WHAT IS PRESENTLEARNING?
When any of us learn something new how much lead time do we give, how tolerant are we about our/their mental readiness to start the task. What devices do we use to create motivation. Mostly how do we provide an environment that sets high expectation and supports the needs of failure more than success?
Present learning is a framework of strategies and skills that I created to enable myself and other learners to focus clearly on the learning task at hand. To be honest my part was just the bring together of successful frameworks and layering them in away that creates a fluid structure. A structure that focuses on the individual and the support they get through the learning process.
The key elements are:
Carol Dweck's Growth Mindset: Growth mindset philosophy works hand in hand with the Seven Habits enabling further clarity of an individual’s responsibility.
Martin Brokenleg's Circle of courage: This provides the overarching value set for the both for the individual learner and the learning environment. The four elements provide a big picture framework in which to apply the skills and strategies provide by the seven habits and growth mindset.
John Kabot zinn's Mindfulness: Mindfulness strategies provide the learner with an opportunity to focus on the experiences of learning, providing a tool for reflection and clarity to the process.
Further clarification of the concept and skill and strategy explanations to come........
Present learning is a framework of strategies and skills that I created to enable myself and other learners to focus clearly on the learning task at hand. To be honest my part was just the bring together of successful frameworks and layering them in away that creates a fluid structure. A structure that focuses on the individual and the support they get through the learning process.
The key elements are:
Carol Dweck's Growth Mindset: Growth mindset philosophy works hand in hand with the Seven Habits enabling further clarity of an individual’s responsibility.
Martin Brokenleg's Circle of courage: This provides the overarching value set for the both for the individual learner and the learning environment. The four elements provide a big picture framework in which to apply the skills and strategies provide by the seven habits and growth mindset.
John Kabot zinn's Mindfulness: Mindfulness strategies provide the learner with an opportunity to focus on the experiences of learning, providing a tool for reflection and clarity to the process.
Further clarification of the concept and skill and strategy explanations to come........
WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A LEARNER..... PRESENT IN THE EXPERIENCE
A learning opportunity I experienced, which used the framework of skills learnt while discovering PRESENTLEARNING

My friends and I have a saying “When you have learnt one thing new today you can go home.. But this comes with a caveat you actually have to have truly learnt it. I don’t go home early much.
On the weekend I built a wheel (a bicycle wheel, not just any wheel a fat bike wheel). I have never built a wheel before, it would have been much easier to pay a professionals wheel builder to do the job. So why choose to take on this challenge, knowing the level of task?
Engagement: It has taken me months to warm up to attempting this task. In these hours of procrastination I have gathered the materials. Read some info… watch some YouTube clips, talk to some people. But most importantly get myself into the right head space to commit to the task. This head space for learning was motivated by a belief that I had a fair chance of success. I had also talk to peers about it (now I was somewhat accountable to them.. They were expecting results.) This could be call extrinsic motivation, otherwise known as peer pressure or peer accountability. The other motivating fact, was not paying someone else.
When any of us learn something new how much lead time do we give, how tolerant are we about their mental readiness to start the task. What devices do we use to create motivation. Mostly how do we provide an environment that sets high expectation and supports the needs of failure more than success?
On the weekend I built a wheel (a bicycle wheel, not just any wheel a fat bike wheel). I have never built a wheel before, it would have been much easier to pay a professionals wheel builder to do the job. So why choose to take on this challenge, knowing the level of task?
Engagement: It has taken me months to warm up to attempting this task. In these hours of procrastination I have gathered the materials. Read some info… watch some YouTube clips, talk to some people. But most importantly get myself into the right head space to commit to the task. This head space for learning was motivated by a belief that I had a fair chance of success. I had also talk to peers about it (now I was somewhat accountable to them.. They were expecting results.) This could be call extrinsic motivation, otherwise known as peer pressure or peer accountability. The other motivating fact, was not paying someone else.
When any of us learn something new how much lead time do we give, how tolerant are we about their mental readiness to start the task. What devices do we use to create motivation. Mostly how do we provide an environment that sets high expectation and supports the needs of failure more than success?

Let the learning begin: I began on Friday night (My wife was working and the kids were watching a video) the learning environment was right, I started lacing the spokes onto the hub and rim. Carefully following the youtube clips, most of the time reverting back to my inner wheel builder (prior knowledge, intuition) to feel my way forward.
It said in the book amateur wheel builders should not attempt to build wheel in one sitting and they should practice with mums old bike wheel before using carbon rims and custom built hubs.. so as I was using carbon rims and custom hubs. I thought I’d better take some of the instruction ( or as like to think of them as learning guide lines) so first piece of advice, so once I had laced the wheel I stopped..
Learning environment is critical for optimum outcomes. There is plenty of research that backs learn differently in different environments. What information do we share about conducive learning environments? How do we establish where the students are at, their topic specific and associated knowledge? Do we recognise that it's OK to recognise to pause the learning experience to enable better long term commitment and deeper understanding?
The learning gets interesting: The next day learning conditions have changed the kids are going full throttle with a couple extra for good measure and there is washing, gardening and all manner of things need to be done. Not necessarily a good time to start the intricate task of tensioning and truing the wheel. But sometimes there is no other time. After rereading the instructions I set about tensioning the spokes. Tightening one spoke sent the rim one way or another, up and down. No matter how much I had read and viewed, I was now in the “You do” territory. A bit more of “I do, we do” may have been good, but this was the test of my learning. I failed the test. My wheel resembles the headache you get from staring at an optical illusion. After 3 goes of almost, but not quite there yet. I call a friend, it is sometimes good to hear the learning journey of peers as they can offer their own insight. (Suggestion were given but in my state of learning frustration the advice was listen to but not digested.) But peer accountability morph into peer support and positive specific feedback. My friend later came round to the scene of the crime, calipers in one hand and some and took a casual approach to the situation. I watched as he twisted and rotated the rim. “Pegs are what you need” use them to tag the spokes so you know what you have and have not done. This specific advice was the most important piece of advice digested that day. Pegs. We neared completion. When to stop when you are a head lesson was to be learnt. With a loud bang a spoke removed its self from the nipple and the wheel was no longer true. To start again was inevitable the Supporting look of my friend and the suggestion to wait until tomorrow, was all that was needed to stop the learning process for the day, In the words of Kenny Rodgers “No when to walk away”.
It said in the book amateur wheel builders should not attempt to build wheel in one sitting and they should practice with mums old bike wheel before using carbon rims and custom built hubs.. so as I was using carbon rims and custom hubs. I thought I’d better take some of the instruction ( or as like to think of them as learning guide lines) so first piece of advice, so once I had laced the wheel I stopped..
Learning environment is critical for optimum outcomes. There is plenty of research that backs learn differently in different environments. What information do we share about conducive learning environments? How do we establish where the students are at, their topic specific and associated knowledge? Do we recognise that it's OK to recognise to pause the learning experience to enable better long term commitment and deeper understanding?
The learning gets interesting: The next day learning conditions have changed the kids are going full throttle with a couple extra for good measure and there is washing, gardening and all manner of things need to be done. Not necessarily a good time to start the intricate task of tensioning and truing the wheel. But sometimes there is no other time. After rereading the instructions I set about tensioning the spokes. Tightening one spoke sent the rim one way or another, up and down. No matter how much I had read and viewed, I was now in the “You do” territory. A bit more of “I do, we do” may have been good, but this was the test of my learning. I failed the test. My wheel resembles the headache you get from staring at an optical illusion. After 3 goes of almost, but not quite there yet. I call a friend, it is sometimes good to hear the learning journey of peers as they can offer their own insight. (Suggestion were given but in my state of learning frustration the advice was listen to but not digested.) But peer accountability morph into peer support and positive specific feedback. My friend later came round to the scene of the crime, calipers in one hand and some and took a casual approach to the situation. I watched as he twisted and rotated the rim. “Pegs are what you need” use them to tag the spokes so you know what you have and have not done. This specific advice was the most important piece of advice digested that day. Pegs. We neared completion. When to stop when you are a head lesson was to be learnt. With a loud bang a spoke removed its self from the nipple and the wheel was no longer true. To start again was inevitable the Supporting look of my friend and the suggestion to wait until tomorrow, was all that was needed to stop the learning process for the day, In the words of Kenny Rodgers “No when to walk away”.

Learning condition change daily and there are lessons to be learnt in managing these changes. Classrooms are organic places where learning potential is waiting for the right environment to grow. How often in schools do we deliberately change the culture/ conditions to promote learning.
I do, We do, You do. The learning opportunity is only as successful as the steps taken to explain the ideas, the You do, really tests how well the teachers has got their message across. Its checking for understanding of the learning intention.
Research states peers are key to student understanding and are critical to the learning process. Most of us seek clarification from our peers. How do we ensure that the advice peers are offering is accurate?
Positive specific and support are integral to a student’s success. When they fail how do we ensure they continue. Specific feedback offers direction and understanding. Clear support develops resilience and motivation for continual learning. What happens in your class when a student fails? Who is responsible for the failure?
Lesson learnt: This morning I set myself a goal of resolving the issues of the day before. I stepped out in my head the process that I needed to do. I had pegs in my pocket and some clear understandings of how to solve the problem. I took the wheel apart and move some spokes around, gathered the experiences from the day before and within two hours had a wheel that spun true. While this was happening another friend drop by to offer support and provided me with an audience for my learning. It had taken me month of procrastination and over 10 hours of on the job training to the get to a point where in two hours I could put into practice the skills learnt.
Setting personal and academic goals are key ways to develop purpose in the learning experience. A supportive audience is a powerful motivator for students, giving them a clear understanding of purpose. How often do we provide clear success criteria in our classrooms? If students do not reach the goal on the first or second attempt, how do we integrate practice and skill development specifically into our programs to get them across the line?
Celebrate: I was feeling internally very happy about my achievement, I filmed the wheel sent it to my friend and received the supportive comment “You legend I knew you could do it.” I reflected at this point, I was happy for two reasons I had succeed somewhat at the task set and finally I could now have the rest of the day of because I had learnt something new.
Celebration needs to be an integral part of the learning experience. Not every lesson taught is understood on the first attempted. Positively reflecting on the failures, enables teachers and learners to identify clear stepping stones to success.
I do, We do, You do. The learning opportunity is only as successful as the steps taken to explain the ideas, the You do, really tests how well the teachers has got their message across. Its checking for understanding of the learning intention.
Research states peers are key to student understanding and are critical to the learning process. Most of us seek clarification from our peers. How do we ensure that the advice peers are offering is accurate?
Positive specific and support are integral to a student’s success. When they fail how do we ensure they continue. Specific feedback offers direction and understanding. Clear support develops resilience and motivation for continual learning. What happens in your class when a student fails? Who is responsible for the failure?
Lesson learnt: This morning I set myself a goal of resolving the issues of the day before. I stepped out in my head the process that I needed to do. I had pegs in my pocket and some clear understandings of how to solve the problem. I took the wheel apart and move some spokes around, gathered the experiences from the day before and within two hours had a wheel that spun true. While this was happening another friend drop by to offer support and provided me with an audience for my learning. It had taken me month of procrastination and over 10 hours of on the job training to the get to a point where in two hours I could put into practice the skills learnt.
Setting personal and academic goals are key ways to develop purpose in the learning experience. A supportive audience is a powerful motivator for students, giving them a clear understanding of purpose. How often do we provide clear success criteria in our classrooms? If students do not reach the goal on the first or second attempt, how do we integrate practice and skill development specifically into our programs to get them across the line?
Celebrate: I was feeling internally very happy about my achievement, I filmed the wheel sent it to my friend and received the supportive comment “You legend I knew you could do it.” I reflected at this point, I was happy for two reasons I had succeed somewhat at the task set and finally I could now have the rest of the day of because I had learnt something new.
Celebration needs to be an integral part of the learning experience. Not every lesson taught is understood on the first attempted. Positively reflecting on the failures, enables teachers and learners to identify clear stepping stones to success.