Myddelton College Pedagogy

MyddeltonCollegePedagogy

AnoutlineoftheunderlyingprinciplesandpracticesthatunderpintheMyddeltonCollegeCurriculum

Morethanjustaneducation

“Being a great school requiresmore than just providing the best possible education, or at least itrequiresadifferentviewofwhateducationis.”AtMyddeltonCollege,wetakethebroadestpossibleviewofeducationandourstudents,whetherboardersordaystudents,areexposedtoawiderangeofactivities thatencompassthewholeexperienceofwhat itmeanstobehuman.Yes, there’s theacademic subjects there,with high standards and evenhigher expectations of success (because astrong academic background is a necessity in today’s global community), but beyond that, aMyddeltonCollegestudentwillbeexpectedtodevelopinterestsinsporting,creative,aestheticandculturalareas.Webelievethateachandeveryindividualholdswithinthematalentthatshapestheirpassionandtheirpersona,anditisourpassiontohelpeachstudentfind,shapeanddeveloptheirs.Butalongsidethatthereistheneedforbreadthandbalance,whichiswhytheeducationprovidedatMyddeltonincludestheextraactivitiesandwhyeverystudentisexpectedtobeinvolvedinallaspectsofcollegelife.

MyddeltonCollegeisaboutprovidingapastoralcarestructurethatgoeswellbeyondbasicwelfare;at Myddelton, we focus on developing and maturing the individual, both emotionally andintellectually.AMyddeltonCollegestudentwillhaveaninternationalperspectiveasmembersoftheglobalvillage,andvitally,itisaboutpreparingyoungpeopleforlifebeyondcollege,helpingthemgainaccesstotheirchosenuniversityandthenhelpingthembefullypreparedforthelifetheywillleadbeyond.Equippingthemtobecomesuitablyqualifiedandconfidenttolead,toserveandtobeagoodinfluence.Whereverlifetakesthem.

IntroductionEducationinthewestis,fundamentally,broken.Some,ifnotmost,ofthebasiceducationalpracticesandassumptionsintheUKaresimplywrongandnolongerfitforpurposeinthe21stCentury.Asaresult of this, successive legislation has focussed on eliminating the stresses by simplifying thecurriculum,narrowingtheexperienceandintroducingmoreandmorehighstakestesting,bothfortheindividualstudentsandtheinstitutionsthatprovidetheeducationalexperiences.

Education,throughoutthewholeofthewesternworld,ifnotbeyond,hasbeenthroughaslowprocessofgentleevolution,butunlikenaturalevolution,hasnotproducedthestrongestsystem,duetoacontinualpullbacktothe‘goodolddays’ofinkwellsandchalkdust.Thepasthasbecomeadragonoureducationalsystemandassuchisdamagingourfuture.

Asaninterestingaside,thereisprecedenthere:thesolid-fuelrocketboostersontheSpaceShuttleendedupbeingthemajordesignflawthatledtotheworstspacedisasterofalltimewhentheshuttleChallengerblewupshortlyaftertake-off,killingallonboard,includingthefirstcivilian,SharonChristaMcAuliffe,aHighSchoolTeacherfromNewHampshire.Oneofthereasonstherocketboostersfailedwasbecausetheyweretoonarrow.Whyweretheysonarrow?

The rocket boostersweremanufactured inUtah and had to be transported to the launch site byrailroad.Therefore,theyhadtobenarrowenoughtopassthroughthetunnelsontheway.TheUSrailroadhastracksthatareexactly4feet,8½incheswide&thetunnelsareonlyalittlewider.Whyarethetracksthiswide?BecausethatistheexactspacingofrailroadtracksinEngland,whererailroadswerefirstbuilt.Theshuttlerocketboosterswerethesizetheywere(&subsequentlyfailed)becauseoftheindustrialrevolutioninEngland.Onlyit’sworsethanthat.

WhyareEnglish railroad tracksexactly4 feet,8½ incheswide?Because that is themeasurementwagonmakersusedforwagons–anyothersizeandtheaxleswouldbreakontheEnglishroads,wheretherewerewellworntracks,exactly4feet,8½incheswide.Sothesolidrocketboostersontheshuttlearethesizetheyarebecauseofpre-industrialEnglishrutsinroads.Butwhyarethoserutsthatsize?

Becausethefirstmassconstructionofroads inEnglandwasduringtheRomanoccupation,where,throughouttheRomanEmpire,Romanwarchariotswerebuiltusinganaxlespacingof4feet,8½incheswide.Andwhy?Simplybecausethiswas,roughly,thewidthoftwohorses’backsides.

Sotheshuttle,oneofthepinnaclesofmoderncivilisation,failedduetothefactthatthesolidrocketboostershadtobethesizetheywerebecauseofthebacksidesofRomanhorses’backsides.

________________________

Ratherthanjustcontinuingthestatusquo,itistimetoreconsiderwhyandhowwedelivereducationthewaywedo.ThisistheMyddeltonCollegePedagogy.

In1897,JohnDewey,Philosopher,Psychologist&oneofthefirstEducationalReformers,wroteanarticletitled“MyPedagogicalCreed”(1897). In it,hesetsouthisbeliefsonwhateducation isandshouldbe–mostofthesearestillvalidtoday.One,inparticular,holdsastrongresonance:

“Thepathofleastresistanceandleasttroubleisamentalrutalreadymade.Itrequirestroublesomeworktoundertakethealterationofoldbeliefs.”

(Dewey,1897)

ThePedagogicalFrameworkThe foundations and framework of the Myddelton Pedagogy come from three distinct sources;ResearchfromMicrosoftonanewsetof‘soft’skillsforthe21stCentury(the21stCenturyLearningDesign {21CLD} framework), the work of educational researchers / psychologists such as RobertMarzano and his ‘Dimensions of Learning’, and an in-house concept of Three Pillars of personaldevelopment.21stCenturyLearningDesignAschoolcommittedtopreparingyoungpeopleforthefutureneedstorethinkitsveryfoundationsonwhich its very purpose is prepared. The old foundations of the 'Three R's' (Reading, Writing,Arithmetic)arefine,andstillvalid,butgonowherenearfarenoughinprovidingtheskillsneededformodernlife.ThethreeR'scomefromanerawhereitwasonlynecessarytopreparethebulkofschoolleaverstobesufficientlyeducatedenoughtofollowinstructionsonthefactoryfloor...Ourstudentsdeservetohopeformuchmorethanthatandsoneedamuchgreatersetofskillstoenablethemtosucceed!Followingglobalresearch,sponsoredbyMicrosoft,wehaveplacedasetof6skillsasthefoundationsonwhicheverythingwebelieveinisbuilt(Shearet.al.,2010;Cavanaughet.al.,2014).These21CLDskills,then,formourfoundationsandeverythingwearebuildingrestsonthem.These6skillsfromtheheartofthe21stCenturyLearningDesignprogrammeare:CollaborationTheneedtocollaborateinthemodernworldismuchmoreessentialthaneverbefore.Tasksaremorecomplexthaneverbeforehand;jobstodayrequireteamworkandcollaborationtobeattheheartofourdailyworkingpattern.Thedaysofputtingcompetitioninsidetheclassroomarelonggoneandaschoolthatstillseeacademicachievementasacompetitionbetweenstudentsisonestillbasingitspracticeinthe18thcentury!Thereisahealthyplaceforcompetitioninschools(whichiswhywe'rehavingtraditional'houses',withstudentscompetingtogainpointsfortheirhouseinvariousways),but not in the classroom - learning is best done together, learning off and with each other in acollaborativeenvironment.KnowledgeConstructionThis is awhole article in its own right, but simply, there are three 'levels' to knowledge - factualacquisition,wherewelearnnewfacts,isthesimplest.Youngchildrenlearnfactsveryquickly,asanyparentwilltestifywhentheir6-year-oldcanrecitethenamesofeverydinosaurthateverlived!!Thisisthemostbasiclevelofknowledge,however(althoughithappenstobethemosteasilyassessedandsoformstheheartofwesternexamsystems).Learningshouldn'tstophere,howeverandaccordingtoCosta&Kallick (2000), knowledgeisbetterwhenit'sintegratedintoastudent'sexistingframeworkofunderstanding-whenit's'owned'bythem.This is, toa lesserextentstillpartof theexaminationsystemandso is sometimes focussedonbyschools.However,thehighestlevelofknowledgeisthecreationofnewstructures,wherethestudentisusingtheacquiredknowledgetocreatenewconceptsintheirmind;whentheyareextendingandrefiningtheirunderstandingof theworldaround them.This is knowledgeconstructionandhappens tobealmostimpossibletoexamineincurrentsystems(makingitsomethingthattoomanyschoolssimplyignore).

Self-RegulationInordertocollaborateeffectively,apersonneedstobeincontrolofthemselvesfirstandforemost.Self-regulation,theabilitytounderstandandcontrolone'sownemotionsandmotivations,isacrucial'modern'skillthatourstudentsneedtolearn.This isoneofabroadumbrellaof 'soft'skillsthatisfrequentlyignored,withtheassumptionthatstudentswilllearnitthroughtheprocessofgrowingup.Thisclearlyisn'tthecaseforasignificantnumberofyoungpeople.RealWorldProblemSolvingThe best educators always try to ensure that new knowledge is framedwithin 'real life', but forknowledgetobefullyintegratedintoaperson'smind,itmustbeappliedtosomethinginthephysical,realworld.Ican,forexample,learnallaboutplayingtennisfromabook&watchingitontheTV.Icanevenlearnhowtoplayusing,forexample,ahandcontrolleronaconsole.IcancompareittoplayingotherracquetsportsIhaveplayed,butuntilIstandonatenniscourtandplayarealopponent,Ihavenotfullylearnthowtoplaytennis.EffectiveuseofICTIhavesaiditbefore,butwillsayitagain;Technologyalonecannotchangeanything,butwithoutit,wewillnothavelastingchange.Technologyisanintegralpartofourworld,oursociety,andweneedtoembraceitanduseitinthemosteffectivewaypossible.Thisisthroughembeddingitsuseintothedailypracticeofschoollife,sothatouryoungpeoplelearnhowtouseittomaketheirliveseasier.Wefallintothetrapfartooeasilyofassumingthatallyoungpeopleareexpertsintechnology-infactthisisspreadthroughconceptsof'digitalnatives'vs.'digitalimmigrants'(Prensky,2001).Thetruthismuch more complex and our young people need as much help and support in navigating thetechnologicalworldastheydonavigatinganewcity.Whilsttheymaybetheexpertsinusingsocialmediastreams,theyarenomoreconfidentorcapableofusingtechnologytoenhancetheirlivesasweare.Weneedtoexplicitlyhelpandsupporttheminthisjourneyasmuchasanyother.SkilledCommunicationWiththeworldbeingsomuchmoreconnected,theartofcommunicationisanothercrucial'soft'skillthatouryoungpeopleneednowmorethaneverbefore.Whetherit'sstandinginfrontofanaudiencedeliveringa speech (Secretambition -my lifelongambition is todeliveraTED talkat theirannualconferenceinVancouver!),or'sellingyourself’atajobinterview,theartofdeliveringapowerfultalk,withpassionandskill,isonethatcanenhanceeveryyoungpersonandshouldbetaughtinschool.

DimensionsofLearningMorethanjustaneducation

“Beingagreatschoolrequiresmorethanjustprovidingthebestpossibleeducation,oratleastitrequiresadifferentviewofwhateducationis.”

Withthe21stCenturyLearningDesign(21CLD)skillsasthefoundationforeverythingweareabout,wethenneedtoensurewefullyre-thinkthehow,whatandwhyofwhateducation isabout.Thequoteabovecomesfromourcollegeethosstatementandis,insummary,exactlywhatweareabout;providing'great'educationbylookingdifferentlyatwhateducationactuallyis.There'saplethoraofeducationalinitiativesoutthere&eachyearoneseemsbecomethetrendy'goto'theorythat'sgoingtorevolutioniselearning;theyneverdo…Primarilybecausetheyhavebeenwatered down in translation through government committees, or because they have beenmistranslated by enthusiastic trainers looking for a new angle to sell professional development

coursestoschools.Whetherit's'VAK'orthemorecurrent'grit',thesefadsdoallhavesomebasisinacademicresearch;it'sjustthattheymissthepointwhentheyreachtheclassroom.Onewaytoavoidfadsistobasethewholepedagogyonasingle,thorough,lastingmodel.Alongsidethe21stCenturyLearningSkillsfoundation,wehavetakenontheworkofRobertMarzano(1992),wherehedescribes5'Dimensions'ofleaning,andembracingtheeffective'HabitsofMind',describedbyCosta&Kallick(2000).TheDimensionsofLearningprovideanentiredescriptionofeffective learningthatcanbeusedtoensurethathave,asourintroductiontoourethosstates,adifferentviewofwhateducationis.Thedimensions fitperfectly intoshort termplanning,andprovide further structure toembed the21CLDskills.Theyalsoprovide(ifneeded)aformaljustificationforputtingstudentwellbeingattheheartoftheschool.Thereare5Dimensions,asdescribedbyMarzanowhichtogetherprovideanentireframeworkfora21stCenturyschool:Dimension1:AttitudesandPerceptionsAttitudesandperceptionsaffectstudents'abilitytolearn.Forexample,ifstudentsviewtheclassroomasanunsafeanddisorderlyplace,theywilllikelylearnlittlethere.Similarly,ifstudentshavenegativeattitudesaboutclassroomtasks,theywillprobablyputlittleeffortintothosetasks.Akeyelementofeffectiveinstruction,then,ishelpingstudentstoestablishpositiveattitudesandperceptionsabouttheclassroomandaboutlearning.

This, then, provides a modern justification, also, of Maslow'shierarchyofneeds (1948) -Withoutensuring thata student feelssafe,secureandcaredfor(Maslow'sthree'lower'needs),thentheywillnotbereceptivetoanyeffectivelearning.Therefore classroom layout, pastoral structures, teacher-studentinteraction,allofthisisessentialingettingthefirstpartofbeingagreatestablishmentright.

Dimensions2,3&4:KnowledgeThecore4dimensions,then,outlinethedifferentlevelsandtypesoflearning,with knowledge acquisition, extension and use being the focus ofwhat theclassroomengagementisallabout…Dimension2:AcquireandIntegrateKnowledgeHelpingstudentsacquireandintegratenewknowledgeisanotherimportantaspectoflearning.Whenstudentsarelearningnewinformation,theymustbeguidedinrelatingthenewknowledgetowhattheyalreadyknow,organisingthatinformation,andthenmakingitpartoftheirlong-termmemory.Whenstudentsareacquiringnewskillsandprocesses,theymustlearnamodel(orsetofsteps),thenshapetheskillorprocesstomakeitefficientandeffectiveforthem,and,finally,internaliseorpractisetheskillorprocesssotheycanperformiteasily.

Dimension3:ExtendandRefineKnowledgeLearning does not stop with acquiring and integrating knowledge. Learners develop in-depthunderstandingthroughtheprocessofextendingandrefiningtheirknowledge(e.g.,bymakingnewdistinctions,clearingupmisconceptions,andreachingconclusions.)Theyrigorouslyanalysewhattheyhavelearnedbyapplyingreasoningprocessesthatwillhelpthemextendandrefinetheinformation.Thisisanotherofthekey21CLDskills.Dimension4:UseKnowledgeMeaningfullyThemosteffectivelearningoccurswhenweuseknowledgetoperformmeaningfultasks.Forexample,wemightinitiallylearnabouttennisracquetsbytalkingtoafriendorreadingamagazinearticleaboutthem.Wereallylearnaboutthem,however,whenwearetryingtodecidewhatkindoftennisracquettobuy.Makingsurethatstudentshavetheopportunitytouseknowledgemeaningfullyisoneofthemostimportantpartsofplanningaunitofinstruction.Thisis,inthe21CLDskills,theapplicationofknowledgetoreal-worldproblemsolving.

Dimension5:ProductiveHabitsofMindThe most effective learners have developed powerful habits of mind that enable them to thinkcritically,thinkcreatively,andregulatetheirbehaviour.Developingthesehabitsofmindis,effectively,theover-archinggoal,aswhenastudenthaseffectivehabitsofmind,theyaretheninastatewherelearningbecomessecondnatureandtheywilllearnthroughouttheirlives.

Lotsofschoolshavefocussedonexamresultsastheir'measurable', boasting about how many studentsgained some arbitrary measure of 'success'. Othersboast about preparing students for careers,completelymissingthepointthatstudentsneedtobeabletore-createthemselvesmanytimesoverinthemodernworkplace.Forus,wewantourstudentstoleavewiththeskillsnecessaryforcontinued,sustainableandreallife-longlearning. A huge part of this is the development ofdeep learningtools,orasArtCostadescribedthem,effective'HabitsofMind'.Themosteffectivelearnershavedevelopedpowerful

habitsofmindthatenablethemtothinkcritically,thinkcreatively,andregulatetheirbehaviour.Thesementalhabitsare:

Criticalthinking

• Beaccurateandseekaccuracy• Beclearandseekclarity• Maintainanopenmind• Restrainimpulsivity• Takeapositionwhenthesituationwarrantsit• Respondappropriatelytoothers'feelingsandlevelofknowledge

Creativethinking

• Persevere• Pushthelimitsofyourknowledgeandabilities

• Generate,trust,andmaintainyourownstandardsofevaluation• Generatenewwaysofviewingasituationthatareoutsidetheboundariesofstandard

conventionsSelf-regulatedthinking

• Monitoryourownthinking• Planappropriately• Identifyandusenecessaryresources• Respondappropriatelytofeedback• Evaluatetheeffectivenessofyouractions

Thereishugeoverlapbetweenthe21CLDframeworkandDimensionsofLearning,asoutlinedinthistable:

ThreePillars

Ourdeepestfearisnotthatweareinadequate.Ourdeepestfearisthatwearepowerfulbeyondmeasure.

Itisourlight,notourdarknessthatmostfrightensus.Weaskourselves,WhoamItobebrilliant,gorgeous,talented,andfabulous?Actually,whoareyounottobe?

Yourplayingsmalldoesnotservetheworld.

Weareallmeanttoshine,aschildrendo.

Itisnotjustinsomeofus;itisineveryoneandasweletourownlightshine,weunconsciouslygiveotherspermissiontodothesame.

(MarianneWilliamson–USpoliticalactivist)

Afterthefoundationsaresetright,theeducationthenneedstobebuiltstrongandfirm,sothatouryoungpeopleleaveuswithalltheskillsnecessarytosucceedinthefuture.We succeed, as an educational establishment, if our young people leave us ready to succeedthemselves,wherevertheyfindthemselves.Tothatend,therefore,wehavecreatedtheconceptofthethreepillars.Thesethreepillarsrepresentthethreeaspectsofwhatitmeanstobehuman.Theyare:• OurMental/Academicside• OurPhysicalside• OurEmotionalside

Some schools focus on the academic to the exclusion of all other; the'hothouses'thatprizeexamsuccess,producingyoungpeopleripeforburn-out when they go to university, or completely unskilled at dealing with'failure'becausetheyhaveonlyexperienced'success'.Othersprizethe'Adonis',thefootball/hockey/basketballacewhohelpstheschoolteamwinprizeafterprize.Thesportinghero,whothinkstheworldshouldowethemaliving.Andfewschoolstodaydomorethanpaylipservicetotheemotionalandmentalhealthsideofthemodernyoungperson.Thereisnodoubtthattheworldisamuchmorecomplexplacetogrowupinthaniteverwas,andyetsomanyschoolstakethe 'schoolofhardknocks'approachtosupportingyoungpeoplethroughthesevitalyearsintheirgrowth,withtheresultthatyoungpeopleleaveschoolnotjustunpreparedtocopewiththepressuresofmodernlife,butmoreoftenthannotleaveschoolswithbruisesandscarsdeepinsidethemselves,thathampertheirdevelopmentthroughouttheirlives.TheMyddeltonCollegePedagogychallenges thisandstates thatall threeaspectsofourselvesareequallyimportantandallthreearevitaltothegenuineandlong-termsuccessanddevelopmentofouryoungpeople.TheMentalPillarItisatruismthat,asaschool,weneedtoensurethatallourstudentsachievethebestthepossiblycan,academically,innational/internationallyrecognisedexaminations.Buttherearemoreroutestothisendthantheobviousonetakenbymosteducationalestablishments.Firstofall,academicachievement isa journey,notagoal; it is important toknowwhereayoungpersonstartsfrom,inordertoensurethattheycansucceed.Thisissooftenignored,intheraceofleague tables and the all-important headline figures, where young people are treatedmore as astatistic thanan individual. LevVygotsky, the20thCentury Soviet Psychologist, coined thephrase"ZoneofProximalDevelopment"(Vygotsky,1987);TheZPDdefinestheacademicareawhichisjustbeyondaperson'sunderstanding,butnotsofarbeyondthattheyhavenounderstandingofhowtoassimilatethenewknowledgeintotheirmentalframework.Vygotskywasthefirsttounderstandthatthestartingpointisjustasimportantasthegoalintermsofhelpingayoungpersongrowanddevelop.Soatrulysolidmentalpillartakesaccountofeachindividual'sstartingpoint,thenbuildsthejourneyso that theycanachievesuccess,growing in theirunderstandingof theworld,withouteverbeingmadetofeelstupid.

ThePhysicalPillarThisissomuchmorethansportingexcellence.AsalreadyoutlinedinDimension1(Marzano,1992),ifa student's physical self is not secure, then theywill not be in the best state to learn and grow.AccordingtoMaslow(1948),thePhysiologicalneeds(Food,water,sleep,etc.)arethemostbasic.SoatMyddelton,thePhysicalPillarincludescareandattentiontothedetailsofeverydaylife;Helpingouryoungpeoplehavehighqualitysleep(bytryingtopersuadethemtoturnoffdevicesatahealthyhour…),drinkingenoughwaterthroughouttheday,etc.Also,ensuringthatourcateringpartnersfullyunderstandourcommitmenttothehealthofouryoungpeople;foodmenuspreparedinconsultationwithanutritionist&planned,throughouttheyear,tocomplimentthecollegecalendar,withdifferentfoodshighlightedatdifferenttimesoftheyear&localsupplierspreferred,ensuringthatthefoodenteringthebodiesofouryoungpeopleisashealthyasitcanpossiblybe-anothertruismisthatweare,quiteliterally,whatweeat!Wemustn't forget the physical exercise aspects, however. Physical literacy, helping youngpeopleunderstandthemselvesasphysicalbeingsandhelpingthemextendthemselvesphysicallyaswellasmentally, has to be a priority of any well-rounded education. The Myddelton Outdoor Learningprogrammeisdesignedtoensurethateverystudenthasthechanceofsuccess,buildingonthesameprinciplesasthementalpillar&Vygotsky'sZPD.ByaddinginleadershipopportunitiesandskillssuchasFirstAid,theMyddeltonOutdoorLearningprogrammeprovidesastrongthreadtothispillar.TheEmotionalPillarIthasbeencalculatedthataweek'sworthofanymajornewspapercontainsmorenewinformationthanShakespeareencounteredinhisentirelifespan.Wearelivinginincreasinglycomplextimes,withmoreandmorepressuresonuseveryday.Foryoungpeople, this iseventruer,withthe internet,socialmediaandthecultofcelebrityimpactingontheirpsycheeveryday.There are trendy terms, such as developing 'Grit', or resilience,appliedtoschoolprogrammesthatattempttoaddressthis,butitisfartoooftenabolt-ontoexistingstructures,andassuchtendstoonlypaylipservicetowhatisavitalcomponentofayoungperson'seducation.Thisiswhyitisthethirdpillarinourpedagogy;withoutembedding an understanding of and sympathetic systems tosupportthedevelopmentoftheindividualasamemotionalbeing,thestructureisunstableandcaneasilybetoppled.FromMaslow'sperspective,oncethephysicalsidehasbeenaddressed,theentirehierarchybuildsontheemotionalstrengthoftheindividual.Fromthebasicsafetyaspect,withyoungpeople feelingsafe fromharm(physicaloremotional) inschool, through the important senseofbelonging, through todevelopingself-esteem, respect (forothers and self) & self-confidence, emotional strengths are integral aspects of a comprehensiveeducationandtheseaspectsneedembeddingineverystructurewithintheschool.

PedagogicalDesignInordertofullyintegrateandassimilatethesepedagogicaldriversintotheevery-daypracticeofourstudents and staff, there is a need to identify a number of key components that deliver the newpedagogy.

CurriculumDesignFromthetopdown,inordertotrulyintegratethesenewpedagogicalimperatives,thereisaneedtore-framethecurriculumpriorities.Yes,thereisstilltheneed,clearly,todeliverthecurriculumcontentasprescribedbytheNationalCurriculum,ESTYN&theExaminationBoards,buttheways inwhichtheseareorganisedand‘packaged’canbeadjustedtoprovideanewfocus:

Cross-CurricularThemingThishasbeendonetodeathinnumerousways,butfrequentlyfailsbecauseitismostoftenmerelypayinglip-servicetotherealityofthemedworkinginaneducationalsetting;apost-deliverymappingexerciseortick-boxtoprovethatthishasbeenconsidered.AspartoftheMyddeltonPedagogy,thisistakenmoredeeplyandformsthestartingpointofcurriculumplanning.Cross-curricularthemingisanessentialpartof21CLD,impactingonthe‘real-world’problemsolving&Knowledgeconstruction,aswellasDimension4.

Atasimplelevel,departmentswillworktoensurethattheirschemesofworkarealignedwitheachother where at all possible, so, for example, when the English department are delivering a topicaroundVictorianGothicHorror&Frankenstein,theSciencedepartmentwillexplore issuesaroundGeneticEngineeringandorgantransplantation.

Beyond that, therewill alsobeclosecooperative collaborationbetweendepartments, so thatkeyskillsaredevelopedconsistentlybetweensubjects,sothat,forexample,whenbroaderskills,suchasHealthyEating,areaddressed,allsubjectareaslookforlinkswithintheirdelivery.

Finally,thedevelopmentofConceptualcollaboration,wherethe21CLD,DimensionsofLearningandTheThreePillarsarereferencedandreferredtothroughoutallsubjectdocumentation.

GlobalPerspectivesWeareatrulyglobalschool,withstudentsjoiningusfromallaroundtheworldandalsopreparingthemtogoout tobemembersof theglobal community.To thisend,all subjectswillensure thatexamplesareusedthroughouttheirschemesofworktoemphasiseandevidenceglobalimpactsandinitiatives.

BlendedLearningAlthough this is,primarily, a curriculumdesignelement, it is alsoa cornerstone to theMyddeltonPedagogy.

Blendedlearningislearningthatenablesastudenttoaccesscontentandextendtheirunderstandingatanytimeorplacetheychoose. It isadeliveryofcurriculumcontentthroughavarietyofmedia,usingavarietyofmechanismsandacombinationofonlineandface-to-face(classroom)instruction.(Bonk&Graham,2012).Whatit isnot ise-learningtoreplacethesubtleandcomplexinteractionsbetweenstudentandteacher.

ICTalonewillnottransformlearning,butlearningwillnotbetransformedwithoutit.

Technologywillbeusedtodelivercontenttostudentsthroughthecollege’sOffice365environment,withvideotutorials,linkstoextramaterialandtheopportunitytoexploreandlearnnewcontentinreadinessforteacherengagement.Thisway,Dimension2(acquirenewknowledge)canbedoneatthestudent’sownpace,withtheexpertguidanceandsupportfromtheteacherreservedforthemoredifficult extending and refining (Dimension 3). This will, therefore, rely heavily on the concept offlippedlearning:

Flippedinstructionoraflippedclassroomisaformofblendedlearninginwhichstudentslearnnewcontentonlinebywatchingvideolectures,usuallyathome,andwhatusedtobehomework(assignedproblems) isnowdone inclasswith teachersofferingmorepersonalisedguidanceand interactionwith students, insteadof lecturing. This is also knownasbackwards classroom, flipped classroom,reverseteaching,andtheThayerMethod.(Nwosisiet.al.,2016)

Astudentwalkstoschoolwithasingledeviceintheirbag.A‘digital’penintheirpocketreplacingthepencilcase.Theygettoschool,turnontheirdeviceanditpingstotellthemthatthereareemailsfromtheirteacherswithinformation,notesanddeadlinesforthem.Theircalendarpopsuparemindertowarnthemthattheyhavetosubmitanassignmentlaterthatday.Inthelesson,theyopenuptheclasssharednotebook,wheretheteacherhasasection,there’saclasscollaborativeareaandthenthere’stheirownpersonalspace.Theyseetheteacherhasputthelesson’sobjectivesintheteachersection,sotheygrabthese&copythemintotheirdigitalexercisebook–allwithatapandswipemotion.Thentheygetouttheirdigitalpenandmakeafewnotesoftheirowntoexpandonthelesson.Theteacherthenengagestheclass,withdiscussions,notes,dialogue,etc(i.e.getsonwiththejobofinspiringandengagingthem,helpingthemtoconstructthenewknowledgeandembed it into theirunderstanding).The teacherwants toshowthemavideoclip– the link isaddedtothedigitalexercisebook,sothestudentcanreviewtheinformation.Thenthere’sanactivitythatrequiresthestudentstoworktogether–inthecollaborativespace,thegroupsworkonplanninganddevelopingtheactivity,withtheteacherabletojumpinandguidewhenthingsseemtobegoinginthewrongdirection.Attheendofthelesson,eachstudenthastheirown,rich,personalisedsetofnotes,withtheteacher’scontributionsaddedto, supplementedandenhanced throughthecollaborativeworkanddialoguethatwenton.Therewasnoroboticcopyingofteacher’swords,writtenonaboardorflashedupinPowerPoint,slavishlyre-writtenbythestudentbecausethat’swhathasalwaysbeendone–instead,there’sbeenmovement,discussion,debateanddialogue.Reallearninggoingonthroughcollaborativeeffort;theteacherguidingandsupporting.Andthestudentcloses their tabletandmovesontothenext lesson, torepeat theexperience inadifferentdigitalexercisebook.Orifthestudentisillathome,theycanlogintothelessonsastheyaregoingon,seetheteacher’snotesandcontributeasbesttheycan,withoutevenhavingtobethere.Homework is setby the teacherelectronically,with theactivity tobe completedavailable for thestudentintheirdigitalexercisebookandareminderaddedautomaticallytothestudent’selectronicdiary.(Howard,2015)Studentswill still be expected tohandwrite, andhandwrittenpresentation can still beprized andcelebrated.However,itbecomesaskillinitsownright,asopposedtotheonlymeansofcollectingandsortinginformation.Assuch,theskillsinvolvedtakeongreaterimportance,astheyareseenasofworthItheirownright.Allworkcompletedthiswaywillbescanned(usuallyusingthestudent’sdevice&‘OfficeLens’),toallowfortheteachertomarkandcommenton.Thishastheaddedbenefit

of allowing the student to preserve a well-crafted piece without it being potentially damaged intransit,orbeingmarkedandwrittenonbytheteacher.ClassroomDesignWithmaterialbeingpreparedinadvanceanddeliveredelectronically, there is no need for the traditionalwhiteboardinclassrooms.Infact,weneedtore-thinkthewholelayoutofthetraditionalclassroomtobetrulyeffective. According to the ‘SAMR’ model oftransformation(Puentedura, 2006),thereisarealneedto ensure that the concept of ‘classroom’ is, itself,redefinedtotrulyensurepedagogicalchange.

Classroomsshouldbemorecollaborative,co-operativeenvironments,inlinewiththeelementofcollaborationas identifiedbythe21CLDframework&Dimension4,nottomentionkeyelementsofDimension5(HabitsofMind).

Soclassroomsdonothavewhiteboards,noreven‘Interactive’whiteboards(whicharehardlyeverusedtrulyinteractivelyanyhow).TheoldchalkboardofourVictorianforbearsarenotsubstitutedbywhiteboards,orevenaugmentedbyformsofinteraction.Instead,apairofHDflatscreendisplaysineachteachingareaallowforamoredynamicenvironment.Withthescreenofanydevice(teacher’sor student’s)displayedon these screensat a flickof a finger, the scope for collaborating is vastlyincreased.

Italsohastheaddedeffectofencouragingacompletelydifferentdynamicintheclassroom;withtheteachernolongerstandingwiththeirbacktotheclass,thereisadifferentatmosphere.Youngpeoplearemoreintunewiththeir‘reptilian’brain{asopposedtotheiranimalorhumanbrain;thetriunemodelofbrainpsychology(MacLean&Kral,1973)}andsoaremoreattunedtosubtletiesof theirsurroundings;oneofthemostinsultingthingsthatoneanimalcandotoanotheristoturnitsbackontheother,indicatingthatthisotheranimalposesnothreattotheminanyway.Teachersdothiseverydaywhentheyturntowriteonawall-mountedboard.

Italsomeansthatmaterialmustbepreparedinadvance,again,showingrespecttothestudents–Dimension1,makingtheclassroomenvironmentonethatissafeandsecure.

Inourclassrooms,weareinstalling2flatscreenTVs,inplaceofthenowendemic'smart'boardandprojector.TheTVshavehigherqualitydisplays,highercontrastandareeasiertoseeinbrightlight(sothere'snoneedtohavestudentssittingindarknessasiftheywerevampiresoffthesetofaTwilightmovie).With teacher and student all having a touch-screenwindows 10 device in front of them, and allmaterialdeliveredthroughcollaborativeOneNotenotebooks,theclassroombecomesamuchmoredynamicenvironment.This,then,encourageseffectiveandrealuseofICT(oneofthe21CLDskills)And our classrooms are, therefore, bright, light and airy, with tables in 'clusters', to encouragecollaborativelearning.Staff are expected to treat all students with the same level of respect they would expect & theenvironmentencouragestheattitudeofcollaborativelearning(thefirst21CLDskill)&self-regulation(another21CLDskill),aswellasensuringDimension1iswellconsideredintermsoftheenvironment.

LessonDesignForlearningtobetrulytransformationalandprovideopportunitiesforstudentstodevelopideasandextendtheirknowledgemeaningfully,thereneedstobesignificanttimeandthoughtplacedonthelessondesign.Wehave createda4-phase lessondesign,whichprovidesopportunities todevelopDimensions 2, 3 & 4. As such, each lesson is expected to contain the following 4 phases, clearlyidentifiable:

i. ConnectionPhase–Studentslearningisplacedintothewidercontextandlinksaremadetoprior learningand toothercurriculumareas.Studentsarealsopresentedwithnewinformationinthisphase.

ii. KnowledgeConstructionPhase–Duringthisphaseofthelessonstudentsdeveloptheirdeeperunderstandingofwhatisbeingtaught.

iii. DemonstrationPhase–Studentsnowdemonstratewhattheyhavelearnedbyapplyingtheir knowledge to an unfamiliar situation or problem or by simply use their newknowledgeinameaningfulway.

iv. Consolidation Phase – During this stage of the lesson learning is reviewed and re-enforced. The lesson can then also be linked to the upcoming lesson to help enablestudentstoorganiseandsequencetheirnewknowledgeandlearning.

(Hattie,2008;Knight,2013)

AssessmentPracticesItisalsovitalthattheassessmentstrategiesareintunewiththepedagogyasdescribedhere.Schoolsarefullofdata,thevastmajorityofitpoorlyinterpretedandhardlyeverusedtoinfluencestudentprogress.In simple terms, there is very little (basic)dataneeded; all that isneededare the following threecomponents:

Ø Wheredoesthestudentstartfrom?Ø Whatshouldtheyaimfor?Ø Howaretheydoingintermsofachievingtheirgoal?

The‘wherearetheystartingfrom?’istherationaleforbaselining;ratherthanrelyingonanyresultsofnationaltests(thattendtotestknowledgeacquisitionaboveanythingelse),wehavechosentouseCognitiveBaselineTests,designedbytheUniversityofDurham(Forster&Metcalfe,2010).TheseCognitive testsprovideabenchmark fromwhichwecan thenprojecta ‘Most LikelyGrade’(MLG).ThisiscalculatedbylookingatthestatisticaloutcomesfromtheUniversityofDurhamresearchand then adding our own ‘aspirational’ component (we expect Myddelton students to achievesignificantlybetterthannationalaverage!).This,then,givesusthestartingpointandgoalfortheacademicjourneyofeachstudent.Beyondthis,wethenuseformativeassessmentstotracktheirprogresstowardstheirgoal.Thisassessmentcyclewillensurethattheassessmentsaremuchmorethanjusta‘marker’tofindoutastudent’scurrentunderstandingandwillinvolvedialoguewiththestudentsothattheycanplanhowtoimprove.Formativeassessment(assessmentthatinformsfuturegrowth)asopposedtosummativeassessment(assessment that measures the current level of understanding) forms the largest part of the

Myddeltonassessmentsystem;whilsttherearetimeswhenitisimportanttomerelycheckthecurrentlevelofastudent’sunderstanding,tobealignedtotheMyddeltonPedagogy,assessmentmustalwaysincludetheabilitytogrow,learnanddevelopfromassessmentprocesses.Formativeassessmentis,accordingtoBlack&Wiliam(2009),thebest,ifnottheonlywaytoensurethatlearningisenhancedandmadepersonalbythestudent.Withinthepedagogicalframework,formativeassessmentallowsfor movement between Dimensions 3 to 4 and back to 3, in a cycle that helps embed the newknowledgeintothestudent’smindmoresecurely.ThefollowingisanextractfromourAssessmentPolicy:Theassessmentcyclewillfollowthe‘MasteryCurriculumModel’wherestudentswillspendaperiodoftimelearningnewinformationanddevelopingnewandexistingskills.Thiswillbefollowed by a revision / consolidationweek, the actual assessmentweek and thenmostimportantly a review week. The assessment week will always take place during thepenultimateweekoftermandthereviewweekwilltakeplaceduringthelastweekofterm.Thereviewweekisthemostimportantpartoftheassessmentcycleasitinformsstudentshow to improve their work thus guaranteeing an improved performance in the nextassessmentcycle.Studentswillnotreceiveanysummativefeedbackontheirassessmentuntiltheyhavereviewedtheirformativefeedbackandacteduponit.Assessmentsarerenderedineffectiveifaproperstructuredreviewofthepieceofworkdoesnottakeplace.Withoutareviewanassessmentsimplysignpostsastudent’scurrentattainmentanddoesnotinformthemandallowthentopracticehowtoprogresstothenextlevelofattainment.ResearcherinResidenceOneofthecrucialaspectsofallofthisistoensurethatwedonotfallpreytoacommonproblemineducation; namely to follow the current, latest fad that comes around education. Far too often,conceptshavebeentranslatedintoeducational initiativesandthenspreadlikewildfirethroughoutthe culture. Multiple Intelligences is a classic example of this; whilst there is merit (indeed animperative)todelivercontentthroughmanydifferentwaystoengagedifferentpersonalities,thejuryis most definitely ‘out’ when it comes to a psychological basis for building a pedagogy aroundGardner’s9domains(Gardner,2006).

OurResearcherinResidenceiscurrentlyundertakingaPh.D.atCambridgeUniversity(havingobtainedaMastersatOxford)andhewillbeensuringthatalltheteachersatMyddeltonhaveaccesstotheverylatestglobalresearchintermsofwhatworksbestineducation,workingalongsidethemtoensurethatthestudentsgettaughtintheverybestwaypossible.

Also,hewillworkalongsideeachsixthformstudent,onaone-to-onebasis,tohelpeachindividualfindtheirperfectuniversitycourseandcollegeandthenworkwiththemtoensuretheypresentthebestpossibleapplicationtothecollege.Withextensiveexperienceof,and linkswith,anumberofRussellGroupuniversities,hewillprovideadviceandguidanceforourstudentsthatisquitesimplysecondtonone.Throughindividualtutorials,groupsessions,visitsandseminars,MyddeltonCollegewill provide a comprehensive support package to help every student access their best universitycoursepossible.

LeadershipThroughtheOutdoorsAsoutlinedintheThreePillarsabove,thephysicalaspectsofayoungperson’sdevelopmentareoftenoverlooked inschool,or separated fromtherestof thecurriculumandtreatedasaveryseparateaspectofschoollife.

Countertothis,wearebuildingphysicalliteracy,theunderstandingofourselvesasphysicalbeingsandtheimportanceofdevelopingourselvesasphysicalbeingsattheheartofthecollege.Studentswillbemadeawareofallaspectsoftheirphysicalside,fromthefoodservedthroughtothenatureandtypeofphysicalexerciseencouraged.

Whilstbulkteamsports,suchasFootball,Rugby,NetballandHockeyare,indeed,worthysports, itmustberememberedthattheyarepopularinschoolssimplybecausetheyservetooccupyalargenumberofstudentsatthesametime,withminimalinput.Foreverystudentwhoenjoyssuchsports,there isonewhowishes theposition 'RightBack'meant rightback in thewarmthof thechangingroom.Itisalsoworthnotingthatschoolsportsarefailingtoaddressagrowingcrisisofyouthobesityandinactivity;iftheseschoolsportsencouragedyoungpeopletobehealthier,therewouldbeteamsports groups growing in abundance andmore people would be outside participating than sit indarkenedroomscheeringontheirparticularcolourtribeinthatday'sfixture.Physical sport should encourage a young person to extend themselves and see themselves as aphysicalbeing-bybuildingaprogrammethat includesclimbing,caving,orienteeringandtriathlonsports, youngpeoplehaveawiderexposure towhat theyarecapableof.Alongside this, abroad,general and inclusive fitness programme, supported by measurable, observable and repeatableresults,isacorepartofourprovision.Thisprogrammepreparestheyoungpeopleforanyphysicalcontingency—notonlyfortheunknownbutfortheunknowable,too.

MyddeltonCollegeisaproudsupporterofBritishTriathlonandsponsorstalentedyoungtriathletesthroughvariousmeans.

StudentUniformEven the uniform the students are asked to wear is designed to support the core pedagogicalimperatives.Theuniformevolvesasthestudentsgrowthroughthecollege,withaverydifferentlookandfeeltotheuniformfor11yearoldscomparedtothe17yearolds’uniforms.

Fortheyoungeryears,theemphasisisondevelopingasenseofselfprideand‘belonging’,inkeepingwiththedifferentMaslowlevels,whilstprovidingapracticalsetofclothingthatwearswellandcopeswiththedemandsputonitbythisagegroup.

Oncethestudentsmoveintothe6thform,however,theuniformtakesonthestyleandconceptofacorporate, ‘boardroom’ suit; Saville row designed suits, in a subtle pinstripe, provide a look thatencouragestheyoungadulttoseethemselvesasasuccessfulperson,withabrightfuture;theywearthesuitwhentheygotointerviews,asopposedtosomanyyoungpeoplewhohaveneverwornsuchitems,whenthesuitdominatesthepersonality.

ThePEkit,too,isdesignedtoencourageinvolvement;basedonmodernoutdoorpursuitsmaterialsandstyles,thePEclothingisdesignedtobecomfortable,whilstprovidingtheperformancerequiredofeliteathletes.

_________________________

“Educationthusconceivedmarksthemostperfectandintimateunionofscienceandartconceivable.”

(Dewey,1897)

“Mostmenleadlivesofquietdesperationandgototheirgraveswiththeirsongunsung”

(Thoreau,2012)

Withapedagogyfitforthe21stcentury,builtonsolidfoundationsandconstructedfirmly,everystudentleavingMyddeltonCollegewillleaveabletosingtheirownsong.

A.J.Howard.2016

References

Black,P.,&Wiliam,D.(2009).Developingthetheoryofformativeassessment.EducationalAssessment,EvaluationandAccountability(formerly:JournalofPersonnelEvaluationinEducation),21(1),5-31.

Bonk,C.J.,&Graham,C.R.(2012).Thehandbookofblendedlearning:Globalperspectives,localdesigns.JohnWiley&Sons.Cavanaugh,C.,McCarthy,A.&East,M.(2014).EducationTransformationFrameworkOverview.http://download.microsoft.com/download/8/E/4/8E4D5383-058A-431E-9090-1F241AC23246/MS_EDU_BonusCoreOverview_v2.pdfMicrosoftCorporationCosta,A.L.,&Kallick,B.(2000).Discovering&ExploringHabitsofMind.ADevelopmentalSeries,Book1.AssociationforSupervisionandCurriculumDevelopment,1703NorthBeauregardStreet,Alexandria,VA22311-1714Dewey,J.(1897).MyPedagogicalCreed.InSchoolJournal.Vol54(January1897).Pp77-80

Forster,N.,Metcalfe,I.(2010).UsingMidYISIndividualPupilRecords(IPRs)toInformTeachingandLearning.UniversityofDurham

Gardner,H.(2006).Multipleintelligences:Newhorizons.Basicbooks.

Hattie, J. (2008).Visible learning: A synthesis of over 800meta-analyses relating to achievement.Routledge.

Howard, A. (2015). Tablets in the Classroom: A True Transformation. Retrieved fromhttp://edtechnology.co.uk/Article/tablets-in-the-classroom-a-true-transformation

Knight, O., & Benson, D. (2013). Creating Outstanding Classrooms: A Whole-school Approach. Routledge. MacLean, P. D., & Kral, V. A. (1973). A triune concept of the brain and behaviour. Published for the Ontario Mental Health Foundation by University of Toronto Press. Marzano, R. J. (1992). A different kind of classroom: Teaching with dimensions of learning. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1250 North Pitt Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 Maslow, A. H. (1948). “Higher” and “lower” needs. The journal of psychology, 25(2), 433-436. Nwosisi, C., Ferreira, A., Rosenberg, W., & Walsh, K. (2016). A Study of the Flipped Classroom and Its Effectiveness in Flipping Thirty Percent of the Course Content. International Journal of Information and Education Technology, 6(5), 348. Prensky, M. (2001) Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. Retrieved from http://marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf Puentedura, R. (2006). As we may teach: Educational technology. From Theory Into Practice. Online Sound Apple. Shear, L., Novais, G., Means, B., Gallagher, L., & Langworthy, M. (2010). ITL Research Design. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International. Retrieved from http://itlresearch.com Thoreau,H.D.(2012).Civildisobedienceandotheressays.CourierCorporation.Vygotsky,L.(1987).ZoneofProximalDevelopment.InMindinSociety:Thedevelopmentofhigherpsychologicalprocesses,5291