Arrangements
From UpdateNet English
It is clear that when a strict timetable dictates the rhythm, when the teacher says what is happening and what is good or bad, independence and individual responsibility stays behind, at least in the classroom. If it was the real goal, the organizational premises would have to allow it. Independence and individual responsibility could be developed and encouraged effectively in open settings.
But, it is about much more, it is about handling diversity. “In the course of increasing internationalization and integration of demographic, economic and social developments the traditional structures and understanding of roles change” States Monica Gather Thurler. ‘People of different origin, race, culture, religion, philosophy or factual competence, with different age, sex, sense of humor live and work together at the same work place, in schools, businesses, companies, institutions and project teams.’ (Gather Thurler 2006). Against this background, dealing with diversity in a constructive and creative way is a success factor. Heterogeneity is not a problem, but a chance, a resource that is to be used.
In other words: It is not only about tolerating diversity but also ‘emphasize it in a sense of positive appreciation, with the goal of:
- creating an achievement oriented work climate
- preventing discrimination of minorities
- increasing the chance for equal opportunities
On the contrary to the usual conflict resolution approaches the minority is not in the focus but the collectivity in its diversity.
(…) Diversity Management distances itself from the usual ‘conventional’ approaches of deficit orientation and principle of after care, which comes from the idea that gaps have to be closed, things missed or not succeeded in have to be put in order, ‘somebody’ (family, friend in higher levels, the school team, students) did something wrong in the past. It is well known that the only thing produced are self-esteem issues. On all levels of the organization school, from school systems and networks to the individual school building or classes, the question is: (…) which change in attitude, thinking and action processes, which framework requirements and structures are necessary for us to learn how to free and encourage the resources and potentials of the individual in favor of the collective?’ (Gather Thurler 2006)
Contemporary arrangements see a different exposure to time and space. School understands itself as some sort of work meeting, as a community of learning and living, and that’s what it creates room and space for.
In principle the school has three possibilities to design their arrangements: open working methods, structured areas and choices. The question comes up: in which quantitative relation do these three areas stand to each other? When the open working methods are restricted to the annual project week, the students see it as an exception. ‘Normal’ is everything else.
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Open working methods
Such settings have in common that students work in age and performance mixed groups, or individually, on individual projects on relevant personal goals. Here they spent a relevant part of their working time. The whispering culture in open learn rooms allows the students to exchange information with each other, to work on tasks together or to make arrangements with their learning couch without disturbing the others in their work. Thereby develops an inspirational and at the same time considerate learning climate. The learning rooms become a place of interaction, which allows for the aspect that the student is the first and most important pedagogue.
Structured areas
Depending on the school profile the structured areas can include more or less classic class situations. Other possibilities include:
Intensive training: This is some sort of “class” of students from all age ranges. Intensive training offers the possibility of systematic development of functional competences.
Professional studios: Working methods which connect individual learning with selected special fields are called professional studios. Specialists are available at certain times (in certain rooms) to work with the students, individually or in groups, on individually relevant goals.
Inputs: They understand themselves as learning impulses. Specialists (teachers) give inputs on certain topics. Such inputs usually follow a subject matter plan and a time rhythm the students know beforehand. They can be organized as offered and/or as required courses. Normally the students prepare and reinforce their structured areas during the open working time.
Electives: Arrangements which allow for athletic, creative, musical or technical interest can be available. Of course a lot of other topics (natural science, languages, psychology, politics and so on) are suited as enrichments to the program. From these offered subjects the students decide on a topic for a certain period of time. Of course, such electives can be in the program several times a week.
The project work has special importance. The students can chose from various offered themes which set subject matter and methodical course. They break from organizational and chronological norms of the usual working day.
Presence instead of ‘giving’ lessons
Depending on lesson design an entire new range of possibilities opens up. The emphasis can be situational and according to the students needs. In principle it would be possible to offer every student their own school. Of course, this mutation towards a learning community has significant consequences. Amongst other things more timely methods of the learning organization would be available.
Today school is structured in the principle of subject matters and lessons. The timetable regulates who teaches what subject matter and when. When a new timetable is created the personal interests (the teachers’ of course) are taken into consideration. In most schools the bell acoustically puts this timetable into practice, and when the bell rings for the last time everybody leaves the building as if they were on the run.
From the moment on when we deviate from this principle of subject matters and lessons, things don’t follow past patterns. In open forms for example there is no class in the traditional form. Students are just working. They might need help, but they don’t need ‘teachers’. And they don’t need anybody to give them a lesson.
The keyword is: presence. School is open all day long. A part of the time is structured, another part is open learning and work time. School becomes a work place, and when someone goes home in the evening they know that all their work is ‘done’. There is no more homework in that sense; it’s mostly not done at home anyway but on the way to school or in the hallway right before school starts. The teachers also do their work at school, and, as everyone concerned is present the arrangements can happen on the go. The working space is provided as well, and open forms have a whispering culture. Therefore it is quiet. Also the Learn Coaches (teachers) can work in these rooms.
The partly disorganization of traditional school structures leads to a principle of collaboration, and always working together has a timely dimension too. Therefore the teachers have to spend a time of their yearly working time together with the students in school. It doesn’t have to be all the 2000 hours but at least a big part of it.
Cooperative learning forms
On one hand it is about arranging individual student learn settings, and on the other hand about the encouragement of social and personal competences. Independent working and cooperative learning arrangements support and complete each other; they stand in a strong relation to each other.
For over thirty years cooperative learning is supported by science, and the results speak for themselves. The corresponding forms of collaboration encourage the development of cogitation on a higher level, they put the student-teacher relationship on a basis of trust, and they encourage the self-activity and turn all concerned into participants.
Positive effects on our self-esteem and a generally positive attitude are as visible as the strengthening through the satisfaction of learning. And, more and more important today, cooperative learning forms are ideal momentous occasions for the development of personal and social competencies. (Green / Green 2005)
Cooperative learning increases the degree of activity in school arrangements. Successful learning needs activation, it needs movement, and it needs action. That means, it needs room and spaces of a timely and content wise sort, so the keyword ‘learning’ doesn’t generate the picture of the ‘traditional’ way of school, but other pictures: People discussing things with each other, doing something together, being active, with different things, in different situations and different places. The exposure to diversity leads to diversity, and diversity offers the possibility to change the rhythm, from tension and relaxation, time-on-task and consolidation. This rhythm can be adjusted to individual needs as well as to subject matter necessities.
Sources, resources, links
Gather Thurler, Monica: Diversitätsmanagement in Theorie und Praxis. In: Journal für Schulentwicklung. 2/2006
Green, Norm/Green, Kathy: Kooperatives Lernen im Klassenraum und im Kollegium. Kallmeyer. Seelze-Velber. 2006
Müller, Andreas: Mehr ausbrüten, weniger gackern. Denn Lernen heisst: Freude am Umgang mit Widerständen. Oder kurz: vom Was zum Wie. hep-Verlag. Bern. 2008
Andreas Mueller: Children as (learning) Expert: Helping each other to succeed
Media:Helping_each_other_to_succeed.pdf
