One of my resolutions for 2016 is to visit a different school every Friday afternoon and then blog about the great things I see. As a 21C committee, we have been brainstorming about different ways to share the great teaching and learning happening in our schools using technology. My resolution does two things, it helps to spread some great stories of creativity and innovation in the support of student success, and it allows me to model blogging as an effective communication, sharing tool.
Last Monday, January 18, I toured three of our High Schools with two of our Apple support people. The Apple folks wanted to get a feel for the range of implementation of 21C strategies in our High Schools so they could map out a plan to support us in moving forward. Our visits took us to Castlebrook Secondary School, Turner Fenton Secondary School and Meadowvale Secondary School. Perhaps the best part of the visits was to see three High Schools hard at working creating their 21C visions but all three schools are at different places on the continuum.
We started out our morning at Castlebrook Secondary School. Castlebrook is a relatively new secondary school whose vision upon opening was to create a 21C school. As we toured some of the classes, it was exciting to see the creative, cross-curricular projects students were engaged in and how they used technology to enhance their learning.
The first classroom we went into was a design classroom where students were given a design challenge by the teacher. The students used computers to investigate the object they were to design, they drew a sketch of their design, transferred it to the computer, finally producing their design through the use of a 3D printer. It was so interesting to see students so engaged they failed to even look up when a group of visitors entered the room.
We also visited the robotics program where the staff and students had just returned from winning another contest, and our final visit was to the broadcast program. In this program, students were working with their very talented teachers to create professional quality productions. The creativity being demonstrated by the students and the sophistication of the products they produced were truly exciting to see.
Our second visit was to Turner Fenton Secondary School to meet with the school's innovation committee. Turner is at a very different stage of implementation compared to Castlebrook, but the excitement of the committee and the vision they shared for the directions they would like to take moving forward, equalled the enthusiasm we saw at both of the other schools we visited. My Apple friends were able to make suggestions and offer supports to the innovation committee. Shawn Lennie, from Apple, offered to set up some visits for the committee in order to add to their understandings of 21C pedagogy.
Our final visit of the day was to Meadowvale Secondary School. I had been told Meadowvale staff were quietly working away and accomplishing amazing things. When we arrived, we were greeted by the Vice Principal of the school and her enthusiasm and energy were mirrored by all of the other staff we met that day. While the school is in the early stages of really understanding 21C pedagogy, their progress in making tech equitably accessible and providing stimulating environments for teachers and students to work in were very evident. Meadowvale wants to make sure the foundational pieces are in place to enable their work to grow.
Meadowvale has the International Business and Technology regional program in the school and the staff involved in teaching the program are very technologically proficient. Meadowvale has leveraged the talent of these teachers to provide "lunch and learns'" and other professional development opportunities to support the growth of other staff. The Vice Principal lauded the enthusiasm she has seen on staff and the high number of teachers who have availed themselves of these opportunities. Meadowvale is definitely a school on the move and I look forward to visiting again in a few months to see the progress they have made.
For my first day of visits, I was very encouraged and excited to see such wonderful things happening in our schools. My next scheduled visit is on Friday to check out some outstanding work happening in some of our kindergarten classes. I am looking forward to sharing that story and the other amazing stories I will get to see in my visits throughout the rest of this school year.
Tuesday 26 January 2016
Why shared leadership is so important when implementing a new initiative!
I recently made a decision to change the leadership of the Peel 21st Century Teaching and Learning committee. I am passionate and committed to moving the 21st Century T&L agenda forward but that passion needs to be shared by the System as a whole.
I want 21C to land. I truly believe it is the change that needs to happen in our schools to re-culture teaching and learning. In five years I want to be able to walk into any classroom in the Peel Board and see the principles of 21C alive and well. I, though, am not a classroom practitioner. I am not a school Principal but I am a System Leader with a responsibility to create a shared vision in support of the 21st C journey. To ensure the sustainability of the vision and initiative, I have passed the chair of the committee to 2 Principals and 1 Vice Principal who are as committed, if not more committed, to the 21st C vision.
To keep the vision alive and to maintain momentum, the impetus needs to reside with Principals and teachers. There has to be collective commitment and a shared belief that 21C is the way of the future. The committee continues to grow and every meeting new people join and swell our ranks. The committee is now made up of teachers, IT/RTs, Principals, Vice Principals, members from our LTSS department, Superintendents of Education and Business. Membership is open and all are welcome. In the meetings voices have equal weight. By sharing the leadership, sharing voice and building a shared vision with collaborative decision making, I believe our "blue sky" dreams will become reality.
In order to ensure succession planning, the move to share the leadership and put it where it belongs, in the field, is the right thing to do. The last thing I need to work on is to rein in my passionate comments and allow the vision to unfold based on the guidance of the new leadership. It is hard but for a change this immense it needs to be owned by the grass roots.
I want 21C to land. I truly believe it is the change that needs to happen in our schools to re-culture teaching and learning. In five years I want to be able to walk into any classroom in the Peel Board and see the principles of 21C alive and well. I, though, am not a classroom practitioner. I am not a school Principal but I am a System Leader with a responsibility to create a shared vision in support of the 21st C journey. To ensure the sustainability of the vision and initiative, I have passed the chair of the committee to 2 Principals and 1 Vice Principal who are as committed, if not more committed, to the 21st C vision.
To keep the vision alive and to maintain momentum, the impetus needs to reside with Principals and teachers. There has to be collective commitment and a shared belief that 21C is the way of the future. The committee continues to grow and every meeting new people join and swell our ranks. The committee is now made up of teachers, IT/RTs, Principals, Vice Principals, members from our LTSS department, Superintendents of Education and Business. Membership is open and all are welcome. In the meetings voices have equal weight. By sharing the leadership, sharing voice and building a shared vision with collaborative decision making, I believe our "blue sky" dreams will become reality.
In order to ensure succession planning, the move to share the leadership and put it where it belongs, in the field, is the right thing to do. The last thing I need to work on is to rein in my passionate comments and allow the vision to unfold based on the guidance of the new leadership. It is hard but for a change this immense it needs to be owned by the grass roots.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)