‘ NEW ’ WAYS OF LEARNING
THE CHANGING EDUCATIONAL LANDSCAPE
EDUCATION
BY MIKE PIERCY , HEADMASTER , THE NEW BEACON
Let ’ s begin with ‘ old ’ ways of learning . We turn to ancient Greece and the Socratic Method of questioning using logic to tease out understanding ; to develop critical thinking . How much has changed , Covid or not ?
The end of the spring term 2020 saw an abrupt lockdown and closure of schools – a few days to move teaching and learning onto different platforms before the Easter holidays when preparations for the summer term began in earnest . It was clear we would not be returning to school anytime soon .
Come the start of the summer term I was to be found standing on our playing fields , mobile ‘ phone in hand , logged into the now eponymous ‘ Zoom ’. We felt it was important for our pupils to remain connected to their familiar territory to see their school was still there . It was the first of many assemblies , roaming the grounds , in and out of lag and signal , a metaphysical , virtual joining of the community . Chapel assembly , talking to a mobile on a music stand , unable to see , hear or feel the ‘ audience ’ response lent further understanding to something we already knew : human engagement and body language inform a discussion .
After a few sometimes hesitant , unsteady steps in some cases , the teaching staff embraced this new way of learning by delivering multiple live lessons daily . Boys would log into their ‘ meetings ’ and be taught . Not just taught , they would engage with their teachers for continued pastoral care and personal development , an integral part of the school experience . Parents of younger children were to be applauded as they enabled their children to access live lessons , to receive and send work via Office365 . For the older boys ( a boys ’ school !) email , OneNote and Teams became a way of life – the world according to Microsoft .
It was a joy to have a full school again in September with due credit to all members of the community as they adapted to one way systems , bubbles , changes to routine and sanitising stations sprouting everywhere . Even the most anxious had their fears eased by the joy of being reconnected ; together once again . I suspect many children did not realise just how much they had missed school , their teachers , their friends .
Plunged into isolation once again in January , we picked up where we had left off having learnt from the previous experience . This time , however , pupils ’ and teachers ’ skills were embedded . In the dark winter days , though , the isolation was felt more keenly . Mornings began with ‘ form time ’, an opportunity for the boys to connect with each other and with their teachers – human connection and pastoral care .
So what have we taken from this experience ? Not just schools but commercial organisations also have had to develop systems to continue functioning as effectively as possible – change which would otherwise have taken many months if not years . Our first steps were to assess just how much the pupils ’ learning had been affected by enforced absence : where were the gaps ? We have been pleasantly surprised by our findings which seemed to underline the efficacy of our remote teaching and learning programme .
With older boys particularly the use of email , OneNote and Teams has been retained . We embarked on a major upgrade of our IT infrastructure and are looking at the future use of mobile technology in school for older pupils , with the key proviso that it must enhance learning . And this is a fundamental point : there is much already in the teacher ’ s toolkit , technology being just one tool which we must use wisely , in proportion , with professional judgment .
I return to Socrates and his belief that the role of the teacher or pedagogue was not to fill empty vessels but to develop critical thinking . A teacher ’ s most powerful tool is the discerning question . To question effectively requires knowledge of the individual ; their presence , the presence of others to enhance discussion , to explore points of view thus developing the thinking and learning of all .
Zoom , Teams and other virtual learning platforms certainly have their uses , indeed have been invaluable , but they are supplemental : there is no substitute for the classroom , for human engagement . Lockdown , closure and absence have reinforced most powerfully that school is more than a place ; it is an existence , a vital part of a child ’ s growth and being .
www . newbeacon . org . uk
157