December, 2009

Digital Learning — 2 Comments
23
Dec 09

DFSI

DFSI? Simply,

Dashboards for School Improvement is a new service which provides tailored assessment intelligence capabilities to schools, through the construction and implementation of bespoke dashboard solutions. These interactive dashboards can be linked to live assessment data, providing up to the minute information about student performance. Dashboards can help schools to focus on key metrics, such as examination performance or CVA, and will enable them to present this information to teachers, parents and students in a variety of attractive and interactive ways.

So now you know. It is the final week and we are not winding down (in fact it took me a whole week before I had time to post this review). DSFI have been developing a product to display customised whole school KPI (Key Performance Indicators) in dashboard form. Dashboard and KPI are common parleance for industry and may well become so for schools, but as yet fairly new to schools.

We discussed the product at length at the SSAT09 conference; customisation, the tie into active directory, parental reporting, ‘what-if’ analyses, security, filtering of displays, remote access and staff training – and possibly a few more. With confidence in both the product and the team behind it, I was keen to showcase this product with our Leadership team, governors and Sims personnel. Arranging an onsite presentation was simple enough but you can review the product for yourself at the demonstration website (Login: dfsi and Password: dfsi).

At this meeting our Sims manager was suitably impressed and our governor endorsed this type of KPI tracking as common place within industry. Overall, a positive response to what I see as a potent tool for data driven education. I am very pleased to say that the product was well received, and given the time, I will write a rational for investing in this product that has both a startup and annual fee. We hope to work closely in the development and application of dashboards within school with DSFI and aim to offer a showcase event in 2010. I hope to post again later in the year following the introduction of the dashboard product.

Perhaps I have not given dashboards sufficient praise, so again, try it out fully for yourself on the demonstration website (Login: dfsi and Password: dfsi). Remember, the dashboard is fully customisable and built for schools and your schools agenda.

Popularity: 3% [?]

ICT — No Comments
23
Dec 09

Forgotten Forms

AFL Radio Buttons and Drop Downs – the forgotten forms – and the time to write a post!

The much maligned ‘Assessment for Learning.’ Every student is expected to reflect on their learning and take responsibility for the quality of their work within out Department. To increase learner responsibility with 16-19 years was challenging, but with 14-16 its taken even longer for the learners to see its value. Every piece of work our students submit comes with a simple, but effective front sheet. Students have to tick/check boxes that the work has been reviewed and it is their own work. With Moodle, we have good intentions to extend AFL to offer more options with submissions but we are not there yet although the feedback module is installed and at the ready.

Inherent in almost all the OCR National units is testing or seeking feedback, (see unit 7, 4, 22, for example). We have used a range of webware tools to upload and share student work (authorstream / voicethread), and we have polled students on their opinions / enjoyment and teaching-learning experience via Google Doc Forms. We really like the Google Forms, but we were looking for a quick and easy tool for ‘testing or seeking feedback’ so we looked at radio buttons and drop downs within WORD 2003. Both worked well and were easy to construct with a little help from the help tool (press F1). I have created a basic form and learnt how to add radio buttons and group them (taking longer than both Moodle Feedback and Google Forms). Now I need your help, when I open the aforementioned Word Doc/form, the form always opens in the design view. Does anyone know how to get the form to open ready to be used?

Second, its Christmas and a time for sharing. We are also developing a grades database with Unitary/modular grades, colour coding target setting and a student/parent conference display for parents evening. You are more than welcome to share and review this homebrew product, as long as you acknowledge the designer/author, my colleague Andrew Sangster. Drop me email if you want to review it.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Digital Learning / e-Tools — No Comments
16
Dec 09

Best of…

Half way into December, the best of 2009 articles are already regular titles in the RSS reader. Best free apps, best platforms, biggest failures, you know the drill. I think reviewing these documents often throws up stories, apps and tools you may have looked at, forgotten or simply passed you by. These somewhat annoying articles might just throw up a gem.

Popularity: unranked [?]

e-Tools / Reflections — No Comments
15
Dec 09

Only 888 Remains

I can remeber video and I kind of remember 8 tracks I played on a quiz robot. Technology moves at a pace, but today teletext annouced its was closing as of December 18th (with the exception of subtitles on 888). Content has migrated and the service, completely ad supported, is no longer ‘viable.’ I wonder if our students use teletext? 301 for sport headlines, 606 for whats on now and next? I doubt it, where would you post your status?

Popularity: 1% [?]

CPD and INSET / LfM / Middle Management / Reflections — No Comments
15
Dec 09

LFtm Development Day

9:30am Our first Leading from the Middle Development Day.

Another welcoming start to the day, if a little tight for space. The opening discussions on protocols led to a sharing of our perspectives for the course, withand between delegates. Not an atypical start to a course however my frustrations was that a significant amount of time was allocated to professional themes.

‘As middle leaders subscribed to LFtM are we not lead professionals? I would like to think that we were aware that we should show trust, discretion, professionalism, honesty, that we were expected to participate and mediate constructive criticism of ourselves and of one another….’

I made these notes following the length 55 minute development day opening. By the end of the course and considering the confidentiality of some of the topics discussed during the day, it was important, if a little long winded.

Next, Boyatism – International Change Model was reviewed next and this was set in against a diaognostic model we had completed at teh start of the course. Now, I have to admit that the diagnostic model provided valuable feedback for me personally, but I am finding this review a little turgid. More on leadership and here we are being reminded that leadership change is not automatic, that change needs action, monitoring and reflection. This early into the experience, perhaps I should be more open minded and take more care listening to the conversation. Break….

How do we learn leadership.

Without question the main contribution to the delegates (and my own learning) was modeling positive leadership behaviour in others they have worked with. The needs around our table highlighted that the opportunity to learn / lead actions implemented to address ‘the really difficult, under-performing or inappropriate professional behaviour, were rarely offered. It was conceded, that the nature of these leadership opportunities / situtations made it almost impossible to experience. As a consequent, the most challenging leadership/professional situations may become sink of swim situations later on in our careers. Where / when do we learn these skills?

Time was given over to reviewing the diagnostic feedback we had received, but as I had already done (and posted) this. A little frustrating, I used the time to catchup on other duties / reading and so forth. Making notes about the expereince to date that you are reading here. In the lead up to lunch we review changed models, Moharry model and how you extend the influence the public / open content about you and your leadership. An interesting concept but perhaps more applicable to dispersing a leadership teams ‘public content’ than to that of an individual, IMHO.

The afternoon sessions focused on ‘Coaching.’ However, our triad were distracted and discussed the relevancy of coaching to our positions / role. Most importantly our conversation focused on whether you can coach or be coached when the roles are not disparate. We were still undecided despite encouragement to see coaching as a leadership tool. One interesting point I drew from a colleague’s response was that if we are to encourage coaching, should the coach be an external role, an employee not directly employee by the school but perhaps the county? If given an external coach, would colleagues be more open and the outcomes monitored more appropriately/skillfully? In truth, coaching in such a small team is a challenge, but to support coaching between colleagues may be an option. Given the time I might post and extend this conversation in the course forum.

To end, a number of tasks were set and some online expectations. Finally, identifying the coaching sessions with my coach at Hamble College, dates for Day 2. Thats a wrap for Development Day 1. Overall, 5/10. I enjoyed the peer conversation, unsure about the structure/content of the day especially as I had given up personal time to review the diagnostic model, that was then given to us on the day.

(I forgot to publish this post, so back dated it sorry).

Popularity: 2% [?]

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