tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12539361063997278812024-03-05T20:47:12.721-08:00Warren's Blogwarrenowensbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168067152690659803noreply@blogger.comBlogger72125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1253936106399727881.post-1526674522411700452022-04-04T19:25:00.008-07:002022-04-04T19:28:24.642-07:00THE AOTEAROA HISTORY CURRICULUM<p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeow04sfbUeG1fnuUf1KlNIBNwbtQR2fRi9gkPQh4cOHsNykqP3ew5tN1NQ35kqRvI6hJ07AGtlZNwOuaY09osLtT_cgZ1WJdQkpBDLw8RSvgN2d5ITfOaw7H098R2Zf9UTAOO8B09QGoLoO9Y56nz2s1PKhxCFmBuzaIBpu8Hqa-UA-qmWQCH4W67" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="159" data-original-width="318" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeow04sfbUeG1fnuUf1KlNIBNwbtQR2fRi9gkPQh4cOHsNykqP3ew5tN1NQ35kqRvI6hJ07AGtlZNwOuaY09osLtT_cgZ1WJdQkpBDLw8RSvgN2d5ITfOaw7H098R2Zf9UTAOO8B09QGoLoO9Y56nz2s1PKhxCFmBuzaIBpu8Hqa-UA-qmWQCH4W67" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">I haven’t added to this blog for a long time but last Saturday morning (April 2 2022) I was stirred by something </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Tipene O’Regan (now in his 80’s) said to Kim Hill on National Radio. Just as a reminder, Māori leader </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Tā Tipene O’Regan (Ngāi Tahu) was named 2022 Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year at a digital ceremony last</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> week. </span><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #404441; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Tā Tipene is one of the country’s most respected and admired kaumātua who has dedicated his life to </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #404441; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">building a bicultural nation. </span><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="color: #404441; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">He led the negotiation of one of our nation’s first major iwi settlements. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="color: #404441; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">(the Ngāi Tahu claim) </span><a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday</span></a></p><p><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sir Tipene and Kim Hill discussed the teaching of the new Aotearoa History curriculum and the tide of enthusiasm behind this. Sir Tipene warned of the risk of just going from one unsatisfactory ‘narrative’ to another and suggested that our history is much more nuanced than any one perspective. This point is indeed valid and given we have at least one generation of teachers who had little NZ history themselves at school, a lot of work is necessary via teacher professional development. </span></p><p><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">However, as Sir Tipene suggested, knowing your history is one thing but making it an impartial and rich experience for all is another!</span></p><p><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">History for many can be a dry factual account of events seen through the lens of the beneficiaries or victims of that history. Either lens is unhelpful. History must be taught with neutrality ‘picking open’ what is known with a raft of explicitly taught skills (e.g. critical thinking) and attitudes (e.g. suspended judgement). An ethical framework with equity and justice at its heart must always surround the content under study. This not only allows for creating perspective for the particular historical context under study but imbues the learner with life long skills to unravel all manner of learning in their lives. Hopefully this learning will create decision makers who will chart a future course for Aotearoa which is free from many of the negative biais of the past.</span></p><p><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Just as a last comment, ideally our Aotrearoa history curriculum will be taught as part of an integrated curriculum and not just seen as another ‘add on’. The potential for this is huge and so exciting to bring our history alive in classrooms around our shores. Art, drama*, music, dance, language, social sciences, science–it’s all there. The power of this approach is immense.</span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Warren Owen</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">*I particularly think of Dorothy Heathcote who promoted drama as a medium for learning.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dorothy-Heathcote-Drama-Learning-Medium/dp/1893056007" style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">https://www.amazon.com/Dorothy-Heathcote-Drama-Learning-Medium/dp/1893056007</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://dramaresource.com/dorothy-heathcote-pioneer-of-educational-drama/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">https://dramaresource.com/dorothy-heathcote-pioneer-of-educational-drama/</span></a></p><p><br /><br /><br /></p>warrenowensbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168067152690659803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1253936106399727881.post-6334301256243344652021-10-03T11:35:00.000-07:002021-10-03T11:35:46.117-07:00The Eggshell Syndrome in Schools<div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg_uhTyP50cujhfHiKNt8bA37rOzkABtd2heiuxn7X3vgCaxlaJo0z4Zyovm7ufH8BmGn0TFMpkroP1GewbtV4c59dmp-c1-05djwvr_-pWFa7mDDhfJbdngNVldMC8SkLBtSsL_EKP0E/s640/Olivia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg_uhTyP50cujhfHiKNt8bA37rOzkABtd2heiuxn7X3vgCaxlaJo0z4Zyovm7ufH8BmGn0TFMpkroP1GewbtV4c59dmp-c1-05djwvr_-pWFa7mDDhfJbdngNVldMC8SkLBtSsL_EKP0E/s320/Olivia.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Former FBI Counter Intelligence agent, Joe Navarro in doing his research for his book, Dangerous Personalities coined a phrase, ‘eggshell relationships’. “No one calls them "eggshell relationships," but that is what they turn into. Relationships where you have to tread lightly—each day you wake up, you are figuratively having to walk on eggshells because your partner or someone you know behaves or acts all too frequently with a constellation of traits that are simply toxic. So toxic that you have to be ever so careful around them, lest they lash out at you. They do so because they are emotionally unstable.”(1)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-19cbb5ec-7fff-2b80-045a-621f5f4182ce"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This phrase, ‘the eggshell syndrome’, struck a chord with me. Essentially it comes down to who holds all the ‘power’ in the room. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Most of us have come across an adult or two in our private or work life whose behaviour is such that it makes us delicately work around and avoid confrontation of any sort for fear of an ugly or at least uncomfortable scene.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Unfortunately some children can also cause this ‘eggshell syndrome’ to occur. Anyone who has worked in schools would have seen children who hold so much power it underminines their potential. Certainly after 45 years teaching and 25 years of being a principal, I have seen this power disparity in quite young children and their dysfunctional relationships with peers and adults not only negatively impacts their life, but that of many others.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> The reasons for this are many and varied. In some cases their parents have simply allowed them to ‘run the roost’ at home to the detriment of the child. These youngsters have been given too much power for such a young age when they don’t have the maturity or life experience to make sound judgement calls. This can become out of control to such a point parents just acquiesce to avoid even more drama. Sadly this of course is just postponing the inevitable and sets the child up for dysfunction ahead.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In other cases the child may have had some early life experiences that have traumatised them. Sadly this anger and grief is always close to the surface and parents and teachers in their desire to be sensitive may allow the child to have more ‘say’ and ‘control’ than they are ready for. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Other children may unfortunately suffer from ODD. According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">is characterized by an ongoing pattern of “uncooperative, defiant, and hostile behavior toward authority figures that seriously interferes with a youngster’s day-to-day functioning.”(2)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Whatever the cause of these children’s behaviour, it hugely impacts classroom dynamics and in far too many situations limits what is possible. Behaviour can include: regularly annoying others, calling out, defiance, manipulation, shifting of blame, seeking arguments, tantrums/outbursts of anger, violence to others and property, creation of unnecessary drama over minor infractions and general pushing of the boundaries. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The teacher has an extraordinary challenge when dealing with such children and if there is more than one in a class or other children who require considerable 1:1 time, it is downright demoralising and exhausting.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With these dysregulated children, the rest of the class have to tolerate frequent outbursts and quickly learn to avoid the child concerned for their safety or fear of being drawn into this turmoil. Essentially the class, including the teacher, learns to ‘walk on eggshells’ to avoid any drama. They are all ‘held to ransom’.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> There are many skilful, committed and wonderful teachers who day in and day out work their magic with these children and call on all their experience to provide the best learning environment possible.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">However in too many cases schools do not have appropriate resourcing and teachers can be left isolated and left to deal with some outrageous behaviour. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> This is a crude analysis of what many NZ schools grapple with every day. Excellent programmes exist such as PB4L (Positive Behaviour for Learning) and resource help from agencies such as the RTLB service (Resource Teachers of Learning and Behaviour) are available. Most schools employ teacher aides (TAs) to work with some of these dysregulated children but the funding is extremely limited. More often than not, schools significantly trim other important school resources from their budget to provide some TA support for classrooms who have these very needy children. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">However the support from all these approaches is so limited some classroom teachers face burn out and many children’s education is compromised by the disruption caused by these dysregulated children. Words such as ‘equity’, ‘inclusion’, ‘wellbeing’ are just weasel words unless we respond to the needs of these ‘eggshell’ children with comprehensive support.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I emphasise that no blame is being attached to any child with what I have written. It is an adult created issue. The situation will not be solved solely by the education system but a multi-faceted approach involving all social agencies and a united vision.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This blog entry is not the place to unpack this very complex situation. I do want to acknowledge the goodwill and intent of our current government. However, it is time for some fresh thinking from the ‘coalface’ up. The information has been gathered by various robust means such as the relatively recent Bali Hague led ‘Task Force’ report. Principal groups have been very vocal about their concerns for our NZ teachers and student achievement related to this lack of learning and behaviour support in schools. Added to the problem is the fact that too many of our 5 year olds coming into schools are developmentally very young and far too many have behavioural and/or processing issues. There seems to be a real disconnect with what is the reality of day to day schoollife (‘coalface’)and the powers that be who are making strategic funding decisions.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Although it may seem simplistic, in my view this situation can be significantly helped by a few ‘silver bullets’. This view comes from my own ‘chalkface’ experience, significant reading on the matter and talking with a wide range of education leaders. The major ‘silver bullet’ and plea is to prioritise the education spend on what we know works and that is having ‘people on the ground’ in schools supporting learning and behaviour. We can apply ‘sticking plasters’ (RTLB **etc visits) or tinker with this and that, </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">but the stark reality is you just can’t replace real time support. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If we can meaningfully support children’s social, emotional and foundational skills in the early years of a child’s development, then they are set up for life.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is not right for any teachers or children to be fearful each day because of a child or children who create ‘the eggshell syndrome’ effect on the class. They need support and uninterupted time with the class to get on with teaching and learning. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We have a chance</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to be transformational but if we continue with the same approach we have now, many vulnerable children will languish and the next level up will underperform.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Warren Owen</span></p><br /><ol style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/spycatcher/201601/eggshell-relationships" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/spycatcher/201601/eggshell-relationships</span></a></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.nymetroparents.com/article/Walking-on-Eggshells-Oppositional-Children-and-Mental-Health" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.nymetroparents.com/article/Walking-on-Eggshells-Oppositional-Children-and-Mental-Health</span></a></p></li></ol><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">** No criticism of the RTLB service as there are many fine educators doing a wonderful job but their offering is so limited by resourcing. </span></p><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>warrenowensbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168067152690659803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1253936106399727881.post-65970099256800778772021-06-29T18:59:00.034-07:002021-06-29T20:25:54.307-07:00The Similarity between Children and Bamboo<p> </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFPj4GaZ-K4B3PrY-4T3NJ05twS7CxupfCOhkF_VBYHyHHoxzvpSmjLYo8YzgREQNCYqoVFOtyJvmIGBg54HAVVm65y0eq9q8mjk3l4OATOFzzEVd3wo-TcWEbbqmzwjcuJj5_d9-1QPQ/s1000/bamboo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="671" data-original-width="1000" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFPj4GaZ-K4B3PrY-4T3NJ05twS7CxupfCOhkF_VBYHyHHoxzvpSmjLYo8YzgREQNCYqoVFOtyJvmIGBg54HAVVm65y0eq9q8mjk3l4OATOFzzEVd3wo-TcWEbbqmzwjcuJj5_d9-1QPQ/w513-h346/bamboo.jpg" width="513" /></a></div><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: #1c4587; font-size: 11pt; text-indent: 14.2pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #1c4587; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">After a lifetime of teaching and over 25 years of being a principal, I am starting a new chapter of my life. I am </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #1c4587; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">not sure what this will look like, but it will involve education. I hope to continue my blog.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: #1c4587; font-size: 11pt; text-indent: 14.2pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0f62f8c4-7fff-f570-9baa-ff38f74aa448"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: #1c4587; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Some years ago I drafted a similar message to what is below. It summarises so much of what I have observed </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: #1c4587; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and passionately believe. I hope you enjoy it.</span></p></span><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-0f62f8c4-7fff-f570-9baa-ff38f74aa448"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: #1c4587; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-09b228cf-7fff-72b5-532f-b19ee2f3d7b2"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Famously, bamboo plants don’t produce a single green shoot for five years but spring up 27 metres high in less than two months! The question commonly asked is whether the plant grows 27 metres in less than two months, or 27 metres in five years? (2)</span></p></span></span></span><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-0f62f8c4-7fff-f570-9baa-ff38f74aa448"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: #1c4587; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-09b228cf-7fff-72b5-532f-b19ee2f3d7b2"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a86efa48-7fff-21b3-3e66-d5bb2541b151"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">In 1958, then-Headmaster at Wellesley College, William Stevens, presented his annual prize giving address. His gammy leg caused him to limp and thus he earned the nickname, Hoppy. Hoppy Stevens developed legendary status with the boys as someone you didn’t mess with.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-5eec1bdd-7fff-f9e9-de2f-88f2f86d3106"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> Later that afternoon, one of the boys managed to pinch Hoppy’s speech. Many years later, at a Wellesley </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Old Boys’ function, that same student passed Hoppy’s 1958 speech onto me. Let me share a little of it with you:</span></p></span></span></span></span></span><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-0f62f8c4-7fff-f570-9baa-ff38f74aa448"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: #1c4587; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-09b228cf-7fff-72b5-532f-b19ee2f3d7b2"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a86efa48-7fff-21b3-3e66-d5bb2541b151"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-f3400a10-7fff-6d98-42b6-0a4edf06f191"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Ladies and Gentlemen</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Parents and teachers of today appear to be mainly concerned with two subjects-the ‘Playway’ approach to education and Juvenile delinquency. The new freedom of the welfare state has made children increasingly difficult to control, both at home and in school. They talk more, they shout more, they cannot play unless games are organized, they are more destructive,--and what is more, many appear to take pleasure in destruction. The majority of children today are not being encouraged to do their best. They are over conscious of their rights and ignorant of their duties.” </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">And so, the speech went on.</span></p><div><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-dc1f80d0-7fff-c9cc-0379-a7bfa12c7d07"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Well how often do we hear this call of “the youth of today”--- Way back in time-- 700BC –the Greek poet, Hesiod said: “I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on the youth of today, for certainly all youth are reckless beyond words—when I was a boy we were taught to be discreet and respectful of elders, but the present youth are exceedingly unwise and impatient.”</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></span></div></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-0f62f8c4-7fff-f570-9baa-ff38f74aa448"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: #1c4587; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-09b228cf-7fff-72b5-532f-b19ee2f3d7b2"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a86efa48-7fff-21b3-3e66-d5bb2541b151"><span id="docs-internal-guid-f3400a10-7fff-6d98-42b6-0a4edf06f191"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-32c0795b-7fff-32dc-9c62-29062f8fc91c"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">So, what have we learnt through all these historical sermons? Possibly that nothing much changes and that the enthusiasm and spontaneity of youth combined with their inherent egocentricity drives us all crazy at times. Young children have always tested their teachers and parents. Throw in the increasing complexity of society with the added pressures of social media and at times we all sigh. However, there are some truisms that remain constant.</span></p></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-0f62f8c4-7fff-f570-9baa-ff38f74aa448"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: #1c4587; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-09b228cf-7fff-72b5-532f-b19ee2f3d7b2"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a86efa48-7fff-21b3-3e66-d5bb2541b151"><span id="docs-internal-guid-f3400a10-7fff-6d98-42b6-0a4edf06f191"><span id="docs-internal-guid-32c0795b-7fff-32dc-9c62-29062f8fc91c"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-f8aac572-7fff-8e8f-4cbd-4806d8044e60"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">At age five, children come to school with very clear lenses. That is, they filter very little from what comes into their head. They will blurt out just what they are thinking and dreaming. Their writing is truly their personal voice. Their art can be awesomely beautiful and expressive. Their dance, creative and free! Children are willing to freely express themselves. So, what traditionally happens at school that dries up so much of this personal expression? Where do all those filters come from that inhibit most adults’ ability to express themselves? How often do we as adults alter our original thoughts before we allow the world to view or hear them?</span></p></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-09b228cf-7fff-72b5-532f-b19ee2f3d7b2"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a86efa48-7fff-21b3-3e66-d5bb2541b151"><span id="docs-internal-guid-f3400a10-7fff-6d98-42b6-0a4edf06f191"><span id="docs-internal-guid-32c0795b-7fff-32dc-9c62-29062f8fc91c"><span id="docs-internal-guid-f8aac572-7fff-8e8f-4cbd-4806d8044e60"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-34a7170a-7fff-cf3e-3448-816361ea99e7"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">How do you marry the need to maintain high standards in education, guarantee strong standards of respectful behaviour and yet foster children’s individuality and creativity? Well in my humble opinion we, parents and teachers alike must consistently look to meaningfully build children’s self-esteem. Having good self-esteem frees up creativity and fosters individuality. </span></p></span></span></span></span></span></span><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-a86efa48-7fff-21b3-3e66-d5bb2541b151"><span id="docs-internal-guid-f3400a10-7fff-6d98-42b6-0a4edf06f191"><span id="docs-internal-guid-32c0795b-7fff-32dc-9c62-29062f8fc91c"><span id="docs-internal-guid-f8aac572-7fff-8e8f-4cbd-4806d8044e60"><span id="docs-internal-guid-34a7170a-7fff-cf3e-3448-816361ea99e7"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-5bb36abe-7fff-219d-5f5a-9afef55686f7"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline;">Self-esteem is not about praising mediocrity.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Self-esteem grows from recognition of personal effort and achievement. The curriculum must be presented in a relevant and meaningful way which engages the students.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Self-esteem and self-worth are closely connected with respect; respect for </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">self</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"> and respect for </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">others</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">. It is also tied up with self-discipline and managing impulsivity. And, of course, self-esteem is inextricably linked with interpersonal relationships and related social skills.</span></p><div><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">The two biggest mistakes we can make as educators and you can make as parents are to:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Solve children’s problems</b> rather than give them a chance to overcome problems themselves. Life is uncomfortable sometimes and we have to learn how to manage these times. The best thing we can do is be supportive and teach strategies that encourage persistence and resilience for these tough times. Otherwise, these become the overprotected children –spoiled, lacking confidence, avoiding new challenges, helpless.</span></p><br /></span></div></span></span></span></span><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-f8aac572-7fff-8e8f-4cbd-4806d8044e60"><span id="docs-internal-guid-34a7170a-7fff-cf3e-3448-816361ea99e7"><span id="docs-internal-guid-5bb36abe-7fff-219d-5f5a-9afef55686f7"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-6f96fdf7-7fff-ee9b-1b55-78cacac59a37"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Allow children to be a victim</b>, blaming others for their actions or lack of action. We must ‘hang tough’ – be fair, positive, and human but insist on their responsibilities being met and placing natural consequences in place if they are not. This fosters commitment, tenacity, and perseverance which in turn fosters achievement which is fundamental to self-worth. </span></p><div><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-d9183b68-7fff-c5ad-2d99-e97a0803aba8"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">It is a fine line we as parents and educators walk between developing real independence and not placing too much responsibility on children. But if we can maintain this balance calmly and respectfully the modelling is incredibly powerful. We live in a wonderful country with an outstanding future. Somehow, together, we must walk the tight-rope of fostering children’s individuality and creativity and inculcate core community values that will ensure they are caring and giving citizens who are proud to work hard and play hard for their country.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Parental support is crucial to children’s happiness now and as an adult. Each child is different, and this individuality is to be celebrated. With unwavering support and patience most children will achieve success and happiness. We must take the medium to long view and be consistent. </span></p><div><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-9c9d877b-7fff-17e6-893a-1e91849d1e4c"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">After saying all this, it would be incredibly naïve and disrespectful of me not to acknowledge that through no fault of their own, many families are dealing with generations of cultural and social challenges that have pulled hope out from their hearts and all that is possible is a day-to-day existence. I get that and this is society’s biggest challenge.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">My message here is a broader one though, and the old cry of ‘the youth of today’ isn’t helpful. What we must be careful of is putting a negative spin on the vitality of youth. Somehow, we have to use this energy and creativity in constructive ways. Passion and laughter in life are so important.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Our young bamboo might not show instant growth but be supportive and patient and you will reap a bountiful harvest.</span></p><ol style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Picture acknowledgement: </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/bamboo" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://unsplash.com/s/photos/bamboo</span></a></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dick F (1992) p186 Abington Press</span></p></li></ol></span></span></div></span></span></div></span></span></span></span></span></div></span></span></span></div></span></span></div></span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div>warrenowensbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168067152690659803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1253936106399727881.post-47928714292263204312021-03-16T19:54:00.001-07:002021-03-16T19:54:51.314-07:00 Leadership without ego!<span id="docs-internal-guid-df032b6e-7fff-fd95-1e50-d501fe77148b"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuGwUrPy4ghXceihURF01WSJaU0r35sFE4ELEj2DFViNT47LzifbZ1jKIoLHb6Y9Alu4EmF8EfSH-IAjXy1P5eXuHsLer0Fhk_kZ8LtdiNuSYgXIZd1IiJCPVBoiQX73D4LlgWyo5D6BE/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuGwUrPy4ghXceihURF01WSJaU0r35sFE4ELEj2DFViNT47LzifbZ1jKIoLHb6Y9Alu4EmF8EfSH-IAjXy1P5eXuHsLer0Fhk_kZ8LtdiNuSYgXIZd1IiJCPVBoiQX73D4LlgWyo5D6BE/" width="240" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Recently a friend shared Daniel Yankelovich’s (1) thinking around the differences between ‘debate v dialogue’. Dialogue of course pre-supposes an open mind and a willingness to listen, share thoughts and ideas. Debate on the other hand brings a winner and a loser. It is combative and the participants’ aim is to win the argument and seek to prove the other person wrong. In essence there is an assumption that there is a right answer and you have it.</span></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The political landscape is full of classic examples of destructive and combative position taking. Donald Trump’s legacy of course is one of a combative leader, dividing a nation. Even here in NZ we have seen the various competing styles of leadership with our relatively recent elections. Judith Collins showed her willingness to slug it out versus a more conciliatory approach taken by Jacinda Adhern. Whatever your politics, the comparison of styles was stark.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The combative style of leadership is usually marked with subtle or not so subtle ‘front foot’ approach aiming to put down any opinion that doesn’t support one’s own viewpoint and personal positional power status.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Being human, we are all are vulnerable to taking a position and being so swept up with our emotions that we may not actively listen to others' views. All humans are egocentric to some degree or another, but the bigger the ego, the more unlikely the best outcome will be achieved. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is particularly true if whatever is on the table for discussion has personal implications. A very common situation is when we are challenged to change how we have done something for years which will require work and often stepping outside our 'comfort zone'.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of the great downsides of needing to be right is the very negative outcome of feeling disenfranchised when we don’t get what we want as an outcome. It is more powerful and uplifting to acknowledge that many people have pieces of the answer and that together a solution can be crafted and owned by all.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Of course there are some leadership situations where you do not have the luxury of discussing the merits of the various points if view. Take for example the battle ground of war where leaders have to quickly asses the situation, make a decision and act. Another obvious one is in an emergency where life and limb is at stake such as with an aircraft issue. The pilot has no choice but to quickly call upon all his or her expertise to save the day.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">However usually in people’s personal life and work life, there is time to have meaningful dialogue to get to the best solution of whatever challenge is pitched at us. Certainly in a school situation leaders’ success or failure will usually come down to relationships where trust is cemented. When stakeholders are ‘sincerely ‘heard’ and feel they have a voice without fear of retribution, trust is quickly built and meaningful dialogue can take place. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Leadership is not a science but an art involving a delicate mix of expertise, consultation, integrity and ethical action. Of course leaders have to make the final call on issues as ‘the buck stops’ with them. No matter how much dialogue takes place, we all get it wrong from time to time. However if the leader has engaged in sincere dialogue, called on expert other opinion as needed, made the final call based on this and they ‘stuff up’, then due process has taken place. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The ‘ethic’ of dialogue’ bonds any team and has the potential to unify a country. The problem is the 3 year political election term gets in the way but that is another story!</span></p><br /><ol style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Debate versus Dialogue </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">From “The Magic of Dialogue” by Daniel Yankelovich, 1999)</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><b>Heading Quote</b>: Pinterest (Seth Godwin)</i></span></span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><div><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>warrenowensbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168067152690659803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1253936106399727881.post-39417821156131360182021-01-28T19:22:00.002-08:002021-01-31T11:48:26.039-08:00To Know Them is to Love Them<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirCLUGNoZYShoGpgW8aGcf23akGSeNksP4wCojaGz4R37AacHWaSvXuK2xUmAuLHzmfyVURuZ_3A3vtJfu-GZbPex5UH3iQ4kHL_moVLzD2qXMk63Byo5Jj5VCPWbl-4PXF81qvYVI_AQ/s2048/Annie+Hayward.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirCLUGNoZYShoGpgW8aGcf23akGSeNksP4wCojaGz4R37AacHWaSvXuK2xUmAuLHzmfyVURuZ_3A3vtJfu-GZbPex5UH3iQ4kHL_moVLzD2qXMk63Byo5Jj5VCPWbl-4PXF81qvYVI_AQ/s320/Annie+Hayward.JPG" /></a></div><br /><p><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">At a recent staff day, I shared some thoughts about the influence teachers have on our students each and every day. I say teachers, but this of course extends to all staff in schools.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The reality is a teacher’s legacy is more than the explicit curriculum taught but also the ‘hidden curriculum’.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The ‘hidden curriculum' is a side effect of schooling, "[lessons] which are learned but not openly intended"</span><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: super;"> </span></span><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">such as the transmission of norms, values, and beliefs conveyed in the classroom and the social environment. (1) </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">As we all know, it isn’t what we say that is important but what we do! Are we true to our words!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">This ‘hidden curriculum’ is incredibly powerful as a teacher’s influence is won and lost by whether they ‘walk the</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> talk’ of the school’s culture, vision and values.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">This is a huge topic but I mention it only to lead into a critical subset of the day to day influence a teacher has.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">From an early age, children see whether their teacher really cares about them and the educative / leverage power </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">of the classroom’s activities depends on the child’s perception of this. You can’t fool them. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">This isn’t about bowing to individual children’s whims but just being fair and consistent with the values that are </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">espoused.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Children want to know they are truly cared for and the teacher has taken the time to really try and understand the </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">individual’s needs and that their individual culture is valued and respected. ‘To know them is to love them’. This is</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> a cliché but there is so much truth in it. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Most people, young and old, believe that if others took time to get to know them, they would understand who they</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> are and why they behave like they do. Children notice when teachers go out of their way to know them and works</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> hard to use this knowledge to build their learning power. Equally so they also notice if their teacher allows them </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">to regularly work in cruise mode (low expectations) or is tardy with their own time management and organisation.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The simple message is, as educators we must never under-estimate our influence. Without overstating this, </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">teachers have the opportunity to help transform children’s self-esteem so they can go on to chase their dreams.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">We need to ‘drill down’ into why individual children are not coping with the curriculum or with social interaction.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Teaching is about constant ‘wondering’ and ‘inquiring’ and searching for a way to help. The more we know about </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">our children the greater our opportunity to connect, intervene and help transform lives.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">This poem by C W Morris captures the reality of classroom life.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Teaching Dreams </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Some nights</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">students return to me</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">like salmon to their spawning bed.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">They shake my hand</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">and sit across from me</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">and tell me what they have done</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">what they will soon be doing.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">I remember their names</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">and just where each one sat</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">in my classroom.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Still, when they tell me</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">what they learned,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">it’s not what I remember teaching.</span></p><p><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">This poem isn’t suggesting the curriculum hasn’t been taught and learnt but children take so much more out of the day to day classroom and school interactions. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Young people often can go through school in a blur, feeling it’s their fault that they struggle with school and they </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">are just not good enough. Some of these people later find their passion and go on to lead very constructive lives </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">but unfortunately some do not. It is not a perfect world and never will be. Teaching is an incredibly challenging </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">role and I am truly humbled by the amazing effort the vast majority put in. We can’t be all things to all people, </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">but we can choose to focus on what is most important. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Fundamentally we need to have the desire to really know the children in our care and ‘walk our talk’ in support of </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">them because once that trust is built (or lost), all else will follow.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></p><ol style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Wikipedia</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Picture by Annie Hayward</span></p></li></ol><p><br /></p>warrenowensbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168067152690659803noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1253936106399727881.post-19881661163854658262020-06-28T18:08:00.000-07:002020-06-28T18:08:19.611-07:00Enough is Enough!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh3y5z8Nj6mcT2WjAsu1_WWmKmL_dWW0kBpHdpL33rMdfzPZhcbCFS3WUrhE8W45C9cCm5uch0yYigRhvlOwZJeHKbqcHP4bKjiXnPFOBLauELI9hooocuu2U1JHJcA2zm-iroJPTRWh0/s1600/Martin+Luther+King.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="260" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh3y5z8Nj6mcT2WjAsu1_WWmKmL_dWW0kBpHdpL33rMdfzPZhcbCFS3WUrhE8W45C9cCm5uch0yYigRhvlOwZJeHKbqcHP4bKjiXnPFOBLauELI9hooocuu2U1JHJcA2zm-iroJPTRWh0/s1600/Martin+Luther+King.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">It has been extremely distressing watching the footage of the
blatant racism exhibited by various USA police, not least George Floyd’s gut
wrenching murder. I would like to think this is a specific American issue but
as we sadly know, racism exists in our own backyard and that is where we need
to start to address it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">You could argue racism is a very complex and imbedded issue, and
it is! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Martin Luther King had the answer. He was able to cut to the
core of how to bring about change. This man’s integrity and the difference he
made to humanity stands out in history. He was intelligent and was able to
touch people’s consciousness by his simple and clear dealing with the truth. A
stinging but powerful statement was his commentary around <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">“the appalling silence of good
people.” </span> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: #FEFEFE; line-height: 13.8pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">To be clear he actually said,<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Our lives begin to end
the day we become silent about the things that matter.”<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
<div style="background: #FEFEFE; line-height: 13.8pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: #FEFEFE; line-height: 13.8pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">That’s it! Simple as
that! <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Silence is complicity!”</b> We
all have to take responsibility. It’s time for us all to stand our ground and
do what we know is right whether it be on racism, workplace harassment,
domestic abuse etc<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: #FEFEFE; line-height: 13.8pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: #FEFEFE; line-height: 13.8pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">We are all fragile beings
that need and deserve respect, support and kindness. It has been so refreshing
having some of our leaders here in Aotearoa modelling the mantra of this. Our
PM, Jacinda Adhern spoke on the world stage at the United Nations Assembly
where she called for a new world order ---one that puts ‘kindness ahead of
isolationism, rejection and racism.’ <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: #FEFEFE; line-height: 13.8pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: #FEFEFE; line-height: 13.8pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Schools and families have
the obligation to explicitly educate our young people with these central issues
of human responsibility, but most of all, to ‘walk the talk’ as modelling is
the most powerful weapon against the insidious nature of racism and harassment
of any kind.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: #FEFEFE; line-height: 13.8pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: #FEFEFE; line-height: 13.8pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The issue of racism is
complex and deeply rooted but rather than feeling helpless as an individual, we
can all make a difference. We all have to be brave and speak out when we see and
hear what we know to be wrong, as <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">‘silence
is complicity’!<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div style="background: #FEFEFE; line-height: 13.8pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: #FEFEFE; line-height: 13.8pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />warrenowensbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168067152690659803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1253936106399727881.post-12426311813119433052020-04-09T15:49:00.004-07:002020-04-15T16:22:20.519-07:00What Motivates Powerful Learning<br />
<div style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5xvULfTM9rZwvih_VttWjPVCtW4ao9S0PsI_TLGqyR7jCOuwBALX87kwdWhhyphenhyphenYB5nn75Yda27V7lxeDlB_y_N27y6E_BjYoVvAzOjWfXWo0S9bl7FRXW372_w_bZSbK1jSKpCSLiZbsU/s1600/Bridge+building.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="302" data-original-width="601" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5xvULfTM9rZwvih_VttWjPVCtW4ao9S0PsI_TLGqyR7jCOuwBALX87kwdWhhyphenhyphenYB5nn75Yda27V7lxeDlB_y_N27y6E_BjYoVvAzOjWfXWo0S9bl7FRXW372_w_bZSbK1jSKpCSLiZbsU/s400/Bridge+building.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Hard Fun</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“70%
percent of children drop out of sports by their early teens.</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Why? Recent studies show it’s often because
playing sports has ceased to be fun.”<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This report is essentially critical of
coaches who over drill children and treat sport as a must win activity. This of
course ‘kills’ motivation for many of our young people. The report goes on to
say, “A good youth coach ensures that every practice, every competition, every
communication is focused on all of the athletes having a positive and enjoyable
experience. Youth sport should be about having fun while learning to work hard
for a common goal, to prioritise developing skills over winning, to persist in
the face of adversity, to be a good sport, and to be competitive. If all
coaches got the proper training and supervision, many more kids would continue
playing sports throughout their teens.” </span><span style="font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">(1)</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The reality is, <u>this is the same for any learning</u>.
Sadly, many children are turned off school when it is repetitive, pitched to the middle of the class, drill orientated and boring.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">The
best education is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0;">‘hard fun’</span></b>---we all learn better when there is
a bit of tension and stretch combined with enjoyment. This fits so well with
the important concept of ‘learner agency’ where the aim is support learners
incrementally to take more control over their learning. “<span style="background: white; color: #555555;">When learners move from being passive
recipients to being much more active in the learning process, actively involved
in the decisions about the learning, then they have greater agency.” ( Core
Education: </span></span><a href="http://www.core-ed.org/thought-leadership/ten-trends/ten-trends-2014/learning-agency"><span style="background: white; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">http://www.core-ed.org/thought-leadership/ten-trends/ten-trends-2014/learning-agency</span></a><span style="background: white; color: #555555; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"> )<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Personalising
learning (giving learners more ‘choice’ and ‘voice’) as much as possible is a
powerful way of connecting students’ passions and interests (hard fun) which of
course will help drive their learning. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">This
isn’t some woolly notion. It has to have rigour and struggle running through
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know it is a bit of a cliché but
‘no pain, no gain’. As you know this applies to all of us and we would be doing
our students a disservice if we didn’t foster resilience in them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">As
teachers we must have high expectations for our students and communicate these
to them. This should be done in a positive fashion inviting and expecting
students to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">be active in their learning</b>
and to be able to reflect on their efforts and talk about it. Making learning
goals shared and explicit to students gives the learner a sense of ownership
which of course is very motivational.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Praise
and feedback is central to levering the best from the students. Some students
will metaphorically need their ‘hand held’ more than others until they have the
confidence and skills to ‘walk alone’. The need for this scaffolding and
example prompts will vary enormously across any one class.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">The
concept of ‘learner agency’ is huge, complex and powerful in the learning
process. Best practice here transforms children’s learning and is central to
this idea of ‘hard fun’. In time students will become more confident and active
in their learning. This intrinsic engagement / motivation creates powerful and
deep learning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(1<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> ( </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Our Kids’ Coaches Are Doing It Wrong” by
Jennifer Etnier in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The New York Times</i>,
March 12, 2020 (reported in Linda Braun’s Hippocampus, April 7<sup>th</sup>
2020)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />warrenowensbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168067152690659803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1253936106399727881.post-78464316198865299922020-02-10T17:45:00.002-08:002020-02-10T17:45:48.715-08:00The Time Bomb<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB9LogW100s4uyMRWLMBJIlpbGLRk3C9fdeeG1Myt1PJ3VWQrLb7mID_b1RopLSAM9u-OE1ycpkzM5nVyipVt_2aB3Vya6mKxAwvB7zJ3iawdVdM1YjfUY07UhDG0WgMICOFuoAKVb0aI/s1600/From+A+Silent+Tragedy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB9LogW100s4uyMRWLMBJIlpbGLRk3C9fdeeG1Myt1PJ3VWQrLb7mID_b1RopLSAM9u-OE1ycpkzM5nVyipVt_2aB3Vya6mKxAwvB7zJ3iawdVdM1YjfUY07UhDG0WgMICOFuoAKVb0aI/s320/From+A+Silent+Tragedy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify;">Over the last week I have observed
two situations which have prompted me to share this article written by Dr Luis
Rojas Marcos (Psychiatrist) entitled</span><b style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify;"><u> ‘A Silent Tragedy’</u></b><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify;">. Dr
Marcos is very experienced and highly regarded. ( see </span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.luisrojasmarcos.com/bio.eng.php" target="_blank">http://www.luisrojasmarcos.com/bio.eng.php</a> )</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: windowtext;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This article offers <b>parenting skills</b> that can
and <u>will prevent sadness and distress</u> for all family members and help
set children up for success at school and beyond.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Dr Marcos is in a very sound position to give this advice
and I know most educators would support his views. Don’t get me wrong, the vast
majority of parents are doing a great job and are striving to be the best
parent they can be but we should all read this article. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The first situation that prompted me to share this article occurred
at a cafe whilst I was having a coffee. A young child about 4-5 years old was
playing on a trike whilst his mother was having a coffee. When she had finished,
she said to her young son that it was time to get off the trike so they could
go home. The child responded with a firm 'no' so the mother engaged in a debate
which resulted in the child just riding off leaving his mother stranded calling
out, 'well just a few minutes more'. Over the course of the next 20 minutes or
so when the child came within earshot, the debate ensued with the child
defiantly in control and when I had finished my coffee and finally had to go,
the mother was still glumly sitting there waiting for her son to tire of
playing on the trike.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The second situation occurred a few days later when I observed a
similar situation where a dad was negotiating a 'time to go' situation with his
pre-schooler (about age 3) with the child firmly in control and the
mother watching on exasperated at the situation but clearly with no influence
on the child.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In both these situations, my inner self was screaming with 'for
goodness sake'! Both families were in for a rough ride with their children as
they weren't prepared to be the 'adult' in the relationship and were
unintentionally giving the children concerned the message, that they were the
centre of the universe and they were in control. Often and usually, children
who do not have the security knowing their parents are in control grow up
testing all their relationships struggling to make friends and of course being
the same sort of parent as what has been modelled to them. I won't go into the
various strategies the parents could have called upon to make these situations
harmonious and constructive, as I want you to read the article below which deals
with this better than I could.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<u><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A Silent Tragedy</span></u><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">There is a silent tragedy that is unfolding today in our
homes, and concerns our most precious jewels: our children. Our children are in
a devastating emotional state! In the last 15 years, researchers have given us
increasingly alarming statistics on a sharp and steady increase in childhood
mental illness that is now reaching epidemic proportions:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Statistics do not lie:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 20.4pt; margin-left: 28.8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">·
1 in 5 children have mental health problems<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">·
A 43% increase in ADHD has been noted<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 20.4pt; margin-left: 28.8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">·
A 37% increase in adolescent depression has been noted<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 20.4pt; margin-left: 28.8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">·
There has been a 200% increase in the suicide rate in children aged 10 to 14<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">What is happening and what are we doing wrong?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Today’s children are being over-stimulated and over-gifted with
material objects, but they are deprived of the fundamentals of a healthy
childhood, such as:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 20.4pt; margin-left: 28.8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">·
Emotionally available parents<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">·
Clearly defined limits<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 20.4pt; margin-left: 28.8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">·
Responsibilities<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">·
Balanced nutrition and adequate sleep<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 20.4pt; margin-left: 28.8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">·
Movement in general but especially outdoors<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 20.4pt; margin-left: 28.8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">·
Creative play, social interaction, unstructured game opportunities and boredom
spaces<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Instead, in recent years, children have been filled with:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 20.4pt; margin-left: 28.8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">·
Digitally distracted parents<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 20.4pt; margin-left: 28.8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">·
Indulgent and permissive parents who let children “rule the world” and whoever
sets the rules<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 20.4pt; margin-left: 28.8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">·
A sense of right, of deserving everything without earning it or being
responsible for obtaining it<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 20.4pt; margin-left: 28.8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">·
Inadequate sleep and unbalanced nutrition<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 20.4pt; margin-left: 28.8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">·
A sedentary lifestyle<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 20.4pt; margin-left: 28.8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">·
Endless stimulation, technological nannies, instant gratification and absence
of boring moments<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">What to do?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">If we want our children to be happy and healthy individuals, we
have to wake up and get back to basics. It is still possible! Many families see
immediate improvements after weeks of implementing the following
recommendations:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 20.4pt; margin-left: 28.8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">·
Set limits and remember that you are the captain of the ship. Your children
will feel more confident knowing that you have control of the helm.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 20.4pt; margin-left: 28.8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">·
Offer children a balanced lifestyle full of what children NEED, not just what
they WANT. Don’t be afraid to say “no” to your children if what they want is
not what they need.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 20.4pt; margin-left: 28.8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">·
Provide nutritious food and limit junk food.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Spend at least one hour a day outdoors doing activities such as: cycling,
walking, fishing, bird / insect watching<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Enjoy a daily family dinner without smartphones or distracting technology.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Play board games as a family or if children are very small for board games, get
carried away by their interests and allow them to rule in the game.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Involve your children in some homework or household chores according to their
age (folding clothes, ordering toys, hanging clothes, unpacking food, setting
the table, feeding the dog etc.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Implement a consistent sleep routine to ensure your child gets enough sleep.
The schedules will be even more important for school-age children.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Teach responsibility and independence. Do not overprotect them against all
frustration or mistakes. Misunderstanding will help them build resilience and
learn to overcome life’s challenges.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Do not carry your children’s backpack, do not carry their backpacks, do not
carry the homework they forgot, do not peel bananas or peel oranges if they can
do it on their own (4-5 years). Instead of giving them the fish, teach them to
fish.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Teach them to wait and delay gratification.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Provide opportunities for “boredom”, since boredom is the moment when
creativity awakens. Do not feel responsible for always keeping children
entertained.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Do not use technology as a cure for boredom, nor offer it at the first second
of inactivity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Avoid using technology during meals, in cars, restaurants, shopping centers.
Use these moments as opportunities to socialize by training the brains to know
how to work when they are in mode: “boredom”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Help them create a “bottle of boredom” with activity ideas for when they are
bored.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Be emotionally available to connect with children and teach them
self-regulation and social skills.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Turn off the phones at night when children have to go to bed to avoid digital
distraction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Become a regulator or emotional trainer for your children. Teach them to
recognize and manage their own frustrations and anger.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Teach them to greet, to take turns, to share without running out of anything,
to say thank you and please, to acknowledge the error and apologize (do not
force them), be a model of all those values you instill.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">·
Connect emotionally – smile, hug, kiss, tickle, read, dance, jump, play or
crawl with them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Article written by Dr. Luis Rojas Marcos Psychiatrist.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Ref: Article and picture downloaded from: <a href="https://imenough.co/a-silent-tragedy/" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext;">https://imenough.co/a-silent-tragedy/</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />warrenowensbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168067152690659803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1253936106399727881.post-72340770363830452362019-12-18T16:40:00.003-08:002019-12-18T16:40:43.023-08:00Best to 'Walk our Talk'<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxZ3eVUCW3IupFqFPhBl0epyG4m3_WBLSUxqvaYZapkMlJNBrEkxgu9DPQsmVM7HJrvcuWGIdYeN82BWPcfeeZFzzSqP1fn5U94CAEEFBoqUElIuDFADZ63kpuxonZ3zEGRGly76WP-k/s1600/This+is+Seruwaia+and+her+sister+Luse+Talei..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxZ3eVUCW3IupFqFPhBl0epyG4m3_WBLSUxqvaYZapkMlJNBrEkxgu9DPQsmVM7HJrvcuWGIdYeN82BWPcfeeZFzzSqP1fn5U94CAEEFBoqUElIuDFADZ63kpuxonZ3zEGRGly76WP-k/s320/This+is+Seruwaia+and+her+sister+Luse+Talei..jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #002060; text-align: justify;">In a
recent study it was found that 90% of American parents say their top priority
for their children is for them to be kind and caring! I would say from my
experience as a parent and what I have seen in my 40 years of being an educator
in primary schools, NZ parents would say the same thing.</span><br />
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<span style="background: white; color: #002060; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This of
course is what we all want for our young as we see our world fraught with
complex and sad issues of poverty, violence and greed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #002060; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #002060; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">However,
when the study dug into reality and asked the children what did their parents
want and value from them most of all, they said things like good grades, doing
well at school and getting a good report.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #002060; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">We can
underestimate children’s ability to see what parents really value. Words are
cheap and unless we truly model what we say, our young ones will zone in what
adults really prioritise.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #002060; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This
hypocrisy can be very accidental as most adults truly want their young ones to
be kind and caring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In their article,
the authors, Adam Grant and Allison Sweet Grant, went on to talk about a
subsequent study that demonstrated that kindness appears to be on the decline. </span><span class="c-bylineauthor"><b><span style="color: #002060; letter-spacing: .75pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-transform: uppercase;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></span><span style="background: white; color: #002060; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“ </span><span style="color: #002060; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A
rigorous analysis of annual surveys of American college students <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-me-care/"><span style="color: #002060;">showed a substantial drop from 1979 to 2009</span></a> in
empathy and in imagining the perspectives of others. Over this period, students
grew less likely to feel concern for people less fortunate than themselves—and
less bothered by seeing others treated unfairly.”<span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #002060; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #002060; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This is scary stuff in a
world that has so many challenges. </span><span style="color: #002060;">It is abundantly clear,
we can do better! However much we praise kindness and caring, we are not
showing our children we value these attributes.</span><span style="color: #002060;">Accidentally we can
become so focussed and worried about academic achievement we fail to nurture
kindness as well as we think we are. We can inadvertently promote our
children’s achievement accolades as personal badges of pride.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #002060;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #002060; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">We are all guilty of
this and it is time to reflect on what balance exists between our celebrating
achievement versus the character traits of empathy and care. In some ways
promoting E.Q. over I.Q.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #002060; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Ironically many
successful and happy people are strong in E.Q.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #002060; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #002060; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In the article, it
suggests making explicit efforts to promote what is valued in your home. For
example, at the dinner table ask the children questions related to your values
such as, ‘did you help someone at school out today?’ We need to look for
opportunities to praise children for caring acts. Talk to your children about
being mindful of the friends they foster. Encourage them to notice classmates
who are kind and compassionate versus those who might be popular but not
necessarily kind.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #002060; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #002060; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I see lots of very
positive things going in the school I work at (Waterloo) but the article I have
referenced has made me sit up and review what we are doing with the aim of
striving to be better. ‘Treat other people as you wish to be treated’ is a
strong and meaningful mantra. I also think we have to be very explicit with
children and actively foster in them to be courageous. To stand up for what is
decent and right.<span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #002060; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/12/stop-trying-to-raise-successful-kids/600751/"><span style="color: #002060;">https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/12/stop-trying-to-raise-successful-kids/600751/</span></a><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br />warrenowensbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168067152690659803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1253936106399727881.post-6791337070002526942019-11-15T13:20:00.000-08:002019-11-15T13:20:22.454-08:00Being United<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhanxcHtlBWejQJO91VZZMY9k95_WldtkfRrDy3IMSy0FU6V70U3_MBYv5340ei7Q2a6MzK32jHE6tavsJlF1BIBpYS1qszbbOrmduAEbOk4FMUxkDvCpQWKzVLHLp1dXEUvdYQmeoT7To/s1600/Teamwork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="178" data-original-width="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhanxcHtlBWejQJO91VZZMY9k95_WldtkfRrDy3IMSy0FU6V70U3_MBYv5340ei7Q2a6MzK32jHE6tavsJlF1BIBpYS1qszbbOrmduAEbOk4FMUxkDvCpQWKzVLHLp1dXEUvdYQmeoT7To/s1600/Teamwork.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Footnote below)</span></div>
<span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I have just finished reading Michelle Obama's book 'Becoming'. I
was keen to read her book as she comes across as a person with great dignity,
integrity and courage.</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">Towards the end of the book she addresses a question she has been asked
many times. She said, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">"I have no
intention of running for office, ever. I've never been a fan of politics, and
my experience over the last ten years has done little to change that. I continue
to be put off by the nastiness---the tribal separation of red and blue, this
idea that we are supposed to choose one side and stick to it, unable to
listen and compromise, or even be civil.” (p419)<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">This was music to me ears as I have struggled with the combative and
hypocritical nature of politics.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;"><br /></span></div>
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In an earlier blog post I talked about this concern and offered my views on a possible better way. I have repeated much of this below as I have been further inspired by Michelle Obama's strong views.</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">There is no doubt about it, ‘together everyone achieves more’. Over the
years we have all watched New Zealand’s political circus of punch and counter
punch. When election time comes around the hype and marketing builds.
Unfortunately some ‘over promising’ can happen and this of course comes with
quite a bit of under-delivering once elected. No matter how principled
people are, they usually vote with self-interest and who can blame them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">The current situation is no different. The
reality is, New Zealand has a combative and party dogma centred construct of
governing. Under this model how is it possible to harness the best of what we
have and have a fully unified, inclusive and powerful strategy ahead!</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">We have a choice. We can accept this as is and
carry on regardless. To be fair, New Zealand can be proud of much of what has
been achieved in recent times, including getting through in pretty good shape
after the challenges of the Christchurch earthquakes, recessions and of course
the global financial crisis (GFC). However, everyone would agree, the gap
between those ‘who have’ and those ‘who have not’ is far too wide. Our
education, health and social sectors are underfunded and operate in an
uncoordinated fashion. That’s probably too harsh but a cross disciplinary
approach would be more powerful.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">A fundamental question needs to be asked. If you
were responsible for a large number of people’s welfare and their asset base,
would you set up a system of governance as we have currently?</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">I personally wouldn’t. I may be naive, in fact I
know I am but the idea of a meritocracy of sorts has much merit in my mind.
Democracy has to be at the heart of this.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">I believe most New Zealanders have a very similar
vision for our country. I also believe most would ascribe to very similar
principles and values. For example, most New Zealanders believe in democracy,
racial and gender equity, environmental sustainability, freedom of speech and
so on.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">If a shared vision was democratically settled on
and then the agreed principles and values we wish to live by are agreed, we
would then have the basis to create a shared strategic plan and related goals
to implement. These goals would be far ranging having targets across the
spectrum of what we hold dear as New Zealand citizens. Of course these goals
would need to be revisited regularly to ensure they still have the powerful
relevancy and currency required.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">Having a shared and ‘owned’ approach like this
would take out the enormous amount of time we waste on petty and quite often personal
political debates which cause division and take the energy away from what is
important.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">This would also take away the need for political
parties and allow passionate people to put their hand up for election to New
Zealand’s 1st XV who would take up the responsibility for leadership. I
use the term 1st XV with ‘tongue in cheek’ as it is a parlance many would
recognise. Essentially the best people for the job similar to a Board of
Trustees. Right now, my vote would be for Jacinda to be captain and coach. I
see many others across the parties who have so much to offer NZ but are caught
up in party politics and ‘treading water’.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">I, like you want the best for NZ. We should aspire
to be a role model for the rest of the world as our planet is in a perilous
state.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">Before you dismiss this idea as nonsense, debate it
with your family and friends as I know we can do better. Let’s get our best
people on the park as together everyone achieves more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
This wonderful poem is very related to what has been said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<img alt="Image result for pity the nation khalil gibran" src="https://pics.awwmemes.com/pity-the-nation-after-khalil-gibran-pity-the-nation-whose-32303437.png" /></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Footnote: Teamwork picture. Apologies but my eyes can't quite read the credits. Hopefully you can.</span>warrenowensbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168067152690659803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1253936106399727881.post-20836003961422066842019-10-10T15:08:00.001-07:002019-10-10T15:08:11.587-07:00Let’s Get Real<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6U_UTfexVyrgHKy5gqWg4chDSktPfvjV2Rj_HM_n0bAaYpRiKNb5eHFSbMo0ygHF_cS3D01jZlxkKc1PS45_siWaxawrIVqK-JWhBRHKgXF2uzCXGgnxr1Fz8s2-qUM6e534RsZtg-sg/s1600/Bruce+Springsteen.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6U_UTfexVyrgHKy5gqWg4chDSktPfvjV2Rj_HM_n0bAaYpRiKNb5eHFSbMo0ygHF_cS3D01jZlxkKc1PS45_siWaxawrIVqK-JWhBRHKgXF2uzCXGgnxr1Fz8s2-qUM6e534RsZtg-sg/s320/Bruce+Springsteen.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="m-1003711849456375358tableparagraph" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 5.35pt; margin-right: 7.8pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">This
blog entry is a brief attempt to summarise a few key ‘silver bullets’ to
transform our education system. I underline the point that this would not
require increasing the Government Education ‘purse’ but would require a change
of spending priorities.</span></div>
<div class="m-1003711849456375358tableparagraph" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 5.35pt; margin-right: 7.8pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="m-1003711849456375358tableparagraph" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 5.35pt; margin-right: 7.8pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I
have come to these views after being a principal for 24 years and in education
for over 40 years. These years have not been merely at the ‘chalk face’ but
also engaged in my own extensive reading and writing about education.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="m-1003711849456375358tableparagraph" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 5.35pt; margin-right: 7.8pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="m-1003711849456375358tableparagraph" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 5.35pt; margin-right: 7.8pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In
addition to this, I have talked to a wide range of other experienced principals
who share the same or very similar views. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="m-1003711849456375358tableparagraph" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 5.35pt; margin-right: 7.8pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="m-1003711849456375358tableparagraph" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 5.35pt; margin-right: 7.8pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Silver
Bullet # 1<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Learning and Behaviour Support<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="m-1003711849456375358tableparagraph" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 5.35pt; margin-right: 7.8pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="m-1003711849456375358tableparagraph" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 5.35pt; margin-right: 7.8pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I
have put this as Number 1 because this is very urgent and would make an
enormous difference to schools’ morale and performance. There are many, many
angry principals out there who see this as a ‘no brainer’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="m-1003711849456375358tableparagraph" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 5.35pt; margin-right: 7.8pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="m-1003711849456375358tableparagraph" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 5.35pt; margin-right: 7.8pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Appoint
teacher assistants (para-professionals) in every class or at least 1 to every
two classes. This is a crude allocation but essentially we need to up teacher
support so the teachers can focus more intently on teaching and learning.
Currently we have teachers drawn away from this focus by very unfair situations
such as severe learning and behaviour/safety needs. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="m-1003711849456375358tableparagraph" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 4.5pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="m-1003711849456375358tableparagraph" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 5.35pt; margin-right: 4.5pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The
sooner all schools get dedicated SENCOs related to roll numbers the better.
These specialist teachers would coordinate the teaching and learning of the
more challenging students and coordinate T.A. (para-professional) support and teacher
interaction. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="m-1003711849456375358tableparagraph" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 5.35pt; margin-right: 4.5pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="m-1003711849456375358tableparagraph" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 5.35pt; margin-right: 4.5pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Silver
Bullet # 2 <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Teacher Training</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="m-1003711849456375358tableparagraph" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 5.35pt; margin-right: 4.5pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="m-1003711849456375358tableparagraph" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 5.35pt; margin-right: 8.05pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Teacher
training model needs to be reviewed and it is! The cautionary notes I would
make here are: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="m-1003711849456375358tableparagraph" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 5.35pt; margin-right: 8.05pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">1.
Prioritise what it is to be a teacher and don’t squeeze the experience into one
year. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="m-1003711849456375358tableparagraph" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 5.35pt; margin-right: 8.05pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">2.
Don’t over intellectualise the courses. There is too much emphasis on
qualification v understanding of what it is to be a teacher and the holistic and
developmental nature of learning. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="m-1003711849456375358tableparagraph" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 5.35pt; margin-right: 8.05pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="m-1003711849456375358tableparagraph" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 5.35pt; margin-right: 8.05pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">If
we get this right the sector would see a significant and sustained boost in
life-long learning and achievement. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="m-1003711849456375358tableparagraph" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 5.35pt; margin-right: 8.05pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="m-1003711849456375358tableparagraph" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 5.35pt; margin-right: 8.9pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Promote
teachers as inquirers. Give them time to think, watch, absorb and do their
magic but be rigorous and have high expectations. To be fair, this concept of teacher inquiry is being promoted but for a while undermined by over the top expectations from 'the powers that be' for teachers to justify their existence by detailed record keeping as part of an appraisal process.</span></div>
<div class="m-1003711849456375358tableparagraph" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 8.05pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="m-1003711849456375358tableparagraph" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 5.35pt; margin-right: 4.5pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Silver
Bullet # 3 <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Quality Assurance</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="m-1003711849456375358tableparagraph" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 8.05pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="m-1003711849456375358tableparagraph" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 5.35pt; margin-right: 6.0pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The
currently accountability model of assurance checks on schools should be tweaked
to a rigorous guidance model. Accountability is a must but the focus must be on
implementing best practice with minimum bureaucracy and death by paperwork.
Enough ‘talking the talk’, schools should only need to ‘walk the talk’. We need
a High Trust model supported by advisors. Then if a school loses this trust
early intervention will be needed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="m-1003711849456375358tableparagraph" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 5.35pt; margin-right: 6.0pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="m-1003711849456375358tableparagraph" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 5.35pt; margin-right: 7.6pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Focus
on teaching and learning with ‘hard fun’ at the centre. We must have high
expectations for our students appropriate to age and particularly stage.
Confidence is everything and learning is developmental! We don’t all get
concepts in a linear order nor at the same time. Many young people do not achieve a
sense of themselves as an independent learner until their mid-twenties. In our
current model, too many of these young people feel a sense of failure as they
transition out of school because they haven’t yet jumped the education hurdles
implicitly and explicitly expected of them by the system. If we truly believe
in life-long learning, then our model must change.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="m-1003711849456375358tableparagraph" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 5.35pt; margin-right: 7.6pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="m-1003711849456375358tableparagraph" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 5.35pt; margin-right: 7.6pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">We all learn differently and as Bruce Springsteen
wisely said, “One problem with the way our education system is set up is that
it only recognises a certain type of intelligence, and it’s incredibly
restrictive. There’s so many types of intelligence, and people who would be at
their best outside of that structure get lost.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />warrenowensbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168067152690659803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1253936106399727881.post-36749449932727927952019-08-29T12:50:00.000-07:002019-08-29T12:50:04.616-07:00Boredom is a Great Teacher<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVfbXl6fs1bIzmXvCJ9UD0FH9ZD0twSeHOM-1ReJQrH_jyGaVOxGDBACGtQRdDx9sou1olB3AJqpu100YxWPSyfKQ1ikbi5EVWcgWYDBZ8MAGgPrnI8ARxEDM-ACl22q7ri1SYbHczyZQ/s1600/Time.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="640" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVfbXl6fs1bIzmXvCJ9UD0FH9ZD0twSeHOM-1ReJQrH_jyGaVOxGDBACGtQRdDx9sou1olB3AJqpu100YxWPSyfKQ1ikbi5EVWcgWYDBZ8MAGgPrnI8ARxEDM-ACl22q7ri1SYbHczyZQ/s320/Time.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">Boredom is a great teacher</span></b><span style="color: #222222;">. Without
it there wouldn’t be any spaces in a child’s day to dream, wonder and struggle
with time on their hands. Boredom allows space and opportunity for creativity
and the development of independence.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">Is your child running from one after school activity to another?</span></b><span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;"> Do
you feel like you are so busy driving your children here there and everywhere
that at times you feel over-whelmed? This is not unusual and it can creep up on
you. Parenting is one of the toughest jobs you will ever have.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">The reality of our world today is there is so much choice for
extra-curricular activities. Children can be pushed to their limits and end up not
doing anything justice. (maybe even compromising their team mates and/or tutors/coaches) The result can mean over-busy days and children
who are frazzled and often parents too! Parents are not always at fault as
children can put pressure on parents to participate in things that look ‘fun’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">Making hard choices is a life skill and we as the adults need to foster
this decision making skill. Children need down time to really flourish and
grow. Being able to appreciate being still and chilling out is also a life
skill. I encourage you to foster these life skills and that may mean at times you
need to be an active influence on decision making for over-zealous children.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">If the adults in their lives are also rushing about and frantic all the
time, our children will come to believe that is how life is supposed to be.
However, if we can model a slower pace and make time to ‘chill out’ and create slower
paced moments, then we open up a more intentional dynamic of healthy living.
Simple opportunities such as sitting down together for meal times, playing a
board game, or cards, or going on a short slow walk around the block gives a
strong well-being message and cements life-long habits. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />warrenowensbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168067152690659803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1253936106399727881.post-67488779002413531152019-07-26T12:56:00.001-07:002019-07-29T20:39:44.197-07:00Creating Life Long Lovers of Learning<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-a7f1A3fTGu_NUXnOcmSeXuk0TlmvKttOyZTmpduGJQ_V1nbjIoaIyf5se4GleI1WkU2qw5yFVD4LGSTL6KB06rqr0BfVa942POnJ0i95qsV9W8Rl-BAG3AjO2fb5TKqlYeoVcV26mzI/s1600/Action.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="640" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-a7f1A3fTGu_NUXnOcmSeXuk0TlmvKttOyZTmpduGJQ_V1nbjIoaIyf5se4GleI1WkU2qw5yFVD4LGSTL6KB06rqr0BfVa942POnJ0i95qsV9W8Rl-BAG3AjO2fb5TKqlYeoVcV26mzI/s320/Action.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 9pt;">Actions
Speak Louder Than Words</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small; white-space: pre-wrap;">If I was asked what is important in education I would probably say first and foremost, to promote Emotional Intelligence (E.Q.) and in particular kindness. With this front and centre, all else is possible.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The next level of importance for me is to foster life-long learning. A very key aspect of facilitating this outcome is </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">to provide the conditions where children are supported to see their world, grapple with it, play with it and express </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">their ‘take on it’ through their amazing creative self. We just need to help them experience wonder, joy, discovery, </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">adventure and personal achievement whilst skillfully building their resilience, curiosity, creativity and of course those</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> foundational skills which open the world of communication and reasoning.</span></div>
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</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">This is easy said, but hard to achieve. However if we are determined to build our capability around this philosophy,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> then our children will not only become capable learners, they will become </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">life-long lovers of learning</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">. This is no </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">soft, new age thinking approach as it demands high expectations, rigour, humility and tenacity by those skilled </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">educators taking on this challenge.</span></span></div>
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</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">I like a lot of the Montessori philosophy as their two main goals are to build this love of learning and confidence in </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">children. The Montessori approach provides a child with extended time in which to develop their emerging cognitive</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> abilities acknowledging the developmental nature of learning. This developmental and personalised approach fits </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">well with what I have said above.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">So what’s new? Not a lot as this has been said by all ‘n sundry’ for centuries. The ‘powers that be’ who set policy</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> have the best intentions and are usually well informed but in their attempt to create the ideal conditions for learning</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> in schools, they have often stumbled.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The main area of this ‘stumble’ is their desire to see accountability. Often blunt tools are used which require schools</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> to justify their existence. National Standards was one of those tools as is ‘teacher inquiry’ where teachers are </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">directed to inquire into their practice and provide a trail of evidence to show they are going through a cycle of</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> review of their teaching. Of course this practice of trialing new approaches to maximise student learning is very</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> important, but it has always been part of a good teacher’s repertoire of practice. It is to be fostered and expected. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Unfortunately though, the compliance expectations have often been misinterpreted so ‘teacher inquiry’ became</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> ‘bigger than Texas’ for some schools. This has caused frustration, anxiety, stress and confusion for some teachers </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">and they can spend an inordinate amount of quality time filling in their trail of evidence to meet the school’s </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">requirements!!</span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Thank goodness national standards have been scrapped and clear messages have come from the Minister of </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Education that teacher appraisal as we know it needs re-defining. </span></div>
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</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">I am cautiously optimistic about the future here. However, I am hoping some new assessment ‘ruler’ is not created</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> to promote teacher / school accountability as students do not learn concepts in a linear fashion and to date, this </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">approach has been counter productive in the primary sector. Equally, teachers need to be accountable and we</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> need to promote and encourage teachers thinking and inquiring into their practice. We need to have high </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">expectations and then give them time to think, watch, absorb and do their magic.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The very well respected educationalist and author, David Stewart said in 1997, ‘ ...it will be necessary to step </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">beyond the current obsession with measuring short term inputs and outputs and attempting to decide whether </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">individual teachers meet some mythical standard which is so difficult to express. Instead we need to address </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">teaching as a form of intellectual endeavour as opposed to a collection of definable tasks, and devise </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">methodologies which both increase teachers’ intellectual fluency and provide time, space and incentive for all staff</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> to engage in critical reflection of their work.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">I agree and the accountability model of assurance checks on schools should be tweaked to a rigorous guidance model.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> Accountability is a must but the focus should be on sustainable progress implementing best practice within minimum</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">bureaucracy</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> and ‘death by paperwork’. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Enough ‘talking the talk’, schools should only ‘walk their talk’.</span></div>
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<br />warrenowensbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168067152690659803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1253936106399727881.post-2322752987391538552019-05-17T14:41:00.001-07:002019-05-27T21:12:01.709-07:00What does love look like?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5BAgAFLchjn201pakOGnmZ7toGFmUo37plXijae5w0-u871bKYXugxrLm5FZcAaNZx2P7gJwQ82LFrXyuqUsIuroUG1JD44tdzWRrj1OzGoMgAnvEsK6YLwxza3j5LrOcpm_ijog2VRM/s1600/Friendship++Teamwork.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5BAgAFLchjn201pakOGnmZ7toGFmUo37plXijae5w0-u871bKYXugxrLm5FZcAaNZx2P7gJwQ82LFrXyuqUsIuroUG1JD44tdzWRrj1OzGoMgAnvEsK6YLwxza3j5LrOcpm_ijog2VRM/s320/Friendship++Teamwork.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Year 1<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">When things go wrong in a child’s life, either at home or school, a basic but very important question cuts through all the other dialogue adults engage in. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">What do you want for your child ?</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> On the face of it, this is a simple question. most parents would say they want</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">their child to be kind, resilient, responsible, secure in themselves and with their peers, happy and confident, </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">loving and keen to</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> learn.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Over my 40 plus years being an educator I have met many parents about their child’s behaviour and/or </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">happiness at school. In these situations, parents are usually upset and in some cases very emotional. Quite often</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">the child has been having trouble with peers and a lot of blame is attached to how these children are</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">treating the child concerned. Some families want punitive action against these other children. In many cases </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">the child who is having trouble has a history of ‘scratchy’ relationships with other children and in some cases </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">taken the ‘victim’ approach. Everyone is ‘picking on me’. Usually when I have ‘dug into’ the situation the issue is </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">complex but quite often, it comes down to the child not having the skills to form strong relationships. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">They are fragile, feeling insecure and get into the ‘fight’ or ‘flight’ mode quickly.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Some children have difficulty making friendships usually because they have yet to learn some of the simple </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">fundamental rules about developing positive relationships. Sadly this deficit can burden the individual for life.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">If a child has been regularly indulged by their parents they innocently learn to respond to their world as if they </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">are the ‘centre of the universe’. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">In her article ‘</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">How to Ensure Kids Know They’re Not the Centre of the Universe’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">, Katie Mertes says, “</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">In a </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">materialistic world focused on having the latest and greatest, the biggest and best, our children are headed </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">down a dangerous path of being robbed of their joy. Consider this: if a child grows up with the mindset of always</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">needing more, never sitting with contentment, never practising true gratitude, we are inadvertently telling them</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">that life is meant to serve them. They will be completely unprepared to enter the “real world” where hard work </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">is necessary and important, and things are not handed to them.” Her short article is worth a quick read.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="https://www.mother.ly/parenting/how-to-ensure-kids-know-theyre-not-the-center-of-the-universe" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">https://www.mother.ly/parenting/how-to-ensure-kids-know-theyre-not-the-center-of-the-universe</span></a></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">It is rather cliched but the old book of ‘How to win friends and influence people’, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 8pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">(1)</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> has advice which pertains to</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> us all, adults and children alike. It is not rocket science. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Some key advice for children</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Show genuine interest in other people. ( it’s not all about ‘me’)</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Be warm and friendly. (smile)</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Know your peers names.</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Be a good listener. (again, it’s not all about ‘me’)</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Talk about or ask about the other person’s interests.</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Be willing to help the other person feel positive about themselves by complimenting them on things.</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Show respect for the other person’s viewpoint. It is important children feel comfortable to express their </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #262626; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-indent: 0px; white-space: pre;">own viewpoint and maybe agree to disagree rather than saying they are wrong. (don’t have to agree </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #262626; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-indent: 0px; white-space: pre;">but </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-indent: 0px; white-space: pre;">you can listen and try and see what is being said from the other person’s viewpoint)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #262626; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #262626; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">This may come across as insincere and manipulative but it will only be this way if the child is not sincere about </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #262626; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">wanting to be friendly and they don’t truly care about the other person’s feelings.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Modelling is the key--if you swear they will swear. If you put people down in subtle or not so subtle ways, they </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">will will learn to do this. If you behave like a bully (mental or physical) or gossip about people, they will learn to </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">become bullies and gossips. If you eat unhealthily, they will more than likely take on these habits. If you have a </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">‘victim mentality’ blaming everyone but yourself for the misfortunes of life, your children will more than likely </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">take on this persona.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Our school values are a good place to start. These 3 basic tenants of life are a good compass for us all. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Respect, </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Responsibility and Resilience. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">These values represent how we all should try and live our lives. I say try because it is really hard being a good </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">parent and it is not about being a paragon of virtue. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">So going back to my original question, ‘what does love look like?’ Well for me it is about supporting children to </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">be decent human beings who can contribute to society in positive ways. If we can do this our children will be </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">secure and happy and full of appreciation and love. Often this can require tough love. **</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Habits are formed early in life and there is more than some truth in the famous quote by Aristotle, the famous </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">philosopher (384BC) “Give me a child until they are 7 and I will show you the man.” The upshot clearly is to start</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">early with children and be consistent with your support and expectations.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">There are a million pieces of advice available around all this and I don’t mean to sound as if I have all the </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">answers because I don’t. However, a good place to start is looking at ourselves and what we are modelling.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Dale Carnegie </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">‘How to win friends and influence people’.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">**Tough love</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> is a </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">parenting</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> approach that can help children see that although their parents </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">love</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> them, they aren't going to</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">enable them. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Tough love parenting</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> can still be warm and empathetic. It involves clear boundaries and limits. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Consequences are enforced as a way to teach teens life lessons.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Tough love is not about being hard and punitive. Looking for positive behaviour and praising it is so powerful and this </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">should always be the focus but at times boundaries and expectations will need to be enforced quietly, consistently and </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">calmly. Don’t give way to tantrums, melt downs or victim behaviour. </span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-6ef2bfcd-7fff-2f95-e46a-d4350dd46e80"><br /></span>warrenowensbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168067152690659803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1253936106399727881.post-21978890177566735312019-04-14T13:20:00.003-07:002019-04-15T16:38:14.246-07:00A Shared Vision for Aotearoa<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN5INZh327dLbBOUJ1ESUWiw92A38kdroaufUNQGN3NdQ38MNROGN7FGGoy3UMbioYbXCDWwQ8QLoZwCOH0gzdkpSs02jg9vjz6jnm04efebHF01XslHPMN_tao9Q85q9wuIXtfjjyI8U/s1600/inspire-shared-vision-1-728.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="546" data-original-width="728" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN5INZh327dLbBOUJ1ESUWiw92A38kdroaufUNQGN3NdQ38MNROGN7FGGoy3UMbioYbXCDWwQ8QLoZwCOH0gzdkpSs02jg9vjz6jnm04efebHF01XslHPMN_tao9Q85q9wuIXtfjjyI8U/s320/inspire-shared-vision-1-728.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">There is no doubt about it,
‘together everyone achieves more’. Over the years we have all watched New
Zealand’s political circus of punch and counter punch. When election time comes
around the hype and marketing builds. Unfortunately some ‘over promising’ can
happen and this of course comes with quite a bit of under-delivering once
elected. No matter how principled people are, they usually vote with self
interest and who can blame them.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">The current situation is no
different. The reality is, New Zealand has a combative and party dogma
centred construct of governing. Under this model how is it possible to harness the best
of what we have and have a fully unified, inclusive and powerful strategy
ahead!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">We have a choice. We can accept
this as is and carry on regardless. To be fair, New Zealand can be proud of
much of what has been achieved in recent times, including getting through in
pretty good shape after the challenges of the Christchurch earthquakes,
recessions and of course the global financial crisis (GFC). However, everyone
would agree, the gap between those ‘who have’ and those ‘who have not’ is far
too wide. Our education, health and social sectors are underfunded and operate
in an uncoordinated fashion. That’s probably too harsh but a cross disciplinary
approach would be more powerful.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">A fundamental question needs to
be asked. If you were responsible for a large number of people’s welfare and
their asset base, would you set up a system of governance as we have currently?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">I personally wouldn’t. I may be naive,
in fact I know I am but the idea of a meritocracy of sorts has much merit in my
mind. Democracy has to be at the heart of this.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">I believe most New Zealanders
have a very similar vision for our country. I also believe most would ascribe
to very similar principles and values. For example, most New Zealanders believe
in democracy, racial and gender equity, environmental sustainability, freedom
of speech and so on.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">If a shared vision was
democratically settled on and then the agreed principles and values we wish to
live by are agreed, we would then have the basis to create a shared strategic
plan and related goals to implement. These goals would be far ranging
having targets across the spectrum of what we hold dear as New Zealand
citizens. Of course these goals would need to be revisited regularly to ensure
they still have the powerful relevancy and currency required.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Having a shared and ‘owned’
approach like this would take out the enormous amount of time we waste on petty
and quite often personal political debates which cause division and take the
energy away from what is important.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">This would also take away the
need for political parties and allow passionate people to put their hand up for
election to New Zealand’s 1st XV who would take up the responsibility for
leadership. I use the term 1st XV with ‘tongue in cheek’ as it is a parlance
many would recognise. Essentially the best people for the job similar to a
Board of Trustees. Right now, my vote would be for Jacinda to be captain and
coach. I see many others across the parties who have so much to offer NZ but
are caught up in party politics and ‘treading water’.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">I like you want the best for NZ
as much as a role model for the rest of the world as our planet is in a
perilous state.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Before you dismiss this idea as
nonsense, debate it with your family and friends as I know we can do better.
Let’s get our best people on the park as together everyone achieves more.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #575757; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal;">Picture ref: </span><a href="https://www.slideshare.net/mikecardus/inspire-shared-vision-presentation" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal;">https://www.slideshare.net/mikecardus/inspire-shared-vision-presentation</span></a><o:p></o:p></h2>
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<br />warrenowensbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168067152690659803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1253936106399727881.post-2384835755359294722019-03-31T22:06:00.001-07:002019-03-31T22:06:38.091-07:00Be a Kahawai<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhypgxnRSA6XeMfBStBMNZDPbDShFRQOCcBBCI4WAnEpoPgKaHFNWEbSFGPtrGqzBJuKaLG2s5CBKaDkoY0pkW0aIQ2ttCYqfeyyyhQWbRF0pYg5iRvtgacsXNBT3mcO-irU8pdjBvMB5M/s1600/Fish+Skeleton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="141" data-original-width="400" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhypgxnRSA6XeMfBStBMNZDPbDShFRQOCcBBCI4WAnEpoPgKaHFNWEbSFGPtrGqzBJuKaLG2s5CBKaDkoY0pkW0aIQ2ttCYqfeyyyhQWbRF0pYg5iRvtgacsXNBT3mcO-irU8pdjBvMB5M/s320/Fish+Skeleton.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="gmail_quote" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
As so many have said, the tragedy of the senseless Christchurch mass killings may just be the wake up call we need as a nation. There is no turning back, we either grasp the mantle or pathetically wilt back to our acceptance of what we know is wrong. That is, not to get involved, look the other way and meekly accept the world as a flawed place and fall back on the excuse that our individual effort won't amount to anything.</div>
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<div class="gmail_quote" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
Well, I feel optimistic! I am hopeful that not only will individuals start calling out racism but call out all sorts of wrongs, including workplace bullying. </div>
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<div class="gmail_quote" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">We are more than ever before in this together. ‘He iwi kotahi tatou.’ (We are one people)</span> <br /><br /><div dir="ltr">
<div style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 4.5pt;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Metaphorically, I like the view of New Zealand as a fish. Maori culture is the backbone and all the many other cultures are the bones running off this backbone. The many, many cultures that make up Aotearoa are equally important as each other. </span></div>
<div style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 4.5pt 0cm;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Maori culture is rooted into our land and our DNA as a nation and needs to be central, honoured and celebrated so we can all be proud citizens of<span class="m_1826459448090280996gmail-textexposedshow"> this wonderful country. Equally so, let us celebrate and respect the many other cultures not only because they add tremendous diversity and richness of spirit into our lives but because we are ‘one’. We are all fragile human beings that need and deserve respect, support and kindness. It has been refreshing to hear our Prime Minister put these things out front and forward in her speech to the United Nations Assembly where she called for a different world order - one that puts "kindness" ahead of isolationism, rejection and racism. This last week she has more than 'walked her talk'. Let’s not hide away now but be strong because as Martin Luther King said, ‘silence is complicity’.</span></span></div>
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N<span style="color: #1f497d; font-size: 10pt;">ote to self: maybe Kahawai---love this fish’s character traits.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 10pt;">Kahawai is the traditional Maori name which when translated means "brave" or "strong" (kaha) water (wai). This in reference to the kahawai's tendency to jump and fight when caught. In New Zealand it is often caught in abundance at river mouths and is a highly popular sports fish that punches above its weight" in terms of challenge to land. </span><span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 8pt;">(</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arripis_trutta&source=gmail&ust=1554179522703000&usg=AFQjCNGe898vcLhugzK-8TP8aejx3bqeTA" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arripis_trutta" style="color: blue;" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/<wbr></wbr>wiki/Arripis_trutta</a>)</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"></span></div>
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<br />warrenowensbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168067152690659803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1253936106399727881.post-22831428880743430292019-03-11T14:33:00.000-07:002019-03-22T15:32:50.571-07:00The Aotearoa Curriculum<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI6f3nq9mejGpk1RNwRfSN_KQZPov9tybzjKBA4p0bkRXu9GT_0dMWvXq9206S1ARsHfiI4vo8HZeJ8sW3bNWzDCCWOzYz5gdxvq3Y72Z_PpSnYfMEB2GBtn-2hth6DXsxmHRb4JYHwgA/s1600/Curriculum+Vision+snipped.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="391" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI6f3nq9mejGpk1RNwRfSN_KQZPov9tybzjKBA4p0bkRXu9GT_0dMWvXq9206S1ARsHfiI4vo8HZeJ8sW3bNWzDCCWOzYz5gdxvq3Y72Z_PpSnYfMEB2GBtn-2hth6DXsxmHRb4JYHwgA/s320/Curriculum+Vision+snipped.PNG" width="305" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">The task force (1) empowered to review the
provision of compulsory schooling in NZ have given all of the stakeholders
plenty of opportunity to have their say. We are almost at midnight and decision
time.</span><br />
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">The </span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://nzeinewsletters.cmail19.com/t/r-l-jthtiihl-utkdkrjiit-i/"><span style="color: #434547; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; text-decoration: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></a><a href="https://nzeinewsletters.cmail19.com/t/r-l-jthtiihl-utkdkrjiit-i/"><span style="color: #017dc5; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">summary of the 8 key issues</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> (2)
and recommendations are far reaching and potentially exciting. There could be
substantive changes coming up ! I commend the taskforce for their efforts to
consult and gather the viewpoints of all the stakeholders.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have
given my views (via the official channels) for what they are worth but a recent
DomPost (Saturday, February 16 2019) obituary on Sir John Jefferies has
inspired me to say more. I have done a lot of thinking about the taskforce’s
brief and the implications for schools, not least the curriculum. The last
curriculum implemented in 1990s has a very sound education philosophical,
co-constructivist underpinning. Where it failed to deliver its promise was
often in its interpretation and in recent years, the pressure and distraction
from the ‘powers that be’ around National Standards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The intensity schools felt from all quarters
to ‘accelerate progress’ for those students not meeting the age appropriate
standards sucked the life out of many teachers and distracted some schools from
the underpinning philosophy of that curriculum and the overarching goal of
inspiring lifelong learning for all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Sir John’s obituary highlights what research
has been telling us for a long time. There is no correlation between high
attainment at school and later success. After failing School Certificate three
times, John Jefferies went on to become a High Court judge and a Knight of the
Realm for his services to law, his leadership in the business world and his
lifelong contribution to New Zealand’s constitutional fabric.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">The Headmaster of St Patrick’s College wrote a
reference for the young Jefferies in which he advised prospective employers not
to give him a job that required any study. John Jefferies was considered a
failure at school!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">How often have we heard these sorts of
stories! How often have we seen some of our peers who struggled at school go on
to achieve great things in their field of choice!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Sir John is one of the lucky ones who through
his own determination, maturation and I am sure family encouragement, overcame
the lack of the then ‘meal ticket’ of jumping through the hoops (School
Certificate) of the school system at the same time as everyone else, to go on
to have a very successful career.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Sadly though, how often have we seen the
confidence of young people get knocked out of them in subtle and not so subtle
ways via the school system. Many of these young people don’t rise back up but
live their life believing what they have been told ----you are not worthy! We
know that some of these young people go on to take these feelings of inadequacy
out on others and often their anger gets them into strive. Worst still is the
modelling to their young and the perpetual cycle that can develop.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">So it is time! Time to do what we know is
right. It won’t be easy and it won’t be quick because it is a complex task that
is going to require more than the education system alone to put right. It is
going to require a multi-faceted approach engaging other agencies such as
social welfare to work together in a coherent and transformational way. It will
also require the energy and support of the political parties to get away from
New Zealand’s combative and party dogma centered construct of governing. The
parties will need to work together to ensure we have a truly inclusive and
powerful strategy ahead.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">This comprehensive review of our school system
promises much. However it is one thing to change the structure of our school
system but I am really hoping a realignment of the curriculum is
prioritised.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would like to see a new
curriculum developed possibly named the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Aotearoa Curriculum or the Arohanui Curriculum (love for our young) for
the obvious connection with our indigenous people. In any one’s language, the
colonists actions ripped the heart out of our Maori people. I am definitely not
saying that was the intent but through many of their actions, this was the
stark nature of things. Many of the colonists were wonderful and kind people.
Many were visionary or at least well meaning, but looking back on our history,
I think even the most bigoted would acknowledge we could have done better.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Metaphorically, I like the view of New Zealand
as a fish. Maori culture is the backbone and all the many other cultures
are the bones running off this backbone. The many, many cultures that make up
Aotearoa are equally important as each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We are more than ever before in this together. ‘He iwi kotahi tatou.’
(We are one people)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Maori culture is rooted into our land and
our DNA as a nation and needs to be central, honoured and celebrated so we can
all be proud citizens of this wonderful country. Equally so, let us celebrate
and respect the many other cultures not only because they add tremendous
diversity and richness of spirit into our lives but because we are ‘one’. We
are all fragile human beings that need and deserve respect, support and
kindness. It has been refreshing to hear our Prime Minister put these things
out front and forward in her speech to the United Nations Assembly where <span style="background: white; color: #333333;">she called for a
different world order - one that puts "kindness" ahead of
isolationism, rejection and racism.(3)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
21stC<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>curriculum representing what we
know from research and the best education minds in the world implemented<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>by inspired teachers is the key. We know that
having supported and passionate teachers teaching in a tent, is far more effective
than worn out and stressed teachers operating in the best of facilities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Change is timely as despite the huge goodwill,
energy and resources that have gone into New Zealand’s education system over
the last few decades, many of our education outcomes have been progressively
falling. (4) We are not alone in failed approaches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a keynote address, Professor Guy Claxton
from Kings College, London listed many international failures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(5)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">These countries’ visions use similar words
describing the desired skills and attributes needing to be promoted in their
students. Words such as ‘creative’, ‘confident’, ‘flexible’, ‘curious’,
‘independent’ and ‘collaborative’ abound. These key skills and dispositions are
widely recognised as being central and critical to preparing our young for the
wild ride ahead, yet they get lost in the mire.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Claxton and others asks, ‘So what goes wrong’?
(6) <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Why aren’t these dispositions
imbedded in our education system after so many years of talk?</b> Never before
has it been so easy to access research and around best practice pedagogy via
the world’s experts! So what gets in the way of achieving better outcomes for
children?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">I don’t have the ‘silver bullet’ answers but I
do believe<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>everyone involved, including
the politicians, set out to do the right thing based on the best practice but
often the desire to improve learning outcomes is accidentally sabotaged and
confused by each level of the education hierarchy setting out to justify their
existence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">We have a great opportunity to make change now
but we have to be fearless.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Many well-meaning people worry about falling
standards and the importance of the basics in education. Of course we can’t
underestimate the importance of the basic skills that empower communication and
knowledge building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These skills will
always be fundamental and need to be fostered with rigour wherever possible
using authentic and meaningful contexts. It is not the ‘content’ of these
fundamental skills that needs changing but the ‘how’ they are taught and
scaffolded which is crucial.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Essentially
we need a school system that values the developmental nature of learning. Young
children don’t and can’t jump the same hurdles all at the same time, but we can
engage their minds and capture their unique ideas and thinking. Get this right
and you build real learning power, confidence and aspiration.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">We need to value questions above answers and
creativity over fact regurgitation with an overlay of high aspirations for all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">People like the world renowned ‘thinking’
guru, Dr Edward de Bono have always believed thinking and creativity are skills
that can be taught and learnt! The exponential change our children will face,
demands that thinking skills should have the same focus and currency as the
core skills of numeracy and literacy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">What is exciting, is that once this is
recognised, across the board academic outcomes trend upwards.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">According to Friedman, Finland is one of the
most innovative economies in the world and it is the only country where
students leave high school ‘innovation-ready’. They learn concepts and
creativity more than facts.” Intelligence is not enough. creativity, or the
ability to think divergently, can be developed and improved. It’s a learnable
process. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">What are these skills or dispositions and what
is the journey we need to take children on to give them real learning power?
The answer to this question has been written and spoken about for years and
years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Skills such as perseverance, flexibility,
questioning, curiosity, creativity, collaboration, reflection, resilience and
optimism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like Guy Claxton’s metaphor
of a school as a mind gym v an assembly line. (6)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The concept of imagining the mind as a muscle
you can build is appealing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Seymour Papert said, “Learning should be hard
fun” (7)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>where there is engagement,
passion and purpose.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Another key barrier which gets in the way of
successful implementation of New Zealand’s vision for education is we haven’t
unpacked what the key skills and dispositions actually mean and look like for
our teachers. Many people in schools for example, do not consider themselves as
creative and they need support to demystify and unpack what we mean by
‘creativity’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">The word creativity is bandied about quite
often in education circles but what does it actually mean? Do some have it and
some not? It is a widely misunderstood word.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Creativity is not a magical quality that some
have and some don’t! We have to ensure creativity and thinking skill development
is a dominant part of the curriculum. Not only should it be totally integrated
in the curriculum ensuring the learning tasks engage higher order thinking and
age and stage appropriate ‘hard fun’, but right from pre-school, children need
to explicitly know that their thinking and ideas have merit and value.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Discussing these attributes and providing
skill development and understanding adds enormous uplift in confidence and
indirectly demonstrates to children that their thinking has merit and it is an
important aspect of their development. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">But it isn’t going to happen by osmosis.
Schools and teachers need support, the mandate and the expectation that the
culture of their school needs to live and breathe these dispositions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">We need this education change not only because
it has been proven without doubt that children will benefit in all manner of
means (not only academically but holistically) but also for survival. The world
is facing unprecedented challenges such as population explosion, significant
climate change, significant human conflict via religion, politics and greed and
of course our growing resistance to antibiotics and the threat of superbugs. It
is a no brainer if for nothing more than making schools a place of true
learning where young people are set up wanting to learn and create for the rest
of their life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">It is time to focus on learning and not
schooling. Education should not be seen as something that starts at
kindergarten and finishes at university. Even from a practical point of view, a
university degree is no passport guarantee for a job anymore. The 19<sup>th</sup>
and 20<sup>th</sup>C roadmap for success has been disrupted by exponential
change, much of which has been brought about by technology.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">This of course applies to us as educators. We
must not be swayed by fads or pressure to do things for the wrong reasons but
follow what our hearts, experience and quality research is telling us. Data is
so important!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good teachers are natural
‘inquirers’ constantly gathering important qualitative and quantitative data
because they know this will provide rich information so they can provide the
best programme possible. They are not driven by top down expectations unless of
course it makes good sense.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">The arts have suffered over the last decade or
so as schools got distracted by National Standards and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the digital world. The arts taught well have
always been a conduit to higher order thinking. Sir Ken Robinson gets it big
time when he said, Of course technology is important as is science, maths,
engineering (STEM) but they are not enough! STEM is at risk of becoming a fad
and a diversion away from the heart of the matter. Students need equal doses of
the arts, the humanities, physical exercise and play. But more important than
any subject content is school culture. (8)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">A central part of this ‘culture’ is
recognising the immense importance of teacher connection and building
self-belief in students (relationships), combined with fostering an exciting
and rigorous thinking philosophy where ideas are celebrated and questions
valued over answers. The role of the teacher is more complex and demanding than
any time in history. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Interestingly enough there is nothing ‘earth
shatteringly new’ with what we know about how children learn and thrive. From
1949 to 1962 Elwyn Richardson at </span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oruaiti_School"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Oruaiti
School</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> with the blessing of the then and now famous
Director of Education, Clarence Beeby,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>discarded the official syllabus and turned to the children’s lives and
immediate environment for the basis of his curriculum. Using the children’s
natural curiosity and interest, Richardson taught them how to observe closely
the world around them and to record their new discoveries and their own
responses to these. From here, he developed a school programme that was
anchored in the children’s surroundings and real lives. Through environmental
study the children learned the basis of scientific method, and brought these
skills to bear on studies that spanned all subjects. His method was a revolt
away from science as a separate subject to an integrated programme of arts and
science. Richardson wrote In The Early World (9) at </span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oruaiti_School"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Oruaiti
School</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> published by The New Zealand Council for
Educational Research </span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NZCER"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">NZCER</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">
in 1964. The book tells the story of how Richardson’s students became
increasingly aware of their own capacity for personal expression, while
collectively establishing a shared understanding of aesthetic values.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Richardson’s holistic philosophy capturing the
children’s thinking and creativity has stood the test of time and is an
inspiring story. The aesthetics and the power of nature holding the secrets of
so much are as relevant today as ever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Our best internationally acclaimed educationalists continue to champion
such beliefs. For most children up to the 1960s their world was their
neighbourhood but now technology has shown us a global neighbourhood which our
young people are embracing. It is time to thread this holistic and
constructivist philosophy through our schools leveraging and integrating the
powerful digital tools of the 21stC. How exciting would that be!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Let’s get on with it with rigour, high
aspirations and passion. Let’s really create a nation of curious and creative
minds combined with kindness, empathy and good will. (E.Q.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s be fearless in the pursuit of what we
have known for a long time and provide a truly transformational education that
will not only excite students but set them alight to achieve more than they
thought possible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Warren Owen<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">(1)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://www.education.govt.nz/ministry-of-education/information-releases/education-portfolio-work-programme/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">https://www.education.govt.nz/ministry-of-education/information-releases/education-portfolio-work-programme/</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><a href="https://conversation.education.govt.nz/assets/TSR/Tomorrows-Schools-Review-Report-13Dec2018.PDF"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">https://conversation.education.govt.nz/assets/TSR/Tomorrows-Schools-Review-Report-13Dec2018.PDF</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">(2)</span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://conversation.education.govt.nz/assets/TSR/Tomorrows-Schools-Report-Summary-of-8-Key-Issues.pdf"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">https://conversation.education.govt.nz/assets/TSR/Tomorrows-Schools-Report-Summary-of-8-Key-Issues.pdf</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">(3) </span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WusMTYQS6Z8vQrcYaEhg_Ue4W6tvzUpiFR0_xAmJWh0/edit"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WusMTYQS6Z8vQrcYaEhg_Ue4W6tvzUpiFR0_xAmJWh0/edit</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">(4) NZ Principal March 2018 pp33-34 </span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://issuu.com/nzprincipal.co.nz/docs/nzp_t1_2018-web"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">https://issuu.com/nzprincipal.co.nz/docs/nzp_t1_2018-web<o:p></o:p></span></a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">(5) + (6) Professor Guy Claxton, Kings
College, London, U.K.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><a href="http://www.futuroeventos.com.br/stpaulconference/presentation/Guy-Claxton_Keynote-BLP.pdf"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">http://www.futuroeventos.com.br/stpaulconference/presentation/Guy-Claxton_Keynote-BLP.pdf<o:p></o:p></span></a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">(7)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Professor Guy Claxton, Kings College, London, U.K.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">(8)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
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<br />warrenowensbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168067152690659803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1253936106399727881.post-81111933512896538752019-01-18T12:13:00.000-08:002019-01-18T12:31:38.695-08:00Engaging the mind via Haiku 5 7 5<br />
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">Haiku is an old art form. Wikipedia tells us it started in the late 19thC after evolving from an earlier form</span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> of writing called the hokku. The writer is constrained to use only 5 syllables in lines 1 and 3 but can be</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> more effusive in line 2 with 7 syllables.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Whenever I read a powerful Haiku, I feel nourished and marvel how the poet has captured such impact</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> with such brevity of communication.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Light shines from the sun</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">And travels through the white cloud</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Dives into the pond</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 8pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">By Viet</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">This simple form is evocative and extremely expressive. The minimalist use of diction is actually its </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">strength in capturing the imagery of the moment.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Of course one could say the enforced structure of haiku constrains what is possible with more </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">landscape of imagery, diction and figures of speech.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">This potential debate excites me and I look forward to anyone wishing to discuss it.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">As the famous author Mark Twain is to have purported to have said, "If had more time I would have </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">written a shorter letter."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">As an educator, I am passionate about encouraging children to see learning as an exciting pursuit. I </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">want them to realise that the brain is like a muscle which we can build and that if we are brave and </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">willing to make mistakes and have a go, we can be free. Free of comparing ourselves to the next </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">person, free from feeling silly when we don't know something but mostly free to show others who we </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">are without embarrassment or fear of ridicule. Being able to express our thoughts and emotions via </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">dance, music or writing is a wonderful gift but to show the essence of our thinking is a great challenge.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">I feel a great responsibility as a teacher and principal of a school to foster these things and deliver a </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">curriculum where 'thinking' is at its heart. I mean deep and powerful thinking, away from the rote, </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">recall end but more of the higher order thinking where learners are curious and creative delving into </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">analysis, synthesis, evaluative thinking and prediction. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Haiku is just one of millions of ways to engage higher order thinking. I was delighted to read a few </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">haiku poems recently from Year 10 boys from Wellington College. These boys attend English as a </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Second Language class. To be able to write in English demonstrating their thinking so well at this high </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">level is very impressive and beautiful.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">For your pleasure, there are two more below.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Yellow sun in sky</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">We are feeling comfortable</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Bathed in the sunshine</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 8pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 8pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 8pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Tony Yang</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Wind blowing gently</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Passing the clean blue window</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Drops on my shoulder</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 8pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> Kai</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> Ref: Picture from Rod Van Abbema--spirited-thinking.com</span></span></div>
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warrenowensbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168067152690659803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1253936106399727881.post-17724175981137041432018-11-09T14:40:00.002-08:002018-11-09T14:40:59.245-08:00Keeping Science Teaching Alive<br />
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I recently read an article on science teaching in the DomPost and was compelled to comment via a letter to the editor. However, on submitting my long-winded response, I saw one of the key criteria of acceptance was the word limit of 200 words! I didn't have the time nor the wit to crunch down my thoughts so here it is as a blog post. I hope you enjoy.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Dear Editor<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I enjoyed reading Dave Armstrong's
piece in Tuesday's (30/10/18) DomPost entitled, 'Science shouldn't be a 'nice
to have' in schools'. Part of me winced though as putting science experts into
schools is not the ‘silver bullet’ answer. Science learning does not stand
alone and should not be siloed as historically happened in many schools.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Yes, we do need innovative scientists to contribute to our economy
and help solve the many significant problems the world faces. However in
reality best practice suggests teachers need to take an inter-disciplinary
approach or an integrated curriculum view where all these subjects are linked
together in a meaningful way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The power of combining and integrating subject matter was promoted
by one of the world’s greatest thinkers, Albert Einstein.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">He said, “</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">For as long as I can
remember — and certainly long before I had the term for it — I’ve believed that
creativity is combinatorial: Alive and awake to the world, we amass a
collection of cross-disciplinary building blocks — knowledge, memories, bits of
information, sparks of inspiration, and other existing ideas — that we then
combine and recombine, </span><a href="https://www.brainpickings.org/2012/05/04/a-technique-for-producing-ideas-young/#unconscious"><span style="color: #c33737; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">mostly unconsciously</span></a><span style="color: #262626; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">, into something
“new.” From this vast and cross-disciplinary mental pool of resources beckons
the infrastructure of what we call our </span><a href="https://www.brainpickings.org/2013/02/04/oliver-sacks-on-memory-and-plagiarism/"><span style="color: #c33737; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“own”</span></a><a href="https://www.brainpickings.org/2012/05/10/mark-twain-helen-keller-plagiarism-originality/"><span style="color: #c33737; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“original”</span></a><span style="color: #262626; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> ideas. The notion,
of course, is not new — some of history’s greatest minds across art, science,
poetry, and cinema have articulated it, directly or indirectly, in one form or
another.” (1) </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Capturing the love and passion for science and related subjects (STEAM)
needs to start with our new entrants at school. </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">STEAM</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> promoting the core dispositions such as curiosity, collaboration
and creativity traverses all that we are and do as humans. Children love
getting their hands and minds into these fascinating subjects and they link so
well with other curriculum areas as well. It is a way of thinking, a way of
viewing the world and something that you do, not something that you learn from
a computer or an expert. Of course, it is great when an expert 'gets' this
pedagogy and can use his or her expertise to facilitate new learning. However,
you don’t need to be an ‘expert’ to facilitate powerful science engagement at
the primary school level. You do need to be passionate and willing to do the
‘yards’ with preparation and provocation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Sir Ken Robinson has got it right when he said, “Our education
system has mined our minds in the way that we strip-mined the earth for a
particular commodity. And for the future, it won’t service. We have to rethink
the fundamental principles on which we’re educating our children. </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">We make too much of a difference between science
and art. It’s often assumed that to be a teacher you just need a good degree in
whatever it is you are being paid to teach, but it’s simply not true, it was
never true. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A great teacher obviously knows their material, the
real skill is engaging people in the material and “firing up their imaginations”. (2)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I asked a research scientist </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">if he were to give anyone advice
on how to inspire science in primary age children, what would he say? He said,
“<span style="color: black;">Most of all we need passionate teachers</span> <span style="color: black;">and promoting curiosity in children is the key. Kindle the
scientific spirit by asking why and how. The details of figuring things out
(the mathematics for example) are crucial, but if you don't have the context
and the motivation any learning can seem very dry. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I like what George
Wald said, ‘</span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">When it (science) is going well, it
is like a quiet conversation with Nature.’(3)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">To me this is saying
that in doing science, you get to ask questions about the way that things are,
and get answers from nature! If you are patient, you can gain an understanding
that is much deeper, richer and more complex than the way things seem
superficially. Part of having the conversation, is knowing the language (the
things that we learn at school and beyond), but the point of learning the
language is to use to gain understanding, to be able to conduct your quiet
conversation with nature.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Einstein said ‘look
deep into nature and you will understand everything’. This is great advice and
I support Dave Armstrong’s fundamental motivation which is to get more science
into schools but let’s not see science as a laboratory full of experts and test
tubes. It is not about experts and buildings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Warren Owen<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 8.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">(1)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><a href="https://www.brainpickings.org/2013/08/14/how-einstein-thought-combinatorial-creativity/"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 8.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">https://www.brainpickings.org/2013/08/14/how-einstein-thought-combinatorial-creativity/</span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 8.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span><a href="http://www.vision.org/visionmedia/family-relationships/educational-reform/37420.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 8.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">http://www.vision.org/visionmedia/family-relationships/educational-reform/37420.aspx</span></a><u><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 8.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 8.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">(3)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 8.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://www.azquotes.com/quote/573753">https://www.azquotes.com/quote/573753</a></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 8.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Da Vinchi drawing: photo ref: overnitecelebrity.biz</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Bird and plane painting --Oliver Cass</span></o:p></span></div>
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<br />warrenowensbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168067152690659803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1253936106399727881.post-10321253453573945462018-10-22T17:53:00.000-07:002018-10-22T18:00:01.130-07:00Going Places<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJ3hB5HmwdNrvDzG1t8Ywxbk7YYZ8jVn5qoD5ByhKHmA7LC1X_H6JRyTOS2w2ND42VpBzLERqLCJWf0SJyw6Oi5RiUkn86GGNVBvVLZyKgtJWdMtdbM-aTbGqiA4j1gPD0wRAVAlmIUc/s1600/Going+Places+backdrop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJ3hB5HmwdNrvDzG1t8Ywxbk7YYZ8jVn5qoD5ByhKHmA7LC1X_H6JRyTOS2w2ND42VpBzLERqLCJWf0SJyw6Oi5RiUkn86GGNVBvVLZyKgtJWdMtdbM-aTbGqiA4j1gPD0wRAVAlmIUc/s320/Going+Places+backdrop.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: ""calibri"","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The Power of Future Focussed
Holistic Education<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: ""calibri"","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">It is now
several weeks since Waterloo School’s production, ‘Going Places’ played to our
school community. As a staff we all hesitated at taking on this whole school
production in our modest school hall. With a roll of 555 students it seemed a
daunting task to be able to give all the children a meaningful experience on
stage. Initially the logistics of doing this just seemed too hard but it had been
a few years since the last whole school production and we sensed the time was
right to ‘give it a whirl’. We collectively decided we didn’t want to just buy
in a scripted show as we felt it would not engage much thinking or ownership
and only a few ‘stars’ would benefit from the experience.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: ""calibri"","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The term
proved to be tough with record breaking sickness amongst the children and the
staff. The winter grey tones greeted most days making us wonder if the rain and
cold would ever retreat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: ""calibri"","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">As a staff
we had settled on an inquiry theme of ‘Migration’ to delve into with the
children. With 23 ethnicities in the school we felt it to be a potentially
powerful topic being so relevant to our families and the children’s lives. It
coincided with our country deciding to up the number of refugees we would allow
into New Zealand, supporting the importance of embracing diversity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: ""calibri"","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">As it
turned out these decisions, firstly an end of term production and then to study
‘Migration’, proved to be a mighty combination.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: ""calibri"","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">With an
initial whole staff planning brainstorm on the large whiteboard in the staff
room, the individual teachers set off with a great deal of autonomy to ‘frame
out’ with their teams how the inquiry concept could unfold. There were so many
sub factors within the theme such as human migration, animal migration, the
‘push and pull’ factors of migration and so much more. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: ""calibri"","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Everyone
got into it and before we knew it, mid-term arrived allowing us just 5 weeks to
start planning for our production. It made so much sense to use our migration
theme as the focus and quickly the production title of ‘Going Places’ was
settled on. A small group of production enthusiasts led the way empowering the
classes to use their creativity to come up with their focus item(s)
representing their learning. A child was selected from each year group to form
a group that ended up being called the ‘bus stop kids’. The idea was for these
6 children to ‘bump into’ each other at the bus stop a little confused to where
they were going and where they had come from. Their intermittent brief
conversations were the links that merged the various items to make the
production merge into a meaningful whole with the final message from Year 6 boy
Archit:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: ""quattrocento sans"","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Migration
has brought us all together. To come half way around the world has taken
courage and resilience. We all have the opportunity, but more so, the
responsibility to embrace and learn from each other’s cultures. That would
bring respect, peace and aroha to the world. Imagine that! Thanks for
coming tonight.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: ""quattrocento sans"","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">It
was powerful and authentic stuff, whether it was thinking deeply about the
theme of migration and its many sub questions (e.g. aren’t we all migrants?) to
the team work required to present the items. We all worked hard trying to
do our best get all our students on stage in the old school hall—beauty came
with this simplicity. What will be remembered is the creativity of the items,
the expressive dance, the individual family stories of migration, the stirring
singing and the musical items.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: ""calibri"","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The whole
process was remarkably seamless and harmonious. The community absolutely loved
it and we received many lovely emails and posts on social media which of course
was very nice to hear. </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: ""quattrocento sans"","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">This is quote from an email from a
parent represents the type of feedback we received.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: ""quattrocento sans"","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">"I expected that
I would enjoy the parts that had my kids in it, but to otherwise not be as
completely entertained and diverted and at times quite emotionally affected by
all of the performances as I was. I laughed. I at times almost cried. It was just
so incredibly good that I still can’t quite believe it. Absolute credit to all
of the staff, parents and students."<br />
<br />
</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: ""calibri"","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">But the point of this article is not to ‘promote’ our school
production but to focus on a few things that can get lost in the plethora of demands
placed on schools. </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: ""calibri"","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Firstly,
the whole experience was uplifting with the children loving it. They were able
to ‘live out’ what they had been engrossed in with their inquiry studies. It
was such powerful and authentic learning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: ""calibri"","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Accidentally
we had created something that you can’t buy in from any professional learning
course or from any consultant.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: ""calibri"","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">All
educators know that once you connect children with an authentic and/or
meaningful context they are intrinsically motivated. They are self-driven to
inquiry (agency) and the ‘heart’ of this motivation (the theme Migration)
floated on a sea of dispositions or competencies. Collaboration, risk taking,
resilience, creativity, problem solving, meta-cognition, flexibility and
self-management were just some of these which came into ‘active’ play during
this rich learning experience.</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: ""calibri"","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">This was
‘home grown’ from the ground up with all involved. The staff’s good will from
reception through to the caretaker was exceptional and the whole experience
turned out to be a very effective unplanned team building experience.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: #FFFFFE; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: ""quattrocento sans"","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Lastly
and as an aside, this experience once again proved that the arts are a
conduit to the academics and are a good test of the pulse of any school. </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
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<br />warrenowensbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168067152690659803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1253936106399727881.post-76875869197726266792018-09-12T20:53:00.001-07:002018-09-12T20:53:39.462-07:00NO!<span style="font-family: Algerian; font-size: 22pt; line-height: 115%;">NO ! ! <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: Algerian; font-size: 22pt;">NO ! ! </span><span style="font-family: Algerian; font-size: 22pt;">NO ! ! </span><span style="font-family: Algerian; font-size: 22pt;">NO ! ! </span><span style="font-family: Algerian; font-size: 22pt;">NO ! ! </span><span style="font-family: Algerian; font-size: 22pt;">NO ! ! </span><span style="font-family: Algerian; font-size: 22pt;">NO ! !</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Algerian; font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: AngsanaUPC;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Algerian; font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: AngsanaUPC;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Algerian; font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: AngsanaUPC;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Algerian; font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: AngsanaUPC;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Algerian; font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: AngsanaUPC;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Algerian; font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: AngsanaUPC;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">As Mick Jagger once said, “You
can’t always get what you want!” From my experience as a parent and as a
teacher, most children take a while to understand that no means no, not maybe!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I have also observed that
children feel more secure and happy when they realize that the adults caring
for them are reasonable people but they are not going to ‘cave in’ under the
pressure of nagging. Reasonable people mostly explain their decisions but
sometimes children have to accept that parents and teachers are not in the
business of justifying every decision and that they need to accept ‘no’ as
meaning ‘no’! Where justification of a decision is required, keep it short and
simple.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">As adults we have the responsibility
of building children’s ability to control their impulses and deal with
disappointment. The more resilient and ‘grounded’ children are, the more likely
they are to succeed. If children do not learn these lessons early in life we
are setting them up for disappointment and often under achievement in their adult
years. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Children want boundaries as they make them feel safe and secure.
I have met very few children who when treated with respect, fairness and
kindness don’t respond well. </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">One clear message from all the psychologists studying children is, get it right early and set your children up for success because it isn’t going to get easier! Anyone with teenagers will relate to that. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Kia Kaha (be strong), so your
children will grow up in a better position to realize their potential. Make
thoughtful, reasoned decisions with the information you have to hand at the
time, and stand by them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />warrenowensbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168067152690659803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1253936106399727881.post-41948835689791284842018-07-20T14:23:00.002-07:002018-07-21T16:44:13.494-07:00Silence is Complicity<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeZci2A9_ce4OYlcXtT5tJl5fwFL70-0AT_kaY_HHLIxDTzuFMulKLjzvFVvjlFjTv3X8R6vXl0EEUA0cQUz0nFETxQdR80bvKdkyrypwSWZPPbhYA1Ftb037I-ujmnDadgOpiqAo6M-k/s1600/Martin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="423" data-original-width="520" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeZci2A9_ce4OYlcXtT5tJl5fwFL70-0AT_kaY_HHLIxDTzuFMulKLjzvFVvjlFjTv3X8R6vXl0EEUA0cQUz0nFETxQdR80bvKdkyrypwSWZPPbhYA1Ftb037I-ujmnDadgOpiqAo6M-k/s320/Martin.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="color: #262626; text-align: justify;">I recently saw another fabulous documentary on
Martin Luther King’s life. </span><span style="color: #262626; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="color: #262626; text-align: justify;">This man’s
integrity and the difference he made to humanity stands out in history. He was
intelligent and was able to touch people’s consciousness by his simple and
clear dealing with the truth. A stinging but powerful statement was his
commentary around </span><i style="color: #262626; text-align: justify;">“the appalling silence
of good people.” </i><span style="color: #262626; text-align: justify;"> </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FEFEFE; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">To be clear he actually said, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FEFEFE; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">“We will
have to repent, in this generation, not merely for the hateful words and
actions of bad people, but for the appalling silence of good people. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FEFEFE; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">“He went on to say,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FEFEFE; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Our lives begin to end the day we become
silent about the things that matter.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FEFEFE; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">Another battle is now being fought and not before
time. A significant moment came in 2017 with the ‘outing’ of Harvey Weinstein
and the many other men who have used their position and power to sexually and
emotionally abuse women. It started as a trickle but very quickly became a
flood as more and more men were ‘exposed’ for their past bullying. Daily we
read about more and more high profile men being ‘outed’. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In our own backyard the Law Society have
acknowledged the problem that exists in their profession. </span><span style="color: #262626; font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 115%;">(1)</span><span style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FEFEFE; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">A wide cross-section of society have joined the
chorus of support for these brave women who have spoken out. Oprah Winfrey’s
speech as she accepted the Cecil B. DeMille award at the Golden Globes was not
only inspiring but pointed out the work to be done.</span><span style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;"> “It's not
just a story affecting the entertainment industry. It's one that transcends any
culture, geography, race, religion, politics, or workplace.” </span><span style="color: #262626; font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 115%;">(2)</span><span style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FEFEFE; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">We know this is only the tip of the iceberg as harassment
in the workplace is unfortunately common, taking many forms and often hits
hardest for those operating further down the hierarchy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FEFEFE; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">Employees’ acquiescence is usually based on fear.
Fear of losing your job, fear of not being promoted and fear that further
harassment will take place if you don’t bow down to the bully. These bullies
usually operate ‘behind closed doors’ and are clever manipulators and often
outright liars. Colleagues too often ‘run for cover’ being too afraid
themselves to speak out. Their silence is demoralising and hurtful but to some
degree very understandable with them having career aspirations, jobs to protect
and families to feed. Unfortunately this silence adds power to the bully’s
position. These people are actually the very protective <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">enablers</i> and their silence is in fact no more than complicity. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FEFEFE; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">I have seen bullying in the workplace. It was very
cleverly managed behind closed doors and extremely emotionally damaging. Unfortunately
this was the leader’s modus operandi so the harassment didn’t stop there with
others affected. Having watched the damage from afar and trying to intervene
became a bitter and depressing experience. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FEFEFE; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">I was
delighted by Oprah’s message in her speech encouraging the press and all of us
to uncover the truth and not turn a blind eye to corruption and injustice. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FEFEFE; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">Unfortunately
confronting harassment of any sort in the work place is an uphill battle for
the victims. The system works against them in a number of ways. Board and senior management members often ‘dig in’ to support the regime as any admission or
‘fronting up’ is an admission of personal and collective fault. They often also
perceive it is bad for business and bad for their organisation’s brand. It is
easier to hire lawyers to use the power of the law to make their problem go
away. It is often a ‘David v Goliath’ situation for the victim (</span><span style="color: #262626; font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 115%;">3</span><span style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FEFEFE; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I thought Taylor Swift
comments after she won the court case against a former radio host who had groped
her summed the situation up rather well. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"Going to court to confront this type of behaviour is a
lonely and draining experience, even when you win, even when you have the
financial ability to defend yourself," Swift told Time. "Even though awareness
is higher than ever about workplace sexual harassment, there are still so many
people who feel victimized, afraid and silenced by their abusers and
circumstances." </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 115%;">(4)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FEFEFE; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FEFEFE; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">This view point can be generalised
across all types of bullying in the workplace.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FEFEFE; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FEFEFE; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">As an educator, I feel a big
responsibility to ensure these values around standing up for what is right is a
central part of the children’s education. Having empathy for others and a
social conscience is fundamental to what it is to be human. The Weinstein case
has highlighted one aspect (sexual harassment) of the ‘black hole’ of injustice
and although depressing, it has helped to ‘rattle a few cages’. I am hoping it
will give others strength to speak out and what a difference to the world this
would make.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FEFEFE; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FEFEFE; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 11.25pt;">
<span style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">Meanwhile schools and
families have the obligation to explicitly educate our young people with these
central issues of human responsibility but most of all, ‘walk their talk’ as
modelling is the most powerful weapon against the insidious nature of bullying.</span><span style="font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FEFEFE; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 11.25pt;">
<span style="font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 115%;">(1) </span><a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/104445160/a-lot-of-anger-around-law-society-report"><span style="font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 115%;">https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/104445160/a-lot-of-anger-around-law-society-report</span></a><span style="font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FEFEFE; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 11.25pt;">
<span style="font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 115%;">(2+3) Oprah
Winfrey<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2018/01/08/entertainment/oprah-globes-speech-transcript/index.html"><b><span style="font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">http://edition.cnn.com/2018/01/08/entertainment/oprah-globes-speech-transcript/index.html</span></b></a><b><span style="color: #262626; font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FEFEFE; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 11.25pt;">
<span style="color: #262626; font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 115%;">(4) Taylor Swift<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><a href="http://money.cnn.com/2017/12/06/media/time-person-of-the-year-2017/index.html?sr=fbCNN120617time-person-of-the-year-20170758AMStory"><span style="font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">http://money.cnn.com/2017/12/06/media/time-person-of-the-year-2017/index.html?sr=fbCNN120617time-person-of-the-year-20170758AMStory</span></a><span style="color: #262626; font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> Picture: Love this pic.com</o:p></span></div>
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<br />warrenowensbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168067152690659803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1253936106399727881.post-60568475646488668462018-06-01T16:00:00.001-07:002018-06-01T16:00:29.253-07:00Can ‘Play’ be Seen as Work ?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoIgQCZ0UeInVNqUpv9NsMSQ7j-aykCP6BNMHVPuAFXruyuyp3IWOEhFtXvh9kmSSAav-mlEk1jk9e0ZFQAeUAhVbNH-H3pU72bBt0wk5qCBntXtJfMu-Zdg2PjMfd1s9J9QreFInOKtg/s1600/einstein_combinatory+play+from+Brain+and+Pickings+June+2017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="610" data-original-width="625" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoIgQCZ0UeInVNqUpv9NsMSQ7j-aykCP6BNMHVPuAFXruyuyp3IWOEhFtXvh9kmSSAav-mlEk1jk9e0ZFQAeUAhVbNH-H3pU72bBt0wk5qCBntXtJfMu-Zdg2PjMfd1s9J9QreFInOKtg/s320/einstein_combinatory+play+from+Brain+and+Pickings+June+2017.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
<span style="color: #222222; text-align: justify;">Each
week an email bounces into my inbox from </span><a href="http://thekidshouldseethis.com/" style="text-align: justify;">http://thekidshouldseethis.com/</a><span style="color: #222222; text-align: justify;"> I often choose one of the videos to share with
classes as part of my regular ‘cameo’ class visits as the videos are usually
powerful and thought provoking.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
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<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">Because a recent one was particularly good on so
many levels, I strongly recommend you take 7 minutes and have a look at it. </span><a href="http://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/the-playful-wonderland-behind-great-inventions" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">http://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/the-playful-wonderland-behind-great-inventions</span></a><span style="color: #500050; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">The video just adds
enormous weight to the growing development and recognition of Learning through
Play which so many schools are investigating. </span><a href="http://warrenowensblog.blogspot.co.nz/2017/11/the-power-of-play.html"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">http://warrenowensblog.blogspot.co.nz/2017/11/the-power-of-play.html</span></a><span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">I see so many
adults shudder at the thought of their children going to school to ‘play’ and
not getting down to the real work. I ‘get this’ as when most of us went through
school, work was work and play was for playtime.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">Many parents have
come through a school system based on the transmission (empty vessel) model
where the teacher helped fill the student with knowledge in preparation for
exam unloading of what they had learnt. With this model in mind, it would be
easy to be fooled by busy work via worksheets or other low level tasks
laboriously presented with beautiful handwriting, straight lines and crafted
borders.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">I have to admit, with
what we now know about how children learn, ‘it does my head in’ to see low
level busy work whether it is through the traditional classroom lens or the
learning through play approach. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">There
has to be a meaningful purpose (learning intention) and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">rigour</b> for the learning environment to be as powerful as it should
be. This doesn’t mean laughter and fun has to disappear and in fact motivation
theory demonstrates that when our emotions are positively engaged we are in our
optimum learning ‘flow’ which means we are very ready and energised to learn.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">The video I
recommended you to watch shows quite explicitly the power of play.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">I
often think I would love to take the word play out of the education discussion</span></u><span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;"> as it so often produces glazed over
looks from some, annoyed expressions from others and an ethereal look from the
devotees.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">Some years ago, a student in my school coined the phrase ‘edutainment’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 8pt;">(1) </span><span style="color: #222222;">which in his
words is a </span>series of
events sneakily intertwined with education. School should be a place of
education, entertainment, friendship and memories. <span style="color: #222222;">I would like to take this word ‘edutainment’
which I love and because it sits so well with the </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamification">gamification</a><span style="color: #222222;">
growth in the curriculum and merge it with Papert’s </span><a href="http://www.papert.org/articles/HardFun.html">‘hard fun’</a><span style="color: #222222;">
expression of all those years ago. This merger gets rid of the distracting word
play and gets to the heart of the matter.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">A
quality learning environment promotes a strong work ethic mixed with highly
engaging tasks (hard fun) and inquiries where the skills of finding out and
understanding (research) are incrementally scaffolded for young children.
Curiosity, creativity and rigour need to be at education’s heart.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">At
least equally important is the E.Q (emotional intelligence) support and
development in schools. Without the backbone of E.Q., IQ is undermined and
meaningless. The social and emotional aspects of education are more important
than ever.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">I love the charts
included in the appendix of this blog and subscribe to so much of what is said
in the related </span><a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/05/5-charts-that-explain-the-future-of-education/"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">article.</span></a><span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">Enough from me,
except to say, don’t forget to watch the </span><a href="http://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/the-playful-wonderland-behind-great-inventions"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">video</span></a><span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">. (link repeated)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">Warren Owen<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">Appendix: </span><b><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">(The work place needs of the future
and the relationship of play in preparing children with the key</span></b><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;"> <b>skills and competencies
required)</b></span><span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">(1) <o:p></o:p></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Theo MacDonald</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">Picture and Quote ref: </span><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #1f497d;">https://www.brainpickings.org/2013/08/14/how-einstein-thought-combinatorial-creativity/</span></span></div>
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<br />warrenowensbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168067152690659803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1253936106399727881.post-65022343834386666942018-04-25T19:49:00.000-07:002018-04-25T19:49:13.419-07:00 In the Early World --- Back to the Future<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif;">Our new
Minister of Education, Chris Hipkins has set in motion a review of NZ’s
education system. He has stated that NZ has as an education system to be proud
of but it now needs to change to meet the needs of the 21stC.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">His vision for the education portfolio is
a high quality, fair, and inclusive education system that provides all New
Zealanders with learning opportunities and prepares them for the future. </span><span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">(1)</span><span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> Who could argue with that!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The minister has called for submissions
on what this might look like and this is my take on things. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">My thinking comes from 40 years of
involvement in the primary education sector. During this time I have been a
passionate observer, reader and writer on education matters. Currently I am a
principal of a moderately large Wellington primary school. (Waterloo School)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
don’t claim to have it all ‘nailed’ and I recognise and delight I am still
learning as I approach the receipt of my ‘gold card’. What I do know is
evidence based. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">There are a few key questions to what has
become so obvious to even the most cynical in the last few decades. These
include how do we prepare our children for a world that is beyond our
imagination? How do we craft a child’s learning journey towards a job that is
yet to be created?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">There is a tsunami of evidence that has
been exponentially building that demonstrates the world we know today will be
radically different from tomorrow. “Roughly two-thirds of students entering
primary schools this year will work in jobs that do not exist yet, so the
ability of countries like NZ to respond as the digital revolution accelerates
depends on its future ‘skills makeup’ according to Microsoft executives at
their recent Education Exchange in Singapore.” </span><span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">(2)</span><span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> This might seem a rather glib
approximation but the statement is supported by reality and a lot of research and
modelling including an IDC study commissioned by Microsoft which has predicted
digital products and services will account for 55% of NZ gross domestic product
by 2021. (last year, just 6%)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">(3)</span><span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">A little while ago I read a New York
Times article written by Thomas L. Friedman entitled, <b>‘Need a Job?
Invent It!</b>’ </span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">(4)</span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> This provocative title deeply resonated
with me as it is clearly apparent that the days of assuming our young people
will transition from school or university into jobs has long gone. It’s tough
out there and the ‘playing field’ has changed.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Friedman
quotes an executive he interviewed as saying, “We can teach new hires the
content, and we will have to because it continues to change, but we can’t teach
them how to think-to ask the right questions-and to take initiative.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Many of the answers to how can we prepare
our children for our rapidly changing world have been proffered by some of the
world’s best education minds including Sir Ken Robinson. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Despite the huge goodwill, energy and
resources that have gone into New Zealand’s education system over the last few
decades, many of our education outcomes have been progressively falling. </span><span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">(5)</span><span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">We are not alone in failed approaches. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Professor
Guy Claxton from Kings College, London listed the following international
failures. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif;"> (</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 8pt; line-height: 107%;">6</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif;">)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">These
countries’ visions use similar words describing the desired skills and
attributes needing to be promoted in their students. Words such as ‘creative’,
‘confident’, ‘flexible’, ‘curious’, ‘independent’ and ‘collaborative’ abound.
These key skills and dispositions are widely recognised as being central and
critical to preparing our young for the wild ride ahead.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Claxton and
others asks, ‘So what goes wrong’? (</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">6a</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">) <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Why aren’t these
dispositions imbedded in our education system after so many years of talk? </b>Never
before has it been so easy to access research and best practice pedagogy via
the world’s experts so what gets in the way of achieving better outcomes for
children?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I believe
there are two related barriers which get in the way of comprehensive and
meaningful implementation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Firstly, <u>fear</u>
gets in the way. Everyone involved including the politicians set out to do the
right thing based on the best practice but often the desire to improve learning
outcomes is accidentally sabotaged and confused by each level of the education
hierarchy setting out to justify their existence. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I say fear because so called
‘accountability’ has too often got in the way. A classic example of this which
has been widely acknowledged in NZ has been the obsession with national
standards data gathering which has driven schools inwards so their lens
focussed on the traditional 3 Rs. This is a generalisation but unfortunately
the fear of allowing ‘standards’ to fall and / or a poor ERO review caused many
schools (BOT and Principals) to exhaust their staff with endless paperwork and
reviews leaving minimal reflection time for teachers to see the ‘woods for the
trees’. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">We have a
great opportunity to make change now but we have to be fearless. </span><span style="color: #202020; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Many well-meaning people worry about falling standards and
the importance of the basics in education.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However what has to be realised and understood is of course we can’t
underestimate the importance of the basic skills and dispositions that empower
communication and knowledge building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>These skills will always be fundamental and need to be fostered with
rigour wherever possible using authentic and meaningful contexts. It is not the
‘content’ of these fundamental skills that needs changing but the ‘how’ they are
taught and scaffolded which is crucial.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Essentially
we need a school system <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">that values the
developmental nature of learning. Young children don’t and can’t jump the same
hurdles all at the same time, but we can engage their minds and capture their
unique ideas and thinking. Get this right and you build real learning power,
confidence and aspiration.</b></span><span style="color: #202020; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">We need to value questions above answers and creativity
over fact regurgitation with an overlay of high aspirations for all.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">People
like the world renowned ‘thinking’ guru, Dr Edward de Bono have always believed
thinking and creativity are skills that can be taught and learnt! The
exponential change our children will face, demands that <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">thinking skills should have the same focus and currency as the core
skills of numeracy and literacy.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">What
is exciting, is that once this is recognised, across the board academic
outcomes trend upwards.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">According
to Friedman, Finland is one of the most innovative economies in the world and
it is the only country where students leave high school ‘innovation-ready’.
They learn concepts and creativity more than facts.” Intelligence is not
enough. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Creativity, or the ability to
think divergently, can be developed and improved. It’s a learnable
process. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">What
are these skills or dispositions and what is the journey we need to take
children on to give them real learning power? The answer to this question has
been written and spoken about for years and years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Skills
such as perseverance, flexibility, questioning, curiosity, creativity, collaboration,
reflection, resilience and optimism. I like Guy Claxton’s metaphor
of a school as a <b>mind gym v an assembly line</b>. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">(7)</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The concept of
imagining the mind as a muscle you can build is appealing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; tab-stops: 410.25pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Seymour
Papert said, “Learning should be<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> hard
fun” </b></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">(8)</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>where
there is engagement, passion and purpose. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; tab-stops: 410.25pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; tab-stops: 410.25pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Alongside
‘fear’, the other key barrier which gets in the way of successful
implementation of New Zealand’s vision for education <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">is we haven’t unpacked what the key skills and dispositions actually
mean and look like for our teachers. Many teachers do not consider themselves
as creative and they need support to demystify ‘creativity’.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; tab-stops: 410.25pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The
word creativity is bandied about quite often in education circles but what does
it actually mean? Do some have it and some not? It is a widely misunderstood
word.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Creativity
is not a magical quality that some have and some don’t! We have to ensure
creativity and thinking skill development is a dominant part of the curriculum.
Not only should it be totally integrated in the curriculum ensuring the
learning tasks engage higher order thinking and age and stage appropriate ‘hard
fun’, but right from pre-school, children need to explicitly know that their
thinking and ideas have merit and value. Take a subject like art as it is
a prime example. Traditionally most children have received implicit and
explicit feedback about their art related to how it looks and in many cases how
it mirrors realism. Art is an expression of a child’s thinking and this is
where the value should be put.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Part
and parcel of promoting creativity and thinking is treating these skills as
natural and important aspects of learning with children. Discussing these
attributes and providing skill development and understanding adds enormous
uplift in confidence and indirectly demonstrates to children that their
thinking has merit and it is an important aspect of their
development. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Most
creative achievements have come about through dogged determination. Without
going into the detail there are some common ways to improve creativity in all
of us and thus it makes enormous sense for schools to make time to teach these
skills and dispositions. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Ideally schools
will have an active programme teaching thinking strategies and infusing
creativity and higher order thinking into every aspect of school life. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">But
it isn’t going to happen by osmosis.</span></u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> Schools and teachers need support, the mandate and the
expectation that the culture of their school needs to live and breathe these
dispositions.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">We need this education change not only because it has been
proven without doubt that children will benefit in all manner of means (not
only academically but holistically) but also for survival. The world is facing
unprecedented challenges such as population explosion, significant climate
change, significant human conflict via religion, politics and greed and of course
our growing resistance to anti biotics and the threat of super bugs. It is a no
brainer if for nothing more than making schools a place of true learning where
young people are set up wanting to learn and create for the rest of their life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">It is time to focus on learning and not schooling. Education
should not be seen as something that starts at kindergarten and finishes at
university. Even from a practical point of view, a university degree is no
passport guarantee for a job anymore. The 19<sup>th</sup> and 20<sup>th</sup>C
roadmap for success has been disrupted by exponential change, much of which has
been brought about by technology.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">This of course applies to us as educators. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">We must not be swayed by fads or pressure</b> to do things for the
wrong reasons but follow what our hearts, experience and quality research is
telling us. Data is so important! Good teachers are natural ‘inquirers’
constantly gathering important qualitative and quantitative data because they
know this will provide rich information so they can provide the best programme
possible. They are not driven by top down expectations unless of course it
makes good sense. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Sir Ken Robinson gets it big time when he said, Of course
technology is important as is science, maths, engineering (STEM) but they are
not enough! STEM is at risk of becoming a fad and a diversion away from the
heart of the matter. Students need equal doses of the arts, the humanities,
physical exercise and play. But more important than any subject content is
school culture. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">(9)</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">So
enough talk! Why would any country ignore what all the research is showing and
in particular the common view points of the best education minds in the world?
Why ignore the likes of Sir Ken Robinson, our own John Hattie, Professor Guy
Claxton, David Perkins, Art Costa, Sugata Mitra et al.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">A
central part of this ‘culture’ is recognising the immense importance of teacher
connection and building self-belief in students (relationships), combined with
fostering an exciting and rigorous thinking philosophy where ideas are
celebrated and questions valued over answers. The role of the teacher is more
complex and demanding than any time in history. The walls of the class room
have to be metaphorically and in some ways literally broken down.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Interestingly
enough there is nothing ‘earth shatteringly new’ with what we know about how
children learn and thrive. From 1949 to 1962 Elwyn Richardson <span style="background: white;">at </span></span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oruaiti_School" title="Oruaiti School"><span style="background: white; color: #0b0080; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Oruaiti School</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">with
the blessing of the then and now famous Director of Education, Clarence
Beeby,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="background: white;">discarded
the official syllabus and turned to the children’s lives and immediate
environment for the basis of his curriculum. Using the children’s natural
curiosity and interest, Richardson taught them how to observe closely the world
around them and to record their new discoveries and their own responses to
these. From here, he developed a school programme that was anchored in the
children’s surroundings and real lives. Through environmental study the
children learned the basis of scientific method, and brought these skills to
bear on studies that spanned all subjects. His method was a revolt away from
science as a separate subject to an integrated programme of arts and science.
Richardson wrote <i>In The Early World</i> </span></span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">(10)</span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">at </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oruaiti_School" title="Oruaiti School"><span style="background: white; color: #0b0080; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Oruaiti School</span></a> </span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">published
by The New Zealand Council for Educational Research </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NZCER" title="NZCER"><span style="background: white; color: #0b0080; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">NZCER</span></a><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> in 1964. The book tells the story of how Richardson’s
students became increasingly aware of their own capacity for personal
expression, while collectively establishing a shared understanding of aesthetic
values.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Richardson’s holistic philosophy capturing the children’s
thinking and creativity has stood the test of time and is an inspiring story.
The aesthetics and the power of nature holding the secrets of so much are as
relevant today as ever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our best
internationally acclaimed educationalists continue to champion such beliefs.
For most children up to the 1960s their world was their neighbourhood but now
technology has shown us a global neighbourhood which our young people are
embracing. It is time to thread this holistic and constructivist philosophy
through our schools leveraging and integrating the powerful digital tools of
the 21stC. How exciting would that be!</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Let’s
get on with it with rigour, high aspirations and passion. Let’s really create a
nation of curious and creative minds combined with empathy and good will.
(E.Q.) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s be fearless in the pursuit
of what we have known for a long time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">How do we do
this? It won’t happen overnight and I have already said enough but our biggest
focus needs to be Whole School Professional Learning building the capacity of
our current cohort of teachers to take on this exciting challenge of building a
‘thinking culture’ in schools. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s
find the people who already exist in our school system who deeply understand
these dispositions and use them to work with schools to support them to
providing transformational education that will not only excite students but set
them alight to achieve more than they thought possible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Warren Owen<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(1)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="https://www.education.govt.nz/ministry-of-education/information-releases/education-portfolio-work-programme/"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">https://www.education.govt.nz/ministry-of-education/information-releases/education-portfolio-work-programme/</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(2)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Adele Redmond, <u>The Fourth Industrial
Revolution</u>, DomPost 31/3/2018<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(3)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="https://news.microsoft.com/apac/2018/02/21/digital-transformation-to-contribute-more-than-us1-trillion-to-asia-pacific-gdp-by-2021-ai-is-primary-catalyst-for-further-growth/"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">https://news.microsoft.com/apac/2018/02/21/digital-transformation-to-contribute-more-than-us1-trillion-to-asia-pacific-gdp-by-2021-ai-is-primary-catalyst-for-further-growth/</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(4)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">T L Friedman, </span></span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/31/opinion/sunday/friedman-need-a-job-invent-it.html"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/31/opinion/sunday/friedman-need-a-job-invent-it.html</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(5)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">NZ Principal
March 2018 pp33-34 </span><a href="https://issuu.com/nzprincipal.co.nz/docs/nzp_t1_2018-web"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">https://issuu.com/nzprincipal.co.nz/docs/nzp_t1_2018-web</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(6)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">(+6a) Professor Guy Claxton, Kings College,
London, U.K.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.futuroeventos.com.br/stpaulconference/presentation/Guy-Claxton_Keynote-BLP.pdf"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">http://www.futuroeventos.com.br/stpaulconference/presentation/Guy-Claxton_Keynote-BLP.pdf</span></a><u><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-themecolor: hyperlink;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(7)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Professor Guy Claxton, Kings College, London,
U.K.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(8)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Seymour Papert<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><a href="http://www.papert.org/articles/HardFun.html"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">http://www.papert.org/articles/HardFun.html</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(9)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Sir Ken Robinson, p19<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-indent: 18.0pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">(10) Elwyn Richardson, In the Early World, </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elwyn_Richardson" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elwyn_Richardson</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7v2IeWIr2A8"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">www.youtube.com/watch?v=7v2IeWIr2A8</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br />warrenowensbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168067152690659803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1253936106399727881.post-56348627452527707942018-03-02T14:36:00.000-08:002018-03-02T15:48:17.323-08:00Is Your Child Gifted ?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghlSUPEVN0K7UF0ePqNpA6CW_nK0s7HPevnrUr95oFPQ9ozl6sUcQsi17vyRD1V4h5k9IOq74Covn7T5Ea83LUdnHI076aiA27y_IbnIBKIxssBKww1mt9YFXIdgnWLksNsahOpTih3_A/s1600/brain+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1414" data-original-width="1414" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghlSUPEVN0K7UF0ePqNpA6CW_nK0s7HPevnrUr95oFPQ9ozl6sUcQsi17vyRD1V4h5k9IOq74Covn7T5Ea83LUdnHI076aiA27y_IbnIBKIxssBKww1mt9YFXIdgnWLksNsahOpTih3_A/s320/brain+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">This blog entry builds on an earlier one on G.A.T.E. children. Firstly I quickly repeat the need to ensure our gifted
and talented children have their needs met at school every day by experiencing a ‘rich’
and ‘relevant’ curriculum and secondly, the blog looks into the incredible damage that
can be done by labelling children as gifted and talented. If you are short on
time, jump down to the video link and see this ‘must see’ short video which
just might surprise you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Historically schools have supported students with remedial learning
needs. Sadly many students who have special needs at the other end of the scale
have often not had their needs met. Some of these ‘gifted’ or ‘talented’
students (known as G.A.T.E. children) become behavioural problems as they
struggle to overcome boredom and frustration. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">The good news is that in recent times greater education policy
requirements have been placed on schools to address the needs of these students.
However it is one thing to make policy but many schools find it difficult to find
the expertise and resources to ‘walk the talk’. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">In their bid to fulfil their responsibilities, many schools provide
‘pull out’ programmes grouping students together for a few hours each week
providing some ‘one off’ stimulating activities that excite these very capable
students. One positive spin off from this approach is G.A.T.E. students get the
chance to engage with like minds. Sometimes these students are put up a class
level. It works for some but it is socially very risky. There are various ‘one
day’ fee paying G.A.T.E. schools operating and some schools recommend parents
enroll their gifted child(ren) into one of these.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">However these options do not deal with the fundamental issue. Like all
students, G.A.T.E. students deserve to have their educational needs, including
social needs met every day. Their minds need to be challenged and engaged
throughout their school life!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">This is not a tall order when the curriculum is well understood, planned
and differentiated appropriately. Schools must b</span><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">uild on the interests of all students
providing them with the skills so they have more control over the topic or
content they wish to pursue allowing the opportunity for individual and
independent study. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">The exciting 21stC education
technology rich paradigm supports and further empowers the learner. </span><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">This interactive and blended approach
encourages creativity, deep flexible thinking and access to a broader range of
higher level resources. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">It is an exciting time in education providing schools take
up the opportunities available to unleash their students’ motivation and
potential. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">However it is with a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">huge
cautionary note</b> I share Jo Boaler’s work around giftedness. Jo is a highly
regarded Professor of Mathematics at Standford University. Her research and
work is highly respected internationally. <u>I highly recommend you watching
this short video.<o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><a href="https://www.youcubed.org/rethinking-giftedness-film/">https://www.youcubed.org/rethinking-giftedness-film/</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Jo decided to make this short film
after many years of my being a professor at Stanford and hearing from students
about the labels they had received growing up. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">She said, “Many of the students had
been labelled as “gifted” or “smart,” when they were in school, and these
labels, intended to be positive, had given them learning challenges later in
life. Most people realize that it is harmful to not be labelled as gifted when
others are. The labelling of some students sends negative messages about
potential, that are out of synch with important knowledge of neuroplasticity
showing that everyone’s brains can grow and change. But few people realize that
those labels are damaging for those who receive them too. At Stanford many
students were labelled as gifted in Kindergarten or 1st grade and received
special advantages from that point on, raising many questions about equity in
schools. But labels and ideas of smartness and giftedness carry with them fixed
ideas about ability, suggesting to students that they are born with a gift or a
special brain. When students are led to believe they are gifted, or they have a
“math brain” or they are “smart” and later struggle, that struggle is
absolutely devastating. Students who grow up thinking that they have a special
brain often drop out of STEM subjects when they struggle. At that time students
start to believe they were not, after all, gifted, or that the gift has “run
out” as one of the students in our film reflects.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">In the above film, which I really recommend
that you watch, we also hear from students from a local elementary school who
shared their experiences of learning without labels. Their school does not give
students the idea that some students are smart or gifted and has instead shared
our youcubed messages and videos about the high potential of all students to
grow and change their brains. Their math community values all kinds of learners
and communicates that all students have interesting and unique ideas to share.
The teachers know that careful problem-solving takes time, conversation, and
lots of questions from everyone. The fourth graders who are interviewed
illustrate the different ideas students can develop when they are given
messages of brain growth and high academic potential for everyone, rather than
messages of high academic potential for only some students.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Both
labels and dichotomies are damaging in education. Instead of deciding some
students are “smart” or “gifted” we should acknowledge that everyone is on a
growth journey and we should celebrate the growth potential of all students. “</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Jo’s work is very powerful and really
challenges much of the traditional thinking around many schools’ approach to
providing for our gifted and talented children. Her last point in bold is very
relevant. All children deserve to be challenged appropriately with the right
amount of ‘stretch and tension’ to create a curriculum implementation that is
built on ‘hard fun’. We must continue to pursue the aspirational goal of </span><a href="https://medium.com/personalizing-the-learning-experience-insights/what-is-personalized-learning-bc874799b6f" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">personalised
learning</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> for all without putting inhibiting labels on children.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p><b><u> References</u></b></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p>Prof. Jo Boaler Standford University.</o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p>(head image source unknown)</o:p></span></div>
<br />warrenowensbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168067152690659803noreply@blogger.com0