Semi-Permeable

An essential concept in the study of biology is that of permeability. As a former biology teacher, it was my experience that students often struggled with this concept and what impermeable, permeable, and semi-permeable meant and how it applied to things such as diffusion and osmosis (you remember those, right?).

Permeability can be applied to other concepts besides biology. Specifically, the concept of permeability can apply to learning communities, and how open and closed they are to their members, and potential members. In a typical high school, learning communities are fragmented and isolated, if they even exist at all. It’s unlikely that any of us would label a typical high school classroom, with its characteristic five rows of six desks, limited access to information and conversation, a learning community. Very little interaction exists within the classroom, and interaction from sources outside the four walls of the classroom is generally non-existent-the classroom walls, in effect, are impermeable.

That certainly can be changed, and the tools (blogs, wikis, social networking, RSS, etc.) we have now at our disposal make it doable and achievable, but many things have to fall into place. Teachers have to be willing, the technology must be available, administrators must understand the need, and the school’s climate and culture, which is greatly influenced by the community that the school serves, must be supportive.

So, as a result, the formation of learning communities in schools depends greatly on the school itself. What is a solution, or a plan, in one school may not be a solution, or a plan, in another. Additionally, even within a school, there may be different needs-some teachers may be ready, others may be not so ready, so that a plan for building learning communities needs to be flexible and scaleable, and provide the necessary infrastructure to meet the varying needs of the different constituents of the school. One size does not fit all...

There is no right or wrong answer to building learning communities, but I do think there is a basic flow.

If the end goal is to help students and classrooms build learning communities with individuals and other schools or classrooms, and make the classroom permeable, you have to start with the teachers. Teachers have to learn the tools, learn how to connect and contribute (typically through a blog), learn how to manage time and feeds, learn how to adjust the membership of their learning community, and learn how to accept being criticized when their ideas oppose those of others. Teachers need to see firsthand the benefits of a learning community, and what it means to their personal learning, before it can ever translate successfully to students. To get learning communities to develop and stick, start with teachers first.

From there, I’m interested in building skills in students that will make them successful when they ultimately join wide-open learning communities. I’m teaching them how to read blog posts, how to collaboratively create content in wikis, how to comment appropriately, how to manage RSS feeds, and how to manage content resources with social bookmarking tools. I'm teaching them how to operate in a community. And I’m teaching them all about safety.

Is this a necessary step? Ask yourself-yes or no? If no, stop reading this post. If your answer was yes, then what’s the best way to do that?

What’s the best way to do that on a large scale, and in a systemic way? Where you can impact the most teachers and the most kids, in the most effective and safe way? I’m not talking just blogging now, I’m talking about building learning communities, which is what I’m interested in. Blogging OK, I get it. But that’s just a part of a larger goal.

You can do all of that in a number of ways. You can do it by asking teachers to manage multiple online tools that all work differently and require different management requirements. Or you can do it with a content management system where all of this is under one roof. And before some of you go CMS on me, you could also do it with Ning, couldn't you?

So, what's the plan? Expose the most teachers and kids to these capabilities, teach them in a controlled environment, where teachers and students, mostly new to the process of working in a learning community, can make their mistakes without too high of a cost? Or maybe the plan is to stay "true to the process" and put the kids out there, really out there, but certainly prepare them prior with what they need to know.

I’ll take Door #1 Bob, the semi-permeable classroom, where true community is first established within the classroom. That’s just me. It might not be you.

I think a classroom must be semi-permeable before it can become a permeable classroom.

Creating a truly permeable classroom is a major change in how classrooms work. It is a big departure from where most classrooms are now. You just don’t change that overnight with a few commonly available tools, and just by blogging. It’ll require a great deal of professional support and curriculum design, with a great deal of reflection and course-correction. I’ll approach that carefully. The stakes are too high not to.

And when the time comes, I’d turn them loose. When the specific curricular needs suggest a permeable experience is warranted, I’d turn them loose. When the teacher says, we need to connect outside of our classroom because of this and this, I’d turn them loose. When the teacher says I’m ready and so are my kids, I’d turn them loose.

But I’m crawling before I’m walking.


images from istockphoto.com

Directions Needed

Every school has a mission statement. Chances are that your school district has one too, and that it contains something about life-long learning, the creation of critical thinkers, and the development of high-quality citizens.

I’ve seen Guy Kawasaki speak several times and he never fails to talk about mission statements, why they are not worth much, and how you can develop one quickly and easily with the use of the Dilbert Mission Statement Generator. Here is one, developed with a single click:

We exist to globally network principle-centered data while continuing to proactively simplify high standards in benefits to exceed customer expectations.

So, when I was driving through the town I live in, my eye instantly caught this mission statement on a school's billboard:

Educating Students to Be Self-Directed Learners.

That’s a fine goal, and a worthy mission for any school. But what are the characteristics of self-directed learning? What kind of climate and culture must be present in a school to pull that off? Here is my take on what I think those students should be capable of and what that school should be like, if that mission is indeed actualized. My Twitter network also weighs in, with comments in italics….

Self-directed learners are capable of asking great questions, essential questions.

Self-directed learners have internalized a problem-solving approach, typically some inquiry-based methodology that provides a framework for learning.

Self-directed learners are capable of developing a direction for their learning, and are comfortable and capable of exploring their own path, and can set short and long-term goals for their learning.

Self-directed learners are equally capable of working independently, collaboratively, locally and globally.

From Quentin D’Souza via Twitter: one who perpetually asks questions, explores different opinions, and strives toward answers.

From Tom Turner, via Twitter: self-directed learners are….not afraid to take risks and ask questions to learn.

From pjhiggins, no fear of failure. Self-directed learning is all about being willing to fall down.

From John Howell, via Twitter: a self-directed learner is one who asks questions, seeks answers, and then realizes that it leads to more questions.

Self-directed learners continually engage in metacognitive processes that promote reflective thinking about learning.

Self-directed learners are capable of expressing the outcomes of their learning in multiple media and formats.

Self-directed learners have internalized strategies for self-assessment of their learning and for the representations of their learning. This self-assessment data is used to redirect and refocus their learning.

Self-directed learners are capable of using a variety of tools to drive learning, from paper and pencil to the cell phone and mp3 player they bring to school.

From Arthus, via Twitter: a self-directed learner is a leader of themselves, finding knowledge as its own reward and continually searching for more.

From Dean Shareski, via Twitter: Learning when you want, how you want, with whom you want.

What about the climate and culture of the self-directed learner’s school?

Self-directed learners develop in learning climates where a professional teacher is a catalyst for learning, a connector for learners, and a passionate champion for student learning. No facilitators, no guides-on-the-side, no-sage-on-the-stage or any other 1990 representation of teacher roles are present in these schools.

Self-directed learners develop in a structured and safe school environment, where the responsibility for one’s own learning is gradually increased over time.

Self-directed learners develop in learning climates where their teachers and administrators are self-directed learners.

Self-directed learners develop in learning climates that are permeable and permit students to explore learning connections beyond the four walls of the typical classroom. Self-directed learners form networks of learners.

OK, so how does all of this translate to actual practice? Go no further than Christian Long’s English class in Texas. Take a look at their study of Frankenstein to see what self-directed learning looks like under the tutelage of a master practitioner. From Christian:

Instead of being 'English students' dutifully following my syllabus and daily plan as is so tempting from the teacher's side of the desk, each of my 4 classes will become real-time archeologists, detectives, and futurists in an effort to co-develop a strategic plan for mastering this literary masterpiece. The standards will be blatantly put forward: become an expert. By any means necessary.

And on his role:

I'll offer myself as a 'free' consultant for a specific # of days that they can 'hire' when they feel that they have exhausted their own instincts/research.

Please read the rest of the post, it's well worth it.

From Marie Coleman, via Twitter: a self-directed learner… initiates growth and "stretching" - constantly seeking new skills, knowledge, interactions to improve self amd hopefully impact others.

From Mark Wagner, via Twitter: a self-directed learner can set his or her own objectives, choose learning strategies and resources, self-check for understanding, adjust, and self-assess.

From Glovely, via Twitter, a self-directed learner follows their wonder with purposeful wandering...

Finally, from Chris Lehmann, his description of a self-directed learner:

Someone who wants to be better tomorrow than they were today.

Now that’s a great vision statement.

What's your vision of self-directed learning?