Learning about Learning

I had an interesting discussion with one of our deputes today, Mike Mclaughlin, about the use of the STACS and Midyis data in secondary schools. As part of my next submission for SQH I have to analyse the school’s ‘capacity for change’ and part of that is looking at both qualitative and quantitative data in relation to the school’s current position. Mike has done some really excellent analysis on our 2006 standard grade results using the Midyis testing output from S1. An extrapolation of the Midyis results provided predictions for the numbers of grades 1&2 ,3&4 and 5&6 that the school could ‘expect’ according to Midyis. When we compared the predictions to the actual results taking into account various factors, the numbers of the ‘predicted’ and ‘actual’ grades were very close. Actual grades slightly higher than predicted for 1&2, 5&6 and slightly lower for grades 3&4.

The Midyis data throws up many questions in how we use it to inform classroom practise. Could it be used to motivate both students and teachers to achieve beyond the prediction or is the long term nature of the prediction just too much for youngsters to really engage with? Could it become a ‘fait accomplis’ if teachers see that youngsters in there subject are ‘on track’ for what they are predicted therefore not ‘pushing’ any further, could it be used to ‘label’ youngsters at too an early age or is it exactly what schools need to grasp and use across all subjects to inform subject choice?

I don’t have any answers to these questions but it has made me really think about the pressures on senior management to continually consider the ‘big picture’ and the standards that schools are currently very widely judged by, examination results. And while there is pressure for attainment to be high in terms of examination results, because I think most parents still judge a school to be ‘good’ purely on attainment, does this leave enough room for the principles of Assessment is For Learning and a Curriculum for Excellence to be fully embedded and embraced?

Thinking about these things really makes me consider the huge amount I have yet to learn about the school as an organisation within its own individual context. I also need to consider the political pressures that schools are under to deliver according to an agenda that may be largely set by Government. They really are fascinating and important issues, both for now and for our future.

I have been thinking about what content I would like to have in my weblog and who and what it’s for. I am trying to use it as a learning diary to remind myself of the processes I went through and to inform my commentary which makes up the final unit of the SQH. I also want to be as honest as I can to give others who may be interested in SQH a ‘flavour’ of what to expect. To that end I’ll share my current feelings…….. Time is a real enemy at the moment, having to get my head around all the reading invloved and understanding the process of school improvement, as well as getting a handle on the school’s ‘capacity for change’ is a tall order on top of the rest of the day’s and week’s work. It is fascinating stuff and I don’t begrudge doing it because it opens up a whole new understanding of schools as organisations and their place in the community. But I could do with a full week off to concentrate completely on it!

This weekend is my ‘biggy’, the bulk of the work for my next two taught days has to be completed. My resubmission has to be completed as well as a draft section of the school situational analysis and school improvement project and a section of my ‘project plan’. I’m finding getting my head around it all really tough, but again, I suppose it has to be this way, you have to show that you are capable of working under these time constraints and pressures.

To cap it all Ruaridh, our nine month old son, has decided that tonight he is not going to go to bed, this wasn’t in the manuals…

I read Edward de Bono’s ‘Six thinking hats’ after going to the SETT conference and used the principles in one of my first year classes this week when we were discussing bullying and relationships. It was powerful stuff and really added a lot to my lesson. A very simple and yet effective way of structuring your thinking and what’s more, the students ‘got it’ wthout much explanation. It’s not everyday you come across something like that. I will definitely be using the principles of ‘the six thinking hats’ more in the future.

Time to admit defeat and work on somebody’s sleep!

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to go to the SETT conference in Glasgow today. I heard three keynote speeches, Zoe van Zwanenberg from the Scottish Leadership foundation talking about Inspiring leadership, Terry Dozier, Teacher adviser to the Clinton administration, and Edward de Bono discussing thinking skills. I was pleased to note that many of the themes emerging from the first two speakers re-inforced much of what I have been learning through both the Standard for Headship and the SQH. I was really encouraged by this and again it makes me think that we must be ‘getting it right’ in Scotland in relation to developing leadership at all levels in schools.

Edward de Bono provided real food for thought with his explanation of teaching thinking skills explicitly and the effect it has had on every type of learner. From those who have difficulty ‘tuning in’ to the most ’switched on’ brains in the country. I have heard of the ’six thinking hats’ and know a little of the concept but I will certainly look into it further now. My thoughts again turn to the potential this could have as part of the enhanced curriculum programme if it really is as powerful as he claims.

The pressures of trying to juggle SQH, work, family and A LIFE came to bear this weekend. I juggled my daddy duties, as well as organising an African drumming workshop in Glasgow with my good friend and Senegalese master drummer Mockolo Sawane. By the time Sunday night came around at the end of our rehearsal my arms were hanging off….fast forward to Monday morning and trying to get my head around my re-submission for Unit 1 of the SQH, the critical self-evaluation.

After having got over the ‘nose out of joint’ feeling for having to re-submit a 300, which turned into around 700, word section(what a powerful lesson that was!) of my CSE I battled on to put something coherent together to match the success criteria. Five hours later I finally sent a draft to my tutor for her to look over before I finally submit. Here’s hoping there’s not too much more tweeking required.

No rest for the wicked as it has been straight on to preparing my SQH project and discussing my idea for an alternative curriculum with Willie Innes, our local councillor, this afternoon. Being heavily involved with the ‘Pennypit’ community education centre he is keen for the school to forge stronger links with the community and vice-versa. The alternative curriculum seems to be a perfect way to do this. As always, financial considerations and budgets may pose obstacles to getting things ‘up and running’ but hopefully with the strength of the project and potential benefits to the community as a whole we can find a way around and difficulties in this area. I am keen to involve our local businesses in supporting our youngsters at an early stage, to help forge links which will hopefully bring benefit to all concerned in the long run.

I also had some good news from Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce about a work visit for some of our potential Maths and Science university candidates. Tiso in Leith have very kindly agreed to give a group of a dozen or so S5 students a tour around their premises in November. This is the first of several projects we are hoping to be involved in with the Chamber of Commerce and provides another exciting opportunity for the school and our youngsters.

After having been inspired on Wednesday evening I had more good news today. In trying to put together an alternative curriculum provision for S3 students I met with Angie Davie from the Pennypit Outdoor Pursuits Service in Prestonpans who is keen to become involved in delivering part of the enhanced curriculum. I have also had informal discussions with a member of the East Lothian Integration team and the signs are positive that they too could have an input.

The idea for an enhanced curriculum is to re-engage youngsters who have ‘turned away’ from formal school education either by truanting school or in terms of their behaviour in class. I believe that concept of Extreme Learning could have a major role to play in the alternative curriculum as it taps into the passions of each youngster and ‘inverts the core’ to use the lingo.

I am excited by the prospect of learners taking a role in negotiating part of their own curriculum and directing their own learning. Extreme Learning (although I do admit I’m not 100% convinced by the name!) is a real step outwith our current frame of reference as far as delivering formal education is concerned and I am sure the more people who find out about it the more the idea will ‘take off’.

Had the typical day in Pupil Support……time for planning at a premium, firefighting on about 14 different fronts and then, magnificently at the end of a long day, a bit of inspriation after all the perspiration. I went to a
meeting in Haddington about trying to follow through the ideals of ‘
A Curriculum for Excellence ‘. This recharged my weary batteries with a vision of the way learning and teaching could be.

It’s early days at the moment but has given me an abundance of ideas, it is a really exciting time to be involved in education in Scotland. The potential of the technology to connect pupils, parents, teachers and the wider community is enormous and I believe it will help education ‘catch up’ with modern life and bring ‘formal’ learning fully into the 21st century.

From an
SQH perspective, as I prepare for my school improvement project and clarify in my mind what I’m trying to achieve, being around the sort of creativity and open thinking that I experienced today helped give me more courage to try something new, while remaining vigilant about what is being delivered to the youngsters. I am hoping to set up a ‘
wiki ‘ page to gauge the views of parents, pupils, staff and members of the community about the current ’state of play’ as regards the perception of behaviour in the school. I also hope to use it to share ideas about how to make the whole school experience better for all, especially those who are disengaged from learning.

On a different note we found out one of our two cats died, probably poisoned. Not good. Emotions in the house are running high, thankfully my son is too young to realise.

Deciding to ‘take the plunge’ and apply for the SQH I was delighted to find that I was both supported by my headteacher and accepted onto the course at the subsequent interview, however the reality of the size of the task soon hit home….

The 2006 intake began the course in April, full of verve and enthusiasm but also no little trepidation. No sooner had I got through the process than I began to question whether or not I was ‘headteacher material’. As time goes by I continue to do so and in fact the more I learn and think about leadership the more questions I am asking myself. I can’t decide whether this is a good or bad thing!

My blog had a bit of a false start, it was supposed to be my ‘learning diary’ from the word go but my technical prowess and patience match one another in their paucity so the weblog had to wait.

In a nutshell, until now I have completed my Critical Self Evaluation, an in depth look at motivations, abilities, values and vision in relation to ‘The Standard for Headship in Scotland’. This was a 3500 word essay submitted in the summer(during the good weather unfortnately) and reflected both upon my experience of teaching until this point and on my vision for headship. A lot of time was spent trying to establish exaclty what s ‘my vision for headship