Core Practice Final_EL_120811.pdf (application/pdf Object) Punk Learning – The Manifesto. “Authority is supposedly grounded in wisdom, but I could see from a very early age that authority was only a system of control and it didn’t have any inherent wisdom.
I quickly realised that you either became a power or you were crushed” Joe Strummer You need to watch this short video clip to understand (or be reminded of) what the Punk ethos is all about… The “Do it Yourself” culture of Punk is something that still holds today – think fashion, art, films, imagery, journalism and music or indeed a way of life. If you want to do something, then what’s stopping you? Take risks, do things differently, think for yourself and succeed. Arguably Punk was the most important social culture in its influence and legacy, encouraging kids in the suburbs to take up instruments, with little or no musical training. And boy, do we need a change in this current educational landscape!
(Talking about Britain’s school education) “They take your soul away. Punk Learning – I want to be free, free to learn to be me. “Well I hate to go to school and listen to the stupid rules.
Just to keep me out of the way. So they can have an easy day. I want to be free, free to learn to be me” I Hate School – Suburban Studs The research by George Land, undertaken way back into the late sixties is a staggering study. He used a creativity test adopted by NASA to select innovative engineers and scientists on 1,600 5-year olds; he retested the same children at 10 years of age and again at 15 years of age. Rather than righteously banging on about the lack of creativity in student’s work, or complaining about the SoW (that we religiously follow) not allowing our students to be creative or blaming external variables for the lack of imaginative lessons that we have to deliver.
“Something’s happening and it’s happening right now. As an example, if you had to teach your class about George Orwell’s Animal Farm, why on earth would you just teach them (or tell them, which is probably more accurate) about the book? Like this: Punk Learning – A Molotov Cocktail of Enquiry. “Two fingers poking at the world.
One golden rule, no rules at all. Two fingers been poised down on to you. You better make sure they got something to do” Love and a Molotov Cocktail – The Flys These are Punk Learners. For me, this was the start of real Punk Learning. During our lessons this week, students were taking complete ownership of their learning. Each group were constantly referring to their Punk driving questions and looking at the big picture of how they will finally present to the rest of the class at the end of the topic. Students have volunteering to circulate around the class to assess the group’s understanding using our Group Progress Chart. Who needs a teacher? So what’s going on in this Molotov Cocktail of enquiry? My students are resiliently struggling with the Internet research as most of the Punk driving questions are not Googleable! These are some more Punk Learners. And my job in all of this? “I’m tired of being told what to think.