Network Seminar May 5 2013

Check out the flyer for Inquiry, Innovation, Connections - Actions  - the 2013 Network seminar to be held May 5 at Simon Fraser Harborside.

Be prepared for an action packed day of learning with colleagues from across BC and the Yukon. In addition to highly interactive presentations, there will be a number of sessions designed to highlight innovative work taking place in BC schools. You will see and hear:

• how BC schools are incorporating Aboriginal ways of knowing  -  for all learners
• how daily physical activity is impacting learner engagement - and school culture
• the ways in which secondary schools are radically changing approaches to better meet learner needs
• why formative assessment is at the heart of a more personalized learning system - and what schools are doing to make this a way of life
• how a focus on self-regulated learning is changing the learning experiences of young and adult learners
• how schools are creating greater connections with community and strengthening links across subject areas
• the ways in which professional books clubs are shaping learning and influencing action
• how district leaders are supporting inquiry as a way of life across a number of districts
• how a discipled approach to inquiry will lead to greater quality and equity for all learners
• how we can build on the findings from the recent research studies on the Aboriginal Enhancement Schools Network and the VIU literacy initiative

We look forward to sharing with all participants news about exciting new opportunities for networking in 2013-2014.

Registration information will be out next week. Space is limited  - so please make sure to register as soon as you can.

Spirals of Inquiry - for equity and quality

Linda and I are very pleased that our latest book, Spirals of Inquiry for Quality and Equity, is now available.

For the past several years we have worked with hundreds of BC schools in with the Networks of Inquiry and Innovation, the Aboriginal Enhancement Schools Network and the Healthy Schools Network. We have become  convinced of the power of team inquiry to shift practice and deepen learning for learners of all ages. In this book we bring together what we have learned about inquiry from  an international research perspective and from local experience and case studies.

We believe that to truly meet the contemporary needs of all learners we need to weave three ways into our practice. In Spirals of Inquiry, we describe how key aspects of Indigenous ways of knowing, combined with strong practices from international research and practice evidence, and innovative practices and creativity will help us reach our goal of every learner crossing the stage with dignity, purpose and options.

The design for the inquiry framework is a result of our case study research in BC and from our collaboration with researcher Helen Timperley from the University of Auckland New Zealand. The spiral of inquiry is being used to inform the provincial Creating Results for Young Readers project as well as inquiry initiatives in a number of school districts. The book  includes a detailed description of each stage of the inquiry process along with questions to guide thinking along the way. We also provide some suggestions on how to create and sustain professional learning that will build adaptive expertise.

When we wrote Leadership Mindsets, we used stories of BC educators to illustrate many of the key points. We received a lot of feedback that the stories made the ideas come alive and we took these comments to heart. Spirals of Inquiry is filled with examples of BC educators taking risks, asking questions, and creating new and engaging forms of learning.

One of our challenges recently  has been to find ways to financially acknowledge the efforts of network schools that put themselves out by making their inquiries public, that share with colleagues within local regional networks, and that publish case studies of their experiences. We are grateful for the support the Ministry of Education was able to provide for several years. We know how important small grants are to school teams. These grants have provided support for  release time, supported meeting costs, and the purchase of relevant resources.

Last spring we approached the BCPVPA to see if they would be interested in publishing Spirals of Inquiry for a BC audience. We have long had a great relationship with Richard Williams, the editor of Adminfo and we appreciate how he has helped many BC educators share the stories of their work. Publishing a book was something different altogether. We had been working on the book for well over a year by this time and were appreciative when the Board of Directors, under the leadership of Shelley Green,  gave the go ahead for this project. The agreement with BCPVPA is that after printing expenses are covered ALL the proceeds for the sale of the books will go to supporting networked, inquiring schools - especially those serving vulnerable communities. In a way, this is our gift to the schools we have come to love.

We look forward to your response to the ideas in Spirals of Inquiry and we want to encourage a continuing dialogue.  We know that Helen Timperley will also be interested in your observations.
For information on ordering, please go to http://www.bcpvpa.bc.ca/node/107

ICSEI Day 2 - Fresh Eyes

One of the very best aspects of attending an international conference is the opportunity to gain a fresh perspective on 'home' through the lens of the experiences in different countries. Let me try to capture a little of the flavour of the work presented in three very different countries - Chile, Australia and Kenya.

The story and trajectory of educational change in Chile is important and s driven by genuine desire to improve quality and equity. Currently 39% of students attend municipal (public) schools, 7% attend privately owned schools and 54% attend publicly funded private schools. 21% of the total federal budget is spent on education  - this represents the third highest per capita spending of all OECD countries. (Canada is slightly below the OECD average). The results of Chilean students on PISA, TIMMS and PIRLS are below the OECD average BUT recently Chile has been identified as one of the most rapidly improving countries in terms of education achievement and attainment.

 During the dictatorship in Chile, privatization and choice were dominant policies. This lead to a highly stratified system with extreme gaps between the rich and the poor. Between 1990 ad 2007 Chilean education relied on the assumption that school improvement would be achieved by means of centralized programs prescribed by the Ministry of Education. Program evaluation showed that learning outcomes in disadvantaged schools could not be driven by these programs in any significant way. Legislation in 2008 created a subsidy law as a mechanism to improve quality and equity by providing additional funds to schools serving poor children. The law has four pillars:
1. To concentrate resources on the most vulnerable sector
2. A focus on learning
3. School autonomy - a focus on school teams and community engagement
4. Accountability - especially connected to the use of resources.

School participation is voluntary - but this statement might be somewhat questionable since the funding only comes with a signed agreement and, as of 2013, 98% of all public schools have signed on.

The preliminary results from the impact of the legislation are generally positive especially with regards to school culture, a focus on teaching and learning, and an increasing academic emphasis for school leaders.

What struck us most from this session was the clarity of the presentation from the Deputy Minister who outlined not only the moral imperative for action but also the specific theory of action underlying the legislation. He was also very clear about the challenges especially connected to achieving the right balance between autonomy and control and developing better quality support to build school capacity and technical expertise.

It was also great to hear the program evaluators presenting alongside the Deputy. Even as they acknowledged the significant progress that has been made, they highlighted additional challenges - including issues related to school classification, and the emphasized even more strongly the very weak state of professional development or technical assistance. In a sense this session is what ICSEI is all about - the convergence between research, policy and practice presented with honesty and clarity that creates the platform for additional thinking and responses. Next year in Indonesia, we will very much look forward to hearing more about the ways in which Chile is continuing to strive for equity and quality.

This takes us next to Australia. Currently Australia is launching a charter for professional learning through AITSL (the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership). Linda and I were part of an international team who consulted on the standards for teacher learning and the process for developing the standards was open, transparent and comprehensive. You can check out all the materials on the AITSL website and take a careful look at the standards. We'd be very interested in what you think. The presentation included a short video that is worth watching - created by the Innovation Unit in England for AITSL, it is entitled Why Great Teachers are Great Learners.

Finally, a quick trip to East Africa where Sarah Ruto, the director of UWEZO challenged all of us to think differently and deeply about using the power of citizens to create education change. Uwezo means Capability in Kiswahili and is focused on improving LEARNING in schools in Kenya, Mali, Sengal and Uganda through citizen involvement. While there has been considerable improvement in access to education in East Africa, the quality of learning, especially in public primary schools remains low. There are three pillars underlying the work of Uwezo - assessment, communication and action. Consider this - teams of volunteers go directly to the homes of students to assess them in basic numeracy and literacy. The parents get to observe the assessment (and to appreciate what their children and learning) and then the results are presented in simple, easy to understand forms. What started as a small citizen based movement is now having a huge impact. Last year over 400,000 student assessments were conducted - and more important, the media is paying attention to this work and so is the government. Never underestimate the power of a small group of committed people!  We were proud to see that one of the groups supporting Uwezo is ACCES. ACCES (African Canadian Continuing Education Society) was originally started by a retired educator from Surrey and now involved hundreds of BC teacher volunteers working to provide young Africans with the education and tools necessary to benefit themselves and their society.

Reflecting on 'home' we are struck once again by what we can learn from the varied efforts across the world to improve the lives of young people through quality education. We are proud to be from BC where we know we have some of the finest teachers in the world - and there is also much for us to do if we are really to achieve the goal of EVERY learner crossing the stage with dignity, purpose and options.   Making sure we have quality policies that will ensure every child has access to the best possible learning environment, creating shared understanding of what high quality teaching and learning looks like, supporting capacity building at al levels, and then thinking about how we can better engage our communities and citizens in understanding and supporting public education - lots for us to consider.

Just in case you were wondering, not all of ICSEI is about papers, presentations, and sessions. There are lots of opportunities for fun as the Nanaimo smiling faces show. Enough for now! Day three beckons.

ICSEI 2013 - Canadians Make a Big Contribution

Today is the first full day of the 26th International Congress of School Effectiveness and Improvement in Santiago Chile. The setting is stunning, the weather is glorious (the sunshine feels great), and the learning promises to be very rich. This is the first time that ICSEI has been held in Latin America and it is exciting to learn about the advances that are being made in Chilean education over the past ten years, Chile has been identified by the OECD as the most rapidly improving education system based on TIMSS and PIRLS - and the congress organizers also acknowledge that they have a long way to go to achieve the levels of quality and equity to which they aspire. The partnership between Canada and Chile in many education reform effort has been very important. We have been impressed with the number of Canadians in attendance and the strong contributions Canadian educators and researchers are making both in Chile - and on an international scale.

Just take a look at the program to see the number of Canadian colleagues represented!

Yesterday started with a pre-conference on leadership. Teams from across the world were asked to bring short video clips of interesting practice to stimulate discussion. Three of the short presentations weren't just from Canada, they were from BC. First Lynn Brown and Michelle Jones shared a clip about the connection between Dover Bay Secondary and a primary school in Wales. The clip featured a visiting Welsh teacher interviewing and expressing her amazement at the depth of knowledge demonstrated by Lynn's students involved in literacy inquiry projects. The second clip was from Kamloops where John Churchley introduced the delegates to the Beattie School of the Arts and the importance of an arts infused curriculum in a short and powerful piece. And finally, Linda and I shared one of the AESN clips featuring the focused inquiry work of Mike Skinner and the team at Lakes District Secondary in improving student outcomes. (This clip can be seen on the NOII website - www.noii.ca)

Last night Michel Fullan (recently recognized as a Officer of the Order of Canada) provided the keynote address. You can see a video stream of all the keynotes, including Micheal's on the ICSEI site. We  were particularly interested in hearing his description of the characteristics of effective networks. Consider these in terms of the networks you are involved in - and the ones we are so closely connected to as well:
1. Focus on student learning
2. Have effective leadership
3. Adult learning is key
4. A focus on learning and persisting with specific strategies
5. Combination of mutual allegiance (bigger sense of commitment) and collaborative competition
6. Reach outside for learning and contribute to the system you are in.

His powerpoint hasn't been posted yet but here's a recent one that includes much of the content of last night's talk.

Today started with a keynote from Marlene Scardamelia (U of T) on Knowledge Creation. Marlene's work is truly brilliant and to do justice to it in a blog post is beyond my capacity. At the very least, I hope you'll check out her website.

Since ICSEI 2009 in Vancouver, BC educators have increasingly become involved in this congress  - and are making a great contribution. Paige Fisher from VIU is now on the Board of Directors and the final session on Sunday involves Paige, MaryLynn Epps, Lynn Brown (all from Nanaimo) and Doug Livingstone from Nisga'a showing how an inquiry approach in a variety of contexts is having a significant impact on student learning. There is also a group from TRU who are attending for the first time - and making their presence known in a very positive way as well. Linda and I are also part of two international leadership symposiums - and running around like nuts trying to absorb everything we can.

In the meantime, I'll try to provide some additional highlights from the sessions. You can also follow the twitter conversation at #icsei2013

It feel great to see the impact that Canadians at all levels of the education system are having. Our work matters and is making a difference.

Reading Picks

With the rush of Christmas now over, we thought we would share some of our reading picks for the holidays and for the New Year. We'd really like to hear what you think so please leave us a comment or a suggestion or your own.
All the best for 2013!

Linda and Judy’s suggested reading list for 2013

1. Environmental Awareness/Leadership

Education for Sustainability: Becoming Naturally Smart  - Paul Clarke

We believe that every school in the province should have a farm (problem-based learning) and that the farm should be connected to the Pop-Up Farm international network. Paul’s book helps to explain why. So will his video clips from the May seminar – available for your use by September on the noii.ca website.

2. Reform of Systems

Professional Capital: Transforming Teaching in Every School - Andy Hargreaves and Michael Fullan

Strong thinking from two leading reform analyzers – an enjoyable exploration of systems and reform strategies that do and do not work.

3. Learning and Teaching

How Children Succeed: Grit Curiosity and the Hidden Power of Character  - Paul Tough

Provocative and hopeful book on how to help children develop perseverance, curiosity, optimism and self-control.

Visible Learning for Teachers John Hattie

If we want to draw on what is already known about teaching and learning,  this book is a strong summary of a huge amount of empirical research.

4. Assessment 

Active Learning through Formative Assessment  - Shirley Clarke

Lots of practical advice for learner engagement from K-12.

Clarity in the Classroom  - Michael Absolum

Especially strong on learning relationships and intentionality.

Embedded Formative Assessment  - Dylan Wiliam

Very good for teacher study groups. The core resource for AFL practices.

5. Parents/Social and Emotional Learning

Ten Mindful Minutes  - Goldie Hawn

Workable strategies for reducing stress and anxiety for family members and learners. Another easy read.

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success -  Carol S. Dweck

A book that all educators, parents, trustees and coaches and high school students should read. Clearly and without jargon, Mindset explains why we need a growth mindset to learn. Web resources are excellent too and include questions for a book study.

Seven Keys to Comprehension: How to Help Your Kids Read It and Get It!  - Susan Zimmerman and Chryse Hutchins

A useful book for parent reading clubs and for educators interested in learning more about understanding reading.

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking  - Susan Cain

Great book for understanding yourself, your family members and other educators and students in your work life. An easy read.

6. Professional Learning

Realizing the Power of Professional Learning -  Helen Timperley

Helen is the most knowledgeable international researcher about what makes professional learning a truly high impact activity for adults and for young people. She has synthesized all the studies to find what actually makes a difference to student learning. A must read for informal and formal leaders – especially professional learning committee members.

7. Inquiry

Make Just One Change: Teach Students to Ask Their Own Questions Dan Rothstein and Luz Santana

Not an easy thing to accomplish and this book can help educators learn how to do it – probably better for those who already have inquiry experience rather than complete beginners.

8. Innovative Learning Environments

The Nature of Learning: Using Research to Inspire Practice. Hanna Dumont, David Istance and Francisco Benavides

This is a succinct synthesis of the knowledge from the learning sciences – a must read reference for everyone interested in creating more innovative learning environments for young people.

Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change the World

Tony Wagner

Valuable for teachers and parents and trustees. Interesting combo of text and tech for those who like pushing the edge.

Coming Soon

Spirals of Inquiry  (2013) Linda Kaser and Judy Halbert

Published with BCPVPA. The research combined with some ‘how to’ practices for school teams committed to quality and equity for all learners and illustrated with case studies from BC schools. 

Making Successful Transitions - The Gift of Sharing

Thanks very much to Debbie Koehn, a Network leader,  for sharing this story from the Nass Valley.

This is the time of year when present opening plays an important role but gifts come in many different forms. One of the most important gifts educators can offer students is our own opening and sharing of practices.  As we grow as educators our students benefit.  The Aboriginal Enhancement Schools Network is enabling the learning and sharing of strong practices.   One great example of learning that is taking place is our understanding of the importance of transitions. 

We are learning lessons from the First Nations’ Peoples in the Nass Valley about the power of community.  Last September Gitwinksihlkw Chiefs, Matriarchs, Elders and  parents/family members presented the students to the Gitwinksihlkw Elementary School staff.  A Chief from each Tribe gave their blessing and words of wisdom, as did other respected members of the community.  The staff at Gitwinksihlkw Elementary School was honored to be part of such an important ceremony, accepting the shared role of educating and developing students’ potentials as members of the community.  This ceremony was one that demonstrated communal trust and respect for all educators and caregivers working together to help students develop skills and strategies that will help guide them through the future.

Important lessons are to be learned from this ceremony.  The Aboriginal community is helping to lead the way to understanding each individual’s personal need to feel like a valued member of the learning community. Each student is known to all the stakeholders by the end of the ceremony and should be more ready to move into a structured learning community after being acknowledged by all participants. 

Members of the Aboriginal Enhancement Schools Network will be taking this practice a step further, examining it thoughtfully so that we can emulate this wise practice when transitioning our students from grade to grade or from school to school. 

Imagine the impact on the community when the students leaving one school structure are formally presented to the new school and staff by not just their current teacher, but by caring Elders, Chiefs, caregivers and members of the Aboriginal community painting a picture with words and actions of who the student is as a person and a learner.  Students could feel ownership of a place, before even attending, knowing that the important people in their lives have come together to celebrate them as individuals. Community members could feel more at ease, knowing that students were entering a place where they already were known and knowing that the seeds of relationships had already been planted. Students and community members will have begun to develop an understanding of the new school expectations.  

If done in late Spring and early June students could have the possibility of moving back and forth between the buildings they are exiting as students and the buildings they are entering - creating a bridge of relationships between the two.  Peer learning partners could be established so that the learning community is actively interacting long before the official first day of the school year. The importance of moving through life skills (represented by educational buildings) would be acknowledged and celebrated in a traditional, dignified manner.

Although we cannot replace the meaningfully relationships built in home communities, we can begin to learn through watching, and attempting to embed in our schools the wise practices of education that take place daily in our Aboriginal communities.

                                                   Gitwinksihlkw Elementary School 

Connections and Transitions

When we started the Network in 1999, we had no idea that thirteen years later the work would be continuing. Neither of us has ever lived in a house that long let alone stuck with an initiative that has become such an important part of our lives. We occasionally wonder when it will be time to step away and say that the work is all done. From our perspective in working with schools across BC, there is still much to be done. We are encouraged by the ways in which more and more educators are embracing the goal of every learner crossing the stage with dignity, purpose and options. We are gratified by the extent to which coaching forms of assessment is becoming a way of life in many settings. And, we are deeply interested in the various ways that professional inquiry is becoming central to professional learning.

At the same time, we hear from, see and meet many educators who continue to feel isolated in their settings, where professional learning is disconnected from the needs of their learners, and who are thirsty for the kinds of connections across schools and districts that the network provides. We also know that there are still many learners who are not intellectually engaged in their learning and who feel little or no connection to their schools. To borrow from the words of Robert Frost "We have promises to keep and miles to go before we sleep." Our promise is to always provide a space for BC educators to explore powerful ideas, to interact with each other, and to make a contribution to the learning of others.

So, what does that look for the Network going into a new year? We are welcoming questions from any school in BC (or the Yukon) who wants to be part of a networked inquiry community. The template is easily accessible on the website (www.noii.ca) and while we would like to receive questions by the end of December, it is never to late to get started.  We are looking forward to the spring seminar that will be held May 5 in Vancouver - there will be lots of opportunities for interaction, for learning from other schools, and also for probing some leading edge research. Look for a flyer early in 2013 and save the date now!

Across the province, network meetings are taking place in a variety of forms. We know that face-to-face meetings are really important - and that if we use technology skillfully we can create many other ways for connections to be strengthened. The big idea is that teachers, principals and support workers have the opportunity to learn from and with each other in ways that are not constrained by geography, or role. We are also very pleased that starting early in January, there will be a research study looking at the impact of AESN in  deepening knowledge and changing outcomes connected to the goals of district enhancement agreements. We are also very pleased that we have secured funding support from two foundations. This will help us to deepen and extend the support provided to schools. We are pleased with the ways in which other initiatives, for instance the Changing Results for Young Readers and the VIU Rural Literacy projects are building on much of the work of network schools. We are looking forward to the release in February of Spirals of Inquiry and very much appreciate the partnership with BCPVPA that will direct all proceeds to network schools.

The next phase of the OECD Innovative Learning Environment project also has a direct connection to BC and to Network schools. We have been invited to be part of the international team looking at ways to sustain and extend the learning that had emerged from the international case studies on innovative learning environments. The BC network is seen as an important example of a sustained approach to innovation and we are looking forward to sharing what we learn from the workshops and deliberations that will be taking place at the International Conference on Innovative Learning Environments in January.

Our very best wishes to everyone for a relaxing an happy holiday season. May 2013 be filled with enthusiasm for learning, new connections, and the contentment that comes from knowing that our work truly does change lives.