More than an itch.

Students of mine have created recent experts, of volcanoes tsunamis, earthquakes, refugee camps and, well the list is quite extensive. All linked to curriculum requirements and demands, the drive with which they undertake their teaching and learning role can be quite breathtaking.
The use of film and sound technology, creating both visual and aural collages and demonstrating clear understanding of the various topics and issues, is all the more impressive given the short space of time in which all this has been achieved.
Students have responded to MoE as a forward thinking / progressive teaching and learning tool because they are aware of it from their days at High School.
So there you have it.
MoE across the curriculum all the way through to University.
Who would have thought!!
But what's next?
Pardon?
What do you do next after MoE?
What's wrong with some more MoE?
Transferring the skills, knowledge and so forth into examination results reflecting deep learning perhaps?
I don't believe the learning I have seen lacks academic vigour as it has been both challenging and enjoyable.
It is however, at this precise point, that colleague concern kicks in.
The debate will rage back and forth and as with all teaching and learning debates nowadays there will be positive and negative outcomes.
Winners and losers if you want.
It happens every academic year and has done for a long time in my own experience.
As I gaze and flick through examination, curriculum and department materials from a variety of sources, I find myself quite often amazed at the detail within.
Unfortunately, I am often left wondering who is listening to who?
If no one is listening to my students they might just turn around and ask what is the point of MoE?
What can I tell them?

Leading The Way?

I attended last week an excellent student led session focused, almost entirely, on teaching and learning.
As an example of the positives highlighted, I was again reminded that learning is at its best when confident ownership of the content is in the hands of the learner not the teacher.
To some of my colleagues this seems to be a risk too far. Why?
I suspect it is the genuine concern of inspection.
An unwillingness to tip the balance towards facilitation of learning. This was not always the case. Equally I share my colleagues concerns.
MoE is a clear example of this tipping of the balance and perhaps it is why several of my colleagues remain suspicious of its worth.
They will reluctantly agree with me that it has a place in the teaching and learning armoury, but that its prominence is perhaps overrated in the curriculum.
Who can argue with that?

Expect The Unexpected

Tomorrow we will be discussing MoE and its continuing place of prominence in our learning agenda.
There will be almost complete agreement, as far as I am aware, that students will continue to use MoE as a prime driver in their learning and teaching.
There will, however, be some disagreement about how long into courses students will be happy to do so.
I'm not a great fan of this kind of meeting.
Why?
Well to be frank I'd like to hear more from the students themselves. Not all my colleagues think this is a good idea. And so on.
MoE, if it does nothing else, breaks down barriers between teachers and learners. It empowers independence and creativity, always an important resource for progression in learning.
So we will have our discussion.
Decisions will be made.
Action will be taken.
Students will then be told about the meeting.
By me.
They will then want to have a meeting to discuss the decisions.
Why?
Well each year my students are clearly recognising their increasing ownership of their own learning agenda.
This has left me me wondering; how long will it be before the students will be notifying me, and my colleagues, of decisions made at their meetings?
It will happen, won't it?

Thanks to Moodle

My students are way past copying and pasting. So they tell me.
Definitely yesterdays thing. So Sixth Form!
Note taking on mobile phones, whatever next?
Listening to their MP 3's during lectures, has this become the norm behaviour?
Yesterday, a senior lecturer told me they had been reassured of the value of the degree courses on offer because, somewhat implausibly it seemed to me, they [the students] had presented evidence that student debt alongside entry level jobs, was still the best option!
For all the innovation in teaching and learning. For all the brooding over content and delivery.
Despite student created by, developed by, models of MoE, we still end up with the basic fact:
Since October I have only had full attendance for my classes twice. Once at the beginning and once last week.
As my lecturer colleague pointed out, we have empowered our students to be independent learners, what do you expect?
Their use of powerpoints is exceptional. Presentation skills are just out of the window compared to 5/6 years ago. Their dominance is only challenged by the inability of some examining bodies to keep up.
My students are inspiring.
Even when they're not there.
Or listening.