My last post extolled the virtues of Finland’s Fourth Way as an effective educational philosophy to improve community connection and inform teaching and learning, in relation to transformation and change. I would like to explore two models I have researched while preparing for my assessment discussing how the school library can develop as a learning space and resource centre to accommodate and respond to twenty-first century learning expectations. Firstly, I would like to provide a practical example of how the Fourth Way as a philosophy is empowered by the pedagogy of Constructionism in learning networks in Finland. Then, I would like to compare the strengths of this approach when applied in the cultural context of Thailand, where practitioners have refined the process into a robust and lasting structure that empowers communities through collective inquiry.
Korhonen and Lavonen (2017) has described how networking can support teachers in adopting strategies for the 21st Century learning. Their research presents the Finnish “Innovative Education” approach. This approach privileges collaborative learning and leadership strategies that are, by their nature, distributed across learning networks where peer-to-peer learning, teamwork and partnerships are standard. With its focus on creative and critical thinking as well as problem solving and inquiry skills, this model significantly equips students everyday skills needed navigate an increasingly technology-driven society, one where multicultural teams work across international borders.
The Innovative Education approach is cross-disciplinary and seeks to draw connections between science, technology, engineering and maths, with crafts traditions and arts to seek novel solutions and inventions in a move to “maker culture” empowered by Constructionism. This approach shifts the focus of learning from outcome to process and learning relationships to one’s of guidance rather than instruction. The result is the development of highly transferable skills and the fostering of a more open and experimental mindset that is responsive to rapid transformation of increasingly digital societies. Collaboration and construction are at the core of this meaningful approach to learning through innovation.
Korhonen and Lavonen (2017) emphasizes the importance of a holistic and inclusive whole school approach where all participants are encouraged to explore their own unique interests. Integral to the success of such successful ventures is leadership taking a perspective that sees and respects teachers as innovators. TLs play an important role in supporting this process as experts in supporting teachers in the selection of the tools they need to support their students. By facilitating teacher experimentation, TLs may also position themselves as participants in research and development of new educational innovations to be shared with others.
Sharing and collaboration at the core of Constructionist approaches greatly compliment the values of Distributed Leadership, which can in turn empower and transform communities through fostering efficacy through caring and considerate bonds built over time. The case of Thai Constructionism is exemplary in this regard. Seymour Papert and his team of educational researchers from MIT early in the digital revolution hosted a number of curriculum interventions internationally embedding Constructionism as method to stimulate creativity and innovation, largely within the space computing. Significantly, the method has found lasting success in Thailand, as reflected on recently by Blikstein and Fields (2020) who identify the key principles of Thai Constructionism as:
◆ Start with People’s Interests or Problems
◆ Learner Agency
◆ Reflection as a Core Practice
◆ “Low Ego” Approach to Mistakes
◆ Connect with Spirituality through Meditation
(Blikstein & Fields, 2020).
Analyzing over a decade of embedded practice the longevity and success of the project can be related to its focus on deep internalization and personal transformation, long-term mentorship and “thinking alongside”, providing “just in time” resources and “brokering” when bridging educational gaps in socio-economic conditions. All of these dispositions and actions are worthwhile for TLs internationally to reflect on as they work to serve communities. Fostering deep internalization of learning through practical construction is investing in knowledge that is owned and can greatly empower the individual, both socially and economically. Building trust is established through time and effort and a collective sharing of the project inquiry. For TLs, the flexibility and responsiveness of connected learning communities allow for a greater economy in resources and maximizing their distribution. Finally, by positioning themselves as “brokers” TLs work as advocates capable of empowering the changes learners wish to experience in their own lives.
I believe there are substantial advantages towards considering more distributed and collaborative forms of educational leadership which Constructionism reinforces. Most significantly, I believe that as opposed to Social Constructivism which seeks to empower the learner to discover their individual relationship to knowledge and power, Constructionism allows the opportunity for TLs as leaders to “think alongside” library users and conceive new educational environments that preserve the democratic impulses that open new potentials to both individuals and communities.
References
Blikstein, P. & Fields, D.A. (2020). Principles and practices core to the success of the Constructionist movement in Thailand. Transformative Learning Technologies Lab.
Korhonen, T. & Lavonen , J. (2017). A new wave of learning in Finland: Get started with innovation! in S. Choo , D. Sawch, A. Villanueva & R Vinz (Eds), Educating for the 21st Century: Perspectives, Policies and Practices from Around the World. Springer , Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-1673-8_24