What's a Learning Pit?

Well - we unpacked that as a class last week resulting in the language being used in our target planning and daily reflections. The joy comes in hearing learners unpack the concept in a blog post or in their weekly iReflect.

We are beginning to celebrate learners struggling. Students are happy to share their struggle and how they got out of the pit. This is seen to be a 'real' learning experience. Anyone who dos not go into the pit is not doing 'real' learning in our class!

My perfect example this last week was of a G & T student who just opted out of a Gloss question as he 'couldn't do it'. As we had our display on the wall, I could walk him up to it and point out where he was in the 'Learning Pit'. We looked at the strategy took kit and I told him, 'no giving up but use a strategy please'. Guess what happened then? He proceeded to, with some effort, complete two more questions. For me this was such a clear example of a 'clever kid' not wanting to be seen to struggle.

Even today, another student was evaluating the 'depth' of the learning pit she was in. It was applying previous knowledge to the tricky new context of weaving a flax 'pop-up' kete (a skill that took me weeks to learn). Because she was enjoying the challenge, even though it was hard, she didn't see it as a deep pit, only a small pit! You might hear about that in this week's reflection!

Check out some reflection on what the 'Learning Pit' looks like in our class learning.

Next Steps:

Introduce the concept of 'What did you struggle with today?

Keep promoting the language and value of 'The Learning Pit' and how it relates to a Positive Mindset.

Take photos of students in "the Learning Pit' so we can write about, acknowledge and celebrate their challenges.

Look for more evidence of a negative mindset amongst the G & T and other students in my class so we can act on it.

We still need to..
Introduce a conceptual dilemma and see how we respond. Can we relate it to the Learning Pit?

Action in 'The Learning Pit'

James Nottingham

Before I unpack this concept with the class, we need to pull it to pieces here.

This could be about learning a skill or grappling with a confrontational concept where learners are faced with a dilemma.

The Learning Pit and being faced with a dilemma... 
- Promotes deeper thinking
- Develops persistence

- Demands students to get past the 'panic' stage
- Requires the problem to be clearly identified
- Requires the use of different strategies

- Allows learners to help each other
- Lets learning be co-constructed

- Requires the process and learning to be reflected upon

This is what I have already unpacked in my earlier readings.

The Learning Pit:
http://www.jamesnottingham.co.uk/about/learning-pit 

http://www.supplyteachingsolutions.co.uk/#!Instilling-a-growth-mindset/c24tn/1

Make the process of 'The Learning Pit' clear and visible to learners so they know what happens and the skills to use at different points.

Make sure you throw in the challenging questions that causes learners to'struggle' to find the answer. I found it! There is no sense of elation without the struggle.

See 'The Learning Pit' as a collaborative experience where we build on each others ideas and skills.

The 'Learning Pit' sequence:
1.  At the start of the pit - ask a concept question - to push past surface knowledge.

2. At the bottom of the pit - add thinking strategies and collaborative opportunities. Focus on the Growth Mindset, never giving up but celebrating the struggle.

3. Outside the pit you have your deep answer or 'Eureka' experience.

4. Post pit - ask metacognitive questions - how did you feel, what strategies did you use, what will you use again?

8. Meaningful Reflection:
http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/12/03/what-meaningful-reflection-on-student-work-can-do-for-learning/ 

Focus on self improvement rather than achieving grades.
Reflection gives next steps for learning - formative.
Reflection is documented to allow for tracking of progress and thought process.
Reflection is shared to provide collective support.

CLASS ACTION:

1. Introduce the pit in relation to our weaving endeavours as we all found these challenging. Focus on a physical skill. 

2. Begin to develop our own visual to represent this concept.

3. Introduce a conceptual dilemma to them and see ow we respond. See if they can relate it to the Learning Pit.

Improved Quality of Reflections

The initial student reflections on their learning were about being happy they had coloured something in neatly. After I introduced the iReflect sheet with starter sentences, this added more detail in their reflections and helped them focus on sharing evidence and next steps.

Links to reflections



One particular reflection that shows thinking along a Positive Mindset is with Ella teaching another student how to weave. She was quite hesitant in this task but used lots of strategies to manage the challenge, resulting in a big gain in confidence.

Next Steps:
We need to keep developing visual posters, unpack a Positive Mindset for our weekly targets and reflect on the evidence our daily learning. The positive phrases need to be what is heard every day so it sinks in and becomes second nature.

I need to give them some big challenges and let them see how they respond.

Action in Class!

We have been working on sharing the Positive Mindset through making posters, using the new skills from Carol. Students who have been to the workshops then become the AKO teachers and the whole class shares the learning.

See the link here.

Action Research - Learning PIT - classroom steps.

Initial classroom action steps:

Develop, complete and analyse a student voice survey on their levels of positive mindset.

Get the class to unpack 'have a positive mindset' as a target, with possible success criteria.



Unpack and constantly refer to positive mindset posters and tools:

 1. Effort train

2. Change your words mindset display

3. Daily mindset chants

4. Use my iReflect planning sheet

Learning Pit: Visible thinking and student reflection

Now is the time to clarify all the ideas that are buzzing around my mind. What to focus on for my Action Research or Learning Pit for 2015?

My initial thoughts stem from the PD that I have been involved in so far this year:
1. Reading 'The Positive Mindset' by Carol Dweck
2. Listening to Carol Dweck in person in Christchurch during Term 1
3. Hearing Holly Clark at the GAFE Summit Christchurch discuss reflection in student portfolios
4. The Learning Pit - constantly being tweeted about

It was also clearly illustrated in an image that was shared with me this last week:

My focus research question is:

How can making thinking visible help students see the connections that allow them to effectively reflect on their learning both academically and in developing a postivie mindset?


The key words are visible thinking, effective student reflection and positive mindset.

This is supported by the principles of modern learning that require student agency - to be empowered by a sense of ownership over their own self directed learning.

It also supports the Springston School beliefs that learning should be:

Challenging: We will …

• provide opportunity for students to be in charge of their learning

Relevant, Clear and Purposeful: We will …

• co-construct success criteria to unpack learning outcomes

Supported with Modelling, Exemplars and Assessments: We will …

• provide learners with the tools they need to set goals and plan for their own learning
• reinforce reflection as part of the learning process
• provide time for self-reflection and assessment
• teach tools that lead to deeper reflection and self-assessment
• give meaningful feedback/forward - allowing time to act upon advice