Submitted by Bernie Van Doninck
It’s onerous to consider that it’s been nearly six months for the reason that CAFLN convention in Dartmouth and that there’s nonetheless a lot vitality right here on account of this occasion. On a private word I wish to lengthen my deepest gratitude to everybody who attended. Equally so, I humbly thank the members of the CAFLN government for inviting me to be part of this nice group. As convention chair, I’m so grateful for having had the chance to see the convention to fruition – particularly since, attributable to circumstances past our management, it was nearly the conference-that-wasn’t! Nonetheless with persistence, flexibility, perseverance, and a dedicated planning committee, an incredible occasion got here to move. Whew!!
I nonetheless can’t cease speaking in regards to the keynote; it was merely very good! However I might be lower than sincere if I didn’t say that the preliminary concept was greater than a bit of dangerous. The implementation needed to be good. If I’ll digress for a second, Mike Rutherford, previously of Genesis and Mike and the Mechanics, talks about “locale reminiscence” being one of many skills of the “Artisan Trainer”. Merely put it’s that innate capability, intentional and unintentional, of a instructor to maximise the usage of house to help the retention of studying. I point out this as a result of I can nonetheless keep in mind each element of the night time the keynote was born, over dinner at The Bicycle Thief restaurant, with important pals, Geoff Cainen and Lorna Earl. I do know with certainty that someplace in a drawer in my home there’s nonetheless a serviette on which I wrote down notes and particulars.
Our objective was as an example how a efficiency process – on this case, a musical efficiency – can present essentially the most concrete instance of the express follow/suggestions cycle that’s foundational to evaluation for studying. All too typically, I hear that efficiency evaluation can’t be replicated in educational topics. I couldn’t disagree extra. And so a name to motion at this yr’s convention was to ask delegates to use efficiency assessments to all topics. This started as a problem, issued to delegates via the keynote, to use all parts of evaluation for studying to their very own, particular person contexts. The breakout periods prolonged this problem all through the day.
So what did we really witness in the course of the distinctive “keynote” session? We witnessed a grasp instructor demonstrating each content material data and exemplary educational abilities; we witnessed the usage of clearly articulated studying targets and efficiency standards; we witnessed a instructor setting the very best of expectations for his college students; we witnessed these college students demonstrating important proof of their data and abilities; we witnessed the exemplary use of suggestions to enhance college students’ efficiency; and we witnessed a deep, respectful relationship between instructor and college students. And the consequence? Complete scholar engagement in studying, in addition to excessive ranges of feat.
The exemplary educating demonstrated that morning in Dartmouth mirrored the fixed cycle of modelling, follow and suggestions. As CAfLN founding member Damian Cooper teaches us, “plan, train, assess” and repeat.