Cultural Forces

Forces are at play in our classrooms, shaping the way we exist, interact and learn. At Griffin State School, staff have a growing awareness of what Ron Ritchhart describes as the eight Cultural Forces and their role in curating a 21st century learning environment. Ritchhart deines these forces as:

Through Ritchhart’s work, we are developing an understanding of the potential impact of our actions and are evolving our stance to one that is more supportive of learner cultivation and a thriving Intellectual Classroom Environment.

Shifts in the way we use Cultural Forces have the power to profoundly influence learners and learning. Together, they communicate an ‘old story of learning’ or awaken us to the potential New Story. In Griffin classrooms, learners notice that Learning is the Work, as teachers strive to create Learning-Orientated classrooms that breed learners, not students.

Teachers at Griffin have been deeply affected by opportunities to examine their language use, what it says to our learners and the learning community it creates. The Languages of Identity, Noticing and Naming, Community, Initiative and Knowing are increasingly becoming part of our Griffin dialect. Our Intentional Language is now also becoming part of our learners’ language.

Through harnessing the Cultural Forces, classrooms at Griffin State School are places where learners are thinkers and doers. Teacher awareness and the natural process of Enculturation are gradually strengthening our learning environments. We use each of the forces in meaningful ways that communicate our values and reflect The Griffin Way.