What is your schools priority ?

I'm getting a bit sick of meeting teachers and principals who are focussing on the national standards. I can read Nag 2. We know what is expected. I recently met with my friends at Learning Network who said that the meetings and information stuff about National Standards have had huge attendance. The scary thing is that 90% of schools are making national standards their PD. Wake up you plonkers, show me your local curriculum, show me what you are doing with the NZC, show your communities how creative and hard working you are, show your kids the innovation and creativity you have as teachers.
What are people thinking making an election slogan their professional development emphasis??
Schools need to look at their values and make sure their priorities aren't compromised by competition and perceived success.
People need to get their priorities straight and a good start would be real Professional Development, not some made up rubbish from the peddlers who have sold their soul to the Ministers wallet.

NZConnectED

Follow Learning Network on twitter, retweet the NZConnectED conference, we owe it to the kids/classrooms of NZ who will soon be inundated with seen texts at 90%.

Tony Ryan: 'Zest practice' in the key competencies
The key competencies are not merely a slight reworking of curriculum documentation. They are a framework and an inquiry-based exploration for a life fully lived. This keynote will clarify the innovative nature of 'Zest Practice' for the key competencies in everyday classrooms.
Tony will also deliver the conference closing: "Now What?"

Julia Atkin: Picking up the gauntlet - doing justice to the spirit of the NZC
The NZ Curriculum has been warmly welcomed by NZ educators, but the apparent freedom if offers comes with significant responsibilities. What are these responsibilities and what are the key elements of the development and review process that will ensure your school does justice to the spirit of the NZ Curriculum?

Graham Watts: The class of 2023
In 2023 the children starting school this year will leave school. What is the future of teaching? How are we going about preparing our youngsters for unknown jobs and a future that is ever-changing? We need to develop the skilful thinkers with transferable learning skills.

1 in 5

Ando truly nailed the 1 in 5 nonsense being brandished about by the minister, but what is the reality of a bell curve, what does it actually mean.

To me you can look at it from another viewpoint. A bell curve indicates that there is always someone struggling or failing. So I ask the question, is it me or you? It isn't plausible that we are so far down in the intelligence scale that we are failing because of intellect. BUT it is probable that teachers/principals are failing in the actual skills and delivery to work in the classroom and staffroom. I reckon 1 in 10 might be a decent guesstimate. Look around your colleagues the next time you meet, 1 in ten eh? But before pre judging anyone look at yourself.

I found the last four days at Masterclass Paramatta one of the best reflective opportunities. It had nothing to do with the format, more the people, surroundings and time. I was able to look at my own performance and realize that confidence can lead to a false sense of accomplishment and a dip in knowledge. When you are totally confident in where you are going without always looking to improve and learn more you can build up a false sense of achievement.

When you apply this to teachers think about the things you don't know, think about your blindspot in the Johari window. What do others know about you that you don't know? What do you know about your performance that no one else knows?

Sometimes this is the wake up call you need to give yourself. I'm not talking about those rubbish teachers, or those who destroy your school culture (they have to go) I'm talking about good people just looking to keep pressing the envelope.

Pull out the Johari window, trial it with your friends, look from another person point of view, it works.

Essential skills for the classroom or a wish list?

10% of the 21st century is over, stop talking about 21st century learners and become a 21st century teacher before you get passed by. There are a few items on the list which are arguable but you cant deny its got to the stage that we need to shift NOW. Time for action not talk. Thanks manaiakalani for some help with the list.

create online materials using digital audio
find and evaluate authentic web based content
create and edit digital audio for the classroom
exploit digital images for the creation of web based learning materials / classroom use
create / collaborate on online media sharing channel (on YouTube / Teacher Tube etc)
create screen capture videos for students training
understand issues related to copyright and fair use of online materials
use browser plugins to enhance student learning
aid students in the use of a range of digital tools to help them goal set, plan and organise their learning
exploit webcams for teaching and learning / for student projects e
exploit social media for your own professional development
use a range of digital tools for time management planning and administrative purposes
use asynchronous collaborative tools for text constructions and editing
identify online resources that may pose a threat to our students e-security
exploit digital narrative for learning purposes
support students in the development of an e-portfolio
exploit blogging to achieve pedagogical aims
create digital narrative
utilize social bookmarking to share resources with and between learners
exploit 3D and 2D interactive computer games for learning purposes
exploit web based content for classroom learning
create a blog or website
check an email account regularly and manage it efficiently
use a computer / laptop and trouble shoot basic functions : on/off, connect to printer / internet
participate in online environments eg blogs or forums or Nings or Trademe or Facebook etc
independently operate, still and video cameras
administer a student blog : upload content, manage commenting, manage student use edit online pages e.g blog or Google sites use Google Apps - personally and with students a graphics programme for your level of students (e.g Kidpix, Hyperstudio, Pixelmator, Photoshop)
create a basic presentation eg Keynote or Google or Prezi or Powerpoint saving files in a variety of file formats (e.g .mov,.dv, .jpg, .aiff, .doc etc)
operate effectively you school student management system
create / interact with a wiki for collaborative learning with students
create and edit digital images / digital video
exploit web based content for autonomous student learning

Cops drop the ball

In South Africa at the height of apartheid black were pulled over harassed, followed, beaten and worse. The world didn't like what was going on and we were all aghast of the brutality of our fellow man. While on holiday we all watched "walk to freedom" which was an inspiring story of Rosa Parks. Little Podgorani and her schoolie mate asked a thousand questions and were horrified with so many of the little things that black america suffered, and some probably still are. What annoys me is the same stuff happens in NZ all the time but just for brown NZers, stuff us pakeha are oblivious to. My mate Ves reckons he has been pulled over 20 times in three years, I think I've been pulled over 3 times in my life. He does have dreadlocks and a cool goatee, and he is one hell on a good teacher. He tells me on all the lines, excuses the cops use when they pull him over, it just happens, believe me.

OK here is my point, check this out and shake you head this is true story. My mate and his cook went to pick up their son from a short stint in a northland prison. They were looking forward to the day, counting the days. The fill the car, buy plenty of yummy food, and get to the gates at 9am sharp. Yes the dogs were there and they were doing inspections (no problems there). So also in the que of cars was about 15 other cars, mainly solo mums with 3,4,5 kids all with their parcels and stuff. These are people trying to hold their families together. So what do the police do. They have a line of police, checking warrants, registrations, diesel mileage, seat-belts, everything. They were handing out tickets/fines like lollipops. If you want a shit rap, a bad name, then carry on with this nonsense. No wonder the cops build up hatred with that sort of shit. My mate had a few harsh words for officer dibble and his comrades, he went home happy with his young man. But a string of young mums went home to an empty house and a bunch of fines they will never afford.

I suppose that it all comes down to cash, writing tickets, bringing in the bucks.

Shame, damn shame.

Good stuff done well

So while whipping through a room the other day I came across what appeared to be the retyping of stories for publishing. I saw miss whatsername struggling with finding which key was what, and with a quick eye roll I thought hmmm. What then hit me was the reality of what was being taught. Kids were creating pictures that described their writing and then re editing their stories to make the two correlate. Add to that the thinking templates that helped step out the stories, these templates included scenes, pictures and descriptions. Great teamwork discussions between kids, the teacher had carefully manipulated who was in each group, the teacher facilitating cleverly with those needing help. They were into kid pix and were faced with a few options from there. They could either print their books off or flick them out as digital books to the junior class with whom they were going to read them with.

The story is that sometimes the simple things can be done really well and can make for great learning and teaching. I remember Mr Canterbury's boost reading project, which did a similar thing and benefitted all, or aunty Dots mileage, teamwork and comprehension jaffa on itunes. The thing is its easy to forget how much fun we can have while making learning real.

School Trustees Association are they Double Dipping ?

I'm a little unsure if this is double dipping, stupidity from schools or just paranoia over National Standards.

So the podgorani has had his fair crack at the NZEI over the years and nothing has changed, but you pay your union fees or you don't. It annoys me endlessly that if I ring NZEI and say "i need help with a teacher, and you are my union, help". They say "Oh i'm their union too, ring STA". This is the big joke and we all know we need separate unions, but those NZEI fish heads cant afford to lose our fees and wouldn't be able to have endless hakas at their national conference without their "respected" principals.

But

This isn't about the NZEI this is about our friends at STA School Trustees Association. They have clearly not asked their members about the national standards and are now alongside their funding partner the National Party. At first I thought it was just a stand by a lone figurehead but the penny dropped last week. After talking with the Mike Canterbury he noted that you don't actually have to pay the STA "subscription/membership" to have the use of their services including legal and communication. STA has a contract with the Ministry of Education (insert Anne Tolley is the boss here) to provide Boards of Trustees with governance help and provide legal advice. I have over the years used this service (once) and the STA guys that assist the school were brilliant, but it is a big job and takes ages, imagine how many schools have used their services.

This is a big contract, any chance STA are now puppets for their bosses? Their behavior suggests something is going on. They certainly haven't listened to their members. Then they wrote to Boards of Trustees about sacking BOTs who don't follow the standards, but they didn't write to all members of the boards (ratty smelly). This was a hot headed reaction to pressure. Who might have been behind this letter (insert all people who want the standards who are hot headed and have some power to do something)?

This is all a shambles, don't blame me for jumping to conclusions, this is what happens when the internet bites back at the Govts ownership of the mainstream media and when our only representatives (NZEI bus tour joke, NZPF's read our website for our press release campaign) drop the ball like the Highlanders on a south african tour.

If you want to make a stand, talk with your BOT review your subscription/membership - you already are a member, I rang the STA and checked the facts, their help desk was very helpful.

Might save your school $1000, fiscal responsibility, at least one National MP, Bill English would praise your accounting prudence in these tough times.

Please, before getting angry, note that while I type i am usually laughing, and if you saw what I edit out of each post you'd be shocked. If you cant take a joke don't read, if you don't have a SOH don't read, but there is usually a message in there for someone.

Cooliris Photo Wall