Digitising appraisal and inquiry - Core Ed Breakfast

Early morning start for the Core Ed Breakfast seminar with Karen Melhuish Spencer - looking at appraisal and inquiry integration - using digital technology.

I feel that we are well along this path - so this will be interesting.

Key Question  - how can we best learn in connected ways? What will an integrated approach to professional learning look like?

Focus - weaving inquiry and appraisal using digital technology

Much of which we do is tacit and unspoken, wrapped up in our own values and beliefs within the walls of a classroom.

We need to make that overt and share what works for all - having the 'seams in the outside' - we can see not just what we are doing, but why we are doing it - and the purpose behind it.

We need to make what's working visible - otherwise how do we know what works 

How do we make the process of learning as an individual as part if a team?

Key idea 

Start with the who, the people.

Then the why, then the how and the what.

You need to balance the individual and the group focus.

The who- 

We all like to learn in different ways and with different approaches.

How do our staff prefer to learn?

What are the needs and passions of our staff?

A professional learning model needs to have space for personalisation.

What is our school's vision for professional learning? How is that connected to the school's overall vision?

On the staff we have the 'nodders' and the 'hiders' - ones who will want to work with others and ones who want to hide!

The same approach that we use for 'inclusive learning' for students needed for inclusive learning for staff.

Reference - professional learning for adults - Knowles 

Teachers must be partners on their own educational plans and evaluations .

How can we know our staff  PD is designed around their needs?

The why? How is your vision for learning evolving?

The changing model of what professional learning might look like.

Growing interest in what a transformational model of professional learning might look like.

Growing interest in informal self driven networked learning - how do we harness that?

Professional learning - technology allows this to be - 

- involved

- inquiry

- individual 

- active

- informal 

- committed

Reliant on a team around you - a solo act within a team.

21st century teacher professional development needs to combine individual and organisational development - build individual learning but also developing individuals in a team. 

Teachers as adaptive experts. 

Need to go beyond the school.  Learning communities within the school.

The how?

Cannot be top down driven - needs to have a split focus.

Individual teacher - inquiry can be short term or long term question.

 

How we record and capture - can be varied - this is something that we need to look at.

Encourage teachers to share their inquiry - do we do enough of this.

Whatever we are appraising staff against needs to be linked to the portfolio - the learning must be meaningful. This then needs to be linked to the RTCs and appraisal.

Appraisal is then inclusive and flexible. 

Digital technology -allows access to others knowledge and compare and critique examples of practice

Essential - a shared understanding of what effective teaching looks like - visible overt learning. 

We all want our practice to grow. 

How much flexibility and choice do we have?

- do our staff have agency to choose our own goals?

- do staff have to be in a certain place at a certain time?

Higher the agency and flexibility - more engaged staff.

How are digital technologies woven through professional learning in our school?

- or are we in a digital 'ant death spiral' ????

Don't start with the technology - get caught in the 'activity trap'

A culture of collaboration is essential.

We needs relationships of trust and mutual challenge.

Networks not hierarchies - how do we showcase and allow experts to take the spotlight.

Summary

- choice

- flexibility

- supported by technology

- right tool for the right job for the right context 

The process is more important than the tool .

Technologies can support space for learning communities.

"inquiry should not be seen as an add on or a project but as a way if professional being"

Questions for us to take away from this morning:

- do we all need to use the same platform ?
- do we need to be doing long term inquiry - where is the place for short term inquiry inour model?