Professional Connection

This diagram was constructed with the Mac App SimpleMind.

The two most impactful connections in my Professional Connections Map above are the GPC and ADE groups.

GPC :

I have been a founder member of this group for about 12 years. I was introduced to a young and new principal, Luke Summich, while I was principal at Pomaria and he was the newly appointed foundation principal of Summerland Primary. This relationship has developed over the ensuing 25years, including both helping establish the GPC, both becoming apple Distinguished Educators and both becoming best, totally trusted, friends.

Outside of our scheduled meetings we connect regularly via Twitter, text, email and coffee meetings. We brainstorm, share ideas, frustrations, goals, reflections and initiatives. We test proposed solutions to some of our more intractable problems on each other. This latter is so valuable as we are experienced but come from our own position and pov, while still holding all core values in common.

The impact Luke - and my GPC colleagues - have had on my professional practice is huge.

  1. Stimulating Ideas

  2. Imaginative Innovations

  3. Stern Challenges

  4. Stimulation of mental faculties

  5. Collegiality

  6. Open-Minded Listening

  7. High Expectations

  8. Sounding Board to test ideas, responses and reflections

Because we all have to present in a small group situation and because we visit each other's schools annually or bi-annually, there is no room to hide, to fudge facts or pretend. We have to be open and honest, share the warts-n-all big picture and small details.

We share readings, ideas, resources and initiatives. All of us have raised our professional practice by orders of magnitude thanks to this group.

ADE :

I have been an Apple Distinguished Educator since 2009. In that year I was sponsored to visit Apple Headquarters at Number 1 Infinite Loop Cupertino, USA. It was a life-changing experience. I was able to share ways that I used Mac apps with the former Commissioner for Education for the State of Texas. She had not seen these Mac apps used in the way I used them, before, and took copious notes. Steve Jobs was on campus for the first time since his illness at that time. It made such an impression on me.

I was able to visit Apple Distinguished Schools, meet with many exceptional Apple Distinguished Educator classroom practitioners.

Meanwhile, at the school I had just taken over the principalship of, the year seven and eight students were causing their school, teachers, Board, children and community a lot of hurt and heartache, frustration and financial loss. There was a Levels Plan of Discipline in place with coloured cards issued according to the level of misdemeanor committed.

Lunchtime detentions were attended by 60 or 70 children at a time - it was a free-for-all party come riot as a general rule.

They were averaging 74 Stand-Down worthy offences per term in the year before I began. In the first three terms of the following year - I began in term four - they averaged 92 Stand-Down worthy offences, even though their main Charter goal was to address this issue.

It was close to a state of anarchy. In one term, in one block at the school, $12,500 of internal damage was done during class times.

I was appointed in the expectation I would address and "solve" this issue.

We did so via a greta many initiatives:

  1. Involving learners in their learning choices

  2. Giving students a voice

  3. Contextualising the learning o their lives, interests, passions and needs

  4. Relationship building

  5. Outlawing sarcasm and put-downs from staff

  6. Removing the culture of 'punishment and reward'.

  7. Removing stickers, certificates and detentions.

  8. Introducing restorative justice and counselling

  9. Introducing sports leaders

  10. Introducing Houses and House Leaders

  11. Introducing Student Leadership Team

  12. Introducing Pay it Forward expectations

  13. Introducing our collectively arrived at school value of BELONG

  • Believe in yourself

  • Empathy

  • Laughter

  • Openness

  • Nurture

  • Go-for-It

14. Student designed and produced murals throughout the school

15. Being present, patient and passionate

There were many, many more things we did. One initiative that helped make a major difference - especially in achieving student engagement - was our iPod initiative. On my ADE visit to the USA i saw two schools that were just beginning an iPod initiative with one to one devices in a couple of classes in their school.

I came back, talked to Board, student leaders and staff. We then brought in an expert to speak to a community hui that was attended by an unheralded number of parents - 220 parents, as well as a number of teenagers.

Prior to that meeting, our parents had had no concept of the educational power, purpose and possibility.

We purchased 150 iPod Touch devices initially - paying them off over time. There was exceptional interest from Apple New Zealand, from other principals and from the University of Canterbury. Our school hosted visitors from Australia and all over New Zealand. Our children established an iPod Touch band that toured Christchurch schools and played at a Principals' Conference of 300 principals and school leaders.

We featured on TV ONE News at 6 and regularly on Canterbury TV. National Geographic even did a story on us.

Our Stand-Downs dropped to an average of one per term, from 92 per term.

There were many other examples of 'success' I could have shared, suffice to say the culture of our school was remarkably impacted and changed for the better, and my ADE experience and involvement played no small part in this.