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PEDAGOGY & LEARNING

Keeping the Real World in Mind to Power Up Learning

By Sarah Ssengendo
29-Jan-25
Keeping the Real World in Mind to Power Up Learning

School subjects often fall prey to being seen as just that… school subjects. In our rapidly changing world, how do we keep the curriculum relevant and engaging for our students? Here are some tips to power up learning in any class context.

The Power of Becoming

School subjects can be broken up into so many fascinating branches and vocations. For example, the subject of science can be divided into areas like geology/geologists, botany/botanists, chemistry/chemists, meteorology/meteorologists…and so on. If we can acknowledge the real life work, then we stand a chance of bringing authenticity to the classroom, the curriculum, and our pedagogy. 

  • Design opportunities to inquire into questions such as: What do “real” mathematicians look like and do? What role might mathematics play in contributing to the world, past, present and future? How are we utilizing mathematics in our day to day lives?

  • Words have power and, over time, help create a culture. Use language intentionally with your students that identify them as practitioners and apprentices of that subject area or vocation. Say things like, “Good morning Geologists!” “How have you grown as researchers today?” “You’re using descriptive language in your writing, just like our published author does.” 

  • Engage in career-orientated activities at all ages. Incorporate real world play, role-play and inquiry that connects with various adult roles and responsibilities within the community, as well as job shadowing and internship opportunities, into the vertical curriculum. 

Story of Practice: In a unit of inquiry on ancient civilisations and the concept of evidence, the students become archeologists, spending the day outside excavating an archeological site, and documenting their finds to later analyze. They become researchers, visiting a museum, making model artefacts and writing information and, finally, they open up their own “Museum of Ancient Artefacts” and become curators.

The Power of Transfer 

Teach with connections and transfer in mind. Authenticity in any subject area requires an ability to notice the transferable concepts, types of thinking, skills and dispositions that students are practicing. For example, mathematicians become: collaborators, communicators, noticers, predictors, analyzers, reasoners, possibility-seekers, mistake-embracers, pattern noticers, question askers, model makers… and so on. These are the 21st century skills we all require. As well, there are mathematical concepts that transfer across subjects, such as pattern, growth, shape, space and system, which build “sticky” understanding through cognitive connection-building. 

  • Identify, notice, name, model and reflect on specific skills (such as critical thinking) and dispositions (such as being a thinker) and attend to it in planning, teaching, and assessment. For example, in a language lesson, we might inquire into: As writers, how do we use character dialogue (content based)? And, how does giving and receiving feedback help (skill based)? 

  • Honor the authentic skill connections between subject areas. If in writing students are practicing giving and receiving feedback, could they not practice this in physical education and music too? If students are exploring human systems in social studies, is there a conceptual connection to be made with spelling or numerical systems?

  • Some units are conceptual by design - concepts such as spirituality, compassion, choice, systems or beauty. Viewing concepts through various subject (or vocations) lenses adds richness. For example, what might “beauty” mean to an artist, a mathematician, gardener, space-explorer, food technician or poet? What might “system” mean to a store manager, linguist, librarian, biologist or composer?

Story of Practice: In a “human body” unit students become biologists, understanding the form and function of body parts and systems. They go to a science lab and dissect organs from a goat. Although primarily a science unit, intentional connections across subjects are made, aware that the work of a scientist includes sketching, note taking, measurement, technology, and an understanding of responsibility for physical health and wellbeing. 

The Power of People

Connecting with other people provides experiences that help extend learning beyond the classroom, creating opportunities to share ideas and theories, compare and appreciate contexts and perspectives, and build empathy and respectful relationships. 

  • Start with your students in mind: What do they already know about this? How might this relate to individual students and their families? Taking time to consider how this learning connects to your students’ identity, life beyond school, interests and prior learning - and remaining curious and open to student voice - will help shape meaningful learning. 

  • Who else might be able to support the learning, either in person or virtually? Are there other classes, organizations, or family members you might connect with? 

  • Consider how who you bring into the learning space, either aligns with or fights against stereotypical bias regarding roles in society. For example, intentionally meet a black, female scientist; watch a video featuring basketball players who use wheelchairs; or read a story about a poor migrant who later became an important person in society.

Story of Practice: In a unit about the interconnectedness between plants and other living things, people from the community lead learning, including a farmer and groundsmen, supporting students to plant, take care of and harvest crops, learn about indigenous trees, and their traditional and cultural uses. 

The Power of Places 

When learning is connected to real places, issues, and topics of genuine interests, opportunities for learning are varied and authentic, and learners find purpose in what they are doing.

  • Consider how this learning connects to the geographical and cultural context of the school. How might this connect to those in the local community, to local events, organizations, celebrations and issues? 

  • Take students out of their classroom and on fieldtrips. Visiting people and places can bridge the gap between class-based learning and real-world application. 

  • Problem solve and think critically through current events and issues, local and global. Use the news (video clips, written articles, images, and infographics) to provoke interest and drive learning.

Story of Practice: In a unit about weather and climate, students collected weather data and made sense of local forecasts and news clips on recent local flooding. They used tools like Google Earth to analyze geographical data. They wondered how weather has an impact on humans, and used video call technologies to speak with people in different countries to find out about their weather experiences. 

The Power of Doing

Transfer, application, and impact of learning is most apparent and powerful when students are expected to do something. Provide opportunities for students to act upon personal passions, strengths and learning, whilst developing a sense of integrity and responsibility, to contribute in the pursuit of a more sustainable, equitable, inclusive, and just world.

  • Real life purpose for learning might be discovered through connecting learning to Strategic Goals of the school or goals set by other organizations, such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Viewing curriculum through the lens of real-world goals can help develop scope, add value and purpose to the learning, and leverage action and citizenship.

  • Provide purposeful and authentic ways for students to share their learning with others, be it other students, families, or wider communities, through public display, invitation into the classroom space, or using digital platforms. When students take on the role of leading the learning, lots of learning tends to happen. 

  • Reflect upon learning with learners and encourage them to think in critical and creative ways and to use their findings for an authentic purpose. How might this learning have a positive impact? Listen to and be supportive of students' ideas for positive change, action and service.

Story of Practice: In a unit connected to the schools strategic goal of “greening,” students conducted various interviews and visited a recycling center. They shared ideas for action and engaged in various projects including re-planting around a new building and developing systems for better waste management. 

The Power of Being 

Perhaps, most importantly, educators must be authentic learners themselves. It is our moral responsibility as educators to nurture natural curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, both in the classroom and beyond. So, how do we model this for our students?

  • Authentically show-up for students, listen to them, and be compassionate. Remain open to changing the plan based upon what you’re noticing about your students. 

  • Model being a learner, sharing with students your personal inquiries, modelling skills and dispositions of being a lifelong learner. Express joy when a discovery is made; take time to ponder and get curious over a question; share “ah-ha” moments when you suddenly make a connection.

  • Engage in professional learning, and share with students what you're learning, what you’re thinking about and trying out in the classroom, and ask them for feedback. Students can be our best source of professional learning.

Story of Practice: At the International School of Uganda, professional learning time is reserved throughout the year for educators to pursue their own personal learning journey, either as individuals or in groups. Towards the end of the year, these learning journeys are shared with the community in an exhibition. The school has seen many positives with educators feeling energized, and in some cases extending learning to take action and develop department/school-wide innovations and change.

Conclusion

Overall, keeping the real world in mind as educators helps us to raise the bar of quality curriculum design, pedagogy and our expectations of what quality learning and student engagement looks like. We can create richer, more authentic, active engaging learning experiences when we understand how subject disciplines “live” in the world beyond the school walls. And when students see the value and relevance of what they are learning, they are more motivated, engaged, and equipped to navigate an ever-evolving world. Which of the points above might help you to keep the real world in mind and help power up some authentic learning experiences in your context? 



Sarah Ssengendo is the Assistant Principal and program coordinator at the International School of Uganda. Sarah has had the privilege of teaching for over 20 years in early-years to Grade 5 classrooms in the United Kingddom, Tanzania, Romania, and Uganda. In her current role, she spends her days learning alongside and collaborating with teams of educators to design learning that is connected, relevant, rigorous and meaningful. Connect with Sarah @SarahSsengendo on social media.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




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