Teaching Today

After listening to the Teaching Today Podcast  by the New Zealand Teachers Council about Modern Learning Environments (MLEs), I have many thoughts and ideas going through my mind. Some interesting points were discussed and in particular, these thoughts below resonated with me the most.

MLEs are about meeting the needs of all children. They are physical spaces that are fit for purpose and they offer spaces that can adjust and change as needs arise. They allow a range of different ways for teaching to be delivered and as a result, more individual needs  and learning styles of individuals can be met. I personally like the way that MLEs encourage more collaboration, learner autonomy, flexible spaces and they create a wider range of possibilities to meet the needs of the children. Having taught in both single cells and MLEs, I can see how the later can allow for more progressive and innovative teaching and learning. They align themselves nicely with inquiry and Project Based Learning, critical thinking and creativity, however this is not to mean that traditional instruction does not have a role to play, because it most certainly does.

There is no doubt that the physical space enhances learning and with MLEs there is a greater way to implement and better prepare children for the future by teaching them 21st Century Skills that they will require to be successful citizens. However, quality teaching and the quality of teachers has the highest impact on student achievement and learning. This podcast spent time discussing the importance of Professional Development (PD.) With the shift from single cell to MLEs we need to be thinking - which children will be at an advantage/disadvantage? What can we do to address the needs of all learners? How can we best meet the needs of the 20% 'tail'? These are all questions that need to be asked when designing new learning spaces too. PD needs to be offered to support the change for teachers too. Trust is vital between colleagues teaching in MLEs. There needs to be time to collaborate together and plenty of professional dialogue. I can personally say that teaching in an MLE has made me reflect on my teaching more. I can talk with my colleagues openly and honestly when things may not be working and ask or seek advice on how to best meet the needs of the children. 

One of the most interesting points for me and one that is of great importance for me, as my eldest daughter is due to start school next year, is the link between Early Childhood spaces and MLEs. They talked about Early Childhood (EC) as being the original MLEs (something that I had not really considered.) It makes sense that children starting school will be used to MLEs but I agree with the panel when they said that there needs to be better conversations between EC and primary schools on how to successfully transfer children into early school life (and this is why parents should be open to play based learning - however I feel there needs to be more conversation and greater parent awareness on this matter...which is a whole different ball game...) Naturally, parents are conservative and concerned for their children and want them to get the best education possible. MLEs are considered to be 'experimental' and many parents are reluctant to the idea of flexible learning spaces. There is definitely a challenge out there to educate parents on MLEs.

Personally, I like teaching in a MLE. I enjoy being able to have relationships with a number of students and I like the fact that children can connect with a variety of teachers. I am able to learn from my colleagues and have other professionals to discuss and reflect on my practice with each and every day. I can see children being able to connect with a wider variety of people and this allows them to become better collaborators and communicators - there is naturally more group work and discussion and children are encouraged to take more personal responsibility for their learning. With the flexibility of the space comes the flexibility to implement a variety of different teaching styles and techniques that gives you a chance to cater for all your learners.