Deeper Learning Workshop - Seek Nuance: Teaching in Polarising Times (Ryan Sprott - PBL Works)

Source: https://borderlandcollective.org/

If there is one thing to say about the Deeper Learning Conference it is that the conference and workshop design is exceptional. From the kick-off on the field that felt more like High School Musical graduation than PD, to the way they establish a conference whānau, made up of a smaller group of around 25 educators, who you meet up with throughout the three days. The group is the same people who signed up for the Deep Dive topic we are doing today (on Day 2) which ensures we also have some common interests. 

The workshop we did in the afternoon of Day 1 was a 90-minute session the topic of which we selected from around 30 options. To be honest, it was near impossible to choose just one session. Each session had to be clearly designed to ensure active participation rather than just any kind of stand-and-deliver. The session I went to was a fantastic example of how to engage adult learners whilst also modelling great classroom teaching. Not surprising when you consider the facilitator Ryan Sprott is one of the senior leaders at PBL Works.

Workshop - Seek Nuance: Teaching in Polarising Times (Ryan Sprott - PBL Works)

You can read more about Ryan here: https://www.pblworks.org/author/ryan-sprott-0 

And you can read more about PBL Works here: https://www.pblworks.org/

Ryan shared with us a student project he had facilitated prior to working for PBL Works, it was, as he described it, one of those "sticky learning experiences" that was transformative for both teachers and students alike. The project looked at a complex issue that was deeply contextualised for his Texan students - the border between USA and Mexico. Ryan was quick to point out that the topic wasn't something teachers could lift and plop into their classroom, he stressed the importance of whatever they were dealing with being deeply contextualised and immediately relevant to the community in which the student was situated. He also highlighted the importance of complexity and going beyond anything binary. He stated what many of us already know, complex issues are where the deepest learning takes place. 

Ryan framed the workshop around four quotes which also guided us through the four tenets that framed the project. 

Before I get into the tenets, I suggest you check out the Borderland Collective. As with the walls of High Tech High, the level of visible learning is phenomenal. 

What is Borderland Collective?

Borderland Collective is a long-term participatory art and education project based in Texas. The project utilizes collaborations between artists, educators, youth, and community members to engage complex social issues and build space for diverse perspectives, meaningful dialogue, and varying modes of creation and reflection. 

Exhibitions have been held at such venues as Artpace in San Antonio, Krannert Museum at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana, University of Arizona Museum of Art, on public buildings throughout Marfa, Texas, and storefront windows in Miles, Texas. We are currently working on a project with staff and students at the University of Washington in Seattle who come from migrant farmworker backgrounds. The project will open at the Washington State History Museum in 2022.

Source: https://borderlandcollective.org/About

The really transferable learning that I took away from this workshop was the four tenets of the project learning design below.

The Four Tenets

A question to open minds

• Focus on a maximally contentious topic
• Invite dialogue from different perspectives
• Provide checks to teachers' biases
• Challenge underlying assumptions

Dialogue as action

• Don't debate. Use dialogue instead.
• Develop and ask inquiry-driven questions
• Interrogate perspectives through structured, equitable, student-driven dialogue.
• Amplify underrepresented perspectives

Great explanation of why you should encourage dialogue rather than debate here: https://www.pblworks.org/blog/3-tips-exploring-controversial-issues-pbl

Art as Inquiry

• Look closely
• Celebrate and exhibit the process over product
• Embrace ambiguity
• Create, curate, and archive new knowledge

Great examples of responsive and creative learning and assessment approach here: https://www.pblworks.org/blog/reimagining-art-pbl

Assessment for Liberation

• Focus on skills 
• Co-define goals
• Focus on metacognition

The fact that students don't learn from the experience, they learn from reflecting on the experience was another big takeaway. The other takeaways were the idea of long-term participatory project-based learning, setting up a topic, issue, or context that is addressed over time and the importance of slowing down and stepping outside. 

The artefacts students created were often collective and often were as much about sharing the journey as it was about the final assessment or destination. The publishing was universally exceptional, even if the work with the pages was often raw. The term visible learning is resonating more than ever after the first day. 

Now off to Day 2. Will share more later!

Link to project: https://borderlandcollective.org/

Source: https://borderlandcollective.org/