Spirals of Inquiry - Transforming Learning in Schools: Extending the Network

Where to now with Spirals of Inquiry?

WOW – what powerful sessions with Judy Halbert and Lynda Kaser.  I have so many next steps and I am incredible aware of the need to make it manageable.

Read the book:

My first step is to read the book. I am hopeful that we will have online contact details of our group by then and we can start some discussion groups…

I also need to continue to work my way through the Joan Dalton ‘Learning Talk’ books as they continue to inform and shape my facilitation.

Carol Dweck PD:

I really need to upskill on the work of Carol Dweck.  Step one – reading through Nina’s fabulous notes from her session in Christchurch recently was a great start.

Joining http://www.mindsetworks.com/default.aspx and reading up and watching videos here is another step.

Viewing http://www.jamesnottingham.co.uk/media/videos James interviewing Carol Dweck is another step.

I would also like to read her book and be part of a bookclub discussion.

Deliberate acts of facilitation:

Taking the deliberate acts of facilitation into my sessions with Principals and e-leaders is a must.  We have had modeled for us supremely well, deliberate acts of facilitation.  As a team we have reflected on them and now work to make them a routine part of our practice.

Teaching as Inquiry sessions:

We all have Teaching as Inquiry sessions coming up in our facilitation roles.  How can we best take our new learning into these sessions? I am incredibly keen to collaborate with others as we create a resource to support us all in this area.  The power of the collaborative inquiry is increasingly challenging me as I am beginning to see it as the ‘best’ if not the ‘only’ way to school transformation.  The four questions are all powerful.  Supporting principals and e-leaders to embrace a schoolwide quest to identify possible inquiries might be a next step.

Sharing readings with a cluster group and empowering them to run their own unpacking of the inquiry phases might be another way of working.

Reflection:

Continual reflection on my new learning is essential.  As I enter into more PD I am increasingly aware of the need to encapsulate all my learning in not only my own personal inquiry, but shaping it in a way to support our principals and e-leaders.

Exciting times indeed….