Barry Smith - Learning about Learning

I had an interesting conversation at the weekend with Andy Marjoribanks,  headteacher of a secure special school in Edinburgh.  We were discussing the ‘chaotic thinking’ that characterises many of the youngsters for whom mainstream schooling is unmanageable and breaks down in a flurry of exclusions, at times characterised by violence and aggression. The youngsters often have not had the opportunity to develop the thinking skills that most of us take for granted, such as seeing things from another point of view.  There may be a number of explanations form this, including damaged or non-existent relationships with the significant adults in their lives or that those adults have not themselves had the opportunity to develop the skills as youngsters and pass them on to their children.

He was telling me that one of the strategies used in the secure unit to help empower the youngsters and give them the self control and skills to make positive decisions for themselves is teaching Edward de Bono’s cognitive thinking skills. This was music to my ears as I was (obviously!) relating what he was saying to our Alternative Curriculum plans, part of which was using Edward de Bono’s six thinking hats to do exactly the same thing.

I’m looking forward to meeting Leslie Gillies at Dunbar Grammar this week to pick her brains on the possible pitfalls in setting up  the Alternative Curriculum programme.