May, 2010

Curriculum — No Comments
26
May 10

Dept Teach Meets

Having attended and presented at my first Teach Meet recently, I was surprised by the effort I put into my 7 minute presentation. Considering 2 minutes was allocated to showcasing student Xtranormal creations, I spent nearly 4 hours on the presentation. Meantime I am also ‘promoting’ Teach Meet Moodle, Dan Humpherson ideas, that has now with a venue and date (Heythrop College, Saturday 3rd July). You might tell, I like the modus operadi of teach meets. (Did I lose you on the term teach meet?)

There is passion behind these events but also structure. A freedom to share what is important to you, the educator but a focus on the pedagogy. Could departmental meetings adopt this method? Could colleagues be given the task to present a 7 minute topic and invest both in themselves and the dept?

Popularity: 3% [?]

Digital Learning / ICT — No Comments
25
May 10

Wonderful Problems

4. How do (or would) you respond to someone who says ‘The kids know more about technology than I do. How do I handle this?’

I’d say that’s a wonderful problem to have.  The key to remember here is that just because one knows how to use a application, program or piece of hardware, doesn’t mean they know how to do so effectively…..  Educators don’t need to have more technical skills than the students.  They need to be able to guide them into effective usage of those skills. (Steve Dembo)

If you have time, Dangerously Irrelevant is a good read. This Steve Dembo paraphrase, the highlight of this evenings reading.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Leadership / Middle Management — No Comments
25
May 10

Ofsted Reflections

First, the number of requests for IT Services unsurprisingly peaked this morning. Ian, Alan and I were all in early for an early informal meeting. The next opportunity I had to speak to both Ian and Alan was…. 3:00 before meeting Ofsted.

Reflections:

  1. Ofsted relies on evidence, what can be proven, what was. Projects, even with very strong evidence securing that projection held little value.
  2. Teaching, differentiation was a clear focus and not merely of tasks set but in aims, objectives. A recurring theme in my recent PLN conversation.
  3. ‘The bar has been raised.’

So, day two offers our school the opportunity to showcase itself, lets hope its in the right light, differentiated light.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Curriculum / Management / Reflections — No Comments
24
May 10

Becta or Ofsted?

Who gets my attention this evening? Reading about the demise of Becta or preparing for Ofsted? The immediate job at hand, Ofsted inspection tomorrow, or the immediate future of iCT, Becta?

Ofsted have been expected for 3-4 weeks now but the comprehensive but manageable IT Services development has taken precedent. Why?  Our KS4 progress is on target, but it is a lofty target. We currently have 40% signed off, with more students are signing off each lesson, a much improved CVA and a strong moderators report. With experience we have now identified levels of attainment within our Onenote Worksheets (PMD), set groups now work towards target grades and have injected as much ‘creativity’ as we can, (particularly in Yr 9 unit 4, 22 and 23). Although teaching in Yr 11 is still somewhat ‘mechanical,’ this is for good reason. Students have been asked to complete 3 units in 2 years and fast paced, coursework based examinations are forced to be frugal. After college workshops and accelerated workshops in half term are proven invaluable. I am ‘expecting’ our data recording methods and data to merely satisfy Ofsted. Post Ofsted, my only concern is that are expecting students back after half-term during timetabled ICT lessons to meet that lofty target of 65%? With the aid of the new Grades Database we were able to send personalised letters to all students still working towards their qualification. Its already had an impact with a all teachers responding to parent calls / emails.

Standardisation is still a departmental topic for consideration. One for the new HOD, a HOD that can solely focus on leading the ICT team. ICT now boasts a small group of ‘Digital Leaders,’ break and lunch groups and ICT workshops. KS3 is still in development but a vastly improved curriculum to the one we inherited in 2008. Again – data recording is now available and a new broad banding of groups is proposed for this summer. Finally, in Sept 2010 we will have a fully staff ICT team for the first time, in fact an ICT surplace.

So, why the long winded narrative to outline how Hamble College got to where we are today? During this journey, BECTA have contributed only occasionally. We started on the ICT Mark but didnt complete it, we took advantage of their information services, but we were warned off Moodle. I must admit the ICT Register has been very helpful, Becta? What other projects filter down and support us? I just dont know? . I understand why Bob Harrison bemoans that government “doesn’t appear to have a clue about ICT in schools,” but I am not sure BECTA delivered either?

Who’s going to be the voice for digital technology in learning? I think there’s great danger that if you leave it to head teachers, those who are not visionary about this technology will be left behind.

Now this aspect is a concern but also an opportunity for those 4% of teachers on Twitter, sharing and supporting one another but don’t be mistaken “Good ICT practice does lead to Communities of Practice” and I speak from first hand experience. Ofsted will inspect, make a judgement and leave. Ofsted will have an impact on my professional teaching career at Hamble College. In contrast, I am not sure that Becta’s demise will have an impact, sadly.

Popularity: 3% [?]

CPD and INSET / LfM — No Comments
23
May 10

Day #3 LftM

Leading from the Middle Day 3

Each day has started with a review of the impact of Day 2 Learning and the period in between the day 2 and 3. Carole recorded the ‘Key Learning and Changed Behaviours,’ and the impact of the Team Health Check.

The focus then changed to evaluate the Leadership Focus. Without over-estimating the scope of the L4L programme (the IT strategy, incorporating the New Build, wireless, whole print facility) I sometimes feel that colleagues have the luxury of a more refined leadership focus eg cross curriculum mentoring, addressing the rewards system, supporting under-performing staff. Currently the L4L includes Year 8, 9 and 10 students, their parents / guardians, all teaching staff. IT support, finances and SLT assessment / support. Certainly the our success is impacted by many other factors, primarily funding associated with the New build and whole school initiatives such as establishing an IT budget for the school.

We covered two middle management models and one strategy. The first looking at defining the individuals following a heath check, another matrix highlighting individuals  openness to change and their experience of change. Team members fell into four categories; advocates, willing followers, resistants and blockers. A series of strategies were then outlined on how to develop ‘willing followers’ and move resistants or blockers to a favourable position. One aspect not highlighted by this model was the individual power of influence and so a second model once demonstrated that took this into account.

Finally a strategy to Problem Solving Team Building was presents. A tool used to solve the problems presented through the time structured input of a team. This was a very practical and inclusive tool that any team could adopt, one that will get transferred to my management toolbox.

  • 5 mins – problem solving
  • 10 mins – idea generation
  • 10 mins – idea selection followed by benefits vs concerns analysis of that selection
  • 5 mins – action Plan

The morning concluded with more coaching practical, with the opportunity to focus on either a) the content or b) the emotions shown. This learning opportunity demonstrated just how much information is to be processed when ‘coaching.’

Good Coaching

Listening, active listening

Recap / summarise / seek clarification

Settings – open gestures / quiet / comfortable / uninterrupted

Non-judgmental – develop a pool of effective coaching questions

Empathetic not sympathetic (avoid the transfer of ownership)

How / in what way – is often better than why

Don’t be afraid of silence, silent time is thinking time

Let the coachee talk, they may answer their own question

Stage 1 – Analysis eg What’s going well? What strengths can you build upon?

Stage 2 – Direction Setting eg What are some of the possibilities? What is do-able now? How do you think others will perceive the changes?

Stage 3 – Action Planning eg What support are you likely to need? What other considerations might there be? What is do-able next?

Finally a review of the coaching process untaken, merely underlined the value of the process but also the important of undisturbed, quality time and the setting.

Just for the record I thouht I should include a comment from my GTP mentee, at the end of a rather long email, he reflected on our weekly meeting. This week I told him I would be taking a different approach / style and that I would be interested in his view point.

Thanks again for your mentor support (I prefer it to coaching! :-) )

All that is left to complete is the 10 Minute Presentation, print 6 copies of Leadship Focus and complete Page 50 of the workbook…. plus one or two online tasks.

Popularity: 11% [?]

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