A Vision???

It is widely accepted that for a school to be successful it needs a VISION. I do wonder how many leaders can actually explain what a vision is. How about these as explanations:

- A Vision is a disclosure of an unseen reality

- A Vision connects what can be to to what is

- A Vision is an invisible hand that guides what happens

Visions should always be an:

inscription - written

description - shows the next step

subscription - people have to buy into it

prescription - should be a solution

As leaders we are the keepers of the vision!

(See Jonathan Sprinkles for more on this)

Quality Digital Learning

The NLC report contains a list ofwhat they call 10 elements of High Quality Digital Learning:

• Student eligibility: all students are digital learners
• Student access: all students have access to high quality digital content and online courses
• Personalised learning: all students can customize their education using digital content through an approved provider
• Advancement: students progress based on demonstrated competency
• Content: Digital content, instructional materials, and online and blended learning courses are high quality
• Instruction: digital instruction and teachers are high quality
• Providers: all students have access to multiple high quality providers
• Assessment and accountability: student learning is the metric for evaluating the quality of content and instruction
• Funding: funding creates incentives for performance, options and innovation
• Delivery: infrastructure supports digital learning.

Read more: http://www.edweek.org/media/12-1-10_digital_learning_now_report.pdf

Reflection

Reflection can be a challenging endeavor. It's not something that's fostered in school - typically someone else tells you how you're doing! Principals are often so caught up in the meeting the demands of the day, that they rarely have the luxury to muse on how things went. Self-assessment is clouded by the need to meet competing demands from multiple stakeholders.

In an effort to help schools become more reflective learning environments, Peter Pappas developed this "Taxonomy of Reflection" - modeled on Bloom's approach.

How useful is this model? Please share your thoughts

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

We had the Manawatu Principals' Association One day Conference on Friday. We were joined by colleagues from Wanganui and further afield.

Some of the more interesting things that were said:

John O'Neil:

We need to be careful not to end up with a curriculum for poor kids and a curriculum for rich kids.

Gary Punler:

An efficient school vs an effective school - what is the difference and where do you sit on this?

Iain Lees Galloway:

What will the successor to the Internet be?

Perry Rush:

How do we assess to show learning and understanding outside if the core areas?

What are your thoughts on these ideas?

But are they any good??

Lots of school have started using/experimenting using the Ipad. I am all for embracing new technologies, but it will always be important to make sure that the technology will support learning.

Here is a extract from an opinion piece by an "expert":

The prognosis for iPad's use in the classroom is good, said Sandra Sutton Andrews, research director in the Applied Learning Technologies Institute at Arizona State University. "The concept is perfect for education--a lightweight computer, relatively inexpensive, capable of being used almost anywhere: in your hands, on a table, attached to a wall, built into a tabletop," she said.

Andrews's job involves investigating uses of technology in education--especially emerging technologies. She designs and conducts research, teaches university courses, and works with K-12 teachers to help assess and satisfy technology needs. One of her next anticipated projects is setting up an iPad laboratory for a deeper examination of features and benefits.

"Add to this the fact that creating apps [for iPad] is not difficult, and at that point everything changes in terms of possibilities," she said. "Educators are already finding new uses for the available free or inexpensive commercial apps and are creating new apps that teach, engage, and even collect data. What's more, the educators behind these apps are making their resources available at no cost to other educators."

Positive point:

• Good, some would call it excellent, color reproduction;
• Natural platform for e-textbooks;
• Large, 9.7-inch screen with 1,024 x 768-pixel resolution;
• 3G and WiFi for "always on" Internet access;
• Accessibility (support for closed captioning, voice over screen reader, full-screen zoom magnification, and support for nine languages, for example). (thejournal.com)

What do you think?

Creativity

Most people will agree that Creativity is one of the IN words at the moment and there tend to be consensus that Creativity is very important. Traditionally we tend to think of Creativity as something that normally gets expressed in the creation of something visual - maybe a work of art, new song, new gadget, etc. To look at creativity only from this angle can however be very limiting - especially in an educational setting.

So what does a Creative Classroom look like?

When students are being creative in the classroom they are likely to:

1. question and challenge ( Creative kids are curious and don't necessarily follow the rules)

2. make connections and see relationships (Creative kids think laterally)

3. envision what might be (Creative kids imagine, see possibilities and ask "what if"?)

4. explore ideas and options (Creative kids try alternatives and fresh approaches, keep and open mind)

5. reflect critically on ideas, actions and outcomes (The invite and use feedback and make perceptive observations)

So to find a truly creative classroom we might have to stop looking for good artwork, but instead listen and observe what is happening in the learning discussions.

(Creativity Its place in Education, W Morris)

Its here

We have been able to get 2 iPads and they are just so KEWL. Now the playing will start and we can explore how to use it as part of the technologies in our classrooms.

Once they are available in NZ we will surly get plenty more!