Self Regulated Learning - UBC Summer Institute June 21

There were many highlights from the Network seminar on May 5 and very soon we will be posting video clips and the powerpoint presentations for all to experience. One of the key presentations was from Nancy Perry and Deborah Butler at UBC on self-regulated learning. We are so fortunate  to have some of the leading world experts right here in BC and we very much appreciate the generosity of Nancy and Deb is sharing their wisdom and expertise with all of us.

On June 21, they will be hosting a summer institute at UBC - Connecting Self Regulation to Learning in Schools. Please check out this opportunity.

Network Goes Global

In January Linda and I attended ICSEI in Santiago, Chile. While we were there we heard from April Lowe, a teacher leader in Sea to Sky district. April said we simply had to meet some friends of hers who teach at Colegio Institucion Teresiana - a Catholic school in Santiago.

The world is truly a network - through a friend of a friend of a friend (or something like that) it turns out that last summer April and another colleague from Squamish spent three weeks at this school helping teachers develop literacy strategies. Claudia Fábrega, one of the teachers from Santiago completed her MA at UBC and has close ties in Vancouver. 

April had planted the seed about inquiry and literacy and our conversation in  January led to our thinking - why couldn't a school in Chile be part of the network. With April's on-line coaching,   Colegio Institucion Teresiana has taken the plunge into inquiry with a specific focus on reading using Adrienne Gear's work as the basis for their new professional learning. Check out their NOII question and at the end of this post, take a look at the comments from Claudia about the progress they are making in their literacy work. It is pretty impressive!

We are excited about the potential for connections with schools in Australia as well. In June Linda and I will be working with 20 school in a suburban area of south west Sydney. They will be using the spiral of inquiry to focus their change efforts and to direct their professional learning - and they are especially interested in connecting with BC schools who are also working with the spiral of inquiry. Representatives from these schools are planning to attend the Network seminar in May 2014 to connect in person with BC colleagues. Stay tuned! Who knows what opportunities this might create.

Here's what Claudia had to say.....

Santiago of Chile

April 29th, 2013.

Dear April:

I have been working a lot lately but always thinking about you and about the wonderful experience I had with you while I was in Canada. You cannot imagine how useful has been everything you showed me; I am already implementing many ideas.

I have been working directly with teachers of preschool and elementary school. All photographs taken on our trip have been of great support to encourage reading. This experience has strongly questioned our pedagogical practices, which have not been very well evaluated recently, especially in Math.

Below I describe implemented actions and activities acquired from Canada´s internship:

Together with Magdalena we had meetings with the management team, academic coordinators (subject head teachers), preschool, elementary teachers and English teachers to share the experiences we had in Canada and also to share the challenges we face now to achieve our short and long run objectives.

During the meeting it was positively evaluated the opportunity of joining NOII.

Thanks to an internal reconstruction of our library we could rearrange the library´s functionality and incorporate several parameters observed in your library. Now, it has become a better area to work in, however there are still a couple of things that need to be fixed. Thanks to this rearrangement the bookshelves are placed in an efficient way to exhibit different books.

     Rules for library use were established in order to create an ideal place for research, reading and working.
1,636 text books were purchased (Spanish, Mathematics, Science, and History books for elementary school to tenth grade).

We reviewed all the personal reading lists and we changed many of them. All Students, from elementary to high school, have to read one book monthly for Spanish class so we decided to buy many different books.

The infant library helped increase the number and variety of texts in the classrooms, from preschool to fourth grade.

We reoriented and implemented the infant library in order to allow the little ones find books easier. It looks really nice and cozy now.

Students, from preschool to fourth grade, are participating in a one hour/week storytelling activity which is in charge of the librarian.

Every Wednesday morning all students, from preschool to 4th grade, have a period of silence reading before starting class. Each child must bring a book or choose one from the classroom and read for 10 minutes in silence.

The number of times that teachers read to children has increased; these readings are in groups and for the purpose of motivating reading. These readings have been incorporated in the weekly planning.

Every Friday preschool Children take a book from the classroom library to read it at home with their parents. Then, on Mondays they can comment on the book they read.

We are implementing some signage we saw at your school in order to provide visual information on certain learning processes.

a.     We celebrated “Book Week” from April 22nd to April 26th. This celebration used to be only one day, but we decided to expand the celebration to a week to highlight the importance of reading.

b.     We translated the poster "10 great reasons to read" and asked eleven and twelve graders (students specialized in the artistic area) to create different designs for the phrases. These designs are now displayed around the school in colorful posters. These posters will become part of the permanent library decoration. We also displayed the phrases at the school entrance and each classroom.

c.     High school students (eleven and twelve graders) who belong to the Student Council (16 in total) dressed as story characters, and on Monday and Friday mornings of Book Week they received all students at the school entrance. Also, during that week they told one story to preschool daily. This experience was highly valued by children and teachers.

d.     Students from seventh to twelve grades had an encounter with a Chilean writer named Francisco Mouat and the seventh graders are reading one of his novels right now. It was very interesting to see the level of reflection children had after this activity.

e.     Eleven graders had an encounter with Alvaro Bisam, also a writer. Both were enriching experiences for students.

f.      Different storytelling and plays were also performed using a technique called "Kamishibai" from preschool to sixth grade.

g.     Our students created micro illustrated stories which were shown every day.

h.     The Parent Center promoted a bartering book activity; this was held every morning in the lobby.

The teachers were given material for personal reflection and for preparing reading motivated activities.

As you see my dear friend, we have not stopped working and I feel personally responsible for transmitting the importance of what I learned from you to my students. I have a strong belief that what we do will significantly improve the quality of the learning process that our students go through, and we will have the opportunity to reflect on our teaching practices and make the correct changes when needed.

Nowadays, I have been with a lot of work and meetings, but I haven´t forgotten my commitment to implement these changes, I know we can achieve them.

The NOII will be implemented.

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I hope you agree with us that this is a pretty impressive start to NOII involvement!

AESN Report - An Important Set of Stories

The final report and executive summary from the impact study on the Aboriginal Enhancement Schools Network is now available at http://inquiry.noii.ca


We encourage everyone to take a look.  The stories of impact and hope have much to offer all educators interested in strengthening outcomes for Aboriginal learners - and deepening the knowledge and understanding for learners of all ages.  The observations about the work still to be done are inspiring linda and me to redouble our efforts with AESN - and we hope they have the same impact on you too!

At the seminar  May 5, Dr. Catherine McGregor, the lead researcher on this study will provide some of her personal observations from the time she spent with educators from Prince Rupert to Arrow Lakes - and many places in between. We look forward to seeing many of our blog and twitter followers  - and our colleagues from across BC and the Yukon this weekend.

Aboriginal Enhancement Schools Network – Inquiry Lifting All Learners

“If we are going to be professional and thoughtful teachers, then we have to ask, challenge and question” How do we do this better for kids? In our discussions we’ve also come to understand that what is good for Aboriginal students is good for everyone…..but it took all of us challenging the status quo to finally figure it out.” Network member

“AESN gave me the vehicle and place to do the work that was near and dear to my heart. It kept me going. You need a place to be validated where you work…I am motivated because AESN validates be in a way that I hadn’t experienced before. Network member

“The Network has given people permission to learn about Aboriginal education; it wasn’t in our sight lines prior to this.” Network member

This year the federal government through AANDC (Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada) commissioned a research study to assess the impact of the Aboriginal Enhancement Schools Network. These quotes came teachers who were interviewed as part of the study and capture much of the essence of what we in AESN have been working on for the past four years. The final report will be released very soon.

The study concludes with the observation that AESN has had some very significant transformational impacts on schools, teachers and districts around the province – and that there is still a lot of work to be done before we realize the network goal of EVERY learner crossing the stage with dignity, purpose and options – and realize the dream of high quality and high equity learning experiences for every learner in BC.

We are very pleased that there are many opportunities for schools, regardless of where they are in BC, to become involved in networked inquiries for 2013-2014 starting right away. The Network seminar (registration information -  http://goo.gl/KoEda ) on May 5 at SFU Harbourside will feature many examples of transformative inquiry from AESN and perspectives from a number of highly respected Aboriginal leaders. At the seminar we will also be launching two new initiatives for schools to consider for the upcoming year.

First, as a result of financial support from the Vancouver Foundation, Debbie Koehn will be taking the lead on developing inquiries focused on Aboriginal understandings at the level of individual students.  Second, the Irving K Barber foundation at UBC is providing support for school teams who will focus their inquiries on transitions for Aboriginal learners – from elementary to secondary school and from secondary to post secondary.  ‘Dignity, purpose and options’ at transition points are the heart of this work.

And, all schools are always invited to pursue questions connected to making the goals of the local Enhancement Agreements come alive in classrooms. This has been the basis for AESN since its inception. We are very pleased that as a result of the sales of Spirals of Inquiry: for equity and quality and with recent funding support from the Ministry of Education, that all schools tackling important questions connected to Aboriginal learners and Aboriginal understandings will receive recognition grants at the conclusion of their case studies.  Stay tuned to the NOII website (www.noii.ca) for additional information about how to become involved.

We are grateful to DASH for the continuing partnership around inquiry, innovative practice and healthy living. AESN is a good example of what can happen when people of good will come together to tackle challenging issues in a spirit of inquiry. 

NOII - Learning, Stretching, Inquiring and Connecting

This is a longer blog post than usual  - and hopefully you will read right to the end. there is a LOT going on across BC with the networks of inquiry and innovation and we want to make sure that educators everywhere know about the opportunities for learning, stretching and connecting within the networks.

This year has provided us with a number of new opportunities connected to the Networks of Inquiry and Innovation. This is an exciting journey as we create new spaces for learning, new opportunities for team inquiry, draw on the smartest work we can find both locally and internationally - and never lose our focus on increasing quality and equity for all learners.

With the proceeds from last spring’s seminar we were able to provide small grants to all AESN schools that completed case studies despite the challenges of last year. School questions came in during the fall and are now posted on the website. Please take a look!

Network Seminar 2013 – Inquiry, Innovation, Connections - ACTION

May 5 – Simon Fraser Harbourside

The seminar this year is being held May 5 and we are looking forward to a very rich day of learning and connecting. In many ways we see the seminar as the launch for an invigorating few years of inquiry as we work towards our goal of every learner crossing the stage with dignity, purpose and options – by 2017, Canada’s 150^th birthday.

We know this is a very ambitious goal but we have lots of evidence that when educators work together across roles and in a spirit of genuine inquiry, amazing things can happen.  In addition to some great opportunities for new learning and connections, the seminar will also be the time when we will be sharing new opportunities for network connections – and new forms of support for school teams. You won’t want to miss this!

You will hear from some of the leading researchers in BC – and you will learn more about the ways in which current knowledge is being put into action within and across BC schools. You will learn about innovative approaches to strengthening self-regulation, identity, creativity and engagement. You will consider the ways in which the belief that ‘Aboriginal education is for everyone’ is moving from rhetoric to reality. You will hear from a leader in the Arts community about creativity, risk–taking and Aboriginal understandings. You will learn about new opportunities for networked inquiries in the next few years, And, you will help create additional connections as part of a networked community focused intensely on quality and equity for all learners.  Please register at  http://sd45.bc.ca/noii/

Research study – Aboriginal Inquiries – Lifting All Learners

The federal government this year funded a research study on the impact of school involvement in the Aboriginal Enhancement Schools Network. Dr. Catherine McGregor at the University of Victoria was the lead researcher on the study and the final report will be out within the next few days. We’ll post a link to the executive summary on the website and will be sharing insights from this study at the seminar as well.

It is a very encouraging report and there is a great deal for all of us to learn from the literature review, the case studies of districts and the individual reports of educators from across BC.  In a nutshell (or as Linda and I have been known to say, the haiku not the epic) AESN is making a difference – for learners, educators, schools and communities – and we need to build on the strong work that is already taking place.

Support is Building – Opportunities are Expanding

We have new funding support for schools  interested in addressing transition challenges for Aboriginal learners – whether this is from elementary to middle school, or secondary to post secondary. The funding is being provided by a foundation at UBC and we will be inviting schools to submit questions for the 2013-2014 school year. Look for information on this towards both at the seminar and then later in May.

The Vancouver Foundation has provided a two-year grant for NOII schools to focus on inquiry at the student level. There will be opportunities for young learners to develop student-led projects that involve families, Elders and community partners. Debbie Koehn, an experienced network leader who has been involved with student-led inquiry for many years, will be leading this initiative. Again, stay tuned as to the ways in which you can become involved.

Recently we received very welcomed news from the Ministry of Education that there will be on-going financial support for AESN. This will allow us to provide support for network leaders who are invaluable in developing local networks and also to provide grants to schools who are engaged in focused inquiry connected to Aboriginal learners and Aboriginal understandings over the next year. 

Spirals of Inquiry – and more

Over the last eighteen months we worked hard on consolidating our thinking about inquiry, learning and how network schools are weaving three ways forward to meet the challenges of quality and equity for all learners. We spent two weeks last spring with Helen Timperley from the University of Auckland. Helen is one of the leading researchers on inquiry and professional learning and we enjoyed the experience of stretching our thinking.  Our collaboration with Helen led to an evolution in our thinking about the inquiry cycle and the new spiral of inquiry is being used as the basis now not only for network inquiries but also for other district and provincial initiatives including the Creating Results for Young Readers (CR4YR) work.

In February, Spirals of Inquiry was released and since then close to 3000 copies have been purchased.  Through our partnership with the BCPVPA, (after publication costs are recovered)  all proceeds will be going directly to inquiring schools. We are delighted with the response to date and are very pleased that we are now in a good position to provide grants to schools.  We know how important recognition grants (even if not very big) are for school teams. Having some discretionary funding to support your inquiry work really matters and we are very glad to be able to do so.

Our collaboration with Helen is continuing and we are now working together on a book focused on Leadership and Professional Inquiry.  We are now actively looking for BC examples of the ways in which leaders (both formal and informal, school and district) develop a culture of inquiry in their settings, develop the specific skills required for focused inquiry, work through the sticking points in the inquiry spiral, and build adaptive expertise at all levels.  We plan to have this finished within the year and hope to have Helen come to the seminar next spring.

Meetings and Partnerships

One of the things that we learned clearly from your comments and from the AESN study is the importance of face-to-face meetings. We are looking forward to reconnecting with ‘experienced’ network schools in 2013-2014 and also to welcoming new schools from across the lower mainland. We plan to have a schedule of meeting dates available before the end of June.

We really value our partnership with DASH and with the Healthy Schools Network. DASH is a key partner for the May seminar and we are also looking forward to exploring new opportunities for linkages next year and to ensuring there is always a focus on healthy living and positive connections at network meetings.

Curiosity and Passion

One of the central aims of the networks of inquiry and innovation is that we want learners to leave our schools as curious as when they arrive. We believe that it is for young learners to sustain their curiosity , they must learn with and from adults who are also curious and passionate about learning.  We see the networks as spaces where adult curiosity can be nurtured and deepened. We hope that you do as well.

We look forward to seeing you at the seminar – and at every other opportunity we have to connect over the next few years.

And for those of you on twitter, in May there will be a twitter book chat on Spirals of inquiry. Thanks to Chris Wejr and Chris Kennedy for making this happen. Stay tuned – this will be fun!

 Happy Spring!

Judy & Linda

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