Scottish News

Posted on June 18, 2008 by mwalker

This week we have been fortunate to host Doug from Scotland. Readers of my blog will recognise Doug as Don Ledingham’s son. Apart from learning about Don as a dad, former head teacher, current acting director of education in East Lothiam and the builder of the “bus shelter” its been a wonderful opportunity to make a new friend and show case some of Victoria’s wonders. We were at the Carlton Collingwood clash at the “G” along with 80,000 others on the weekend and have visited places like Erskine Falls outside Lorne [pictured below].  Doug heads back to Scotland soon to start University [Scottish Universities provide free tuition unlike Australia].  

 

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Spencer at Elsternwick Primary

Posted on June 13, 2008 by mwalker

I first met Spencer in Toronto last year whilst visiting some schools. His mother Kathy is a superintendent of a family of schools in Toronto and is visiting in July of this year. Spencer, over a beer at a jazz club, expressed an interest in completing his teaching degree out in Australia. There were a few emails over the following months and twelve months later here he is completing a voluntary teaching round at Elsternwick Primary. Spencer, who is at Latrobe University is working in both the prep and senior levels of the school. When they say its a small world they really do mean it.

PS He chose the “right” team to follow in Aussie Rules as well – the baby blues as they are colloquially known as.   

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“Great players are not just great athletes, they also have great fundamentals,”

Posted on June 13, 2008 by mwalker

I was sent an article about a famous european basketball coach Ettora Messina which I think has some messages for all young sports people who are in our schools. I don’t know about what other teachers who are coaches are finding but I have lots of youth who watch CNN or Fox Sports and think they can just play like the stars on TV and won’t be told about the fundamentals – we already know this?????  Well here is a message….

Like a true coach, he tried to get the prospects to understand how important it is for young players to listen to instructions and immediately internalize them, so they would not have to be told the same things over and over again.

He finished up with a stern warning that prospects of every nationality should hear and internalize-“This is an extremely important time in your career right now…Your coaches will tell you things once, twice, and then the third time, if it keeps going in one ear and out the other, they will give up. You are like Angelina Jolie right now, everyone wants you, and everyone wants to help you get better, but if you don’t listen and won’t continue to work on your game, after a few years, they will find someone else. They won’t send you flowers, and they won’t call you.” It’s extremely important for players to hear this from someone like Messina, as they very rarely realize how quickly the hype around them will die down if they don’t improve on their weaknesses.

 

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Test scores not the total answer

Posted on June 11, 2008 by mwalker

Thanks to Warrick Wynne I found this, what I call a protest clip on testing that makes an even stronger point on the need for deeper learning, feedback and challenge loops, the value of arts and the need to challenge any report or system that has test scores as the only basis for identifying either student or school as under performing.

Posted in Assessment, Leadership, Teaching, Video Clips | 1 Comment

High Stakes Testing

Posted on June 11, 2008 by mwalker

I was prompted to do some research around what some call high stakes testing after a discussion at a leadership meeting recently where we discussed in my opinion the low value of testing unless the student got feedback on what to improve next and the teacher on the next learning challenge to present to students. It’s a challenge and feedback loop that research points to as the most effective way to improve student outcomes. Readers might remember my posts on the use of protocols to examine student work [which could but is not limited to test results] to gather data for the feedback – challenge loop

My research led me to the UK site that list the 500 most successful schools based on test results. The results don’t indicate starting levels of students just end results so its difficult to know whether students are in a challenge and feedback loop [read high instructional levels of teachers] or whether the initial academic entry of students was already high. Sure enough lots of schools on the list were select entry schools [read high academic entry levels].

I suppose what was even more galling was a report that state grammar school heads [public grammar schools were generally listed in the 500 successful schools] were now going to be given the responsibility to form a trust to improve the “failing secondary schools” in their area. The document to be entered to the UK Parliament is called The Extra Mile.

So it’s not enough to simply select the higher achieving students from the secondary schools to attend public grammar schools you then compare test scores of these same schools regardless of entry levels, call the secondary school the poorer performing schools based on the test scores and then send in the head of the grammar school school to fix the failing schools academic problem.  

Surely one must check that the grammar schools in question have the high levels of instructional capacity in its teachers to model more effective practise [read feedback and challenge loop] rather than just test scores.

Why have I gone on about the UK?  Well the new industrial agreement being proposedfor teachers and principals has executive principals [yet to be defined] being sent to under performing schools [yet to have criteria for under performing indentified – read test scores on state wide test] to fix the problem – sound a little familar?   

Perhaps this clip after all has something to say about tests.  

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A Harvard Poem

Posted on June 8, 2008 by mwalker

I was clearing out my inbox over the weekend and found this poem by Lynette which brought many fond memories of Harvard in 2007 and thought I would share it.

The Principals’ Institute – July, 2007
It all began on July 12, 2007 when we arrived and were greeted by Mary Grassa O’Neill
She informed us of our norms and everyone knew that being at Harvard was indeed a BIG deal!
Milli Pierce then shared the purposes of schooling and how we must establish a sense of urgency.
Lee Teitel encouraged us to move from isolation to working together and thinking more adaptively.
We broke into our groups and reflected, and that was a breeze
And little did we know our perceptions would change the next day as we STRETCHED and climbed trees!         Yes, Project Adventure was really a hit!
Then we returned on Saturday to understand the importance of making sure all of our children “fit”
Norman Kunc encouraged all of us to ensure, at our schools, everyone feels like they belong.
Then John Collins stormed in with his energy to make sure kids’ writing “counts” and becomes strong.
Malachi Pancoast gave us great news on Sunday.
Now, we are all ready to go back to our schools and CLEAN OUR OFFICE in every way!
We are now going to have more time in the classrooms and even a personal life
And we learned that cleaning out the clutter is a great way to lessen our strife.
Barry Jentz moved about strategically on stage as he encouraged us to be more reflective
I’m sure next time we must correct a colleague, we will give good data and listen, or at least we can have a good laugh, just as “Frank” did.
On Tuesday Jim Honan encouraged us to be diligent, do right and use ingenuity,
As we studied and discussed LBUSD and the imprint their work has on you and me.
Jeff Howard encouraged us to achieve the Mission of Proficiency for all our kids
By first believing they can achieve no matter how poor, dark, or sheltered a child is.
Richard Elmore made us think deeper about our instructional cultures.
He gave us great tips on coherence so that our staff will soar like eagles rather than swoop down like vultures.
Irma Tyler-Wood then followed his lead
As we learned who we need to influence and persuade to do our jobs effectively.
She spoke so much about inner work and negotiation –
From Kitty Boles, we learned the importance of Rounds, Lesson Study, and Action Research and how each of these will improve the practices of education.
Kurt Fischer stepped in during lunch in a snap,
And he dispelled the many brain myths we learned from way back.
We must continue to plasticize our staff’s, students’ and our minds
As we stretch their and our thinking and make meaning, time after time.
Kim Marshall encouraged us to shift the conversation to results and provide assessments via interim and dipstick,
While making sure our plan of action is comprehensive.
Finally, we heard what Roland Barth shared
And now as we share our stories and listen to others, we’ll show that we truly care.
Throughout the sessions we laughed and had fun
As we intently listened and participated to help make our schools #1
We ate very well during the breaks
And we truly indulged at the welcome reception, ice cream social, Fogg Museum, book talk, and the clambake.
All of this wouldn’t have been possible without each one of you…to the participants, our group leaders, Rosanne, Sherese, and of course Mary who summarized each day,
We thank you, we thank you, for none of us will ever be the same!
The nine days indeed helped us prepare our schools for great change.
As each of us have gone our merry way, let’s continue to hold on to the passion that was rekindled inside
As we lead with confidence, courage, and a tenacious PRINCIPAL drive!

© Lynette N. Tannis, 7/2007 

Lynette N. Tannis, Principal
Marion P. Thomas Charter School
370 South 7th Street
Newark, NJ 07103

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Parents Be There!

Posted on June 7, 2008 by mwalker

I was reminded this week of the importance of being there in the momentwith your children when I was at my daughters netball game and a chap well dressed in a business suit sat near me and proceeded to scribble over a document. Here I was watching every move on the court, barracking when she shot a goal or got an intercept. I knew on the way home we would relive aspects of the game and be asked what was her best play and for that I had to be truly there living the moments with her.

About 8 years ago I organised a men and boys series of nights where, with the help of 2 male social workers, we explored men and parenting. Steve, one of the social workers who worked with youth, gangs and domestic violence issues, made a statement on the second night that men are increasingly spending smaller amounts of time with children which is having profound effects on them. Children are losing the role models [and dad’s love] they so desperately seek. I sought advice for myself that night and Steve’s words still ring true for me: make the most of the moments you have with your children by being there to share the joys and sadnesses and being able to talk about their lives – not yours.

I so wanted to go over to the dad wrapped up in his work and say put it away and live these moments so that you can really enjoy their lives – it makes a difference – the whistle blew, game over. Tori and I were off to the car for the debrief – a loss on the court but a great night ahead.

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Teachers ahaa moments

Posted on June 7, 2008 by mwalker

I was visiting Don Ledingham’s site this week where he had a short clip of a film that moved him as a youth to laugh and cry and perhaps inspired part of him to  become a teacher.  It got me to reflect on my youth and were there any films that had a similar inspiring effect – perhaps an oldie in 1968 “To Sir with Love”. The clip from YouTube I chose was not the end scene but rather one where he lost it and had an ahaaa moment – moments that still keep me in the job. 

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Principal’s unhappy with “deal” and stop work.

Posted on June 5, 2008 by mwalker

On Wednesday the Australian Principal’s Federation [APF] called a stop work over the proposed industrial agreement. Its the first time anyone could remember principal class officers taking industrial action as a group.

I took this image at the stop work meeting where over 400 normally conservative principals gathered to express this anger over a proposed agreement that amongst other conditions did not even keep most of their salaries up with cost of living increases [CPI index].

I have been at the top of my incremental scale for principals with this size school for over 5 years now [consequently no salary increases for performance] and with this agreement , if signed look like losing money over the next 4 years when compared to cost of living increases. I’ve been acknowledged as a high performing principal, lecture at principal networks on instructional leadership and more recently manage a major construction project as we rebuild the school for the 21st century. The only way to gain substantive pay increases is to leave my current school and seek a job as a senior education officer or a larger school or as a new executive principal in whatever is defined as an under performing school. Is this the message?

For me and my colleagues its about a sense of fairness. We are the most devolved and one of the higher performing education systems [PISA results] in the world. We are committed to improving students and the overall system performances via a new and more challenging government blueprint, a government which purports to have education as its number 1 priority.

Yet the leadership of schools is treated in disrespectful ways – what legacy are we leaving for the next generation of school leaders?    Read the newspapers column: Principals step out for pay rise

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Young Australian of the Year – Khoa Do

Posted on June 2, 2008 by mwalker

The opening keynote speaker of the conference was Khoa Do a young film maker who left Vietnam as a two year old with his parents on a fishing boat to seek a better life. His messages were simple yet powerful- life has lots of opportunities and in realising these you can often help those most in need. Khoa has been nominated for quite a few film awards both here in Australia and overseas but its the lives of those youth he met in an Open Family Youth Services Centre in Cabramatta that he draws inspiration from.

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No cup of tea leadership here please!

Posted on June 2, 2008 by mwalker

Last week at the regional principal conference I was fortunate enough to introduce one of our key note speakers, Vivane Robinson a professor from the University of Auckland. Vivane gave an insightful presentation on school leadership and student outcomes, what works and why. I was fortunate to hear Vivane in Sydney last year presenting the William Walker address on the topic at the ACEL conference.

Hearing her presentation a few keys points “sank in” so to speak: the biggest effect size [0.84] on student outcomes comes from principals engaging in teacher professional learning where we not only increase our own expertise and provide a symbolic statement of what’s important but focus on the links between what is taught and what student learn. She made the point that anything over 0.35 in effect size on outcomes was a big deal.

She also make a clear point that we as leaders need to engage a teachers theory of action into an agreed evaluation of that theory rather than bypass it to try and achieve a goal. The “cup of tea leadership”style that doesn’t do this work means kids miss out on quality instruction which, as we know from the research, is one of the main detriments of high student outcomes.

She also explored the Singapore TLLM theory: teach less learn more. That children need multiple ways to represent a concept in order to understand it: explicit instruction, inquiry and direct experiences.

Her presentation is attached: geelong-regional-conference-300508

Vivane has committed to sharing some of her work with us which I was pass on via this blog.

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Personalising learning at Bellaire Pimary School

Posted on June 1, 2008 by mwalker

Whilst attending the principal conference at Geelong this week my assistant principal and I visited Bellaire Primary School in Geelong. The picture is from the senior unit which has been remodelled so that no teacher teaches in isolation. The unit has 5 teachers for 120 students. There were several unique features which impressed us:

  • students have individual timetables where they book into specific literacy and numeracy  workshops during the week as well an independent sessions e.g writing. They have trust licences which if broken mean they work next to a teacher for a week. All students have individual blogs to update learning goals, timetables, homework requirements, read newsletters and publish work.
  • home group teachers schedule individual student conferences each week for up to 15 minutes to look at their improvement goals.
  • home group time is at the start and end of weeks with students signing in daily attendance. During home group time they look at homework tasks and attend weekly assemblies which are on Friday afternoons.  
  • The teachers office is a hive of ideas.

They have a coaching model for building teacher’s instructional capacity. The model is based on the work of Dr Neil Suggett from the UK and several teachers have travelled over to the UK for courses. They also use Dr John Ingram’s work on digital intelligence and how this can be developed through collaborative learning, peer tutoring, personalising learning linked to target setting.  Dr Ingram won a UK award for innovation and best practice.  

So whats the result of all this work: significant increase in student morale, motivation, learning confidence and school connectedness. All of which leads to improved student learning outcomes.

There is a strong parrellel with Elsternwick Primary both in like communities and student needs. Well done to the teachers and students and we aim to set up a visit for some of our teachers in the second semester this year.  

 

Posted in Geelong Conference, Leadership, Teaching, Technology | 1 Comment

Feeling the beat!

Posted on May 17, 2008 by mwalker

Last Friday I was in a lift listening to the chanting of the latest hip hop song by a group of youths. One had just downloaded the song and was telling his friends that it a nerve … I think? Translate – I think it was a great song.

I was at Victoria University to present to colleagues some understandings I’ve gained as I continue to develop a model of walkthroughs that supports my work with teachers. When Richard Elmore said “If you can’t see it the classroom its not there” he made a profound impact on my leadership practice. I needed to see the public acts of instruction teachers do in classrooms. Walkthroughs are a strategy that enables me to focus my attention on instruction and provide feedback to teams that helps us all reflect on how to strengthen our skills. 

In my presentation I refer to the work of Sir Michael Barber when he said that its only through improved instruction that we improve outcomes. It’s exciting to hear teachers talk about wanting to see their colleagues “doing instruction in their classrooms”.  The sharing of our practice, the dialogue about what to try next, the reflection of that didn’t work to well  are the positive signs of improvement.  I have posted my presentation on the walkthrough page of the blog

PS I have heard that hip hop song again this morning as I drove my son to basketball – he has just become a trainee referee  – he choose the radio station of course.

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National Literacy and Numeracy Tests: Useful information or a waste of time?

Posted on May 14, 2008 by mwalker

 

 This week students in Years 3,5,7 and 9 are completing, for the first time, national tests in literacy and numeracy, NAPLAN. Whilst this has been common place in America, England and other countries its the first time in Australia we have had the same test across Australia.

As expected the tests have drawn widespread comment in newspapers and schools: crazy and a waste of time by Melbourne pschologist Andrew Fuller and teaching to the test has its benefits by Kevin Donnelly.

Perhaps a more telling story can be drawn from the article “backdown on national school league tables“.   Common sense has prevailed at least this year as publishing league tables based on this limited set of tests would be misleading. Imagine comparing schools in higher socio- economic communities with those schools who have a large cohort of non English speaking refugees. League tables for example do not show entry skill levels and so are by and large are misleading. Schools are still expected to report on student achievement in national tests in their annual reports which, at least in Victoria, are published on the schools website. This provides parents with clear information about the results of the school and how it intends to improve its performance in the coming years.   

Most people accept that these tests do provide some data to bureaucracies and governments that enable them to better target resources to those students most in need of additional support.  

On a personal level I have spent some time with my son this week preparing him for the tests. Why? Like all parents you want your child to do the best that they can. So I printed out some samples from the VCAA website went through the language of the questions with him so that he could understand what the question was actually asking and how one might go about getting an answer. Test language is a genre in itself and in my opinion it’s the language which confuses most students not the content. 

This morning as I was distributing the NAPLAN reading test material to the coordinator, amid very tight VCE like security, we commented on the fact that we had at least spent some time teaching the students the test language and thus prepared them as well as we could. Is this teaching to the test? Some might argue differently but I would say we haven’t taught test content but rather language and skills which are transferrable and therefore useful.

Finally I know we used the previous state-wide test results along with other data [e.g. teacher assessments, online tests and reading level results] to adjust our curiculum emphasis and focus our professional learning program and I’m hopeful that these new national test will provide some useful data as well.

 

 

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Kew Primary School’s Quest to Personalise Learning

Posted on May 13, 2008 by mwalker

I recently posted this comment on an online inet conference. Like you Natalie [Natalie Nelson KEW PS Assistant Principal] we have looked at this journey to personalise learning for students as multi dimensional : enriched curriculum, professional learning, schools structures, leadership and buildings. Again like you we have formed relationships with key educators like Kath Murdoch and Anne Hammond to support teachers in classrooms strengthen their instructional capacity and teams plan a deeper and more connected thinking orientated curriculum.

Perhaps we are fortunate in a building sense as we plan to open the first of our open and more flexible learning spaces [this one for the senior year 5/6 students] in June thanks to some capital works funding. I was interested in your major learning of letting crops flower before the harvest – read patience.

I must say I have been influenced by Douglas Reeves work recently when he said and I paraphrase that everything is just words unless our few goals are supervised constantly by leadership. I would add one further comment that unless teaching is de-privatised and becomes a public act capable of being improved and worked upon with the support of coaches, colleagues and data [as is the case in some of the leading Asian countries] then the personalisation of learning for students will just be random acts in some classrooms.

We have taken another step in this personalisational of learning and de-privatising of instructional practice and as a staff learning to use protocols to examine student work. Good hunting on your journey as your spot the practices that will help your students.

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