A Powerful Network

As we  tend significantly toward working with networks of schools rather than as isolated ones I  thought it worthwhile to spend time considering how this has come about. What thinking and actions will maximise our benefits from belonging to one or more of these networks.

There is a real move to schools working together as clusters; sharing information, resources and becoming more networked. How do we make these powerful and meaningful.

Networking/clustering has been growing for the last 20 years and has contributed to a vibrant and progressing education community.

Here are three stages of belief and deliberate action that I think we have seen in networks.

I am considering the cluster/network and its impact on the learners in the individual schools within it. Each stage is of value but the third belief and deliberate actions associated with it are where I see sustained system improvement is possible.

First Belief and deliberate actions - collectively we engage with outside expertise.

My experience of this first stage started with an ICTpd contract where our school was part of a cluster of 6 schools. The network formed bring an efficiency of resources and a critical mass to a funded programme.

The characteristics of the programme were

• Teacher only days with outside experts. This was for many their first exposure to professional development in their place. A consistent message was about the changing paradigm and the rate of change in society which we would all be faced with.
• Experts were used in rotation with little ongoing relationship any one expert.
• Think tanks of ICT early adopters and geeks got together to share.
• Innovations were spread quickly through group presence and a willingness to try something new.
• Numerous disconnected introductions of various exciting new technologies
• Commitment lasting for the period of funding (ICTpd) ie with outside experts and little internal funding some leaders saw no intrinsic value to working as a network.

Second Belief and deliberate actions - there is power in local connections

My experience of this second belief was one where we developed the power of being in a group we called a professional learning community. For me this represents  a network able to see value in getting together sharing ideas, challenges they are facing and innovations they are adopting or developing.

The characteristics of the programme were

• Experience with Personal learning networks showed that you could connect with others and learn. It was like your extending the PLN to schools.
• Professional learning communities was a way to make similar connections and share learning in a local setting where people could connect face to face.
• Given everyone was attempting change people saw the importance of helping each other in our place
• There was something special we could do when we weren't isolated from each other's ideas.
• These clusters brought all its ideas together with more coming from within.
• There were too many ideas ie many conversations were lost because the variance across initiatives meant that elements of one could not fit in another
• Commitment to this type of group is ongoing and somewhat self funding
• Individual schools within the cluster know their impact

Third belief and deliberate actions - there is power in coherence and collective action

Russell Burt introduced me to the idea of the operational collective. This for me meant that we start to do more together and build on collective innovation. In this type of network the group identifies initiatives with promise testing them in their diverse contexts and bringing back the learning to take the next inquiry cycle.

This third belief is how I would describe the Manaiakalani Cluster as acting and developing.

The biggest difference between this model and the previous ones is that both a school and network (identity/purpose/challenge  guide the day to day activity and long term strategy in the individual schools. This allows them to “get more from” and “give more to” each other going from strength to strength.

Purposeful research allows this type of cluster to know their impact. I see them as “collaborating to compete” (Fullan). Not compete with each other but back to the latin roots of the word compete.

compete

- Comes from Latin competere, "come together," but in later Latin, it developed the sense "strive together," which was the basis for the English term.

What I see in these emerging networks are schools becoming stronger in their individual achievements and coming together in agreed ways to make progress.

The characteristics of the programme are

• A common language of learning eg Learn, Create, Share
• Agreement to inquire into our learning systems with the same reference points
• Visibility of what is happening in learning across the cluster
• Research to know our impact
• The impact attracts and generates wide external support
• Making our Kaupapa -- who we are and understanding a collective identity
• There are more partners but all in service of the learners
• Building a base on innovation found to be effective rather than taking a “splatter gun approach” Russell Burt
• Rich resources of how “we do this” are made for and by the cluster
• Energetic and committed leadership that believe in the contribution of the network to individual success
• Focusing on the learners and the community as the measure of success
• The operational collective develop a sense that they are there for each other.
• Being resolute and persistent

Is there a next stage to this type of network ?

Characteristics of Learning

Reflecting on the Term just been I have collected a few pictures that remind me of the learning that took place. To go with this are some ideas of mine and others that I see as important in getting to the learning.

“We need to shift from a focus on’Engagement’ to focusing on ‘Empowerment.’ David Jakes

“The person who does the work is the person who does the learning.”

Facilitating is making sure the things for the learning are there and then standing back as a prompter provoker.

When we work without a recipe we learn to cook. Sometimes when work with one we only learn how to follow instructions.

If creating is what leads to learning, then learners need tools that empower them to accomplish that creating.

Credible Self Direction 1

One of the students at my school has just bought his own computer. He wanted a little bit of advice as to how to get it going. The computer was old and incompatible with even the most basic keyboard we had. What impressed me was the effort that Callum has put into finding out about what he need to do to get this going. I offered to give him a slightly newer computer in return for a couple of articles and received the following first installment by the end of the day.

My favorite quotes are

I acquired a desktop computer tower for $1 at a garage sale in Tauranga it looked in perfect condition. 

It was a pretty bad pc i discovered

I ask my friends in the ICT lab for help, they point out how useless it is (because before i didn’t realise), but I’m still going to use it.




There are couple of discoveries here.

• Students will persist when they are motivated by possible achievement.

• Students are learning independently of us in areas that we can either choose or choose not to support and encourage.

• Give students a chance to work and control real technologies let them show where they are at.

On Saturday 28th July I acquired a desktop computer tower for $1 at a garage sale in Tauranga it looked in perfect condition. Everyone asked me if I was going to take it home and open it up, I said I don't know. The next day I wired it up with the cables, power check, VGA check, sound check, usb for keyboard and mouse... there was none! So I opened it and saw a pretty empty case, but everything was perfect except no hidden usbs. I re-arranged all the ports so I could fit in an usb pci card and plug it into the motherboard.  However when I turned it on it gave a beep and loaded up the BIOS (basic input output system).  It was a pretty bad pc i discovered, no usbs because it is a Pentium 2, it has a quantum fireball hard drive, an Intel Celeron processor and 65536k of memory. I ask my friends in the ICT lab for help, they point out how useless it is (because before i didn’t realise), but I’m still going to use it.

System BIOS (Compaq screen is of another pc)

PCI card slot on motherboard

Pc turned on

In Our Own time

When we give kids a challenge and some ownership they love it.
They learn as well. Having offered students a chance to come in at lunchtime and work with Lego robotics we have about ten committed students. 


They turn up consistently and work on this.


They are experiencing flow.

One of the ideas I am working on with this group is that
this is not a race and to acknowledge their own achievements.


The Temptation is to "borrow code" from others a little further ahead. 


With our own efforts well get there and when we do we'll understand more than borrowers.
With our own interests and challenges we are more likely to see this through.


Another quote to support this is "be a maker not a taker"

What Mckenzie had to say about Robotics and their Robot Storm.

Storm "So far we have built our robot. We are currently wireing and putting on our sensors. We downloaded the program we needed to use to program our storm robot.Our robot is basically made out of lego,  I like building Storm because it is a great challenge to achieve."

Finally Have a look at this clip that comes without sound.

5 seconds only. What it show is grandparents looking at the kids playing with robotics. I don't think the future is all about robotics but the looks on the faces of grandparents shows how different their learning and lives were.

Going Mobile

This Is my first mobile post. 


Typed/swyped mainly on a mobile. What I'd like to push myself to do is be more transformative in my actions. Lately I have become read alot (obsessed) about what features are to be available in the latest version of Google Android versus Apple's iOS.
This is an area that is changing so fast that new utility,applications and features are being added daily. 
There are people writing and reflecting on this even more often. We can read multiple updates and perspectives on this as easily as going to the web or even easy if we have them come to us using aggregation (reader) software.
My feeling is that we are a bit myopic in our adoption of Apple products fantastic though they are; without enough people testing other ways of doing things. My reading would tell me there is some realistic basis to this ie that the alternative are not without merit or functionality.


So There is some purpose to this Reading/Finding out but it is limited.

• preparing for purchase decisions 
• predicting future capability 
• finding useful applications 
• to be knowledgeable in the area of rapid change
• this is the fastest developing focus area for new tech

There are a few downsides

• lack of impact beyond the above
• this can become a habitual response 
• more passive than active 
• comes at opportunity cost for other learning 
• often relates to content acquisition rather creativity or adding value

So to break the cycle ...

I am limiting myself to set periods of reflection and to keeping a focus on 

the relationship of this learning to what it can bring for schools and learners as a result. When I read and follow I will put the GEMS into this blog or spaces for others. 

And on that note...

A great tool for android are the swype type keyboards have a look at this video to see how they work. Think this works on iOS but only jail broken phones/pods/pads.

This shows touchpal but swype is another great one.

Tweets–They’ve got to mean something

Twitter is different way of writing: Recently I received a mention from a man I have a great deal of respect for. It said …

As result of this I have been reviewing why Sam would say this.

I Click, Publish, Send, Upload, Tweet and Chat.  My thoughts, ideas, images, voices, opinions are public and read by my PLN and searchers. I try to stay involved in this stream of information because I value it. I put tweets and posts into this stream to express what I am thinking to those who I would like to hear me. When I am reading observing or learning from this stream; putting back makes me feel like a true participant. I have always thought myself an OK writer but never a good editor.

@Samjarman made me realise I shouldn't just say anything, in any form I like; when others are going to read it. The implications for me are important enough to make this post necessary.

What had Sam seen in my tweets?

 

“So there is someone reading my tweets and they want something to be there”

My thinking is that the following might be important:

• Consider literary discipline to communicate effectively within 140 chars ie tighter not looser.
• Punctuation and intonation are my friends.
• Consider what the audience will need to understand what the tweet means.
• What purpose does the tweet have beyond self expression.

I like the idea of action: “Don’t think Do” Ewan McIntosh, “Ready, Fire, Aim” Michael Fullan and “Planning is Guessing” Jason Fried @jasonfried. These ideas are about the importance of doing.

What I am seeing is that audience and peers create a standard though under which efforts and actions will quickly try to navigate, realign and improve. This is the aim part that Fullan talks about. I hope that  the firing off of Tweets has help me aim via feedback.

On the bright side
I am motivated to get better at this so feel free to follow me @davein2it

Links:
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9132410/Twitter_Tips_How_to_Write_Better_Tweets
http://smallbiztrends.com/2010/01/how-to-write-better-tweets.html

Pilgrimage to Thinking - Why do it?

Having travelled for 36 hours to attend the international conference on thinking in Belfast I have been both jet lagged and  tired. It has been a fantastic antidote to that time in the air. The first day included a group presentation led by Robert Swartz who is a leader at the National Center for Teaching Thinking.

Part of his session looked at what strategies can make thinking explicit.
One of the propositions with regard to thinking skills  was that they require a context and process in which to be placed.


Robert used a Thinking Map or organiser to look at Part Whole relationships

Determining Part-Whole
Relationships
1.  What smaller things make up the
whole?
2.  For each part, what would happen to
the whole if it were missing?
3.  What is the function of each part?


I decided to try to apply this to my own understanding as to what made up a conference such as this thinking one. My feeling was that these are powerful learning experiences and wanted to critically look at why. The tool did help me to come to the following personal viewpoint after this is a look at the process map I used. The graphic organisers and perspective tools add to the depth of thinking I think.

Relating Part to Whole

The reasons we attend conferences or professional learning is to add to existing understandings and create potentials. These experiences might provide preferred futures for ourselves our learners, schools and communities. One such opportunity is an international conference which has a particular place due to its unique features. The motion involved: travel, pilgrimage, exposure to new faces and new ideas creates an immersive environment that goes beyond the keynote and workshops. There is invigoration and determination to take as much away from this opportunity. Keynote speakers generally represent considered authority and bring together contempories to challenge each others thinking. These people set some of the big questions for the audience to consider and bring an authority and respectability to the event. The programme brings focus to the ideas and concepts concerned in a way that other learning situations are unlikely to achieve.

Part Whole Thinking

Roberts co-authored this book which maybe worth a look: ‘Infusing the teaching of Critical and Creative Thinking into Content Instruction” by Robert Swartz & Sandra Parks (The Critical Thinking Co.) It can be purchased online from The Learning Network NZ.

Reality Check Inventions

The Students have designed some inventions and spoken about the on ustream.
I was impressed by the creativity that went into ideas such as the “ultimate hair brush”,
”The Magniball wall” and the “Super Alpaca feeding station”. The ability to adapt, change and think in different ways shows that young students are able to move from designing to inventing. Well done.

It takes bit of strength to get up in front of the camera. There is a pause for about 30 seconds while one student gets up the courage to show what they invented.

 

digital citizen ideas from Derek Wenmoth

Reality Check -Inventions

After a long time of being busy helping setting up a new professional learning community I finally had a chance to work with students again. So what Am I trying to concentrate on.

• lots of opportunity for students to contribute, think, do and to create flow
• using visual material and offering some choice for students to select material
• reflection on what we have created and opportunities for students to outline where their learning is at
• looking at habits of mind as prompts for just in time learning opportunities “what habit of mind do you think could have helped you get past this point?” “taking responsible risks”
• letting student thinking and communication exist in its own right ie not all thinking needs to be reported on or commented on it can just “be”.
• integrating literacy work into just in time teaching moments with questions like “If this is going to be read by others what might we need to in terms of editing?”
• Having student share reading and retelling of others oral and written ideas

 

The investigation prompts and some outcomes are below

 

 

We are going to look at a couple of movies to find out.

 

Here are a few more links to inventions, and kid inventions; have a look.

• Kid Inventions file

• The Fun Theory file  

• What is happening to mobile phones? Resource  

• Heaps of inventions to look at. file 

• Kid inventors on Ellen Show Resource  

 

This is what 4km thought what  they did was to use typewith.me to describe everything they thought about where inventions come from and then we put them into this Wordle This is what we thought.

Where do Inventions come from? from Media team on Vimeo.

What we think about inventions and where they come from.

Motivation

Daniel Pink talks about motivational aspects in his book Drive

Motivation requires three aspects

• Real sense of purpose
• Sense of Autonomy
• Sense of potential Mastery in what they are attempting

It concerns me that sometimes we seem to focus on things we think they should know rather than what motivates them.
Dan’s talk on the subject has a lot to offer educators looking for improved student outcomes.

At the school where I work I heard some students who were working on a market day project the other day say to a teacher "I have never worked so hard before". The way the student said it was with immense pride. The project has obviously struck a chord and motivated students to learn and achieve.

Letting kids learn

“The longer you wait for the future, the shorter it will be”

ThinkExist.com Quotations. “Loesje quotes”. ThinkExist.com Quotations Online 1 Nov. 2009. 28 Dec. 2009 <http://einstein/quotes/loesje/>

I had the opportunity to work with some students who were taking part in end of year examinations. Those who finished early (and in this case most did) were given the opportunity to do something quietly. I watched as they involved themselves in a number independent activities. I took some photos on my mobile which are here in the slideshow. I reminded me of books we used to have like 100 things to make and do. I feel that this sort of activity, scaffolded and enhanced, has the ability to increase the potential of our student’s

literacy/numeracy/operacy .

Have a look at the slideshow (just eight pictures) and I will explain what I mean.

The only instruction given was that the activity had to be silent while others were working on their exams. We have looked at and developed a framework for learning at Southwell where I teach. I highlighted the values and key competencies personal learning time similar to this might support. This is about “learning to learn” and putting the learner at the center of the learning. Accepting where our students are at and providing them with the tools for self improvement but how ….

Quality Assurance
Such a strategy as this independent learning time is now possible to develop and support through the use of ICT tools. I believe the key characteristics of this might be. This is the big disclaimer

• Classroom Climate - Supportive classroom communities where learning modeled shared celebrated etc.
• Reflection/expression/evidence/collaboration portals ie social networks, eportfolios (for lack of better word), gallery spaces, video repositories etc
• Clear goal setting and articulation for learning perhaps SMART Students are asked to check off whether the goal is specific, measurable, action-oriented, reasonable and timely. This could be as simple as What is the purpose of this learning? What will represent success for me? What have I/we done so far? What do I/we plan to do next? with this information in a web environment peers and others can be used to motivate guide learners through this.
• Formative community assessment – embedded teacher,peer and whole class feedback/feedforward
• Time availability for learning to take place – this could be small pockets of time after say maths in an primary/elementary environment as we know that the brain need less intensive work in order for the neural pathways to become entrenched see syn-aps. It could also be represented in a more flexible programme where teachers facilitate learning with significant online support and individual access to personal learning.
• Exemplars, evidence – Examples of tall poppies – growing poppies and aspiring poppies give students a clear direction.
• 1 to 1 Access - to the connectivity, networks, creation tools and appropriate physical spaces and resources.

The place of personal learning can find its feet and show its evidence. I will finish with a building created in google sketch up by a year 7 students and a link to an online novel written by my son Jack (16) both examples of personal learning and endeavour.

What Kids Are Doing - check 1 -

Kids are sophisticated media producers....

if we let them

if we let them share with each other

if we give them an audience

How do we lift their level even higher?

The Dog Woke Me, The Blog called Me

It’s 2.59 and the dog has come around to the front of the house and woken me. There have been a lot of thoughts in my head about blogging its relationship to learning and now am in front of the computer putting them down.

 

A New Zealand teacher posted some pictures of students running a cross country. The purpose of this was for parents to be able to see their children and the children to see themselves online. What followed was a series of opinions criticising the use images and names and implying the teacher should not be blogging because of lack of understanding of net safety and protocol. What a post on whaleoil's blog shows in my mind the need to prepare for comment or controversy where we least expect it.

Can we just grow up in public?

We engage in blogging to change our personal or community worlds. A post is out in the global domain may  be seen as a statement even if we don’t intend it to be. A process is taking place where we are often adjusting our thinking, forming opinions and learning.

• What happens if we don’t follow protocol?
• We say something that our schools for example don’t believe in?
• What happens if we make a mistake?, Have a bad moment?
• What happens if someone takes issue with what we have to say?
• What are the risks if we are blogging at school as a classroom community?

Firstly I do not believe the greatest risks are from Stalkers or paedophiles as some would have us think. A photo and a student’s first name is a responsible risk. In New Zealand the ministry of education guidelines for inclusion of images is here. With parents permission there is no issue here.  The teacher posted some pictures of students running a cross country. The purpose of this was for parents to be able to see their children.The greatest risk I see with blogging are pedants and nitpickers.

To help survive this risk

• find out about blogging from an experienced leader, doer and thinker such as Dorothy Burt
• try to make sure our words make sense (not always a strong point of mine)
• read other class blogs and online material
• realise that our audience may not be who we think they are
• care mostly about our preferred audience (the one we want to engage)
• develop a thick skin i.e. accept that we may fail at first but that is not a bad thing
• moderate comments if it is a class blog or students
• think about the content of other online presences we may have and how they are linked eg facebook

Also realise the benefits of blogging

We can see blogging changing peoples personal worlds and creating

 

Blogging should be innately positive because it is based on choice

With so many people choosing to express themselves there seems a good match to

William Glassers model of Survival. Are we blogging for Survival? I have used this model

a few times and acknowledge Joan Dalton and David Anderson who introduced me to it.

So keep up the blogging or start if you wish to.

For Me I am looking to Work out what it means for our school as a community this term.

There are some more thoughts here in a guide to educational blogging from Microsoft.

And a more comprehensive reflection http://learningweb2.wikispaces.com/Important+considerations