Reflections on Spiralling Down Under

Linda and I are just back from ten days in Sydney and Melbourne where we had the great opportunity to work with close to 700 school leaders in eleven different sessions held in a variety of settings.  What each of these groups had in common was their interest in applying the spiral of inquiry to developing, deepening and extending the work of professional learning communities. 

In addition to learning, somewhat to our dismay, that it can be really cold in Australia in winter, we also had a chance to reflect on some key ideas that we believe can contribute to strengthening the impact of our inquiry work here at home.

Here are our current top ten:

1    The pull of curiosity can be more powerful than the push of policy.   A challenge for district, school and network leaders is to create the conditions for teachers to be professionally curious.  Intentionally and strategically asking the four key questions  - and then acting on the responses - is a starting point in building educator curiosity about what is going on for their learners.

2.   The power of giving it a go.  We learn about the potential of the spiral of inquiry to change outcomes for learners – of all ages – by giving it a go. Once we have some basic understanding of the spiral of inquiry, we get started and we learn together from our actions. The first time through gives us the opportunity to understand how the spiral works, and after that the work just gets deeper and deeper.

3.     You can start anywhere. While we teach the stages of spiral as a sequence, the reality is that you can start anywhere – as long as ultimately you pay attention to all of the stages. Your curiosity may have been piqued by some new learning experiences that you had during the summer. You may have read an article, seen a YouTube clip or attended a conference that got you thinking about your own learners. So you might go right from new learning to scanning. Or, you may have had some niggling thoughts about your own practices that you aren’t sure are as effective as they might be. You have a hunch that something may not be quite right. Time to scan and to check it out. 

4.     Mindset matters. Ever since Carol Dweck’s book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success was published in 2006 we have been encouraging all our grad students and every participant at any workshop we lead to read this book. Subsequent research studies have validated the importance of mindset in developing confident resilient learners. If you have yet to seriously explore the research on mindset, make this the year it happens.  And once you have done the reading, then make sure you develop ways to teach the importance of mindset directly to your students and to the families you serve. The evidence is simply too compelling to ignore.

5.     The meso level is where change action takes place.  In Schooling Redesigned, one of the final publications from the OECD study on Innovative Learning Environments, David Istance argued that in all the cases reviewed as part of this work, it was a rich web of networks and partnerships that lead to substantive and meaningful innovation.  The argument is no longer whether innovation is motivated from the top or from the bottom, or indeed from the middle.  Rather, it is the extent to which systems support networks and partnerships across all levels.

6.     Shared language and common frameworks build coherence.  The findings of the Learning First study on teacher professional learning in high performing systems (http://www.ncee.org/beyondpd/) emphasized the importance of teacher professional learning being inquiry-based, linked and coherent.  We believe that the more BC schools and districts are intentional about using the spiral of inquiry to change outcomes for learners, the more linked and coherent our system will become.

7.     Our goals should be hard and we need to double down.  We have been pushing towards achieving our goal of EVERY learner crossing the stage with dignity, purpose and options for close to ten years. At one point we thought achieving this goal would be a cool way to celebrate Canada’s 150^th birthday in 2017. We won’t be popping the champagne just yet as we aren’t quite there.  As an increasing number of schools and districts in BC take up this challenge – and are able to say how close they are getting to make this a reality – this may be the perfect time to pick up the pace.

8.     Aboriginal education is for everyone. We have been inspired and encouraged by the ways in which educators across BC and the Yukon are picking up their paddles, getting into the canoe, and paddling together to make the changes that are so necessary to support our Aboriginal learners. Our vision for AESN is that together we create an inquiry community where everyone learns and works together to ensure that every Aboriginal learner crosses the stage with dignity, purpose and options -  and that together we eliminate racism in schools.

9.     Keep it simple.  Sometimes it seems like the biggest challenge for us as educators is to keep things simple and focused.  If a one-page plan is good, wouldn't a ten page plan be even better? Not true.  Whether we are writing growth plans, designing rubrics, creating learning continuum or writing personal professional plans, it is too often the tendency to keep adding and adding.

      Put down the ducky. At the NOII symposium in May Helen Timperley ended her remarks with a clip from Sesame Street  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acBixR_JRuM) that made the point that when we are learning something new, we have to decide what we are going to stop doing.  What’s the ducky you are going to put down??

Ten is such a nice tidy number – and it isn’t quite enough. If we could add one more to the top ten – it would be this. Friendship Matters.  What was so special about being in Australia this time was to see new friendships being formed, to deepen friendships already in place, to create new opportunities and possibilities for collaborative work in the months and years ahead and to hear abut how much Australian visitors to BC have appreciated the warm welcome and gracious hospitality of school districts hosts.  Margaret Wheatley argued that very great change starts from very small conversations. Change happens when one friend turns to another and says, “I have an idea, what if….?”  We have seen great things happen when friends get together and take action on what really matters most. Sometimes those friendships take us on journeys we could not have anticipated.  

Network Symposium....Aussie style!

This week our colleagues in Australia are hosting their own network “symposium” of sorts, inspired by our Network event every May. David Sim (who was a presenter at this year’s NOII Symposium) and Natalie Mansour have arranged to have Judy and Linda lead a Spirals of Inquiry Masterclass for 100 Australian educators. How exciting to be rapidly expanding our inquiry network down under, as well as sharing stories of learning from BC! Check out their program for the event on Thursday – if you attended the NOII Symposium you’ll notice some neat similarities.  

Have an event you are hosting that you think our Network should know about? Contact us or send us a note on twitter so we can spread the word! 

Case Studies and More from SD 68 Nanaimo Ladysmith

As another busy school year comes to a close, the year-end case studies are starting to trickle in and we are so inspired by the stories of learning, collaboration and inquiry that schools and districts are sharing. This time of year is one of both celebration and reflection. And it is so encouraging, as we read through your stories, to be reminded of how fortunate we are here in BC to have engaged, passionate, authentic educators leading our world-class education system. Together, we are making change for ALL of our learners!

We will soon share all of the case studies on our website (and a reminder to submit these to Donna by June 30^th). But to give you a small taste of the caliber of work happening around the province, take a look at the learning around Innovation and Inquiry that took place in SD 68 Nanaimo Ladysmith over the past year. 

Thanks to Linda Baldwin – SD 68’s District Innovation and Inquiry Coordinator (how cool is that title!) – for collating the stories shared at the district’s Celebration on May 31^st and putting together this slideshow capturing the school inquiries that were shared at the Celebration.  Fairview Community School chose to create video case studies this year (also cool!). 

Linda also shared learning from the first year of the district’s Innovation and Inquiry Lead Teacher Initiative, which she coordinated on behalf of the district. This team of lead teachers engaged in a system level inquiry, coming together several times over the course of the school year, and working specifically at building capacity with collaborative inquiry as a professional learning strategy and supporting instructional leadership at the school level. This slideshow shares contributions from the Innovation and Inquiry Lead Teachers, with each providing one slide that was representative of one highlight (project, inquiry, collaboration) of their work from the school year. This truly is an innovation approach and model for building leadership and capacity. Do you think it could work in your school district? Something to consider for next year!

More stories to come soon. Enjoy the last week of school everyone!

Summer Inquiry Institute - Register by June 9th!

This is the last week to register for the Inquiry &Innovation Summer Institute at UBC is happening on July 8 – 9, 2016. The deadline for registration is June 9^th. Please see here for information about how to register as an individual or school/district team. 

This is a two-day intensive working session for teachers, principals, Aboriginal cultural workers, district leaders and others interested in making inquiry-informed and innovative practices a way of life in your school and district settings, using a practical inquiry and innovation framework. 

You will leave well prepared to make a difference to your learners by leading inquiry-based and research-informed learning in your school during the 2016-2017 school year based on:

• Applying a disciplined framework for professional inquiry
• Exploring and learning from innovation and change cases from BC, England, New Zealand, Australia, Asia and Europe
• Developing knowledge of the key learning principles that are central to innovative learning environments
• Considering the connections between social emotional learning and physical well-being
• Utilizing the research on growth mindsets to shift the culture of your school
• Understanding how inquiry-based approaches for learners of all ages can build motivation and engagement

Exemplary inquiry leaders will be joining us during the institute sessions.

Our reason for living

What a wonderful couple of weeks it has been for the Networks. There have been a number of regional celebrations over the last few days - from the Lower Mainland to Prince Rupert - school teams are sharing their inquiry learning and celebrating the purpose, passion and persistence that kept us afloat and paddling forward together over the last few months. 

We’re still brimming with energy from the success of the 2016 NOII Symposium. We are extremely grateful to those who contributed their time to the event through presentations, leading flash chats, volunteering, and being fully engaged in lively discussions over the course of 3 days, beginning with Dr. Helen Timperley’s pre-Symposium event, continuing with engaging speakers, igniters and school presentations, and then culminating with Ted Cadwallader’s metaphor of the wayfinders – as we work together to ensure that every child in BC crosses the stage with dignity, purpose and options. 

Several presentations and highlights from the Symposium have now been posted on our website here. We’ll also have video coming soon, thanks to our student videographer volunteers from North Vancouver School District.  Some shared comments are also captured below and through #noii2016. 

Thanks to speaker Kaleb Child with SD 85 Vancouver Island North for sharing so many new words and ideas with us through his presentation at the Symposium. We’re struck by the concept of Tlayu’la gaxans gwi’gwala’yu – “our reason for living” and collectively making the change for our children. This is indeed the most important journey we can embark on together, and we are so honoured to have the opportunity to share together in the passion, purpose and persistence needed to continue paddling and wayfinding together.  

FNESC/FNSA Summer Institute on First Peoples Curriculum, Aug 22-25 2016

 Registration is now open for the Summer Institute for Teachers on First Peoples Curriculum, August 22-25, at the Coast Plaza Hotel Vancouver offered by FNESC and the FNSA with support from the Vancouver Foundation.

Comprised of 4 day-long sessions, selected individually (new this year), the sessions will introduce resources that focus on themes, issues and topics of importance to First Peoples learning and informed by the First Peoples Principles of Learning. Each session will include print resources, activities and opportunities for professional dialogue and networking.

These sessions sell out very quickly! Please register early. 

SESSIONS 2016

Monday, August 22

Integrating First Peoples Content and Principles of Learning in Classrooms

This session is designed to help educators effectively integrate First Peoples content and the First Peoples Principles of Learning into classrooms.  Participants will examine the updated FNESC/FNSA Authentic First Peoples Resources for Use in Classrooms Resource Guide along with other FNESC/FNSA teacher resources and will leave the workshop with materials and strategies to help them share their learning with others in their schools or districts.

Tuesday, August 23

Residential Schools and Reconciliation Teacher Resource Guide – ELEMENTARY

This session is designed to help support elementary educators to teach about residential schools in well-informed, respectful and appropriate ways. Participants will explore the FNESC/FNSA Residential Schools and Reconciliation Teacher Resource Guide for Grade 5, which introduces students to the historical context of residential schools and the principles of reconciliation. These materials engage students with age-appropriate literature, archival documents, and video resources.

Wednesday, August 24

Residential Schools and Reconciliation Teacher Resource Guide – SECONDARY

This session is designed to help support secondary school educators teach about residential schools in a well-informed, respectful and appropriate way. Participants will be exploring the FNESC/FNSA Residential Schools and Reconciliation Teacher Resource Guides for grades 10 and 11/12, which introduce students to the historical context of residential schools and the principles of reconciliation by engaging them with a variety of archival documents, video resources, and activities.

Thursday, August 25

Science First Peoples Grades 5-9 First Peoples (Draft)

This session is designed to introduce educators to a draft copy of the new FNESC/FNSA Science First Peoples Teacher Resource Guides for grades 5-9, a resource designed to help educators incorporate First Peoples perspectives and content into science classes in authentic and respectful ways.  Participants will have the opportunity to provide feedback to guide further development of the resource.

To register and for complete details, please click here.

Spring Newsletter and more

The Spring 2016 Network Newsletter has just been released, with news about:

• Next steps for AESN
• Key initiatives for 2016/2017
• New publications – very exciting!
• International connections
• Learning opportunities

Please check it out and share it with your colleagues.

We are also very excited about the upcoming NOII Symposium on May 13 & 14, as well as all the related events. We took a chance at expanding our capacity this year to accommodate 300 participants, but even this is not enough as we now have a long wait list! It will be a tremendous few days of learning.

Please also see this great video – with Judy describing the Spirals of Inquiry. Perfect for anyone just joining the Network or intrigued to learn more.