Monday, 27 August 2007

Action Research, Reflection and our ICT Cluster

Currently the Time4Reflection Online Seminar is on in New Zealand.

This seminar supports New Zealand schools currently involved in an ICT Cluster with the data collection and review process.
The goal is to assist clusters to undertake review processes with their schools and with all stakeholders as part of the ICT PD contract. The seminar is also designed to help clusters develop evidence based practices which show shifts and progress, and can be used to inform:
  • current teacher practice
  • future implications for delivery
  • development of ongoing action plans
  • milestone reporting to MoE of the benefits of the programme

The seminar will mentor clusters in reflective practice through provision of:

  • workshops, podcasts, vodcasts, notes
  • thought leader discussions
  • effective practice examples
  • resources available for use by the clusters

Our ICT Cluster, Nelson City Schools, consists of nine city and rural schools; eight of which are primary and one which is an intermediate. We are in the first year of a three year professional development contract with the Ministry of Education.

Last week I interviewed our Cluster's Director (and also my school Principal), Paul Potaka, and made a podcast on the action research process, reflection and development our ICT cluster has/is undergoing.

Paul's contribution to the Time4Reflection Seminar is embedded below in podcast form... Sorry but I cannot locate the process diagrams that he references but it is still a very interesting interview in which you can see the journey our cluster has been on
.... oh, and you can also hear me struggling to produce my best "teacher voice" even though I have a cold!!!



4 comments:

  1. It was really interesting to hear from a principal's perspective and IT director's perspective about how to go about changing whole school's pedagogy. Thanks Rachel! :-)

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  2. Sound like a complicated project - as if teaching isn't complicated enough. Good luck :)

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  3. @ comtec - Action research projects are much more practical than people realise at the the start. Once the teachers can see results everyone becomes a lot more positive and willing to get involved.
    Good luck with your cluster Rachel I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. One tip - make sure actions come out of every meeting. It's easy to get lost in the discussions and dissipate the energy.

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  4. Enjoyed listening to this perspective. A great use of podcasting, too!

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