Reinventing Education

In this episode we look at: -purposes for standardized assessments vs in school assessments -alternatives to written tests -testing validity: does it measure what it says it measures

Traditional approaches to feedback and marking focused on correcting mistakes.  In this episode we explore strategies the modern Mainstream approach uses: -feedback for improvement -finding your zone of proximal development -ongoing and frequent feedback -transparency  -specificity -conferencing models

In this episode, we discuss classroom agreements, preventative strategies, incentives for good behaviour, IEPs for behaviour, student choice and behaviour management models. 

There are few more controversial issues in schooling than that of homework. Should it exist? How much is enough? Does it support progress or extinguish a love of learning? Tonight we dig into the pros and cons of the way the mainstream school system approaches homework. In this episode we reference the paper "Does High School Homework Increase Academic Achievement?" by Charlene Marie Kalenkoski &...

Merry New Years & Winter Celebrations! We decided it would be a fun way to end the year to invite our friends Miriam (who is an integral coach) and Dwayne (an elementary school principal) along as we try to define the three types of school -Traditional, Mainstream and Progressive - in only ten words. Take a listen and see if you think we get close...and play along yourself if you like. We'd love t...

The notion of learning as a joyous act with play at its centre has both its champions and detractors. We talked to early years educator Mark White about the benefits of integrating play into the classroom and the importance of educators being able to facilitate and nurture play. Mark is a highly experienced inquiry educator with a specialism in loose parts play and play responsive learning. Join R...

Transparency, goal setting and opportunity lie at the heart of the mainstream approach to education. Fundamental to success in all of these areas is the notion of differentiation. The responsibility of a mainstream teacher is to find what works for maximum achievement. Somewhat like a coach creating an athletic training plan. Mainstream schools use assessment based diagnostics to establish their n...

This evening Rob, Brendan and Malcolm dig into their classroom practices and consider the role of the teacher in the context of student choice, freedom and agency. Join us! 

A lesson is a lesson is a lesson right? Well in a mainstream school what happens in those 45 (or 30, or 60) minutes can look very different from a traditional or a progressive lesson. In a mainstream "3 Part Lesson" we may find differentiated instruction, transparent objectives, diagnostic assessments, and even the odd spot of "edutainment" (for better or worse).  Join us as we discuss the "babies...

Maximizing the impact of the learning space on student achievement is what highly effective Mainstream teachers do. In this episode, we analyze how this is done via seating arrangements, use of walls & anchor charts, maker spaces and utilizing (and fundraising for) furniture. 

What's the most useful framework for engaging with school development? Rob Macleod attempted to lay out the basic framework of the Reinventing Education Podcast earlier this year during his online presentation with Spiral Dynamics Integral Live. Check out their Facebook & Youtube pages for engaging & potent content on a wide variety of topics from education to LGBTQ equality in the workplace to se...

Tonight we are joined by educator and community connector Mihai Banelescu, of the One Room, One World Schoolhouse project. We discuss how to connect people with developmentally minded yet diverse perspectives to build the schools of the future. Join us!

The ethos or spirit of a mainstream classroom has wide-ranging implications on every aspect of a child's life. At its best, the mainstream school sees the class as a group of high achieving individuals supporting each other as a team. It's a place that is fair and acknowledges that fair looks different for each of us. There is an emphasis on personal motivation and trust is gained through transpar...

Armin Sieber, from the Integrale Tagesschule Winterthur in Switzerland, discussed his Future Perfect document, in which he writes from 10 years in the future looking back at what has changed in society and schools. In education, we often look at what can change within the walls of our schools, in this chat we discuss what could change in the world around us too. You can view the document here.

Embedded deep in every thing that happen in the classroom is the notion of what teaching and learning should be. In a mainstream school, driven by values of achievement and opportunity, what does this look like? We may see differentiation, transparency, accountability and collaboration emerge as central. The complexity of study may move up the taxonomy from remembering, through understanding and i...

Traditional, mainstream and progressive schools all approach school assemblies differently. In this episode, we explore how mainstream schools are efficient, effective, motivating, merit-based and a chance for the community to work on curriculum objectives together. For fun, we also discuss the chaotic end of the school year tradition of the “abi-gag” in Germany. Speaking of chaos, we ramble at th...

Brendan and Rob share ideas, models & critiques freely.  But they've been stingy about their personal details. Malcolm Giles returns to flip the tables & ask us questions about why we're doing what we're doing and where things might be going. Malcolm was our guest in our 65th episode. All 3 of us wanted to keep our conversation going, so here he leads the discussion with Brendan and Rob.  

What are your superpowers? Michael helps students define theirs.  We focus on the importance of letting students know they are valued, gratitude in the classroom and helping students tell an empowering story about themselves.  Brendan and I then reflect on some of Michael's key points and do our best to see what a superhero might mean to traditional, mainstream and progressive teachers.  You can c...

How did schools get to where they are? Who are the stakeholders in our education system and how are their needs met? What has been the impact of schools shifting their attention from nation-building to cultivating value? What are the impacts of gamifying education?  Our conversation with Dr. David Labaree from episode 68 brought up so many important questions that we unpack some of what he brought...

Today we chat with Dr. David Labaree, a sociologically oriented historian at the  Stanford Graduate School of Education on some of the major processes and patterns that define the relationship between education and society. David's books include, “Someone Has to Fail" & "How to Succeed in School Without Really Learning.” We are joined by fellow educator Dwayne Primeau to discuss how the purposes o...

Buses, taxis and walking trains! A deep dive today into how the mainstream values of opportunity play out at the start of the school day.  Following this, we tackle that most controversial of issues.. what shall we wear? The mainstream opportunity centred school is torn between the freedom of fashion and the efficiency of uniforms. Join us! Get in touch with us at reinventingeducationpodcast@gmail...

Today we dig deep into the minutiae of the mainstream school to see just how deeply those values of opportunity, independence and efficiency run. How does the mainstream school system support parents that work beyond the school day? Should childcare in these cases be the responsibility of schools and local government to support and subsidise or should friends, family and the local community take c...

Malcolm Giles works with those training to become teachers. As a professor, he provides them with an integral & holistic approach to better understand the nature of the profession they are entering. We explore his best practices, engaging exercises, and frames for thinking. 

Without staff meetings a mainstream school cannot: -debate the merits of ideas & proposals together -collaborate in teams to reach school goals -share roles to ensure effective & efficient use of time In this episode, we dive deep into the culture, protocols and activities found in mainstream staff meetings and tease apart the pros and cons of this approach. 

How do we help students effectively and efficiently demonstrate their learning at school? How do I as a teacher engineer the best possible unit to maximize the use of our time together to achieve our curricular goals? These could be questions at the core of the hearts and minds of teachers in mainstream schools. Today we dig deep into the indicators you'd see when planning that help you identify t...