Andy Hargreaves keynote

Well it begins… (Blogged in the sessions and my ideas in italix)
Howard Baldwin is doing the introduction and we are getting the big “we need to change” message. The long tail comes out again nothing about ALL countires who speak english having a long tail … we speak a difficult language! Have to work on it but no (necessarily) a function of teacher competence!

Good to catch up with Tony Ryan and David Anderson again for a chat a registration. Looking forward to Tony coming to work with us for a teachers only day later in the term. The place is packed!

Andy Hargreaves (”the Fourth Way of Leadership and Change”):
yay – pointing out that “on most measures NZ is one of the highest performing education systems in the world!”
Pink Shirt Day – anti-bullying campaign. It is today. There is no excuse for being picked on and bullied! The key is to talk with others and depriavatise the issue. Leaders need to take the lead on this and provide an example. There are bullies in the playground AND the staffroom.
“of themselves ICT and e-learning have no demonstrable positive effect on leaning and student outcomes” … it is what we do with them that makes the difference. It is the pedagogy that goes with them that makes the difference …. or enables them to make the difference. So that why our Cluster programme focuses on pedgogy as much as the geeky stuff. That’s why purpose is paramount, particularly with ICT’s.

The first three ways of change:
Always make conscious decisions about what you keep and what you leave behind!

1. The first Way:
Teachers from the 60’s and 70’s. Teachers wanted to change the world. Lots of innovation, flexibility and freedom. Lots of inconsistency but also lots of great things happening.

2. The second Way:
Dissatisfaction with inconsistency. Very top down model. Market competition to promote improvement. Goals and targets. “beware of following the goals and patterns of other Anglo American countries who perform less well than you!”. Standardisation of curriculum leads to narrowness. This is NOT the way to move forward successfully.

3. The Third Way (Anthony Giddens – informs Tony Blairs thinking, + Bill Clinton)
trying to combine first two. Taking off pressure while increasing consistency. Public-private partnerships. Getting teachers and schools talking to each other to get people thinking and talking about their practice to spread it around. Have tended to keep the testing etc from 2nd – warns us to beware of this as a country/system – wonder if the right people are listening to this point!?
Discusses the growth and growth of Finland – top PISA education system. Successful economy. Nokia is responsible for 40% of GDP of Finland. Made active decision to become top knowledge economy in the world! Nokia used to make gumboots! … to cable insultion …. to electronics. Has taken central part of growth of Finland. Managers change role in company every 15 months. Gives bredth of understanding of whole company. Have philosophy that bad news MUST travel fast.
You create you future by connecting to the best of what you have been in the past. ALL children study musical performance to the END of high school. Creativity a key component of the whole culture. Provide food for the mind.
Teachers have high statusandd people are drawn into teahing in order to create the future of the country. Less than 10% chance of being accepted into teaching, such is the competition.

It is the mission and condition of the work that makes the difference to teaching as a profession. Teachers create a curriculum together based on broad National guidelines. Teachers responsible for ALL of the children at the school. Bringing up the kids at the bottom and ALL have role in ensuring that children are the best they can be. Collaborative trust and responsibility.
Schools belong to everyone – not “the principals”. Has leadership devolved responsibilty and enabled teachers to be able to run the school without the principal. Says if P’s phone their school today they have failed love it!!. Schools also cooperate and share financial and other resources. Schools work together for the communities. The strong SHOULD help the weak.

Giving Finland as an example of the Fourth Way. Cooperation, collaboration , sharing, social responsibility.

Poverty is no excuse for failing!

The rongness of goals and targets is the imposition of them from above …. not of targets themselves. Schools tend to set higher targets than govts will impose. Strong relationships and high trust are critical. Knowing your people well is also important – “is there close personal knowledge before spreadsheets and paperwork?”

High quality teachers essential.