After my comments about not taking risk to my middle managers they are all getting carried away. They are all setting up Google home pages, RSS readers, starting blogs and starting to get it written into the schemes.
All very exciting and change does happen. Small starts just need to keep moving.
Incremental radicalism - The small steps moving forward to big changes. it is great to see.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Ready to leap
Spent sometime with my middle managers last week about why we always tend to fall back into safety positions. My challenge is why to do we have some many text books around when again the vast majority of information is released in digital form.
The inevitable comments about lack of access etc came forward. But why do we still teach atlases, and dictionary, voltmeters and so on when none ever uses them anymore. The challenge is just because something is hard does not mean it should not happen.
Have recently come across a blog called Extreme Leadership by Steve Farber. He talks about the OS!M.
Steve says
"Fear is a natural part of growth, and since growth, change and revolution are all on the Extreme Leader's agenda, fear comes with the territory.
In the right context, therefore, your experience of fear (or exhilaration, for that matter) is your internal indicator that you're moving in the right direction. That you really are leading, in other words. That scary/exhilarating experience is what I call the Oh S**t! Moment or OS!M.
To put it bluntly: if you're using all the buzzwords and reading all the latest leadership books, and holding forth at every meeting on the latest management fads, but you're not experiencing that visceral churning in your gut, and you're not scaring yourself every day, and you're not feeling that OhS**t!Moment as regularly as clockwork, then you are not doing anything significant -- let alone changing the world -- and you are certainly not leading anyone else."
That OS!M needs to occur daily as we constantly push beyond our boundaries into new places. In education we desparately need leaders like this. Those who are going to push the boundaries even further and make the changes we so urgently need. It won't come from the established leadership places but it will come if we push hard enough.
The inevitable comments about lack of access etc came forward. But why do we still teach atlases, and dictionary, voltmeters and so on when none ever uses them anymore. The challenge is just because something is hard does not mean it should not happen.
Have recently come across a blog called Extreme Leadership by Steve Farber. He talks about the OS!M.
Steve says
"Fear is a natural part of growth, and since growth, change and revolution are all on the Extreme Leader's agenda, fear comes with the territory.
In the right context, therefore, your experience of fear (or exhilaration, for that matter) is your internal indicator that you're moving in the right direction. That you really are leading, in other words. That scary/exhilarating experience is what I call the Oh S**t! Moment or OS!M.
To put it bluntly: if you're using all the buzzwords and reading all the latest leadership books, and holding forth at every meeting on the latest management fads, but you're not experiencing that visceral churning in your gut, and you're not scaring yourself every day, and you're not feeling that OhS**t!Moment as regularly as clockwork, then you are not doing anything significant -- let alone changing the world -- and you are certainly not leading anyone else."
That OS!M needs to occur daily as we constantly push beyond our boundaries into new places. In education we desparately need leaders like this. Those who are going to push the boundaries even further and make the changes we so urgently need. It won't come from the established leadership places but it will come if we push hard enough.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Some fun stuff
Some kids doing some interesting and fun stuff. even some learning in there.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Wz6ctLIM24
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Wz6ctLIM24
New Zealand curriculum
Spent the day doing work around the new curriculum in New Zealand being released a week or so away. I feel the new curriculum is not offering much change except about removing some constraints that exist at present.
The new curriculum developments are going to be introduced through digital links and that is exciting. especially around the stories and the ideas which I think have the potential to be very powerful in this method.
however for secondary schools the two unanswered questions are
The new curriculum developments are going to be introduced through digital links and that is exciting. especially around the stories and the ideas which I think have the potential to be very powerful in this method.
however for secondary schools the two unanswered questions are
- How are we going to assess in our high stake qualifications system? Is this still the same if so that will be the driver.
- Are we going to let the text book writers choose the resource? I am nervous around whether the teaching fraternity are ready to move in development in this way
Exciting and commendable to the Ministry for choosing this way.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Research in New Zealand
Read an interesting article in the New Zealand Herald by John Langley. In this article John talks of the 'dogma and myths' that surround education and especially education initiatives in New Zealand (and probably worldwide). We seem constantly bombarded with the latest view of how we can do things better. Whether it is technology, governance structures, testing or something else which is going to 'solve' education.
John's five myths are great.
1. That experience is the best way to gain success.
2. That process is more important than product.
3. That learning must be fun and easy.
4. That you must "like" the person who teaches you.
5 That opinion equals fact.
Especially the last one. I feel it is because everyone has been at school so everyone is an expert. This is something we must work against. Valid research tells us how to act and teach Let's use it.
John's five myths are great.
1. That experience is the best way to gain success.
2. That process is more important than product.
3. That learning must be fun and easy.
4. That you must "like" the person who teaches you.
5 That opinion equals fact.
Especially the last one. I feel it is because everyone has been at school so everyone is an expert. This is something we must work against. Valid research tells us how to act and teach Let's use it.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Green stuff
Spent Labour Weekend at Broadwood, a small isolated area in the north of New Zealand. No broadband, no cell phone coverage, no TV coverage.
The people I was with own a dry stock farm. There has not been much money in dry stock farming so even though they are asset rich (millions) they have no money. Old car, old house, run-down farm, limited food.
But a great life. Work all day outside at ease with the surrounds. Feel like a break then take it. The relationship with the environment is important and I noticed where we tend to fight the environment all the time. Progress in the city is about big alterations to the environment and battles around that. More speed (for everything) is important. We expect to spend our time doing more in less time.
I takes me a day or so to slow down enough to enjoy myself. I always want to check my email, watch TV, or rush off to do something. Is this the right way? Or am I being old and stupid thinking that we can step back and live life slow and more at tune with the environment?
And by the way what is education's role in this?
Maybe sustainability is important ito teach as the way of the future.
The people I was with own a dry stock farm. There has not been much money in dry stock farming so even though they are asset rich (millions) they have no money. Old car, old house, run-down farm, limited food.
But a great life. Work all day outside at ease with the surrounds. Feel like a break then take it. The relationship with the environment is important and I noticed where we tend to fight the environment all the time. Progress in the city is about big alterations to the environment and battles around that. More speed (for everything) is important. We expect to spend our time doing more in less time.
I takes me a day or so to slow down enough to enjoy myself. I always want to check my email, watch TV, or rush off to do something. Is this the right way? Or am I being old and stupid thinking that we can step back and live life slow and more at tune with the environment?
And by the way what is education's role in this?
Maybe sustainability is important ito teach as the way of the future.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Election year
Just read Bruce Hammond's blog on Where we are Going. With election year ahead there will be all the promises and falsehoods attached with that. But where are we going?
We need to have big goals and ideas for ourselves and our organisations. Big audacious goals! But we need to take small steps as we work towards those goals.
I heard this called incremental radicalism. I like that. Does that mean I am an incremental radical?
Felt this was useful to me as I consider where my energies and enthusiasm is to go. It also means the journey which twists and turns is not so hard as along as progress is made.
We need to have big goals and ideas for ourselves and our organisations. Big audacious goals! But we need to take small steps as we work towards those goals.
I heard this called incremental radicalism. I like that. Does that mean I am an incremental radical?
Felt this was useful to me as I consider where my energies and enthusiasm is to go. It also means the journey which twists and turns is not so hard as along as progress is made.
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