Inspired by TED

As educators we are constantly seeking inspiration from the world and people around us that we can pass on to our students, adding colour, depth and real-life relevance to their learning.  Students never cease to amaze us with their ability and willingness to question, experiment and reach for goals and this, in turn inspires us to continue in our quest for new thinking and ideas.

In my own on-going search for external inspiration, and as part of my commitment to continuing my professional development and remaining open to ideas and exploring the new concepts, I have been drawn time and again to TED.  If you haven’t come across TED, it is a forum for the sharing of ‘ideas worth spreading’; a catalogue of inspiring, amusing and, sometimes, truly brilliant presentations which, combined, represent a unique and first-rate lifelong learning resource.  The TED conferences are expensive to attend but the website delivers access to the presentations for free.

From an education perspective, Sir Ken Robinson is a must-watch and my favourite of his, ‘Changing Education Paradigms’, is an animated trip through controversial thinking about the reform of public education across the world.  It looks at the role of education in preparing children to enter an uncertain global economy and multicultural society and charts the need for fundamental change in an education system which was designed, conceived and structured for the needs of a different age – gripping and highly entertaining: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/ken_robinson_changing_education_paradigms.html

Another Ken Robinson presentation worth watching is ‘Schools Kill Creativity’, originally presented live back in 2006, which demonstrates Ken’s innovative thinking, much of which is mirrored by the Foundation’s beliefs.  You can see it here: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html

Other interesting speakers, this time from outside of education, include Simon Senik. Simon talks about leadership using Apple, the Wright Brothers and Martin Luther King to punctuate his points: http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action.html

And, for a little light relief, everyone should watch Derek Sivers’ ‘How to Start a Movement’: http://www.ted.com/talks/derek_sivers_how_to_start_a_movement.html

Enjoy!

Demanding thought does not result in unhappiness

Opinions published in the Daily Telegraph today, prompted by a piece in the Times Education Supplement last week, highlight the vulnerability that some children suffer in the schools of teachers with naïve and idealistic views.

In an extremely competitive workplace, with alarming levels of graduate unemployment, a CV that demonstrates high levels of academic achievement, coupled with a generous show of extra-curricular and practical experience, should be the aim for every capable student and their teachers, to give them the best possible opportunities.

It is naïve and wrong to assume that students who taken an easier or undemanding route will be happier. Unfulfilled potential is anything but happy – how many adults have you heard say “I wish I had…..”?

The answer is that all students deserve and should receive expert guidance and counselling to give them confidence in their subject and university choice, helping to ensure they embark on a path that is both happy and fulfilling.

Dare to be ambitious, personally and professionally

I talked a few weeks ago about the purpose of education and, with much media focus on exams and league tables in the past week, together with some persuasive reporting on what employers are looking for, I want to delve a little deeper into the question of what students can, and should, expect from their schooling and whether what they are offered is fit for purpose.

Current protocol dictates that our sixteen and eighteen year olds demonstrate how much they know about a raft of subjects grouped under arts, science, language categories and so on. Each subject is labelled and its boundaries clearly defined to ensure that students’ learning need cover nothing more or less than what is required by their final examinations. These examinations are the culmination for thirteen years of schooling, the sum total of around 533 weeks in school for every sixth form leaver.

Three or four crisp certificates at the end are the ultimate objective and, for many, these are seen as the major part of their ticket to a further three or more years of study. Is this really enough? Shouldn’t we be expecting more of, and for, our children from around 20,000 hours each of schooling? Surely the answer is yes we should. Education is not just about instilling knowledge, it’s about developing skills and character.

It’s about giving youngsters the broadest possible experiences and exposure to the widest global perspective, so that they can dare to be ambitious, personally and professionally. You may have seen reports about Wimbledon High School teaching children ‘how to fail’ as part of a ‘Failure Week’. Whilst I am uncomfortable with the terminology, we certainly do have a responsibility to teach them about taking risks and learning to bounce back from set-backs, to be determined and resilient. It’s about making and taking choices.

This is why we have wholeheartedly embraced the ethos of the International Baccalaureate (IB). Whilst we recognise that the qualification itself will not be for everyone, the IB promotes curiosity and independent exploration of concepts and ideas. It also cuts across the traditional subject boundaries, something we promote in numerous cross-curricular initiatives in both the Junior and Senior schools and something that comes naturally in early years. It encourages deep and lateral thinking, outside of subject specifics and in to issues of local and global significance. It breeds reflective risk-takers and entrepreneurial spirit.

Reading recent reports, the business community believes that our school leavers and university graduates are ill equipped in many ways for the workplace. This is because, for most children, school and the traditional examination system do not furnish them with the open-minded, collaborative, robust outlook and thinking skills that are prized by employers.

The IB ethos ticks all these boxes and more. But where does that leave the majority of sixth-formers who are studying A’Levels and not IB? All of our sixth form students follow the IB Theory of Knowledge (ToK) course, helping them to develop new ways of thinking and powers of critical analysis. ToK transcends and links academic subject areas, giving students a richer and more relevant learning experience, and skills with which to apply their knowledge with greater awareness and credibility. From conversation with students who have left the College, it is clear that ToK has not only proved to be extremely valuable for university and employment interviews, but throughout life!

Educating the ‘ones to watch’

The Cities Outlook 2012 report published last week tips Cambridge as one of five ‘cities to watch’.  The report credits the city’s dynamic private sector, high number of skilled residents and ‘knowledge workers’ (lawyers, accountants, and so on) with bucking the national trend and propelling the city into this position.   For those of us living and working in this great city there is little surprise in this finding.

The Silicon Fen began to emerge as a growing force in business innovation in the 60s and now is one of the most important global technology centres with over 1,600 high-tech companies.  The Meerkats and Avatars event at St John’s Innovation Centre in December showcasing some of the extraordinary innovation being born of these companies was truly something to see.

Many of these companies have a connection with Cambridge University and one measure I believe that’s missing from the Cities Outlook index is the extraordinary learning environment that feeds this ‘city to watch’.

Not only do we have one of the world’s most acclaimed universities, we are fortunate enough to have some of the best maintained and private schools in the country, injecting bright young talent into its entrepreneurial business environment.

It is, of course, impossible to measure the true impact and contribution of education and, along with many other schools, the Stephen Perse Foundation does not believe that measuring schools’ success by exam results alone has any meaning other than in league tables.  The real value of education is its ability to inspire its students so that as individuals they aspire to achieve great things in their professional and personal lives and this may include joining the ranks of entrepreneurs in our Silicon Fen.   So, surely there is a whole category of ‘ones of watch’, in the form of a generation of ‘aspirers’, missing from the Cities Outlook index, who should take their rightful place alongside the ‘knowledge workers’ in driving the region’s success.

A recent visit to our school by entrepreneurs from the Californian Silicon Valley focussed on the impact of the Internet and green technologies.  This was the first of many such events in our ‘Inspire Me’ programme.  Of course we’re not alone in delivering thought provoking and visionary programmes like this and that’s part of the rich education landscape of Cambridge that we value and which contributes to the city’s success and to making it ‘one to watch’.

Towering assessments

The Daily Telegraph carried a piece on Monday examining the case for updating the Common Entrance test, currently sat by more than 20,000 children a year in private prep schools. Criticised for being too focused on the “simple regurgitation of factual knowledge”, there is a call for an overhaul that would place less emphasis on factual knowledge and recall in favour of a test that promoted key skills and aptitudes such as problem-solving, teamwork or the ability to marshal an argument.

Schools must try to ensure that they reward those things that they most value and one key expression of this recognition is in the way that a school conducts its entrance testing. What is it that a school is looking for in its students? While some students excel in standard entrance tests, others may not, and over the years we’ve found that those who don’t do so well at a traditional written test or interview may in fact be very well-suited to the style of education at our schools, where pupils and students are given the freedom and support to really think.

So, this year we decided to do something a little different with our annual entrance assessment day for potential Year 7 students. In line with the school’s thinking skills ethos and curriculum, which promotes collaboration, decision-making, problem solving and creativity, we included a new practical team challenge as part of the day’s exercises. The girls were divided into small groups and each group was tasked with building an economical ‘spaghetti tower’, able to support a golf ball as high above the table as possible. Each team was able to ‘buy’ an unlimited amount of spaghetti strands and jelly babies in order to construct their tower. However, just like in the real world, the overall cost was taken into consideration, with prizes not only for the tallest tower but also for the most economical tower able to support a golf ball.

As the first test of its kind devised by the school, I’m delighted to say that the challenge was a huge success. Not only did it help candidates to relax and enjoy their first experience of the Stephen Perse Foundation but it provided staff with a wider view of their individual strengths and capabilities, enabling us to make more informed decisions about whether our school is the right place for them.

In a week when there has been much discussion about the shortcomings of the Common Entrance system, I’m proud that the Foundation is prepared to innovate in its approach to entrance testing. I hope that others will follow suit so that the assessment of more intangible characteristics and qualities becomes more widespread.

Apple’s digital textbooks welcomed

Yesterday’s announcement that Apple is moving into digital textbooks is very welcome as we continue to implement our vision for a future of teaching with technology.  

Since 2010, we have been implementing a forward thinking technology strategy for teaching and learning within its schools and now we are ahead of the curve, having fully embraced the digital age. We believe that technology such as the iPad have such transformational qualities that we are in the process of creating a futuristic classroom within the school, where the very latest technology can be trialled. Teachers throughout the school, from pre-prep to sixth form college, already work with iPads and all students in the senior school will be issued with their own iPads from September.

 This technology is totally liberating for teachers.  The creative possibilities for engaging with students with the help of iPads are endless and our teachers are enjoying exploring and utilising interactive apps, for example, to animate their lessons.  IPads also offer a fantastic tool for collaborative learning, whether students are inside a classroom or working at home.  We have here a technological tool which truly facilitates 24/7 learning.  The students are really enthusiastic about new technology and the introduction of textbooks for the iPad is very exciting.

The provision of new technology, such as iPads, to students doesn’t come without its potential issues though and, in the internet age, we understand that students need to be given careful guidance and boundaries within which to work.

We have a strong emphasis on thinking skills and learning habits, designed to foster intellectual, personal and moral character in our students.  Through this ethos and associated teaching practices, children develop a strong moral compass which is vital in this virtual world which has no natural boundaries.

Urgent action needed on teenage emotional wellbeing

Last week, research from the Children’s Society showed that one in ten children in the UK over the age of eight is unhappy.   The underlying causes of this unhappiness may be widely debated but a 2011 study by Relate unearthed some grim findings.  It concluded that of thirty 16 year olds, 8 would have experienced severe physical violence, sexual abuse or neglect; one would have experienced the death of a parent; seven would have reported being bullied; and ten would have witnessed their parents separate. 

Echoing these statistics and adding to my disquiet, the NSPCC reported in 2011 that almost one in five secondary school children have been severely abused or neglected during childhood and 200,000 children in England live in homes where there is a known risk of domestic violence. 

Since 2009, calls to the NSPCC Helpline about neglect and physical abuse have almost doubled, a fact that I believe can be at least partly attributed to the stresses of the recession.   In Cambridge city, one in nine people now lives in households receiving Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit. 

The sad irony is that while the statistics paint an increasingly alarming picture, funding cuts are seriously exacerbating the situation, and major problems are storing up for the future, both for our young people and their families, and as a growing burden for the NHS.   Even though it’s generally accepted that early intervention is the key, the situation is now so dire and the referral waiting lists for professional advice and treatment so long that a huge and growing number of young people are not getting the help they need.

Some of us may be lucky enough that these issues seem far removed from our daily lives.  However, the reality is that, in Cambridge and the surrounding villages, there is a huge and growing number of children and teenagers desperately in need of help.   

I have been working in education all of my adult life and I know that in each and every private and state school there are children and teenagers facing challenging emotional issues of varying degrees.  A small proportion of these children will undoubtedly need long-term professional treatment but the majority can be helped to find a way through their issues with just a little counselling help.   

It is an absolute travesty that this situation is playing out on our doorsteps and action really needs to be taken.