Dear Aga and Angela,

As many of us do not know each other, could we just maybe add to our communication where in the world that we are? Thank you.

I am Shelagh and I am in Bath UK.

1. My grandson is 3 years old. He learns huge amounts every day. He does this freely, without coercion, praise or reward. I would describe this as intrinsic motivation. When his mother wants to teach him something, he often resists, focusing on the aspect that he wants to learn instead.

As educators, do we have a compulsion to 'fill empty vessels' with what we 'need' our students to learn?
Do we use a wide range of student centered learning methods to engage and motivate each student?
How much do we value the 'process' of learning, giving time and attention to the 'journey'?
How much do systems, targets and assessments encourage us as educators to focus our attention entirely on the outcome or product to judge 'development'?

2. Angela, changing the term 'development' to 'success':
I would add that perhaps we need to know what our criteria for success is before we start, otherwise, we may consider that we/ the student has failed when actually, their success has just not reached our criteria.

3. An example: When learning to ride a bike, there are so many criteria to be met- balancing on a saddle, steering direction with the handle bars, co-ordinating our legs and feet to turn the pedals (in one direction only), co-ordinating our arms and hands to use the breaks... etc. etc. you get the picture.
Each step along the way is progress/ development/ success.

So what is our ambition for the new cyclist? Staying upright while moving forward, cycling safely along a lane, busy roads, city traffic, racing, off road mountain biking, the Olympics in Rio?

Where was the learning and the development in this example? How much of the learning is intrinsic and how much extrinsic? Of course formal learning isn't like that- but perhaps focusing on the incremental stages that are necessary for any learning to take place and analysing where there may be a barrier to further development, will help us seek alternative and imaginative ways to motivate every learner.

I am learning so much from close contact with the daily learning of my 2 small grandchildren. They astonish me with their capacity to learn new skills, they have huge ambitions and wonderful imaginations. I am terrified that going to school may 'knock this out' of them. Isn't that a terrible fear?

Formerly I was an educator in mainstream and special schools and the mother of a two dyslexic/ dyspraxic daughters who the education system, in my opinion 'failed'.

Hope my comments help, if only to be challenged.

Date: Wed, 14 Aug 2013 04:26:37 +0000
From: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Researching Our Own Practice
To: [log in to unmask]

Dear Aga,

A complex question to a complex issue. For me the crucial aspect is – do the recipients take ownership and responsibility for their own learning?

So what do we need to consider in the light of this – were they engaged and were their views about the “development” process elicited, interrogated, etc? Work from this stance onwards … more questions could be asked.

Lately, I am averse to using the term development as it has such staccato links. I am using the term success.

All the best

Angela

From: Practitioner-Researcher [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of aga yamin
Sent: Wednesday, August 14, 2013 5:57 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Researching Our Own Practice

Dear All

Why learning & development fail? Please do comment. Your thoughts will provide substantial learning opportunities.

Regards

Aga