Red House Learning (aka Bill's Blog)

In December What’s the Story? , led by Tim O’Leary and yours truly, kicked off its Creative Conversations series, sixty-minute sessions devoted to educators connecting and crowd-sourcing resources for making school more student and learning centered. Each Creative Conversation focuses on one of the five learning laws described in Trust the Science: Using brain-based learning to upgrade our educational OS . Last month we held our fourth Creative Conversation , so we explored Learning Law #4: Humans construct their own understanding of their world.  After a brief framing--a three-minute reminder of learning’s wild nature --we broke out into three-person groups and crowdsourced their replies to the questions:  What opportunities are opening around us for making learning more student centered? What resources/models do we know of that can help students regain & retain their agency? Amidst the enthusiastic sharing of stories and resources, several participants noted that the deep need

During our most recent Creative Conversations--hour-long explorations of the Laws of Learning described in Trust the Science: Using brain-based learning to update our educational OS --we explored Learning Law #3: Why and how we assess learning, impacts learning. After a brief framing , participants reflected on their formal education, from kindergarten through their post-secondary courses. Why and how were you assessed, and what impact did that have on your learning? Next we moved into small breakout groups, giving everyone a chance to share their reflections and crowdsource resources re: assessing in ways that bring out the best in learners. We wrapped up our hour with a round of insights & wonders. One person asked, “If the systems and structures stay the same, how do we move forward? I’m wondering if this year is the year the ‘walls have come down’ and made it possible to change the way we offer things in the future.” Falling Walls? One of the human brain’s most remarkable

On January 6 What’s the Story? convened its second in a series of Creative Conversations, a monthly, hour-long exploration of the learning laws described in Trust the Science: Using brain-based learning to update our educational OS . On the docket was Learning Learning Law #2: We learn best by performing badly at something we want to get good at. After a five-minute lesson re: Learning Law #2 (and some private think time), we moved into breakout groups, where participants discussed and documented resources ( organized here for you ) that can help educators transition to brain-based practices aligned with this learning law. Where We Go Wrong As soon as teachers proceed with a curriculum that is disconnected from their learners’ most pressing desires and questions, they’ve lost the vital force that propels long-lasting learning--intrinsic motivation. Complaining about disengaged learners while teaching a curriculum divorced from students’ curiosity is like complaining that a car doesn’