Schools and Communities Creating a Better Future - 5 global trends

Schools and Communities Creating a Better Future was the title of the recent learning session held here at St Joseph's school. This was facilitated by the inspiring duo - Mary Wootton and Brian Annan (links to early blogs that include them).  

Our staff sang a welcome waiata led by Paul Cartlidge and Leanne Brookes and fifty staff from the North Otago education sector (primary, secondary, RTLB & RTLit)  joined in. Special thanks to the North Otago Primary Principal's Association for sponsoring a scrumptious and well received afternoon tea. Thanks to the St Joe's Year 7 and 8 students who helped to set up for this event.

St Joe's staff lead the waiata to welcome Mary and Brian

This is an the overview of the session:

Infinity - where the learning never ends (learn more by going to the link).

Future focused learning, Learning Maps, Identifying school change priorities, Identifying student change priorities to grow agency,Engaging family/whanau in learning relationships.

Here are a few highlights of the session:

Future focused learning: Brian asked us to discuss this at our tables and to agree on one "big ticket item" of what future focused learning could look like for our learners.

He shared visuals that captured the shift away from adult controlled learning - past focused learning to student-adult negotiated learning.

Why can't 17 year olds assess themselves against a rubric of self-created standards ?

Five global trends : We need schools to shift their thinking around these global trends. Have conversations around these with learners and families and plan how we will shift into the future. We can either be forward thinking and action this ourselves or wait for it to happen. We need to step into the future with confidence. 
1.Schools to ecologies (not just classroom equals school but learning outside the boundaries of the school walls) 
2. Individuals to connected (connectedness to the outside world) 
3.Competition to collaboration (we learn and achieve more by working with each other) 
4.Passive to interactive (this has moved from active to interactive, then you are also collaborative) 
5.Needy to appreciative ( pld in the past was needs analysis, we need to take responsibility and appreciate learners and their families capabilities).

Passive to interactive - We had to place ourselves on a human continuum and share why we were in that place. We need to move towards the right end of the continuum. Brian suggested this would also be an engaging and thought provoking activity to do with students and parents.

 Continuum - passive, active, interactive teaching & learning environments

Brian explores the continuum in relation to future focussed learning and learner agency

Activate, collaborate, innovate : We discussed a visual that was divided into four quadrants with aspirations to be in the top left quadrant "innovate to improve". The greatest challenge is to become interactive around learning with families, community and the environment and change something in terms of industry and business. 
Brian and Mary's Infinity business offers support services for schools to work towards success in all four quadrants.

Infinity Learning Maps : These are a perfect place to start with our students, staff and families. They allow for open and jargon free conversations and can be used as an evaluative tool to learner agency. You can read more about a learning map workshop at the National Networking Hui on this blog.
Mary explained that learning maps offer a child's perception on their learning. Learning maps can be looked at within a certain school context for authentic purposes. They can be used to understand the current learning situation and then revisited again in a few months time. The learner can take a photo of their map and make a two minute video clip explaining it. This gives an informative picture over time around the learners and their thinking around learning. Research around learning maps by Jean Annan has proven that student, teacher, leader and parent practice make huge shifts. 
Brian and Mary are able to offer support in the form of workshops and seminars for teachers, leaders, students and families in the learning map process and in relation to addressing global trends and future focused learning.

Mary shares the power of  learning maps

Brian and Mary very kindly left me with a copy of their presentation to share. If you are interested in it, please email me -  jjackson@stjoseph.school.nz 

Are you actioning these 5 global trends? If so, how ?

Horizons of Hope: Reflections from the Catholic Education Convention

An excited team from St Joseph's Oamaru travelled via Dunedin to the triennial New Zealand Catholic Education Convention in Wellington.

As it stated on the convention website :The convention brings together Catholic educators, bishops, priests, school trustees and a range of others associated with the New Zealand Catholic education system. Our 238 Catholic schools, early childhood services and tertiary institutions have the opportunity to share experiences and learn from one another.

There are links to videos and presentation PDF's from keynote speakers on the NZ Catholic Education website.

Here is a link to the presentation Lorraine Frances-Rees and I gave entitled Authentic Catholic Leadership

Here are some reflective snippets based on my own notes taken at the convention :

Professor Theresa D'Orsa - Catholic missiologist and educational leader Australia

• Pope Francis says "I am a living mission." He proclaims the gospel very strongly by witness and symbolic action.
• We need to integrate RE. The whole curriculum needs to be harnessed with biblical and faith questions and not just focussing on RE itself. 
• It is time to intentionally rebuild our catholic education community taking everyone into account. It is part of a kingdom building project. It needs to be intentional. The more we do it, the more we rebuild faith and culture. The catholic school as Community for the Kingdom. A community can do so much more than the individuals in it.
• We need to be engaged in serious formation work. It is business of the heart. The formation of staff and leaders is of the essence for success in this new era.

The Pastoral Challenges of the Family - Cardinal John Dew, Wellington

• Cardinal John shared his synod experiences. All bishops had four minutes to address the synod. The pope asked for openness and honesty.
• The pastoral issues that face our parishes and families are significantly different to worldwide issues.
• Always look for the good aspects in people's lives and help them with pastoral challenges to move forward. 
• Although we have our own lives, we  belong to a community of Christ and have a responsibility to help others. Bring the joy of the gospel and let it fill the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus.
• Seek enlightenment, not entitlement.
• The bishops document (see image below and reference on an earlier blog here) is a living document and we need to think about it in the context of our lives and the pastoral challenges we face.

You can access a link to this document by clicking here

• Reignite faith in families through sending children's RE work home.
• Never overlook the power of prayer.

Dr Gemma Simmonds CJ - Sister of Congregation of Jesus, UK

• We need to be revolutionaries of tenderness. The pope does this really well. Jesus taught us to imitate him in gestures of humbleness and service.
• Being nice is not the same as being a follower of Christ.

This is the same quote referred to by Cardinal John and Dr Gemma as shared at our presentation Authentic Catholic Leadership. You can access more information on this link.

• Dr Gemma believed that the bishops' document is one of the best that she has read. These are robust words and a tough call.
• Where is the happiness and joy of Catholicity ?
• If we are willing to engage in the process of being makers of God in other people...then we will comes face to face with Gods longing for us...
• What our teachers model, do and say with our kids are vital. We ARE the gospel. For some the only gospel that they will read.
• We need to encourage our young people and ourselves to be open to receiving the gift - a relationship of love and worship of God in spirit and truth. 
• What does a spirit filled life look like if we are modelling it ? It's a real life, an honest to God life. God dwells in relationships. God is love and anyone who lives in love is God and God lives in them.
• Relationships...you can't learn about them in books but from the person. The catechists own heart must first be created and transformed. 
• Pope said to his cardinals, "Don't be holy but be real."
• Try and share our vision with others, wake others up to a life and faith leading to discipleship. Share the treasure of what you know with others. That will help us to be made God. 
• We are a mission in every aspect of our life and actions. We are never off duty. Our mission is part of who we are. That's what we are as educators. We are missionaries.
• Here are some thought provoking quotes that Dr Gemma shared with us -

• Our Catholic schools can reach families before they come to our schools.
• See the face of Christ in the lives of others and keep alert to the voice of Christ.

Gary Finlay - Acquiring a Catholic Worldview

• Gary has written a paper based around answering the question raised by the 2014 bishops' document NZBC The Catholic Education of the School-Aged Children. You can access the full paper by emailing him ragnif@gmail.com 
• Those around us, fewer have a Catholic background than in the past. It's hard for teachers to teach the traditional Catholic view in a society that is not modelling that anymore.
• World of communications - a global village. It is an information environment and it's influence has been neglected. We need to promote a Catholic worldview.
• We can't expect it to happen through osmosis but it needs to be identified and broken down. You can't hope that young people understand this but we need to help them.
• We teach techniques for advertising by demystifying. We need to do the same with a Catholic worldview. We need to be explicit.
• What does the Catholic graduate look like at graduation ?
• Teaching students to pray is vital and may be the only time that they will pray.

Sir Brother Patrick Lynch

• Most recently, in the 2015 New Year’s Honours, he was made a Knight Companion of the Order of Merit, for Services to Education over a 50 year period.
• We are in the faith business. The Catholic review indicators show what makes us different to our state schools. It is harder but that's the deal. We have to sustain and strengthen our Catholic brand. One of us is never as strong as all of us. We are unabashedly Catholic.
• Educational philosophy predicated on our faith is vital and should be expressed on our websites.
• Get out the integration agreement and share it with everyone.
• Globalisation. Look out for Catholic ideas from educators from around the world. Look outwards. This will happen with links on the new Catholic Portal.
• Engage immigrant families and children so that they belong. They are strong in our parish networks and strong nationwide.

• We are the face of Christ in our schools. We are witnesses to hope. We have a mission to spread Gods love and Jesus showed us how to act. Let us bring the good news of the gospel to everyone we serve. We are the adopted daughters and sons of God.

Dr Katy Novak - Teaching without barriers: Universal design for Learning (UDL)

• Dr Katy's website link
• UDL aligns with 2020 Catholic Beacon Goals. It's about teaching and learning with different dimensions.

• Always be explicit about what we are wanting to happen.
• Dinner party analogy. Plan the party differently to meet the needs of the guests dietary requirements etc. Think about your students and making sure you plan before to ensure everyone access to the learning. Make sure you don't just plan for what suits you. Our students are hungry for knowledge and we want to have food our students can eat and is nourishing for them.

•  UDL based on brain research. Differentiation is presently based on students that already have a label. UDL - everyone gets the same thing from the beginning. It empowers students and they make choices of how they best learn.

•  Reflect and assess yourself and then choose. Help our students learn how to learn.Why do they need this ? Allows them to advocate for themselves and feel better about expressing own knowledge. 
• We need to say to students: I am teaching this to you because this is ultimately what you are going to do with it. You need it for life. 
• Students have choice. They can choose the tool to write their responses with. 
• Ask the children: What's your goal ? How much do you think is challenging for you ?
• Give strategies and as much choice as possible. All the time relate it to real life. This is what you need to do to get to the next level as a learner. 

• UDL guidelines. Universal - introduce to all students every day. I am now going to provide Tier 2 targeted teaching to some students. Students make the choices. If they still need help, then offer more at intensive level. Ask them to express their knowledge and then you know that they are there. It allows the students who need the most time to get the most intense instruction.
• Students can show what they know in countless ways: poems, videos, letters, posters, etc. Give choice. Give them many options and be flexible about assessment. For example state : If you have met the standard then these 3 things will be in it and then it can be shown in anyway. Be flexible about the way it's taught and really scaffold. Break it down if they are stuck, give them the words to express themselves if they are stuck. We need our students to know themselves as learners. 

• Have them assess you frequently. We have to know ourselves as educators to be good role models. Let's talk about the grade that you got, what could I have done better that could help you do better ? What you are saying is I am weak at this. I need to model to be a learner, it is my job to help you learn. Are you engaged In this lesson? Teacher needs to be willing to work on how they teach to help students to learn.

• Value your students and their personal stories. This is the goal and this is why it is important. Does anyone have a question? This builds their character on how to be successful. Leave 15 minutes for questions and the self assessment of rubric. They go through and take time to reflect against criteria of rubric. Write for me evidence of where you show this. You look at the rubric and they match it. Students need to reflect and assess, shouldn't be just the teacher. Those who were far off need more intense feedback. Video carrying out the self assessment and you hand this in with  annotations. 
• Embed choice for assignments...response via podcast, audio recording, collaborative google doc . Turn it in.com  

Jenny, Siobhan Burke, Ann Dooley all from St Joseph's Oamaru with
Pope Francis and key note speaker Dr Gemma Simmonds

Infinite learning and change from inspirational National Networking Hui #nnh

The National Networking Hui marked the official end of the the government’s Learning and Change Networks (LCN) strategy. In true LCN style, the final hui was everything we had hoped for. Brian Annan summarised this in a final email: Thanks to you all for your openness and collaboration, a true celebration of lateral learning in NZ.  

Michael Fletcher's tweet also summed up the engaging two day hui in a nutshell.

Brian instructed everyone to take agency and make the most of the two day hui. 
I loved this comment. It was up to us to be proactive and make it work for ourselves. 

This works for anything. We can either sit back and complain that something isn't what we expected or we can actively ensure that we find value in it. It's like the half-full glass.

This blogpost is a lengthy one basically because there was so much I wanted to record and reflect on from the hui. Here is a summary of the contents of this blogpost:

Learning Session - Student Agency through Pathways 

Learning Session - Learning maps, a new evaluative tool

Links to Joanna Robson's blog accounts of nine learning sessions and key notes

Further videos and my notes to support the excellent learning session - Passion Projects Akoranga o Naenae (AON)

Final video snippets from Valerie Hannon keynote and video by Steve Cutts

Final video message from Brian Annan.

Learning Session - Sustainability the never ending story

Where to next for Whitestone Network.

Here is the link to the Hui blog  networkinghui2015.blogspot.co.nz that staff from Otahuhu Intermediate set up. It has a video of special guest speaker Valerie Hannon addressing the hui and links to presentations from participating schools.

There is an excellent video on the hui blog that captures the moving powhiri

There are also a range of comments, reflections and photos on the Twitter hash tag #NNH in relation to key notes and seminars.

Active Reflections:

Learning Session Student Agency through Pathways

Maungaraki School, Wellington from the Seaview Network. Janet Evans with students Hannah,Tasneem and Felix. This student-led presentation was one of the highlights of the two days for me. You can access the student's reflection of their time at the Hui here on their class blog. Much of the learning that is happening for these students mirrored the learning approach that we are actioning at our school this year. I loved the way that Janet introduced the presentation and the students, then let the students take the lead. The learning session content offered next steps for us to consider in our senior learning hubs.

• Inquiry based learning approach is inspired by the work of Lane Clarke. Students drive their own learning with passion projects. The format for these is based on the work of a teacher Marg D and can be found on her excellent site of teaching resources.

Found on Marg D's resource site

• The hub has 2 classrooms with 58 children and 2 teachers - "organised chaos", free to  move in the hub with 1:1 devices (chromebooks). 
• They do the Myers Briggs personality test with the students to help them understand their learning styles, what makes them tick and why they learn the way they do. 
• Targeted learners moved from 50% below standard to 25% below in writing. 
• Tasneem said ".. children need to adapt to a modern way of learning to move forward in life..". There is a break out room for independent learning and testing with a whiteboard table and outdoor space. There is a cafe in their space to warm up food and feel more comfortable. 
• Workshops are in the pathways timetable, alongside these are the passion projects. They are infinite, no limits but based around the main curriculum. Students follow their own passion and get motivated and engaged into their own learning and utilise their strengths and then publish the project for the end of term celebration. Projects are marked out of 100 reflecting high school grading system. They use not achieved, achieved, merit and excellence.
• Hannah spoke about the collaboration tracking document on google sheets. The students mark off what they have done for the week and highlight when completed. The kids also use websites for their learning. The 2015 tracking document on the drive has the set activities for week. There is a typing club with agreed word per minute expectations. 
• Everything is changing and evolving, teachers have added in levels to show compulsory and extension activities. Pathways is designed for students to never finish their work. They can continue at home. That becomes the student's homework.
• Felix explained that on Monday they fill out and plan for the whole week, first put in compulsory stuff like coding, kapahaka etc. There is an expectation that there is a certain amount of maths to be done and to be filled into the timetable. Workshops - on Friday the teachers let them know the workshops for the following week.
• They have also started student led workshops based on student's strengths. Students can go to the teacher and say they want to run a workshop (maths extension) but must come with the planning etc. 
• Students record results in google doc in their drives each term including reading and writing asttles, dates completed, passion project scores. They set goals each time they assess, kids make goals based on feedback and check these with the teachers for any modifications. 
• They have student trainees and managers. Managers can check other students wok and help them. Trainees graduate to become managers. Students will do maths in morning, literacy, mid morning and inquiry in the afternoon. If they haven't completed Level 1 'must do' then they go to sit with the teacher on a Friday to complete work while others do a game or art. Other levels are Level 2 'can do', Level 3 'extension'. Some others choose to come back and work if they want to like typing. 
• They use the Typing Club app from google to increase skill of typing 40 words minute. During the writing asTTle lots of kids chose pen and paper because they were slow at typing and so they increased the skill level to 50 words per minute and will go to 60 next term.
• They also include one leadership activity per week in their timetable. Felix shared that he went from a 3b to 5b in 4 months with this engaging hub approach to learning. Felix is now motivated to learn and has fun having choice within the hubs. There is a collaborative space and hub for independent learning. 
•  Felix mentioned that he went to the Wellington College induction evening with his dad. They spoke about the skills that the kids would leave Wellington College with - one was to be an agent for learning and the other was to be confident in ICT skills. Felix and his dad felt that he was already confident in these skills and were looking forward to a smooth transition to high school.
• This approach to teaching is also working for low ability children who struggle with being motivated including targeted children.Trainee manager students work like peer tutors. The targeted kids are still fully capable of learning to manage themselves and get motivated through choice. Kids get shoulder tapped to come to certain workshops. If you can make it work for targeted kids then it will work for all. The kids gain self-confidence and the ability to collaborate with others. 
• Felix said, "Myers Briggs helps us to understand that although we are different we all need to learn to work together, extroverts and introverts." We have a Twitter account and blog that kids can put things on. We learn about being a cybersafe citizens.
• Jackie explained that for the blogs they share their work with the teacher for quality control as they aim for excellence. It's part of their school motto. 
• Thanks to Jackie Sutherland and the students for their inspiring presentation.Here is a link to the slideshow.

Learning Session Learning Maps, a new Evaluative Tool Brian Annan and Mary Wootton Although I am already familiar with learning maps, my respect and regard for these presenters drew me to this learning session. It has made me more determined to make greater use of learning maps as an evaluative tool at school. Their value as a simple yet powerful visual record of learning and achievement can't be overlooked.

 I shared some information about this on a blog in 2014. 

 Mary explains the meaning of learning maps

Brian explains the value of learning maps

Brian and Mary explain that the maps help the learners to articulate change priorities.

Brian and Mary respond to questions about learning maps.

 Brian explains that all learners are capable of creating learning maps.

Brian explains what could happen if learning maps become interactive and social.

• Ask the learner to describe their map and capture this in a two minute video. It's in kid speak and is a true snapshot in time
• Learning Maps can reflect something in their learning that they are finding tricky. Link it to one academic subject, for example, maths or writing.
• Research carried out by Jean Annan is showing how fast learning and change can happen and that it can be captured through learning maps and videos. One group of children moved from below to at and above in three months.
• Learning maps are a modern day tool that move away from traditional evaluation modes.
• Learning maps can be scanned and stored with the videos.
• Brian and Mary are available to run learning map sessions with students, parents and teachers through Infinity - where learning never ends This video is taken from the Infinity Website and captures the essence of learning maps for students, staff and parents to understand

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Joanne Robson's blog empowerednz.blogspot.co.nz.

I was fortunate to see @Joanne Robson in action, live blogging on seminars and workshops that she attended and recording them on her engaging blog empowerednz.blogspot.co.nz. Joanne captured succinctly the essence of learning sessions and published them immediately. This is an awesome skill. Thanks to Joanna, I have provided links to her work below: 

Building Leadership Capacity and Commitment -Tasman School Nelson, Moutere Hills Network

Learning through Different Eyes - Sharlene Carki, Weston, Whitestone Network Oamaru. Sharlene's presentation was based on her work as part of her sabbatical with targeted learners at Weston school. It was very well received.

Science isn't just a Subject -Dr Michelle Dickinson (Nanogirl)

TELL ME I forget, TEACH ME I may remember, INVOLVE ME and I LEARN Waikowhai Intermediate 

A collaborative, informal learning session Part One: LCN and Personalised Learning 
Murrays Bay Intermediate

Passion Projects - Akoranga o Naenae - Kelly Layton, Clare and Natasha

My additional notes: This presentation was another one of the highlights for me. The fact that three teachers from different schools across their network came together with forty-five targeted learners every Friday over a fifteen week period and focussed on active learning traits was inspiring.These videos are snippets from this excellent presentation:

   

Active learning and passion projects

Kelly explains the challenges experienced with AON.

                                      Measurement tools to assess deep learning

Networking opportunities and outcomes from AON

Introducing Global Trends - Valerie Hannon

Learning and Change: to what end? Refreshing our mission - Valerie Hannon

                           Four levels of learning challenge for us as educators.

Valerie Hannon shared this video by Steve Cutts. It looks at man's relationship with the natural world. It brought home the important role that we as educators must play in changing attitudes to caring for the environment. This fits very closely with the message from Pope Francis in his encyclical letter entitled Laudati Si - Care for our common home

Valerie's deep and powerful conclusion


Brian's final words. Where to next ?

Learning Session - Sustainability. The never ending story.

I would like to thank Nicky Ryan my fellow presenter for this session. Together we presented a session based on our work as part of the Whitestone Network. It was empowering to present from a network perspective rather than a school only perspective. You can access our notes and links here. 

One of our tasks was to map out our next steps as a network. We will share our thoughts and ideas with our network and ensure we continue to keep the momentum going and drive forward for the benefit of all learners across our network of schools.

Thanks to Sharlene Carki for her valued input and for scribing our Whitestone map.

This was an invaluable two days and I sincerely thank the organisers especially Leanne Smith the Sector Co-ordinator who did a stunning job. 

Finally, an extra special mention of thanks to my daughter Chantelle who is teaching in Melbourne. She flew over for a surprise catch up and joined into the hui.