Principalville

Creativity- What the world needs now!

2011-12-29T10:26:00.000+10:30

Its been a long time between posts as so much has been happening! Our new school is 90% complete and we are starting to prepare our learning studios for our 184 students for the start of 2012. What a daunting and exciting adventure. It is a real balancing act of continually keeping our vision clearly focused on and organising the day-to day practicalities.
In particular our key foundational concept of creativity. At present I am reading a book (on my iPad) Out of Our Minds by Sir Ken Robinson. He presents many challenging ideas about our present education system and the need for a fundamental shift in its purpose and energy. (for the 'time poor' here is a link to a talk based on his book) He has a wonderful definition of creativity:

Creativity involves putting your imagination to work. In a sense, creativity is applied imagination.

If imagination ("...the ability to bring to mind things that are not present to our senses.") is so fundamental to the creative process, when do we allow our students, our staff, our community to imagine new ways of learning...a new way of schooling? I think, from my experience, imagination needs time and space to take us to a new level of consciousness. Much of our school day is full of busyness and activity- a sort of 'production line' thinking. Tasks to complete..jobs to be done. The challenges for me and my community are:

Where do we find balance in our hectic school day?
Is time & space valued in the learning process?
When have I engaged with the school community imaginatively to help bring the vision to life?

Sir Ken has got me thinking again! As the year comes to a close I have so much to be thankful for- especially a wonderful staff who continually bring the best out of our students and a generous parent community always wanting to support our endeavours.

Spaces for learning

2011-09-28T10:55:00.001+09:30

It seems a long time between posts... so much is going on as we prepare to move into our new school. As we observe our new learning spaces we start to visualise the 'student-learning' that will happen. One of the concepts to guide this thinking comes from using mythic notions of learning spaces. I recently read a post from
Edmodo which describes these key ideas:

Campfire: a place to learn from experts or storytellers. A place for whole-group discussions.
Watering Hole: a space for small group discourse and collaboration.
Cave: a space for individual study, reflection, quiet reading and creative flow.

Each of these 'spaces' has a unique way of learning with different practices and protocols. These will provide a framework as we explore our open & flexible learning studios at Mother Teresa Primary. We have purchased furniture which will hopefully meet the criteria we have set and allow for the setting up of campfire, watering hole and cave configurations...the furniture needs to be:

mobile
multipurpose
allow for student choice/learning modes
durable

We look forward to putting some of this theory and our own into practice in our new school.

Sustaining innovation

2011-08-03T20:08:00.000+09:30

One of my struggle over the past months has been trying to balance innovation and the "systems" accountability. (the 'system' can be our central office, state curriculums or government legislation!) When you believe passionately about the way learning can and should look like, you can be dragged very quickly to the status quo. A wise principal on a conference advised me to be clear about what your vision is and keep stretching the boundaries or very soon you will look like every other school!
As our school continues to grow the greatest challenge is the induction of new staff to help them see the 'vision alive' in all the learning spaces.
An organisation in America KnowledgeWorks has a vision to bring radical change to the education system on a local and global arena. They share some wisdom for me and all of us about change and innovation.

Before real progress can be achieved, we must cultivate the conditions under which change can flourish. Our research into how systems evolve teaches us that enabling education innovation requires us to:

Stretch our imaginations to consider new possibilities.
Suspend our current thinking to make room for a future that breaks free from the past.
Embrace ownership so that every person acts out of the personal conviction that he or she can make a difference.
Build community to sustain and broaden the impact of individual efforts.
Create a shared vision that draws on the community’s collective wisdom to infuse the work with meaning and focus.
Act together so that our efforts are coordinated and effective.

Many of these points have practical implications for me and my leadership. In particular the idea of:

a shared vision not just owned in my heart but owned by all staff, parents and students
constantly imagining our next action.
not getting tied down by the 'systems' and be courageous in our decision- making.

Lots to ponder. What a most exciting and challenging time to be in education!

Helping produce better digital citizens

2011-06-28T21:55:00.000+09:30

Next term in our school we will be implementing a "digital citizenship" program with our Kinders and Year 1 students. Our belief is that we need to provide our students with the tools and attitudes to navigate their digital lives. The resource which is supporting our learning is produced by Common Sense Media. Its goals are clear.

As an educator, you can equip your students with the 21st century skills they need to thrive and survive in their wild digital world. You can also educate and empower their parents to address these issues at home. Our programs let you take on the issues of the moment – from cyberbullying to online privacy, copyright to community building – using tools that fit instruction into crowded school days, all at no cost and with no time-consuming training requirements.

The curriculum provides a scope and sequence based on 3 key strands;

Safety & security
Digital citizenship
Research and information literacy.

Though the program comes from the USA it is easy to make links to our NSW Personal Development/Health/Physical Education syllabus. There are also numerous parent resources as well. Definitely worth a look.
There are many other great resources to supplement this framework like:

Budd:e a great interactive game to learn about cybersafety for primary & secondary students
A cybersafety site produced by the department of education NSW
Cybersmart produced by the Federal government which provides information and interactive games and videos to support children and families.

This is just a few and the list continues to grow. I believe schools now need to have this component of learning integral to their curriculum not just as an afterthought. I look at some of my own grown up children and feel that they have missed out on guidelines and practices to make them better digital citizens. Our school needs to make sure this is challenged by starting with the 5 and 6 year olds sitting in our Learning Studios. Lets start!

Masterclass

2011-06-01T20:21:00.000+09:30

Just spent an amazing two days with all the principals in the Parramatta Diocese. We gathered together to here the learning stories of 4 wonderful principals and discuss the implications for our own school community. Again I was reminded of some key principles I need to adhere to as a leader of learning:

Find time to reflect and pray. Ponder on what went well during the day and what you could have done differently
Start learning conversations with student work. This can be the catalyst to change teaching practice.
"Don't swing at every ball!" Be very clear on what matters and be relentless in your vision
Schools are full of data. Learn how to interrogate the evidence in front of you.

These were just some of the 'gems' I gleaned from the two days. I hope to reflect a little more and plan action steps for me and our school. The wisdom of the group is always powerful!!

Bringing it all together

2011-04-26T11:36:00.000+09:30

The holidays are a great time to sit back and relax. It also provides an opportunity to network with others and discover new resources. I have to admit "once I get on a roll" I get excited about the possibilities that are continually thrown at me by the www!
One great resource I would like to share is the The Super Book of Web Tools for Educators. This is a great collection for the beginner and the experienced IT user. It is user friendly and is the collaboration of a number of teachers. It is a great starting point to introduce a few Web 2.0 tools into your learning space with practical applications to student learning.

Super+Book+of+Web+Tools+for+Educators

A blessing

2011-04-16T15:59:00.000+09:30

Just recently I had the wonderful opportunity to participate in the Apple Distinguished Educator Institute at Newport, NSW. This was such a enriching experience because I got to:

network with some of the most passionate educators from Australia & New Zealand
listen to some inspiring speakers from very diverse fields
work with a small group of educators to produce a resource which will eventually be published on the iTunesU site.
use Apple technologies to learn and create in new ways.
discover ways I can use apps to personalise the learning for students at my school. Just two quick wonderful links. One that was passed on from a fellow ADE, Greg Swanson, is to a blog from an inspirational primary teacher from the US. Her name is Kelly Tenkley. She is passionate, well informed and bases her assessment of the tools in sound pedagogy. The other link is to his own site where he has attempted to find Mac and Web 2.0 tools and simply explain how one may use them in the classroom. To great gems full of support and creative ideas.

My challenge is to keep connected to this new network to contribute and learn. To continue to personalise the learning for each student at my school.

The future of reading

2011-03-04T13:51:00.001+10:30

Stumbled across this video while reading The Horizon Report 2011 which tries to forecast the emerging trends in learning technologies. In its Executive Summary it describes the key trends 'just around the corner':

The abundance of resources and relationships made easily accessible via the Internet is increasingly challenging us to revisit our roles as educators in sense-making, coaching, and credentialing.
People expect to be able to work, learn, and study whenever and wherever they want.
The world of work is increasingly collaborative, giving rise to reflection about the way student projects are structured.
The technologies we use are increasingly cloud-based, and our notions of IT support are decentralized.

It also highlights the emergence of electronic books.

As the electronic book moves further from a digital reproduction of a printed piece, some writers are seeing it become something far richer, allowing journeys through worlds real and imagined, undertaken not alone but in company with other readers.

This video explores what the notion of 'reading' could look like through three different mediums, Nelson, Coupland, and Alice. It raises so many questions as we struggle with what digital literacy might look like now and in the future....

The Future of the Book. from IDEO on Vimeo.

Lucky me!

2011-03-02T13:02:00.000+10:30

During the recent holidays I applied to be a part of the Apple Distinguished Educator program to have an opportunity to network and learn from other educators. I was lucky enough to be accepted and see this as an opportunity 'to get out of my comfort zone' and develop skills to support my staff and in turn our students. Also a colleague of mine from the Catholic Education Office was accepted so I have a buddy to reflect with!
The program commences with a 4 day conference at Newport and the calibre of people I will meet is amazing. Here is my 'application video' which I submitted...who I really need to thank is my dedicated staff who trial, experiment and reflect on the ideas I bring to their learning spaces..they really are a great team!
A new adventure!

Inquiry based learning

2011-02-24T18:30:00.000+10:30

Sometimes as an educator you have a belief or intuition about the way learning should be. You can feel it in your bones but sometimes it can be so hard to articulate. It can be a 'mesh' of random ideas. This video I have just watched captures some of the ideas I feel are so important about:

the power of student interest and relevance to drive learning
that learning needs to be embedded in student's lives...giving students an opportunity to 'reshape' their passion and share it with the community
that it is vital for students to the learn the tools and skills to become creators and producers

Watch the full episode. See more Digital Media - New Learners Of The 21st Century.

Whats the message for you? in your context?

Can the iPad help us collect assessment data?

2011-01-25T20:22:00.000+10:30

This year we hope to trial using the iPad as an assessment data tool. I have been investigating Google Forms as a structure to gather valuable student data. The beauty of Google Forms is that once you input the data it is transformed into a spreadsheet. Once it is in a spreadsheet then you can manipulate the data.
My first attempt is to create a form which reflects our desired learner qualities. This will allow us to gather data about our students as LEARNERS firstly and then allow us to make some decisions about the strategies and experiences we provide. This is just a first step at utilising the portability and power of the iPad. We hope to then use this tool to gather data in numeracy & literacy to help us better personalise the learning experience for our students.
There are many links to take you to sites which highlight the capabilities and potential of the iPad in the learning space. Tony Vincent's blog is still one of my favourites! This year will be a time of experimentation and exploration. Let the adventure begin!

The "dance" between technology and learning spaces

2010-11-25T12:03:00.001+10:30

As we get closer to having a new school the questions start to flow: What frameworks can we use to discuss designing learning spaces? What spaces encourage different forms of learning? What type of pedagogies are needed in our learning studios? Ewan Mcintosh is a teacher, speaker and investor, regarded as one of Europe’s foremost experts in digital media for public services. His company, NoTosh Limited, invests in tech startups and film on behalf of public and private investors, works with those companies to build their creative businesses, and takes the lessons learnt from the way these people work back into schools and universities across the world.
In this short video he tackles the potential of adjusting our physical school environments to harness technology even better. What happens when we map technological spaces to physical ones?

The Seven Spaces of Technology in School Environments from Ewan McIntosh on Vimeo.

A new presentation tool

2010-11-17T17:41:00.000+10:30

Just recently I had discovered a new way to present thoughts and ideas to my community. It is by using a tool called Prezi. The video explains some of the basics on how to start. I've planned a prezi for my next parent meeting and have attached that as well. See what you think! It really is an advancement to the old powerpoint!

Seeing children in a new way

2010-10-23T17:14:00.001+10:30

I have been fortunate over the past months to have participated in professional learning which has inspired and confirmed for me beliefs on learning. My personal journey has been through readings on Reggio Emilia inspired learning and an after school session with Alma Fleet (Associate Professor, Macquarie University) on pedagogical documentation. The starting point for my learning was understanding, refining and challenging my image of the child. For to long I have held the belief that school children when exposed to the right learning experiences would flourish in the classroom. What my theory was lacking was an appreciation of what the child brings to the learning encounter. Reggio places before us an image of the child as rich, resourceful and capable. Even though I never had a deficit model approach, this view of the child challenges me, our school, our community, to take into account their capability and resourcefulness. We have scientist, theologians, mathematicians, authors and artists sitting in our learning spaces everyday.... here is the catch.... we need to listen! As one author describes the learning and recording encounter:

"They (adults) are watching and listening, recording; they are engaged in learning about the learning of the children. And the children see all this. The fact that they are being observed as they work, that adults are so interested in what they are doing, that what they are doing is of such great significance that it is being recorded, all send a powerful message to these children." (Neugebauer)

This is just the start of my learning journey in encountering and being inspired by the Reggio Emilia vision. I hope to take my staff on this journey with me to discover how we can continue to make their learning visible to the whole school community.

Reflection & embracing change: Two sides of a coin?

2010-09-22T07:53:00.000+09:30

What strikes me in the comments and questions raised....

We must instil in learners "the love of embracing change". This is one of the most challenging and fundamental foundations for our learning spaces. We know that change will be the constant. How are we providing the skills, attitudes and resilience to not only assist learners with surviving but, more importantly, thriving?
It is not only about immersion (in digital technologies) but the teachers essential part in helping students reflect. The skill to reflect is connected to the first point. We need to provide opportunities, tools and the space for our learners to reflect on their learning. This needs to be interwoven throughout the day and not seen as an 'add-on'.

Child-driven learning

2010-09-13T11:50:00.000+09:30

Below is a Ted talk which has sparked questions as I relate its contents to my context. The presenter is Sugata Mitra.

In 1999, Sugata Mitra and his colleagues dug a hole in a wall bordering an urban slum in New Delhi, installed an Internet-connected PC, and left it there (with a hidden camera filming the area). What they saw was kids from the slum playing around with the computer and in the process learning how to use it and how to go online, and then teaching each other.

In the following years they replicated the experiment in other parts of India, urban and rural, with similar results, challenging some of the key assumptions of formal education. The "Hole in the Wall" project demonstrates that, even in the absence of any direct input from a teacher, an environment that stimulates curiosity can cause learning through self-instruction and peer-shared knowledge. Mitra, who's now a professor of educational technology at Newcastle University (UK), calls it "minimally invasive education."

The questions it raises for me in particular are;

Do we underestimate the curiosity & problem-solving skills students innately have?
What part does collaborative learning have to play?
Can the conversations students have (trying to make meaning for themselves) focusing on a goal produce much deeper learning?

It seems to me that there are connections with this learning dynamic and 'discovery learning' and 'guided inquiry'. They all provide an element of what deep learning can look like!

Sharing the vision and the dream

2010-08-24T17:17:00.000+09:30

At present I am in the process of hiring staff for the 2011 school year. My challenge is to pass on 'the dream' we have started. To cultivate my visionary leadership to ensure that:

everyone within the school knows what is expected of him or her
challenging but attainable goals are set for the learning community and its staff
set standards and monitor performance in relation to the larger vision
the day-to-day activities support our aspirations

May next task is to now seek clarity in the midst of evolving ideas on curriculum, our beliefs about the learner, the part that sustainability will play, incorporating our learner qualities, cultivating a spirituality grounded in Christian meditation, developing creative thinking through guided inquiry and also have best practice in literacy & numeracy...the elements are there I just need to bring them within a cohesive framework and then have the processes to pass them on to the next generation of teachers.
I hope I can do a better job than Dilbert's boss!!

A fantastic learning experience

2010-08-10T18:43:00.000+09:30

I have just got back from Melbourne after being a part of 5 amazing days of professional learning. I was blessed to take part in the Leading Australia's Schools program.

Leading Australia’s Schools is a national, university-accredited leadership development program for school principals who have been selected from every State, Territory and educational system across Australia. It aims to enhance the skills,motivation and confidence of school leaders who are already demonstrably successful in their roles. This ‘good to great’ approach is intended to create a growing network of superb practitioners who can extend their capacity to make a real difference in student learning within and beyond their individual schools.

I was challenged, extended and created some wonderful networks with 39 other principals from right round Australia. We received data from our peers (a big thankyou to those that offered me feedback!) on our Leadership Styles and the Organisational Climate of our schools. This was an opportunity to see if our perceptions and the reality of our leadership were the same. I am now in the process of 'bringing to life' a Challenge Project at my own school and have acquired a number of reflection tools to make this happen.
For me this means bringing to life our school's vision with clear foundational principles & practices.
I recommend this program to any principal who wants to be challenged and stretched in their role!

Learning & the 'death' of education

2010-07-13T15:02:00.000+09:30

Just watched this wonderful short video starring Stephen Heppell who I have admired as a real visionary for a few years. He speaks so passionately and with 'common sense' propositions that I am always gaining valuable insights. In this clip he highlights for me key indicators of working towards 21st century learning;

We must LISTEN to the LEARNER
There must be a sense of BELONGING if we want authentic learning to occur
ENGAGEMENT is the 'secret weapon' of teachers
Never underestimate the POTENTIAL of learners
We need to build US-NESS into the deigns of our learning spaces

These vital points provide a filter to continually evaluate where we are and where we hope to be. They also encourage us to go with our " hunches till they become certainty."

An iPod touch... can it enhance learning?

2010-06-21T09:10:00.000+09:30

We have been researching and in the very early implementation of utilising the iPod touch in the learning space. At present we are experimenting with some of the apps assessing their suitability and effectiveness to enhance student learning. I was fortunate last week to visit OLHC Primary school at Rosemeadow which has begun a 1to1 iPod touch program with their kinders. In talking to the teachers I learnt some valuable advice on practical matters such as storage and syncing. They also pointed me in the direction of some valuable apps and their blog.
Though we are just beginning the journey the potential of individualising the learning for students could be incredible (once we master the practical elements!) One of the best sites is still Learning in Hand by Tony Vincent which has links to podcasts and other useful links.
Now we look to the budget and see if the added investment in iPod touches will be a viable proposition. I also need to get touches into my teachers hands to 'play' and experiment with to see the application to learning!

Where will we find the revolution? In our schools?

2010-06-05T19:13:00.000+09:30

Another wonderful and inspiring talk from Sir Ken Robinson who makes the case for a radical transformation from standardised schools to personalised learning. What a fundamental shift in thinking which has the repercussion of finding new ways of learning, assessing, reporting and structures just to name a few!

A web of connections!

2010-05-15T16:45:00.001+09:30

There is no question that social media has changed the way we communicate - both as organisations and as individuals. Social media tools and platforms give us the opportunity to engage in ongoing "conversations" and extend our community far beyond anything we could have ever imagined. To embrace this incredible opportunity and take advantage of all that it possible for our students, leadership teams, staff, and community, we must first understand how significant these changes happening around us are.
The video created by Erik Qualman from Socialnomics, is one of the most effective explanations of how truly fast things are changing.

Capturing learning for now and later

2010-05-15T16:37:00.000+09:30

At present we are trying to develop a reporting system which captures our core beliefs. A report which can show others (especially parents and our students!) the qualities and competencies they are developing as learners... rather than a series of letter grades connected to subjects! Our starting point is our key learner qualities:

Passionate
Collaborative
Reflective
Compassionate
Creative

We hope to visually display a Learner Profile for each of our students. Our next challenge is to place the Report online to allow links to student work samples displaying our Learner Qualities. (I'm hoping that the technology will be simple!) In a sense our Report on Learning will be linked to our students e-portfolio (which at present is a blog on our Mac Server.)
With regards e-portfolios I found a wonderful short video which reminds us that we need to document our student's learning journey (mess included!) using tools which are accessible and public.

2010-04-04T16:47:00.003+09:30

ePortfolios 101

A wonderful presentation offering ideas and questions as we look to engage students in learning enhanced by technology!
As we look to provide opportunities for students to record their learning e-portfolios seem a important tool. The possibility of m-learning recording thoughts, ideas and reflections on-the-go sounds full of promise! What a wonderful proposition to record, through images or sound, students thinking about their thinking. (metacognition)

How do we keep up?

2010-03-09T07:23:00.002+10:30

Found this short video on the 'state of the internet' at Judy O'Connell's blog Hey Jude.

JESS3 / The State of The Internet from JESS3 on Vimeo.

It both amazes and scares me at the rapid rate of change and expansion of the internet..."its the way we do things round here!". Like all powerful change agents it has the power to enhance or diminish us. It emphasises for me again that we need to continue to help our students to become digital savvy as we try to keep ourselves up to speed on an every changing landscape...exhilarating and exhausting!

The puzzle of motivation

2010-03-08T19:42:00.004+10:30

Just finished watching a video featuring Daniel Pink. Most of us believe that the best way to motivate ourselves and others is with external rewards like money—the carrot-and-stick approach. That’s a mistake, Daniel H. Pink says the secret to high performance and satisfaction—at work, at school, and at home—is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world.

Pink explains the three elements of true motivation—autonomy, mastery, and purpose. He also has a wonderful short clip which promotes his new book; Drive: The surprising truth that motivates us. He challenges his readers to reflect on to key questions;

What's my sentence?
Was I better today than yesterday?

As I ponder on the implications for our school and our students there is a definite need to reflect on the 'motivators' we place in front of each other everyday. Are we dominated by extrinsic motivators ("sticks & carrots!") which narrows our focus and leads us to 'compliance-thinking'? Is that what we do to students day-in-day-out? Or are we delivering the type of learning opportunities linked to intrinsic motivation where there is deep learning with strong connections to myself, others, the topic and the world?

Counter-intuitive thinking

2010-01-20T19:46:00.005+10:30

During the holidays I decided to read something outside the "education realm"... a book that caught my attention is written by Peter Sheahan, Flip! How counter-intuitive thinking is changing everything - from branding and strategy to technology and talent. The author (who is not thirty years old yet!) is an energetic entrepreneur with a reputation for transforming organisations by turning traditional paradigms on their heads. He sites many examples of multinational companies and individuals who develop and employ a flexible mind-set.
He introduces his readers to the four forces of change and challenges us to "get on the front foot and learn to ride the wave of change". He states the forces as:

Increasing compression of time & space
Increasing complexity
Increasing transparency and accountability
Increasing expectations on the part of everyone for everything

I can see these forces in education and the challenge for leaders today. The most dramatic statement that got my attention was focussed on learning. Sheahan writes:

In the years ahead, two things will count the most. The first is your ability to unlearn the things that are losing relevance, to flip yourself free of old scripts and to learn the things that are gaining relevance. The second is whether people come to know and trust you as they struggle to bring their own learning forward. That is, do you really care about and respect them?

To me, this translates in my daily work, as the ability to know and understand confidently learning (and unlearning) and nurturing relationships. Food for thought as we begin a new year!

PASSIONATE about learning

2009-12-23T18:05:00.003+10:30

Found this informative ning K12 online which has a number of wonderful presentations which have caught my attention and interest. The first is a presentation on PASSION in learning. In particular tapping into the passions and talents young children bring to our learning spaces.

The second is a presentation on the use and application of iPod touches in the classroom. Although it goes through a few basics, it has a number of good practical tips to get started. One of the apps mentioned which I believe has real potential is StoryKit. An App which allows students to take photos and create their own text. This text can be created in to ebooks and shared. Well worth a look even though at the moment in can only be used with a iPhone.

Can education survive in its current form?

2009-12-13T20:06:00.005+10:30

Came across this trailer about a landmark independent documentary,We are the people we've been waiting for, inspired and guided by Lord Puttnam and Sir Michael Barber, exploring the education system in the UK and asks whether the current system provides young people with the opportunity to develop their talents. It promotes a view where we need to tap into the creativity and passion of our students for the sake of the present and the future.

It has a corresponding website,www.wearethepeoplemovie.com
which continues the discussion and challenges. What's your reaction to the trailer? Challenged? Disenchanted? Inspired?

Structure to creativity

2009-12-06T16:54:00.005+10:30

As we look to instill, encourage and 'draw forth' creativity from our students we come to realise there are as many definitions to creativity as there are people. Then if we can define it, what are the attributes we need to develop and encourage in our learning spaces? One of the best definitions and elaborations is from the UK Curriculum;

First, they [the characteristics of creativity] always involve thinking or behaving imaginatively. Second, overall this imaginative activity is purposeful: that is, it is directed to achieving an objective. Third, these processes must generate something original. Fourth, the outcome must be of value in relation to the objective.

As a way to practically focus and monitor (and even assess) creativity the Creativity Wheel was developed. This is a tremendously useful tool to answer questions such as

How can we demonstrate to parents, students and ourselves the value we place on creative development?
How can we describe what creative development looks like? Can be improved on?

We will look to how we can use this useful tool for both teachers and students.

Compassion..... what the world needs?

2009-11-16T20:51:00.002+10:30

One of the foundations of our new school is the power and importance of instilling compassion into our students, our staff, our parents and then allowing this 'energy' to permeate beyond the school fence. I found an organisation and vision that wishes the same for the whole world....

On February 28, 2008 Karen Armstrong won the TED Prize and she wished "for help creating, launching and propagating a Charter for Compassion." Here is what she had to say.

Since then she and many other people with the same interest have been working to develop the charter. It was a web 2.0 read-write process for anyone interested from throughout the world to come together online to communicate their stories and ideas on compassion. Over 150,000 people contributed to the process from over 180 countries.

On February 24, 2009 a multi-faith, multi-national Council of Conscience convened in Vevey, Switzerland to compose the charter using the contributions received.

Twenty months after expressing her wish, and with a lot of help from many friends, Karen Armstrong's wish will come true. A wish that many people now embrace as their own. On November 12, 2009 the Charter for Compassion was unveiled.

CHARTER FOR COMPASSION TRAILER from TED Prize on Vimeo.

A clean slate..foundations of a curriculum

2009-11-03T18:38:00.009+10:30

Presently I am working with a 'think-tank' of wonderful colleagues to lay the foundations for a new curriculum. Just imagine the freedom and energy as we work to create a framework which will meet the needs of our students in the present and the future. For me an anchoring statement, I've been mulling over, to capture the essence of our school guides our discussions and debates;

The purpose of learning at Mother Teresa Primary is to liberate the creativity and compassion in our student's hearts by giving them the tools to become self-directed learners.

We have coined the phrase 'a curriculum based on life.' We want the learning to be based on the key questions of life... to get to the very heart of what it means to be human living in the 21st century. This graphic tries to capture our thinking.

We have tried to capture the 'big questions' we all need to ask ourselves no matter what stage of life we are at;

Who are we?
How do we connect with others?
What part do we play in the world?
How can we be of service to others?

We now have the task of expanding our ideas on the learning qualities we will cultivate; passion, creativity, collaboration, compassion and reflectiveness. The exciting discussions continue....stay tuned!

iPod touch and learning

2009-10-01T20:36:00.004+09:30

Watched this wonderful clip of year 3 students in England using an iPod touch as a learning tool. The amazing thing is the ease at which the students take on this new technology and develop as risk-takers using the device to answer their problems. This is with 8 year olds! What excites me is the number of sites building up displaying the learning capacity of mobile technologies. This blog by Tony Vincent is a good example with many ideas and examples.

My brain is starting to imagine a number of iPod touches (I think this is the plural?) in the hands of Kindergarten children using the technology to

record their thoughts and learning
recording reading samples
taking photos of their completed work and self evaluating

The potential excites me and possibly well within my budget! Any ideas or comments??

Designing schools... a vision

2009-09-28T21:23:00.007+09:30

In this film, architect Randall Fielding demonstrates the connection between where and how students learn in the 21st century. He highlights key characteristics of the environment that aid learning;

security

stimulation ("..the environment is the second curriculum.")

connection with the outside world

real-world like

The video provides valuable discussion points as we design and redesign our learning spaces to meet the needs of our students in an ever changing world.

Did you know 4.0

2009-09-17T20:40:00.003+09:30

Just as we think we are getting a handle on technology the 'goalposts' keep shifting. Change is the NORM!

What does it all mean? (Well, besides the self-referential and now self-serving answer of “Shift Happens.”) I think the fact that a simple little PowerPoint (some folks would say simplistic and they would be right – it was meant to be the start of a conversation, not the entire conversation) can be viewed by so many folks and start so many conversations means that we live in a fundamentally different world than the one I (and most of you reading this) grew up in.

I know some folks would dispute that, and that’s an interesting conversation in and of itself, but if you buy that – if you buy that on so many levels the world is a fundamentally different place – then it just begs us to ask the question of whether schools have similarly transformed from when we grew up. If your answer to that question is no, as I think it probably is for a large majority of you, and if you see a problem with that, then what should we do? What is my responsibility, and your responsibility, for making the changes we believe are necessary? What are you willing to step up and do? (quote from Karl Fisch's blog the Fishbowl )

Nurturing the inner world of children:our hope for the future

2009-09-17T19:36:00.004+09:30

I found this simple yet insightful book Nurturing the spiritual child: Compassion, connection and a sense of self highlighting the need to 'keep the heart in the curriculum.' It states that:

Keeping the heart in the curriculum is about finding ways to create a culture in your setting where a child's spirit is recognised and nurtured as an essential part of who they are.

Authors Patrice Thomas and Vanna Lockwood suggest that children's spirituality is evidenced in their sense of self, the connections they establish with others and their search for meaning in life. They suggest that teachers can support and encourage these aspects of a child's life to increase wellbeing, compassion and inclusivity. What wonderful ideals to have for our classrooms and schools!

What is affirmed for me is that the pathways to spirituality are linked with:

being observant and in touch with nature
experiencing stillness, quiet and wonder
belonging and relationships
reflection & creativity
an appreciation of simplicity

I believe that the purpose of 21st century learning is to liberate the creativity in children and the compassion in their hearts by giving them the tools to become self-directed learners. What is clear is that nurturing our students inner world will allow the space to make this happen!

Studios of learning

2009-08-27T19:42:00.003+09:30

A colleague and myself had the privilege to tour the new Junior School at MLC Burwood. We were interested in the flexible learning spaces and the continuing journey the school is taking to improve student outcomes.

The main learning spaces for each Year group are called ‘learning studios’. They replace ‘classrooms’, emphasising space, light and access to technology with flexible furniture and fittings. Research confirms that students learn best when they are actively engaged, when the learning environment stimulates both mind and body. Learning Studios are designed specifically for student centred learning.

What was heartening was to listen to the professional learning journey which included times of transition and significant change. The school also has a Critical Friend from the University of Sydney and is committed to:
School based research using a variety of research strategies and processes
Developing and enhancing the notion of evidence based practice
Building research capacity by engaging both teachers and students in the research processes
We are living exciting times in education and have a wonderful opportunity to transform learning for the benefit of all students.

Agile Learning Spaces

2009-08-07T11:13:00.002+09:30

Stephen Heppell in this short video develops the principles of Learning Spaces for the future. He highlights they must be:

agile
playful
in the right scale
places of collaboration

He speaks of a term "usness" which highlights so well the need for connection, spaces which are homelike and relational.
How can we turn our classrooms into these places of engagement? The discussions we have with staff deliberating this question will challenge our thinking on the learner, the teaching process and the dispositions needed in the future to thrive and survive.

Explaining Learning-Learning from each other

2009-07-02T19:36:00.004+09:30

A primary school in the Wollongong Diocese, St Clare's Catholic Primary School, Narellan Vale has attempted to describe learning which incorporates agile learning spaces. Their framework is described as Leading-Edge Learning focussing on 4 key elements:

Open Learning
Collaborative Learning
Engaged Learning
Innovative Learning

What impresses me is that they have tried to articulate what student-centred learning would look like in an open learning environment, the benefits of de-privitisation of teacher practice and the use of various thinking frameworks.

Spaces shape and change practice. Engaging, adaptable spaces energise
students, teachers and the community. Well-designed learning spaces
inspire creative, productive and efficient learning.

Skype and its many uses

2009-07-02T19:06:00.003+09:30

Skype is a wonderful tool which can provide multiple opportunities to expand the walls of the classroom.
Skype is a free and easy way for teachers to open up their classroom and their students to a world way beyond their campus. With Skype, students can learn from other students, connect with other cultures, and expand their knowledge in amazing ways. Teachers and parents can also benefit from Skype in the classroom. This site shares the possibilities (50 of them!) to learn how you can take advantage of the power of Skype in your classroom.
Our constant challenge as educators is to give opportunities for students to be both consumers + producers of media!

Independent Together

2009-06-11T19:55:00.004+09:30

Have been alerted to a wonderful resource which helps to clarify my thinking as we move towards 'stage-learning-in-agile-learning spaces.' This site from Canada provides a framework of thinking, resources, templates for the multilevel classroom, assessment, differentiation of instruction, integrating curriculum and inquiry learning. What draws me to this resource is its very clear purpose;

...to engage students, educators and parents in developing independent learners within a student-centred multilevel classroom community and to celebrate the uniqueness of each learner. Development along a continuum of learning offers independent learners time to grow as risk takers, leaders, researchers and thinkers.'

It sets a challenge that educators in the learning space need to:

believe in student autonomy
facilitate independent learning
support students in setting goals
facilitate conferences
manage time, movement and space
build communication between school & home

In many ways nothing new I suppose as we have tried to facilitate these sort of goals in the past...but the resources clearly point to a student focussed & led learning environment. It also suggests that teachers journey with students for 2 years and highlights the number of advantages for this structure.
A site definitely worth visiting to provide ideas and stimulus for professional learning.

Creating a 'plaza environment' for learning

2009-05-13T15:32:00.006+09:30

A fellow colleague shared with me this clip of a school reconceptualising the learning environment... creating different learning settings.... encouraging students to become more independent.

The Principal explains the reasoning behind the New Line Learning Academy's "plaza environment", which redesigns the learning space in which children are educated. It presents a challenge about being clear about the type of learning you want to see happening and supplying the space to make it happen. It's very interesting to hear the students' comments!

Creativity...surely the way to go!

2009-05-04T20:04:00.006+09:30

Sir Ken Robinson the former professor of arts education at the University of Warwick argues in his new book, The Element that our approaches to education are "stifling some of the most important capacities that young people now need to make their way in the increasingly demanding world of the 21st century - the powers of creative thinking", he says.

"All children start their school careers with sparkling imaginations, fertile minds, and a willingness to take risks with what they think," he says. "Most students never get to explore the full range of their abilities and interests ... Education is the system that's supposed to develop our natural abilities and enable us to make our way in the world. Instead, it is stifling the individual talents and abilities of too many students and killing their motivation to learn."

Robinson's thoughts challenge me to imagine a school day, week or term underpinned by creativity. What would a learning space look, feel and sound like day in day out? He makes it clear in a radio interview that this is not about creating chaos but about structuring learning which is personalised and meaningful.

One example of practically making-it-happen is through the introduction of Discovery Time. A term coined by two New Zealand teachers who continue to explore the power of play & imagination in learning and share their ideas through their blog.
Discovery Time is based on three key principles:
Students need opportunities not only for cognitive development, but also
for social-emotional and physical development.
Students’ learning is enhanced when there are opportunities for 'hands on'
experiential learning.
Student motivation is increased when they are in control of their own learning.

Maybe you could enhance creativity just that little bit more with a bit of Discovery Time!

A brave new world

2009-05-04T19:47:00.001+09:30

The latest addition of Did You Know ? a newly revised edition created by Karl Fisch and modified by Scott McLeod.

Linking pedagogy to space

2009-04-13T16:47:00.006+09:30

Just recently I have been thinking about the type of furniture which would enhance student learning in classrooms. My search firstly took me to a design company in England. At present this country is involved in the Building Schools for the Future programme – the single largest programme in the world designed to help transform education by rebuilding and renewing secondary schools across England. This programme has had a ripple effect of designers and manufacturers setting out to produce furniture for 21st century learning spaces (or 'studios' as suggested by the designers). One such design company is Isis Concepts which really stretches the imagination and the functionality of furniture to enhance learning.
In the keynote speech by Tim Byles, Chief Executive of Partnerships for Schools, at the first PfS Design Conference in London on 26 November 2008 stated:

"We have also learned that it’s not just the building themselves – but the furniture and equipment inside them – that truly transforms the teaching and learning experience."

We are hearing how flexible spaces which transform easily from combined class teaching to areas that suit personalised learning, are allowing teachers to innovative and stretch themselves as much as the young people they teach."

Isis Concepts also offer valuable information on the 'how', 'what' and 'why' of furniture selection.
Five golden rules
1. Less is more
Lots of each, of a fewer different items rather than a few of each,, of lots of different items.
2. Modularity/Reconfigurability
It should be more difficult to get it wrong than to get it right. Consider dimensions carefully.
3.Multi-use
Pieces of furniture that perform different functions will assist in transforming pedagogies.
4. Right question right time
The wrong question at the wrong time will inevitably give you the wrong answer.
5. Quality
Differentiate between cost and value. A cheap chair will always be a cheap chair- you can get them from petrol stations.

Are we teaching a lost generation?

2009-03-22T15:32:00.005+10:30

A colleague of mine alerted me to this wonderful youtube video. It captures the great faith we need to have in our next generation of students and learners.... especially their commitment to the environment. This next generation, as stated by British futurologist, James Martin is placed in a unique time:

The 21st century is an extrordinary time- a century of extremes. We can create much grander civilizations or we could trigger a new Dark Age. There are numerous ways we can steer future events so as to avoid the catastrophes that lurk in our path and to create opportunities for a better world. A revolutionary transition is ahead of us, and our children have a vital role to play in it; so there is so much that we need to teach them about their future.

What do you think?

Analysing SIGNIFICANT change

2009-03-12T19:26:00.006+10:30

Found this framework as a way of discussing, analysing and recognising significant changes we make in schools... storming, norming & performing from the Teaching & Learning Design blog. It provides a way for leaders to reflect on key and challenging professional learning we initiate in our schools.

We initially storm – which is a de-stabilisation – as we declare that there is something new to learn. This leads to a time where we seek to ‘norm’ our learning. This is a period of disorientation. We have emotional responses to what we are doing. The moments of ‘elation’ are fewer than those of anger, frustration and depression. Finally, we enter the performing phase – which is a process of re-orientation. We turn innovation into integration. We add it to the new learning and into our overall belief systems. We eventually have to face the challenges and start delivering - showing results that mean something - not anecdotal stories.

These phases require individual strategies, as each requires quite different approaches. For example: Some things are hard to measure – such as ‘problem based learning’ . Boud (1991) ‘there is no universally agreed set of practices which must be found in problem based learning courses”. Others are simpler. “21 teachers attended an introduction to wikis workshop and 4 are now using them independently in 10 classes”.

We need to realise that significant change will bring with it an emotional (and sometimes angry) response. This trick is not to be down-hearted but to realise we are tapping into teachers' strong belief systems. This is where we can have 'real' (as distinct to the shallow and 'tick the box') conversations. Conversations which are about 'making meaning' as teachers and learners. We must also realise that the agnst about significant change is not a personal attack (even though it may feel that way!) but a real understanding that what we hold dear will always have an emotional element. Think of all the deep learning you have had in your own life, I'm sure you would have emotions that you felt in 'your guts' and in your heart!

As you look at significant change you are inspiring in your own school, reflect on the phase you may be at.. storming, norming & performing and what strategies we can implement as a Leadership Team to produce deep learning in our teachers.

Brain research and learning

2009-02-17T11:15:00.005+10:30

In my last post I was contemplating the WHY and the WHAT of learning and how the discussion on these aspects can greatly influence curriculum.. the frameworks to drive the learning in our classrooms. As I read and 'imagineer' the school of the future I am also caught up in the HOW of learning. I came across some presentations on a book entitled Brain Rules.

In Brain Rules, Dr. John Medina, a molecular biologist, shares his lifelong interest in how the brain sciences might influence the way we teach our children and the way we work. In each chapter, he describes a brain rule—what scientists know for sure about how our brains work—and then offers transformative ideas for our daily lives.

What is exciting is the 'rules' application to the learning and the learning space. What do we know about the brain and how will that influence teaching strategies? The following video shows one schools attempt and bringing together neuroscience and learning results.

What are the implications for a school that wants to enhance thinking & creativity?

What do my students need for an ever-changing future?

2009-02-16T09:03:00.005+10:30

Looking for a conceptual framework to hold together the many ideas and ideals to create quality 21st century learning.The New Zealand curriculum draws on the idea of Key Competencies.

The New Zealand Curriculum identifies five key competencies:

thinking
using language, symbols, and texts
managing self
relating to others
participating and contributing.

People use these competencies to live, learn, work, and contribute as active members of their communities. More complex than skills, the competencies draw also on knowledge, attitudes, and values in ways that lead to action. They are not separate or stand-alone. They are the key to learning in every learning area.

Do the naming of Key Competencies provide the 'coat hangers' to organise curriculum and focus teaching & learning? Do these competencies address the balance between WHAT we should learn to HOW we should learn? How could we develop these competencies in our K-12 students?

As you can see I only have questions and not many answers. What excites me about the notion of Key Competencies is that it:

focuses our attention on the students and not the Key Learning Areas.
provides a 'filter' to evaluate our learning strategies. (Is this strategy working towards developing a competence or just 'busy' work?)
highlights what is important in a ever-changing world and culture.

More thinking and pondering needed!

Children at the heart of learning

2009-02-04T07:56:00.004+10:30

I now am in a position to start from scratch what learning could look like at a brand new school. Where do you go for wisdom to develop foundational ideas? Then how do you bring these ideas to life in the everyday of the school. The BIG question is "What is the purpose of education?". A colleague of mine has introduced me to the writing and thinking of Mark Treadwell. He has a wonderful definition,

To facilitate the outworking of the inherent potential embodied within every child, such that their uniqueness can change the world for the better via their active involvement in their community and their ability to be lifelong learners that are self assured; balancing confidence and humility and having the capacity to apply their abilities with wisdom.

There is a number of powerful concepts contained in Treadwell's thinking. The one that captures me is the idea of supporting students in finding, discovering and utilising their passion for others. ("It is about taking what a person is innately good at and amplifying it through a personalised learning experience.")
What would a school or learning space look, feel and sound like if this was the goal? Treadwell speaks of teachers being 'creativity workers' working towards facilitating environments that:

develop knowledge and conceptual frameworks
provide opportunities for creativity & innovation

This raises many questions for me. How can I balance the notion of pursuing passions and state syllabus documents? How can teachers plan and project learning opportunities which promote uniqueness, creativity & innovation and how do we measure their success? The challenge is to now commit to a framework which has the possibility to eveolve and change. A school curriculum which is organic in nature not fixed to 'old school' timeframes and constraints. Much thinking and discussing still needed!

Once upon a school

2008-12-26T16:27:00.003+10:30

The summer holidays have arrived and its time to catch up on a bit of reading, watching and thinking. I have the privilege of being appointed as Principal to a new primary school, Blessed Mother Theresa Primary, in Westmead. The challenge will be to create something 'new' while drawing on the collective wisdom of those around me. A million ideas and concepts have been swirling around in my head... an opportunity to start from scratch - curriculum, staffing, procedures and practices....
I was inspired just recently by a talk from Dave Eggers who challenges the community to personally, creatively engage with local schools. With spellbinding eagerness, he talks about how his 826 Valencia tutoring center inspired others around the world to open.
For me it highlights again the power of CREATIVITY and COMPASSION. That to engage students they need PURPOSE and AUDIENCE. It also displays the essential need to PERSONALISE LEARNING for each and every student. I encourage you to have a watch and see what it says to you in your local school and context.

Keeping focus using Tag clouds

2008-12-07T19:31:00.002+10:30

Found this tool on a colleague's site.

created at TagCrowd.com

TagCrowd is a web application for visualizing word frequencies in any user-supplied text by creating what is popularly known as a tag cloud or text cloud. What pleases me is that LEARNING consistently comes up in my posts!

Bringing parents along for the ride!

2008-11-27T06:52:00.005+10:30

Just recently I wrote a newsletter editorial inspired from the web site Edutopia. I was attempting to convey to our parents the need for critical changes to the way we do school. For the sake of their children (and the future of our world) we need to radically look differently at learning.

The young students entering kindergarten for next year will be a fascinating group. Born at the dawn of the twenty-first century, they will retire—if they retire at all—in 2073. Many could live into the twenty-second century! Its hard to imagine what the world will be like in 2013, let alone 2073 or beyond. No doubt their journey will be like anything we’ve every dreamed about, filled with inventions and possibilities beyond our most creative fantasies.
I was reminded of this a few weeks ago, when at a friend’s house, his nine year old son came to his father in a bit of a flap. Earlier that day, his teacher had been free thinking with some of the students and asked them what they wanted to be when they grow up. One child said he wanted to be an architect; another a pilot. My friend’ s son said he didn’t know and felt a bit bewildered and a little nervous.
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” remains one of the most enchanting and daunting questions of childhood. When I was young, my friends and I would confidently predict our future jobs: fireman, teacher, policeman, cowboy, lion tamer. Never did we consider 'biotechnology' as a career choice.
Being a principal of a school (which is about learning and preparing students for the future) I suggested this as an answer. The career you may choose may, in fact, not even been created yet. Instead, learn to be inquisitive and enthusiastic. Seek out new ideas. Debate. Suggest. Imagine. Challenge what other have told you. Follow what you love—and if your lucky, you’ll love what you follow.
As I told our new Kindergarten parents for 2009 the essential skills for students now and in the future will be creativity and compassion. With your partnership, we hope to instill in your children these two foundational skills to prepare them for a future of rapid change. If school looks different compared to when you and I went—it needs to be!

Life = Risk

2008-11-21T21:53:00.003+10:30

A video which highlights the need for us to instill risk-taking in our students, teachers and parent community. A vital skill to survive and thrive in an ever changing world.

How do we create classrooms and staffrooms
where it's ok to take a risk
and learn from it??

Making a difference

2008-11-21T15:09:00.002+10:30

Friday afternoon after another busy week approaching the end of the year.... sometimes in all the hustle and bustle we are not sure we are making a difference.... sometimes inspiration can come in many ways. Firstly, found this video produced by primary students explaining (through a very creative medium) what they are doing for the environment... very inspiring!!

The second is a video that highlights how we can change the world one person at a time. It really is a parable drawing us in to reflect on our own lives and our daily encounters. We can get caught up in meetings, schedules and general busyness.. but it is our relationships with those around that make the distance. Stephen Covey calls this working within our circle of influence. We can become overwhelmed by all our concerns and not focus on what is in our control!

Both videos present challenges as we continue to provide quality and relevant education.

Professional Learning at its best!

2008-11-06T19:00:00.005+10:30

Just recently I had the opportunity with some of my colleagues to visit a wonderful school, Silverton Primary in Victoria. The school was opened with a unique Open Plan design consisting of 4 Open Plan teaching Learning Centres, Administration block, specialist wing consisting of Information Resource Centre, Visual Arts Workshop, Canteen and General-Purpose Room all established around a central courtyard. What was absolutely amazing was:

the openness of staff and students to visitors
the commitment to child-centred education. It was very clear that the students were driving the learning NOT the other way round!
the opportunities for students to explore and express their passions, whether that be art, music or dance.
watching young learners move through an investigation process; PLAN-CREATE-EVALUATE-SHARE seamlessly using ICT tools to record and display their work.
learning about leadership practices that build capacity in teachers

I was blessed to have this opportunity to 'live and breathe' with a wonderful learning community devoted to their students. I have so many ideas and learning principles I hope to 'bring to life' at my new school from my time at Silverton.

Generation WE

2008-11-06T18:46:00.002+10:30

Found this wonderful video on a blog titled Dangerously Irrelevant. Although it is based in the American culture it has much to say to us in Australia. There is untapped energy, creativity and passion in the youth of today. As educators we need to tap into and harness this power and drive to make the world a better place. What an awesome responsibility and privilege to be working with those who will drive the directions of the world for decades to come!

Generation WE: The Movement Begins... from Generation We on Vimeo.

New school.. new direction.

2008-10-18T12:18:00.002+10:30

I have a new job and direction for 2009. I have been appointed Principal to a new Primary school which will be a part of the Westmead Education Catholic Precinct. I have 12 months to set up the school and develop partnerships with my secondary colleagues at Catherine McAuley Westmead and Parramatta Marist High School. It will be both exciting and scarey having the potential to begin a school from scratch! To form its dreams, culture and directions will be quite a priviledge.
What will drive me over the next months is to form a mental map of what 21st century learning could look like. I recently found this video from HFS conversations highlighting the directions and focus of 21st century literacies.

Its very clear we need to look at learning and teaching through new eyes. It has so many implications for curriculum, staffing, resources and in particular developing mind sets that can capture new ways of learning!

Sharing the learning

2008-09-25T14:14:00.004+09:30

This short video was presented by some of our talented teachers highlighting their learnings from their inquiry on "Literacy & ICT ". This video is entertaining and was a wonderful medium engaging both staff and students.

The video highlights some of the key aspects of successful professional learning:

A clear focus and purpose
Relevance to the teachers context
An element of choice based on school goals
Opportunities to have sustained dialogue on students and learning
An audience to share learning and reflections with

Interactive Whiteboards enhancing learning

2008-09-11T18:48:00.005+09:30

Teachers at J23 Primary have been participating in an inquiry-based professional learning activity. At present the school has interactive whiteboards in all our classrooms K-3. The staff have selected a targetted group to improve literacy outcomes using the IWB to enhance learning. The IWB company claims:

Promethean is a global leader and innovator in interactive learning technology that empowers teachers to engage, educate, assess and motivate learners. Developed by and for education professionals, its award-winning products help teachers to prepare digital lessons quickly and easily.

The technology enables them to create, customize and integrate text, images, quizzes and tests, web, video and audio content, so they can more easily capture students' attention and accommodate different learning styles.

The inquiry has had a number of benefits including:

Reflective discussions on 'engagement-in-learning' ...what it looks like, how it is enhanced
Teachers sharing strategies and resources which are part of the IWB package
Ideas on Assessment for Learning practices to help see where students are at and their next step for growth

We will now gather to share our findings, reflections, questions and learnings at our next staff meeting.

Open Learning Spaces in the news!

2008-09-04T18:17:00.003+09:30

Just recently at my school there has been a number of media reports about the Kindergarten classroom (learning space) we have at present. We also managed to get a short segment on the Channel Nine News...

For me this experience has developed in many ways my media literacy! It has displayed to me the old adage, "Don't let the truth get in the way of a good story." The media wanted to take the line of, "How quirky..91 kids in ONE classroom" For the teachers involved, it missed the point of trying to explain how schools today are attempting to make learning innovative, different and exciting. How schools are looking for new ways to prepare students for an ever-changing world. How teachers can and must work collaboratively to ensure learning which is relevant and rich. What is happening at Stanhope Gardens is an innovation-in-progress. It will never provide all the answers but it is an attempt at structuring learning to make students more independent and more collaborative. Surely these are essential skills for our student to help them navigate the future!

A new perspective on video recording

2008-08-26T20:05:00.007+09:30

Just recently I found a new video camera which looks and feels very 'student -friendly'. It is called the Flip video.

All you do to use the Flip is turn it on, start filming (by hitting the red button), and then, you guessed it, hit the red button when you're done. If you don't like that bit of footage you just captured hit the Trash button to delete it. And that's all there is to it. Literally. No mucking around with resolutions, white balance, focus, fade-ins or anything else.

You get your movies off the Flip by "flipping" up the internal USB adaptor, connecting to your computer and literally copying off the video files. The only software required is the installation of a special video codec so your Mac understands Flip's video format. Once off, the AVI files can be dropped in to iMovie, or you can use another bit of Mac software that Flip provides to re-arrange video, and upload to YouTube or AOL Video.

At present I have only found one supplier in Australia at www.itmadesimple.com. The starting price is around $200 with the cheaper model (Ultra) running on batteries while the more expensive model (Mino) charged via the USB port. Two are 'in the post' as we speak so hopefully I will be able to share the Flip videos applications in the classroom very soon.

Professional Learning @ J23

2008-08-12T19:25:00.004+09:30

Over the next 5 staff meetings the teachers at JohnXXIII will undertake professional learning using an Action Research framework. The staff will meet in small groups to
1. Identify an area of focus (a goal on improving student outcomes and building teacher-capacity)
2.To create a plan of action (this will involve the use of a specific aspect of ICT)
3. Implement their plan reflecting with their group each week (teachers will gather evidence of student work)
4. Re-examine and refocus their strategies on reflection with their group.
5. Share their learnings with the rest of the staff.
Throughout the process we will have the support of 'critical friends' and the Leadership Team. We hope this model will allow us a framework to reflect on practice and improve the learning of the students in our care.
Let the learning begin!

Innovate or die?

2008-08-02T10:54:00.004+09:30

At present I am reading a book titled, Cats..the nine lives of innovation by Stephen Lundin.
I was drawn to the book because I believe schools need to embrace innovation. Businesses need to innovate in the 21st century or they will just disappear (the music industry is a great example!) but schools can plod a much slower course. Lundin states:

Our basic assumption is that innovative organisations are organisations with as lot of people who practise personal innovation... our underlying premise is that all innovation is personal.

This presents a challenge in leadership as we can sometimes believe all innovation needs to be generated from the top! How can I then facilitate professional learning for my teachers to help them embrace personal innovation?
The following video has, as one of its messages, that it through our networking and sharing of ideas we can be innovative ('Ideas take like when they are shared'). Now my challenge, as leader, is to allow opportunities for my staff to be connected on what is important in learning.

Designing new learning spaces

2008-07-31T19:44:00.002+09:30

Our Diocese has begun the journey of exploring new learning spaces in what was traditionally called 'classrooms'. At my present school the journey has begun with the Kindergarten Learning Space. There has been some wonderful discussions with staff and visitors to the school of the benefits and challenges in teaching AND learning in new and open spaces. As one document puts it;

Spaces are themselves agents for change.
Changed spaces will change practice. (Designing Spaces for Effective Learning
A guide to 21st century learning space design)

New learning spaces bring many questions;

Can the learning space by itself bring about change in practice?
Do you need a very clear understanding of learning and the learners to maximise a new learning space?
Where is the place and use of ICT to supplement and enhance learning?
Where do you start.. with pedagogy or the space?

What all this discussion and debate challenges us to do, as educators, is to develop a solid foundation and understanding of what good learning looks like. As the MCEETYA document Learning Spaces Framework suggests:

Learning is enhanced, deepened and made more relevant when connected learning spaces provide opportunities for:
• active and interactive participation
• collaborative project work
• information retrieval and sharing
• discussion and presentation
• production of new knowledge
• teacher and student-led activities
• connection with experts
• local and global networks
• personalised learning.

There is still so much as a leader I need to explore and discuss to gain a better understanding of new learning spaces!!

How media savvy are our students?

2008-07-24T19:44:00.002+09:30

One of the challenges we face as educators is to help students discern valid and invalid content/information on the web.
Is this a good reason why??

New school.. new perspective

2008-07-23T18:57:00.003+09:30

For the next two terms I will be working and leading (as Acting Principal) John XXIII Catholic Primary School. John XXIII is part of the new learning community in the Blessed John XXIII Parish of Stanhope Gardens. The Kindergarten to Year 12 community encompasses two primary schools (John XXIII & Holy Cross, Glenwood) and St Mark's the newly opened secondary college. The exciting and daunting part of this venture is that the three schools will share buildings, facilities and resources with the parish.
For me this appointment has set me on a new and challenging learning curve. A learning curve which will;

expose me to new cultures of learning (eg The Kindergarten Learning Space, St Mark's interdisciplinary approach to the curriculum)
challenge me to consolidate and express my views on learning in a different context
provide me an opportunity to collaborate not only within my own school context but also with my two cooperating schools.

I look forward to the coming weeks as I lead and learn in a new environment and context.

Learning from the Scottish

2008-07-18T22:51:00.004+09:30

Was guided towards this wonderful site Learning about Learning. It is a wonderful source of inspiration and information. This site has its focus on providing educators with insights and professional learning to help children to become successful learners.

Our knowledge about learning is continually changing in the light of research and there is still much that we do not know. Learning about Learning provides an overview of current thinking on how people learn.

This short video clip introduces the site and the key ideas that are explored. This site confirms to me that educators need to see and hear good practice and ideas!

Web2.0 tool

2008-07-16T13:34:00.004+09:30

Our ever-resourceful teacher librarian has discovered another Web2.0 tool Wordle.
Wordle is a toy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes. The images you create with Wordle are yours to use however you like. You can print them out, or save them to the Wordle gallery to share with your friends.

This is one I created using text from a post on data-driven instruction. Its a bit of fun but what intrigued me where some of the key words highlighted: learning, teachers, data, students.
In many ways these are the essence and key stake-holders we need to 'get right' if we are to improve student outcomes.. interesting!

Curriculum of the future?

2008-07-10T21:14:00.003+09:30

Dr Peter Senge at last years ACEL conference gave a talk described The places where the new schools will emerge. There were a number of key points that struck me at the time but a recent slide show has reminded me of an insight discussed by Senge. He shared a story of the polar bears at the North of Greenland and there intrepid journey back to their ice-filled homeland and the effects of climate change to their future journeys and survival. He challenged me and the other participants to reflect on: What does this story have to do with 21st century education? He reflected on this learning journey that,

To me there is no purpose of 21 century education separate from; how the hell are we going to survive the 21st century?

Segne went on to challenge his audience that students must leave our education systems with imperatives for change for the future of our planet. These students will be leading and living through these changes. So this brings me to sharing this wonderful and thought provoking reflection.

| View | Upload your own

As we look as a nation to create a national curriculum shouldn't care of the environment be central or if not there may be no such thing as future schooling.

Data-driven instruction

2008-07-09T14:20:00.005+09:30

Just recently I read an article titled Data driven teachers where the author Dr Scott McLeod offers 6 basic competencies needed for effective data-driven instruction.

1. Collecting & analysing summative data

The ability to understand the importance and impact on student learning of summative assessment practices. For us in Australia at present this will be the relevant data from NAPLAN.

2. Setting measurable goals

Understanding the six key characteristics of SMART goals

3. Collecting & analysing formative data.

Select key formative indicators of success to measure school and student progress during the school year

4. Making changes

Implement focused interventions in instruction to improve student learning

5. Data transparency & safety

Facilitate the creation of a school climate where data visibility is frequent and important.

6. Alignment for results

Ensure that curricular design and delivery are aligned to student, school, and state needs

McLeod states that:

Data analysis is meaningless if it does not result in meaningful instructional change. Data-driven educators are able to use summative and formative assessment data together to implement strategic, targeted, focused instructional interventions to improve student learning.

For some of us this is a new area to explore. We have begun the journey at HFS by gathering and centralising data; providing opportunities for teachers and leaders to discuss the data through structured Learning Conversations...we now need to step back and reflect;

1. Are we asking the right questions to make the data-instruction link explicit?

2.When we see a 'learning need' in a child how do we go about finding targeted instruction?

These questions and many more will form the core of discussions, on the Leadership Team, as we continue to enhance our own and our teachers skills.

How long can schools stay the same?

2008-06-25T19:16:00.006+09:30

Just recently while being interviewed for a new position I was questioned: Where do you find professional learning for yourself? As I answered I spoke of good reading, professional development speakers and on-the-job learning. Then I started discussing this blog and the network of blogs I have discovered recently. As I reflected on this answer I came to realise that I have been connected to a network of like-minded educators across the globe! Highly respected lecturers and future-thinkers I have never met but am able to share in their ideas and thoughts. Quite amazing for someone sitting in front of a computer in a tiny suburb in Sydney.... BUT as I look at my teenager children the world has always been like that for them. As one insightful site puts it:

For anyone under the age of 20, the world being experienced is one where the internet has always existed, and where everyone who matters is only a click, speed dial or text message away. “Tomorrow’s adults,” says Mr Federman, “live in a world of ubiquitous connectivity and pervasive proximity.” Their direct experience of the world is wholly different from yours or mine.
Teachers must recognise that our pedagogical tools are inconsistent with the skills needed to survive in a world where people are always connected to everyone and everything. In such a world, learning to think for oneself could well be more important than simply learning to read and write.

So now we need to be risk-takers and develop pedagogical tools which will allow our 'global citizen' students to be CREATIVE and to develop EMPATHY for those they collaborate with. I believe that these two skills will become essential tools to survive in our ever-changing world!

Staying present - Part 2

2008-06-14T09:43:00.003+09:30

One of our greatest challenges with facing the present is to let go of our past. I know, in particular in education, we sometimes pine for a school or classroom that does not and cannot exist any more! Like my last post suggested, there is and can be a strong link between our spiritual and work life. So the challenge lies for many of us in; How can we nurture our spirits here in the present and process the past so we can move on?
This short video from Nooma explores this idea further. As a leader how can I assist staff to let go of the past? ... by convincing? ....by dragging them along? ... by exploring with them a compelling present and future?

Staying present in the chaos

2008-06-12T20:31:00.004+09:30

One of our key goals for 2008 is to provide spiritual formation opportunities for our staff. One of the greatest challenges is to convince people of the clear link between their spiritual life and their work life. For many, they compartmentalise their inner and outer worlds. Staff remind me that the 'how' and 'when' of renewing their spirit is their business. Their is an element of truth in this...but teaching is a relational activity. 'Who we are' can speak much more loudly than our lessons and talk!

As a leader I am constantly striving to inspire those around me to achieve great things for themselves and their students. The following post by Pete Reilly captures the essence of how I can lead with mind and spirit.

The etymology of the word inspire is "to breath life into". It is the ability to access the deepest parts of ourselves; and in so doing touch the hearts, as well as the minds, of those around us. Accessing the peace of the heart, speaking from that sacred place, and touching the hearts of others is a key attribute of great leaders. The ability to inspire others can be developed; but it is a deeply personal exploration, some might say a spiritual one.

Aren’t we most effective when we can stay grounded and present during chaotic events at work?

This is more than just ’staying calm’, it is the ability to let our 'purpose' guide us, to be totally present to what is happening, and to take appropriate action. The deeper we feel our 'purpose' at work, the easier it is to navigate chaos. Being effective int he midst of chaos requires that we have trained ourselves to stay grounded, to keep our minds from racing and worrying, and to see the situation clearly without the filter of emotion and judgment. The more we can stay present, the better the chances we will act appropriately. Finding our purpose and training ourselves to be grounded and present during stressful moments is a spiritual journey that can have positive outcomes in our work.

If we connect with people and we are truly present with them, aren’t we more apt to build trusting relationships with them?

Being present means not thinking about what we are going to say next, nor is it having silent judgments about what they are saying, “That’s not right.” “That’s naive.” “That’s a great idea.” It is listening, actively and openly. Training our minds to be present is the underlying concept of meditation, a deeply spiritual endeavor.

The workplace may be the very best place for us to engage our spiritual selves. It is in our work with others that our deeper selves are truly tested. The connection between our spiritual journey and the effectiveness of our work lives is impossible to sever. We may think we can compartmentalize our spirit from our work, but over time the artificial barriers break down. After all, we can’t help being who we are.

Decisions about buying computers

2008-06-08T11:07:00.003+09:30

Found this wonderful quote as we debated at our school the type and number of laptops we were going to purchase. It was a great reminder that technology is a great enabler but it is our fundamental change of attitude to learning that is paramount!

The computer is a window - NOT a destination.

The classroom is the disruption - the outside world is clamoring to get in to make the classroom relevant. The schools need a window that is opening into the real world. That technology, however, offers a profound change, making people afraid - then postpone change because the decisions are difficult.

We cannot afford to be frozen into inaction! We are the mutants. If we can’t change education in the next few years, the tide of change is going to whip right past us. But education won’t fade away - there is too much pressure from too many directions. So the pressure will continue to rise, and unexpected things will continue to happen.
At the end of the day, WE are the change agents. All we need to do is to start to share. We need to connect with each other. We need to use the tools of hyperconnectivity. We need to use the relationships to exchange knowledge. We need to pool our expertise.

New technologies and professional learning

2008-05-29T19:51:00.005+09:30

Two days ago we had a gathering of all the principals of the Parramatta Diocese. A day devoted to drawing on the wisdom of research and each other to develop common understandings on what is great

learning
teaching
teacher -learning

There were many 'rich' conversations and presentations but I'd like to share two which made an impression.
1. Four students from Emmaus Catholic College shared their insights from a week long experience of utilising technology to enhance their learning. They were truly engaged in their learning because of three key ingredients.. they were involved in learning which was PURPOSEFUL, RELEVANT and which was shared with an AUDIENCE. The use of technology allowed them to present their work creatively. This is one teachers thoughts on the link between technology-creativity-learning.

2. A Principal colleague of mine, Richard Blissenden from St Olivers at Harris Park shared how he is utisling technology to support 'individualised' professional learning for his staff. Each of Richard's staff is experimenting with the iPod Touch. The iPod is a communicating tool but also can provide valuable resources to develop teacher's skills and knowledge through podcasts and videos. Teachers can search for input and inspiration anytime and anywhere. Also the Leadership Team guide teachers to web resources that the whole staff need to engage in. Teachers can also create their own podcasts and videos to share their learning with other colleagues. My brief explaination probably doesn't give justice to this wonderful innovation but I look forward to hearing its progress!

Leading Knowledgeably

2008-05-22T19:57:00.003+09:30

Professional reading for our Leadership Team has been chapter three of Michael Fullan's book Whats worth fighting for in the Principalship. The chapter brings some clarity to how we can open up the world of the classroom (de-privatisation) and build teacher capacity. Fullan states:

To make substantial gains to student outcomes we must focus on classroom instruction
This focus requires instruction to be precise, validated, data-driven, an expert activity focussed on the learning needs of individual students
"It requires systems that will support the day-to-day transformation of instruction......"

This is where the reflection and soul searching begins! What are the systems we have in place in our school that supports this sort of transformation?

We have begun slowly by trying to use data to drive instructional decisions. We have begun the collection of reading assessments on excel spreadsheets since last year. We now hope to use our Learning Conversations to help make the link between practice and results. Fullan argues that, "Transparency of results over time must also become standard practice." Other challenges include:

Creating a culture that values data and the questions it raises.
That data collection is not 'done for the principal' but is a useful tool to shape and improve my practice

If schools have began to collect and analyse data please join the discussion and share some of your wisdom... the learning continues!!

One foot in the present... one foot in the future

2008-05-08T19:59:00.003+09:30

One of the challenges of being a leader in education at present is the tension of maintaining the status quo of the present and striving to move your school into the future. I found this clip from my Executive Director's blog which highlights the challenges that we face to move schools into the 21st Century.

The tension lies in trying to be faithful to present structures (e.g. grades, Board of Studies curriculum, Compliance issues..) and to make 'leaps of faith' into teaching/learning which starts with the world of our students. If we wait for systems and governments to lead the way we could lose a generation of students unprepared for their future. We need to embrace change and continue to make small and large changes in our learning spaces.

Schools in the information-rich, internationalised communities of the new century will need to differ - in several fundamental ways from the schools which people were familiar with in the late stages of the twentieth century.

Headley Beare Creating The Future School (2001) p.24

Keeping the conversations going

2008-04-27T14:23:00.008+09:30

While reading a post on the blog, Drapes Takes I was reminded again of the need to create a culture and opportunity for teachers to talk about teaching! The post quotes from a book by Carl Glickman's Leadership for Learning: How to Help Teachers Succeed:

Our school's Learning Conversations are a starting point for 'teacher talk' to happen. We hope to develop a professional culture built on TRUST. Then I believe teachers will continue to open up their classroom doors and minds to their colleagues.

"A picture is worth a thousand words....."

2008-04-21T17:32:00.006+09:30

Being a 'visual learner' has given me some interesting insights over the past couple of weeks about learning. The first learning was a presentation I created for our whole school assembly. I was unable to attend and wanted to still send a message of encouragement to the students and teachers. This was the end product.

The 'aha moment' for me was the number of students that remembered the visuals (low budget) in the short presentation. It got me thinking of the power of visuals for learning. A simple but powerful 'piece of the puzzle' in improving student outcomes.
The second insight comes from a wonderful presentation using images to explain the power and potential of Visual and Creative Thinking.

| View | Upload your own

The implications for the classroom and staff professional learning challenge me. How much do we present is retained? How can an image portray deep understandings or stimulate new ways of thinking? The learner of the future will need to be CREATIVE! My challenge as a leader is to continue to provide an environment based on trust and quality relationships to allow all to unleash their talents!

Leadership-what's the glue that holds it all together?

2008-04-08T20:36:00.005+09:30

My Assistant Principal just recently was completing an assignment on leadership and what it looks like at our school. She challenged me to focus on the 'what', 'why' and 'how' of Shared Leadership and how we go about nurturing the next generation of leaders. It was a wonderful reflective exercise as it forced me to surface my hopes and ideals. We recorded my thoughts (which also forced me to be concise!) and it provided me with an opportunity to turn my ideas into a podcast. That was my second learning to use the audio and add some key images to get my message across. The whole experience was a great opportunity to be a learner!

Reading- How do we prepare them for the future?

2008-03-24T19:54:00.002+10:30

I have been having discussions with my Leadership Team about 'Reading' and what we need to do to ensure our students are ready for the future. We have debated the future of books and the 'power' of multimedia presentations. We have constantly discussed the shift from being consumers of information to producers. Our Teacher Librarian, on our schools PD blog HFS Conversations has highlighted the shift of reading from "the page to the screen'. She explains,

"As a Teacher Librarian I have seen a subtle shift in the types of skills and materials that our students are using when reading. There is a trend towards a more graphic presentation of story with audio and visual cues enabling a more multi sensory experience. Technology developments are having a great influence over how we experience story...and they will continue to do so. Our traditional perceptions of a child sitting in silent contemplation reading copious pages of text may be becoming outdated. What does this then mean for us as educators? What skills will we need to be focusing on for the future?"

She also links a wonderful sight 'Inanimate Alice' which showcases the possible future of reading.

Go to the link and experience a wonderful reading experience. The challenge will also be to assist students to utilise ICT to produce their own stories and reports. We have to keep one foot in the present and one foot in the future.... exciting and daunting times!

Trying to find balance

2008-02-28T20:42:00.003+10:30

One of the challenging aspects of being a principal of a primary school is the juggling of priorities that go on in a single day. A day can be filled with consoling a grieving parent, meeting with an executive team member to discuss their goals, discussing the merits of a new alarm company, working with your finance secretary on budgetary issues, contemplating the purchase of new reading materials with teachers in year 5, with the mingling of answering emails and planning for a future staff meeting. The day can consist of a 'smorgasbord' of unrelated yet important tasks. At the end of the day I question, 'What holds all these important and urgent activities together?' , 'Can I keep the big picture and all the tiny steps interconnected?'
With this as a backdrop I have challenged myself (and been challenged by our system!) to lead the learning at my school. This ideal has made me relook at my daily schedule and reflect on what draws me a way from the core business of schooling. Professor Viviane Robinson has researched what leadership practices make the greatest difference to improving student outcomes. She highlights 5 key practices;

Establishing goals and expectations
Strategic resourcing
Planning, coordinating and evaluating the teaching and curriculum
Promoting and participating in teacher learning and development
Ensuring an orderly and supportive environment

She states, based on her evidence and research, that

The more leaders focus their influence, their learning and their relationships with teachers on the core business of teaching and learning, the greater their likely influence on student outcomes.

Now the soul searching begins.. How do I reschedule, delegate, give no time to and just let go of activities to ensure my focus remains on the core business of teaching and learning? Ideas and suggestions will be gratefully accepted!

Learning Walks

2008-02-26T19:44:00.003+10:30

At a recent network meeting we were given an interesting article, Classroom Visitations done well. It develops the concept of Learning Walks. They are brief systematic classroom visits that can take on a variety of forms for a variety of purposes. We were fortunate to have a brief induction of the practice at one of our schools at Emu Plains. Learning Walks done well can:

develop and support professional learning communities
strengthen the concept of 'deprivatising practice'
support the link between student achievement and successful teaching strategies.

As a school Leadership Team we will use the article as a springboard for discussion and make connections with our Learning Conversations in the coming weeks. It challenges our leadership to be focussed, supportive as well as challenging. Lets see how we go!

Learning Conversations

2008-02-11T10:20:00.000+10:30

This year our Leadership Team will introduce LEARNING CONVERSATIONS with staff, as a practice to 'raise the bar and close the gap' in relation to student outcomes. What are Learning Conversations? A structured interview held once a term. Its a place where discussion and dialogue can occur that helps both the individual to grow and the individual to recognise how they can support the development of the organisation. We have first started with our OWN professional learning on how to conduct a structured interview. To understand the importance of:

the environment
the preparation of both the interviewer and interviewee
being clear of the structure and expectations
making the experience both affirming and providing an opportunity to discuss the 'next stage of growth'

We have viewed and reflected on video resources from TeacherTV to answer two questions; What will Learning Conversations look like? How will we know if they are successful? As a team we will now develop a common structure to guide our thinking and practice. The learning journey continues.....

Frameworks to optimise learning

2008-02-03T19:38:00.001+10:30

The term has begun with a flurry with the usual management issues to get the school year up and running; staffing, budgets, school fees, grounds and the like. We have been challenged this year to focus on LEADING LEARNING in our school. This will ask of all the leadership team (including myself!) to step to the edge and leap into the unknown, To look and reflect on what fills our days.... to critically determine what am I doing to optimise learning for students and staff. If I am trapped in an office all day I diminish my power and potential to make a difference in classrooms and student's lives! So I begin with a clear framework of key accountabilities and success indicators to guide my energy.

To supervise and ensure quality learning and teaching for improved student outcomes.
To support and guide the development of the Catholic Community at Holy Family
To develop confidence and competence through professional learning

What excites me about this framework is that it keeps me accountable firstly to myself. It provides a filter to gauge where I am putting all my energy and resources. It focusses me and provides a framework to judge my successes and areas for improvement. What also enthuses me is that I am not doing this all alone but with a group of like-minded and dedicated leaders. Just like this section, from the film Ratatouille, I saw during a holiday period, we all need the opportunity to have a go and move beyond our comfort zone!

Can the classroom space make a difference?

2008-01-11T22:02:00.000+10:30

During the holiday break I have had the opportunity to get in some reading from the net, in particular, one of my new favourite sites Edutopia. An area that has intrigued me after a visit to Wooranna Park Public School has been the connection between the classroom space and the type of learning we are trying to encourage. I discovered a school in South Australia which is making it very clear that learning for the future needs a whole new reimagining of 'learning spaces'. In their foundational discussions they stated:

Defining the learner gave the group a foundation for its initial deliberations. The group moved forward with two overarching understandings; that learners are competent, active, social and critical beings constantly producing change through dynamic movement with the environment, systems and with each other and that a learners competencies and motivation can be enhanced or inhibited by the setting.

The strong relationship between space and pedagogy became the focus of debates amongst the members of the Education and Building Group. And although some argued that a good teacher can use any space for good teaching and learning, all members of the group felt cautious in underestimating the power of space as a teacher itself.

Members were influenced by understandings from Reggio Emilia where the environment is unequivocally seen as a third teacher and physical space is a language of its own with a strong conditioning factor communicating culture and values.

What makes the discussion so interesting is that the teachers and builders started from defining the learner. It challenges me to think about the students I have in my school. What preconceived ideas do I have about them as learners? How do my staff imagine their students? We must come to realise that the students who walk through our gates everyday are 'hard-wired' so differently. They are looking for learning spaces and environments that recognise them as 'active, social and critical' students. A new challenge for 2008!

Finishing the year reflecting

2007-12-22T14:19:00.000+10:30

Last Wednesday our staff took a day to reflect on 'the giftedness' that each staff member brings to our school. We took time, in groups and individually, to discern how we contribute to the life of our community. It was a special time to listen to staff members share their stories of success. We watched a fantastic video, Celebrate what's right in the world, challenging each of us to;
Believe it and you'll see it.
Recognize abundance
Look for possibilities.
Unleash your energy to fix what's wrong.
Ride the changes.
Take yourself to your edge.
Be your best for the world.

We finished the day with a wonderful Christmas lunch. My gift to the staff was a little different this year. I used the funds to continue our sponsorship of teachers wages in the tiny village of Turiscai in East Timor. As Christian educators it is only right that we support those who need our help. I've also 'purchased' other gifts for family and friends through Oxfam. Time now to recharge the batteries and prepare for the year ahead.

Can we imagine the future?

2007-12-09T11:39:00.000+10:30

Last Friday I had a stimulating discussion with my HOSS (Head of School Services) about my performance review. I have been in the role for 3 years and was looking for feedback from my school community and 'superiors' about my areas of strengths and areas for development. I had completed my own appraisal on where I thought I was on my learning journey. Our discussion ebbed and flowed but always centred around learning and 'where to next?' Our school next year hopes to have a focus on improving student outcomes ('close the gap & raise the bar') in literacy, in particular reading. What excited me about our musings was that it was grounded in present realities but was also focussed on skills for the future. (What reading skills will we need in the future? Are there particular types of genres that should be emphasised over others? Should there be a balance between on-line & book reading? What will the 'literacy block' of the future look like?)

This discussion and my reading of a wonderful website edutopia has me deeply thinking about the students in my school and their future needs to be critical thinkers, problem solvers, and effective communicators who are proficient in both core subjects and new, twenty-first-century content and skills. In Stage 3 we hope to incorporate Project based Learning as a platform & lens to work towards providing opportunities for students to develop these 21st century skills. As leader it opens up a number of interesting questions;

What professional learning needs will my stage 3 teachers have?
What does authentic assessment look like in a PBL learning space?
What role will technology play?
What evidence & indicators of success will the Leadership Team need to hear and see?

As I think through a framework for this exciting project I draw on a simple quote from a school utilising PBL to improve student outcomes:

To learn collaboration, work in teams.
To learn critical thinking, take on
complex problems.
To learn oral communication, present.
To learn written
communication, write.
To learn technology, use technology.
To develop citizenship,take on civic and global issues.
To learn about careers, do internships.
To learn content, research and do all of the above.

Reflecting with my leadership team

2007-11-26T19:49:00.000+10:30

Today I had the opportunity, like most principals, to reflect and plan with my wonderful leadership team. What made the day so energising was the time spent with educators always open to improving their own skills and to provide constructive steps forward to improve student outcomes. A 'mantra' for the day was a recent phrase from Michael Fullan; We need to put our energies in CAPACITY BUILDING focussing on RESULTS. As a team we;

REFLECTED on data from a number of sources; our school's Management Plan for 2007, our personal Key Accountabilities documents and Survey Data from staff, students & parents
ANALYSED this data in relation to how we can align Diocesan and School goals; what part we had to play this year in 'Capacity Building' and how as 'leaders of learning' our future informal & formal meetings with staff can improve student outcomes. An excellent tool was a short video from Teachers Tv on how to conduct a formal interview with staff.

PLANNING our key 'ambtious' goals for next year including strategies and success indicators

This day reflected in many ways Dufours 6 elements of a Professional Learning Community

A focus on learning
A collaborative culture re learning for all
Collective inquiry into best practice and current reality
Action orientation: learning by doing
A commitment to continious learning
Results orientation

Gathering data to analyse and move forward

2007-11-22T12:31:00.000+10:30

Over the past months we have been 'data gathering' to collect perceptions from staff, students & parents on key aspects of learning at HFS. This has been an interesting excercise, in particular, 'marrying' perceptions by the key stakeholders on areas such as Religious Education, reading, writing, student management, assessment and reporting. Overall the results have been quite positive with some clear areas for improvement and professional learning. The parents results will be a 'springboard' for discussing our key goals for 2008 and strategies to support parents in their partnership with our school. Time to get analysing!

Trying to understand ICT and learning

2007-11-19T19:14:00.000+10:30

Found this wonderful quote from Karl Fisch, Edublog Nominee and Finalist for the Best Blog of 2006:

We're not going to find a whole lot of really good research to support this at this time. I can summarize what the research generally says. The use of technology in appropriate ways has a small, positive effect on student achievement. It also has a larger, but still small, positive effect on student and teacher motivation, engagement and satisfaction. That's about it. But I would strongly argue that - to a certain extent - this is missing the point. (I would also suggest that many of our current practices are in direct contradiction to what the research says we should do, but we do them anyway because it's convenient for the adults. How come nobody is demanding to see the research to support those practices? But I digress.)
I do not think that if we infuse technology into our schools, even putting in a 1:1 program at the high schools, that we will see student achievement - as we currently measure it - skyrocket. I think we may see a small positive effect, with possibly a slightly larger effect among those students who typically have not done very well in our schools. But the basic problem with looking for research that supports growth in student achievement is that - by necessity - research has to look at fixed, testable content to try to determine growth.
Now I'm not saying that content knowledge isn't valuable, it is. But I think the skills and abilities and habits of mind that ubiquitous access to technology would help us develop in our students are ones that are really hard to measure. How do you measure creativity? Or the ability to collaborate with others, both in the same room or across the planet (or beyond)? Or the ability to take in information from an almost inexhaustible supply, synthesizes it, remix it, and then produce something that is of value to others? How do you measure imagination? How do you measure the ability to function in a flat, globally interconnected, technology-enabled, rapidly changing world? How do we measure the ability to learn how to learn? To know how to adapt, to reinvent yourself over and over again to meet the needs of a world that is changing at an exponential pace. How do you measure the ability to function in a world where all of human factual knowledge will be available practically instantaneously?
Knowledge is good. Having content knowledge is necessary, but not sufficient, to be successful in the 21st century. The research - at best - is only going to tell us about content knowledge. The power of the technology is to transform teaching and learning as we know it. To make it more student-centered, more individualized (yet also more community-based), more relevant, more meaningful. It allows each student to connect to each other, to the world, to knowledge, to learning, in the way(s) that works best for that student. I guess I fear we are asking the wrong questions

In many ways this quote captures my thinking about where we need to head in our 'theories' and 'practices' at HFS. It challenges what we believe are the essential skills for students in the future. More thinking required!

Learning through videos

2007-11-13T20:55:00.000+10:30

Discovered this wonderful site Teacher TV. It contains over1500 videos available online, the Teachers TV website is a great resource for teachers and leadership teams. You can find videos on the website in a number of ways. Use the video browser to filter your search by subject, role, or key stage or, alternatively, enter key words into the search box at the top right of the screen. You can then download videos on to your computer to use at any time. All you need to do is sign up and you are away. Even though it is from England there are a number of relevant learning ideas.
At present I am using a video on How to conduct a successful performance management interview. It will provide a discussion point for myself and the rest of the leadership team to evaluate how we support and challenge our teachers. See what you think!

Two exciting projects

2007-11-11T21:23:00.000+10:30

Over the last week two exciting projects have been evolving which will provide future direction for our school.

The first has been the collecting of data from parents, students and staff on key areas in school life and learning at HFS. This was an initiative I wanted to follow to gather and then analyse perceptions from the key stakeholders at HFS. The survey was completed online for staff and half the student population while the parents where given the traditional 'pen & paper' version. (We did get 50% of the families to reply.. a good 'strike rate' I believe). The survey tried to tap into perceptions on literacy, numeracy, assessment, reporting, student management, learning and overall 'happiness' at HFS. The analysis of this data will provide;

- parent perceptions of school strengths & areas for development

- student perceptions of key student management strategies (school rules, positive reinforcement)

- staff perceptions of areas of instructional strength & areas for development

We hope to plot this data for a number of years to see patterns and provide direction to the school's key goals and energy!

The second involves staff presentations of key learnings and feedback from their self-directed professional learning experience.The feedback to staff was amazing with all teams sharing goals and strategies to show improved outcomes for their students.How we processed adult professional learning was an interesting exercise. Good learning principles should cover both adults and students. We asked staff to reflect on school goals and personal goals

1. What areas of my teaching practice would I like to:Improve-Refine-Extend?

2. As I reflect on the students in my class what areas do I need to:Develop-Refine-Extend? to improve student outcomes?

This reflection provided the platform to developing Professional Learning groups and areas of investigation. Learning blogs were established to record key learnings and insights. The joy has been listening to formal & informal discussions on teaching practices that can improve student outcomes!

The art of the possible

2007-10-31T16:09:00.000+10:30

Today we completed our focussed professional learning with Michael Fullan. It has been an inspiring three days working with an internationally recognised expert and the leadership teams throughout the diocese. Michael was able to expand on his key message of making significant change through "capacity-building with a focus on results." He made it clear that capacity-building involved developing new knowledge,skills and competencies; new resources (time,ideas, materials); and new shared identity and motivation to work together for greater change.
For me as principal these days have put before me many insights and many questions for my school.

The need to work with my leadership team & staff on 3 ambitious goals for 2008/2009 ("Think big, start small!")
What are the practical steps do I need to take to develop my skills as an instructional leader?
Ownership is not something available at the beginning of a change process, but something created through a quality change process.

What was an overriding implication over the past three days was the imperative that the CEO and all schools work in partnership to share back and forth INFORMATION & MUTUAL INFLUENCE. The impact of the last three days was best expressed by our Executive Director of Schools, Greg Whitby.

Insights into change

2007-10-29T19:36:00.000+10:30

Today I had the privilege to listen to Michael Fullan ( Special Advisor to the Premier & Minister of Education in Ontario) at a workshop facilitated by my diocese at Parramatta. What was amazing was the number of 'aha' moments making sense of the successes and failures to implement change in my own school. Some of them included;

To create classroom improvement you need Transparency + Non-judgementalism + Good help
'Leaders need to be on the dance floor and on the balcony'
Behaviour changes before beliefs - This has been confirmed by my own experience at HFS in the need to allow teachers to do, experiment and take risks. Allow the opportunity to engage with different practice THEN reflect on beliefs and understandings!
That to create enduring change we need to focus on small ambitious goals, build teacher capacity & develop collaborative leadership.

With members of my leadership team we were able to share insights together and develop strategies to take forward into 2008. Tomorrow the journey & learning continues.

Always learning

2007-10-23T21:25:00.000+09:30

Found this wonderful teaching video explaining web2.0 tools and their application to learning. I am always impressed with this new medium to teach and to learn!
I have a number of staff who are 'forging ahead' experimenting, risk-taking and utilising digital tools to engage the learners in their class. This presentation helps to refocus the potential and power of Web2.0 tools to engage, create and transform information.

Podcasting & learning

2007-10-20T12:25:00.000+09:30

This is my first attempt at placing a podcast on my blog. It is a web2.0 tool I would like to explore not only as a communication tool for me as principal but as a learning tool for our students. For me its the start of another learning curve!

An inspiring experience

2007-10-16T19:59:00.000+09:30

Last Thursday I had the privilege to be present and be a part of the acel conference at Darling Harbour. On the day I attended I listened with fascination to Peter Senge who challenged me to be open to 'a new way of looking at schooling' and to look for innovation outside education and see its application to schools. Peter also had a wonderful gift of making the complex simple in explaining deep learning. John Connell described the power of collaboration to create new information and knowledge.The afternoon explored the ideas and concepts of Andy Hargreaves and Michael Fullan... both speakers highlighting the imperative for change to schools, districts and countries.
Reflecting on this experience back at my school I am energised to continue to make a difference for the students in my care. To provide an environment and opportunity for students to experience the gift of learning.

Transform & Create information

2007-10-04T16:00:00.000+09:30

One of the greatest challenges is to re-think our views on student learning.. from consumers of information to transformers & creators of information. This is the 'mantra' I hope and need to transfer into learning at my school. The Executive Director of my school calls it a 'new DNA for learning & teaching.'
Another perspective is the potential and power of Web2.0 tools to allow students to simply and creatively turn their learning into amazing images. I have spoken about this before and the potential of images to convey meaning. Others have seen the power of this to not only change learning but the world.

A wonderful idea to reconnect our sometimes fragile world! We may not enter a film about HFS but it does throw out the challenge to us in education who hope to change the world one student at a time.