Defining Engagement - Collaborative task WHS

Defining Engagement

Engagement is a complex and broad concept. There are visible elements (what we can see within the four walls of our classroom), and invisible elements(the emotional and the cognitive).  What influences engagement within a classroom though? How do you shift what is valued, or how a subject is percieved?

SAMR

I've been reflecting a lot, since the staff meeting Madeline facilitated around the 'Create' part of learn-create-share and the SAMR model.

(http://manaiakalani.blogspot.co.nz/2015/01/create-learn-create-share-pedagogy.html)  

(Reuben Puentedura)

Two things were highlighted for me.

• How much of what we do is a substitution, and how can we redesign learning tasks given the affordances we have with digital tools? This is something to work through with our awesome team of Junior homeroom teachers. It may be about identifying one or two things that would be achievable for our team. I'm also keen to get out and have a look at good practice in other schools that have been at this digital immersion thing for longer than we have.
• We can't operate at the top of the model all of the time. It would be exhausting and unsustainable (This was reinforced this week at the Mindlab when we were discussing change management. When introducing new ideas, leaders need to think about 'cyclical energising'. What this means is that there will be periods of intense focus and effort, then periods of easing back and just celebrating the wins.) We need to look at the Junior schemes and think about there we could design 'Create' moments and when it would be more appropriate to just augment the task, using the digital tools we have available.

I really value PD with Madeline, it always leaves me with an 'aha moment' or just some little gem to reflect on.