The Hidden Lives of Learners

Posted on January 22, 2008 by Mrs Thomson.
Categories: Uncategorized.
This is the title of a fabulous book by Graham Nuthall, a researcher in education from New Zealand. The Hidden Lives of Learners is a recent, but sadly posthumous publication which brings together in very readable terms the guts of Nuthall’s work over 30 or 40 years.

I first heard Nuthall’s name in the ACEL 2007 William Walker Oration by Viviane Robinson and found an excellent article to satisfy my curiosity. Nuthall and associates studied students in classrooms by using multiple video cameras and individual microphones. They got beyond what even personal observers could see and hear in that complex environment. Any practicing teacher will be fascinated by what they found. Much of the detail (there is more in the book) is eerily reminiscent of Summer Heights High - especially after watching some of the extra takes on the DVD of the series.

Here is an excerpt from the article referenced below:

“It was about this stage in my journey that I began to understand the significance of the difference between the teacher’s perception of the classroom and the students’ perceptions. In order to take responsibility for a class of 25 to 35 students who have different knowledge, skills, interests, and motivations, teachers have to develop ways of managing the class as a whole. It is impossible to focus on the individual learning of any one student for more than very brief periods.

“The ritualized routines of teacher-student interaction appear to have evolved to solve this problem. Teachers follow patterned action sequences (Bohannan, 1995) that work because both teachers and students have learned exactly what to expect of each other (Quantz & Magolda, 1997). Within these ritualized patterns, students learn how to manage their own private and social agendas. They learn how and when the teacher will notice them and how to give the appearance of active involvement. They get upset and anxious if the teacher is keeping more than a passing eye on them, as the teacher will get upset if the students do not respond in culturally expected ways (Hughes, 1973).

“I began to think of the class as an orchestra following a cultural musical score. So long as everyone knows his part, the whole works together effectively. Furthermore, when everyone is following her own score, the coherent sound of the whole orchestra makes it very difficult to separate out the sounds of individual instruments. In a classroom, we have found that even a trained observer finds it extraordinarily hard to focus on the continuous experience of an individual student without getting absorbed back into the performance of the class as a whole (Alton-Lee et al., 1993).”

Nuthall, Graham “The cultural myths and realities of classroom teaching and learning: A personal journey”, The Teachers College Record, Vol. 107, No. 5, May 2005, pp. 895-934(40)

If you are not able to acces this article then read the following which contains substantially the same material, although in an earlier and shorter form:

Nuthall, G. (2001, December). The cultural myths and the realities of teaching and learning. Unpublished Jean Herbison Lecture, 2001. Accessed online at Lead Space on 22nd January, 2008.

Or go straight to the book available promptly from the New Zealand Council for Educational Research.

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To begin in the middle…

Posted on January 21, 2008 by Mrs Thomson.
Categories: Pinter, film.
This poor blog space has been languishing for some time (a year maybe) until I recently updated the sidebar a few weeks ago.

The real story of the name is that, determined as I was to use a name for which the blogger url was available, there is only so much time you can spend on this bit. Finally compromised on Go-Between with the ridiculous “betweengo” for the url.

Hopefully Go-Between will be a space where I can express and reflect on what is on my mind across a few areas of interest - books, films, teaching & learning, libraries, whatever. We’ll see how it goes.

I had the good fortune as a teenager in the 60s/70s to work as an usherette (great old word) at Roseville Theatre under it’s original family management. My aunt and uncle, Pauline and Bourke O’Connor, were great supporters of students as part-time staff and us as family. Saw many great movies there - some time after time. This is where I discovered and fell in love with The Go-Between which featured Julie Christie, Alan Bates and Dominic Guard. I subsequently read the book by L.P. Hartley and then fully appreciated the beautiful adaptation to film.

Ten or twelve years later I really enjoyed the film of The French Lieutenant’s Woman by John Fowles, a book I had been introduced to by my master teacher, Olivia Chan, on prac at Chatswood High School in 1976. Another fabulous adaptation.

It was only in recent years that I discovered that both The Go-Between and The French Lieutenant’s Woman were written for the screen by Harold Pinter. What a writer!

Haven’t seen either film of late, although I have a video copy of TFLW. Am trying to get a copy of The Go-Between as it doesn’t seem to be available to rent.

Fans of the film of The Go-Between might appreciate this interesting blog post about Margaret Leighton, BAFTA Best Supporting Actress 1971. Has a series of great stills from the film, albeit focussing on Mrs Maudsley.

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