TTT hui - 2015 Kia eke taumata - Reach for the stars - morning session day 1

Kia eke taumata - Reach for the stars

Having a clear vision and knowing what it is all about

Create an environment where people can do their work well - good conditions for the work to be done.

People have the freedom to do the job well and stretch into the future.

Not being distracted by unnecessary work is important.  

Having a passion for our work and know where we are on the journey is so important.  

Being values driven, and knowing our principles, is where we start.

Clear vision and principles and a well resolved strategic plan.

Strategic goal 1 - leadership

Strategic goal 2 - sustaining learning

Strategic goal 3 - evidence based

Strategic goal 4 - relationship building

Reflecting on the journey of 2014.  Developing TTT as a professional provider. 

Four readings - to be read and shared.  

Sharing evidence-based stories continues to be a focus.  I am really looking forward to continuing a learning pathway that supports a rich evidence-base to support the journeys for learners, educators, schools, and clusters.

2015 and beyond, we have a commitment to deliver high quality PLD, continuing to keep a focus on our learning and demonstrating the impact of our work on teaching and learning. We are also continuing to focus on sharing our stories. 

A real positive start to the hui was the sharing of feedback.  We are aware of the FAST tools and the FeeST tools and it is so important for us to be able to acknowledge and celebrate successes. 

Session two - Dr Jan Robertson

Leading Change - a great start with an analogy of learnings from a beehive. Keeping the learner firmly at the front of our work as we think of learners back to school today.  

Time to reflect on the need for a deliberate focus on student learning and well-being.  The principal is essential but not alone in the journey.  The role of the principal is paramount, the power piece in the process.  Our role as facilitator is one of developing and supporting those around us to do the work.  

Mihi mihi, taking the time, building the relationship is leadership. As we build the relational trust, we are able to sustain the journey!

Leadership as risk-taking, building capability and capacity of others, ability to weave people together with humility, for the greater good of the whole team, leadership as influence and direction.  To engage and inspire others to achieve desired outcomes is at the heart of our role. 

Educational Leadership Guidelines

Te Aho Tapu – Focus on Learners

Te aho tapu, the first and main thread of the korowai, represents a strong focus on learners and for the purposes of Tū Rangatira is titled ‘Ngā Mokopuna’, representing Māori learner success.

Whenu – Seven Key Roles of Leadership

The whenu of the korowai descends from te aho tapu. Each of the whenu depicts a key role of the leader:

1. He Kaitiaki	guardian
2. He Kaiwhakarite	manager
3. He Kanohi Matara	visionary
4. He Kaiako	teacher and learner
5. He Kaimahi	worker
6. He Kaikōtuitui	networker
7. He Kaiarataki	advocate

Ngā Aho – Seven Key Areas of Focus

The aho of the korowai weaves through the whenu, binding the korowai together as a wearable garment. Each of the aho depicts a key focus area for leadership:

1. Mana Mokopuna	placing the learner at the heart
2. Mana Wairua	spiritual and holistic well-being
3. Mana Tangata	recognising that relationships are critical to effective practice
4. Mana Reo	the preservation of te reo Māori
5. Mana Tikanga Māori	customs and protocols
6. Mana Mātauranga Māori	Māori discourses and knowledge
7. Mana Ā-Kura	the uniqueness of each kura

Using the language of leadership to build a shared vision, to shape what this journey might look like for us all.  

• Build the vision for what might be
• Engage the values and the heart
• Build enthusiasm for innovation
• Share the urgency of change
• Believe in the principal and the school
• Talk about the importance of leadership
• Paint a picture of the journey

Shaping a growing concern for the well being of all.  Working for the good of all, across schools, clusters and NZ.  We must work to build a vision of what might be.  

Contract and re-contract all of the time, negotiating a way of working.  Re-working, re-shaping, setting up a way of being in the journey.  Dialogue around who were are, who we are about, who we are here for, negotiating a shared vision and a shared journey. 

Leading by listening, praise, negotiating what we are doing, how we are doing it, talking about the why we are doing what we are doing. Building agency, support to meet the specific needs of our schools and educators, personalising the journey. 

Our belief in our leaders will likely impact the greatest effect in their belief in themselves, to effect change for all learners!

Leading change is a process, it takes time, but there is an urgency to make a difference right now.  

Initiation phase - build relationship, gather data and evidence, 

Implementation phase - PLD implemented, journeying, monitor the journey

Institutionalisation - when the PLD is just a part of what we do here!

Our role is to highlight the journey, the change, celebrate the change and the journey.  

Paradigm shift is required with our PLD contracts, and we need to be aware of the magnitude of the journey. 

Adult learning theory - Kolb

Insert photo....

We are privileged to be in the role of facilitator, coach and mentor!

Fullan's ideas on leadership must shape our way of being.  We need a balance for our educators, between innovation and pace-setting. We need to be aware of the implementation dip, we need to see our journey in the light of the journey for education and change in New Zealand.   

Redefining resistance is a part of our journey.  Dig into the doubt, the resistance.  We alongside the principals are the culture builders. What areas need support?

"The paradox is that transformation would not be possible without accompanying messiness." Fullan

"What might be" as a guiding star for our journey! 

"Why should anyone be led by me?" - a desire for authenticity, those who know their values, their strentgths and weaknesses, significance, contributions, excitement and passion for the PLD and the learners, service and community, where they see themselves in the community.

"To be yourself more, with skill..." 

http://www.whyshouldanyonebeledbyyou.com/ 

#28daysofwriting Day one!

28 Days of Writing

Today is February the first and thanks to the wonderful innovation of Tom Barrett, today is the first day of, just that, 28 days of writing.  I thought I would spend the first day blogging about what I hope to get out of the challenge, and what I am looking forward to. 

I anticipate spending 28 minutes writing for each of the 28 days.  I am really keen for writing on my blog to become an integral part of my daily reflection. I am also keen to work on my writing craft.  Through the regular writing I am anticipating an improvement in the flow and rhythm of my writing.  I am going to challenge myself to write in differing styles and genres… maybe even attempt a poetic piece or a song, who knows.  So lets get some of these ‘goals’ committed in bullet form:

·      I will write for at least 28 minutes each day for my blog;

·      The main focus of my writing will be year beginnings and inquiry;

·      I will choose a variety of styles and genres;

·      I will invite connection and collaboration with my writings and wonderings;

·      I will share each post with a wider audience through tagging, on twitter, in the VPLD, the vln, and the Ethos community, some may even make it to the Facebook group NZ Teachers (Primary);

·      I will include reflections on my readings and my professional development;

·      I will encourage others to become involved in this journey;

·      I will connect with and comment on blogs of others in this initiative – aiming for two + comments per day;

·      I will have a lot of fun and share MAGIC wherever I can.

·       

Well, that looks a manageable task. I really will need to maximize opportunities for reflection and sharing my journey because the February calendar is full!

I am feeling quite confident with my inquiry for 2015, as I really do need to focus on my listening and questioning to ensure I provoke more questions than answers. 

As we work in a slightly different way this year, I really want to work on my mentoring skills.  Working face to face and virtually with e-leaders and principals from our clusters will afford an abundance of opportunity for mentoring.  

Hot on the tails of two days of professional learning and development at the Developing Virtual Mentor’s wananga, is a perfect time to reflect on what I really need to focus on.  

I think I really need to focus on being a mirror this year.  Reflecting on conversations, both face to face and online is a real area of focus.  Involving my mentees in my journey through feedback and feed forward, either face to face or in a survey, will be an integral part of my evidence gathering.  Just as in Austin’s butterfly, there was ample time for feedback along the way, to allow for refocuses, redirection, improvement; so I want to have time to act on feedback.  Our way of working in teams this year allows for feedback from colleagues as well as our clients.

Maybe I need to use Leigh’s way of working with Google forms to have feedback feed directly into a Google site?  Maybe this all needs to go to my Inquiry blog rather than my very public blog?  Maybe this needs to be shared with all our schools this year, as a way of modeling inquiry and evidence gathering?  Maybe it needs to be shared across our team so we can all benefit from the shared wisdom, feed forward and feedback.

As we work with our schools to support e-leaders we are going to use an in-depth goal setting framework.  Alongside this we are going to support educators across our schools to use a framework for their teaching as inquiry (T@I).  We are anticipating the sharing of these inquiries across schools, and across clusters.

How do you set goals in your workplace?

How do you record and share and interact with T@I across your schools or clusters?

I really look forward to hearing your stories, seeing your examples, frameworks and ways of sharing.

Very excited to be here on this MAGIC journey that is #28daysofwriting

(695 words – 23 paragraphs – 73 lines - _ views, _ comments)  maybe, just maybe, I’ll record some stats…

Trip three…. for 2015

Stunning shots of Taieri Mouth! Very lucky for me, the storm has passed and the skies have calmed.  The sensational thunder and lightning storm grounded the Wellington flight but not the Auckland flight.

 Woohoo, off again in a whirl.  I do tend to feel slightly cheated when the work week starts on a Sunday night. But, I always temper this with the fact that in this role, mostly my Sunday nights are my own.  I really do not miss the Sunday night set-up.  I do miss the kids though, and I do miss children’s literature.  I chuckle to myself as I now delight in buying books, for friends children, and just for me to have.

So, here I am Auckland bound for the Te Toi Tupu Consortium Hui to start the year.  This is a HUGE gathering with well over 200 of us at the Holiday Inn.  I love these gatherings.  It is a once a year opportunity to come together as a consortium and it is always a fun, learning, fabulous time.

DVM wananga 2015

Whangia ka tupu, ka puawai

Introduction from Dave - tandem jump analogy

Committing to moving out of what we both know - an alliance - a challenging situation

Incredible commitment to the growth and development of people and learning

• My experience as the talker
• My experience as the listener
• The Consequences/outcomes of the conversations

Building the skill base...

Mentoring, mentees, teachers mentoring learners, learners mentoring each other...

How can we make this a reality for all learners?

'Being with' in a way that supports and catalyses is our way as a mentor!

In 'letting go' there is finding...

BEING -

What do I want to be?

How do I want to be?

Mindfulness is about noticing what we are being...

Being able to do something without knowing what the consequences will be... but trusting that it is the right thing to do!

Backing myself!

Tools of mentorship - the inner qualities we have developed shape the way we use our tools. 

At times we are restoring before we re-create, or create... At times we just BE WITH another...

Aspects of mentorship:

Self-focused:

• Managing one's own vulnerability;
• Letting go of the need for validation;
• Knowing one's truth; 
• Maintaining a light heart even when feeling sad;
• Being a mentor to self

Other-focused:

• Being gracious with the differently informed;
• Being still and present with another;
• Speaking one's truth;
• Not having full access to or knowledge of the consequences of one's work.
• Understanding boundaries and mandates;
• Letting go of the responsibility for outcomes.

Reflection is needed on each of these points - and I will blog on each separately in coming day....

Models of mentoring

Tandem jump - highly interactive, co-mentoring approach, mentor is very present,

Crucible - pipette, catalyst  mentee brings 'stuff, mentee holds the conversation and brings something to it and causes it to change.. adding a few drops and causing something to come to life!

Developmental alliance - each bring own skill, overlap enables influence of one to another - VERY strongly peer alliance - similar rank.

GE model - holding the tension between 'goals' and 'emergence'.

Bridge model - link between today and tomorrow - bridge between the two - now and tomorrow - building the bridge from both ends.

R2I model - moving from reality to inspiration  

ROPRAHA - Explore reality, look at options, preference, resources, action, help, accountability.  (not necessarily linear...)

MMC - Medicine man, chief - (working with a cluster)

WOW - what a powerful day with an incredible team of people....

Team hui

Woohoo three MAGICAL days with our team – tick! What a powerful start to the year. It is great to welcome new team members to enable us to reflect on our ways of being as we begin induction. It was powerful to refocus and reflect on some of our processes and procedures. It is wonderful to have new voice, new questions, new ways of looking and being. 

It was an incredibly powerful time as we looked at new ways of working with clusters, growing the capacity of e-leaders within schools. Our way of working this year is shaped out of evidence based practice from 2014. 

As schools have been allocated, facilitation teams made, and dates set for initial face to face and scoping hui, we are well underway!

As Ray support us to focus on our inquiry for 2015 it is apparent that scoping is the scanning phase where we delve into what is going on for our schools.

What scanning is and isn’t: 

Scanning involves inquiry and evidence-seeking mindsets; scanning is not about seeking evidence to reinforce the status quo. 

Scanning takes a wide perspective on learning - not just a focus on aspects of academic learning that are easily measured. 

Scanning is about what is happening for all learners from their perspectives and those of their families - not just the perspectives of the professionals. 

From the scoping phase we will move into the Focusing Stage, looking to what’s going to give us the biggest impact. This will involve looking at the alignment between schools, to focus on cluster wide goals and individual school goals. 

What focusing is and isn’t:

Focusing uses information from the scan to begin to clarify where energies need to be invested - this is not the time to introduce completely new areas. 

Focusing usually requires collection of further information to clarify what is happening. Don’t assume you know. “How do we know? Why does this matter?” are especially important questions to ask in this phase. 

Focusing should include strengths or positives as well as problems and challenges.

Our strength is often in our diversity. We are indeed, a diverse team and we each bring unique skills, strengths and gems to the team as a whole.  

How has your year started?

What are you doing as a team to maximise the strengths and diversity of all your members?

I would love to hear how your year has started...

My first flight for 2015

Well, mixed feelings today!  Here I am back in the air for my first flight for 2015, the first of many.  Although I have been back at work for three days, today signifies the beginning of my travel.  Although I love it, and can’t wait to spend time with our team, I am incredibly aware of the feeling of loss: loss of time at home; loss of waking up in my own bed; loss of the freedom that comes from being at home; loss of time to visit Mum each day.

I am very excited to spend the next three days with our team.  We have lost some team members who have returned to schools and have some new team members starting this year.  We also have a new way of being as we will be working mainly with clusters of schools this year. 

I have been reading blog posts this year that have a word as a focus for the year and I have a number of words floating around in my head for 2015.  Will it be the year of: Balance? Challenge? Growth? Exploration?  It really is hard to choose just one word and maybe I can have a few! 

I know for sure that one real challenge for me is always ‘balance’.  I am committed to making sure I have a better work, life balance this year.  Ringing loudly in my ears are Brendan Spillane’s words… If you love something, don’t ruin it by doing something else at the same time.  I particularly enjoyed the break from technology over the summer holiday.  I read more, talked and listened more with my family, spent more time outside, and exercised more.

I am loving the change to be more active.  Swimming has always been something I have loved and I am really enjoying being back in the pool on a semi regular basis.  I started by managing, just managing 30 lengths, and I have gradually increased this over the summer.  Yesterday I managed 52 lengths before cramp gripped my right foot, rendering swimming impossible.  With the local pool closing at the end of March for the winter I am determined to enjoy many more swims when I am at home.  My calendar is already quite full with trips for the first three months of the year.  I have packed my walking shoes and will make do with walks while I am away. 

What changes are you making for 2015?
What might your word for the year be?

MLP - Competencies and Dispositions

"Put simply, the world no longer rewards people for what they know - Google knows everything - but for what they can do with what they know."
The quote above is from Andreas Schleicher speaking at the Global Education and Skills Forum in Dubai.

I am just loving the complex interweaving of all that I am reading, discovering and learning currently.  My current read, A more beautiful question, is interplaying so nicely with my "Competencies and Dispositions' Module.  This interconnected web of learning strengthens my commitment to both areas, and enriches each.

The Global Achievement Gap: Why Even Our Best Schools Don't Teach the New Survival Skills Our Children Need--and What We Can Do About It 

Tony Wagner's list of skills students must have is well worth discussing as a staff.  If our learners need these skills, how are our programmes catering for this?

• Critical thinking and problem-solving
• Collaboration across networks and leading by influence
• Agility and adaptability
• Initiative and entrepreneurialism
• Effective oral and written communication
• Accessing and analyzing information
• Curiosity and imagination

Insert image from facebook... maybe on desktop...

Insert graphic - 12st Century learner - from desktop...

Wow, check out these attributes.  How are our programmes allowing for the development of these skills and attributes?  How am I allowing for these skills and attributes as I plan for sessions with my schools?

Crowd Sourced Docs

Today I spent some time reflection on the MAGIC of Crowd Sourcing.  I have created a page as a quick reference to the Crowd Sourced Docs I am aware of.  Please use these, share them, add to them.  I would love to hear of any other docs I should add to this list.  Thanks in anticipation!

Crowd Sourced Documents

My inquiry reflection

(Cross posted from my inquiry blog) 

So it's the start of 2015 and I have spent a lot of time contemplating my inquiry journey for 2014 and where I think I am heading in 2015.

After a wonderful session with Greg talking through my year, my inquiry is actually a lot more about the language I use, the questions I ask, the prompts I give, the pauses I leave.  

Early in 2014 my inquiry was heavily focused on up-skilling around inquiry to support others in their journey.  This will be an ongoing journey but this new branch is very exciting.  Constantly going around in my head are Greg's words... do you leave them with more questions than answers?  

I love our contract.  It is totally based on building capacity and capability and making sure it is sustainable.  It is focused on priority learners, exploring digital technologies to engage, support, challenge and extend. Teaching as inquiry the vehicle.

Early last year we were extremely fortunate to spend a day with Joan Dalton and David Anderson and their sessions and resources are shaping and moulding the way I listen, talk and interact. 

I am also re-reading Helen Timperley's Realizing the Power of Professional Learning.

Reflection on the various stages of the inquiry:

What knowledge and skills do our teachers and students meet to meet important goals?

Early in 2015 it was apparent that teachers and leaders needed considerable support with Teaching as Inquiry.  

What knowledge and skills do we as leaders (facilitators) need to meet the needs of our teachers and students. 

I required help to support educators as they worked their way through the inquiry process.  As my knowledge and understandings grew, my need for more support grew.  Ray was an incredible support as was Mark with documents, presentations, examples and exemplars to share with educators to deepen their understandings, challenge and support them 

Deepen professional knowledge and refine professional skills.

Ray was an incredible support as was Mark with documents, presentations, examples and exemplars to share with educators to deepen their understandings, challenge and support them. Readings, workshops, team discussions, online learning, all played a part in deepening my knowledge and refining my skills.

Engage teachers and students in new learning experiences.

In each and every school I had the privilege of working with educators at various stages of the Teaching as Inquiry journey. Successes were numerous as were the challenges.  Falling out of reflection on 2014 led me to a new branch of inquiry.  How does my use of language shape the journey?  How do I question and challenge to demand more questions than answers?  How am I overtly building sustainability by ensuring educators OWN their journey?

What has been the impact of our changed actions on outcomes we value for our teachers and students?

It has been a privilege to witness growing focus and target on learning needs through T@I.  Educators 'owning' their inquiry and deepening their knowledge and skills to meet needs has been a very visible outcome.  I still have an inkling that I am too 'involved' in the journey and at times do more than is good.  Remembering that facilitating is 'to make easy', it is indeed very easy to 'answer rather than challenge' at times.  My focus for 2015 is on my use of language to support educators in owning their journey!

Next phase of reflection:

How effective has what we have learned and done been in promoting our students' learning?

T@I workshops, sessions and discussions have been HUGELY successful in almost all schools.  A sharp focus, on a priority group has enabled a real deepening of knowledge and skills. Transferability of this is now a focus.

What should we keep going?

We need to continue supporting with T@I.  We really need to ensure there is one inquiry across the board - not separate inquiries for RTC, LwDT, other PD.
We need to ensure there is a sharing of T@I and a growing of capacity and capability across schools and clusters. 

What should we refine?
We must refine the recording process and the gathering of evidence. We must ensure there is only one inquiry across all areas, school PD focus, RTC and LwDT.  We must refine the process of honing in and focusing our inquiries. 

What should we stop?
We MUST stop multiple inquiries!

What new student learning challenges have become evident so what more do we need to learn?

We must focus on gathering evidence and recording the story of the journey.  We must identify challenges that remain, or new challenges.  We must focus the inquiry on the specific needs of our target group!

Woohoo - exciting times ahead in 2015!

Changing Results for Young Readers: Linda Kaser and Judy Halbert

A useful clip to look deeper at parts of the inquiry cycle.  Worth reflecting on whether or not we are making enough of a difference for our learners!

Innovative Learning Environments

Today's reading... http://www.keepeek.com/Digital-Asset-Management/oecd/education/innovative-learning-environments_9789264203488-en

Middlemarch adventure...

I am just experimenting with timelapse apps.  Today I am sharing three clips taken using hyperlapse!  Come for a ride with us....

I got stung...

No sooner had I posted to my blog about living life to the full, than I was able to tick off another adventure.  I took a break from the computer and took the dog down to the vege garden to pick some peas and raspberries.  I stood on what I thought was a significant prickle til I lifted my foot to see the bee.  OUCH - no wonder my kids hated getting stung!  So a first for me.  I got the sting out with a stick but was amazed at the burn, and the swollen and itchy foot tonight is definitely not a thing of beauty!  

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Hi all,

First day back at work today for 2015 and I am in shock at how I have neglected my blog.  

I am wondering why this is the case.  I checked my updates on facebook and twitter too.  I notice that I have a significant increase in facebook usage and updates over the summer break with a coinciding decrease in blogging and twitter.  I think this is mainly attributable to my resolution to spend less time online over the summer.  Also, I facebook voraciously on my phone, but blog and tweet less.  So here I go committing a couple of goals for 2015.

Goal one: blog more - from my phone or ipad; they are all setup to go - no excuse there!  (very limited wifi on vodafone through summer was definitely a contributing factor, but a nice chance to be logged off and enjoy life without technology and read more books.)

Goal two: read more!  I took 9 books away with me over summer and read 5 and a half!  I am delighted with this effort and delighted to be back reading.  I am also delighted with the range of reads: fiction, non-fiction, autobiography... plus magazines!

Goal three: Sharpen the focus of my inquiry.  Thanks for my incredible support, I now see a complete new sharpened focus for my inquiry for 2015 and I am looking forward to recording this journey both on my private inquiry blog, and links here to RTC.

Goal four: Be in the moment. A number of things have happened over the break to make me increasingly aware of the complexity and fragility of time and life.  I am going for it.  I am living life to the full! "Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body but rather a skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming - WOW - what a ride!" 

So with these committed to my blog, off I go to undertake some professional reading in the sun for my inquiry!  Back soon with an update and another post about my Mrs Claus Santa MAGIC!