Contemporary Trends in New Zealand or Internationally

Step 1 (What)
The Impact of the Emerging Trend of ILE on Current Traditional Practices
Our school is currently looking at improving ways that students learn.  We currently have 27 stand alone, traditional classrooms and there is no chance at the moment of having an innovative learning space built due to roll numbers (although these are increasing rapidly!)

We also wanted to stop the year 6 children leaving our full primary to attend the local intermediate school.  Many of these parents thought that by attending this intermediate, which has no zone, that their children would be guaranteed entry into the neighboring college, despite our school children being out of the college zone.  Some parents also felt that the Intermediate prepared their children better for secondary education.  A plan was put into place to create an Academy where the single cell classrooms would be used in a different way, incorporating some of the ideas of innovative learning spaces.  Daggett (2014) talks about this as traditional mass delivery versus application based learning.  

The Academy is going well, but it is a work in progress and I think the school needs to think about how this will inform teaching and learning in other year levels of the school.

Step 2 (So What)
How does this trend impact New Zealand education?
All new builds in New Zealand schools are new based on the concept of Innovative Learning Environments (previously known as Modern Learning Environments).  On a recent trip to Christchurch, I was able to visit a number of these new schools - all with different formats, layouts and approaches to teaching and learning.  All were trying to find their way in new approaches to teaching and learning.  Daggert (2014) refers to the resistance managing change can cause where deep seated traditions are challenged.  The question of why the Ministry of Education is building this way is interesting - did it really begin as a way to finance new building in a more economic way, or was it to truly enhance teaching and student learning?

The Christchurch schools and similar schools in Auckland are having to re-look at instructional programmes to ensure students are given every opportunity to improve outcomes.  All the schools talked about the mindset of the teachers being a big part of the change.  Often the changes and innovations were happily taken on by the Early Adopters, but others were slower to change.  Some, like myself, grew up in the days of "open plan classrooms" and are wary of them being a passing fad.  Others are quite rightly concerned about how these spaces and way of learning will affect children with learning difficulties and special needs (academic, physical, emotional, etc).

Daggert (2014) shares the following diagram as a guide to school management in supporting change:

In short, instructional leaders need to provide tools, guidance, support and professional development to help teachers shift their instruction and expectations from Quadrant A to Quadrant D.

Step 3 (Now What)
Critique and evaluate practice in the context of different audiences
There needs to be a change in mindset amongst teachers about where we want innovative learning environments and the type of teaching that fits best in these to go.  Is it time to think not about ourselves and what we are used to, what is traditional, what we did when we were at school and to put our students at the forefront?

When in Christchurch and talking to the staff in the ILE, there seemed to be little data collected on how these were working, if they were indeed improving student outcomes long term, and if this type of more independent learning was effective for learners.  Daggert (2014) stresses the importance of data to monitor student growth and effectiveness of instructional practice and it is surprising that there is so little information on outcomes so far.  Is this because for the Ministry of Education, this is merely a cheap way to build?  Teachers have a lot on their plates - less trainees are enrolling into teacher training programmes, some areas are desperately short of teachers - do we really want a waffly innovation that no one knows why it was instigated or whether it is worthwhile?  I saw some amazing ideas in Christchurch and some innovative teachers who really wanted the best outcomes for their students.  Lets hope this will be the driver of innovative learning rather than the mighty dollar.


References
Daggett, B. (2014). Addressing Current and Future Challenges in Education. Retrieved from http://www.leadered.com/pdf/2014 MSC_AddressingCurrentandFutureChallenges.pdf