NZPF Conference: Prof Alma Harris

http://www.nzpf.ac.nz/sites/default/files/01_Professor_Alma_Harris.pdf

Questioning 'High Performance'

Context - Change - Connections


Context
High performance = success of every child in every setting?
High Performance is relative - it depends

Caution about attribution on any particular country
Distortions in Policy making (PISA)
Decontextualized policy borrowing = outcome of PISA
Contradiction - Asians want to go to university elsewhere (including NZ) - why?

Using one measure to rank a system is ludicrous

Is a measure so important that we want to distort what we do? Is this what we want for our children?
"The more we standardise education systems, the more they look the same" Do we want that?

Look beyond the data and seek deeper explanations

Change
importance of Leadership quality + teaching quality

True leaders don't create followers, they create leaders
It is easy to improve schools, but difficult to sustain improvement
Collective Responsibility for improvement (Tower Hamlet concept an example https://thebp.org/)

Change leaders - focus on the right things, not the latest things

Connections
Collaboration with impact - needs, ability, knowledge, skills to make work
Need to prepare teachers to work together - not assume they will be capable

Real potential for high performance resides within the system, not outside it


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

WRPPA Conference: Gilbert Enoka - Creating and Mantaining a high performance Culture

Image
All Blacks - people performing under pressure Context: Grew up in an orphanage in P Nth 18months – 12 years (caring and considerate – exclusive bretheren). Went home to a dysfunctional family – left home at 16. “Your past is not your future” Your situation ·         Difficult time in Education – neglect? ·         Recruitment and retention – huge concern ·         Many ‘opting out’ of leadership positions ·         Stresses pervade the operating landscape:: o    Student needs... o    Partent expectations o    Vocationallty trapped ·         Impacts morale Magic of high performance is about the whole context Task 1.       What one word of phrase would you use to describe where you and your role in your school currently stands today? 2.       What does next level of performace look like for you and your role in your school? Key learning confirmed: 1.       No silver bullets or magic solutions . Need three
Read more

Edutech 2017 - Animating knowledge to enrich your professional learning communities. Professor Louise Stoll

Image
louise.stoll@ucl.ac.uk The importance of language in professional learning communities knowledge animation learning conversations animated external research knowledge - and how circulate own ideas PLCs collaborative, reflective and growth-orientated cultures inclusive, mutually supportive and collectively responsivle people curious - investigating and learning more aabout their proactice together - deprivatising rigourously testing out promising new approaches within and between schools - and across regions and countries Purposeful - to make a positive difference to all students' learning exoeriences and outcomes Language Leaders have opportunity to shape language - using certain kinds of language bring ideas to like - bring knowledge to life. To move knowledge around to what we know Anima - Latin = Breath - life - soul Animate = bring to life, put in motion suggests movement, action, dynamism vibrancy, invigoration, Talk Low - (shallow) - sharing res
Read more

The Principal: three Keys to Maximizing Impact, By Michael Fullan

The Principal: three Keys to Maximizing Impact Michael Fullan Criticises over emphasis on Principals leading the learning Importance of building capacity, rather than micro-managing Refers to researchers who conclude that Principals as having an indirect, yet important influence on student learning: Viviane Robinson - BES (leading teacher learning and development), with principals learning alongside and from Helen Timperley - "Who is my class?" Ken Leithwood - focus on instruction and ensuring collaborative working conditions, such as time for collaboration Tony Bryke - professional capacity (individually and collectively), school climate (ensuring safety and orderliness in the aid of learning),parent and community ties  and instructional practices that engage students in relation to key learning goals. Hire teachers who have at least four core qualities; High moral commitment relative to the learning of ALL students - regardless of background strong instruct
Read more