A Time to Reflect

Wow! What a ride! 

The ride to which I refer has been my year as an efellow14.  There were moments I got to be a passenger, challenged by the sharp turns in the track as we had our minds turned inside out. At other moments I was in the drivers seat - first with the 'L' plates on, later picking up speed and gaining my restricted license. Now I am barrelling along with my full license, looking for the momentum to keep going so that I do not end up changing down a gear. That would be a backward step.

Reflecting back on the year I have had ideas in relation to my peers, colleagues and practice - not to mention myself - challenged, changed or endorsed, and been exposed to some new ways of thinking that fit as comfortably as my favourite old slippers.

Auckland was our first Master class stop - our first chance to all be in one place and get to know each other. Dr John Fenaughty, one of our amazing facilitators, had found a beautiful spot at the foot of the Waitakeri Ranges. In hindsight the fact that we had little cellphone reception and no wifi was probably a blessing in disguise. It gave us the chance to get to know each other, chatting around the brazier - artfully dodging the smoke - and really beginning to think about the journey ahead of us. 

It was here I had my major breakthrough. Coming into my efellowship year I knew I was wanting to work out how to get the teachers not on board with eLearning to give it a try in their classes. Along came Dr Louise Taylor who has been the second of our amazing facilitators, Freire's 'Pedagogy of the Oppressed' and a quote that made 'how' become 'why'. 

It was also our first experience of having the brain jam-packed with so much new 'stuff' requiring reflection that sleep was elusive. Our time in Auckland involved school visits, time to discuss these with each other and our facilitators, meeting past eFellows and a very memorable session with Mark Osborne who included some pretty artistic drawing across the modern timetable he shared.  This moment, I feel, was the moment when we were longer in awe of each other, but laughing as a group of colleagues.  That laughter would see us through much during our times together.

Our homework as we departed Auckland was to begin the planning phase of our projects against the framework that had been suggested by our two research experienced facilitators.  Skype time with Louise challenged us to ensure we had thought of all angles and whether we were doing anything transformative - in that 5% area where we make the difference that others do not think of.  Where Louise was enthused by my thinking at this stage it took sharing at our next master class before I was convinced.

Christchurch, CORE's home-base, was the venue for this. Again we had some pretty inspirational school visits, time with Pauline Scanlon and Derek Wenmoth, as well as the mind explosion that comes with the time together and the master class focus sessions. Again sleep eluded us in the early hours of the morning - not helped by a decided lack of heat after midnight in our accommodation. 

This time the lack of sleep followed me into the mornings after we had met. There was so much to take in, reflect on and either store for use later or fit into the current consciousness of my practice and what I was trying to encourage from others. 

Both venues so far had generated comments of it looking like fun - the photos posted to Twitter and Facebook were usually of us eating out and having fun. This was also time to allow our stomachs to fill while our minds settled as we had often had a visit or speaker just before them. Black Betty's Cafe next to the CORE office in Christchurch proved the ideal place to complete paired discussions and have a caffeine fix at the same time. Thanks must go to Ben who shared his discovery of Jane Gilbert's future focus work, of which I too am now a fan, during one of these activities.

Having a chance to listen to each other's project abstracts, provide feedback and ask questions was also a great time to get a fix on where we were heading. I was worried at this point that Anne and I were covering the same 5%. Did I need to change tact? My decision in the end was 'no' which, as it turned out, was the correct choice. Anne and I had complementary projects by the time we reached ULearn14's presentation phase.

Our homework this time was to gather the data we needed from the questions we had posed in our abstracts. The biggest challenge this posed for me was trying to fit it in with the full time jobs of mothering and teaching, but fit it in I did. I discovered some pretty amazing reasons why my colleagues were struggling with the blending of elearning.  I also discovered an awesome app that made my discussions easy to record and easy to break down into the parts I needed to analyse. Audionote has become my best research assistant to date.

Wellington - and, yes, it was windy and wet at times.  So much so that we watched from the safety of the CORE office on Thorndon Quay as  thunder and lightning raged around us and the hardy people on the street had their umbrellas blown inside out. 

Inside-out is what Chrissie Butler and Karen Melhuish-Spencer continued to turn our minds. I will never visit a school again and look through my lens alone. For that I am in-debted to them. Time at an amazing book-a-bach right on Raumati Beach proved to be the ideal location for data analysis. Each of us could be found hard at work looking into what we had gathered to date, whether we needed to refine our data and, most importantly, had we answered our questions.

This was broken with walks on the beach, an awesome night in, rather than dining out, with a great Thai takeaway, music and an impromptu group discussion around the fire about the validity and robustness of research with John. The sunrise as we ate breakfast each morning certainly stimulated our spirits each day.  Our last morning allowed us the privilege of enjoying not one but three vivid rainbows over the sea that seemed to be reaching for Kapiti Island. This was not enough to stop the sleeplessness continuing. How do you fit so much new 'stuff' into your brain and sleep peacefully?

As we parted ways again we had the job of creating our presentation about the research to date for ULearn14 as our homework. Skype time with Louise allowed me a chance to plan and think more fully about the how and what to include. All the fellows but Tim and I headed to Hamilton at the beginning of the holidays for another face to face ahead of ULearn14.

As Ulearn14 raced toward us I know I was excited about the coming week together, but mourning what was then the end of our organised time together. My presentation was well laid out - in my head! The Sunday night before flying to Rotorua (that flight is a whole blog on its own) I was struggling to decide whether packing or presentation was my priority. Tweeting amongst ourselves had become tradition on the eve of our master class gatherings. It turns out Twitter demonstrated I wasn't the only one struggling with which priority was indeed winning.

After a late and rather wild arrival into Rotorua, we settled into our awesome accommodation on the banks of Lake Rotorua and the Waiteti Stream ready to be challenged by Deana Thomas, Manu Faaea-Semeatu and each other. Practicing our presentations, giving each other feedback and making changes as needed was the order of the day on Tuesday - as well as our first taste of not quite making it to the workshops we were booked in for. 

Wednesday was the day we could go for it and attend what we had booked for.  I was pleased with my choice to attend the Design Thinking workshops - thanks Connie.  As evening drew in and the ULearners were heading into Rotorua for dinner our little band of learners headed up the stairs to be welcomed fully into the eFellow fold. This was made extra special because we were marking the tenth year of the eFellows programme.  A usually small dinner was somewhat larger as this birthday in eFellow history was marked and celebrated.

Turns out we were in for some surprises. John and Louise had created a yearbook with their reflections and our abstracts contained within. An awesomely sweet and treasured gesture. Badges to mark the eFellows learning were announced for us with the year on and a general one for the eFellows before us. It also turns out our wee angel in the background, Shannon Vulu, had been very busy with John. Cake that was gluten free created in the badge design was up for dessert. Delicious does not begin to describe it!

Making this evening extra special was my lovely husband making the trip to share it with me. Thursday was the day of return and we had planned that he would leave as we headed to ULearn. However John, in his lovely well-meaning way, suggested that the visitors pass would allow my husband to stay and see my presentation. As if there was not enough to be nervous about....

I really need to re-watch Dr Katie Novak's keynote when I am not excitedly anxious about presenting my findings and wondering at the change in order for presenting this year's eFellows. 

My presentation went well - the room was jam-packed to the point that neither John nor Louise could squeeze in to watch it. Thank you to those of you who filled that room. I felt validated in the topic I chose and continue to work on. Watch this space for further information.

Thursday night was rather glam as we all made our way to the living area of the house in our 20's gear. We were ready, but the taxi companies in Rotorua were barely managing.  The 40 minute wait past our booked time led to a wee party in the driveway, missing the official photographer as we came in and a bit of a blight on our night. Aware that most of us had EDtalks to complete on Friday morning we could not quite let our hair down completely.

Friday was another day of not making it to the things we had booked - I was prepping for my EDtalk instead of being at my first workshop and we all need to watch the final keynote as we missed it while having our farewell lunch. Tears, laughter, gifts and memory lane were all part of that lunch. Our time as a team with purpose was ending.  Or was it?

Marnel - thank you so much for your friendship, Twitter know- how and indomitable positive attitude. You have so much to be proud of with the work you do. 

Anne - thank you for the experiences you shared, the introduction to new apps and gadgets as well as the lens change that you bring to a discussion.

Tim - the source of know-how for Google, the passion with which you explore ways to change and mold education so it is a better learning space is still awe-inspiring when I see it in action. Thank you for sharing so openly.

Ben - thank you for the discussions we had around Math, elearning and your project in general. Your ability to create something from nothing on a 3-D printer is amazing as is your outside the box thinking.

Rowan - thank you for the friendship, laughter, openness, sharing and rebellious spirit you have. You too have an amazing passion for creating life long learners. I especially love your creativity and the persistence in making things better for your students. 

Bec - thank you for the comradery, friendship, laughter, sharing and challenge to thinking you provide. I love the passion you have for education as it should be in this century. Over the fence and 'let's just park that for a moment' will never be forgotten!

John and Louise - I have thanked you both separately via emails. Those words still stand.

I will never forget the confidence in myself I have gained on this journey, the changes you have rendered in me, the faith I now have that my ideas have value, that I really am seeking the future for our most important asset, the learners, and that what I think is the best for my learners is only going to expand as I learn more myself. Thank you all for the courage and preparation I have received through our time together for my next big adventure into Post Grad study next year.

eFellows14 for life! Thanks to all involved in changing me for the most amazing ride my brain and professional learning have ever been on. Now, to keep the pedal to the metal and this ride in top gear....

 

A Week of Firsts

This week had me travelling into realms previously unexplored, both professionally and within my own professional development.

As an eFellow I was exposed to more new ideas and networks than I could have imagined. Amongst the ideas I came across was that of EduIgnite evenings. These are old hat to some but not something we had experienced in my little corner of the world.

This resonated strongly with me as a method we could try in this same corner of the world to engage teachers in lightning fire professional learning and their professional learning networks.  Connected Educator month also provided the ideal platform for the inaugural ignition.

Mark Osborne oversees the EduIgnite evenings as part of the Emerging Leaders programme. An email or two later and we had a venue and date, although my calculations were a little off as I was aiming for the second week of term and ended up with the first.  This was followed by Tweets from Mark and Facebook posts from me advertising the event as well as the registration process, all of which was handled by Mark.

Shoulder tapping of a possible presenter had happened early, with another two being shoulder tapped this week. I managed to put three presentations together in a short space of time.

Our evening arrived in what seemed like very quick fashion. Drinks and nibbles organised, our guests began arriving. It was with awe that I welcomed two amazing ladies who had travelled two hours from New Plymouth to attend and another gentleman from Marton.

As our group grew slightly larger we got underway. The general feel as we completed presenting was it had been a worthwhile evening. Those there had enjoyed the pecha kucha style of presentation, the topics covered as well as the opportunity to collaborate and meet others. Our lovely New Plymouth ladies had come to see how it all worked with a mind to getting something similar going in New Plymouth.  A mission, they felt, was not so out of their league after all.

Following this evening event I came home to join in - late - with my first ever #edchatnz. It was a furiously flowing chat by the time I joined it and I was struggling to keep up, never mind catch up, for a while. Having thoroughly enjoyed this event it will become an a regular on my radar each fortnight that I can participate.

Bring on the live Google Hangout with the eFellows next Wednesday. Now that I have had a practice run at presenting my research in a 5 minute space of time I feel ready for my first live hangout - actually it will be my third ever GHO. 

Loving these new firsts - thanks #CENZ14

Let the Vocalizing Begin

I am now one and three-quarter days out of Ulearn14 and our final eFellows14 meeting, yet here I am - awake at 2.00 in the morning with the seed of an idea to get this all into a shiny new blog and I cannot go to sleep because the seed is sprouting into life of its own accord.

I have previously blogged under the title E-Learning Best Practice Discoveries which I began while completing my sabbatical last year.  It may not yet go the way of the Blogger Graveyard, as I am sure there will be more best practice to share there.  However, the aim of this blog is to record my own voice as I develop my thinking, educational ideology, change it, mold it further, put it into practice and change it all over again.  These will be my ideas, opinions, strategic wanderings (to steal Bec's term), 'A-Ha!' moments, sometimes ramblings and often-times pondering as I make my way through the wealth of future-focused information and practice that I find myself among.

Completing the data gathering phase of my CORE Education 2014 eFellow project, "Listening to the Voices of the Unheard", I became aware of the need for us to listen to the voices that often get pushed down when we are in a state of change.  These are the voices often dismissed as dissenters or just plain not listened to when they are seeking help and/or clarification on why change is tipping their world on its ear.

I discovered there is a lot of worth to be had, and probably time saved, when we park our great plans for change just for a moment and listen to them.  They are the voices that will tell you how to get everyone on your train of change, what they need to understand so that, for them, this is not just change for change's sake and that your vision becomes theirs also.  More often than not I found they just need a helping hand onto the train of change, while you need to be prepared for them to be a little slower in the technicalities while providing that outstretched hand as they run alongside trying to get on-board.  The last thing you should want is to see them give up, puffing and panting from the run to understand yet still left behind, standing alone, beside the tracks. What a desolate image that paints for your colleague.

I have also come to the conclusion thanks to the number of educators who filled the room to hear what I had discovered, as well as my time on the CORE Education eFellowship, that I too have a voice that I should be sharing.  I have long thought of myself as 'just another teacher' getting on with the job, doing the same thing as every other teacher around me.  This year as an eFellow has taught me that I am not just doing the job.  I have a future focus with students set firmly at the center, vision for change that has their methods of engagement at heart, a willingness to be challenged then changed, and a voice that other teachers want to hear.

I have to, at this point, give thanks to the most amazing group of people with whom I have just spent a year completing professional development that is on steroids. A year where lifelong friendships have begun and my professional learning group and confidence have exploded. A year where I have finally found my voice and know it has worth.

Dr John Fenaughty and Dr Louise Taylor as the facilitators for eFellows14 have far outstripped the bog-standard facilitation role for us. They have been encouraging yet challenging, supportive yet pushed the boundaries of our thinking - often breaking them, planned for our master classes yet been prepared to listen and adapt to the needs we had, ready to advise yet never judged our choices or our thinking, ready to guide yet never telling us what to do, ready to catch us when we took our stumbling steps into the world of research and were angst-ridden about presenting our findings.  They provided us with access to some amazingly forward thinking and thought provoking CORE personnel and educational literature.  They were there when we fell, had moments of celebration, and, without exception, when we just needed our helping hand up.  They were like our two parents on Wednesday as we were inducted fully as eFellows, proudly standing with each of us as they shared with the eFellows from throughout the 10 years this programme has been running the year we had had.

Tim Gander, Ben Britton, Bec Power, Rowan Taigel, Marnel van der Spuy and Anne-Louise Robertson - I am just as in awe of each of you still as I was at that first face-to-face meeting we had on March 5th. Along with our a fore mentioned 'parents', these outstanding people became my siblings in our eFellows14 family. We have lived and laughed together (a lot!), shared our anxieties, challenged each other, supported each other and championed each other as we made our way through the year.  We all experienced the dazzling brain burst that went with each master class - often awake, as now, in the middle of the night with so many ideas buzzing the brain out of sleep mode that we had no choice other than to process them then and there.  This is the second master class in a row where I have had this buzz continue past our time together.  We are all now mourning the loss of our organised time together but, like the phoenix rising from its ashes, we are giving birth to ways in which we can continue our adventure together as fledglings leaving the safety of our nest with John and Louise.

Looking back I am not the same person or educator I was when my name was read and I excitedly, if a little anxiously and very humbled to be included in this group, took the stage at Ulearn13 to begin my eFellow year.  I recognise the transformation I have been through during not just this year but the five years since my metamorphosis truly began.  I am still one of Louise's butterflies - testing my wings as they dry from my cocoon phase before I really take flight.

I am about to tackle the further expansion of my ideology with my enrollment for Post Grad study. I have long thought this was not something I needed to worry about.  I had completed my training and my degree at the 'right time' to be on the top pay scale - why bother?  Now I know why I need to bother.  I know I am ready to take on the challenges I will be given and not just work through it because I feel I have to.  I will give each of the papers I choose the same passion, thought and range of lenses I have given this year.  I am now prepared to be transformed, just as this past year has transformed me.

So.... let the vocalizing, and the flapping of wings, really begin!