1.2 LftM Emotional Intelligence
Posted by: kristianstill on: November 6, 2009
In light of the diagnostics, I would like to think that I have reasonable EI, however one area of difference was my perceived motivational qualities and those recognised by the raters. Hopefully this course may raise a few potential solutions. To date, I have done little to develop my EI, although I did attend the impact of generations keynote by Dr Graeme Codrington at SSAT. So, the first task.
1.2 The Emotionally Intelligent Leader – Practising emotional literacy
Emotionally intelligent leaders:
- recognise their own emotions and label them accurately
- understand their own emotions and become better at controlling them
- are then able to increase their behaviour options in different situations
- use this increased awareness and self-control to work with and through others to achieve their own goals and those of their school
- continue to develop their own self-awareness, recognising there is always the potential for something new and unexpected to happen
Select one of the competencies above. Choose a day you experienced recently in school (yesterday, last week etc). Reflect on the day as though it were a video playing back. Where can you see yourself demonstrating your chosen competency?
I am not sure that this is a very appropriate task, considering I already noted that my EI could do with a little refinement. Given the title, recognise their own emotions and label them accurately
Go through this process again with a different competency.
Then they go into the exam room…
Posted by: kristianstill on: November 5, 2009
Today students at Hamble College are sitting preliminary Maths exams, in the old-fashioned pen and paper way. Back in May I read about Norwegian 16-19 year-olds trying out the laptop-based exams systems and yesterday I read about Danish students being given access to the internet during exams.
Minister for education in Denmark, Bertel Haarder, says:
”Our exams have to reflect daily life in the classroom and daily life in the classroom has to reflect life in society. The internet is indispensible, including in the exam situation. I’m sure that is would be a matter of very few years when most European countries will be on the same line.”
If you take the time to read the article, I am not so sure that our students will be so trusted nor will our exam boards be so forward thinking, for how you ask questions and what exam board examine will need to be realigned (any exam boards out there wishing to challenge me and prove me wrong?). Definitions are merely a 5 second task with Google Define, fact recall a breeze with wolframalpha and the is always the butler. The process of learning has changed, therefore it is only natural that the process of examination should be next…
This reminds me of the first time I sat a timed pressured, open book exam. Not at school and not in the UK but as a graduate student on a masters degree programme. I was at first very dismissive of the idea, but I can assure you that I had never been more organised and thorough in my preparation of an exam. On the day of the exam, with so much information available to me, it was truly a pressurised situation and perhaps my most intense exam experience to date. Why? Having so much disposable information met that I had to either know where the answers were (all extra planning paid off) or how to find it, fast! It was far more like the experiences of real investigation and work than any of the traditional exams I sat that same term.
As with so much content online, it is not the actual article that is most provocative but the discussion behind it. You have to click onto the ‘Have your say’ link. Oh and if I had time I would let the BBC know that by listing the comments in order of their recommendations only profits those comments nearest the top of the list that get read most frequently and therefore recommended most often.
Coming up for Air part b
Posted by: kristianstill on: November 5, 2009
Of late, I finally think that education is beginning to see the benefit of greater school collaboration. Whether school federations, NCLS cross school cohorts or lead practitioner groups, there appears to be a greater emphasis on dispersed conversation. Despite the growing formal CPD opportunities, I still gain more influential strategic and teaching input from my Personal Learning Network (Blogs, Twitter predominantly). Surely education can do better?
That said, face to face communication and conversation is vitally important. Since taking up the post at Hamble College, Gideon Williams has been one of the most supportive colleagues I have worked with. On Thursday we discussed a number of key IT services issues and compared the relative solutions offered by our schools. We also looked and modelled a managed VM solutions, linking together services that could be offered by SchoolsICT and elearning4schools. Of course as technology matures, the solutions available to answer, what appears to be fairly static educational needs, diversifies. Managed VM solutions are just one such solution.
The second part of the conversation involve exchanging Moodle resources and the discussion to look at developing resources for the new ICT qualifications in 2010. I wonder if there are many other ICT HODs / Directors of E-Learning that would share content through moodle? One thought was to create a Moodle development site on which to develop the course, with staff exporting and importing the course to their own moodle as required? In the process of sharing resources and courses, Gideon demonstrated how he had deployed glossaries to share Mp3s and a short description about the clip for Unit 22, rather than as a set of individual resource. I felt this was a simple and effective idea although I now wonder if they could also be displayed as a directory?.
Finally Gideon solved one of my few gripes with Moodle, the two step process of moving resources and activities with the up and down arrows – replacing it with the ‘move thingy icon.’ In minutes we had downloaded and installed the ‘move thingy icon’ and activated it my profile. Now I can drag and drop resources and activities much more efficiently. Althought this was not a siginificant issue for me personally, I am confident that a number of staff will appreciate the tool.
An administrator needs to turn the feature on, its under appearance / ajax and java script / untick disable ajax course editing. The per user, edit profiles and turn on used advanced web features. Now we can move items swiftly. Second, we have moved to the addvark theme, and finally lightbox works…. impressive.
So, when do you come up for air when you have a dual role? Should the requirement for half-term days be given in lieu? Should I trust and manage the IT services staff more effectively?
Comin up for Air part a
Posted by: kristianstill on: November 2, 2009
Coming up for Air
When do you come up for air? Many teachers use half-terms to clear a back log of marking and I am no different, but what of those teaching staff that are also responsible for IT Services? The challenge for those middle leaders with this duality is, down time for one role is peak time for the other.
This half term I have 4 set of class assignments to mark, 120 scripts, approximately, 5 minutes a script. On top of this I had two meetings, one with Gideon Williams from Perins School to discussion IT infrastructure and Sims2Moodle but as ever the meeting also included some resource collaboration and teaching idea exchange, more of that later. The second meeting was with Ian Tasker to ensure that the schedule of work was met. This included completing the Netbook deployment and preparation of both the loan units and the Digital Leaders netbooks. The Digital Leader units are a slightly modified netbook and the students are then used to pilot netbook developments and offer constructive ‘rock-face’ feedback. In our experience this group are extremely insightful and their contributions have been vital. Jobs left incomplete, the Skoogle facelift and cabling. Finally, we received delivery our new hardware, just over £22,000 investment in a blade server set-up, replacing servers at the end of their warranty and providing us with the much needed flexibility for growth in the new building.
What is perhaps more important is the redundancy and develop opportunities that virtualisation offers. The benefit is much improved continuity, server consolidation and reduced power costs (20%). We can now run both live and development platforms of all our key services, Sims, Moodle, Joomla as well as future platforms such as Wordress, Elgg and Mahara before going live. Expansion is then much more viable with blades costing £2500 and space is no longer an issue.
Following comparison quotes with 4 suppliers, primarily looking at IBM, HP and Fujitsu, we were impressed with Fujitsu communication and willingness to support our staff. Without significant staff experience of both blades and Fujitsu kit – we were keen to get onsite and extended Fujitsu support. During installation we were supported by an engineer, who first presented to our staff and then supported the installation process, providing our staff with the much needed reassurance to configure the Fujitsu ETERNUS DX80 and PY BX620 S5 Dual Server Blades with fibre channel san. (Now thats a step into the unknown for me!). Further specifications details, Intel® Xeon® E5504 4C/4T 2.00 GHz 4 MB and VMware ESXi 4.0 UFM Device and Serverview embedded. (Now I am all teched out!) By the end of the day, we were up and running with a virtual Windows 7 machine connecting to the internet. We are now ready to migrate our IT services and deploy development suite of our key services of the next few weeks. Our thanks to Nick Francis at Vorkus for their first class service and continued IT support.
Secondary Headteachers Digest
Posted by: kristianstill on: October 28, 2009
I was the last name on the CLT staff rotor for the ‘Secondary Headteachers Digest.’ Sadly, it has taken me nearly four weeks to read it. Next time, it will be given greater priority but first I will have to source it. The editorial included a wide range of documents covering various professional themes, political issues and research articles. Two articles in particular stood out for comment.
Pupil feedback
The article summarises Sir Dexter Hutt’s proposals to offer pupils the opportunity to survey lessons, to further engage pupils and for pupils to sense that they ‘own the lesson’. What is missing is how this process will be put into practice. Meanwhile, Union responses were typically protective of members.
About 6 months ago I shared a lesson model I had constructed some time ago, that was taken on by the CLT to structure the VLE (not actually lesson delivery). On the reverse was student / pupil lesson survey tool that was not adopted, but was heavily road test at Tauntons College on the BTEC National in Sport. Maybe, with this article supporting this teaching strategy, it is time to re-raise document.
We used a doubled sided, laminated document. The front side was the aforementioned lesson model, the reverse the lesson survey tool design with some input from Geoff Petty. The document was simple placed in front a student at the start of the class, who then completed the tool with a simple dry wipe marker. The document worked on a number of levels;
As a course leader, the survey tools guided teaching preparation and planning. I could walk into any lesson and very easily source feedback about that lesson. I could use the survey tool to discuss the relevant merits of a lesson with a staff member. The survey tool communicated expectations of teachers to the students, but also the expectations of students, to the student in a very subtle way. As a teacher I could get immediate feedback on a lesson. The survey tool could be used to discuss the relevant merits of a lesson with the class, the expectations of staff and students with the class.
Is this a potential Leading from the Middle strategy? How would the document need to be adapted for use in ICT. I think that this is a worthy task as we have both GTP and PGCE students working in the department and I feel this would be a strong tool for guiding teacher in training.
1.1 Middle Leader Development Diagnostic
Posted by: kristianstill on: October 28, 2009
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Now that I have at least 5 raters contributing to my report, I can seek feedback. I am keen to see how this information is presented and what I can take from the information. I am hoping that the data will be fairly consistent, although I am expecting a slightly lower rater score as some of the colleague I asked to rate me, have proven to be quiet challenging.Overall, the ratings are all slight lower, but all within 0.5 on a six point scale with the exception of leading ‘innovation and change,’ which is about 0.9. Overall a 0.54 difference.The second page is hard to follow as components are rank ordered. Generally I was looking for two aspects. Significant mismatched component scores and second, the overall average. This was not given by the report. The strengths highlighted by the diagnostic were ‘Drive and Determination,’ and ‘Focus and Commitment,’ and to a lesser degree ‘Managing Resources and Performance.’ One weaknesses highlighted was ‘Flexibility and Openness to Change’ noted as the lowest score by both the raters and myself. My greatest disappointed was the difference in my perceived ’Motivation and Team Awareness,’ and that of the raters, a 1.64 difference. This is something I wish to address and yes, I know I need to get to know my team better rather than racing off to yet another meeting somewhere else…. I need to give my team greater priority.
The written feedback stated,
‘responses to this section suggest that you are reasonably confident, with a degree of understanding of what you do well and what areas could be developed further. Perhaps there are some relationships at work that you find more difficult than others.’
Given I targeted some on the more challenging relationships, I feel this is a fair summary.
The area I was most disappointed with, does not seem that disappointing in a formal written format.
Your score in this area suggests that you are able to take change in your stride. There may be times, though, when you find it frustrating to have to re-prioritise, resulting in disruption to your workload. Reasonably confident in anticipating the impact of change on resources, you are able to prepare others for the adjustments needed. You could, however, seek to clarify that they understand clearly what is required of them, giving reasons and explaining the potential benefits of change. Your usual preference will be to apply procedures flexibly, although there may be times when you do not do so and thus some colleagues may see you as rigid in your approach. Perhaps you find it difficult to adjust your operating style to suit some of your colleagues.
Certainly this final paragraph has summarised my experience at Hamble. I have worked very hard over the past 3 months to improve my ‘damaged’ working relationships with the IT services team in particular. I am confident that I have benefitted from the experience of working with non-teaching staff at this point in my career. Leadership here has required a different management approach, one not yet fully honed. With teaching staff, the transition has been much smoother and the improvement in the results would suggest that.
Overall, a very powerful learning leadership tool. I would recommend any middle or aspiring middle leader take this diagnostic.
1.1 LftM Review
Posted by: kristianstill on: October 28, 2009
I didnt dwell on self talk, nor on moving out of your comfort zone. To be honest, moving from post 16 Sport Science to 11-16ICT is a big enough move for me. Given the task of highlighting tasks that invoke comfort, tension, anxiety or panic I am pleased to say, I was not paniced, if a little anxious.
Goals – Articulating your personal vision
This is a personal reflective activity. Do try to give yourself time to complete it fully: allow at least one hour of uninterrupted time.
So, LftM is already showing itself to be a significant time commitment. When (other than half-terms) do we have an hour of uniterrupted time? If I did, I know I would have significant tasks to complete during that time.
Find yourself a quiet space and a notebook or paper
Make up a few statements about your aspirations (the things you want) in all aspects of your life. Record these statements. See current projects tab at the top.
At this point, in reading the task I have more important things to do than to draw my imagined new life and what it looks / feels like. There are more questions, but I am finding this a little…..
I am supposed to be suspending any limiting thoughts and doubts. I dont think this is really me.
What kind of person are you? I will have a look at the diagnostics.
- Describe your health and fitness. I am active.
- What sort of relationships do you have? I have a wonderful wife, very supportive and helps me balance my work / family life.
- What material possessions do you own? Not sure what this has to do with anything? Warren Buffet, lives in his original home and when asked why he didnt live anyway more grandeur he replied, ‘Would I be happier?’
- Describe your ideal home/living environment. In time I may move somewhere quieter, more rural but again, what does this have to so with leading from the middle?
- How do you spend your recreation and social time?
- What is you ideal profession or vocation?
- What kind of teacher are you?
- How do your pupils see you?
- What individual learning opportunities have you created?
- What sort of community of society do you live in? How do you contribute?
- What travel opportunities have you created?
Thats enough, I am not wasting my time on this. Again, I am frustrated with this process! I am not even sure I am going to focus my vision.
Focusing your vision. Next you need to find out which of these visions is closest to your heart, which ones do you want the most?
Sorry, I am moving on to ‘Do you have any untapped potential?’
List two or three areas in which you are not fully using your potential or where you have not developed at all? This is a much more difficult and direct question to answer. Leading on creating learning materials. Working with disaffected male learners. Sadly, even if I wanted more input here, it would not be timely possible.
Identify an occasion when you were very effective as a middle leader. Getting a 50% increase in pass rate in one year. We had disaffected students, limited time and discipline issues to manage. We made three strategic decisions. We identified those capable of passing, we increased contact time through accelerated workshops and gave parents regular written updates.
Identify an occasion when you were ineffective as a middle leader. Managing poor attendance and punctuality of IT staff and making them accountable.
What is the difference between these two occasions? Knowledge and confidence to address the situation.
What are your current challenges in your leadership. Concluding and then managing 2 major IT projects. Expanding my view of leadership and to be more involved in whole school curricular projects.
1.1 LftM Why am I in education?
Posted by: kristianstill on: October 28, 2009
When I saw this task, I was a little frustrated. I know why I am in education. I thought this answer should be readily available to all teachers. I enjoy challenging and inspiring young people. Second, I thoroughly enjoy learning myself and in my current post, out of my subject and favoured teaching age group, I am learning every day.
Reflect on these questions about your reasons for choosing a career in education, they refer to the Middle Leader who is a teacher.
Now I am disappointed with the course, is this really necessary or informative to me as a middle leader?
Why did I become a teacher? Originally I chose to complete a PGCE as I really enjoyed working with young people and I had a great role model tutor at college.
What do I hold dear as a teacher? Integrity, not doing for students, what they can do for themselves (with a little prompting and support). Professional standards, showing students you learn with the students, failure as feedback, I could go on…
What do I give to my work as a teacher and leader? As a teacher, my lesson observations would suggestion I give good/high quality, consistent and innovative teaching. As a leader, principled leadership, honesty, innovation…. What do I want my legacy to be as a teacher and as a leader? Legacy? I am not working towards a legacy. I working for the students I teach right now. As a leader I hope to influence and lead curriculum change to take into account of what we are preparing students for in their future lives. Currently – I don’t think we are preparing student with their futures in mind. What can I do to keep to my own values and beliefs as a teacher and as a leader? I write a professional blog, I read as widely as I can and I seek feedback from my students and the staff I work with
(Adapted from Livesey and Fullan)
Really, I found that task, rather pointless. Second, recording these tasks is taking rather a long time.
The next task, the boiling frog is so much more subtle. Funnily, there is even a website with a (very weak)Youtube video telling the same story. The premise is that if a frog is placed in boiling water, it will jump out, but if it is placed in cold water that is slowly heated, it will not perceive the danger and will be cooked to death. The story is often used as a metaphor for the inability of people to react to important changes that occur gradually. According to contemporary biologists the premise of the story is not literally true; an actual frog submerged and gradually heated will jump out.
That aside, the tasks asks if there is anything we said when we were young that we would not do, that we have in fact done. This question reminds me of the Mark Twain quote
When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished by how much he’d learned in seven years.
Well, I can remember in interview for my first post I was asked if I wanted to be a school leader. At the time, I could think of little worse than not teaching and coaching. I am not sure if I will be proven wrong.
How do I feel about this changes? I dont feel anything other than a little disappointment. That to make a wider and more substantial change to the education of students, it requires teachers who love teaching to move further and further away from the classroom and move closer to the office (data to be exact).
1.1 LftM – Personal change
Posted by: kristianstill on: October 28, 2009
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This evening I started to look at the Leading from the Middle tasks. The quality of the materials is very good but I am really supposed to record my reflections on a piece of paper and move onto the next task? I always thought that the journey was as important as ones arrival? I have got the large folder provided with the course to check if there is room / space in there for these activities – so I am recording it here. It is not my usual musing, but feel free to join me if you like…
Why Forums Work (in Moodle)
Posted by: kristianstill on: October 28, 2009
I sometimes write the basis of an article and leave it as a draft. I then revisit the article and review my original reflections. Interesting, more often than not I prove myself wrong. This article on Moodle learning was not the exception.
I have been thinking about the ‘Progression‘ slide for Moodle. Dont worry about me, its only been fleeting here and there thinking. I just wanted to understand why are forums the first real tool that sparks interest and why so often lest as passive forums by teachers? And I also wanted to think aloud and think through how we could accelerate that progression.
Also, I want to be respectful on three accounts.
- I doubt that the list was written for public scrutiny
- I only have 3 months Moodle experience
- The list was presented (if not written) by the author of Moodle.
Initially I am not convinced that the list is accurate….
Six months on I have found that I have had the most success with… yes, forums despite efforts with other activities. I posted resources (mainly untouched), I have set up quizzes and questionnaires, I even tried a glossary but the first activity to take a real hold of the students online learning was a forum. In reviewing and rethinking the presentation by Martin Dougiamas at Moodlemoot, I would raise one observation.
Maybe its the users that determin the success of the online tool rather than the educator ability to drive it. I set up a range of forums and it would appear that the students simply enjoyed the conversation with one another. I did read and rate comments in some forums, but this seemed to have minimal influence compared to the fourms where I did not. The success of the tool, in my view, was the extended conversation opportunities it offered. The second reason it was a success – it required limited teacher influence to be successful. In contrast, getting students to contribute to a glossary or reminding students to complete the questionnaire was left me sounding like a broken record.
Now that I have some examples of successfuol forums, I can share these with colleagues. Meanwhile I will go onto to try some new activities – in particular I want to use a workshop.
