Friday, October 30, 2015

TEDXDunedin - Damian Scarf


Damian Scarf started his career at the University of Otago as a psychology student.

As an overachiever, his anxiety pushed him to cut off different parts of his social life in order to get higher grades. As he left his rugby team and circle of friends, his grades went from C’s to A’s, but in the process, he lost his stability and sense of purpose.

Now, the student has become the master. Damian calls his professors colleagues, and has done extensive research into cognition and memory development.

At TEDxDunedin, he brings his wealth of knowledge on human cognition to explain the debilitating intersection of isolation and anxiety.


Anxiety... As an expert strategist... 
Connections with those around us bolster our resilience... Groups are critical to our well being... 

The social cure...

The noise in head of anxiety... Quitting groups... Schedule gruelling schedule... 
 Anxiety driving... Controlling.... Taking over...

Depression taking the place of anxiety... 

Where is our sense of belonging.... Our sense of resilience....

Suicide accounting for far too many deaths... Transition to university... 

Spirit of adventure... Comparable to outward bound... Thesis of voyage - running voyage and supporting...

Group providing support... Sense of belonging... 

Again Fionna's quote rings loud in my ears... Every action serves to include or exclude... 

Sense of belonging, feeling connected and accepted... 

Building social relationships... Belonging.... Cures many ills... Serves to increase wellness...

What makes us feel we belong? 

Just WOW!!!!  


TEDXDunedin - Karyn Paringatai


Karyn grew up in Invercargill away from her family roots on the East coast of New Zealand.

As a lecturer at the University of Otago, she has received multiple honours and awards for the work she has done in reviving the Maori culture and language. Her practice of teaching her students in the dark, as utilised by Maori years ago, has started a widespread conversation among academics about ancient forms of learning.

Karyn never had much connection to her family until later in life, but the process of finding herself and where she came from saved Karyn’s life, as you’ll hear her talk about at TEDxDunedin.

Wow what a powerful start... Grabbing us with waiata...

Cultural narrative as strength, courage, determination... 

Understanding whakapapa... 

Migration love story... 

Developing our identity... Knowledge of our place, our time...

Whakapapa demands and commands respect...

Cultural disconnect by geolocation... Missing the understanding of who you are and where you are from...

Kauwimati... 

Wow just wow... Too involved to write.... WATCH THIS TALK.......


TEDXDunedin Howie Booth


Howie remembers where he was the day Bruce Lee died. He also remembers seeing his first live cage fight and being a referee in the ring for the first time like it was yesterday.

For Howie, fighting is not about violence. It’s about control, discipline and strength; learning your body’s limits and pushing past them. It’s about getting into the ring with someone better than you, putting your ego aside, and learning to re-train your brain so that you come out on top.

At TEDxDunedin, Howie shares his perspectives from the other side of the cage on how fighting can solve problems.

Connecting with a personal story... Growing up... Watching movies... 

A glimpse inside the ring / cage... What would I do in there? Asking a personal question...

Asking the questions... Curiosity... 

What happens when you panic? When you are empty?

If you hink you're in trouble you are...
Stop listening to ego...
Learn the lessons...
Natural instincts will betray you...
Over rule the flight mode... 
Retrain to do the right thing....

Turn and face at all times.... Do we do this? Do we face our demons?

Training physical and mental... Train to know your body...

Learn to control the emotion... Mental and emotional resilience!

If you can't control your emotions nothing will save you!

Understanding and appreciation is sooo necessary!

You win or you learn! 

Becoming better people through whatever you do!,,,

Respect and honour for each other... Lessons for us all here from Howie...

It's not the critic that counts, the credit belongs to he who strives... The doer of deeds... All glory goes to the fighter!  

Knowing self through pursuing what you believe in.... 

Mechanical, physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional... 

TEDXDunedin - Lisa Scott

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The best way to describe Lisa Scott is lively and energetic. When she returned from her travels in the Middle East in 2009 to discover all the jobs were gone, she decided to become a writer.

Her work has since received several awards for its insight and humorous perspective. Living out of a modest Dunedin home with her partner, the famed Economist, and a small cat, Lisa writes about life and love as she sees it in the Otago Daily Times, NEXT, North and South, and NZ Life & Leisure.

At TEDxDunedin, she poses the question: “Is satire dead?”

Woohoo on stage... 

Arrested, going to prison... Great way to kick start weight loss..

What is satire?

Connecting us with a personal story... 

Difference between satire and being a bogan...

Spellbound by the history of satire...

Fred Dogg as NZ satirist...

McPhail and Gadsby, a week of it... 

Are we paying attention enough to enjoy satire? 

Times before sniping behind our email address... Satire isn't dead.... But it is struggling... 




Thursday, October 29, 2015

CORE Office Opening

Wow, can you imagine my surprise when I read the email to know that I had been drawn out to attend the CORE Education Ltd Christchurch office official opening. MAGIC really is the word to describe it! And to be in the company of Viv, Rachel and Anna, even more MAGICAL!



 Why was it so special for me to be there? 

  • I LOVE our new office and freely admit to a good dose of office envy! I just love the space, the feel, the heartbeat of the office.  
  • I love that we are privileged to be in a space that espouses our vision ‘pushing the boundaries of educational possibility.  
  • I LOVE the flexibility of meeting spaces, from individual, to small group, medium or large group; from formal to informal; relaxed to intimate.  The overwhelming feeling of open, light, connected and interconnected spaces.

Being so remote from my office, based in Mosgiel, I treasure every visit and love exploring the different ways people work, inter-relate and ‘be’ within the spaces.  

Just as Tatai Aho Rau encompasses our interconnected way of being and working within CORE, so our office space allows, and indeed promotes the interweaving, cross pollination, connectedness that is so crucial to our way of being.  The privilege of working alongside members from across teams is sooo powerful.  The ability to spend time with others is so crucial to my way of connecting with the CORE team.  From arriving at reception, through the levels and spaces, our new office has a ‘home’ heartbeat.  It has a relaxed, welcoming aura, an agility and flexibility that meets the diverse needs whilst maintaining the comfort and connection.  

Another HUGE positive of the space is its ability to cater for the biophilias; those, like me, who NEED to feel connected to the outdoors, connected to nature.  The windows afford the luxury of feeling as if you are working outdoors.  The decks allow for real outdoor office space.  The view out the back towards Regent Street is a very real and significant connection to the Christchurch journey.  The acknowledgement of this, within the space is also a precious, tangible taonga.

So, last night’s celebration truly captures the essence of our whare, our space, our place, our haven.  What better way to capture the MAGIC than Minister Nicky Wagner’s words: ‘pumped’ for the opportunities this new space affords, for the generations of now and those to come. 


Just as a home can be and is so much more than a house; CORE’s office is so much more than just an office.  It is our haven, our refuge, our inspiration chamber, our whare, our home!  It is where we can connect, meet, share, celebrate and push the boundaries of educational possibility!  It is where we can live our vision!  It is where we can come and go but never really leave.  In a way, it is a place, for us in Education, as Outward Bound is for those looking for outdoor sanctuary… 
"Have you ever seen a place where tears and laughter mingle,
Where courage grows as strength and trust in friends is found,
A place where people come and go but never really leave,
A place to find what you've been looking for!"















Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Otago footage from 1950

WOW - what a treasured piece of footage... Love that this is kept and available to view and share... 

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Dr Libby - Exhausted to Energised

Energy!
Welcoming Dr Libby to a #dunnerstunner

Three pillars: biochemical, nutritional, emotional...
First we must appreciate the inner workings of ourselves!

Why do we do what we do when we know what we know? 

Behavioural change... Different quality of life experience!
Addressing the road into our situation to know the road out... If we have an issue or concern, we need to identify the cause to address it!

What is energy?
Possibility exists for everyone... Do we make the most of our opportunities?
Exposing ourselves to new voices!
Physical and mental strength... Natural enthusiasm for life...
Connecting people with great energy energises us!
Energy is the great measure of health and well being!
Addressing waking up tired... Identifying the cause... Lousy energy is an indicator of something gone wrong...
Biochemistry... A circle of energy pathway... Kreb cycle!
ATP - usable energy.
Bring curiosity to our feeling... Think about how what we are putting into our body and how our energy levels are.
The mighty mitochondria - energy producing unit! Understanding the mighty mitochondria is so important....
The power of resistance training... Essential...
Maintain and build our physicality... Stronger immune system, and digestive system... Walking, yoga, gardening, using and moving our bodies... Seeing our bodies and movement as a gift! Embracing resistance training!

Nutritional:
Antioxidant rich food... Blueberries, cranberry, green tea, coloured food,
Co-enzyme q10 ubiquinol can improve energy, and heart health.
Deep breathing has HUGE benefits for us...
Are we living too short and dying too long?
We get one body! How are we treating it? How are we investing in it? How are we valuing it?
Do I believe I am worth taking care of? Of course I do!
B vitamins are crucial.
Supporting the inner workings of my body must be my goal.
Iron is crucial.
Macronutrients.. Fats proteins and carbohydrates...
Micronutrients allow us to extract the macronutrients!
Eating more real food is the most basic form of self care!
We have the equipment to break down whole real food.... But not so to break down processed food.
Making an effort, one more whole food per week...
Roads to poor energy!
The nervous system!
How do we decrease our perceived level of stress? We need to remove the stress adrenalin!
Feeling the privilege of what it is to be alive! Telling ourselves to be relaxed and enjoy the moment we are in.

Energy as the flames and fire within me - what do I want my fire to be burning? I want my body to be trained to use my body fat better! Energy level consistent across the day. Training my body to use energy better, get out of the red zone... Honest about caffeine and effect!
Explore perception of pressure and urgency.
Activate the green zone... Extend the length of our exhalation... Deep breathing tells your body you're safe!
Bring awareness to how we breathe!
Breathe awareness is crucial to bringing well being.
Restorative calm: audio download..
Power of breath
Ritual
Save 50%
Adrenal fatigue:

  • Low cortisol
  • Stages of stress
  • Lifestyle changes - ways to real food...
  • Holistic approach needed to get health and energy back. 
The thyroid
  • Hormones
  • Pituitary gland
  • Adrenal glands
'Toxicity' and energy
Body fat
Estrogen
Recycling of substances
Increased body fat for storage of problematic substances...
Supporting our liver function... Explore this some more...
Sleep - critical to our life, function, well being. Sleep must be prioritised...
Add daily choices photos...

Make one change and do it consistently...

Increase water intake...

It's not just about the food you eat, it's the choices we make and how we berate ourselves... Consequences of choices we make really matter.

My brain has too many tabs open...

Time management|
Schedule it or it won't get done!
Say NO - BE TRUER TO SELF.

Morning rituals...
Time to self - meditation, reading, gratitude, sense of spaciousness!
The energy of joy! Joy is enjoying what you have!

What is our purpose? 
 What is my purpose? 
What do I care about? 
When I see what I need to do, go do it! 

Purpose comes from action, making a difference!
Belief in self, belief that I am worth it!
Why do I do what i do, when I know what I know?
Our RAS looks for and finds things that agree with what we are looking for... It ignores anything that disagrees with this...
Taking new actions to increase the quality of our lives....














I think my favourite quote is operating with too many tabs open, as I know this is something I am guilty of, so making small incremental changing starting today....

Thanks Dr Libby for the key points...
Key Points
Key points
1. Muscle building
Incorporate more resistance training or muscle building exercise. This helps to build lean muscle mass. More muscle means more energy-producing mitochondria in our cells - resulting in a higher metabolic rate, which assists with body fat management, as well as better energy.
2. Immune system function
Explore your immune system function - whether this is your susceptibility to viruses or other infections, glandular fever or simply hayfever, anything that triggers your immune system can be fatiguing. Getting to the heart of these reactions can unleash energy that is spent fighting these infections.
3. Stop sitting
Stop sitting on energy - many adults spend most of their waking hours sitting, with studies showing that some spend an enormous 11 hours per day on their bottoms. Those hours tend to be clocked up working at a desk job, commuting to and from work, watching television, or at the computer. Whatever the reason, research shows that too much sitting isn't good for health or energy. So move every hour, even just for 5 minutes!
4. Perceptions
Be conscious of how your perceptions influence your mood and energy state. Write a list of what makes you feel alive and energised, and what saps your energy - your "energy vampires." Actively work on doing more of the things that make you feel energised whilst simultaneously reducing your energy vampires.
5. Open tabs
Work on closing what I call "open tabs"- these are tasks, emails or jobs that haven't been resolved. It's as if we walk around each day with so many tabs open - like websites sitting open on your computer screen, that it's no wonder we feel drained or flattened. Schedule tasks instead of just listing them.
If you get a chance to get along to the Christchurch session tonight, I can thoroughly recommend it!

Twelve Thousand Hours Education and Poverty in Aotearoa New Zealand

This afternoon I had the privilege of attending NZEALS visiting scholar session, with Dr Vicki Carpenter and Dr Karen Nairn.



We need a real living wage... 

The book - 

Taking all children to their potential! 

A powerful contributor list... 



 Fabulous discussion starters...

Out of sight, out of mind, looking at Karen's chapter! Exploring transitions. Is it transition from primary to secondary, or changing pre teen to teen? 
Male and Maori are disproportionately over represented in alternative education. 
Poverty of vision and provision. 

AE provides for disengaged learners. How do we engage the disengaged or renegade? 

Critical success factors:
Relationship, passion, compassion, future focus, holistic, leadership and teamwork...

Poverty of vision and resourcing for alternative education providers.

Relationship with schools... 



Barriers to re-engagement... 

Resourced pilot project tracking school leavers across Otago - explore this... 

What a fabulous discussion this was. I felt incredibly moved by the story and privileged to be a part of the discussion.  So much of what was shared must be at the forefront of where we are at when working with schools, leaders, teachers and learners.  


Engagement, well-being, learning, holistic view of learner and learning, all at the forefront of ideas shared.  And yet again Fionna's blog post challenge...  

"Every action of ours serves to include or exclude."

A greater awareness of our actions, our reactions and interactions enables us to be more mindful of this quote.  Relationship is crucial, really getting to know our learners, and understand what they want, need, perceive as inclusion or exclusion.  

I can't wait to read this book!



Friday, October 16, 2015

Carrying on the MAGIC of #Ulearn15

Whether or not you were at Ulearn15, here are some incredible links to check out! Please use, share and add to this growing resource!

Margaret Heffernan: Why it's time to forget the pecking order at work

WOW - thanks for sharing this clip Greg.  What a powerful watch for us all.  

Watching this video this morning was an awesome time to reflect on some of my notions of 'team'. 

I used video notes to capture some of the points along the way. 

+ Don't peck... you don't need to blow my candle out to make your's burn brightly... we don't need to compete
+ Do superstars together grow success - no! 
+ We need to find a better way to live that doesn't involve in suppressing others.
+ 3 characteristics of successful teams - high degree of sensitivity to each other... empathy..
+ 2nd - equal time to each other, do domination or passnegers
+ 3rd - more women in the groups...
+ Social conectedness matters!
+ What happems between us really counts!
+ Asking for help... solutions are out there... culture of helpfulness!
+ Getting and giving help 
+ Getting to know each other drives helpfulness - he tangata, he tangata, he tangata
+ Invest time in REALLY gettihg to know each other
+ Fika - collactive restoration - gathering together over coffee
+ When the going gets tough - social support is there to help you
+ Companies don't have ideas, people do... 
+ What matters is the mortar - not just the bricks.
+ Social captial - reliance and interdependency
+ Resilience in times in stress
+ Gives momentum, makes companies robust,
+ TIME is everything...
+ Time builds value
+ Synchronised coffee breaks.. dedicated time to talk to each other...
+ Conflict is frequent, candor is safe, good deas turn into great ideas
+ Social capital supports growth
+ Talent and creativity - in the power of many..
+ Drama is between the students or ideas... Outstanding collaborators...
+ Bringing out the best in others is how you bring out the best in yoursefl
+ Everyone matters
+ How much more can we give each other if we stop trying to be super chickens..
+ Work is SOCIAL - a lot has to change, 
+ Rivalry must be replaced by social capital,
+ Motivating each other must be our goal...
+ Leadership - create conditions for everyone to do most courageous thinking together...
+ No stars in our team - we need everybody
+ We work to one standard only - the best imaginable
+ Boss has to butt out, no space for power..
+ We solve our problems by involving everybody!
+ Everybody has value - to create the BEST beyond measure...


View in VideoNot.es

A very powerful watch which I can thoroughly recommend.

For me the reflection is in my privilege to work for a company that oozes social capital.  People are invested in, time is given to relationship building, time it allocated for connecting and sharing what is on top, both in our personal and professional lives.  Time is given for us to connect across teams, contracts and areas. 

It also compels me to share a link from Fionna Wright's recent blog post... 
http://blog.core-ed.org/blog/2015/10/quite-simply-included.html 
Fionna offered three questions that sit with me and continue to challenge and shape me...

  • What is that I/you might do to unintentionally exclude others?
  • Where are my/your ‘blind spots’ (what am I/you not seeing)?
  • How can I/you help all of my/your learners quite simply feel included right now?
I am forever mindful of the privilege of our role.  As a facilitator I believe our role is to 'make easy the journey'.  We are in no way experts or pecking chickens.  What is I might do to unintentionally exclude or fail to engage others?  What are my blindspots? How can I help everyone feel included?

Recently, as part of the CORE team working at Ulearn I had the privilege of working with, collaborating with, socialising with, getting to know so many of our CORE whanau.  It is in these conditions that our most courageous thinking can happen.  It is in these times that we can best support, challenge, provoke and interact.  It is in these times that we grow our social capital and what it is to be CORE whanau.  

No more strongly was this felt than in the singing of Tatai Aho Rau at the conclusion of Pat Snedden's keynote.  


Tuesday, October 13, 2015

#ulearn15 quotes

"Pedagogy is the driver. Technology is the accelerator."

"We constantly assess the risk associated with change, but rarely assess the risk of remaining with the status quo."


Agile skills are more valuable than certifications


"Twitter is a universe of teachers to talk to in my pocket."


"At the centre of our pedagogy needs to be the drive to improve the human experience!"


"We don't need to be locked into something just because it once worked. There must be ongoing reflection."









Monday, October 12, 2015

#ulearn15 second reflection

WOW, two days of ‘no agenda’. WOW what a luxuriating treat. Two sleep ins, family time, meals out, BBQ, garden walk, coffees with family and friends, sunshine, and thinking time. It really doesn’t get any better than this.

I have taken lots of time this weekend to be ‘offline’ and mindful.

Coming back online has been a little overwhelming with so much ‘dialogue’ in the social media sphere. An interesting conversation around those new to twitter has resulted in some exciting new opportunities and possibilities. I will keep you posted.

Being mindful of the need to maximize the learning, networking, sharing, challenges and celebration from Ulearn has caused me to begin a crowd sourced doc to capture some of it, making it accessible and rewindable. Check out the first edtalk up today - Grant Lichtman's keynote!

As educators enter classrooms for the first day of term four, we are excited by the potential of impact on learners the length and breadth of New Zealand. 

Today I am going to spend a little more time reflecting on the MAGIC of 1800+ educators together in one space for this conference. Many, many times I post, “he tangata, he tangata, he tangata”, and this indeed was the MAGIC of the conference for me.  Working as part of the connected educator team comes with the privilege of being where the people need us to be, being alongside them, listening and supporting with next steps. It is also a HUGE honour and privilege to support beyond the event itself. Reflections and conversations on twitter over the weekend have led to a Google Hangout tonight to look at ways of supporting those new to an online environment over the initial barriers, confidently able to grow and maximise their new networks.

I am going to focus today, on my connections with e-fellows at Ulearn. CORE Education Ltd celebrates a number of e-fellows each year and I had the privilege of being an e-fellow in 2012, alongside Beverley Kaye, Helen King, Paula Eskett and Rachel Boyd. We were / are the ‘famous five’ and Ulearn15 is the first opportunity we have had to be back together since Ulearn12. 










What an incredible reunion! It is so powerful to re-connect and catch up on our lives since our amazing year. It was as if we hadn’t been apart and we chatted, giggled, laughed and caught up. The e-fellow dinner was an opportunity for us to celebrate dinner together with e-fellows current and past. What an incredible time to be there for the 2015 celebrations of their amazing year, with tears and laughter testimony to their tight-knit, incredible year together. An awesome touch was the book they were presented with celebrating their year together! E-fellows from 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012 celebrated. 

Thursday morning saw the announcement of six brand new e-fellows who begin their journey for 2016. What an incredible time! 


How privileged I feel to be part of such an awesome fellowship!