Childrens’ UniversityNational evaluation

Childrens’ UniversityNational evaluation

John MacBeathJoanne Waterhouse

John MacBeathJoanne Waterhouse

Trends shaping educationTrends shaping education

A new economic landscapeKnowledge intensive service economies

Widening divides between affluence and poverty

populations on the move, new diversities

Transformative technologiesusers create content

Changing social connections and valuescomplex configurations of home life

A new economic landscapeKnowledge intensive service economies

Widening divides between affluence and poverty

populations on the move, new diversities

Transformative technologiesusers create content

Changing social connections and valuescomplex configurations of home life (OECD, 2008)

UNICEF 2008UNICEF 2008

The true measure of a nation’s standing is how well it attends to its children – their health and safety, their material security, their education and socialization, and their sense of being loved, valued, and included in the families and societies into which are born (An Overview of Child Well Being in Rich Countries (2007 p. 3).

The true measure of a nation’s standing is how well it attends to its children – their health and safety, their material security, their education and socialization, and their sense of being loved, valued, and included in the families and societies into which are born (An Overview of Child Well Being in Rich Countries (2007 p. 3).

Dimension 3 Dimension 4 Dimension 5 Dimension 6

Dimensions of child well-being

Average ranking position (for all 6 dimensions)

Educational well-being

Family and peer relationships

Behaviour and risks

Subjective well-being

Netherlands 4.2 6 3 3 1

Sweden 5.0 5 15 1 7

Denmark 7.2 8 9 6 12

Finland 7.5 4 17 7 11

Spain 8.0 15 8 5 2

Switzerland 8.3 14 4 12 6

Norway 8.7 11 10 13 8

Italy 10.0 20 1 10 10

Ireland 10.2 7 7 4 5

Belgium 10.7 1 5 19 16

Germany 11.2 10 13 11 9

Canada 11.8 2 18 17 15

Greece 11.8 16 11 8 3

Poland 12.3 3 14 2 19

Czech Republic 12.5 9 19 9 17

France 13.0 18 12 14 18

Portugal 13.7 21 2 15 14

Austria 13.8 19 16 16 4

Hungary 14.5 13 6 18 13

United States 18.0 12 20 20 -

United Kingdom 18.2 17 21 21 20

Child well-being in rich countries: A summary table

Children and young people live nested lives, so that when classrooms do not function as we want them to, we go to work on improving them. Those classrooms are in schools, so when we decide that those schools are not performing appropriately, we go to work on improving them, as well. But those young people are also situated in families, in neighbourhoods, in peer groups who shape attitudes and aspirations often more powerfully than their parents or teachers.

(David Berliner, 2005)

Children and young people live nested lives, so that when classrooms do not function as we want them to, we go to work on improving them. Those classrooms are in schools, so when we decide that those schools are not performing appropriately, we go to work on improving them, as well. But those young people are also situated in families, in neighbourhoods, in peer groups who shape attitudes and aspirations often more powerfully than their parents or teachers.

(David Berliner, 2005)

NESTED LIVESNESTED LIVES

The nesting of children’s learning

The nesting of children’s learning

The ‘family’ and neighbourhood context

The social and economic context

The national cultural context

The global policy context

The school context

The OHSL contexts

The ‘family’ and neighbourhood context

The social and economic context

The national cultural context

The global policy context

The school context

The OHSL contexts

Entre les mursEntre les murs

‘its naturalistic portrayal of the energy and high tension of the classroom’

the chaos, the challenges to, and idle assertions of authority, the clashes and power struggles, and, the tedium, a wholly absorbing microcosm of human interaction.

‘its naturalistic portrayal of the energy and high tension of the classroom’

the chaos, the challenges to, and idle assertions of authority, the clashes and power struggles, and, the tedium, a wholly absorbing microcosm of human interaction.

Push……..Push……..

Social capital as the primary determinant of school success

The significant impact of the peer effect

The continued failure to close the achievement gap

The inherent limitations of schooling The high stakes competitive

environment

Social capital as the primary determinant of school success

The significant impact of the peer effect

The continued failure to close the achievement gap

The inherent limitations of schooling The high stakes competitive

environment

….and pull….and pull

The liberating effect of time, space and lack of pressure

Opportunities for self determination and self direction

Broadening contexts and opportunities for learning

The collegiality of relationships with supportive adults

The fulfillment and empowerment which come from experiencing success

The liberating effect of time, space and lack of pressure

Opportunities for self determination and self direction

Broadening contexts and opportunities for learning

The collegiality of relationships with supportive adults

The fulfillment and empowerment which come from experiencing success

Pupil

ParentTeacher/Tutor

BEN’S STORYBEN’S STORYCreative Writing: ‘I really used to struggle with stories and my writing so

I took a course in Creative Writing. The teacher gave us loads of different ideas for starting off, not just pictures but words and feelings…how to get going. I learnt loads and that. I won a prize for the most improved pupil in Literacy. That Creative Writing course definitely helped me.’

Glass Painting: ‘I’d never done that before, using the pens to outline the shape and the different coloured fillers. That helped me in Art when we were designing different symbols and in Geography when had to present our maps’. 

Clay Modelling: ‘I learnt how to use the modelling tools, how to hold them and get it to do what you wanted. When we did clay in class I was showing other people how to do it’.

Creative Writing: ‘I really used to struggle with stories and my writing so I took a course in Creative Writing. The teacher gave us loads of different ideas for starting off, not just pictures but words and feelings…how to get going. I learnt loads and that. I won a prize for the most improved pupil in Literacy. That Creative Writing course definitely helped me.’

Glass Painting: ‘I’d never done that before, using the pens to outline the shape and the different coloured fillers. That helped me in Art when we were designing different symbols and in Geography when had to present our maps’. 

Clay Modelling: ‘I learnt how to use the modelling tools, how to hold them and get it to do what you wanted. When we did clay in class I was showing other people how to do it’.

SarahSarahThe teacher

The real value of CU for Sarah has been the opportunity over a number of years to meet different adults and to adapt to their different ways. There is a difficult transition period when Sarah meets a ‘new’ adult. It is ‘a testing time for Sarah’. But CU has enabled her to make these transitions and the experience of ‘coping and holding her own in different environments’ has enabled a smoother transition to secondary school. She has become a class councillor this year for the first time and had been a ‘bright little spark at meetings’

The parent Choice of activities within Bicester CU has been important for Sarah as each time she has been able to find something to enjoy, ‘a taster of new things’. Her involvement has led to a slow development of her confidence over the years. She now sees people in Bicester whom she has met at CU activities and is delighted that they know her and acknowledge her. Building these contacts across Bicester has been important for her confidence.

The teacher The real value of CU for Sarah has been the opportunity over a number of years to meet different adults and to adapt to their different ways. There is a difficult transition period when Sarah meets a ‘new’ adult. It is ‘a testing time for Sarah’. But CU has enabled her to make these transitions and the experience of ‘coping and holding her own in different environments’ has enabled a smoother transition to secondary school. She has become a class councillor this year for the first time and had been a ‘bright little spark at meetings’

The parent Choice of activities within Bicester CU has been important for Sarah as each time she has been able to find something to enjoy, ‘a taster of new things’. Her involvement has led to a slow development of her confidence over the years. She now sees people in Bicester whom she has met at CU activities and is delighted that they know her and acknowledge her. Building these contacts across Bicester has been important for her confidence.

Teaching and learning in the wild

Teaching and learning in the wild

Embedded in relationships Contextualised Learner-centred Concerned with skills and dispositions Supportive but challenging Enjoyable but risky Relaxed but alert Age blind

Embedded in relationships Contextualised Learner-centred Concerned with skills and dispositions Supportive but challenging Enjoyable but risky Relaxed but alert Age blind

LEARNING INTHE UNFAMILIARLEARNING INTHE UNFAMILIAR

tasks/problems

contexts/situationsfamiliar

unfamiliar

familiar problems infamiliarcontexts

novel problems infamiliarcontexts

unfamiliar problems inunfamiliarcontexts

familiar problems innovelcontexts

LEARNING INTHE UNFAMILIARLEARNING INTHE UNFAMILIAR

tasks/problems

contexts/situationsfamiliar

unfamiliar

familiar problems infamiliarcontexts

novel problems infamiliarcontexts

unfamiliar problems inunfamiliarcontexts

familiar problems innovelcontexts

Success factorsSuccess factors Choice Active participation Extension and novelty Outcome Pride and confidence building Recognition for achievement & positive reinforcement Enjoyment in a challenging tasks and perseverance Time and space Adult relationships (vertical v horizontal) The ‘feelgood’ factor Inclusiveness

Choice Active participation Extension and novelty Outcome Pride and confidence building Recognition for achievement & positive reinforcement Enjoyment in a challenging tasks and perseverance Time and space Adult relationships (vertical v horizontal) The ‘feelgood’ factor Inclusiveness

A weighting exerciseA weighting exercise Choice Active participation Extension and novelty Outcome Pride and confidence building Recognition for achievement & positive

reinforcement Enjoyment in a challenging tasks and perseverance Time and space Adult relationships (vertical v horizontal) The ‘feelgood’ factor Inclusiveness

Choice Active participation Extension and novelty Outcome Pride and confidence building Recognition for achievement & positive

reinforcement Enjoyment in a challenging tasks and perseverance Time and space Adult relationships (vertical v horizontal) The ‘feelgood’ factor Inclusiveness

4 questions4 questions

5 key things you offer in your ‘curriculum’

What percentage of time is allocated to your CU role?

What percentage of time is given to your CU role

What would you like to see highlighted in the next evaluation?

5 key things you offer in your ‘curriculum’

What percentage of time is allocated to your CU role?

What percentage of time is given to your CU role

What would you like to see highlighted in the next evaluation?