What a whirl

Here I am, up in the air again…

What a week!  Two days with my team! 

Monday with Derek was inspirational.  I just can’t get enough of this Modern Learning Pedagogy.  As we worked our way through the CBAM model again another layer of clarity came to be.  This can be an incredibly transformative framework.  As we used it to surface our questions, our concerns became apparent.  This is a very powerful model. 

Tuesday night, Christchurch tweet-up! What a wonderful opportunity to keep in touch with my Christchurch friends.  We met at Merry Thai and shared a wonderful meal, great chat, and incredible camaraderie.  From here, we have decided to take it in a couple of directions.  We Plan to meet regularly at a range of venues around Christchurch, especially when I am up at the ‘flat’!  We also plan to grow the group by inviting others to join us whenever they are able.  A third innovation is creating a Google Doc to share as and when we want to!  There really is nothing better than keeping in touch with friends and meeting new friends. 

Today was spent working with Mark as we plan for our Southland adventure next week!  All planned and sorted until, shock, horror, we find out that Invercargill accommodation is booked out!  I am sure we will come up with something but we could have even more travel than we are anticipating.

As we work in a new model this year in the Learning with Digital Technologies PLD, we are increasingly operating in a collaborative, blended way.   What exciting times ahead for us all.

Literacy Update 7 February 2014

Kia ora tātou,

HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all and welcome back!  I sure hope you have had a relaxing break. My test of a great holiday is the number of books I read and this was definitely a great break. My commitment for 2014 is to make more time for both personal and professional reading.   

Yesterday I read Paul Jennings The Reading Bug …and how to help your child catch it! I cannot believe this very easy read has taken until now to find me.  I believe it should be a compulsory text for parents, teachers, aunts, uncles, grand parents, everyone!  I would like to suggest, if you have not already done so, you add it to your ‘must read’ list.

As we head into a new year I really want to get to know what you would like support with. What can we help you achieve?

We really want to build a collaborative online community that is responsive to your needs. Please pose questions to encourage discussion, networking and collaborating as we work to improve outcomes for all our learners.  

Why not pose a question right now?

New Resources

Exciting news - Connected 2013 now has digital versions of each article available online. Most of the text, images and videos are also available in Google Drive for teachers and students to download, copy and reuse for educational purposes.

You must attribute the writers, illustrators, and photographers of any material you reuse. Acknowledgements are found at the end of each Google Slides article, and on the inside back cover of each printed issue.

As with previous years, there is teacher support material for most of the articles (available in PDF and MS word formats)

The focus of the Connected 2013 series is on the Nature of Science strand and the science capability: Gather and interpret data.

The titles are

Connected 2013 Level 2 – I Spy...

Connected 2013 Level 3 – Food for Thought

Connected 2013 Level 4 – Are You Sure?

Useful ideas to start the year

• Technology no substitute for reading time: Mem Fox This is a fabulous read!  It really is crucial that we are present and reading to our learners.  I spent some time in the holidays reminiscing with my daughter about the pile of books I would read to her before bedtime each day.  She has such fond memories and I am sure we got so much out of the experience by choosing, discussing and reflecting on the books together.

• 25 tips to punch up your writing is great for learners of all ages and stages!  I like the concise list of supportive suggestions.

• Are any of you familiar with 4 Stages of Learning a Word? Learning vocabulary is so important and these steps may be useful for you to reflect on and implement into your programme.

• 30 Ideas for Teaching Writing is full of a wonderful array of ideas for you to discuss and reflect on as you think about your approaches to teaching writing.  With a repertoire of ideas to use and share, the writing programme should be stimulating and fun.

Have you joined the literacy online vln group? If not, please join up.  There is a wealth of resources there to explore and use.

Other sites to check out

• 10 Stories Behind Dr. Seuss Stories
• Come together to create a story smashup in front of a live audience
• Goal: 1,000 books Before Kindergarten

Ngā mihi nui

Anne Kenneally

Literacy Online Facilitator

CORE Education

@LiteracyOnline2

To post to the list email: literacy@lists.tki.org.nz

CORE MAGIC

#HPPA  Today was an incredible opportunity for Mark, Tania and I to facilitate sessions at Baverstock School, for the seventeen schools in the #HPPA cluster.  

With over 200 teachers gathered together there was an incredibly empowering buzz of the excitement for the 2014 learning year. 

I had the pleasure and privilege to present one session three times on rotation around the creative power of e-learning. 

Speed geeking round one

Speed geeking outside - round two

Grounding my session in the robust transformative opportunities shared in Derek Wenmoth’s Ubiquity, Agency and Conectedness framework, I felt as if I was chanelling Derek.  Moving on with Derek’s concepts of Learn, Create, Share, I further channeled your wisdom Derek!

I love the opportunity to repeat sessions and found each and every session was unique.   What a pleasure to work with such an amazing cluster of teachers.  I think there is much I can learn from this cluster as I follow their journey.

As I reflect on the sessions on my flight to Christchurch I am profoundly moved by the impact of my sessions with Joan Dalton and David Anderson last week.  Throughout the sessions I found myself chanelling: “You might like to consider…” “I am offering you an opportunity to….” “I am gifting you seeds to plant and nurture”, “One approach might be…”, “How might you use this with your learners?”

Having my presentation online and shared as we journeyed enabled opportunities for ubiquity, agency and connectedness.

I am also aware that today I confidently shared a lot of my classroom practice, maybe even more than I shared throughout 2013.  I wonder why I am so comfortable sharing and reflecting now.  Is it because I am aware of the power of the story of the learner?  Is it because I am so attuned to the fact that I MUST stay current and focused and real about my learners, and our journey together?  Is it because I am finally realizing we have a story to tell?  Is it because I am a part of something much bigger than a lone teacher, in that I am a part of CORE and bring an incredible wealth of current practice to this journey?

Whatever it is, I LOVED sharing today with such an enthusiastic, engaged, friendly group and I wish them an incredible journey as they collaborate, network and grow in their cluster!

Day 366

Yesterday was my CORE 1 year anniversary!  I can hardly believe it has been a year!  What an incredibly journey I have the privilege of being on!

On a personal note, the day I started with CORE was also the day my Mum suffered a significant fall which has reshaped her life.  What a year this has been as she has moved from an independent fully active life, to a beautiful home, where she is cared for!  She is, as always, a continual source of inspiration to me!  Although this past year has seen a complete change in my life with me travelling so much, I am sooo incredibly grateful for the opportunity to spend time with Mum whenever I am home.  Her delight at our visits is just something beautiful to behold.  As I am away so much this year, I gave her a diary for Christmas with a verse I wrote on each page, so even though I do not see her everyday, she has a message from me and knows I am thinking of her.

On a professional note, the past year with CORE has been a year in my life that has seen the most incredible professional learning imaginable.  I have often equated it to being ‘plugged in’ and being charged up.  Many of the people who have shaped my journey and inspired me are now my colleagues.  To say I am in awe of the opportunities this brings is an understatement! The rich conversations and challenges to my beliefs, assumptions and thoughts about learning have added a depth to me as an educator, a facilitator and as a person.  Alongside the everyday opportunities for conversations, challenges and learning has been a wealth of opportunity for me to grow in my own PD; from ICOT, to Emerging Leaders Summit, to Ulearn to all of the incredible hui and wanaga, team meetings and gatherings. I have also been privileged to have shared my journey presenting at many conferences and sessions throughout the year.

Working in schools with leaders, teachers and learners has been an incredible opportunity for me.  I am continually inspired by educators who are passionate about their journey and their commitment to the journey of their learners. 

What then are particular highlights of the year with CORE:

• My mihi whakatau – what a welcome!  What a wonderful celebration of my adoption to the CORE family;
• Being a member of BelSouth team – where I feel I truly belong (what a journey, from feeling I had nothing to offer initially, to now comfortably feeling a true part of the team);
• Being constantly enriched and challenged on my journey;
• Travelling (more than I have in my life before);
• Every visit to CORE office – re-connecting and chatting with colleagues;
• The MLE expo in Christchurch;
• Wearing a yellow lanyard (as a CORE worker at Ulearn);
• Working as a facilitator – actively facilitating and supporting a journey;
• Working in classes alongside learners;
• Celebrating every trip home – really valuing what home is and how much I appreciate it and my family;
• Connecting with educators in and around New Zealand, face to face and virtually through social media.

What a MAGICAL journey I am on!

Reflection on the week:

As we travelled out to the airport Rick and I reflected on the journey of the week: Monday - Facilitation PD with Joan Dalton and David Anderson; Tuesday - Inquiry PD with our team; Wednesday - Modern Learning Environment Pedagogy with Derek Wenmoth and Mark Osborne, Thursday, Friday with Hazel, Merrin and David developing our virtual mentoring.  Full to the brim with 5 days of MAGIC PD we reflected that we expect our learners in class to engage with learners 5 days every week.  Immediately this analogy went right out the window as we reflected on the diversity and complexity of our journey this week.  What an unbelievable privilege to be part of this journey. How incredible to see the meshing and mashing of all of the experiences and the incredible power of the combination….

I LOVE MY JOB!!!

VPLD mentoring hui reflections...

My reflection on my takeaways from this hui:

As our two days together drew to an end we were given the opportunity to draw our takeaways. This was a treat!  I found it incredibly easy to quickly sketch symbols reflective of my journey over the past two days.  During sharing of our images, I learnt so much more about me, and my journey as I explained the symbols.  Now, on the flight home I am revisiting and adding the stories to my symbols!

Clock - time to be, for me, and for me to be what I need to be, and can be for others;

Star - for all the MAGIC aha moments;

Kete - full of tools for the journey;

Bridge - for me to build and walk across when needed; for me to use to support others to cross divides;

Building blocks - to build up for self and others, for order in the chaos, for the fun of the build;

Flowers - for the growth of the journey, for me and for others;

Heart - for the aroho on this journey, for being in the heart of where I am, for my role, and for our team;

Precious gems - jewels, all the precious moments I want to hold dear to my heart;

Chain - the links, new links added and bonds strengthened;

Lightbulb - for the new ideas, the clarity or shedding light on established ideas, and light for the challenges ahead;

Roadblocks - the tools I have developed to know when to go around, go over, bulldoze or avoid, basically the power to reflect on when to avoid the pussyfoot approach, when to avoid the sledgehammer approach, and when to go directly to the heart of the matter!

I am committing to revisiting this sketch, to reflect on and add to this over my journey!  How could you use this idea with your learners to encourage capturing a journey?

Day two VPLD Hui

Day two began by reflecting on and revisiting aspects of day 1.  How often do we take the time to do this with our learners?  Can we do more of this?

We co-constructed an agenda and prioritised what we hoped to achieve!  Again I ask, how often do we truly involve our learners in the agenda for the day?

As we re-established the rapport, trust and respect of day one we journeyed into what we want to Know, Feel, Do and Be….

As we moved into exploring frameworks of mentoring I realised anew the power of digger deeper, taking time to go beyond the obvious.  

We looked at a range of frameworks and delved into possibilities.  

This has been an incredibly powerful journey and I eagerly anticipate the times when I can mentor, coach, support, guide, facilitate...

As a way of concluding the session we were able draw our takeaways from the session, with music playing quietly in the background... and this is the basis of a new blog post!