Neill's Blog

The people have spoken

2011-11-26T00:53:00.000-08:00

Well there we have it.

We have no option but to listen to the voice of the people and the people have said they are happy (in the majority) with National Standards and the National Government.

That means that we have to do all we can to ensure that our children are not the ones who loose from this- that is I/ we need to do all we can to mitigate the risks , ensure that our schools are still vibrate, positive places and that our children are engaged, motivated, confident, connected life long learners and that they achieve to the best of their potential.

I respect the choice and the decision of the people.

My job is to make this work.

Kia kaha

Neill

Last Chance

2011-11-24T11:00:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow we decide

Do we want an Education system based on passing Standards or based on meeting children's needs?

Do we want a system based on schools competing against each other for ranking on league tables or co operating and collaborating?

Do we want teachers pay based on how many children they get to meet the standard or based on value added?

Do we want schools recognised for their innovation, quality practices, systems of self review by the Education Review Office or recognised for their Decile Rating (which will in turn impact on ranking for National Standards)?

Do we want to retain our World Class Curriculum and Internationally recognised teachers or do we want to revert to a 1950's system of Standards and failing children as young as possible?

Wake up New Zealand our Education system that ranks so high in the world is at risk tomorrow.

This Government have made their policy clear. The implications are very serious.

What is the purpose of school?

2011-11-09T09:43:00.000-08:00

Often we are told that our business is to improve outcomes for learners- and to some degree this is true.

We are also told to fix the ills of society (teenage pregnancy, environmental destruction, financial woes, crime, racism, bullying,religious intolerance and hatred) and while schooling can't actually 'fix' these things it does have a part to play.

Usually these expectations come on schools when society is failing in some way or another or when a group wants to exploit schooling for some other agenda.

Our National Curriculum states:

Our vision is for young people:

who will be creative, energetic, and enterprising
who will seize the opportunities offered by new knowledge and technologies to secure a sustainable social, cultural, economic, and environmental future for our country
who will work to create an Aotearoa New Zealand in which Māori and Pākehā recognise each other as full Treaty partners, and in which all cultures are valued for the contributions they bring
who, in their school years, will continue to develop the values, knowledge, and competencies that will enable them to live full and satisfying lives
who will be confident, connected, actively involved, and lifelong learners.

It is perhaps the last bullet point that is most compelling. If we as a nation are to succeed (and I don't just mean economically) we need individuals who are lifelong learners. Herein lies the challenge of schooling. How do we create/enable/encourage "confident, connected, actively involved, and lifelong learners".

I believe that Schlechty sums it up beautifully below:

The business of schools is to produce learning that is so compelling that students persist when
they experience difficulties and that is so challenging that students have a sense of
accomplishment, of satisfaction- indeed of delight, when they successfully accomplish the task
assigned (leaning)
so...
The job of the teacher is to make learning so compelling that young people find it more satisfying
to learn than to attend to any one of a score of competing possibilities”
Phil Schlechty in H Lynn Erickson “Concept based Curriculum and Instruction” pg viii 2002

So our challenge/ my challenge to schools is to unpack how we might make learning "so compelling" that all else falls aside. All inappropriate behaviour, all distractions, all texting....

Our challenge (and I understand that it is a big challenge) is to engage children and through exciting/ challenging/ motivational/difficult learning.

I believe we can achieve the vision in the New Zealand Curriculum rather than that which is dolled out in truck loads every time there is a problem in society (or an election). I also believe that this is a far more exciting challenge than any National Standard or Ministry imposed "3R" challenge.

Maths

2011-09-28T10:08:00.001-07:00

It the numeracy project the answer?

Some schools in New Zealand have been implementing it for over 10 years. Is it making a difference? Well the NEMP report released in Sept 19 2010 showed that there had been no improvement in achievement for Y8 for over 12 years and overall between 2005 and 2009 no improvement for any year level. There could be a lot of reasons including:

- a lack of skill and understanding on the part of teachers in the numeracy framework

- variation in implementation of the numeracy project nation wide (it is not compulsory)

- where it has been implemented variation in the quality of teaching

- confusion over how and when to promote children through the stages

- lack of rigor around follow up activities after teaching time

- removal of maths from a real life context and problems

The last reason may also impact on enjoyment. Children need to know more than having several strategies. Then need to know and understand maths in a real life problem solving context. Is it time to make time for real problems, real issues and then teach maths in context just in time rather than endless amounts of just in case teaching?

It is time to look at what we are doing in maths once again.

National Standards con't...

2011-09-18T14:16:00.000-07:00

We are doing our best with National Standards despite:

- A total lack of effective PD

- Confusion at the highest levels about specifics around implementation

- A lack of research and meaningful justification as to why we would report against age for the first three years of a child's schooling and then suddenly switch to year end reporting

- Conflicting statements from the various PD providers about how to implement the standards

- All the providers suggesting that we go back to school and determine what the standards mean to us (are they or are they not National Standards?)

- funding

But this is not the biggest issue. The biggest issue is that the standards have done and will do little if nothing to help the underachieving children in NZ. It was interesting to hear the media and Government acknowledge the massive issue of child poverty in NZ (200 000 children!)- Start there folks- look at the link between poverty and underachievement, address poverty and social inequities and you will begin to deal with under achievement.

National Standards will not help!

Despite this my staff and I continue to comply and do all that we can to ensure that the children at Windsor are not disadvantaged because of the standards (i.e being labelled "Below" in 2011- a year of unprecedented change, disruption, crisis and turmoil!)

We have entered the stage where our children are now guinea pigs for an untried, unproven and questionable practice- what a shame

Neill

Canterbury Children

2011-09-16T20:59:00.000-07:00

I was amazed last week.

At our Learning Celebration Assembly (LCA) we had so much to celebrate that we were still going well after 3:00pm! Our children started the LCA with a moving rendition of the National Anthem on the eve of the launch of the Rugby World Cup. This was followed by children sharing their learning, their PRIDE challenges, our Jump Jam teams (who came 2nd and 7h respectively out of 143 teams nationally) performed and then Chris from World Vision spoke. This was the highlight for me. In a year when so much has been taken from the families of Canterbury the children of Windsor raised more money than they ever had for the children of Timor. Such was their generosity that our school was the top school in the South Island. Go Canterbury, Go Windsor , Go our children!

Lifelong and Self Regulated Learners

2011-08-23T12:44:00.000-07:00

Randomly interview 32 children from 16 classes about their learning goals with no warning and allowing no prompts and what would you expect? I expected they might know something about their learning- like perhaps a few goals.

What I found was really exciting.

The majority (80%) could talk to me about their goals and next steps in reading, writing,maths and even a Key Competency (especially self management) goal.

These children could articulate what they were learning, why they were learning it and how they would know if they were successful. What a transition from 10 years ago when we "Did" learning to children. Now we engage and empower them, we encourage them to take responsibility for their own learning and we have an expectation that they can communicate their progress.

The aim of developing lifelong learners is very admirable, the reality- seeing it in practice is awesome!

The next step- if I, or someone asks a child What are you learning at the moment and why?"- can they respond in a meaningful manner, is there a close link between what the teacher was intending (the learning intention) and the learning that is taking place?

Skillful Thinkers

2011-08-10T11:04:00.000-07:00

I recently had the pleasure of attending a workshop by Edward de Bono in Belfast Northern Ireland. His presentation regarding "Thought full lesson design" really resonated with me. Two key aspects struck a note:

1. To ensure that we are fully aware and plan for the understandings that we want the children to develop in a rich context

2. To plan to develop skillful thinkers by the language we as teachers use in the lessons as well as the teaching strategies we teach the children.

It sounds so simple yet it is so critical. What are we trying to do if not to develop skillful thinkers?

Yet to do this a teacher needs to consider:

- the type of thinking that is required for the child to be successful

- replacing "I want you to think about..." with " I want you to consider or debate, or discuss, or analyse etc..."

- the understandings (and what this actually means) to be developed and then the process to achieve this- this goes well beyond rote knowledge and is based on a conceptual curriculum

That is we become more precise about the type of thinking we are asking to child to engage in.

At Windsor we staff have placed large copies of words to use in place of "think" on the wall to provide prompts to themselves and children. Just one small step but I believe a powerful one. In addition they have planned for the type of thinking that will be required in the lesson and they have continued with developing specific deep understandings of concept based curriculum in their Inquiry Modules.

Thank you Edward for complimenting our work and providing some very useful insights to develop our children's thinking!

Why do we do what we do?

2011-07-12T16:04:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest challenges in education is critical reflection.

It is a challenge because without it we (educators) do what we have always done and what was done to us. Why wouldn't we , we are a successful outcome of a western education system so why not replicate it.

My belief is that we should reflect deeply on all that we do, and be immersed in the best research and studies about teaching and learning so that we might improve our learning environments. You may think I am stating the obvious but if reflective practice was occuring regularly in our schools why are so many practices the same as what was evident 20-30 years ago?

Why in many schools:

- Are there still "Parent, Teacher " interviews without the child present?

- Do we still have seating that is all groups or all in single tables?

- Do teachers ask most of the questions in the classroom?

- Is homework unchanged from our parents day?

- Are lessons set between 9:00 and 3:00 and children at 5 years have the same length day as children at 12 years in NZ?

- Do we get children to line up in two straight lines

- Do we give the message to parents and children that successful learners are "Good and listen to the teacher and don't talk" rather than "Creative, questioning, critical, collaborative, interacting and active"

- Do children still not know what they are learning, why they are learning it and are aware of the success criteria

- Are facts and memorising information for tests valued

- Do we still teach topics (on a bi annual cycle) that often have no meaningful link to the child's world

I believe that if we are reflective, look at Best Practice Evidence and research about learning we might just challenge the above which are at the tip of the iceberg in terms of questionable practice in schools in 2011.

Laugh Out Loud! (LOL)

2011-06-30T08:33:00.000-07:00

Why not laugh?

I attended a workshop at ICOT in Belfast last week that was literally a laugh (http://www.laughteryoga.org/).

The underpinning premise was that laughter is healing, heathy and restorative. The workshop had me doubled over laughing with a group of people I had never met before- I laugh a lot so this was not an entirely new experience for me- and we connected on a different level to all other workshops at the conference.

I wonder if you laugh enough?

As an educator it is very easy to look at the negatives in school- constant earthquakes, we were burgled last night at Windsor $100000 worth of i pads stolen, stressed staff, troubled children, upset parents, however it is relatively easy to adjust my attitude- just visiting the playground at interval or lunch and I will see and hear children laughing, usually our staffroom is filled with laughter.

Children appear to be able to laugh at the drop of a hat- as we get older we appear to be conditioned to take more care about why,when, where, how and with whom we laugh- and often we don't do it at all. One of our Teaching and Learning Beliefs at Windsor is " A positive and challenging learning environment", you can bet that means bring on the laughs (as well as giving 100% in our learning)

If you are an educator ask yourself the question, "Do I enable laughter and a positive learning environment?"

If not then I suggest you re think your role with children. Children are a joy, they bring joy with them, life is hard enough (we can attest to this in Christchurch), find a way to encourage laughter today in your school, workplace, classroom, staffroom or home.

You will have nothing to loose, your day will be happier and those around you will not complain that they were upset because together you laughed!

Pass on a laugh tomorrow!

Resilence

2011-06-30T08:23:00.000-07:00

Since my last post from Ireland I returned home early to New Zealand following ongoing quakes and announcements about land remediation or zones that were to be totally wiped out due to excessive ground damage.

On my return I was struck by the resilience of our staff, children and the community. Despite repeated setbacks the team continue to provide a stimulating and challenging learning environment for our children. Families continue to smile and press on despite homes that are far from safe and in many cases at risk of severe structural damage in the event of another substantial shake. What strength, heart and fortitude. I am indeed proud to be a Canterbury resident and the Principal of such a school in such a resilient community.

The strength of our staff and children is written on the faces of our children.

Kia kaha Canterbury- be strong!

Dublin and Belfast ICOT 2011

2011-06-22T08:35:00.000-07:00

I am currently in Belfast at ICOT (International Conference on Thinking) having spent four wonderful days in Dublin.

Having visited schools in Ireland I can say that in NZ:

We are very fortunate with our school environments

Our autonomy under Tomorrows Schools is worth its weight in gold (and student engagement and achievement)

Our teachers have wonderful professional development opportunities in general and support as beginning teachers

Our staff are empowered to be reflective practitioners due to the systems and processes that we have in place

Our lack of a formal second language is debilitating

The imposition of National Standards is a move back in time and will do little to help our children

We have a beautiful country!

Having listened to some top international speakers such as Art Costa and Edward de Bono I am challenged about some of our practices and indeed about the risks inherent in moving to a narrow curriculum focussed on numeracy and literacy. I am reminded of the absolute need to help our children to be skillful thinkers and of the need for teachers to utilize strategies that will empower and enable our children.

I am also challenged by the difference between "real learning" and "school learning" and how we might reduce the gap between the two so that learning is more meaningful for our children.

It is an honor and a privileged to travel here to learn about teaching and learning from such an expert field. It is also a privilege to teach our children in New Zealand.

As the children and families struggle with ongoing earthquakes in Christchurch I am again reminded about the amazing job that the dedicated staff at Windsor do in providing a positive and challenging learning environment.

Kia Kaha Christchurch and Windsor!

Neill from Belfast June 2011

Risk Taking and Mistake making

2011-05-29T16:06:00.000-07:00

Do we need to take risks (or as a member of our discussion group this morning said "Have a go") to learn?

We debated this point this morning. It was an interesting discussion. We did agree that we needed to talk to our children about the learning process and aspects of their learning that involved taking a risk- in fact discuss what "taking a risk" means. We reflected on the NZ Curriculum and the key competencies of participating and contributing and of managing self. Both involve taking risks (with the chance of making mistakes) to learn and grow. Certainly once children leave the compulsory schooling years they will be in an ongoing range of situations where they have the choice of taking a risk (having a go) with the possibility of making mistakes and the consequences of this or of staying in their comfort zone.

If they do not learn to take risks and make mistakes in the safety of the schooling environment when will they? Will they venture an opinion in a group discussion with the risk that their opinion could be perceived as wrong (Participating and Contributing) if they are scared of the consequences. How do they learn to manage self if they are not put in the situation where they can "have a go"?

Will their experiences through school encourage or discourage them from taking a risk?

Do our classrooms and schools have a culture of encouraging risk taking and accepting "making mistakes" as a critical part of the learning process?

Time to observe, talk to our children and our staff and find out!

Integrated Learning, Questioning and Assessment

2011-05-25T12:49:00.000-07:00

I was having some great discussions with a group of principals (critical friends) yesterday regarding integrated learning and assessment. In particular we are interested in what is meaningful and useful to assess, what we do with that information, how it will inform teaching and parents and be of value to the child. We looked at a number of approaches. At Windsor we have experimented with the knowledge aspect, the skills strand and the application of PRIDE Values.

This year we are exploring the Key Competency of Thinking and in particular the ability of children to explore into their world and the concepts/ contexts we are studying through effective questioning. We have developed a questioning matrix and are looking to see the children develop their ability to ask questions, (closed first) then use the seven servants to broaden their inquiry followed by the use of key words and then the ability to pursue a course of inquiry.

What we have found out along the way is that while children enter school at 5 with non stop questions about their world that these appear to reduce in quantity and quality as they progress through our education system. This is a real concern if their are to be lifelong learners and are act as active rather than passive learners. In fact it appears that the one who asks the most questions in the classroom in school is the teacher....

Do we want children exiting school only able to answer questions (i.e. find the correct answer) or ask their own questions and then explore, inquire and find some solutions?

Hands Up - IT Solution

2011-05-11T21:53:00.000-07:00

Matt Bush read my blog and suggested that while ice cream sticks were good the Randomizer is better- check this out!

Hands Up!

2011-05-11T11:40:00.000-07:00

Why do we ask children to put up their hands to answer a question in class?

A very short observation will show you that:

- One or two children typically get their hands up before the question is even finished because they love to talk and can think on the spot

- Those who take time to process the question (as all should) feel pressured by the fact that child A and B have their hands up already (now trying to process and cope with added pressure)

- Those who were not wanting to answer are relieved and sit back thinking "Thank God I didn't have to answer that one"

- Others who have their hands up waiting for their turn to answer cannot listen to others contributions because they are busy trying to remember what they were going to say!

- and others might not even want to answer as they have realised this is a "Guess what is in the Teachers head" at times!!!!

What to do?

Have a "no hands up policy" in the classroom.

Instead discuss with the children

"When I ask a question I will give you time to think, then I want you to share your idea with a partner then I will choose anyone, or two or three to share with the class" (Think , pair, share)

Use icecream sticks with the children's names on. Each time you ask a question wait 10 seconds and then draw a name from the pot then everyone will listen, think and be ready to contribute.

Remind children there are many possible responses and that there is not usually just one correct answer.

Ensure that the question prompts thinking and generates discussion.

Do not repeat their answer/ response your children are probably not hearing impaired so let the response be theirs.

Provide meaningful feedback to their response.

Whatever you do try to get rid of the "Thinking stopper" of hands up!

Schoolwork, homework or learning?

2011-05-04T11:30:00.000-07:00

Do semantics matter? I believe that they do. Consider "learning" and "work" in the school context.

When children come to school to learn there is a implicit expectation that their is an effective learning environment for them, that the learning opportunities are relevant, appropriate, provide a suitable challenge and that the children will know when they have succeeded or otherwise. The message will be "What are you learning at the moment?, Make the most of the learning time, Do you need assistance with your learning?" etc. At home the "learning" they do should support what was learnt at school- it should not be work or a chore- homework very often leads to family stress and turns children off learning. School (the 8:30-3:15 place of learning) should be an exciting journey of learning not a daily grind of going to work! Likewise Home Learning should be an enjoyable experience for parent and child (yes this is possible!!)

When children come to school to do schoolwork the message is often "get on with your work", "Let me see your work". There is also plenty of room for "busy work" that is, activities that do not challenge the learner and in fact do not encourage learning at all.

We do not have time at school for busy work, or time filling work (worksheets another example) we only have time for powerful, meaningful, exciting learning!

Do semantics count? Most definitely- I challenge teachers, parents and school leaders to try switching to "learning" in place of "work" you will quickly see a difference in yourself as well as the opportunities you provide the learner

Earthquakes, Fundays and Resilience

2011-04-06T10:38:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy term to say the least!

Following the devastating earthquake the children have had a fantastic time as they returned to school. The staff have been organising wonderful learning opportunities for the children and we have had a variety of exciting "Funday" activities to re ignite the joy about school and to help with the transition back to the "new normal"

We were fortunate to have a school that is still in very good condition while all around us homes have been significantly damaged.

As you can see from the photo we now have a new wee lake on site

following the earthquake! We have also been working hard on the Windsor Alps in the background. The Alps will be a play/ exercise area with hills, bridges, tunnels and native plants. Thanks Murray and the Team from NZ Build for this awesome space.

As much as possible it has been learning as usual with the children. While we have been experiencing a number of aftershocks the vast majority have gone un noticed by the children. We have had wonderful community support since the quake and the school is moving in a positive direction with all showing amazing resilience.

We have been focusing on "Making is safe and Making it fun!" since we returned and we really seemed to be achieving our goal. Next Term is a wizz bang term of science- "Making it Amazing!". We have a term of science that will really challenge the children and in particular we are planning to develop the children's key competency of "Thinking" through exploring quality questioning in science.

Remember we have a Facebook page for regular updates

Welcome back!

2011-02-01T14:43:00.000-08:00

Kia ora and welcome to our new families and our returning families in 2011!

We have had a wonderful start to 2011. The teachers had an inspiring day with International consultant and writer Tony Ryan. Tony is renown for developing the "Thinkers Keys" in the 1980's and was an early advocate of explicitly teaching the skills of thinking to children. Tony inspired the staff with his practical teaching strategies, he challenged us all with his questions about why we teach and the important role that we have in the life of a child and he gave us plenty of great strategies about how to manage the challenging role of teaching 20-30 children for 6-7 hours a day, planning, assessing, building relationships with the child, their family, contributing to the greater life of the school, meeting Government expectations, meeting community expectations and still having a balanced life.

This day was followed by a fantastic morning where over 50 staff and BOT members spent time getting to know each other, re acquainting ourselves with our Vision, values and beliefs and clarifying our goals for 2011.

We have an amazing year planned! The learning opportunities for the children at Windsor are too many to mention here but with our Key Competency focus of Managing Self and our PRIDE Value focus of Excellence we expect to see some fantastic results.

Our PRIDE Challenges will be up and running shortly but have a look at the link to see some of the inspiring children from 2010. Such is the interest in the PRIDE Challenges nationally that they have become part of the NZ Curriculum Online series.

Our Theme of "Making it!" in 2011 we see the children immersed in Science and Technology for the year. We are going to have a lot of fun learning about ways of "Making it"

Huge changes have been going on over the holidays, new courts, painting, re fit of older building and the creation of breakout learning areas called CHILL Studios (CHILL- Children who Independently Lead their Learning). The projects are ongoing- as you can see by the digger above!

I look forward to seeing our families at the Meet the Teacher Picnic next Tuesday!

Regards

Neill

ERO Visit

2010-11-18T15:13:00.000-08:00

We have had a review from the Education Review Office last week. They review our self review practices, our policies, implementation of the New Zealand Curriculum, our provision and care for International Students and improving outcomes for our Maori children. The initial results from the ERO review is very positive with the team recognizing a wide variety of strengths across the school. The BOT will have a first "draft" report by the end of the year and the final report is likely to be available to the community early in 2011.

Earthquakes, Skis and Resilience!

2010-09-22T19:38:00.001-07:00

Dear Families
This is undoubtedly a term we will never forget. Your children will have the badge of "I survived the Christchurch Quake!" and will have survived an event unequaled in the history of Christchurch and also in New Zealand in the last 50 years. What the Earthquake has shown us is the resilience of our people, the support, love and care of not only our community but the whole of New Zealand and the determination to overcome adversity. I am so thankful to the staff for their courage at a time of real challenge and fear as we returned to school while the aftershocks continued around us. To me an indication of your courage and determination to help your children to return to normal life was evidenced in two ways. the first was seeing 99% of our children back on the first day and also being the only school to continue with a ski trip to Porters after the earthquake. What a fantastic attitude when nerves were frayed, not having your children at your side created anxiety for many.
The timing of this holiday is fantastic. I know the staff need a good break from school as some have houses that are still unsafe and others like you just need some decent sleep. Our thoughts continue to be with the many families who are displaced and those who have homes that have either been condemned or are still in limbo.
We have a very exciting term 4 planned for your children. it starts with a hiss and a roar with the music festival in the first week and then athletics in the second. Our Integrated learning module (PAI Module) starts in the first week with a focus on "It's all about me!" This theme is the culmination of our studies of "Our World and beyond" and "Cultures of the World". I know the staff are excited about the term ahead.
Have a great holiday, take care, enjoy your children and I look forward to seeing you in the new term

Latest Update

2010-09-09T21:38:00.001-07:00

We will back into it on Monday. We have an information pack for parents and an information sharing session in the hall at 9:10am. The school is in great condition and we are ready to go

Earthquake Update

2010-09-06T15:04:00.000-07:00

Well we are still experiencing a significant number of aftershocks. These are causing a lot of stress for families especially given the size of the shocks and the advice that we may still have aftershocks of up to 6.2 coming!

Our school is structurally sound so at this stage we are waiting for information from the authorities about water purity and sewage systems. There will be a meeting at 4:00 pm with Ministry, Council and Health agencies. After this we will have some idea of what is happening tomorrow. In the meantime stay safe!

Neill

Earthquake Impact

2010-09-05T17:04:00.000-07:00

I know that all of you in Canterbury will have been affected by the Earthquake. At the School we appear to have got of lightly with just superficial damage. The Ministry representatives are telling us that they will have assessed all schools by the end of Tuesday. We have two classrooms that may have structural damage so we are required to remain off site until our buildings have been cleared. Our staff have been affected with a number having homes that are seriously damaged and that are likely to be uninhabitable. They have been receiving much welcomed support from friends and family.

Our thoughts go out to all of those who have had property damaged and to our children, many of whom are quite traumatized. We are thankful that as a community we have had no loss of life.

We hope to be back in action on Wednesday.

21C Learning

2010-08-07T16:42:00.000-07:00

Is it really different, are teachers teaching children in a different way than in 1999?

There is a challenge for us if we really believe in the Vision, Principles and Values of the New Zealand Curriculum, if we really want to develop the life long learning capacities and competencies in children.

I believe the proof is in the curriculum that each school develops and then in the learning experience for our children.

What a fantastic opportunity we have in 2010 to fully implement the New Zealand Curriculum.

Parent Consultation Night

2010-08-07T16:36:00.000-07:00

We had a fantastic night this week with 65 parents meeting at school to discuss National Standards, writing and our new property developments. What a great night. The feedback was such that we will run another session later this term. We will video the next one so we can share it on the school website.

What was fantastic was seeing and hearing parents getting excited about how to meaningfully help their children to become better writers. A few days later at school children were talking about the neat things parents were doing with them with writing.

If we can get the message to parents (and teachers!) that great writers do more then just print neatly and spell well there is real hope of seeing our children empowered to write and wanting to write. Great writers record their ideas first- then when they are reading to publish/ share their writing they worry about neatness, punctuation and grammar.

Many thanks to the staff who presented, the parents who attended and the PTA for serving the cheese and wine!

Back into it!

2010-07-19T23:53:00.000-07:00

We are back!

What a pleasure to stand at the front entrance to school and meet so many children excited about being back at school!

What a pleasure to hear from parents that they are excited about the partnership with Windsor and all that they see happening for their child (actually conversation day 1!)

What a pleasure to go into classes and see children learning, laughing and interacting and to see teachers laughing with their children and focussed on starting the term in a positive way

What a pleasure to have a first few staff meetings and seeing and hearing teachers talking about what it means to be a successful learner in 2010 and how to improve teaching in writing so our children can achieve more, are more engaged and want to write.

What a pleasure to be at Windsor as we finalise our 2010 Curriculum!

Have a great week!

Exciting times in New Zealand Education

2010-07-09T06:17:00.000-07:00

In the last week of the term I had the pleasure of attending the New Zealand Principals Federation Conference in beautiful Queenstown with over 600 leaders from NZ and overseas. What I saw and heard confirmed some things for me:

- New Zealand is a stunning place- such beauty

- We have one of the most exciting education systems in the World

- Research confirms it- things have changed for our children, their world is so different to that of 20 years ago and schools need to be responsive to their needs

- Our children are resilient, innovative, creative, and intuitive learners all we need to do is open up the right learning pathways for them and they will fly!

- Our children want to lead their learning, they want to communicate their achievements and their mistakes (Facebook can attest to this!)

I head back to Windsor to put the finishing touches on our "Windsor Curriculum". It is so exciting to be involved in Education when we have the mandate from the Government to create a community based curriculum. The electronic document we produce will be the culmination of 4 years work with staff, children, the Board of Trustees, the PTA and our community. It will be a organic electronic document (if there is such a thing) in so much as it will be able to be updated in response to new developments , new research, new resources and our growing understanding of learning in the 21st Century.

I look forward to sharing the "Windsor Curriculum" very shortly.

Skate, scoot, rip stick!

2010-06-17T13:23:00.000-07:00

Probably quite a few readers out there will be wondering what a "rip stick" is?

It is the latest skateboarding innovation. A flexible board that twists in the middle and has only one wheel at each end. The children propel them selves by wiggling.

Anyway the craze hit our school early this year rip sticks, skateboards and scooters were in- they literally arrived by the hundred at school.

they was the initial concern from some quarters, "Where is the padding, they will get hurt, they might crash..."

So we set up a zone, the children created rules and now each and every day the children of all ages (yes I have learnt to "rip"!) have been having a ball. Have there been crashes? No serious ones, have there been disagreements- yes is this a bad thing?

I spend 2 minutes last night talking with a teacher and we brainstormed the benefits and developments for 100-150 children aged from 5-11 all using wheels at school:

Their improved fitness (they go hard out for 1 hour a day at school, they wheel to and from school (another hour)

Their problem solving skills- rules around directions, zones, challenge areas

Their spacial and kinesthetic awayness- 100 kids on a court going full speed in all directions and rarely do they crash

Their co ordination skills- they race, jump, turn...

Their relationship skill development as they solve problems, disagreements, organise races, jumps...

The new focus on children and their learning from the caretaker he is now "re cycling every thing he can including slides, desks, steps so that children can jump and create obstacle courses.

The change in our playground as the other play areas are freed up while kids skate!

Downside? A bit of blood, a few bruises...

Fantastic learning, fun and fitness

The i pad

2010-06-11T17:37:00.001-07:00

Check out this blog on the i pad

Kotahitanga

2010-06-02T02:12:00.000-07:00

Here's a thought....

We often talk about children knowing what they are learning and why they are learning. I am also interested in children knowing where they learn best. It is a concept at Windsor we call "Kotahitanga"- The right place for everyone and for everyone a right place. It is a concept that challenges the notion that children need to fit school- rather school needs to fit children.

So we encourage children to discuss where they learn best- in a group, at a single desk, in pairs, at a high table (so they can see what is happening in the class) on the floor, kneeling around a small table...

We now furnish our classrooms to allow this to happen. With the help of the Furnware we have created learning spaces (Classrooms) that allow children to spend more time learning and less managing distractions. It is fantastic to see children (and teachers) developing understanding of "Where I learn best" as part of being lifelong learners.

Kids Congress 2010

2010-05-31T01:51:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of spending two days with 300 stunning children and 30 dedicated teachers at Kids Congress 2010.

Kids Congress is a conference for kids by kids! That's right kids organise the conference. They

Market the conference
Find and book the venue
Build the website
Organise catering
Mange the $30 000 budget down to the last cent
Organise bookings
Manage the media
Liaise with schools, presenters, management, fellow students

They were an amazing success. See their report and read for yourself.

What I have no doubt about is that this event (The brain child of Mike Anderson and Faye LeCren) does so much to develop the key competencies of our children. It is the reason for reading, writing and maths.

Know this - a narrow focus on National Standards will not enhance the outcomes for our children.

Amazing authentic learning opportunities like Kids Congress will. They need reasons to write (letters, invites, websites, invoices) do maths (managing a $30 000 budget) and read (for meaning for clarification and for sorting, organising and placing students in their breakouts) rather than tests and standards!

Go Kids Congress- thanks Kids, thanks presenters and thanks Mike and Faye!

Creativity

2010-05-26T22:27:00.000-07:00

I encourage you to watch this short clip as you ponder the future for our children. As we come to grips with National Standards.

I believe that the New Zealand Curriculum is in the spirit of this talk.

Key Competencies

2010-05-08T01:42:00.001-07:00

So what is the difference between the old and new curriculum?

The new curriculum acknowledges that the "3 r's" are not enough to prepare our children for the future let alone sustain them in an every changing world.

The learning areas or mathematics, literacy, the arts, Health and PE, science, technology, social sciences are still essential- the key point of difference is that they assist in the development of the key competencies- Thinking, Relating to others, Using language symbols and texts, Managing Self, Participating and contributing.

Notice Using language symbols and texts (the 3 r's), is one of the competencies, it is not the end in itself.

So what?

So our education system has a mandate to move beyond numeracy and literacy and to create community based curriculum's that develop the key competencies- exciting times!

Our (Windsor) curriculum is a response to this innovative change.

I hope to have it online for you soon.

Neill

A Great Read!

2010-04-11T13:53:00.001-07:00

I have just re read Guy Claxton's excellent book "What's the point of school?" This fantastic 2008 book out of the UK reinforces our notion of "CHILL Factor" at Windsor. That is, Children who Independently Lead their Learning.

Claxton argues for children to not only think for themselves, set goals and reflect on progress but more so to understand, expand and exercise learning muscles. It seems so simply yet at times I wonder if we miss the trees for the woods when we create our learning environments. In a country where our vision is to develop capable, confident, connected life long learners I think we may have overlooked what a life long learner is, in fact we may be overlooking what learning is so much so that we are setting ourselves up to continue the education system and philosophies of the last 100 years.

There is a point of difference with the New Zealand Curriculum, and that is an implicit acknowledgement that children are not vessels to be filled but rather they are flames to be lit.

How do we light the flames? We allow, encourage, model and explain the learning processes, the art of mistake making, the place of inquiry, the importance of curiosity, questioning and exploration and we provide learning environments that reinforce these beliefs.

This will mean that children progressively know more about what they are learning, why they are learning it, where best to learn, who they are learning with and how they will learn best. Children will be aware of if they should they be learning independently, collaboratively or with a teacher. They will be empowered to share their learning journey with teachers and families.

For our children and our schools to achieve the vision of the New Zealand Curriculum it will require some reframing about what is really important schools, it will also require brave teachers who are keen to be transparent and are willing to say (and model) I don't know it all. It will require teachers who make a mind shift away from schoolwork, homework and classwork to learning.

I highly recommend Guy's book to parents, teachers and leaders especially as we begin to grapple with the challenges of National Standards- a great read!

Numeracy, literacy- learning

2010-03-14T16:34:00.000-07:00

There is a real urgency in classrooms to ensure that our children are all being challenged in their learning. How do we do this?

Not necessarily in this order but:

- accurate assessment data

- analysis of that data and "where to"

- learning conversations (15 minutes one on one with each child about their learning)

- teacher observations- ongoing (assessment) discussions regarding student learning

- meaningful learning contexts (it needs to hook the child)

- effective use of ICT, people and other resources

- time , time to plan, prepare, to set goals and to reflect

Relationships, relationships, relationships.

Relationships are the key to doing anything meaningful with the above. The teacher needs to connect with the child to challenge them, to know what is best for them and to effectively monitor progress. As we head to the end of this first term relationships should be well established and our learning humming along.

I will share some with you tomorrow!

Wonderful Learning- A day at Windsor

2010-03-08T17:24:00.001-08:00

My visit's to classrooms today left me with the distinct impression that our children have a fantastic learning environment here.

In one class the children were using literacy (oral, written and reading) to present short skits/ plays showing our PRIDE values. the children had created and memorized authentic scenarios and presented them to the class for feedback and improvement.

In the next class the children were created hip hop dances and the dialogue that was going on was fantastic.

The next room ( Year 6) were writing ballads - what a challenge, certainly nat as easy as one would expect yet they were persevering with the guidance of their teacher and created some wonderful pieces- as an aside they were collaborating in groups of two or three.

In the next room they were singing Waltzing Matilda! Now that was strange until it was explained that here was another ballad- the learning in this was multilayered- the ballad, the setting, the song, the culturally specific language.

In another room a child told me she was "Sleeping in my clothes tonight!" she was so excited about a trip the next day she was dressing for it the night before!

My wanderings finished with a visit to a class engrossed in visual art. They were using their determination and excellence in developing skills for the portrait they were about to do.

My visits reinforced to me:

Numeracy and literacy are skills, knowledge and tools to unlock the world- a means to an end not the end itself
Our children are so creative and innovative
Our children lear well alone , in pairs and in groups- they collaborate so well!
They problem solve with ease to overcome obstacles
Their oral skills are developing well
Our belief of "Rich Tasks and meaningful learning contexts" is critical for positive and challenging learning to occur

I hope to have some pic's and updates for you in the next few days

Neill

Composite Classes- What are they?

2010-02-17T11:54:00.000-08:00

I know that some parents are often puzzled as to why some schools have composite classes while others do not. In 2010 as with 2009 we will respond to needs and create classes that best meet the needs of the children - this will continue to include a mix of composite and single year group classes.

At the vast majority of New Zealand schools a decision has been made to have composites. This decision is based on research about what makes a difference to, and benefits, students.
The research for composite classes supports what many experienced teachers know.
In one study by a researcher called Pavan in 1992 it was found that students in composite settings did as well as, or outperformed, students in single graded classrooms. While that is positive perhaps the most significant findings come from the research of people like Pratt (1993) that identified that composite classrooms are “socially and psychologically healthy places.” Students from composite settings outperformed students in single age settings on more than 75% of the affective measures tested and had fewer discipline issues.

The findings showed that composites provided a natural setting in which older students had the opportunity to tutor younger students. This had positive outcomes for both the younger students and those who were the tutors. Others researchers French, Waas, Stright and Baker (1986), found that students in composites had had more opportunities to be leaders including many who may not have shown leadership in other settings. In other studies evidence showed that where students are in composite classes and are then cross-grouped for one or two subjects e.g. reading, there is an increase in their achievement.

So for Windsor our decision to have composites is based on evidence about what makes a positive difference for students. Academic findings have been mostly positive, some neutral but certainly nothing negative for students in composites. However there is clear evidence that composites do make a significant difference in and provide affective advantages for students i.e. they enhance self esteem, decrease behavioural problems, reduce the impact of labeling, encourage the formation of positive communities and lead to social and academic growth. The school’s commitment to grouping students according to social as well as academic needs has positive outcomes for all. It is what we all know as parents and teachers - when a student feels positive about school they have more chance to be academically and socially successful. And in the end that is what we all want for all our students

For another view you could read

http://www.greenbay.school.nz/WebSpace/854/

I am more than happy to talk to parents further about composite classes at any time.

Neill

Welcome to 2010!!!

2010-02-09T12:47:00.000-08:00

Welcome to a year of a new decade, the new curriculum, and the risk of National Standards!

We have had a fantastic start to the year, a year where we will explore "Identity" through three themes:

1. "What's out there?"

2. "Why don't we all speak English?"

3. "What about me?"

The teachers will be involved in intensive writing professional development as we strive to achieve our goal of "excellence in numeracy and literacy" through "positive and challenging learning environments" and by utilizing "rich tasks and meaningful learning contexts". The three concepts in italics are the three teaching and learning beliefs of the Windsor School learning community.

The year started with a hiss and a roar for all teachers as they attended an action packed two day conference in Christchurch on Wednesday and Thursday (27 & 28 January) last week. The "Teachers Matters" conference was packed with practical ideas as well as keynote speakers who challenged us to have 21st Century learning environments for 21st Century children. We were also challenged to let our children be active, creative and to use the arts, music and movement to engage them.

Our first short week flew by but the highlight of the first five days at school was a visit by the Governor General of New Zealand and his wife Lady Susan. They were so friendly and encouraging to our children and honored us by launching our PRIDE Challenges for 2010.

It was an privilege to be able to name The Governor General and Lady Susan as Honorary Recipients of our treasured Pounamu Pride Pendant.

2010 is about six main goals for us:

1. Implement the NZ Curriculum

2. Improve outcomes in writing (school wide PD)

3. Review, clarify and streamline systems to ensure coherence school wide.

4. Maintain targeted support for staff to ensure quality teaching and learning practice

5. Comply with national standards

6. Use data to inform future focus and school wide professional development

It is a challenge to have one of the most exciting curriculums of all time (and one that is much respected internationally) all set to go in 2010 and to have learning environments that celebrate the individual learner as a whole child with creative, artistic, scientific, physical and social skills and values and then have it all side swiped by a series of national standards.

It is critical that we prepare our children for tomorrow not yesterday Eleanor Roosevelt wisely said "It is today we must create the world of the future!". We cannot and will not empower our learners through tests and standards (the way of the 1940's-1960's) It has not worked anywhere in the world- in fact it has been a dismal failure to children and for teachers. We will not help our children to have a sense of self worth and achievement through national standards. Remember "Not everything that counts can be counted and not everything that can be counted counts" (Albert Einstein). It is also fascinating that the move to National standards is at a time the economy is eliminating standardized jobs. If we want to improve outcomes for learners tests and standards will not do it.

We will have an amazing year regardless of this intrusion on self governing schools. We will comply with requirements should the Government not have a change of heart but we will comply without compromising all that our community have told us they believe in and want for their children over the last three years. We will enjoy the opportunity to show that through quality teaching practice and clarity of vision we can achieve excellent outcomes for our children. This has been the Windsor School tradition of the past and it will continue in 2010!

I am looking forward to a wonderful 2010 with highly motivated children dedicated and reflective staff, an engaged and supportive parent community and a visionary Board of Trustees.

Neill :)

Strategic Planning Day- Planning for our future

2009-11-29T09:44:00.001-08:00

On Saturday we had a great session with the BOT and the leadership team as we reflected on the progress we have made over the last three years and planned for the next three to five years. This was the first time that the new leadership team for 2010 had an opportunity to work with the BOT. the new look team includes the existing leadership team of myself two Deputy Principals and an Associate principal plus five new team leaders.

It was fantastic to look back at the strategic goals and direction set by the BOT and leadership team in '06 and '07 and see just how much has been achieved.

Over that time the school has developed a strong sense of identity through the filter of "Learning together with PRIDE" It was very evident to all that our motto is not just writing on the walls but rather living and breathing at Windsor. Over the last three years much has been achieved in improving outcomes for learners in and through reading, ICT, integrated learning (called Pai Modules at Windsor), and maths.

Curriculum leaders have worked very hard to ensure that best practice is evident in all classrooms and that targeted support is provided to teachers and children who are yet to met expectations. In addition they have closely analysed data to identify trends, needs and future direction.

Staff are more clear about what is expected in the key areas of learning and are also clear on their next steps for learning. This has been achieved through the development of our "Matrix"- Guidelines for Quality teaching and learning at Windsor.

Much has been done to encourage "CHILL Factor" (CHildren Leading their Learning) through three way learning conferences, goal setting, co constructed success criteria, reflecting on progress through reports,PRIDE Challenges, and involvement in decision making across the school. This continues to be an ongoing focus and interest for us.

One of the most exciting aspects about Saturday was the collective consensus on 'less is more' as the team planned for 2010 as well as a decision to be responsive to emerging needs each year when deciding the annual goals for the following year.

We are all looking forward to an exciting 2010 where we can focus on improving outcomes in writing and embed the progress made over the last three years.- Full report to follow!

Time to Pause

2009-11-18T09:14:00.001-08:00

Time to pause and think about what we are all about. It is not just about outcomes, nor standards, not even reports and report writing, not tests, assessment tasks, learning outcomes or co constructed success criteria.

It is about children. May our politicians and we remember that we are working with children each day. they want to play, have fun, be engaged, run, jump, laugh, interact, read, write (well at least some of them) yes do maths but ultimately they do these things because they enjoy them. Maths is in there in primary school as a thing children enjoy because they are still (or at least were) "getting it", they are successful, challenged but successful, they know they were right! Play, fun and games are fun because the child is having a great time with friends and usually they are experiencing success.

Time to pause and consider how important play, fun, and success are to the child. Are we to keen to create "mini me's"?, mini adults who are consumed with achievement outcomes and goal setting (dare I say it) and all sorts of grown up notions.

Lets celebrate the child, who they are and should be. Lets not rush them to the finish post. Pause and let the children be children!

Welcome to our new families

2009-11-12T22:25:00.000-08:00

We are about to welcome 60 new families to Windsor to start in Term 1 2010. These parents will see their children start school in 2010 and finish in 2023! If they go on to tertiary studies it may be 2027 before they enter the workforce... Ponder that, what will the world be like? How will we communicate, how will we shop, be entertained, travel, learn? I have no idea but I do know that positive values, a strong work ethic and positive relationships will be important.

I know that throughout time we have looked for and will continue to seek people who relate well with others, show initiative, can problem solve and are resourceful. We value those who show perseverance and aim for excellence in whatever they do.

It is a real buzz to be involved with families as we start the journey with their children. Our Powhiri (Thursday 26 November 9:00am) is the first step- a chance for families to get a taste of our learning place, a feel for the culture of Windsor and to see our older children in action!

National Standards con't...

2009-11-04T08:36:00.000-08:00

and for a bit more (well really a lot more) reading for those who are truly interested try this . There is to much to summarize but I believe that those who are really interested in the best for their children should have a read.

National Standards Why the Big Fuss?

2009-11-03T08:29:00.000-08:00

The National Standards have been release in school and we are to start using them in 2010. They were and are a political agenda- an election promise. They set out some guidelines for achievement expectations for all children. They have been rushed into schools (for staff a three month lead in as opposed to 3 years for the Revised Curriculum) and they promise much.

Why the fuss?

Internationally they have failed to deliver. The UK is now moving away from National Standards as they have created winner and looser schools, schools where children come from homes where rest, nutrition, literature, love and kindness are not important typically achieve very poorly on National Standards- this should not be a surprise to us. 70% of the achievement outcomes of a child is determine by "home" factors. National standards (and this means testing) will not change that.

National Standards lead to league tables- these help no one.

League tables and national standards do not take into account "value added" that is what the teacher is able to do to improve outcomes for a child who comes to school with little or no language, little or no support at home and special behavioural or learning needs.

We are told:

Parents want accountability- we have ERO!

Parents want plain language - most schools have been offering it

Parents want to see where their child sits compared to national standards- I disagree if we gave parents what they want most say where does my child sit in relation to the class! Regardless schools (including Windsor) already do this with asttle , star, NZ exemplars...

If National standards are so important why not allow the time to upskill teachers, consider the research and feedback internationally and trial a system in NZ?

We have a world class Curriculum- it is at risk- schools and teachers may well start teaching to the test so that they perform well in national standards and in the media- a sad day for our nation.

A Community Fair

2009-11-02T12:48:00.001-08:00

Six hundred children, sixty staff, hundreds of community members, a beautiful day and up to 10 000 visitors all created a fantastic Windsor School Community Fair. Together with our community the PTA Fair Committee raised nearly $25 000 to go towards our new school entrance and a senior basketball court.

The day indicated to me how communities really learn and work together and also the sense of PRIDE that this community has in it's school, staff and children.

Special thanks to Kim and Megan for their organisation and energy in making the day possible.

Skills and Attitudes of a Lead Learner- Our Community speak!

2009-09-23T10:57:00.000-07:00

It was fantastic to have over 200 people participating in our Parent Consultation evenings in terms 2 and 3 this year. The parents and staff discussed the vision, values and principles of the NZ Curriculum, the Key Competencies and recently the learning areas. Their feedback and input is critical to the development of the Windsor Way Curriculum as a vibrant, meaningful and effective curriculum for our children. You can see the skills an attitudes that we as community (but especially our parents and grand parents) believe are "top of the list" for a lead learner at Windsor.

These concepts will be weaved into our curriculum for 2010 onward!

Thank you to the many who contributed to this. We would also love our parents to remember to contribute to our online survey as we continue to "Learn together with PRIDE"

Parent Survey

2009-09-17T10:41:00.000-07:00

Our Parent survey is now online (See "Our Learning")

Please go and have your see re learning, behaviour, communication and much more. This survey also follows up on the parent consultation nights so we need you to have your say.

Be part of the "Windsor Way" Curriculum that is emerging!

Parent Consultation Evening

2009-09-09T11:22:00.000-07:00

It was fantastic to have another 50 parents and grandparents turn out for our curriculum consultation and information evening on Wednesday night.

These community members added to the 130 that attended in term 2 giving us nearly 200 people who have contributed to the Windsor School Curriculum and the definition of a lead learner at Windsor. They also had the opportunity to update their knowledge and skills regarding 21 Century reading and mathematics practices and develop their understanding of what Integrated Learning is all about.

Our online survey will be up and running next week- please join them in developing our school curriculum.

Learning Conferences

2009-08-23T02:52:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all the parents who took the time to meet with your children at our learning conferences. It was wonderful to hear the feedback from staff and to see them buzzing about the experience. Thank you also to the children who voted on the learning conferences. It is great to see 86% saying that the experience was either somewhat or totally enjoyable.

We look forward to seeing many of you at our parent consultation night on Wednesday 2nd September.

A new way of working!

2009-08-13T10:59:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of this term I made the decision to get into classrooms more. The plain and simple reason is that as the instructional leader of the school I need to se the teaching and learning in action. This allows me to sharpen my pencil and see where the needs are, the interactions that are happening between teacher and child as well as child to child and I can also see the learning that is taking place.

So two days a week I will be in the classrooms. This will mean if you need to meet with me or talk on the phone you will need to speak with Kim Hillson and she will ensure I set aside time for you.

So far I have seen some fantastic interactions as well as some that I have explored further. I have seen classrooms full of PRIDE and exciting learning and children who are really motivated to lead their learning (CHILL Factor- CHIldren Leading their Learning).

Watch this space as I share about the exciting things going on at Windsor School!

For the children!

2009-08-11T11:17:00.000-07:00

What do you think about the Learning Conferences? Do you enjoy sharing your learning with your parents?

Mr O'Reilly

Reports , Reports, Reports...

2009-08-11T11:10:00.000-07:00

Last week we sent home our written reports for Term 1 & 2. These reflect the learning in numeracy and literacy and the Key Competencies (through our PRIDE Programme) so far this year. Critical to us is the discussion that follows at the Learning Conference. The report is such a small snap shot in time and is simply part of the process that we have to communicate a child's learning.

Learning conferences were seen as a wee bit of PC nonsense by some in the past. As the years have progressed and more and more families are involved very few would return to the practice of excluding children from discussion regarding their learning. You certainly want them to practice talking about their learning because once they hit those magic teenage years getting you son or daughter to talk about their learning at school can be like getting water from a stone!

Do these conferences really help?

What do you think?

Neill

Consultation with our Maori Community

2009-07-26T20:27:00.000-07:00

We had the pleasure of speaking with a small group of parents regarding achievement and well being of Maori children at Windsor school this morning. While Windsor only has 3.6% of children who are identified as "Maori" we have over 40% who choose to participate in our Kapa Haka programme!

The interest and enthusiasm shown by our children is in large part due to the positive attitude to Te Reo Maori (the language) and Tikanga Maori (the culture) at Windsor. Our Maori community members play a vital role in the success of our Kapa Haka programme as well as offering support for our Te Reo (in class language). As our motto says we are "Learning together with PRIDE"- “Whakãko Pehapeha Tahi Tãtou”.

The participants at todays meeting were able to add more suggestions for our programmes and contacts that may be useful for the future. If you have any suggestions for our Maori programmes please contact me.

2009-07-26T20:18:00.000-07:00

The Team from "Panto Pantonime" with the golden goose line up for a photo prior to their first performance. This production was one of the five options available to Team Takahe on Friday afternoons in Terms 1 & 2. The children performed for two nights to over 250 friends and family members to rave reviews.

This is another way that we are able to encourage "CHILL Factor" (Children Leading Their Learning) at Windsor. The children in the senior school have been involved in a wide range of authentic, real time learning contexts over the last two terms.

Future Focus

2009-07-20T18:33:00.000-07:00

Our school wide focus for terms 2 & 3 is the Future. Each team took a different context (ranging from organising a camp, to school in the future and future transport) and each team also had a different deep understanding they were developing.

There were a wide range of stimulating activities to get our children into the "Ponder" stage of this PAI (Ponder, Activate, Innovate) learning module. Above you can see an award winning solar powdered car that has raced against the best in the world and here it is in our back field!

WOW Fridays in Team Takahe

2009-07-20T18:23:00.000-07:00

For the last two terms Team Takahe have been involved in Wow Fridays. The learning experiences that were available to the children included:

- Tool time

- WOW TV

- Pai Kai Cafe

- Mural Mahem

- Kids Congress

- Production team

The children had the opportunity to participate in a wide range of activities and presented dance, drama, food, art, conferences, bird feeders, mountain bike jumps and much more for our community and the wider canterbury community.

Parent Consultation Night

2009-07-20T18:12:00.000-07:00

It was wonderful to have over 100 parents come to school for a information and consultation night.

Teams of Windsor Staff provided workshops in numeracy, literacy, PRIDE Challenges and our Integrated learning "PAI" Modules. We received a lot of very positive feedback from parents following the evening as well as many fantastic suggestions and ideas around what a successful leader and learner looks like at Windsor.

We watched a provocative clip called "Did you know" This clip put us in a good frame of mind to consider the real need for educational content and purpose for 21C learners.

This evening will be followed by another on Wednesday 2nd September at 7:00pm in the school hall- please join us!

Children leading learning

2009-04-11T14:19:00.000-07:00

I was challenged recently by the notion of children leading learning (something I call CHILL Factor). Is this is real concept for 21 C learning or just another PC idea?

The reality appears to be that for a child to actually lead his or her learning then someone else- the teacher- must be prepared to follow! I wonder how many teachers are prepared to do this. To listen to the voice (questions, comments, ideas) of the child and then create learning experiences that will allow the child to have an authentic role ion leading their learning. I do see it at Windsor but it takes a very intuitive teacher, one who can seek out those things that will inspire a child and then provide pathways for learning.

What are your thoughts?