requires the passing on of a baton. Perhaps schools should formally require passing on the knowledge of a student as a person from one teacher to another either at the end of the school year or beginning of another like baton in a smooth running school.
Photo by subhadip87
INQUIRY
WHEN THE COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS CONDUCT WORK TO DISCOVER ANSWERS TO LIFE'S PROBLEMS
Inquiry
The Issue:
Inquiry is not about making projects willy nilly or as an end unto themselves--although projects can be an essential form of inquiry. Neither is it unguided come-what-may discovery. Large work needs to be anchored in critical reflection by advancing what is known about a discipline. If a student is building a big wave maker, it ought to be guided by established knowledge about water physics, meteorology, plate tectonics, etc. and require students to apply the principles to problematic situations such a rogue waves, Tsunamis, hurricanes, etc.
According to the Galileo Society, http://galileo.org, inquiry is a dynamic state of mind that is nimble about the possibilities that a perplexing question presents. Inquiry asks good questions about life's problems.
The Aim:
Today the aim of inquiry in a school setting is to follow up student curiosity about systemic daily problems--in a multi-disciplinary and collaborative manner. What can countries with cold climates use against road ice instead of salt that contaminates the water? What can be done about the high personal debt load of Canadians and Americans? What options are available to cities built close to rising sea levels? What can be done about the high concentrations of sugar and salt in processed foods? What should be done about vanishing indigenous languages on our planet?
The individual sage is a remarkable occurrence. However, students should know the nature of life's problems are so complex and interdependent that team approaches to problems are required. We are smarter together--since no one person holds all the knowledge required to answer perplexing questions. For example, both ends of the Tsunamis need to be studied--its catalysts, amplifiers, and results. Group members who are geographically and disciplinary diverse are better-positioned for poking and prodding at the ambiguities, possibilities, and probabilities of life's problems.
Has technology helped inquiry? If there is no obvious and centralized discussion going on about beet juice as an alternative to road salt and ice management, the students can start one by curating and publishing in Storify. Learn more http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storify. Or learners can purposefully tweeting Web resources that are reporting on the localized use of the new material, adding a new hashtag such as #beetsonice. Social media has the potential for global and circumpolar discussions on this topic.
The Possibilities:
In light of the requirements for critical thinking mentioned earlier, inquiry provides a great investigative stage for wondering, planning, experimenting, poking, prodding, collecting, reflecting, presenting, communicating... Notice how all these action words create a sense of curiosity, construction, uncertainty, variability, ambiguity ... a description of how natural life is lived.
PLNs are so key to teacher development now. Intelligence Online https://www.iomembership.com/portal/about.html provides support for educators who want to begin a practice of inquiry. It is an example of a workspace that is connected to other educators using an inquiry approach.
The Issue:
Inquiry is not about making projects willy nilly or as an end unto themselves--although projects can be an essential form of inquiry. Neither is it unguided come-what-may discovery. Large work needs to be anchored in critical reflection by advancing what is known about a discipline. If a student is building a big wave maker, it ought to be guided by established knowledge about water physics, meteorology, plate tectonics, etc. and require students to apply the principles to problematic situations such a rogue waves, Tsunamis, hurricanes, etc.
According to the Galileo Society, http://galileo.org, inquiry is a dynamic state of mind that is nimble about the possibilities that a perplexing question presents. Inquiry asks good questions about life's problems.
The Aim:
Today the aim of inquiry in a school setting is to follow up student curiosity about systemic daily problems--in a multi-disciplinary and collaborative manner. What can countries with cold climates use against road ice instead of salt that contaminates the water? What can be done about the high personal debt load of Canadians and Americans? What options are available to cities built close to rising sea levels? What can be done about the high concentrations of sugar and salt in processed foods? What should be done about vanishing indigenous languages on our planet?
The individual sage is a remarkable occurrence. However, students should know the nature of life's problems are so complex and interdependent that team approaches to problems are required. We are smarter together--since no one person holds all the knowledge required to answer perplexing questions. For example, both ends of the Tsunamis need to be studied--its catalysts, amplifiers, and results. Group members who are geographically and disciplinary diverse are better-positioned for poking and prodding at the ambiguities, possibilities, and probabilities of life's problems.
Has technology helped inquiry? If there is no obvious and centralized discussion going on about beet juice as an alternative to road salt and ice management, the students can start one by curating and publishing in Storify. Learn more http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storify. Or learners can purposefully tweeting Web resources that are reporting on the localized use of the new material, adding a new hashtag such as #beetsonice. Social media has the potential for global and circumpolar discussions on this topic.
The Possibilities:
In light of the requirements for critical thinking mentioned earlier, inquiry provides a great investigative stage for wondering, planning, experimenting, poking, prodding, collecting, reflecting, presenting, communicating... Notice how all these action words create a sense of curiosity, construction, uncertainty, variability, ambiguity ... a description of how natural life is lived.
PLNs are so key to teacher development now. Intelligence Online https://www.iomembership.com/portal/about.html provides support for educators who want to begin a practice of inquiry. It is an example of a workspace that is connected to other educators using an inquiry approach.
Photo by USFWS Mountain Prairie
RELATIONSHIP TO KNOWLEDGE
GATHERING, CRITIQUING, ANALYZING, DISPLAYING, PRESENTING, PUBLISHING, REFLECTING
Relationship to Knowledge
The Issue
Many things changed when the common person was able to broadcast knowledge through use of the Internet. With Web 1.0, those with code knowledge and a mouse could create their own Web site. With Web 2.0--anyone with a finger can create and publish with no code or with easy code. Many now publish through blogs, wikis, Web sites, social bookmarking, etc. Now writing a "letter to the editor" is as simple as making a blog post. Of course both publishing and responding can be done by the same person. The gate is swinging open.
The Aim
Critique is abundant for this kind of publishing democracy. "No one is gatekeeping"; "everyone sharing ignorance"; "unearned celebrity"; "unauthenticated information"; "anyone can write Wikipedia"... . These criticisms have truthful elements. However, there is a missing, general understanding about how thin the authority was of some of the sources we have held as fact. Academic mistakes have always been around. A culture of reverence for experts has been comforting--but is fallible. Learn more http://www.cbc.ca/doczone/episodes/the-trouble-with-experts. We now have a happy situation of access to many additional peers, credentialed and uncredentialed. This doesn't make the expert problem easier, but it does remind us we have a more active role to play in our information diet.
The aim is a democratization and skilling up of gatekeeping and authentication skills. All knowers need to know how information gets made. Knowers need to separate the useful from the useless, fact from opinion, relevant from irrelevant, harmful from helpful, and to smell out the currency involved in the perspective--corporate, non-profit, outlier, satirical, documentary, or mockumentary, government publication, reference source ... . these gatekeeping skills take time and start at a young age. With the support of various tools, teachers and parents can gradually release the responsibility of "reading the world" to students. Related: read about focusing when online http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2012/08/what-will-you-click-on-next-focusin...
The Possibilities
Increasingly students are being called upon to "learn about and choose ICT to critically, creatively, and ethically use, produce, and communicate meaning." This vision calls for behaviors, attitudes, motivations, and competencies similar to those seen in these classroom publishing practices:
a) Butterflies. Capturing digital stills of flora and fauna on a school yard field trip. The butterfly images can be identified in images from http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org. The student captured image can be uploaded to the classroom account with a printing company such as http://us.moo.com/products/postcards.html to make a post card; tweeted from the classroom Twitter account; or placed in a class blog such as http://kidblog.org/home/ --publishing to the worldwide community with student-created keyword "tags" to make their work more findable.
b) Titanic. Research is conducted from various information sources. Wikipedia is one of the first sources used for an overview and to gather leads for quotable sources in the external links (Wikipedia should not be a quotable source for students because we don't know the source of the information and cannot check the credentials of the writer(s)). Students are shown the "contact us" and "about" buttons or use http://who.is (drop the http:// when pasting a link) to find the "registrant name" to see who is behind a Web site. If necessary, the students google that name and determine if the person is a historian, movie critique, hobbyists, survivor relative, fiction writer, etc. The students can draw or paint their impressions of the information with a digital art app such as https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/brushes-3/id545366251?mt=8 or scan or photograph their work. With appropriate parental release, this work can be donated to the world under a Creative Commons "some rights reserved" license within Flickr https://www.flickr.com/creativecommons/ and uploaded to the classroom Flickr account. The images can be placed with text in image-rich presentation software such as http://www.haikudeck.com releasing it to world readership. See the student-built Titanic presentation http://www.haikudeck.com/titanic-education-presentation-8ETYMhE3tD
c) A food documentary. Students take on a collaborative, interdisciplinary study of their food sources. They are keen to study the whole production, supply, marketing, transportation, and store front chain that brings it to their door. They will record video of both local interviews and those from a distance with company representatives in the chain. They will work in teams to collect data from online Web sites and databases. They will create shopping music and capture stills of food on display. They will always use release forms before they attempt to collect this primary data. They will use graphing software such as https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/numbers/id361304891?mt=8 and to display their findings and export them as useable images. They will create a story from their images using cartoon software such as http://plasq.com/products/comiclife3/mac. Their work will be displayed in a either a simple to create wiki such as http://www.wikispaces.com or drop-n-drag Web site such as http://www.weebly.com.
The Issue
Many things changed when the common person was able to broadcast knowledge through use of the Internet. With Web 1.0, those with code knowledge and a mouse could create their own Web site. With Web 2.0--anyone with a finger can create and publish with no code or with easy code. Many now publish through blogs, wikis, Web sites, social bookmarking, etc. Now writing a "letter to the editor" is as simple as making a blog post. Of course both publishing and responding can be done by the same person. The gate is swinging open.
The Aim
Critique is abundant for this kind of publishing democracy. "No one is gatekeeping"; "everyone sharing ignorance"; "unearned celebrity"; "unauthenticated information"; "anyone can write Wikipedia"... . These criticisms have truthful elements. However, there is a missing, general understanding about how thin the authority was of some of the sources we have held as fact. Academic mistakes have always been around. A culture of reverence for experts has been comforting--but is fallible. Learn more http://www.cbc.ca/doczone/episodes/the-trouble-with-experts. We now have a happy situation of access to many additional peers, credentialed and uncredentialed. This doesn't make the expert problem easier, but it does remind us we have a more active role to play in our information diet.
The aim is a democratization and skilling up of gatekeeping and authentication skills. All knowers need to know how information gets made. Knowers need to separate the useful from the useless, fact from opinion, relevant from irrelevant, harmful from helpful, and to smell out the currency involved in the perspective--corporate, non-profit, outlier, satirical, documentary, or mockumentary, government publication, reference source ... . these gatekeeping skills take time and start at a young age. With the support of various tools, teachers and parents can gradually release the responsibility of "reading the world" to students. Related: read about focusing when online http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2012/08/what-will-you-click-on-next-focusin...
The Possibilities
Increasingly students are being called upon to "learn about and choose ICT to critically, creatively, and ethically use, produce, and communicate meaning." This vision calls for behaviors, attitudes, motivations, and competencies similar to those seen in these classroom publishing practices:
a) Butterflies. Capturing digital stills of flora and fauna on a school yard field trip. The butterfly images can be identified in images from http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org. The student captured image can be uploaded to the classroom account with a printing company such as http://us.moo.com/products/postcards.html to make a post card; tweeted from the classroom Twitter account; or placed in a class blog such as http://kidblog.org/home/ --publishing to the worldwide community with student-created keyword "tags" to make their work more findable.
b) Titanic. Research is conducted from various information sources. Wikipedia is one of the first sources used for an overview and to gather leads for quotable sources in the external links (Wikipedia should not be a quotable source for students because we don't know the source of the information and cannot check the credentials of the writer(s)). Students are shown the "contact us" and "about" buttons or use http://who.is (drop the http:// when pasting a link) to find the "registrant name" to see who is behind a Web site. If necessary, the students google that name and determine if the person is a historian, movie critique, hobbyists, survivor relative, fiction writer, etc. The students can draw or paint their impressions of the information with a digital art app such as https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/brushes-3/id545366251?mt=8 or scan or photograph their work. With appropriate parental release, this work can be donated to the world under a Creative Commons "some rights reserved" license within Flickr https://www.flickr.com/creativecommons/ and uploaded to the classroom Flickr account. The images can be placed with text in image-rich presentation software such as http://www.haikudeck.com releasing it to world readership. See the student-built Titanic presentation http://www.haikudeck.com/titanic-education-presentation-8ETYMhE3tD
c) A food documentary. Students take on a collaborative, interdisciplinary study of their food sources. They are keen to study the whole production, supply, marketing, transportation, and store front chain that brings it to their door. They will record video of both local interviews and those from a distance with company representatives in the chain. They will work in teams to collect data from online Web sites and databases. They will create shopping music and capture stills of food on display. They will always use release forms before they attempt to collect this primary data. They will use graphing software such as https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/numbers/id361304891?mt=8 and to display their findings and export them as useable images. They will create a story from their images using cartoon software such as http://plasq.com/products/comiclife3/mac. Their work will be displayed in a either a simple to create wiki such as http://www.wikispaces.com or drop-n-drag Web site such as http://www.weebly.com.
ASSESSMENT PROCESSES
IS IT TRUE STUDENTS DETERMINE THEIR APPROACH TO LEARNING BASED ON THE KIND OF ASSESSMENT USED?
Assessment
The Issue:
One clever educator recommended thinking of assessment as a check-up instead of an autopsy--Influence student work while something substantive can still be done. Healthy learning systems can preempt unnecessary complications because of a lack of oversight.
The Aim:
Extending the health metaphor, many doctors would say that health is a choice; a citizen's health belongs to them. In education, learning belongs to the student if the system could/would allow it to be so. Many students wait passively to be told what to do next--or what to change next about their work as though most things about education are a mystery--some external structure that society expects them to experience. Read more http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/04/to-advance-education-we-must-first-...
Assessment could be as much about choice and autonomy over learning as it is about the learning produced. Being intentional from the start is one way to do this. McTigue and Wiggins present a coherent position on this topic by suggesting curriculum be presented to students in the form of engaging questions. Then provide examples of learning products that might be chosen to which those questions might lead. Finally at the start, co-create rubrics with students that show what competence in this work looks like.
To what extent can teachers structure their time with students to interact personally about their learning--using rubrics? Nancy Atwell, in her book In the Middle, placed the responsibility for assessment in the hands of students, requiring them to report to the class what piece they were currently working on, welcoming feedback from peers. A rubric in this situation is very helpful. Read more about rubrics as living tools http://pxlpl.us/skjd
The Possibilities:
What structures allow systemic opportunity for teacher-student or peer-peer formative assessment?
a) Flipped learning. This recent concept suggests teacher time is best spent with individual students and groups during class time--not lecturing. The disciplinary knowledge required for background or direct instruction is the homework, provided online and viewed the night before. While a number of logistics arise regarding the making and watching of videos, the use of digital media is intuitive to students. To learn more about flipped learning see http://www.knewton.com/flipped-classroom/ or a video http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iQWvc6qhTds.
b) Collaborative learning in wikis. Wikis are a way to easily publish upfront inquiry questions and rubrics, upload documents, and many other types of media such as images and widgets in the form of embedded videos, avatars, etc. . They provide working spaces for small groups called "projects". Teachers are the "organizers" of the wiki giving them constant oversight of the work various groups are conducting. The "recent changes" button and the "revisions" button show every "edit" or change made to the work--and by whom. The implications for formative assessment and support with wikis are significant. One popular company that provides free and paid wikis is http://www.wikispaces.com. Watch a video introducing wikispaces http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=50MenxCNYAI.
c) E-portfolios and branding. Internet now makes it possible to display one's work for all kinds of self-chosen audiences. There are lots of e-portfolio applications such as https://mahara.org. But schools need to provide a backdrop about online presence and branding. By going online to any degree, you are presenting an identity of yourself. We take formal and informal identities throughout life. What formal online identity can students hone while in school with teacher support, to carry on for the rest of their life journey? E-portfolios crack that question wide open making it one for the student to consider--not only for teachers and parents for assessment purposes. What work do students care about and want grown? If they have had a very "colloquial" Twitter identity, the school can help them develop a formal one tied to their passionate interests. Through a classroom account, teachers could model how social media can be used to publish classroom learning. Learn more http://www.haikudeck.com/10-social-media-apps-for-education-education-prese....
The topic of branding is key for teacher identity as well. Perhaps high school students and teachers could begin with a professional online business card or nameplate like http://flavors.me or https://about.me that links to their Flickr, YouTube, and Twitter account. Learn more about nameplates http://lifehacker.com/5886188/five-best-professional-nameplate-sites.
The Issue:
One clever educator recommended thinking of assessment as a check-up instead of an autopsy--Influence student work while something substantive can still be done. Healthy learning systems can preempt unnecessary complications because of a lack of oversight.
The Aim:
Extending the health metaphor, many doctors would say that health is a choice; a citizen's health belongs to them. In education, learning belongs to the student if the system could/would allow it to be so. Many students wait passively to be told what to do next--or what to change next about their work as though most things about education are a mystery--some external structure that society expects them to experience. Read more http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/04/to-advance-education-we-must-first-...
Assessment could be as much about choice and autonomy over learning as it is about the learning produced. Being intentional from the start is one way to do this. McTigue and Wiggins present a coherent position on this topic by suggesting curriculum be presented to students in the form of engaging questions. Then provide examples of learning products that might be chosen to which those questions might lead. Finally at the start, co-create rubrics with students that show what competence in this work looks like.
To what extent can teachers structure their time with students to interact personally about their learning--using rubrics? Nancy Atwell, in her book In the Middle, placed the responsibility for assessment in the hands of students, requiring them to report to the class what piece they were currently working on, welcoming feedback from peers. A rubric in this situation is very helpful. Read more about rubrics as living tools http://pxlpl.us/skjd
The Possibilities:
What structures allow systemic opportunity for teacher-student or peer-peer formative assessment?
a) Flipped learning. This recent concept suggests teacher time is best spent with individual students and groups during class time--not lecturing. The disciplinary knowledge required for background or direct instruction is the homework, provided online and viewed the night before. While a number of logistics arise regarding the making and watching of videos, the use of digital media is intuitive to students. To learn more about flipped learning see http://www.knewton.com/flipped-classroom/ or a video http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iQWvc6qhTds.
b) Collaborative learning in wikis. Wikis are a way to easily publish upfront inquiry questions and rubrics, upload documents, and many other types of media such as images and widgets in the form of embedded videos, avatars, etc. . They provide working spaces for small groups called "projects". Teachers are the "organizers" of the wiki giving them constant oversight of the work various groups are conducting. The "recent changes" button and the "revisions" button show every "edit" or change made to the work--and by whom. The implications for formative assessment and support with wikis are significant. One popular company that provides free and paid wikis is http://www.wikispaces.com. Watch a video introducing wikispaces http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=50MenxCNYAI.
c) E-portfolios and branding. Internet now makes it possible to display one's work for all kinds of self-chosen audiences. There are lots of e-portfolio applications such as https://mahara.org. But schools need to provide a backdrop about online presence and branding. By going online to any degree, you are presenting an identity of yourself. We take formal and informal identities throughout life. What formal online identity can students hone while in school with teacher support, to carry on for the rest of their life journey? E-portfolios crack that question wide open making it one for the student to consider--not only for teachers and parents for assessment purposes. What work do students care about and want grown? If they have had a very "colloquial" Twitter identity, the school can help them develop a formal one tied to their passionate interests. Through a classroom account, teachers could model how social media can be used to publish classroom learning. Learn more http://www.haikudeck.com/10-social-media-apps-for-education-education-prese....
The topic of branding is key for teacher identity as well. Perhaps high school students and teachers could begin with a professional online business card or nameplate like http://flavors.me or https://about.me that links to their Flickr, YouTube, and Twitter account. Learn more about nameplates http://lifehacker.com/5886188/five-best-professional-nameplate-sites.
Photo by Argonne National Laboratory
KNOW-ACT RESPONSE
COMPETENCE: A PERSON'S ABILITY TO MOBILIZE ALL THE APPROPRIATE RESOURCES IN VARIOUS SITUATIONS
Know-Act Response
Read more http://www.education.gov.sk.ca/sas/fr/guiding-principles-wncp (WNCP Guiding Principles, 2011)
The Issue
Socializing students into thinking that knowledge exists in pieces and parts is no longer acceptable. Students may not be engaged because they are increasingly mystified themselves about the way their day is dividing up, being marching about and coaxed for their attention, energy, passion, etc. Academic choices and autonomy are fairly narrow. Although there are pockets of innovation and synthetic thinking in the K12 field, and teachers are truly intent on doing the best they can for students, most teachers have been socialized into grand narratives of prescription, efficiency, productivity, measurement, ... . A new direction is needed. Read more about reimagining education http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/04/to-advance-education-we-must-first-....
The Aim
According to OECD (2005), the know-act response means students know when, how, and in what contexts to to mobilize available resources to achieve a solution.
"Competency is the complex "know act" that encompasses the ongoing development of an integrated set of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and judgments required in a variety of different and complex situations, contexts and environment" (WNCP Guiding Principles, 2011, p. 17).
This is a lifelong task in which K-12 must play its part. Students need to know knowledge does not exist in pieces and part in the real world (except in the TV show Jeopardy: again not the real world), and to be thoughtfully shown how the disciplines work together to create our societal conditions. Conversely, they need to know that the very knowledge we hold up to be memorable can also be problematic, temporal, negotiable, controversial, ... . Teachers need to tell students "this knowledge" will not work sometimes for the many intractable problems we face in society.
The Opportunity
When Columbia dismantled over Texas an interdisciplinary team was called upon to seek explanations for the event. It is the holistic approach to knowing that brings fuller understanding of cause and effect, correlation and causality and increases the anticipatory power or forward-looking abilities of an organization, group, or agency.
This is why groups need to work together--to learn how they can figure out the know-act response to situations, judge viable solutions, imagine unintended consequences. They can even declare together that a situation remains ambiguous and illusive for the various reasons they pose in their synthetic thinking. Flight 370 forced this into the open.
What can a teacher do to encourage this kind of deep thinking?
a) Start with yourself. In general, ask fundamental questions about curriculum development: 1. What knowledge is most worthwhile 2. Why is it worthwhile? 3. How is it acquired or created? 4. How is curriculum housed, cared for, assessed and made accessible in the world? In specific, ask yourself questions about your own jurisdiction's curriculum: 1. How does the front matter explain the importance of the curriculum and with what research? 2. How does the front matter rationale create a context for what you do as a teacher? 3. How does the front matter affect the kinds of assessment you use and the way you explain assessment to stakeholders?
b) Begin or strengthen inclusionary practices. Recognize that groups should be made of disparate personalities, skills, and interests. The group's diversity will help socialize students into recognizing and appreciating diversity post-K12. When the group works on a project, say the shooting of a video, all parts of the task at various levels of complexity should be reflected in the rubric--not to nice but to truly reflect how the work gets done. The teacher can skillfully collaborate with group members to divvy out the various tasks according to interest and ability levels. All members are responsible to push the task toward completion from managing, storing, setting up the equipment to the editing of the video. Using a gardening metaphor, all participants will garden whether they bring water for the workers, make seed choices or operate the equipment. All must play a part--the work and working exists like this in the field.
c) Schedule more interdisciplinary classes and learning opportunities. This will encourage students to use their skill, knowledge, attitude, motivations, and judgments to make sense of complex situations and see connections in juxtaposed contexts. When solving the muddy boot problem at school in the spring, students can be encouraged to draw upon their knowledge of climate, health concerns, building maintenance, clothing costs, etc. for background as discussions begin about making a muddy boot rule. The complex meaning of seal hunting to Northerners crosses cultural, economic, food security, environmental, and public affairs lines.
At every turn, we have muddy boot type situations. The know-act response will help students recognize a part for what it is--just a part of a complex web of knowing.
Read more http://www.education.gov.sk.ca/sas/fr/guiding-principles-wncp (WNCP Guiding Principles, 2011)
The Issue
Socializing students into thinking that knowledge exists in pieces and parts is no longer acceptable. Students may not be engaged because they are increasingly mystified themselves about the way their day is dividing up, being marching about and coaxed for their attention, energy, passion, etc. Academic choices and autonomy are fairly narrow. Although there are pockets of innovation and synthetic thinking in the K12 field, and teachers are truly intent on doing the best they can for students, most teachers have been socialized into grand narratives of prescription, efficiency, productivity, measurement, ... . A new direction is needed. Read more about reimagining education http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/04/to-advance-education-we-must-first-....
The Aim
According to OECD (2005), the know-act response means students know when, how, and in what contexts to to mobilize available resources to achieve a solution.
"Competency is the complex "know act" that encompasses the ongoing development of an integrated set of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and judgments required in a variety of different and complex situations, contexts and environment" (WNCP Guiding Principles, 2011, p. 17).
This is a lifelong task in which K-12 must play its part. Students need to know knowledge does not exist in pieces and part in the real world (except in the TV show Jeopardy: again not the real world), and to be thoughtfully shown how the disciplines work together to create our societal conditions. Conversely, they need to know that the very knowledge we hold up to be memorable can also be problematic, temporal, negotiable, controversial, ... . Teachers need to tell students "this knowledge" will not work sometimes for the many intractable problems we face in society.
The Opportunity
When Columbia dismantled over Texas an interdisciplinary team was called upon to seek explanations for the event. It is the holistic approach to knowing that brings fuller understanding of cause and effect, correlation and causality and increases the anticipatory power or forward-looking abilities of an organization, group, or agency.
This is why groups need to work together--to learn how they can figure out the know-act response to situations, judge viable solutions, imagine unintended consequences. They can even declare together that a situation remains ambiguous and illusive for the various reasons they pose in their synthetic thinking. Flight 370 forced this into the open.
What can a teacher do to encourage this kind of deep thinking?
a) Start with yourself. In general, ask fundamental questions about curriculum development: 1. What knowledge is most worthwhile 2. Why is it worthwhile? 3. How is it acquired or created? 4. How is curriculum housed, cared for, assessed and made accessible in the world? In specific, ask yourself questions about your own jurisdiction's curriculum: 1. How does the front matter explain the importance of the curriculum and with what research? 2. How does the front matter rationale create a context for what you do as a teacher? 3. How does the front matter affect the kinds of assessment you use and the way you explain assessment to stakeholders?
b) Begin or strengthen inclusionary practices. Recognize that groups should be made of disparate personalities, skills, and interests. The group's diversity will help socialize students into recognizing and appreciating diversity post-K12. When the group works on a project, say the shooting of a video, all parts of the task at various levels of complexity should be reflected in the rubric--not to nice but to truly reflect how the work gets done. The teacher can skillfully collaborate with group members to divvy out the various tasks according to interest and ability levels. All members are responsible to push the task toward completion from managing, storing, setting up the equipment to the editing of the video. Using a gardening metaphor, all participants will garden whether they bring water for the workers, make seed choices or operate the equipment. All must play a part--the work and working exists like this in the field.
c) Schedule more interdisciplinary classes and learning opportunities. This will encourage students to use their skill, knowledge, attitude, motivations, and judgments to make sense of complex situations and see connections in juxtaposed contexts. When solving the muddy boot problem at school in the spring, students can be encouraged to draw upon their knowledge of climate, health concerns, building maintenance, clothing costs, etc. for background as discussions begin about making a muddy boot rule. The complex meaning of seal hunting to Northerners crosses cultural, economic, food security, environmental, and public affairs lines.
At every turn, we have muddy boot type situations. The know-act response will help students recognize a part for what it is--just a part of a complex web of knowing.
