Keynote Speakers
Dr. Stuart Middleton - School Looks Good But Is It Engaging
Interesting talk regarding the disengagement of student in learning and the education systems. Some frightening statistics regarding disengagement and students not fulfilling learning potentials. Discussion on re-positioning of the education system in a changing world with new purposes and different roles for educators.
Whether school have the power to restructure learning systems to cater for student needs is questionable. We have inherited a system based upon an industrial revolution mode that looked to place young people into employment.
In many respects school systems have not kept pace with changes in technology, migration, employment opportunities, etc.
The educational focus has been on evolving learning methodologies but still operating within an stratified year based structure with students advancing through year levels and expected to meet appropriate age level targets.
As learning institutions or “institutions of change” we may need to examine how learning is structured within our schools to best meet the needs of our students.
Alan November - The Emerging Culture of Teaching and Learning
Very engaging speaker talking about the culture of teaching and learning. Presentation focused on practical examples of how emerging technologies provide educators with an opportunity for continuous professional improvement.
The on-line environment constantly challenges our students and ourselves in respect to content and suitability. Too many students are not sure how to separate fact from fiction on the Internet. The Internet can provide any version of the truth to support almost any belief. How do we know what we resource is appropriate, factual and useful. Alan November illustrated how to find owners of websites - forget the title & content - look who is posting the information!
He shared some on-line tools that assist in data searching, refining searches and presentation of information.
The key message appeared to be the empowering of students to manage their own learning. With such ownership develops the enthusiasm to share knowledge and learners can become teachers. He showed examples of building learning communities.
http://novemberlearning.com/team/alan-november/
Dr. Thomas R Hoerr - Leading from Behind
Confident, relaxed speaker who interacted well with his audience.
Shared specific assumptions and practices for creating learning organization. In “a good school students learn but in a great school, everyone learns!”
3 Things That Keep Me Awake at Night
- “Have I offended the people I want to offend - If everyone is happy, I’m not doing my job”
- “Am I making new mistakes - Am I pushing myself as much as I push others”
- “Am I practicing the balance that I preach?”
Philosophies - Leadership as a Principal
- Teachers are the key factor in determining the quality of a school.
- Leaders need to grow.
- We must be learners - we learn on the fly.
Apply the same principles to adult learning as we do to childrens learning.
Leadership is about relationships - the key to being a good leader is to have good relationships with your staff.
- Access to information has flattened the hierarchy.
- Email has removed personal distance and awe.
- Most of us have less power than we did 10 years ago
Just as reading was made necessary by the printing press and arithmetic by the introduction of money, so computers are changing our learning needs and processes.
Executive & Legislative Leadership
- What are some of the issues on which you can exert Executive leadership?
- What are some of the issues when legislative leadership applies
- “Your decision, my decision, our decision”
Teacher Collegiality
- Teachers talking together about students
- Teachers talking together about curriculum
- Teachers observing each other teach
Learning@School 2010
http://www.core-ed.net/learningatschool
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