I can see now that it will be tough to keep the Blue Skunk apolitical this year. I thought this observation by Texas library professor Mary Ann Bell on her Wanderings blog was rich:

McCain? A 386 PC running Windows 95?

These are from the ASCD e-zene:

We have ERO at school this week as well as the first Lead Teacher session for our Cluster, and a power of other things happening. Even if ERO were not here it would be a pretty frantic week.

ERO are focusing on student engagement and it has been interesting to see how they have approached finding out about this. There has been more time in classrooms than any other review I have been involved in in the nearly 20 years I have been teaching. It is refreshing to be learner-focused and examining things that do actually make a difference to learning and teaching - as opposed to producing reams of paper!
* learning intentions
* feedback and feed forward
* children knowing WHAT they are learning and WHY.
* children knowing what quality looks like …
* analysis of achievement information to inform learning and teaching

I have also felt (so far anyway!) that our learning as a school has also been acknowledged and we have not been expected to be completely perfect. All schools are on a development curve and there are things we are working towards as well as the things we already do very well. We have a clear vision for where we are going and the team have listened to where we intend/will be at the end of the year and beyond…

We have also all felt supported and that the things we are doing well HAVE been celebrated. I have laid formal complaints about reviewers in the past and had them upheld and received apologies. It is great to have a process (tomorrow will tell as to the outcome - lol) that supports our growth as a school and is focused on where we actually are rather than some arbitrary view of where we supposedly should be and doing little but find the mismatch between this mythical nirvana and the reality of our school. Paperwork has been kept in perspective too - as a support and guide for practice not a defining factor of it!

Well it is the final on-site day tomorrow (probably) …. time will tell how the emerging findings meeting goes on Thursday.

It will also be good to get the learning and development programme fully underway with our Cluster Lead Teacher day on Thursday. Jane and Dave have a very full and exciting day planned.

Bruce Hammonds often has some thought prooking stuff on his blog:

Research is now saying sex does matter and that there are immutable differences between boys and girls- that there are genetic differences between the sexes. Girls brains develop faster for starters, even before birth. The brain of a six year old boy looks like the brain of four year old girl - men evidently don’t catch up until they are in their thirties! Emotional development is different in boys and girls brains- it is more evolved in girls. With their rapid brain development girls acquire language skills more readily. Boys, forced to read too early, begin to fail. Girls are currently getting better grades than boys in all areas, including maths.

As well girls thrive in collaborative learning situations and boys are more motivated by competitive environments with clearly defined winners and losers.Different reading preferences of girls and boys are well known.

Bruce contends it is curriculum differentiation that is the key.
A little bit simplistic but it is good to be prompted to think about how we manage gender (and any other) differences in learning styles

Analysis: Reduced class size doesn’t level the playing field

Reducing classroom size to fewer than 18 students per teacher benefits high-achieving students more than struggling ones, according to an analysis by a Northwestern University researcher of data gathered in a major study on the interplay of class size and learning. “While decreasing class size may increase achievement on average for all types of students, it does not appear to reduce the achievement gap within a class,” said Spyros Konstantopoulos, an assistant professor at Northwestern’s School of Education and Social Policy

source

It has been an interesting time recently ….
We have ERO coming this week so I have been pretty preoccupied with getting all the small loose ends tied up that you need to do before they descend upon you. We have a fabulous staff and the focus is on “student engagement” (our focus) and “Professional development” (government are of interest - PD … don’t get me started on what that implies!!) should not be too much of a drama for us.
I have been reflecting on Julia Atkin’s work since L@S in Rotorua a couple of weeks ago. I have put a display in the foyer and put things in the newsletter to try and get feedback on what the “Values and Beliefs” that underpin our practice and existence are at Outram School. I have been having some very interesting discussions with people prompted by this.
Good thinking to do …
*why DO we send children to school (apart for the obvious childcare function)?
*Where DOES your school fit within your community and the values the community adn families hold?
*Where IS the line between the ethical and moral discussions families should have and the ones we have in the classroom with the children?
*What DO we believe about learning - children and adult?
*What SHOULD the learning and physical environment be like ion the school/classroom?

Interesting stuff ….

The challenge is to get people to respond …. it is starting though