Collaborative learning

-sense of awareness of others and the environment

-meaningful reflection and ability to collaborate

Authentic learning and relevancy to real world

Development of collaboration
Self directed learning
Teacher as facilitator
Student ownership of their learning

2) The teacher's role as a facilitator, not as the sage on the stage

These can help our students to become self-directed learners & critical thinkers.

During our discussions we talked about how the student projects in the article were possible, and drew examples from our own experiences. In many of the cases we discussed, the limiting factor was seldom students' capabilities - it was often time, class size, and whether scaffolds can be created cultivate students' Deep Learning Progressions. It occurred to me that there is a possibility that our students are able to do so much more, as long as we can create the correct environment and support for them.

As an educator, I feel this is the way to go especially now that students have many distractions so with high engagement, distractions can be ignored.

There must changes, big ones with PD in the core.

"Give students a choice whether they want to feel empowered to make a difference in the real world or in the imaginary world and there is no contest. The real world wins every time."

When students are empowered with real life applications, stepping out of the box can create much more positive outcomes.

During my SIR with my class, this point definitely showed up. Giving them the responsibility of improving the class environment, they brainstormed, discussed possible ideas, executed their plans and even troubleshooted possible problems. It was fulfilling to see the result and they have proved to be very creative and impactful: A cosy destress corner with fairy lights, soft toys and simple entertainment items with a cleaning plan. Class plants which they planted from scratch and a duty roster.

This has reminded me to be more open-minded as a teacher and also to consider stretching our students more as they are capable of much more. The sky's the limit.

When students are more involved, it makes them curious about learning and engagement level is likely to be higher.

Though in some articles, it seemed like students were very self directed and teachers simply monitored or facilitated the learning experience, however, much thought had gone into the “user experience” of how the learning will take place and what type of questions to be asked in order for the learning experience to be meaningful for the students.

This made me reflect and look forward to how we curate and become designers of our students learning experiences to allow for them to take ownership of their own learning.

With today's session, learnt more different aspects of "deep learning" - apply across different disciplines, engaging children including those who are less regular to sch, students engaging the community in a cause that they believe in, project-based learning, real-life-problem-solving, and the fun aspect.

Linking up to using of "OMD" (Orchestrating Math Discussion") aka dialogic teaching - teachers, whether in our sch or other sch, who are using similar pedagogies (orchestrate discussions) in Math/other subjects, some, if not many, may still feel that it "minus" away time that should be given to helping our children to "do better". Or they ponder "ultimately they are sitting for exams, so the effort put into deep learning, or CCE, character development for that matter, the end results cannot be "seen directly" or quantified, unlike exams.

One key is still the belief in holistic education.

Yet, embedding these ideals into longstanding systems demands more than structural change, it requires a shift in mindset. It's about moving beyond what is comfortable and familiar, daring to prioritize curiosity, resilience, and the process of learning itself.

Our actions must reflect this vision, crafting environments that embrace complexity and inspire thoughtful exploration. The choices we make whether in the frameworks we design or the experiences we create will carry the weight of shaping futures.

In this shift, there is an optimism as our school’s already moving toward this change, paving the way for a more meaningful and transformative approach to learning.

Just wondering how the assessment of students’ work can be achieved at the end of the project.

Curriculum time is school is finite. From the examples shared, it takes time for Deep Learning as it depends largely on individual agency, his curiosity and motivation and we need to get it right from the start. This will pose the most significant challenge for our "facilitating" teachers.