Registered Teachers Code of Ethics
Teachers registered to practice in New Zealand are committed to the attainment of the highest standards of professional service in the promotion of learning by those they teach, mindful of the learner's ability, cultural background, gender, age or stage of development.
This complex professional task is undertaken in collaboration with colleagues, learners, parents/guardians and family/whānau, as well as with members of the wider community.
The professional interactions of teachers are governed by four fundamental principles:
Autonomy to treat people with rights that are to be honoured and defended,
Justice to share power and prevent the abuse of power,
Responsible care to do good and minimise harm to others,
Truth to be honest with others and self.
Application of the Code of Ethics shall take account of the requirements of the law as well as the obligation of teachers to honour the Treaty of Waitangi by paying particular attention to the rights and aspirations of Māori as tangata whenua.
1. Commitment to learners
The primary professional obligation of registered teachers is to those they teach. Teachers nurture the capacities of all learners to think and act with developing independence, and strive to encourage an informed appreciation of the fundamental values of a democratic society.
Teachers will strive to:
a) develop and maintain professional relationships with learners based upon the best interests of those learners,
b) base their professional practice on continuous professional learning, the best knowledge available about curriculum content and pedagogy, together with their knowledge about those they teach,
c) present subject matter from an informed and balanced viewpoint,
d) encourage learners to think critically about significant social issues,
e) cater for the varied learning needs of diverse learners,
f) promote the physical, emotional, social, intellectual and spiritual wellbeing of learners,
g) protect the confidentiality of information about learners obtained in the course of professional service, consistent with legal requirements.
2. Commitment to parents/guardians and family/whānau
Teachers recognise that they work in collaboration with the parents/guardians and family/whānau of learners, encouraging their active involvement in the education of their children. They acknowledge the rights of caregivers to consultation on the welfare and progress of their children and respect lawful parental authority, although professional decisions must always be weighted towards what is judged to be the best interests of learners.
In relation to parents/guardians, and the family/whānau of learners, teachers will strive to:
a) involve them in decision-making about the care and education of their children,
b) establish open, honest and respectful relationships,
c) respect their privacy,
d) respect their rights to information about their children, unless that is judged to be not in the best interests of the children.
3. Commitment to society
Teachers are vested by the public with trust and responsibility, together with an expectation that they will help prepare students for life in society in the broadest sense.
In fulfillment of their obligations to society, teachers will strive to:
a) actively support policies and programmes which promote equality of opportunity for all,
b) work collegially to develop schools and centres which model democratic ideals,
c) teach and model those positive values which are widely accepted in society and encourage learners to apply them and critically appreciate their significance.
4. Commitment to the profession
In the belief that the quality of the services of the teaching profession influences the nation and its citizens, teachers shall exert every effort to maintain and raise professional standards, to promote a climate that encourages the exercise of professional judgement, and to achieve conditions which attract persons worthy of trust to careers in education.
In fulfillment of their obligations to the teaching profession, teachers will strive to:
a) advance the interests of the teaching profession through responsible ethical practice,
b) regard themselves as learners and engage in continuing professional development,
c) be truthful when making statements about their qualifications and competencies,
d) contribute to the development and promotion of sound educational policy,
e) contribute to the development of an open and reflective professional culture,
f) treat colleagues and associates with respect, working with them co-operatively and collegially to promote students' learning,
g) assist newcomers to the profession,
h) respect confidential information on colleagues unless disclosure is required by the law or serves a compelling professional purpose,
i) speak out if the behaviour of a colleague is seriously in breach of this Code.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
Bilingual Skills a Boost for the Brain
Bilingual skills a boost for brain
By Killian Fox 5:30 AM Saturday Jun 18, 2011 Share134 Email
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Expand Children who are bilingual have healthier brains and can better understand the structure of language as well as its meaning. Photo / APEllen Bialystok is a cognitive neuroscientist whose research has shown that speaking two or more languages on a regular basis from a young age can have a positive effect on the brain.
Not only does it enhance cognitive abilities, being bilingual can also delay symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.
Bialystok, 62, is a distinguished research professor of psychology at York University in Toronto, Canada. Last year, she was awarded a US$100,000 Killam prize for her contributions to the social sciences.
What was the first indication in your research that bilingualism had neurological benefits?
It came from children's ability to understand the structure of language as well as the meaning. This is called metalinguistic knowledge and it's the key to using language for learning, for literacy, for thinking, for logic.
To assess how far along they are in metalinguistic development, we would ask children between the ages of five and nine to judge whether or not a sentence is grammatically correct, however nonsensical it may be.
The example I use is: "Apples grow on noses." It's hard for kids to say that's OK grammatically: they want to tell you that apples don't grow on noses.
We found that bilingual children were better able to do this.
Why?
It relates to the essential problem of bilingualism. When a bilingual person is speaking in one language, research shows that the other language is active in his or her mind. That creates a problem: how do you select from the language you need without this other active language getting in the way?
In my view, you incorporate a cognitive system called the executive control system, whose job it is to resolve competition and focus attention. If you're bilingual, you are using this system all the time, and that enhances and fortifies it. Bilingual children are accustomed to resolving the conflict between form and meaning.
Metalinguistic superiority aside, what other advantages are there?
The cognitive enhancement across the life span of a bilingual person is quite dramatic. It turns out that something as ordinary as speaking a couple of languages reconfigures the brain network in a way that positively affects certain things that brains do.
Can you give an example?
We did a study at the Baycrest geriatric centre in Toronto in which we identified 200 clear cases of Alzheimer's disease and looked at the patients' backgrounds to see if they were mono- or bilingual. Then we looked at how old they were when they were formally diagnosed. In both cases the bilinguals were significantly older, by about four years. We repeated that study using another 200 patients and got identical results.
What conclusion did you arrive at?
It was possible that bilingualism protected the brain and they didn't get Alzheimer's disease as soon, but I never thought that. We did a second study with 20 monolinguals and 20 bilinguals, all about 75 years old.
They had all been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, and they were at exactly the same cognitive level, so you would expect them to have the same level of damage in the medial-temporal cortex. But when we looked at their brains, we found that the bilinguals had significantly more damage than the monolinguals.
They had more advanced Alzheimer's but they were functioning at the same level. They could cope with the disease better.
Do you have to be bilingual from a young age to experience cognitive and health-related benefits?
It's hard to know. My view is that late-life language learning is probably beneficial, not because of bilingualism but because learning a language is a good way to exercise your brain.
Are the benefits cumulative? If you speak three or more languages fluently, will you be three or more times better off?
There are hints of evidence supporting the idea that three languages are better than two. But here's the problem: the vast majority of bilinguals did not choose to become bilingual because they had a talent for languages; they became bilingual because life required them to. Trilingualism is usually more of a choice, a luxury option associated with intelligence, language talent and education. The benefits are more difficult to measure.
In Britain, people are notoriously bad at learning foreign languages because they have English to rely on. Does this mean that nations that do not speak a globally recognised language have healthier brains?
That's the logical prediction but the reality is much more complicated.
When we do our research we go to great pains to make sure that the people in the two groups are the same on everything else we can think of measuring.
When you move across nations, you have national differences in wealth, education, social circumstances, health and so on that contribute to healthy ageing, so finding a difference between two nations is difficult.
Should curriculum-setters take notice?
Language should be a central part of the curriculum: any intellectually engaged activity requiring intense involvement will keep your brain healthy.
Learning other languages is important because it helps you understand other people, other cultures, other ways of thinking. Even if it didn't change your brain, there are just so many benefits.
- OBSERVER
By Killian Fox
By Killian Fox 5:30 AM Saturday Jun 18, 2011 Share134 Email
Expand Children who are bilingual have healthier brains and can better understand the structure of language as well as its meaning. Photo / APEllen Bialystok is a cognitive neuroscientist whose research has shown that speaking two or more languages on a regular basis from a young age can have a positive effect on the brain.
Not only does it enhance cognitive abilities, being bilingual can also delay symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.
Bialystok, 62, is a distinguished research professor of psychology at York University in Toronto, Canada. Last year, she was awarded a US$100,000 Killam prize for her contributions to the social sciences.
What was the first indication in your research that bilingualism had neurological benefits?
It came from children's ability to understand the structure of language as well as the meaning. This is called metalinguistic knowledge and it's the key to using language for learning, for literacy, for thinking, for logic.
To assess how far along they are in metalinguistic development, we would ask children between the ages of five and nine to judge whether or not a sentence is grammatically correct, however nonsensical it may be.
The example I use is: "Apples grow on noses." It's hard for kids to say that's OK grammatically: they want to tell you that apples don't grow on noses.
We found that bilingual children were better able to do this.
Why?
It relates to the essential problem of bilingualism. When a bilingual person is speaking in one language, research shows that the other language is active in his or her mind. That creates a problem: how do you select from the language you need without this other active language getting in the way?
In my view, you incorporate a cognitive system called the executive control system, whose job it is to resolve competition and focus attention. If you're bilingual, you are using this system all the time, and that enhances and fortifies it. Bilingual children are accustomed to resolving the conflict between form and meaning.
Metalinguistic superiority aside, what other advantages are there?
The cognitive enhancement across the life span of a bilingual person is quite dramatic. It turns out that something as ordinary as speaking a couple of languages reconfigures the brain network in a way that positively affects certain things that brains do.
Can you give an example?
We did a study at the Baycrest geriatric centre in Toronto in which we identified 200 clear cases of Alzheimer's disease and looked at the patients' backgrounds to see if they were mono- or bilingual. Then we looked at how old they were when they were formally diagnosed. In both cases the bilinguals were significantly older, by about four years. We repeated that study using another 200 patients and got identical results.
What conclusion did you arrive at?
It was possible that bilingualism protected the brain and they didn't get Alzheimer's disease as soon, but I never thought that. We did a second study with 20 monolinguals and 20 bilinguals, all about 75 years old.
They had all been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, and they were at exactly the same cognitive level, so you would expect them to have the same level of damage in the medial-temporal cortex. But when we looked at their brains, we found that the bilinguals had significantly more damage than the monolinguals.
They had more advanced Alzheimer's but they were functioning at the same level. They could cope with the disease better.
Do you have to be bilingual from a young age to experience cognitive and health-related benefits?
It's hard to know. My view is that late-life language learning is probably beneficial, not because of bilingualism but because learning a language is a good way to exercise your brain.
Are the benefits cumulative? If you speak three or more languages fluently, will you be three or more times better off?
There are hints of evidence supporting the idea that three languages are better than two. But here's the problem: the vast majority of bilinguals did not choose to become bilingual because they had a talent for languages; they became bilingual because life required them to. Trilingualism is usually more of a choice, a luxury option associated with intelligence, language talent and education. The benefits are more difficult to measure.
In Britain, people are notoriously bad at learning foreign languages because they have English to rely on. Does this mean that nations that do not speak a globally recognised language have healthier brains?
That's the logical prediction but the reality is much more complicated.
When we do our research we go to great pains to make sure that the people in the two groups are the same on everything else we can think of measuring.
When you move across nations, you have national differences in wealth, education, social circumstances, health and so on that contribute to healthy ageing, so finding a difference between two nations is difficult.
Should curriculum-setters take notice?
Language should be a central part of the curriculum: any intellectually engaged activity requiring intense involvement will keep your brain healthy.
Learning other languages is important because it helps you understand other people, other cultures, other ways of thinking. Even if it didn't change your brain, there are just so many benefits.
- OBSERVER
By Killian Fox
Four Pillars of Education
UNESCO in its publication, Learning: The Treasure Within outlines four pillars of education:
Learning to know: "...concerned less with the acquisition of structured knowledge than with the mastery of learning tools. It may be regarded as both a means and an end of human existence."
Learning to do: "...how do we adapt education so that it can equip people to do the types of work needed in the future?"
Learning to live together: "...education should adopt two complementary approaches. From early childhood, it should focus on the discovery of other people in the first stage of education. In the second stage of education and in lifelong education, it should encourage involvement in common projects."
Learning to be: "...All people should receive in their childhood and youth an education that equips them to develop their own independent, critical way of thinking and judgment so that they can make up their own minds on the best courses of action in the different circumstances in their lives."
Learning to know: "...concerned less with the acquisition of structured knowledge than with the mastery of learning tools. It may be regarded as both a means and an end of human existence."
Learning to do: "...how do we adapt education so that it can equip people to do the types of work needed in the future?"
Learning to live together: "...education should adopt two complementary approaches. From early childhood, it should focus on the discovery of other people in the first stage of education. In the second stage of education and in lifelong education, it should encourage involvement in common projects."
Learning to be: "...All people should receive in their childhood and youth an education that equips them to develop their own independent, critical way of thinking and judgment so that they can make up their own minds on the best courses of action in the different circumstances in their lives."
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
From NZ Teachers Council
Introduction
The New Zealand Teachers Council (the Council) has developed the Guidelines for Induction and Mentoring and Mentor Teachers (the Guidelines) to support the provision of nationally consistent, high quality, and comprehensive support for Provisionally Registered Teachers (PRTs) in their first few years of practice and to enable them to become fully registered teachers.
The Guidelines:
include key principles for high quality induction and mentoring in New Zealand
outline the essential components of a programme of support for PRTs.
clarify expectations for the role of mentor teachers
describe the required key skills, knowledge and attributes and the professional learning and development needed by mentor teachers to fulfil this role adequately.
The research programme Learning to Teach (2007-2008) preceded the development of the Guidelines and highlighted the potential of intensive, pedagogically focused mentoring to accelerate the learning and expertise of newly qualified teachers.
As a result, the term ‘induction and mentoring’ now replaces ‘advice and guidance’. This signals the shift from ‘advice’ to a co-constructive relationship and programme of professional learning. While the main focus is the support of PRTs, these Guidelines can also be used for the collegial support of all teachers including those new to teaching in New Zealand.
Background
The Guidelines were developed through the Council’s research programme Learning to Teach (2007-2008), informed by international expertise and discussion with professional groups, and a two year national pilot programme.
Learning to Teach (2007-2008) was undertaken to investigate the quality and consistency of support available to PRTs in New Zealand. The research showed the distinction between limited mentoring, geared around advice and emotional support, and intensive, pedagogically-oriented mentoring often referred to as ‘educative mentoring’. The research provided the platform for the Guidelines to be developed and tested in the Council’s Induction and Mentoring Pilot Programme, comprising four sector specific pilots:
Early Childhood Education – New Zealand Kindergartens’ Regional Networks
Primary / Intermediate – Auckland University's Educative Mentoring and Induction Programme
Secondary – Massey University’s Professional Learning Community
Māori Medium – Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi’s Connected Approach
A summary of the pilot programme, including findings, can be accessed here.
The purpose of the Guidelines for Induction and Mentoring and Mentor Teachers
The Guidelines are designed to shift school, kura and ECE policy and practices towards an ‘educative mentoring’ approach – a shift away from a view of induction as ‘advice and guidance’ to one of skilled facilitation of ‘learning conversations’ focusing on evidence of teachers’ practice. Rather than just providing ‘advice’ and emotional support, the mentor teachers co-construct professional learning, where often the learning is reciprocal.
The Guidelines acknowledge that the work of a teacher is highly complex and demanding. Research and experience clearly shows that newly graduated teachers need high quality and well structured induction in order to:
become accomplished and effective teachers who can improve the learning outcomes of diverse ākonga
progressively demonstrate that they meet the Registered Teacher Criteria
be able to contribute fresh ideas and approaches that rejuvenate teaching workplaces
build a strong foundation of self-reflection and on-going professional learning
enjoy teaching and stay a positive member of the profession.
While these Guidelines focus on (and have been tested with) PRTs, they are also a useful framework for supporting all teachers who are not yet fully registered 1 . This includes teachers who are returning to the profession after a break from teaching, and overseas teachers who are new to the New Zealand context. The Guidelines will be useful in any context where teachers require support and mentoring in their on-going development.
Who should use the Guidelines for Induction and Mentoring and Mentor Teachers
These guidelines apply to the teaching profession in both the early childhood and schooling sectors and are intended to be used by everyone with a role to play in mentoring PRTs and other teachers needing support. All professional leaders are responsible for ensuring that they have in place an induction and mentoring policy for their school, kura or ECE service based on the Guidelines.
Professional leaders
The Guidelines will support professional leaders to:
lead a learning culture that is supported by policies and systems within their setting to best support PRTs and mentor teachers
create and implement a high quality programme of induction and mentoring within their setting
be clear about their own role in the processes and systems for supporting PRTs
ensure there are robust processes for making assessment decisions for full registration.
Mentor teachers
The Guidelines will support mentor teachers to:
create and implement, along with the professional leader, a high quality programme of induction and mentoring within their setting
be clear about what their role entails
know what professional learning and development is needed for their role
develop educative approaches to their day-to-day mentoring practice.
Provisionally Registered Teachers (PRTs)
The Guidelines will support PRTs to:
know what programme of support they are entitled to in their first few years of teaching to help them become fully registered teachers
recognise what on-going professional self reflection, learning and development is expected of them
have input into the programme’s design and implementation (in collaboration with the professional leader and mentor teacher).
The wider education sector
The Guidelines have implications for the wider education sector 2 to identify the support and resources that they can provide to encourage high quality induction and mentoring.
How to use the Guidelines
When working with the Guidelines, professional leaders and teachers need to spend some time thinking about what would work best in their specific setting, in their sector and for individual teachers. Unpacking, co-constructing and interpreting what the Guidelines mean is an intrinsic part of their value. The Guidelines should be discussed in relation to key documents such as the Registered Teacher Criteria, school, kura or ECE service strategic plans and performance management systems.
All schools, kura and ECE settings need to have in place an induction and mentoring policy. It is recommended that this policy is based on the Guidelines for Induction and Mentoring.
In addition, the Guidelines may be used:
as a way to explore with staff what effective induction and mentoring looks like in the school, kura or ECE setting
as a central reference point against which current induction and mentoring practices are reviewed on an ongoing basis
in combination with other information (for example the Learning to Teach research) when developing your I&M programme
to clarify roles and expectations in supporting teachers
to identify skills, knowledge and appropriate professional development activities to develop mentor teachers effectively.
Induction and mentoring programmes will look different depending on the individual characteristics of the school, kura or ECE setting, and the needs of the PRT. Some useful findings from the pilot programmes that may assist with developing the structure of the programme include the following:
time needs to be scheduled in and made a priority for meaningful discussion about teaching practice to take place.
networks for PRTs and mentors were seen as important vehicles for sharing ideas, resources and support as well as an opportunity to identify issues.
induction and mentoring programmes are more likely to succeed where the school, kura or ECE service’s leadership is actively informed and involved.
the concept of reciprocity and collective contribution for a common good of the group is a key concept in mentoring in Māori medium settings. The mentoring of the PRT is a collective responsibility.
Reflective questions
When unpacking the Guidelines it may be helpful to consider the following:
How do the Guidelines add to or expand your current knowledge of what high quality induction and mentoring looks like?
What do you believe constitutes high quality induction and mentoring in your setting?
Are there aspects of the Guidelines that need to be emphasised or interpreted to better reflect the unique needs of your teachers?
Does your current induction and mentoring programme reflect the vision set out in the Guidelines?
What can a PRT expect in their induction and mentoring programme in your setting?
What support should mentor teachers receive to carry out their role effectively?
What implications do the Guidelines have on your practice?
How might the Guidelines be used to promote a learning culture amongst all teachers in your setting?
What documented policy and handbook(s) do you need to provide to put these Guidelines into effect for your setting?
Link to the Registered Teacher Criteria
PRTs are required to demonstrate that they meet all of the Registered Teacher Criteria in order to become fully registered teachers. The Registered Teacher Criteria provide the “hurdle, compass and beacon” for PRTs to gain full registration and to continue to renew a fully registered practising certificate as experienced teachers. Therefore it is essential that the Guidelines are used in partnership with the Registered Teacher Criteria. The Registered Teacher Criteria set the benchmarks and provide the framework to guide professional learning for all teachers seeking to gain and maintain Full registration.
What does ‘high quality induction’ mean?
Induction is the broad term for all support and guidance (including mentoring) provided to newly graduated teachers as they begin their teaching practice in real situations. It is about building the teaching profession and ensuring that all teachers are part of a learning community focused on continually improving the learning outcomes of all their ākonga.
High quality induction programmes are comprehensive, educative and evaluative.
Comprehensive
A comprehensive induction programme has many elements and is conducted over a sustained period of time. For PRTs this period is at least two years. No single intervention on its own is enough to create high quality induction. A comprehensive induction programme includes:
welcoming and introducing a new teacher to the context in which they will work
on-going professional development and support from a range of sources
access to external professional networks
high quality educative mentoring
standards-based, evidence informed evaluations of professional practice against the Registered Teacher Criteria.
A comprehensive induction programme should not be the responsibility of one or two people acting in isolation. Instead it requires employers, leaders, the school, kura or ECE professional learning community, and the wider profession to be engaged.
Educative
Provisional registration is a key opportunity and time for intensive, sustained professional learning. An induction programme should not be focused on progressing through a standard checklist of requirements. Instead induction should be focused on enabling PRTs to be exposed to, learn and practise the particular skills, attitudes and attributes they need to become accomplished, fully registered teachers who can improve the learning outcomes of diverse ākonga.
Evaluative
An induction and mentoring programme provides opportunity for formative and progressive feedback to the PRT on their professional learning as well as leading to a final assessment as to whether the PRT is ready to gain full registration. This means that:
Records must be kept of what activities occur as part of the induction programme, what feedback and support has been provided to the PRT and what the PRT’s own reflection and learning has been.
Records must also be kept of evidence of the PRT’s progress towards meeting the Registered Teacher Criteria. When an application for full registration is received, the Council will be seeking evidence of both the above elements i.e. that the PRT has undertaken an appropriate induction programme and that the PRT has been assessed as having met all of the Registered Teacher Criteria.
What does ‘high quality mentoring’ mean?
Mentoring is an essential component of induction. High quality mentoring is educative in focus as well as based on a relationship of trust and collegiality. It is important that mentor teachers are well resourced, with dedicated time to fulfil the role and that they receive career recognition for the role. A high quality mentoring programme therefore is relationship-based, focused on educative mentoring, and resourced and recognised.
Relationship based
A mentor should be chosen who is able to work comfortably and supportively in a co-constructive relationship with the PRT. Mentor teachers require professional development and support to develop their relational skills.
Focused on educative mentoring
High quality mentoring happens when an experienced colleague provides dedicated time to a PRT to guide, support, give feedback and facilitate evidence-informed, reflective learning conversations. An ‘educative mentor’ in this sense is not merely a ‘buddy’ providing emotional support and handy ‘just in time’ tips to the PRT. Educative mentoring is a highly skilled and highly valued role in the profession and mentors need appropriate professional development to learn and practise these skills.
Recognised and resourced
Mentor teachers need to be supported by the school, kura or ECE service leadership to have dedicated time and professional development to fulfil their roles adequately. Ideally, mentor teachers should receive career recognition for this very important role of professional leadership and support they provide for their teaching colleagues.
Resources
Resources to support the use of the Guidelines and implementation of induction and mentoring programmes will be available on the Council’s website later this year.
The Guidelines for Induction and Mentoring and Mentor Teachers
Section one: Guidelines for establishing and implementing a programme of induction (including mentoring)
1. Vision statement
The following is the Council’s vision statement for the induction support provided by everyone who has a role in supporting Provisionally Registered Teachers (PRTs). This vision sets out the overall purpose for any induction programme and the desired outcomes that the programme should aim for.
THE VISION STATEMENT FOR INDUCTION PROGRAMMES FOR PROVISIONALLY REGISTERED TEACHERS IN AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND
High quality induction programmes will be provided for all PRTs who aspire to achieve full registration as a teacher in Aotearoa New Zealand.
The programmes will be educative in focus and will support recently qualified teaching graduates to become:
effective teachers for diverse ākonga in Aotearoa New Zealand
professionally engaged teachers committed to on-going inquiry into their own teaching and to working with colleagues in a collaborative process.
Professional development and on-going system-wide support to mentor teachers will underpin the intensive professional support needed by PRTs to maximise their professional learning and progress towards achievement of the above two goals.
In this way, the profession will progressively improve its ability to contribute to equitable learning outcomes for all ākonga.
2. Principles for high quality induction programmes
High quality induction programmes:
are based in a community of support including the active support by the institution’s professional leader
are personalised and based on the aspirations and needs of the individual PRT
are responsive to the characteristics of ākonga and the wider community
develop a PRT’s increasing responsibility for their own professional learning
are educative in focus
work towards the vision statement, with a particular focus on improving equitable outcomes for all ākonga
are regularly reviewed to ensure continued effectiveness.
3. Essential components of high quality induction programmes
There is commitment to the vision statement:
The employer, leadership and school, kura or ECE professional learning community need to develop a common understanding of how the vision statement will be interpreted and applied within their context and be committed to it.
There is institutional commitment and leadership for the programme:
Leaders and the school, kura or ECE learning community need to be committed to a culture of collaborative professional inquiry.
There needs to be structural support from the employer and senior colleagues, including ensuring dedicated time is provided for the mentoring and other professional development.
The learning community in some settings, may embrace families and others in the wider community in addition to professional colleagues.
Leaders should provide work conditions for the PRT that recognise their novice status.
Quality mentoring is a central (but not the sole) component:
Mentors need to be carefully selected, provided with access to high quality professional development and support for their role, and assured of dedicated time to carry out the role (see Section Two).
The PRT will also be supported to access learning from the wider learning community including observations of colleagues and participation in structured professional development programmes within and external to the institution.
The programme is based on the Registered Teacher Criteria to guide the learning and formative feedback to the teacher:
There needs to be a shared understanding of the characteristics of effective teaching as set out in the Registered Teacher Criteria.
The programme is focused on the daily practice of PRTs with their ākonga:
The programme will provide intensive, specific support based on evidence from the teaching and the learning of all the ākonga – so that the PRT is able to systematically reflect on this evidence and learn from it.
The programme will focus on the needs and aspirations of individual PRTs, establishing reciprocal relationships that encourage the PRT to take increasing responsibility for identifying next steps for their professional learning.
The programme will provide the support and processes needed so the PRT can move towards gaining full registration:
This means meeting the Council’s requirements for formal documentation of the induction programme and documentation of evidence of the teacher’s progress towards achievement of full registration (including the Registered Teacher Criteria.)
Section two: Guidelines for mentoring and mentor teachers
Mentoring is one important component of any high quality induction programme. These guidelines should be used to help define the role, responsibilities, and on-going development of those teachers who are mentoring PRTs as part of a comprehensive induction programme.
1. Vision statement
The following vision statement should govern the selection, development and day-to-day practice of mentor teachers:
VISION STATEMENT FOR MENTORING OF PROVISIONALLY REGISTERED TEACHERS IN AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND
An effective mentor is a reflective practitioner focused on inquiry into their own and others' professional practice and learning - based on a clear understanding of outstanding teaching.
An effective mentor has a significant educative leadership role, dedicated to growing the professional capability of the colleagues they support.
An effective mentor has a sound knowledge and skill base for their role and can establish respectful and effective mentoring relationships.
An effective mentor does not work in isolation. Mentors can only be effective if they are providing mentoring as part of a comprehensive induction programme and are well supported by their employer, professional leader, and professional learning community.
2. The role of a mentor teacher
The role of a mentor of a PRT includes:
providing support to the PRT in their new role as a teacher with full responsibility for their ākonga
demonstrating effective teaching
facilitating learning conversations with the PRT that challenge and support them to use evidence to develop teaching strengths
assisting the PRT to plan effective learning programmes
observing the PRT and providing feedback against specific criteria and facilitating the PRTs ability to reflect on that feedback
assisting the PRT to gather and analyse ākonga learning data in order to inform next steps / different approaches in their teaching
guiding the PRT towards professional leadership practices that support learning in the unique socio-cultural contexts of Aotearoa New Zealand
supporting the PRT to become part of the wider learning community
providing formal assessment of the PRT’s progress in relation to the Registered Teacher Criteria
suggesting suitable professional development for the PRT
advocating for the PRT if needed, particularly in relation to accessing high quality induction and mentoring
listening to and helping the PRT to solve problems.
3. Key areas of knowledge, skills and dispositions needed for high quality mentoring
Mentors know about teachers, teaching and teacher learning
This includes areas of knowledge such as:
contextual knowledge of an individual PRT including his/her cultural background
pedagogy of teacher education and of mentoring
knowledge of the teaching profession, the education system and professional standards (including Registered Teacher Criteria)
leadership and management of change.
Mentors know about ākonga and learning
This includes areas of knowledge such as:
contextual knowledge of the ākonga the PRT is teaching, including cultural background of individuals and of the communities the ākonga are from
pedagogical content knowledge relating to curriculum area/s within which the PRT is teaching
research into learning e.g. Best Evidence Synthesis reports from Ministry of Education
collection and interpretation of evidence of learning.
Mentors are able to use mentoring skills and dispositions
These include the abilities to:
facilitate constructive but challenging professional conversations with PRTs and maintain their enthusiasm
demonstrate for the PRT effective teaching for diverse ākonga
use effective observation skills and strategies
analyse and reflect on evidence of learning
negotiate and advocate on behalf of the teacher
demonstrate professional leadership and understanding of the potentiality of effective teaching to influence equitable outcomes for ākonga
provide and/or seek cultural advice to support development of te reo me ona tikanga.
4. Provision of mentor teacher professional development
Ongoing support systems and professional development opportunities for mentor teachers should be established. As set out in these Guidelines, the mentor teacher role involves specific skills that cannot be assumed but need to be explicitly taught and supported. They are skills that are also needed by other professional leadership roles. This means that increasing capability in these areas will have an impact on the quality of the wider professional leadership in a school, kura or ECE setting.
The Council is working with the wider profession to ensure there will, over time, be a structured system of both formal learning and on-going professional development available to support the mentor teacher role. It is recommended that mentor teachers form professional communities of practice to support each other within and / or between schools, kura and ECE settings.
Programmes for the development of mentor teachers may include (but not be confined to) the following content:
pedagogy of mentoring
facilitation of challenging, evidence-informed, professional learning conversations
knowledge of the Registered Teacher Criteria and how to use the Registered Teacher Criteria to guide the personal learning of a PRT]
approaches to gathering evidence of PRT’s learning and of providing and documenting formative feedback
collection and analysis of learning data for PRTs to engage with in their professional learning
knowledge of specific strategies such as for supporting differentiated learning needs, English for Second Language learning, English for Additional Language learning, and support to literacy and numeracy learning
leadership development
active listening
how to personalise learning.
Appendix one
Glossary
Advice and guidance
The term used by the Council and the profession until recently to describe the programmes of support to provisionally registered teachers. Now replaced by induction and mentoring programmes.
Ākonga
A learner who may be in a range of settings, from early childhood to secondary and beyond.
Induction and mentoring
See Guidelines. This is the programme of professional support provided to PRTs, teachers registered STC and others new to the profession in New Zealand.
Mentor teacher
A mentor teacher may be variously described as a tutor teacher, supervising teacher, support teacher or co-ordinator of the induction programme for PRTs. A mentor teacher is fully registered and needs to have specific, specialised skills to support PRTs to become fully registered.
Professional leader
In the schooling sector, the professional leader is the principal of the school. In early childhood services, the professional leader may be one of a variety of roles such as head teacher, team leader or manager professional practice. This person has the responsibility for the teaching and learning in the centre or service and for ensuring that high quality induction and mentoring programmes are in place.
Provisionally Registered Teacher (PRT)
Teachers apply for provisional registration when they have qualified to teach by successfully completing an approved Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programme in New Zealand or been granted recognition of an overseas teaching qualification. They then undertake a structured programme of induction and mentoring which enables them to demonstrate they are competent in the Registered Teacher Criteria and can apply for full registration.
Registered Teacher Criteria (2009)
These are the standards for fully registered teachers in New Zealand to demonstrate ‘satisfactory recent teaching experience’. Provisionally registered or Subject to Confirmation teachers need to demonstrate they meet the Registered Teacher Criteria in order to gain Full registration and then to maintain this every three years. The Registered Teacher Criteria have replaced the Satisfactory Teacher Dimensions.
Subject to Confirmation (STC) registration
Teachers may be issued a practising certificate Subject to Confirmation if they have not recently been able to demonstrate they meet all the Registered Teacher Criteria in the New Zealand general education system or in an approved setting.
Full registration
Teachers who have been recently assessed as meeting the Registered Teacher Criteria and who meet all other requirements may be issued a practising certificate Fully registered.
Appendix two
The following tables can be used to discuss what activities could be included in a high quality induction and mentoring programme. They will assist professional leaders, mentor teachers and PRTs with unpacking the Guidelines. The tables were developed by teachers in the primary / intermediate school pilot led by Auckland University. 3
Leading Learning in Induction and Mentoring: Educative Mentoring
The following table summarises characteristics of educative mentoring, and what it looks like in practice.
Educative mentoring
Examples of practice
recognises the range of expertise, skill and knowledge mentors require in this role;
discussions of strategies are linked to principles of effective practice
teaching observations are tailored to PRT’s goals
feedback is typically based on evidence, e.g. achievement data, PRT planning, observation data
mentor engages with PRT as a co-learner: questions that enquire into and challenge practice are common.
links practice to a view of good teaching;
encourages PRT to make decisions and justify how they will teach
allows PRT to ‘unpack beliefs and explain teaching methods with the aim of improving learning and building confidence.
has a developmental (but not linear) view of learning to teach;
acquires a critical knowledge of theories of teacher development along with the expectation of PRT to engage in reflection with a primary concern for learning of ākonga.
employs a non-deficit approach with a focus on cognitive and reflective skills, and evidence to advance learning;
deconstruction: allows PRT to describe what happened, analyse and discuss the evidence, examine ākonga understandings and outcomes
co-construction: design next steps, set new goals and understand the implications for children and learning.
engages PRT in serious professional conversations;
develops knowledge and ability to conduct learning conversations
the mentor and PRT meet at planned times to engage in learning conversations about the PRT’s practice. The agenda of the conversations and goals are agreed beforehand to ensure the conversations are focused
conversation is non-judgmental and based on evidence.
provides planned, and takes advantage of incidental, learning opportunities;
goal setting meetings, observations times, and professional conversations are planned and timetabled
it’s established with the PRT that no question is a silly question
open door policy means that ‘just in time’ learning can take place.
expects the development of pedagogical expertise;
a knowledge of how to use cognitive interventions is developed to recognise teacher expertise
feedback and conversations are about learning of ākonga in the context of the PRT’s teaching.
mistakes, fallibility and pushing boundaries are accepted as part of learning – their teaching becomes a site of inquiry.
provides affective support so the new teacher thrives.
conversations are non-judgmental
successes, particularly related to learning of ākonga, are affirmed
PRT is listened to – beliefs are unpacked, mentor speaks less
PRT knowledge is valued
a sense of professional agency is encouraged through engagement in decision-making about teaching practice.
Characteristics of limited and high quality induction and mentoring
The following table 4 provides examples of what ‘limited’ induction and mentoring looks like in practice, compared to high quality educative induction and mentoring. Aspects of ‘limited’ induction and mentoring, however, may still be important, particularly the emotional or pastoral support to new teachers.
Limited induction and mentoring
High quality, intensive induction and mentoring
Emotional Support
pastoral care
pep talks
support, advice, guidance
collective responsibility.
Technical Support
advice / handy tips
focus on behaviour
practical – mentor taking class so PRT can focus on small groups
short-term fixes
teaching focus
surface issues
hierarchical – mentor ’sorts out’ PRT issues
mentor talks, PRT listens
reactive
big “whole deal” at once observation
mini “me” scenario
speak to the learner – teachers are ākonga.
Mentor teachers
chosen for convenience rather than skill or ‘best fit’ for the PRT
not supported with professional learning for the role
work in isolation with an individual teacher.
Links practice to a view of good teaching
learning focus
goal orientated – PRT and Mentor goal.
Builds confidence by developing pedagogical expertise
setting goals – own development
underpinned by achievement of ākonga.
Has a developmental (but not linear) view of learning to teach
long term focus
deeper exploration of practice and evidence of learning– and what lies behind the surface issues.
Develops teacher autonomy and agency
teacher voice
determine next steps / take responsibility
PRT agency involved in making decisions
Examine / reflect on own practice
Deeper (becoming self-regulated).
Builds knowledge by using their teaching as a site of inquiry
practice of effective pedagogy
proactive – setting the PRT up – application of strategies.
Provides planned, and takes advantage of incidental, learning opportunities
focused and specific
detailed observation - but selective
mentor and PRT focused – purposeful, know what you’ll observe
range of tools used in observation
Engages in serious professional conversations
professional discussion – challenge pedagogy
active listening
explore deeper issues
learning conversation process (partnership)
more about mentor (listening) and their role.
Bases feedback and assessment on evidence
evidence based / interrogate data
get PRT to think more and have evidence for what he/she is doing
School, kura or ECE service structure
mentoring given value and importance
Appendix three
A Select Bibliography
Achinstein, B., & Athanases, S.Z. (Eds.). (2006). Mentors in the Making: Developing New Leaders for New Teachers. New York: Teachers College Press.
Aitken, H., Ferguson, P. B., McGrath, F., Piggot-Irvine, E. & Ritchie, J. (2008). Learning to teach: Success case studies of teacher induction in Aotearoa New Zealand. Wellington: New Zealand Teachers Council.
Britton, T., Paine, L., Pimm, Dl, & Raizen, S. (2003). Comprehensive teacher induction: Systems for early career learning. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Cameron, M. (2007). Learning to teach: A literature review of induction theory and practice. Wellington: New Zealand Teachers Council.
Cameron, M., Baker, R., & Lovett, S. (2006). Teachers of promise: Getting started in teaching. Wellington: New Zealand Council for Educational Research..
Cameron, M., Dingle, R., & Brooking, K. (2007). Learning to teach: A survey of provisionally registered teachers in New Zealand. Wellington: New Zealand Teachers Council.
Feiman-Nemser, S. (2001). From preparation to practice: Designing a continuum to strengthen and sustain teaching. Teachers College Record, 103(6), 1013–1055.
Moir, E., Barlin, D., Gless, J. & Miles, J. (2009). New teacher mentoring: Hopes and promise for improving teacher effectiveness. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press.
New Zealand Teachers Council. (2010). Registered Teacher Criteria Handbook 2010. Wellington: New Zealand Teachers Council.
Timperley, H.,Wilson, ,A., Barra, H., & Fung, I. (2008). Teacher Professional Learning and Development: A Best Evidence Synthesis Iteration: Ministry of Education.
Yusko, B., & Feiman-Nemser, S. (2008). Embracing Contraries: Combining assistance and assessment in new teacher induction. Teachers College Record, 110(5), 923-953.
To be published: 1
Butler, P., & Douglas, C. (2011). Induction and mentoring pilot programme for secondary schools: Research report.
Jenkins, K., & Murphy, H. (2011). Te hāpai ō: A handbook for induction and mentoring in Māori medium settings.
Langdon, F., with Flint, A., Kromer, G., Ryde, A. & Karl, D. (2011). Leading learning in induction and mentoring: New Zealand Teachers Council Auckland induction and mentoring pilot programme.
Sankar, M., Brown, N., Teague, M. & Harding, B. (2011). Evaluation of the New Zealand Teachers Council induction and mentoring pilot project: Final report.
Podmore, V., & Wells, C. (2011). New Zealand Kindergartens induction and mentoring pilot final research report.
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1 Including teachers who are registered Subject to Confirmation and who are seeking to become fully registered.
2 Including the Council, the Ministry of Education, teaching institutions, employing authorities, teacher unions and a variety of other external support services.
3 Langdon, F., with Flint, A., Kromer, G., Ryde, A. & Karl, D. (2011). Leading learning in induction and mentoring: New Zealand Teachers Council Auckland induction and mentoring pilot programme.
4 Langdon et al. (2011).
5 These final reports will be published under slightly different titles.
The New Zealand Teachers Council (the Council) has developed the Guidelines for Induction and Mentoring and Mentor Teachers (the Guidelines) to support the provision of nationally consistent, high quality, and comprehensive support for Provisionally Registered Teachers (PRTs) in their first few years of practice and to enable them to become fully registered teachers.
The Guidelines:
include key principles for high quality induction and mentoring in New Zealand
outline the essential components of a programme of support for PRTs.
clarify expectations for the role of mentor teachers
describe the required key skills, knowledge and attributes and the professional learning and development needed by mentor teachers to fulfil this role adequately.
The research programme Learning to Teach (2007-2008) preceded the development of the Guidelines and highlighted the potential of intensive, pedagogically focused mentoring to accelerate the learning and expertise of newly qualified teachers.
As a result, the term ‘induction and mentoring’ now replaces ‘advice and guidance’. This signals the shift from ‘advice’ to a co-constructive relationship and programme of professional learning. While the main focus is the support of PRTs, these Guidelines can also be used for the collegial support of all teachers including those new to teaching in New Zealand.
Background
The Guidelines were developed through the Council’s research programme Learning to Teach (2007-2008), informed by international expertise and discussion with professional groups, and a two year national pilot programme.
Learning to Teach (2007-2008) was undertaken to investigate the quality and consistency of support available to PRTs in New Zealand. The research showed the distinction between limited mentoring, geared around advice and emotional support, and intensive, pedagogically-oriented mentoring often referred to as ‘educative mentoring’. The research provided the platform for the Guidelines to be developed and tested in the Council’s Induction and Mentoring Pilot Programme, comprising four sector specific pilots:
Early Childhood Education – New Zealand Kindergartens’ Regional Networks
Primary / Intermediate – Auckland University's Educative Mentoring and Induction Programme
Secondary – Massey University’s Professional Learning Community
Māori Medium – Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi’s Connected Approach
A summary of the pilot programme, including findings, can be accessed here.
The purpose of the Guidelines for Induction and Mentoring and Mentor Teachers
The Guidelines are designed to shift school, kura and ECE policy and practices towards an ‘educative mentoring’ approach – a shift away from a view of induction as ‘advice and guidance’ to one of skilled facilitation of ‘learning conversations’ focusing on evidence of teachers’ practice. Rather than just providing ‘advice’ and emotional support, the mentor teachers co-construct professional learning, where often the learning is reciprocal.
The Guidelines acknowledge that the work of a teacher is highly complex and demanding. Research and experience clearly shows that newly graduated teachers need high quality and well structured induction in order to:
become accomplished and effective teachers who can improve the learning outcomes of diverse ākonga
progressively demonstrate that they meet the Registered Teacher Criteria
be able to contribute fresh ideas and approaches that rejuvenate teaching workplaces
build a strong foundation of self-reflection and on-going professional learning
enjoy teaching and stay a positive member of the profession.
While these Guidelines focus on (and have been tested with) PRTs, they are also a useful framework for supporting all teachers who are not yet fully registered 1 . This includes teachers who are returning to the profession after a break from teaching, and overseas teachers who are new to the New Zealand context. The Guidelines will be useful in any context where teachers require support and mentoring in their on-going development.
Who should use the Guidelines for Induction and Mentoring and Mentor Teachers
These guidelines apply to the teaching profession in both the early childhood and schooling sectors and are intended to be used by everyone with a role to play in mentoring PRTs and other teachers needing support. All professional leaders are responsible for ensuring that they have in place an induction and mentoring policy for their school, kura or ECE service based on the Guidelines.
Professional leaders
The Guidelines will support professional leaders to:
lead a learning culture that is supported by policies and systems within their setting to best support PRTs and mentor teachers
create and implement a high quality programme of induction and mentoring within their setting
be clear about their own role in the processes and systems for supporting PRTs
ensure there are robust processes for making assessment decisions for full registration.
Mentor teachers
The Guidelines will support mentor teachers to:
create and implement, along with the professional leader, a high quality programme of induction and mentoring within their setting
be clear about what their role entails
know what professional learning and development is needed for their role
develop educative approaches to their day-to-day mentoring practice.
Provisionally Registered Teachers (PRTs)
The Guidelines will support PRTs to:
know what programme of support they are entitled to in their first few years of teaching to help them become fully registered teachers
recognise what on-going professional self reflection, learning and development is expected of them
have input into the programme’s design and implementation (in collaboration with the professional leader and mentor teacher).
The wider education sector
The Guidelines have implications for the wider education sector 2 to identify the support and resources that they can provide to encourage high quality induction and mentoring.
How to use the Guidelines
When working with the Guidelines, professional leaders and teachers need to spend some time thinking about what would work best in their specific setting, in their sector and for individual teachers. Unpacking, co-constructing and interpreting what the Guidelines mean is an intrinsic part of their value. The Guidelines should be discussed in relation to key documents such as the Registered Teacher Criteria, school, kura or ECE service strategic plans and performance management systems.
All schools, kura and ECE settings need to have in place an induction and mentoring policy. It is recommended that this policy is based on the Guidelines for Induction and Mentoring.
In addition, the Guidelines may be used:
as a way to explore with staff what effective induction and mentoring looks like in the school, kura or ECE setting
as a central reference point against which current induction and mentoring practices are reviewed on an ongoing basis
in combination with other information (for example the Learning to Teach research) when developing your I&M programme
to clarify roles and expectations in supporting teachers
to identify skills, knowledge and appropriate professional development activities to develop mentor teachers effectively.
Induction and mentoring programmes will look different depending on the individual characteristics of the school, kura or ECE setting, and the needs of the PRT. Some useful findings from the pilot programmes that may assist with developing the structure of the programme include the following:
time needs to be scheduled in and made a priority for meaningful discussion about teaching practice to take place.
networks for PRTs and mentors were seen as important vehicles for sharing ideas, resources and support as well as an opportunity to identify issues.
induction and mentoring programmes are more likely to succeed where the school, kura or ECE service’s leadership is actively informed and involved.
the concept of reciprocity and collective contribution for a common good of the group is a key concept in mentoring in Māori medium settings. The mentoring of the PRT is a collective responsibility.
Reflective questions
When unpacking the Guidelines it may be helpful to consider the following:
How do the Guidelines add to or expand your current knowledge of what high quality induction and mentoring looks like?
What do you believe constitutes high quality induction and mentoring in your setting?
Are there aspects of the Guidelines that need to be emphasised or interpreted to better reflect the unique needs of your teachers?
Does your current induction and mentoring programme reflect the vision set out in the Guidelines?
What can a PRT expect in their induction and mentoring programme in your setting?
What support should mentor teachers receive to carry out their role effectively?
What implications do the Guidelines have on your practice?
How might the Guidelines be used to promote a learning culture amongst all teachers in your setting?
What documented policy and handbook(s) do you need to provide to put these Guidelines into effect for your setting?
Link to the Registered Teacher Criteria
PRTs are required to demonstrate that they meet all of the Registered Teacher Criteria in order to become fully registered teachers. The Registered Teacher Criteria provide the “hurdle, compass and beacon” for PRTs to gain full registration and to continue to renew a fully registered practising certificate as experienced teachers. Therefore it is essential that the Guidelines are used in partnership with the Registered Teacher Criteria. The Registered Teacher Criteria set the benchmarks and provide the framework to guide professional learning for all teachers seeking to gain and maintain Full registration.
What does ‘high quality induction’ mean?
Induction is the broad term for all support and guidance (including mentoring) provided to newly graduated teachers as they begin their teaching practice in real situations. It is about building the teaching profession and ensuring that all teachers are part of a learning community focused on continually improving the learning outcomes of all their ākonga.
High quality induction programmes are comprehensive, educative and evaluative.
Comprehensive
A comprehensive induction programme has many elements and is conducted over a sustained period of time. For PRTs this period is at least two years. No single intervention on its own is enough to create high quality induction. A comprehensive induction programme includes:
welcoming and introducing a new teacher to the context in which they will work
on-going professional development and support from a range of sources
access to external professional networks
high quality educative mentoring
standards-based, evidence informed evaluations of professional practice against the Registered Teacher Criteria.
A comprehensive induction programme should not be the responsibility of one or two people acting in isolation. Instead it requires employers, leaders, the school, kura or ECE professional learning community, and the wider profession to be engaged.
Educative
Provisional registration is a key opportunity and time for intensive, sustained professional learning. An induction programme should not be focused on progressing through a standard checklist of requirements. Instead induction should be focused on enabling PRTs to be exposed to, learn and practise the particular skills, attitudes and attributes they need to become accomplished, fully registered teachers who can improve the learning outcomes of diverse ākonga.
Evaluative
An induction and mentoring programme provides opportunity for formative and progressive feedback to the PRT on their professional learning as well as leading to a final assessment as to whether the PRT is ready to gain full registration. This means that:
Records must be kept of what activities occur as part of the induction programme, what feedback and support has been provided to the PRT and what the PRT’s own reflection and learning has been.
Records must also be kept of evidence of the PRT’s progress towards meeting the Registered Teacher Criteria. When an application for full registration is received, the Council will be seeking evidence of both the above elements i.e. that the PRT has undertaken an appropriate induction programme and that the PRT has been assessed as having met all of the Registered Teacher Criteria.
What does ‘high quality mentoring’ mean?
Mentoring is an essential component of induction. High quality mentoring is educative in focus as well as based on a relationship of trust and collegiality. It is important that mentor teachers are well resourced, with dedicated time to fulfil the role and that they receive career recognition for the role. A high quality mentoring programme therefore is relationship-based, focused on educative mentoring, and resourced and recognised.
Relationship based
A mentor should be chosen who is able to work comfortably and supportively in a co-constructive relationship with the PRT. Mentor teachers require professional development and support to develop their relational skills.
Focused on educative mentoring
High quality mentoring happens when an experienced colleague provides dedicated time to a PRT to guide, support, give feedback and facilitate evidence-informed, reflective learning conversations. An ‘educative mentor’ in this sense is not merely a ‘buddy’ providing emotional support and handy ‘just in time’ tips to the PRT. Educative mentoring is a highly skilled and highly valued role in the profession and mentors need appropriate professional development to learn and practise these skills.
Recognised and resourced
Mentor teachers need to be supported by the school, kura or ECE service leadership to have dedicated time and professional development to fulfil their roles adequately. Ideally, mentor teachers should receive career recognition for this very important role of professional leadership and support they provide for their teaching colleagues.
Resources
Resources to support the use of the Guidelines and implementation of induction and mentoring programmes will be available on the Council’s website later this year.
The Guidelines for Induction and Mentoring and Mentor Teachers
Section one: Guidelines for establishing and implementing a programme of induction (including mentoring)
1. Vision statement
The following is the Council’s vision statement for the induction support provided by everyone who has a role in supporting Provisionally Registered Teachers (PRTs). This vision sets out the overall purpose for any induction programme and the desired outcomes that the programme should aim for.
THE VISION STATEMENT FOR INDUCTION PROGRAMMES FOR PROVISIONALLY REGISTERED TEACHERS IN AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND
High quality induction programmes will be provided for all PRTs who aspire to achieve full registration as a teacher in Aotearoa New Zealand.
The programmes will be educative in focus and will support recently qualified teaching graduates to become:
effective teachers for diverse ākonga in Aotearoa New Zealand
professionally engaged teachers committed to on-going inquiry into their own teaching and to working with colleagues in a collaborative process.
Professional development and on-going system-wide support to mentor teachers will underpin the intensive professional support needed by PRTs to maximise their professional learning and progress towards achievement of the above two goals.
In this way, the profession will progressively improve its ability to contribute to equitable learning outcomes for all ākonga.
2. Principles for high quality induction programmes
High quality induction programmes:
are based in a community of support including the active support by the institution’s professional leader
are personalised and based on the aspirations and needs of the individual PRT
are responsive to the characteristics of ākonga and the wider community
develop a PRT’s increasing responsibility for their own professional learning
are educative in focus
work towards the vision statement, with a particular focus on improving equitable outcomes for all ākonga
are regularly reviewed to ensure continued effectiveness.
3. Essential components of high quality induction programmes
There is commitment to the vision statement:
The employer, leadership and school, kura or ECE professional learning community need to develop a common understanding of how the vision statement will be interpreted and applied within their context and be committed to it.
There is institutional commitment and leadership for the programme:
Leaders and the school, kura or ECE learning community need to be committed to a culture of collaborative professional inquiry.
There needs to be structural support from the employer and senior colleagues, including ensuring dedicated time is provided for the mentoring and other professional development.
The learning community in some settings, may embrace families and others in the wider community in addition to professional colleagues.
Leaders should provide work conditions for the PRT that recognise their novice status.
Quality mentoring is a central (but not the sole) component:
Mentors need to be carefully selected, provided with access to high quality professional development and support for their role, and assured of dedicated time to carry out the role (see Section Two).
The PRT will also be supported to access learning from the wider learning community including observations of colleagues and participation in structured professional development programmes within and external to the institution.
The programme is based on the Registered Teacher Criteria to guide the learning and formative feedback to the teacher:
There needs to be a shared understanding of the characteristics of effective teaching as set out in the Registered Teacher Criteria.
The programme is focused on the daily practice of PRTs with their ākonga:
The programme will provide intensive, specific support based on evidence from the teaching and the learning of all the ākonga – so that the PRT is able to systematically reflect on this evidence and learn from it.
The programme will focus on the needs and aspirations of individual PRTs, establishing reciprocal relationships that encourage the PRT to take increasing responsibility for identifying next steps for their professional learning.
The programme will provide the support and processes needed so the PRT can move towards gaining full registration:
This means meeting the Council’s requirements for formal documentation of the induction programme and documentation of evidence of the teacher’s progress towards achievement of full registration (including the Registered Teacher Criteria.)
Section two: Guidelines for mentoring and mentor teachers
Mentoring is one important component of any high quality induction programme. These guidelines should be used to help define the role, responsibilities, and on-going development of those teachers who are mentoring PRTs as part of a comprehensive induction programme.
1. Vision statement
The following vision statement should govern the selection, development and day-to-day practice of mentor teachers:
VISION STATEMENT FOR MENTORING OF PROVISIONALLY REGISTERED TEACHERS IN AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND
An effective mentor is a reflective practitioner focused on inquiry into their own and others' professional practice and learning - based on a clear understanding of outstanding teaching.
An effective mentor has a significant educative leadership role, dedicated to growing the professional capability of the colleagues they support.
An effective mentor has a sound knowledge and skill base for their role and can establish respectful and effective mentoring relationships.
An effective mentor does not work in isolation. Mentors can only be effective if they are providing mentoring as part of a comprehensive induction programme and are well supported by their employer, professional leader, and professional learning community.
2. The role of a mentor teacher
The role of a mentor of a PRT includes:
providing support to the PRT in their new role as a teacher with full responsibility for their ākonga
demonstrating effective teaching
facilitating learning conversations with the PRT that challenge and support them to use evidence to develop teaching strengths
assisting the PRT to plan effective learning programmes
observing the PRT and providing feedback against specific criteria and facilitating the PRTs ability to reflect on that feedback
assisting the PRT to gather and analyse ākonga learning data in order to inform next steps / different approaches in their teaching
guiding the PRT towards professional leadership practices that support learning in the unique socio-cultural contexts of Aotearoa New Zealand
supporting the PRT to become part of the wider learning community
providing formal assessment of the PRT’s progress in relation to the Registered Teacher Criteria
suggesting suitable professional development for the PRT
advocating for the PRT if needed, particularly in relation to accessing high quality induction and mentoring
listening to and helping the PRT to solve problems.
3. Key areas of knowledge, skills and dispositions needed for high quality mentoring
Mentors know about teachers, teaching and teacher learning
This includes areas of knowledge such as:
contextual knowledge of an individual PRT including his/her cultural background
pedagogy of teacher education and of mentoring
knowledge of the teaching profession, the education system and professional standards (including Registered Teacher Criteria)
leadership and management of change.
Mentors know about ākonga and learning
This includes areas of knowledge such as:
contextual knowledge of the ākonga the PRT is teaching, including cultural background of individuals and of the communities the ākonga are from
pedagogical content knowledge relating to curriculum area/s within which the PRT is teaching
research into learning e.g. Best Evidence Synthesis reports from Ministry of Education
collection and interpretation of evidence of learning.
Mentors are able to use mentoring skills and dispositions
These include the abilities to:
facilitate constructive but challenging professional conversations with PRTs and maintain their enthusiasm
demonstrate for the PRT effective teaching for diverse ākonga
use effective observation skills and strategies
analyse and reflect on evidence of learning
negotiate and advocate on behalf of the teacher
demonstrate professional leadership and understanding of the potentiality of effective teaching to influence equitable outcomes for ākonga
provide and/or seek cultural advice to support development of te reo me ona tikanga.
4. Provision of mentor teacher professional development
Ongoing support systems and professional development opportunities for mentor teachers should be established. As set out in these Guidelines, the mentor teacher role involves specific skills that cannot be assumed but need to be explicitly taught and supported. They are skills that are also needed by other professional leadership roles. This means that increasing capability in these areas will have an impact on the quality of the wider professional leadership in a school, kura or ECE setting.
The Council is working with the wider profession to ensure there will, over time, be a structured system of both formal learning and on-going professional development available to support the mentor teacher role. It is recommended that mentor teachers form professional communities of practice to support each other within and / or between schools, kura and ECE settings.
Programmes for the development of mentor teachers may include (but not be confined to) the following content:
pedagogy of mentoring
facilitation of challenging, evidence-informed, professional learning conversations
knowledge of the Registered Teacher Criteria and how to use the Registered Teacher Criteria to guide the personal learning of a PRT]
approaches to gathering evidence of PRT’s learning and of providing and documenting formative feedback
collection and analysis of learning data for PRTs to engage with in their professional learning
knowledge of specific strategies such as for supporting differentiated learning needs, English for Second Language learning, English for Additional Language learning, and support to literacy and numeracy learning
leadership development
active listening
how to personalise learning.
Appendix one
Glossary
Advice and guidance
The term used by the Council and the profession until recently to describe the programmes of support to provisionally registered teachers. Now replaced by induction and mentoring programmes.
Ākonga
A learner who may be in a range of settings, from early childhood to secondary and beyond.
Induction and mentoring
See Guidelines. This is the programme of professional support provided to PRTs, teachers registered STC and others new to the profession in New Zealand.
Mentor teacher
A mentor teacher may be variously described as a tutor teacher, supervising teacher, support teacher or co-ordinator of the induction programme for PRTs. A mentor teacher is fully registered and needs to have specific, specialised skills to support PRTs to become fully registered.
Professional leader
In the schooling sector, the professional leader is the principal of the school. In early childhood services, the professional leader may be one of a variety of roles such as head teacher, team leader or manager professional practice. This person has the responsibility for the teaching and learning in the centre or service and for ensuring that high quality induction and mentoring programmes are in place.
Provisionally Registered Teacher (PRT)
Teachers apply for provisional registration when they have qualified to teach by successfully completing an approved Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programme in New Zealand or been granted recognition of an overseas teaching qualification. They then undertake a structured programme of induction and mentoring which enables them to demonstrate they are competent in the Registered Teacher Criteria and can apply for full registration.
Registered Teacher Criteria (2009)
These are the standards for fully registered teachers in New Zealand to demonstrate ‘satisfactory recent teaching experience’. Provisionally registered or Subject to Confirmation teachers need to demonstrate they meet the Registered Teacher Criteria in order to gain Full registration and then to maintain this every three years. The Registered Teacher Criteria have replaced the Satisfactory Teacher Dimensions.
Subject to Confirmation (STC) registration
Teachers may be issued a practising certificate Subject to Confirmation if they have not recently been able to demonstrate they meet all the Registered Teacher Criteria in the New Zealand general education system or in an approved setting.
Full registration
Teachers who have been recently assessed as meeting the Registered Teacher Criteria and who meet all other requirements may be issued a practising certificate Fully registered.
Appendix two
The following tables can be used to discuss what activities could be included in a high quality induction and mentoring programme. They will assist professional leaders, mentor teachers and PRTs with unpacking the Guidelines. The tables were developed by teachers in the primary / intermediate school pilot led by Auckland University. 3
Leading Learning in Induction and Mentoring: Educative Mentoring
The following table summarises characteristics of educative mentoring, and what it looks like in practice.
Educative mentoring
Examples of practice
recognises the range of expertise, skill and knowledge mentors require in this role;
discussions of strategies are linked to principles of effective practice
teaching observations are tailored to PRT’s goals
feedback is typically based on evidence, e.g. achievement data, PRT planning, observation data
mentor engages with PRT as a co-learner: questions that enquire into and challenge practice are common.
links practice to a view of good teaching;
encourages PRT to make decisions and justify how they will teach
allows PRT to ‘unpack beliefs and explain teaching methods with the aim of improving learning and building confidence.
has a developmental (but not linear) view of learning to teach;
acquires a critical knowledge of theories of teacher development along with the expectation of PRT to engage in reflection with a primary concern for learning of ākonga.
employs a non-deficit approach with a focus on cognitive and reflective skills, and evidence to advance learning;
deconstruction: allows PRT to describe what happened, analyse and discuss the evidence, examine ākonga understandings and outcomes
co-construction: design next steps, set new goals and understand the implications for children and learning.
engages PRT in serious professional conversations;
develops knowledge and ability to conduct learning conversations
the mentor and PRT meet at planned times to engage in learning conversations about the PRT’s practice. The agenda of the conversations and goals are agreed beforehand to ensure the conversations are focused
conversation is non-judgmental and based on evidence.
provides planned, and takes advantage of incidental, learning opportunities;
goal setting meetings, observations times, and professional conversations are planned and timetabled
it’s established with the PRT that no question is a silly question
open door policy means that ‘just in time’ learning can take place.
expects the development of pedagogical expertise;
a knowledge of how to use cognitive interventions is developed to recognise teacher expertise
feedback and conversations are about learning of ākonga in the context of the PRT’s teaching.
mistakes, fallibility and pushing boundaries are accepted as part of learning – their teaching becomes a site of inquiry.
provides affective support so the new teacher thrives.
conversations are non-judgmental
successes, particularly related to learning of ākonga, are affirmed
PRT is listened to – beliefs are unpacked, mentor speaks less
PRT knowledge is valued
a sense of professional agency is encouraged through engagement in decision-making about teaching practice.
Characteristics of limited and high quality induction and mentoring
The following table 4 provides examples of what ‘limited’ induction and mentoring looks like in practice, compared to high quality educative induction and mentoring. Aspects of ‘limited’ induction and mentoring, however, may still be important, particularly the emotional or pastoral support to new teachers.
Limited induction and mentoring
High quality, intensive induction and mentoring
Emotional Support
pastoral care
pep talks
support, advice, guidance
collective responsibility.
Technical Support
advice / handy tips
focus on behaviour
practical – mentor taking class so PRT can focus on small groups
short-term fixes
teaching focus
surface issues
hierarchical – mentor ’sorts out’ PRT issues
mentor talks, PRT listens
reactive
big “whole deal” at once observation
mini “me” scenario
speak to the learner – teachers are ākonga.
Mentor teachers
chosen for convenience rather than skill or ‘best fit’ for the PRT
not supported with professional learning for the role
work in isolation with an individual teacher.
Links practice to a view of good teaching
learning focus
goal orientated – PRT and Mentor goal.
Builds confidence by developing pedagogical expertise
setting goals – own development
underpinned by achievement of ākonga.
Has a developmental (but not linear) view of learning to teach
long term focus
deeper exploration of practice and evidence of learning– and what lies behind the surface issues.
Develops teacher autonomy and agency
teacher voice
determine next steps / take responsibility
PRT agency involved in making decisions
Examine / reflect on own practice
Deeper (becoming self-regulated).
Builds knowledge by using their teaching as a site of inquiry
practice of effective pedagogy
proactive – setting the PRT up – application of strategies.
Provides planned, and takes advantage of incidental, learning opportunities
focused and specific
detailed observation - but selective
mentor and PRT focused – purposeful, know what you’ll observe
range of tools used in observation
Engages in serious professional conversations
professional discussion – challenge pedagogy
active listening
explore deeper issues
learning conversation process (partnership)
more about mentor (listening) and their role.
Bases feedback and assessment on evidence
evidence based / interrogate data
get PRT to think more and have evidence for what he/she is doing
School, kura or ECE service structure
mentoring given value and importance
Appendix three
A Select Bibliography
Achinstein, B., & Athanases, S.Z. (Eds.). (2006). Mentors in the Making: Developing New Leaders for New Teachers. New York: Teachers College Press.
Aitken, H., Ferguson, P. B., McGrath, F., Piggot-Irvine, E. & Ritchie, J. (2008). Learning to teach: Success case studies of teacher induction in Aotearoa New Zealand. Wellington: New Zealand Teachers Council.
Britton, T., Paine, L., Pimm, Dl, & Raizen, S. (2003). Comprehensive teacher induction: Systems for early career learning. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Cameron, M. (2007). Learning to teach: A literature review of induction theory and practice. Wellington: New Zealand Teachers Council.
Cameron, M., Baker, R., & Lovett, S. (2006). Teachers of promise: Getting started in teaching. Wellington: New Zealand Council for Educational Research..
Cameron, M., Dingle, R., & Brooking, K. (2007). Learning to teach: A survey of provisionally registered teachers in New Zealand. Wellington: New Zealand Teachers Council.
Feiman-Nemser, S. (2001). From preparation to practice: Designing a continuum to strengthen and sustain teaching. Teachers College Record, 103(6), 1013–1055.
Moir, E., Barlin, D., Gless, J. & Miles, J. (2009). New teacher mentoring: Hopes and promise for improving teacher effectiveness. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press.
New Zealand Teachers Council. (2010). Registered Teacher Criteria Handbook 2010. Wellington: New Zealand Teachers Council.
Timperley, H.,Wilson, ,A., Barra, H., & Fung, I. (2008). Teacher Professional Learning and Development: A Best Evidence Synthesis Iteration: Ministry of Education.
Yusko, B., & Feiman-Nemser, S. (2008). Embracing Contraries: Combining assistance and assessment in new teacher induction. Teachers College Record, 110(5), 923-953.
To be published: 1
Butler, P., & Douglas, C. (2011). Induction and mentoring pilot programme for secondary schools: Research report.
Jenkins, K., & Murphy, H. (2011). Te hāpai ō: A handbook for induction and mentoring in Māori medium settings.
Langdon, F., with Flint, A., Kromer, G., Ryde, A. & Karl, D. (2011). Leading learning in induction and mentoring: New Zealand Teachers Council Auckland induction and mentoring pilot programme.
Sankar, M., Brown, N., Teague, M. & Harding, B. (2011). Evaluation of the New Zealand Teachers Council induction and mentoring pilot project: Final report.
Podmore, V., & Wells, C. (2011). New Zealand Kindergartens induction and mentoring pilot final research report.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Including teachers who are registered Subject to Confirmation and who are seeking to become fully registered.
2 Including the Council, the Ministry of Education, teaching institutions, employing authorities, teacher unions and a variety of other external support services.
3 Langdon, F., with Flint, A., Kromer, G., Ryde, A. & Karl, D. (2011). Leading learning in induction and mentoring: New Zealand Teachers Council Auckland induction and mentoring pilot programme.
4 Langdon et al. (2011).
5 These final reports will be published under slightly different titles.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Leadership Traits
Pixar's Eight Beliefs That Create a Culture of Passion
Written by Bill Capodagli from i4cp authors on November 8, 2010
Ask most any owner or executive from the corner ma-and-pa newsstand to the Fortune 100 CEO if he or she is committed to creating an innovative product or customer experience and you will hear a resounding "yes!" from all.
Then why is it that there are only a handful of companies that consistently deliver results that even come close to those wacky, northern California filmmakers at Pixar? Think about it. In the past fifteen years, eleven blockbuster hits in a row grossing over $6.5 BILLION and costing less than $1.5 billion to make.
Are those not-so-innovative companies lying when it comes to commitment? In order to answer that question, let's examine the definition of commitment. Commitment is defined as "being bound intellectually or emotionally to a course of action." When it comes to being innovative and creative, the problem is that most executives are only bound intellectually to a course of action.
Most companies go to great lengths to hire the most intellectually gifted employees. Yes, these are the ones who have had a 4.0 GPA since pre-school; the ones who have always followed the rules to the exact letter; the ones who have never taken a semester off to travel to Africa, South America or China; the ones who have never missed one day of school. What is lacking with most of these people is passion. Most would never think of trying something wacky that would break the rules or consider failure as a valuable learning experience. Now I am not suggesting that all super-bright job candidates and employees are boring, myopic, unimaginative people. After all, Pixar co-founders Ed Catmull and Alvy Ray Smith both have PhDs in computer science. Yet just as important, or maybe even more important, was their independence, passion, and persistence to create the first computer-generated animated feature film.
Passion…that's what it takes to create a culture of innovation. All the vision, mission statements and value propositions in the world will not result in an ounce of creative energy without passionate inspired leadership. Fortunately, passion is contagious…it results in an epidemic of creative ideas! Author, E.M. Foster said, "One person with passion is better than forty people merely interested."
So how does Pixar promote passion in the workplace? It all begins with their leadership. The following are eight leadership beliefs that set the course for Pixar's creative culture:
1. Employees must be linked, not ranked. Pixarians are linked together by complimentary skills, not ranked by level of importance. Pixar co-founders Ed Catmull tells us, "When art and technology come together, magical things happen."
2. Creative ideas come from team collaborations, not top-down mandates. Ed Catmull disagrees with many of his counterparts in Hollywood studios who insist that Pixar and Disney have all the "great idea people." It is not about great ideas… it is all about great teams. Ed's belief in his team is evident in his words: "If you give a good idea to a mediocre team, they'll screw it up. But if you give a mediocre idea to a great team, they'll make it work." It is not about one great idea, it is about the thousands of little ideas that come from everyone on the team that go into the final product.
3. Passionate leaders get their power from enabling others to do their work, not telling them how to do their work.
4. Teaching soft skills such as collaboration and improvisation are as important as teaching the hard occupational skills.
5. Innovation demands the ability to live with ambiguity. When you don't have all the information, intuitive decisions are necessary.
6. Spending time trying to avoid failure often results in stagnation. As Pixar University dean Randy Nelson explained, "failure is that negative space around success." Being able to quickly try, fail and try again.
7. Innovative leaders create teams that are highly diversified. Think beyond achieving a balance of gender and race…hire some "wacky" free-thinking creative folks!
8. Passionate innovate leaders make work fun. Disney and Pixar Animation Studios chief creative officer, John Lasseter reflected: "We worked really hard, but we also had so much fun, and it showed up in our work. We'd goof off, we'd laugh, we'd work together, and we'd look at and give feedback on each other's stuff. And the creativity just sort of overflowed." Remember when you take yourself too seriously, life ceases to be fun.
Whether you are a CEO, vice president, frontline manager or team leader, these eight leadership traits will help awaken the passion that lies in all of us. Remember the words of American dancer Martha Graham: "Great dancers are not great because of their technique; they are great because of their passion." Awaken your passion for innovation and as John Lasseter stated, "let the creativity overflow."
Learn more about Bill Capodagli and his book Innovate the Pixar Way.
Written by Bill Capodagli from i4cp authors on November 8, 2010
Ask most any owner or executive from the corner ma-and-pa newsstand to the Fortune 100 CEO if he or she is committed to creating an innovative product or customer experience and you will hear a resounding "yes!" from all.
Then why is it that there are only a handful of companies that consistently deliver results that even come close to those wacky, northern California filmmakers at Pixar? Think about it. In the past fifteen years, eleven blockbuster hits in a row grossing over $6.5 BILLION and costing less than $1.5 billion to make.
Are those not-so-innovative companies lying when it comes to commitment? In order to answer that question, let's examine the definition of commitment. Commitment is defined as "being bound intellectually or emotionally to a course of action." When it comes to being innovative and creative, the problem is that most executives are only bound intellectually to a course of action.
Most companies go to great lengths to hire the most intellectually gifted employees. Yes, these are the ones who have had a 4.0 GPA since pre-school; the ones who have always followed the rules to the exact letter; the ones who have never taken a semester off to travel to Africa, South America or China; the ones who have never missed one day of school. What is lacking with most of these people is passion. Most would never think of trying something wacky that would break the rules or consider failure as a valuable learning experience. Now I am not suggesting that all super-bright job candidates and employees are boring, myopic, unimaginative people. After all, Pixar co-founders Ed Catmull and Alvy Ray Smith both have PhDs in computer science. Yet just as important, or maybe even more important, was their independence, passion, and persistence to create the first computer-generated animated feature film.
Passion…that's what it takes to create a culture of innovation. All the vision, mission statements and value propositions in the world will not result in an ounce of creative energy without passionate inspired leadership. Fortunately, passion is contagious…it results in an epidemic of creative ideas! Author, E.M. Foster said, "One person with passion is better than forty people merely interested."
So how does Pixar promote passion in the workplace? It all begins with their leadership. The following are eight leadership beliefs that set the course for Pixar's creative culture:
1. Employees must be linked, not ranked. Pixarians are linked together by complimentary skills, not ranked by level of importance. Pixar co-founders Ed Catmull tells us, "When art and technology come together, magical things happen."
2. Creative ideas come from team collaborations, not top-down mandates. Ed Catmull disagrees with many of his counterparts in Hollywood studios who insist that Pixar and Disney have all the "great idea people." It is not about great ideas… it is all about great teams. Ed's belief in his team is evident in his words: "If you give a good idea to a mediocre team, they'll screw it up. But if you give a mediocre idea to a great team, they'll make it work." It is not about one great idea, it is about the thousands of little ideas that come from everyone on the team that go into the final product.
3. Passionate leaders get their power from enabling others to do their work, not telling them how to do their work.
4. Teaching soft skills such as collaboration and improvisation are as important as teaching the hard occupational skills.
5. Innovation demands the ability to live with ambiguity. When you don't have all the information, intuitive decisions are necessary.
6. Spending time trying to avoid failure often results in stagnation. As Pixar University dean Randy Nelson explained, "failure is that negative space around success." Being able to quickly try, fail and try again.
7. Innovative leaders create teams that are highly diversified. Think beyond achieving a balance of gender and race…hire some "wacky" free-thinking creative folks!
8. Passionate innovate leaders make work fun. Disney and Pixar Animation Studios chief creative officer, John Lasseter reflected: "We worked really hard, but we also had so much fun, and it showed up in our work. We'd goof off, we'd laugh, we'd work together, and we'd look at and give feedback on each other's stuff. And the creativity just sort of overflowed." Remember when you take yourself too seriously, life ceases to be fun.
Whether you are a CEO, vice president, frontline manager or team leader, these eight leadership traits will help awaken the passion that lies in all of us. Remember the words of American dancer Martha Graham: "Great dancers are not great because of their technique; they are great because of their passion." Awaken your passion for innovation and as John Lasseter stated, "let the creativity overflow."
Learn more about Bill Capodagli and his book Innovate the Pixar Way.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Hi
Thank you for submitting an application to present at the upcoming Early Childhood Council Conference. This is just a note to let you know that you will be advised of the outcome by the end of next week (Friday 28 January). This is a few days later than previously indicated and we apologise for this small delay.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at any time.
Kind regards,
Amy Cook
Marketing & Communications Officer
Early Childhood Council
National Office
PO Box 31672
Lower Hutt 5042
Phone: 04 566 4608
Mobile: 021 782 245
Fax: 04 566 4611
Email: information@ecc.org.nz
www.ecc.org.nz
The Early Childhood Council is the largest representative body of licensed early childhood centres in New Zealand. Our 1000+ member centres are both community-owned and commercially owned, employ more than 7000 staff and care for more than 50,000 children.
Thank you for submitting an application to present at the upcoming Early Childhood Council Conference. This is just a note to let you know that you will be advised of the outcome by the end of next week (Friday 28 January). This is a few days later than previously indicated and we apologise for this small delay.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at any time.
Kind regards,
Amy Cook
Marketing & Communications Officer
Early Childhood Council
National Office
PO Box 31672
Lower Hutt 5042
Phone: 04 566 4608
Mobile: 021 782 245
Fax: 04 566 4611
Email: information@ecc.org.nz
www.ecc.org.nz
The Early Childhood Council is the largest representative body of licensed early childhood centres in New Zealand. Our 1000+ member centres are both community-owned and commercially owned, employ more than 7000 staff and care for more than 50,000 children.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Naketa's Newsletter 31/5/10
This evening we looked at the tools of the 21st Century presentation and discussed
wys we can use these in our teaching and learning practices. There were a number of
ICT's presented with examples of how these tools were used to enhance children's
teaching and learning.
Teachers were asked to document in a letter ways in which they themselves could
take responsibility for strengthening their current use of ICT tools for teaching and
learning. These will be scanned and emailed to you indidvidually and posted out to
you in 6-8 weeks. I have noticed in these letters ways that I can support you and will
make a centre visit shortly to support you with your goals. Please contact me at any
time via email to discuss the support you need to reach your goals.
Ulearn 10
Rachel, Louise, Jes and Maddy have indicated their interest in presenting at Ulearn
10. How very exciting. Abstracts for these are due 20th June 2010, please let me
know if you need support in pulling this together.
Integrating 21st Century
tools into Teaching and
Learning
NEXT GENERATION
31ST MAY 2010
Top 10 Tips at Next
Generation
As an extension of the presentation
about 21st Century teaching and
learning we explored the article
from Edutopis - Ten Top Tips for
teaching with new media. Each
group were given 2 Tips each and
asked to explore ways they were
relavent to Next Generation
Childcare. Below are the findings
from those groups:
Tip 1 - Break the Digital Ice
•Voicethread enable teacher and students to
get better acquainted using visuals and
audio comments
•Can be whole class activity
•Useful for goal setting as can be reflected on
throughout the year
•Interaction with parents and their goals for
their children
•Encourage families to share their weekend
with the centre. Take photos
•Email to us we can record the child's voice
•http://voicethread.com Check it out!
Tip 2 - Find your classroom experts:
•Check out children's knowledge
•Students to survey family members to see
what they know
•Expose our children to our digital media
and encourage them to be experts.
•Make sure we can use the equipment to
support the children.
Tip 3 - Get off to a Good Start and Tip 4 -
Think Globally
•Public web page to inform parents
•Get the children motivated from the start
•Teacher needs to know the equipment well
•Have resources available and ready to go.
•Social networking sites
•Encourage children to initiate their own
sites/pages.
•Collaborate with team members
•Take advantage of distant experts
•E-Pals
•Connect globally with video and schools
internationally
•Find others who share the same interests
•Globally - International families we can
email, skype, get their life stories
•Organised, good start, getting all on board
with community blog page.
•Encourage parents to add
•Teachers upskilling with equipment can
peer tutor parents
•Connect with other kindergartens
•Create a Next Generation Skype account
•Send out how to emails
•Skype Over 2's for settle in stage
•Get together with both centre teacher to
learn off each other.
Tip 5 - Find what You Need
•Using sites like Donorschoose.org to ask for
resources. I think the NZ equivalent is
http://www.donatenz.com/
•Scrapaction.org and Freecycle.org
Tip 6 - Make meaning from Word Clouds
•Wordle.net
•Turns a block of text into a cloud pattern
•Frequent word prominent
•Talk about key vocab in a story
Tip 7 - Work better together
•blogging
•wireless, paper + pens
WHAT NEXT?
• Jes and Maddy to work on abstract for Under 2's presentation for Ulearn10
due 20th June 2010.
• Louise and Rachel to work on abstract for Over 2's presenation at Ulearn10
due 20th June 2010.
• Teachers to work on their individual goals (letters emailed and will be sent
again on 24th July 2010)
• I Can Animate has been installed on Rachels computer. Have a go and see
what you think of it :D
• Transition to School - There was lots of discussion on the workshop evening
about working with schools in the local area to support children's transitions
but also having an evening where we share some ICT technologies with them.
• SKYPE - Tip 4 talks about "Taking it global" we discussed that is was timely for
Next Gen to create a centre Skype account (one for each centre) to start
Skype conversations for transition between centres and also other centres
around NZ and the world. Some Skype addresses you might like to start with
Yendarra Kindergarten teacher Kea (kea.te.rurehe.latu) or Manaia
Kindergarten (manaia.kindergarten) or Fiordland Kindergarten (fiordlandk) or
me (naketaferguson). HAPPY SKYPING!!
• Listening with our Eyes workshop - 30th June 2010 - 6pm - Bayfield Pre
School, Jervois Rd
• Wordle.net - Have a go with this and see what prominent words there are for
your centre blogs. What does this reveal about the content of your blogs?
•sharing ideas
•teamwork
•using tools to communicate
•outside the centre
•skyping with wider community
•GOOGLE DOCS
•sharing of work/home
•teachers as a team
Tip 8 - Open a back channel
•Not all participate
•own interests
•smaller group
•Photo Story 3
•Confidence
•Own action plans
•FUN and NONSENSE
•Communicate in different ways, eye contact,
body language
•time to listen to children and each other
•creating stories/characters
•time to talk chat
Tip 9 - Make it visual and Tip 10 - Use the
buddy system
•Keep us up to date
•Powerful - and more than one dimensional
•Wider network
•Media - we can use and extend on
•Look into different visual resources and
media
•Facebook
•Literacy
•Set Goals
•Keep us challenged
wys we can use these in our teaching and learning practices. There were a number of
ICT's presented with examples of how these tools were used to enhance children's
teaching and learning.
Teachers were asked to document in a letter ways in which they themselves could
take responsibility for strengthening their current use of ICT tools for teaching and
learning. These will be scanned and emailed to you indidvidually and posted out to
you in 6-8 weeks. I have noticed in these letters ways that I can support you and will
make a centre visit shortly to support you with your goals. Please contact me at any
time via email to discuss the support you need to reach your goals.
Ulearn 10
Rachel, Louise, Jes and Maddy have indicated their interest in presenting at Ulearn
10. How very exciting. Abstracts for these are due 20th June 2010, please let me
know if you need support in pulling this together.
Integrating 21st Century
tools into Teaching and
Learning
NEXT GENERATION
31ST MAY 2010
Top 10 Tips at Next
Generation
As an extension of the presentation
about 21st Century teaching and
learning we explored the article
from Edutopis - Ten Top Tips for
teaching with new media. Each
group were given 2 Tips each and
asked to explore ways they were
relavent to Next Generation
Childcare. Below are the findings
from those groups:
Tip 1 - Break the Digital Ice
•Voicethread enable teacher and students to
get better acquainted using visuals and
audio comments
•Can be whole class activity
•Useful for goal setting as can be reflected on
throughout the year
•Interaction with parents and their goals for
their children
•Encourage families to share their weekend
with the centre. Take photos
•Email to us we can record the child's voice
•http://voicethread.com Check it out!
Tip 2 - Find your classroom experts:
•Check out children's knowledge
•Students to survey family members to see
what they know
•Expose our children to our digital media
and encourage them to be experts.
•Make sure we can use the equipment to
support the children.
Tip 3 - Get off to a Good Start and Tip 4 -
Think Globally
•Public web page to inform parents
•Get the children motivated from the start
•Teacher needs to know the equipment well
•Have resources available and ready to go.
•Social networking sites
•Encourage children to initiate their own
sites/pages.
•Collaborate with team members
•Take advantage of distant experts
•E-Pals
•Connect globally with video and schools
internationally
•Find others who share the same interests
•Globally - International families we can
email, skype, get their life stories
•Organised, good start, getting all on board
with community blog page.
•Encourage parents to add
•Teachers upskilling with equipment can
peer tutor parents
•Connect with other kindergartens
•Create a Next Generation Skype account
•Send out how to emails
•Skype Over 2's for settle in stage
•Get together with both centre teacher to
learn off each other.
Tip 5 - Find what You Need
•Using sites like Donorschoose.org to ask for
resources. I think the NZ equivalent is
http://www.donatenz.com/
•Scrapaction.org and Freecycle.org
Tip 6 - Make meaning from Word Clouds
•Wordle.net
•Turns a block of text into a cloud pattern
•Frequent word prominent
•Talk about key vocab in a story
Tip 7 - Work better together
•blogging
•wireless, paper + pens
WHAT NEXT?
• Jes and Maddy to work on abstract for Under 2's presentation for Ulearn10
due 20th June 2010.
• Louise and Rachel to work on abstract for Over 2's presenation at Ulearn10
due 20th June 2010.
• Teachers to work on their individual goals (letters emailed and will be sent
again on 24th July 2010)
• I Can Animate has been installed on Rachels computer. Have a go and see
what you think of it :D
• Transition to School - There was lots of discussion on the workshop evening
about working with schools in the local area to support children's transitions
but also having an evening where we share some ICT technologies with them.
• SKYPE - Tip 4 talks about "Taking it global" we discussed that is was timely for
Next Gen to create a centre Skype account (one for each centre) to start
Skype conversations for transition between centres and also other centres
around NZ and the world. Some Skype addresses you might like to start with
Yendarra Kindergarten teacher Kea (kea.te.rurehe.latu) or Manaia
Kindergarten (manaia.kindergarten) or Fiordland Kindergarten (fiordlandk) or
me (naketaferguson). HAPPY SKYPING!!
• Listening with our Eyes workshop - 30th June 2010 - 6pm - Bayfield Pre
School, Jervois Rd
• Wordle.net - Have a go with this and see what prominent words there are for
your centre blogs. What does this reveal about the content of your blogs?
•sharing ideas
•teamwork
•using tools to communicate
•outside the centre
•skyping with wider community
•GOOGLE DOCS
•sharing of work/home
•teachers as a team
Tip 8 - Open a back channel
•Not all participate
•own interests
•smaller group
•Photo Story 3
•Confidence
•Own action plans
•FUN and NONSENSE
•Communicate in different ways, eye contact,
body language
•time to listen to children and each other
•creating stories/characters
•time to talk chat
Tip 9 - Make it visual and Tip 10 - Use the
buddy system
•Keep us up to date
•Powerful - and more than one dimensional
•Wider network
•Media - we can use and extend on
•Look into different visual resources and
media
•Literacy
•Set Goals
•Keep us challenged
Listening With Our Eyes
Listening with our eyes
We are delighted to have Hanna Faletaupule from Tots Corner join us to share findings from their ECE ICT PL journey.
Listening with our eyes will explore the impact ICT tools has had on pedagogical practices and assessment with young children. This will suit those working with infants and toddlers but is relevant to all teachers.
Where: Bayfield Early Education Centres, Toddlers Room, 272 Jervois Rd, Herne Bay.
Date: Wednesday 30th June 2010
We are delighted to have Hanna Faletaupule from Tots Corner join us to share findings from their ECE ICT PL journey.
Listening with our eyes will explore the impact ICT tools has had on pedagogical practices and assessment with young children. This will suit those working with infants and toddlers but is relevant to all teachers.
Where: Bayfield Early Education Centres, Toddlers Room, 272 Jervois Rd, Herne Bay.
Date: Wednesday 30th June 2010
NewsLetter from Naketa
Kia ora koutou
Welcome to the first edition of News from Naketa. A regular newsletter for the teachers involved in the
CORE Education Mentoring Programmes in Auckland. These newsletters will include a range of
tips, tricks and things I think would be useful to you in your centres. The first term of the year has
gone by so quickly, and while I know that most of you work through the school holidays those of us
that have children in school are very aware that our kids are on holiday! I can hear the "I'm bored"
chanting already. I have made it to all of your centres this term and have enjoyed a mix of centre
visits, workshops, informal conversations and
Currently there are six centres signed up for Mentoring Programmes in Auckland. Details of these
are below:
NEWS FROM NAKETA
TERM ONE: 2010 ISSUE ONE
Pupuke Early Education Centre
20-22 Pupuke Road
Takapuna
AUCKLAND Bayfield Early Education Centre
272 Jervois Road
P O Box 46119
Herne Bay
Natural Steps
75 Ballarat Street
Ellerslie
AUCKLAND
Next Generation Childcare Ltd (Under
2's)
12 Westglade Cres
Birkenhead
AUCKLAND
Kids Domain Early Learning Centre
1 Park Road
Grafton
AUCKLAND
Next Generation Childcare Ltd (Over 2's)
19 Gatman St
Birkenhead
AUCKLAND
Hopefully, throughout the year there will be opportunities to visit eachothers space and enjoy
collobrative workshops together. If your centre is keen to host a workshop on a particular topic -
please feel free to let me know. Congratulations to you all for embarking on this journey, the
content of your Mentoring Programmes is mostly based on the use of ICT to enhance curriculum.
Below is a sample of workshops that have been delivered already.
WORKSHOP
CONTENT
Mac 101 - exploring your Mac
Possibilities workshop - so what can be achieved
with ICT, and what difference does can it make?
Cybersafety - unpacking the safe and responsible
use of ICT.
E-Portfolios - the purpose and hands on
component.
Comic Life - How to workshop.
Digital Storytelling - Using KidPix to create
digital stories
WARM FUZZIES:
Create a jar or cup for each teacher in your
team and have them set up somewhere
permanently. Over the course of a week each
team member to write 'Warm Fuzzies" for
their colleagues. (No matter how big or small).
At the end of each week each teacher takes
their warm fuzzies home for the weekend and
returns the cup empty for the next week
I have for the past 3-4 years enjoyed the awesome luxury of having amazing thought leaders and their content delivered
straight to one central point on my computer. I get PD every day through my Blog Roll because I subscribe to hundreds
of blogs through my Google Reader.
Auckland Centres in Mentoring Programmes:
Natural Steps http://naturalsteps.blogspot.com/
Next Generation Childcare (Over 2's) http://nextgenerationchildcare.blogspot.com/
Next Generation Childcare (Under 2's) http://nextbabiesdailydairy.blogspot.com/
Pupuke Early Education Centre http://pupukeearlyed.blogspot.com/
Bayfield Early Education Centre http://bayfieldeec.blogspot.com/
Other early childhood blogs:
Manaia Kindergarten Blog: http://www.manaiakindergarten.blogspot.com/
Pioneers in blogging in early childhood and have researched for the past 3 years the impact of blogging for creating
community.
Heretaunga Kindergartens: http://hunterparkkindergarten.blogspot.com/
This blog is great for identifying curriculum in their everyday experiences e.g. science, literacy etc.
Inspirational Blog
Wake Up Tiger Blog http://wakeuptiger.blogspot.com
Love this blog! Have some fantastic quotes for life.
Blogs worth checking out!
NAKETA
ON LEAVE
I am on leave from 6th April 2010 and return on 26th
April 2010.
Many of you will already know I'm off to get married and
enjoy a Honeymoon in Bali.
When I return I have workshops scheduled with some of
you and/or either Tania or Sharon (Early Years
facilitators) have arranged to deliver some PD in your
contexts.
I'll be in touch when I return :)
Join the online community http://earlytransitions.ning.com/ to catch up
and converse with other teachers (both early childhood and junior
primary) about the notion of transition.
Welcome to the first edition of News from Naketa. A regular newsletter for the teachers involved in the
CORE Education Mentoring Programmes in Auckland. These newsletters will include a range of
tips, tricks and things I think would be useful to you in your centres. The first term of the year has
gone by so quickly, and while I know that most of you work through the school holidays those of us
that have children in school are very aware that our kids are on holiday! I can hear the "I'm bored"
chanting already. I have made it to all of your centres this term and have enjoyed a mix of centre
visits, workshops, informal conversations and
Currently there are six centres signed up for Mentoring Programmes in Auckland. Details of these
are below:
NEWS FROM NAKETA
TERM ONE: 2010 ISSUE ONE
Pupuke Early Education Centre
20-22 Pupuke Road
Takapuna
AUCKLAND Bayfield Early Education Centre
272 Jervois Road
P O Box 46119
Herne Bay
Natural Steps
75 Ballarat Street
Ellerslie
AUCKLAND
Next Generation Childcare Ltd (Under
2's)
12 Westglade Cres
Birkenhead
AUCKLAND
Kids Domain Early Learning Centre
1 Park Road
Grafton
AUCKLAND
Next Generation Childcare Ltd (Over 2's)
19 Gatman St
Birkenhead
AUCKLAND
Hopefully, throughout the year there will be opportunities to visit eachothers space and enjoy
collobrative workshops together. If your centre is keen to host a workshop on a particular topic -
please feel free to let me know. Congratulations to you all for embarking on this journey, the
content of your Mentoring Programmes is mostly based on the use of ICT to enhance curriculum.
Below is a sample of workshops that have been delivered already.
WORKSHOP
CONTENT
Mac 101 - exploring your Mac
Possibilities workshop - so what can be achieved
with ICT, and what difference does can it make?
Cybersafety - unpacking the safe and responsible
use of ICT.
E-Portfolios - the purpose and hands on
component.
Comic Life - How to workshop.
Digital Storytelling - Using KidPix to create
digital stories
WARM FUZZIES:
Create a jar or cup for each teacher in your
team and have them set up somewhere
permanently. Over the course of a week each
team member to write 'Warm Fuzzies" for
their colleagues. (No matter how big or small).
At the end of each week each teacher takes
their warm fuzzies home for the weekend and
returns the cup empty for the next week
I have for the past 3-4 years enjoyed the awesome luxury of having amazing thought leaders and their content delivered
straight to one central point on my computer. I get PD every day through my Blog Roll because I subscribe to hundreds
of blogs through my Google Reader.
Auckland Centres in Mentoring Programmes:
Natural Steps http://naturalsteps.blogspot.com/
Next Generation Childcare (Over 2's) http://nextgenerationchildcare.blogspot.com/
Next Generation Childcare (Under 2's) http://nextbabiesdailydairy.blogspot.com/
Pupuke Early Education Centre http://pupukeearlyed.blogspot.com/
Bayfield Early Education Centre http://bayfieldeec.blogspot.com/
Other early childhood blogs:
Manaia Kindergarten Blog: http://www.manaiakindergarten.blogspot.com/
Pioneers in blogging in early childhood and have researched for the past 3 years the impact of blogging for creating
community.
Heretaunga Kindergartens: http://hunterparkkindergarten.blogspot.com/
This blog is great for identifying curriculum in their everyday experiences e.g. science, literacy etc.
Inspirational Blog
Wake Up Tiger Blog http://wakeuptiger.blogspot.com
Love this blog! Have some fantastic quotes for life.
Blogs worth checking out!
NAKETA
ON LEAVE
I am on leave from 6th April 2010 and return on 26th
April 2010.
Many of you will already know I'm off to get married and
enjoy a Honeymoon in Bali.
When I return I have workshops scheduled with some of
you and/or either Tania or Sharon (Early Years
facilitators) have arranged to deliver some PD in your
contexts.
I'll be in touch when I return :)
Join the online community http://earlytransitions.ning.com/ to catch up
and converse with other teachers (both early childhood and junior
primary) about the notion of transition.
Letter from Ann Hatherly
16 February 2010
Kia ora ECE ICT PL Colleagues!
Ngā mihi o te Tau Hou!
If you are anything like me, Christmas and New Year seem a very distant past already. However, I hope you were able
to take a relaxing break and have some fun after all the effort finishing off the ECE ICT PL programme.
I am writing to give you an update on what has happened since you completed your Milestone 7 report and ‐ probably
somewhat relieved ‐ pressed that ‘send’ button for the final time.
Writing the final report
Vince Ham, Laura Evans (a research assistant working for CORE) and myself spent the best part of four weeks reading
and synthesising approximately 1400 pages of data generated by the centre reports. From the information gleaned,
we wrote a 110‐page report that was sent to the Ministry of Education. This was structured around three main
headings, ‘Children’s Learning’, ‘Engaging Communities’ and ‘Teacher Learning’. The findings were supported by
numerous examples taken directly from the milestone reports. An appendix in the report contained half‐page
summaries of what each centre investigated and what was found as a result.
Vince and I then presented the essence of the report to a meeting at the National Office of the Ministry on 21st
December. Nick Billowes and Tara Fagan from our team were there in support. In the audience were people from
research, policy and ECE divisions of the MOE. This photo was taken after we presented.
Since then, I have received very positive feedback on the report along the lines of its usefulness to the sector in
general. Pru Drybrugh, who has most recently been responsible for our programme and is holding a copy of the report
in the photo, is very keen to get it on the MOE site as a PDF document. In order for this to happen, there needs to be
some further ‘high end’ editing and tidying up of the layout, both of which I am negotiating at the moment. I will email
you when it is published.
Online exemplars
At the moment it is not clear whether these will end up on the MOE site or the new CORE ECE site (the MOE would
link to them there). The reason for this is the stringent requirements of Government e‐publishing that make putting
them directly on the MOE site quite difficult in their current form. CORE has an editor working on brief scripts to
introduce the videos and on editing some of the written exemplars to make them web‐friendly. I will keep you posted
on these developments.
ECE ICT PL Online
The end of the ECE ICT PL programme means that there is no‐one now being paid to ‘host’ and monitor this site. CORE
is developing a new site for ECE, part of which will be open to everyone and part of which will be ‘subscribe only’.
Some of the material, eg facilitator blog entries, will be transferred to the new site when it is up and running. In the
meantime, we are leaving the old site available to those with ECE ICT PL logins so that you can still access material.
Just be aware please that new items will not be put up and facilitators are not able to address queries and requests as
they did in the past. When the new CORE site is operational we will let you know that we are closing down ECE ICT PL
Online.
Margie Carter article
A couple of weeks before Christmas, I received the final copy of an article written by Margie Carter, who some of you
will remember hearing at the ECE pre‐conference workshop prior to Ulearn last year. The article speaks of her new
view of the place of ICT in ECE as a result of the work she saw generated through our programme. This has been
published in Childcare Exchange in America and will have been distributed very widely across the States. I will attach a
copy of the article for you.
Update on our facilitator team
We have grown from nine to twelve! On February 1st, three PD facilitators from University of Canterbury joined CORE
Education – Jocelyn Wright, Keryn Davis and Justine Mason. This amalgamation of talent gives us a broader base of
expertise across the country as we move into the new user‐pays professional learning environment. Shortly, you will
be receiving a mail out containing information on what we are offering. Information will also be available on the new
ECE area of the existing CORE website (www.core‐ed.net) when that is launched.
Final word
Finally, my heartfelt thanks for all the effort you and your team put into the ECE ICT PL programme over the time it
was running. At times the programme seemed tough I know but then I look at the amazing changes and developments
that you managed to achieve for children and families and I feel confident that, at the end of the day, the NZ tax payer
got a good return on their investment. The work you did will not only live on in your practice ‐ wherever that might be
‐ but also through the report when it becomes available to centres and teacher education providers across the
country.
Warm regards
Ann Hatherly
Early Years Team Leader
CORE‐Education
Kia ora ECE ICT PL Colleagues!
Ngā mihi o te Tau Hou!
If you are anything like me, Christmas and New Year seem a very distant past already. However, I hope you were able
to take a relaxing break and have some fun after all the effort finishing off the ECE ICT PL programme.
I am writing to give you an update on what has happened since you completed your Milestone 7 report and ‐ probably
somewhat relieved ‐ pressed that ‘send’ button for the final time.
Writing the final report
Vince Ham, Laura Evans (a research assistant working for CORE) and myself spent the best part of four weeks reading
and synthesising approximately 1400 pages of data generated by the centre reports. From the information gleaned,
we wrote a 110‐page report that was sent to the Ministry of Education. This was structured around three main
headings, ‘Children’s Learning’, ‘Engaging Communities’ and ‘Teacher Learning’. The findings were supported by
numerous examples taken directly from the milestone reports. An appendix in the report contained half‐page
summaries of what each centre investigated and what was found as a result.
Vince and I then presented the essence of the report to a meeting at the National Office of the Ministry on 21st
December. Nick Billowes and Tara Fagan from our team were there in support. In the audience were people from
research, policy and ECE divisions of the MOE. This photo was taken after we presented.
Since then, I have received very positive feedback on the report along the lines of its usefulness to the sector in
general. Pru Drybrugh, who has most recently been responsible for our programme and is holding a copy of the report
in the photo, is very keen to get it on the MOE site as a PDF document. In order for this to happen, there needs to be
some further ‘high end’ editing and tidying up of the layout, both of which I am negotiating at the moment. I will email
you when it is published.
Online exemplars
At the moment it is not clear whether these will end up on the MOE site or the new CORE ECE site (the MOE would
link to them there). The reason for this is the stringent requirements of Government e‐publishing that make putting
them directly on the MOE site quite difficult in their current form. CORE has an editor working on brief scripts to
introduce the videos and on editing some of the written exemplars to make them web‐friendly. I will keep you posted
on these developments.
ECE ICT PL Online
The end of the ECE ICT PL programme means that there is no‐one now being paid to ‘host’ and monitor this site. CORE
is developing a new site for ECE, part of which will be open to everyone and part of which will be ‘subscribe only’.
Some of the material, eg facilitator blog entries, will be transferred to the new site when it is up and running. In the
meantime, we are leaving the old site available to those with ECE ICT PL logins so that you can still access material.
Just be aware please that new items will not be put up and facilitators are not able to address queries and requests as
they did in the past. When the new CORE site is operational we will let you know that we are closing down ECE ICT PL
Online.
Margie Carter article
A couple of weeks before Christmas, I received the final copy of an article written by Margie Carter, who some of you
will remember hearing at the ECE pre‐conference workshop prior to Ulearn last year. The article speaks of her new
view of the place of ICT in ECE as a result of the work she saw generated through our programme. This has been
published in Childcare Exchange in America and will have been distributed very widely across the States. I will attach a
copy of the article for you.
Update on our facilitator team
We have grown from nine to twelve! On February 1st, three PD facilitators from University of Canterbury joined CORE
Education – Jocelyn Wright, Keryn Davis and Justine Mason. This amalgamation of talent gives us a broader base of
expertise across the country as we move into the new user‐pays professional learning environment. Shortly, you will
be receiving a mail out containing information on what we are offering. Information will also be available on the new
ECE area of the existing CORE website (www.core‐ed.net) when that is launched.
Final word
Finally, my heartfelt thanks for all the effort you and your team put into the ECE ICT PL programme over the time it
was running. At times the programme seemed tough I know but then I look at the amazing changes and developments
that you managed to achieve for children and families and I feel confident that, at the end of the day, the NZ tax payer
got a good return on their investment. The work you did will not only live on in your practice ‐ wherever that might be
‐ but also through the report when it becomes available to centres and teacher education providers across the
country.
Warm regards
Ann Hatherly
Early Years Team Leader
CORE‐Education
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