Should you be in to Brainwashing?

Eric Jensen, author and professional development presenter has this to say about changing beliefs.  
 www.JensenLearning.com

The Research

Brainwashing is the altering of beliefs, knowledge or attitudes in the mind of another. The first of your two questions is, "Should I do brainwashing?" The answer is an emphatic, "Yes!" Second, "Why?" Humans live their lives and take actions based on their narratives. Our own narrative is the aggregate of our daily routines, habits and predictive decisions, actions, values and conversations we engage in. Humans are remarkably true to their own "story". At school, the story that students create and identify with is especially important.

For example, research tells us that one of the single greatest factors contributing to student achievement (ranking in the top 3) is the student's prediction (their likely path) of how they'll do in school (Hattie, JA, 2009). This factor tells us that a student's belief about their academic future is critical. This speaks to their optimism and hopes as well as their belief in their own capacity to learn and grow. Some students think they're "stuck" at their present cognitive level. This "fixed mindset" is deadly. In addition, a separate factor - the student's attitude, is also a moderately robust predictive factor, too (Blackwell, L.S., Trzesniewski, K.H., & Dweck, C.S., 2007). Taken together, these two factors can form either a significant asset or serious liability.

Teachers may think of a student as "sharp" or "slow" and these beliefs are typically counterproductive. Labeling students as either bright or "not showing much promise" changes outcomes (Rosenthal, R., & Jacobson, L., 1992). Teachers tend to favor those who show "more promise" and spend less time with the less promising individuals. In fact, the research shows that NOT labeling students to begin with is better, and it's a powerful factor in student achievement (Hattie, JA, 2009).

These actions can be a liability when teachers or parents frequently make use of ability-related labels ("You're smart" or "You're a little slow"), or describe students as maintaining stable academic levels of performance over periods of time. This can implicitly convey maladaptive and lowered expectations of ability to children (Heyman, GD, 2008). Our prediction of our future does, indeed, change our beliefs and actions (Chang, 2001).

The strength of these two factors suggests that you can gain enormous "return on effort" by altering them. In other words, by altering a student's prediction and attitude about how they'll do in your class, your chances are high that their changed attitude will change how they achieve. While struggling teachers often notice or complain about student "attitudes", one of the things that strong teachers do is to purposefully alter student perceptions of themselves.

Practical Applications

Our second question is, "How can I effectively change the minds of others?" First, be blunt! Tell your students explicitly, in plain English that "Your brain can change!" Let them know IQ is NOT fixed. Teach them that new learning can change the brain. Show them videos on people that overcame obstacles to change themselves (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3TQopnNXBU).

Focus on things that the student can alter, such as a strategy, attitude or effort. Labels can become an asset when teachers shift their thinking to that of a variable (not fixed) asset dependent. Author of Mindset, Carol Dweck, says that the way to talk to students is critical (2006). Check out this You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTXrV0_3UjY.

She suggests that you say:

"You really studied for your English test, and your improvement shows it. 

You read the material over several times, outlined it, and tested yourself on it. That really worked!" 

"I like the way you tried all kinds of strategies on that math problem until you finally got it." 

"It was a long, hard assignment, but you stuck to it and got it done. You stayed at your desk, kept up your concentration, and kept working. That's great!" 

"I like that you took on that challenging project for your science class. It will take a lot of work--doing the research, designing the machine, buying the parts, and building it. You're going to learn a lot of great things."

Starting today, you can begin to alter one of the single biggest achievement factors. You can stack the deck in your favor. You can alter what students think about themselves! You can do that by the way you talk about learning, the brain and change. It's just as, or even more, important for the staff to know this about themselves. Ensure that every single staff (without exception) understands that the brain can change (but not if the teacher does not change). This year, let's focus on changing brains with a HUGE attitude upgrade. A better attitude means you'll see more student effort. That will make all of our jobs easier!

In closing, whether you teach kids, serve as an administrator or staff developer, or are a parent of your own kids, you have an obligation to influence others. But if their brain is the same, there's no change in behavior or attitude. Changing attitudes is the kind of change that will provide the greatest return. What is your plan for positive brainwashing your students this year?

Eric has a great newsletter with articles like this.  Access it through the website. 

 www.JensenLearning.com

Who or what is NEVILLE?

Musgrave Hill State School on the Gold Coast in Queensland Australia has a history of working with professional development programs such as Teachers, Learners and Behaviours and Cooperative Learning, both instigated by two previous deputy principals. 

Most schools share a name of the suburb where they are located.  Musgrave Hill is not a suburb.  Often people did not know where the school is.  In marketing the school it was important to define a point of difference. 

Musgrave Hill has students that draw from outside the area as it is known as a school where children with special needs are successfully integrated and nurtured. This is what the school does really well. 

 It was as a result of a whole school commitment to developing the best possible learning experience for students and the implementation of ideas from the professional learning gained through professional development activities that led to a number of practices in the school.

 The notion of creating a class mission statement began initially with stage groups (multi-age class groupings) creating stage mission statements and a motto.  This in turn led to the individual classes creating their own mission statements and mottos.

 To embed this at the whole school level, the 2006 Triennial School Review led to the further development of the school mission statement.  This statement was in the strategic plan but was not something that readily came to mind for staff at the school.

 It became important that the school mission statement had value and that it became a permanent reference point for agreement about the direction of the school.  In 2011 this mission statement became part of a lengthy process of refinement. The final statement was the following.

  To nurture, engage and value individual differences for life long  learning,

empowering students

The acromyn NEVILLE that linked all the main words of the Mission Statement was born.  The next step was to try and decide what or who was NEVILLE.  Was he a mascot, a person, a doll, a caricature?  It proved hard to decide but through lengthy discussion of ideas a wordle using the mission statement was designed.

Peita Lack, Murray Gleadhill  and Candiece Ledwidge alongside the Mission Statement for the school.

 This re branding with the Wordle as the mission statement is now a highly visible and  an attractive descriptive statement for everyone entering the school to see. 

 Further work is planned to embed this mission statement as the basis for the qualities found in every classroom.  NEVILLE is not a person or a mascot or a caricature.  It needs to be embodied in everyone, in each classroom and play area of the school.  This is the next challenge.

 The fear that this will be just a one shot wonder will be dissipated when it does become part of the common language and the common understandings of everyone in the school – students and staff alike.

Study supports use of coaching

A 1989 research project was aimed at the following questions about a school which had undertaken a whole school Excellence in Teaching program two years previously.

What evidence is there to support an argument that most components of ETAC (Excellence in Teaching and Coaching) are still being used in the school?


What are these components?


Which components can be shown to have been instrumental in supporting and maintaining the program to a level at which it currently operates?


To what extent does the literature support these claims as critical in sustaining an inservice program in  the school?

The summary of the project states...

In response to the initial questions which form the focus of this study, the evidence gathered validates the claim that ETAC components are still being used in the school.  The components of the original content of the program, the peer coaching and the induction sessions have led to a residual effect and continue to influence classroom practice.  Each component is identified in the literature as a contributing factor that has sustained the effects of ETAC at this school.

Lecturing doesn't get results

This link takes you to an article that gives research about the value of lecturing.  We know that only a percentage of people learn best by auditory methods.  Even adding in visuals does not add much to the qualitative responses on tests.  Lecturing works for lower levels of knowledge and comprehension but not for higher levels.

Feedback after Collegial Coaching Program

This feedback was received from a participant in workshops on Collegial Coaching in a Western Queensland school

"I have learnt to not so much accept, but tolerate the things I cannot change.

I have seen what to do and what not to do within classrooms and whole school management.

I have become more resilient.

I have maintained high expectations for both myself and others.

I am more aware and responsive to the needs of adult learners."

Sandcastles Symphonies, Synergy

Broadbeach State School in Queensland, Australia is built on a prime piece of land across the road from the popular Gold Coast beach of the same name.
  
The following image represents the vision for the school  The sand castle represents the beach frontage; the concept of building something; the notion that no structure is ever without movement and change - and children build sand castles

 Children enter at the base because they are the foundation of the building.


Every teacher takes responsibly for the seven capabilities of the Australian Curriculum but every teacher is takes part in a capability team. The capabilities - the components of a 21st century curriculum - are the 2nd tier of the sand castle.


The 3rd tier shows what we value--building social and moral capital at the top; followed by intellectual capital; followed by leadership capital in both our teachers and students. Underpinning the values is financial capital because without this the whole school falls down.


Leadership capital means that each teacher leads a capability and many also have other roles as well. Every Year 7 student is a leader of something. We also have a student council


The vision- Broadbeach State School- Building Futures - for all - staff and students.


This school recently undertook a workshop entitled No-one can Whistle a Symphony.  As part of a team building exercise the staff completed an indicator to learn about their need strengths.  This led to forming groups of similar needs profiles and creating a 'perfect' staff room. This resulted in great hilarity as people found others who had similar need strengths.

EDUCATOR OBSERVATION DAY

An Educator Observation Day is where teachers and leadership teams are invited to observe the coaching process in action.  Mudgeeraba Special School is holding such a day on June 1st from 9.00 - 2.00 pm

Participants in this day will be involved in a workshop that provides information and a compelling rationale for coaching as a way to increase teacher morale and impact on learning outcomes.  Visitors then will be able to observe the coaching process in action in a number of settings.

One setting will be a coach negotiating observation criteria for a meeting to be conducted by Colleen Hope the principal of Mudgeeraba Special School.  This will be followed by a post conference session to provide the opportunity for Colleen to self evaluate and receive feedback at the end of the meeting.

Fifteen coaches were trained in October 2010 and a number of these coaches will demonstrate live the coaching process using video tapes of recent lessons in the school.

Yvana Jones (Assistant Director General Teaching& Learning) Mudgeeraba Special School “Principal for the Day” will open the day.

If you are interested in attending please contact me by email